"Manke naa lye autien?"

"Grandfather, where are we going today?"
"We are following the path Mikel,"

"But where does it lead? We've gone on a thousand walks and you always answer me the same. What is the path and why does it feel stronger in some places?"

Grandfather smiles at the questions. These walks are so enjoyable because of his grandson's endless curiosity, always asking for names of destinations,
details on how we'll arrive, requests for directions.

"Alright Mikel, if you really must know where we are going today,
you must close your eyes and continue walking."

"But grandfather I will not be able to see where I am going,
I'm not very good at walking with my eyes closed.
Remember how I fell in the river last spring."

"I remember. You simply were not watching where you were going.
There is a difference between closing your eyes and not watching."

Mikel closes his eyes slowly following the trail beside the river.
After only a few steps he feels a tree branch brushing his ankle.
Opening his eyes he scans the ground for the branch,
but there is nothing there.

"Why did you open your eyes?
There is no branch rubbing against your leg."

"How did you know I thought there was a branch grandfather?"
"Your thoughts are out there in the open, child, they are easy to read.

"Now I want you to close your eyes and breathe through your nose.
Feel your toes sink into the ground. The trees are calling you,
so this morning we are trees.

"Imagine your toes spreading beneath the soil like roots.
Drink in fresh water to strengthen your trunk.

"Let your hands sink beside you until you feel the sun on your face.
Feel its warmth run deep through you.
As it combines with the water, you will feel magic occur.
Allow your arms and hands to move where they will
remembering they are your branches filling with leaves."

Mikel follows the directions his grandfather gives.
The feeling his grandfather calls magic is amazing.
He begins feeling the glow spread through his body to his fingertips.
He connects with everything in the forest.

Seasons cycle past in the blink of his eyes.
His glow feels stronger as he listens to his grandfather's voice
whispering instructions. His eyes begin to open.

"Where are we going?" he tries to ask,
but the wind hushes his thoughts.

His arms sway and Mikel feels magic all around.
It's as if his fingers have intertwined with all the trees of the forest.

Powerfully, he stands drinking the water through his toes
listening to the river.

In the distance, Mikel hears voices different than his grandfathers.
He realizes they are approaching.
He tries to lift his eyelids to see who it is.
He can barely make out the shape of what looks to be a boy and his father.
There is laughter in their voices.

"Manke naa lye autien?" he says
and the little boy looks right at him.

He feels as if he is looking into a mirror.
A smile greets him.

thank you elves of the grey-company organization for translation

Balance

I am a magician in the forest, a wizard you may say. Gathering ingredients to create what we all need.

When I was at my youngest state of being, I clung to my mother for dear life. She sheltered me until I was ready to leap into the world.

As I made my descent to the forest floor life awakened in me, for I became an individual. It was now up to me to grow healthy, strong, and connected to life.

In order to do so, it was necessary to find a place underground to transform. As rains washed over mother, I took some in sprouting towards the sky above and earth below. This is when I became a magician. As I lifted my top above the soil, I breathed the air humans sent into the world.

Not even knowing what I was doing I changed that air and gave it back. It seemed perfectly natural. In time I grew taller, but in order to stay in balance I sent out roots beneath the ground.

Time went by and I became more aware of things around me. I began to realize it was the river of life flowing beside me. It was this life I was drinking in through my roots to help me create. I kept reaching to the sun with limbs held high. The taller I grew the more I was able to process. It was not until I created new life from myself that I learned it was magic I create.

There are many of us in nature. We give what we have for we know that our longevity depends upon these gifts. We are rising from our silence to teach balance to all who will listen. Breathe in and breathe out, become one with us.

Happy Christmas

I've often been told that I do not live in the same reality. I've been called immature. Fyn understands me though, which makes it alright. It's wonderful how children look to the magic in the world with unquestioning eyes.

Tonight while talking on the phone, I noticed a shadow on the ceiling. Immediately my brain ran through the possibilities of what could be moving through the garland above the window. The shadow cast by the Christmas lights made the being seem enormous. After my brain narrowed it down to the likely choices of spider or beetle, my imagination took over and fantastical beings entered my home. Of course I understand that insects are beautiful, but when a fairy appears in your garland, it is necessary to praise magical beings.

I know someone who will tell me to stop saying strange things in my blog, someone who does not believe in magical beings. Her argument is that people will not take me seriously if I say crazy things. The craziest thing I have seen in my lifetime is the endless war we have had to endure on the part of human beings. War has been discussed seriously, fretted over, and seriously discussed some more by the politicians, news media, citizens, etc... It is time for us to start saying something more meaningful.

We the People, depend upon one another in order to create a more perfect community. We realize the energy of love is stronger than fear. The Earth we walk on is the body of our mother. For too long, men have dropped bombs, polluted, and ripped apart our mother. We need her in order to survive. We are connected to one another in spirit through the air we breathe. Let us work together to create peace, love, and justice for all People.

It is time for people to open their eyes to magic. My wish to you in this holiday season is peace on earth. John and Yoko gave us the words almost forty years ago-War is over if you want it--Happy Christmas.

writing

The other day I encountered someone who came to a reading I did about two months ago. He asked how my stories were coming along, and I told him I started this blog two weeks ago. I also told him I found it hard to write with Fyn requiring so much of my time when the kindergarten kids weren't demanding my attention. He told me that he found that he needed to write everyday no matter what to keep his thoughts fresh. I've heard this many times and have tried to keep my journal going over the years on a daily basis. But days do pass without finding the moments to sit down and write.

It's a discipline that I am much better at following in the summer months when I can focus on my thoughts. My typical day now consists of rising at 5:20 so I can spend some time with Fyn before school. We hang out for a while, go for a walk to the river to get him back to sleep so I can return him to Victoria around 7:15. Then I get ready for school. I usually leave the house before 8 and get home around 6. By this time, Victoria needs a break from Fyn so we go for a walk and play until dinner. We try to get him to bed around 9, which means that time for writing is now--9:18.

My brain is depleted of creativity by this time of night because I have been "on" all day. My most productive writing times are between 8 a.m. and noon. I know this because my thoughts flow freely before I eat and during the summer I don't bother doing that until at least noon. At this time of night I can replay the events of the day, but finding the story that was waiting to be told twelve hours ago is a distant memory.

I know I am not alone in this respect. Finding the time for things we love to do is the goal of most humans. I am glad that I have not wasted brain power on the television in five years. I'd probably never have time to write if I were tuned into that machine. Honestly, I would love to live a technology free life. I don't own or want to be tied to a cell phone. As I said the TV is gone. When my laptop crashed 245 pages into my book(thankfully it is saved on a flash drive), I was ready to swear off computers. Most of the writing this past year has been with the pen and paper. Now I have journals jam packed with stories and poetry. Much of the writing has been done with Fyn sleeping on my chest beside the river. The following is a taste from last August to tie into my writing of the Wizard Walk:

The wizards enter the magical forest in the escort of Sir Maxwell. Their guide quickly races ahead, climbing trees for a better view. As Master Fyn surveys the familiar landscape, his father speaks to one of the fairies.
"Good morning to you Gringer, it is a beautiful day."
"Good morning Fodda," Gringer replies.
"Where's Atter this morning? It's unusual to see you without her."
"She's decided to learn Spanish because she says that is what Fyn has been speaking when they communicate. She thinks that's why she has been having a hard time being understood by you." Gringer smiles knowingly that it is Atter's excitement at being in Fyn's presence that maker her stutter.
"So is she taking a class to learn Spanish?" the wizard asks.
"In a way," Gringer replies. "She's gone to what humans call the equator and our people refer to as Mother's center. She's having a great time and I think she really is learning to speak Spanish."
"What makes you think that?"
"I can't even understand what she's saying in her thoughts when she sends me them, so she must be speaking Spanish," Gringer says.
"You mean to say that you can communicate with her even though she is so far away?"
"Sir, you and Master Fyn could communicate with her right now if you really tried. We fairies already understand that we are all connected and there really is no such thing as distance to separate us from others. You've lived too long among the humans and have fallen into their traps of time and space."
"Wait a second Gringer!" the wizard interrupts. "I still understand the principles by which this world operates."
"No disrespect to you sir, but you did marry one of the humans and had to give up being a fairy. I suppose being a wizard has its advantages, but you are living between two worlds now. When you were one of us, someday you will recall, you could travel anywhere instantaneously. Now you walk through this world as an observer of magic. You can still perform some amazing feats. You have the ability to form a bridge between our two worlds. Fyn has already helped guide you back to us, and we will help you remember those things you knew when you were a child of nature."

Wizard Walk

We are wizards walking through this winter wonderland. Do you understand? We are traveling our path going here and there. It is magic we seek. Be thankful, it is everywhere. Our kind can find it because we are aware of the rhythms of the land. Finding magic in the air necessitates quieting external noise and tuning into the sound of birds and wind whispering through the trees.

Whisper and the wind hears our wishes. We are emerging from our silence to walk among your kind for it has been too long since humans have recognized the magic in the air. Every now and then you've recognized magic, but have not known how to explain the phenomenon so you shook your head in disbelief. We are here to tell you now that what you felt was real, but in the world of technology your eyes have been clouded. Interesting that you find us here now trying to use your technology to open your eyes.

Our way is not one of force so you are free to do what you choose with this information. We are peaceful beings and have grown tired of watching your leaders rip apart our mother seeking resources to keep their corporate machine running. May we remind them that their are millions of species sharing this planet. Humans seem to think they can force their will on the land and its inhabitants. We would like them to know that their wasteful practices have not gone unnoticed. What we find strange is that many of your kind also realize this but ignore the destruction and remain apathetic. But not you, and we are seeking people like you to help us restore peace to the world.

Our friends the fairies are joining us to help bring an awareness of magic and the peace it brings. We walk among you now. You sometimes notice us because we do not completely disguise ourselves from your eyes. We are confident there are enough people in the world who recognize that war is obsolete and militaristic empires have reached their limitations. The world and its people are all connected. Leaders cannot lead if you refuse to follow. They will tell you all is doom and gloom because that is what they are experiencing. Their machine is wearing out and will come to a stop, but you do not have to suffer its extinction with them.

We are here to serve as your guides in a new world order. Our message to you is that magic surrounds us and you. May peace awaken with your participation.