"The Rhythm of Remembering"

                 "Three  things cannot be long hidden :  the sun, the moon and  the truth.”

                                                      ~ Buddha

                                   

Introduction 

Legend Chronicles - “The Rhythm of Remembering”

     Chapter One: The Awakening

     Chapter Two: Message from the Stars             

     Chapter Three: Dawn of a New Day

 

Introduction:

    “Compassion for Our Mother”© 2020

In my elder years, I have come to feel very sad about the harm we people are doing to nature. Our Earth and all life depending on it have suffered badly by our lack of compassion and responsible action. I created this painting above several years ago to address my care and concern for the alarming things happening to our natural world, which have the potential to severely disrupt life as we know it. Our earth is heating up to damaging temperatures, our waterways lack a purity that sustains all life and the songs of many animals have been permanently silenced. It is time to bring back hope. My new legend painting, “The Rhythm of Remembering”, with the story it inspired, are a part of my personal healing to replace fear with peace, sadness with hope and especially, anger with positive action. Greta Thunberg, the young and inspiring climate activist, says, “The one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere.” It is my wish that the action of creating this new Legend painting and its story of positive change creates more inspired action and ultimately, hope - not only within me, but within all who witness my creations.                                     

                                                                                                          

                The Rhythm of Remembering  

             

Chapter One: The Awakening

 A very old yew tree stood proudly on a hillside reaching its densely branched arms outward as if it had a right to occupy most of the space of this quaint Scottish town. Everyone had always been in awe of this huge, gnarled tree that had existed on that hill overlooking the village, even before the Great Imbalance happened. The ancient yew tree, as a seedling, had seen the construction of those immense, prehistoric rock monoliths that encircled the field nearby. Together, for centuries, both the tree and those stone monoliths were a testimony to the wisdom of those ancient people, who diligently cared  for Mother Earth, with both respect and gratitude. It was a time of harmony and balance, where the idea of unity was in everyone’s heart.

So the town had flourished in this Mother-centered culture and was unified by the art of compassionate caring. As the years passed and the town stayed alive with myths and legends, its magic lore seemed to keep it from aging at all. One legend in particular,  a favorite among the townspeople, was the story of how the ancient tree magically created this village long ago under the light of the full moon. But tonight, at the time of the new moon, the town was sleeping peacefully under the night sky curiously lacking in the light of stars. 

                                                                                                                           

For centuries, the old yew tree, whose roots reached deeply into the truth of the Earth, appeared to belong to everyone in the town, but tonight it was a special home to a large black raven, who at this moment was contemplating the sadness and pain troubling the world.

Suddenly, coming from within the tree, a soft, steady rhythm began to disrupt the silence of this black velvet night. While the raven appeared to be oblivious to the unusual sound, there was someone in the village that this persistent drumbeat had awakened. Stella, a very modern woman whose values and dreams aligned with a fearful world, seemed out of place in this this small village that still spoke of the magic of ancient ways. There were countless reminders of ancient lore all around Stella in her home town encouraging her to awaken to a way of thinking more aligned with the old yew tree on the hill than with the woes of the world. Just yesterday, she had wandered among the circle of stone sculptures in the field near the y ew tree and heard a curious rhythmic sound coming from that tree. But when she turned around quickly and surveyed the hillside looking for an answer, the sound had mysteriously stopped. The only sound piercing the dark night was that black raven whose squawking call only served to make her more uneasy. Stella resisted giving any importance to this unsettling experience, attributing the drumming sounds she heard to the wind moving through the branches. Stella would never have thought of recalling one of the ancient stories, told by the townspeople at community celebrations, as a possible explanation for the mysterious repetitive sound she had heard last night. But being awakened tonight, she could not dismiss this unknown drumbeat, which with that raven’s piercing call, almost seemed to be summoning her from her dreams.                                                     

                                                                                                                           

Waking up too early in the morning after struggling to go to sleep was something she had to deal with as an elder, but this irritating disruption of her sleep by this strange drumming sound in the middle of the night was not!  Angrily, Stella got out of bed and put on a jacket as she made her way to the porch to have a better look around for anything strange. Not wanting to deal with the struggle of trying to go back to sleep, Stella put on some slacks, slipped on her hiking boots and grabbed a flashlight as she headed down the trail into the primeval forest near her home. 

                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                           

Chapter 2 - Message  from

                                the Stars

                                                                                        

 “Painted Drum with Constellations”   

After making her way a short distance down the trail, Stella’s flashlight went out leaving her in the darkness of the forest. As she looked around desperately trying to see which way to go, she was startled by a bright flash of light streaking across the night sky like a meteor. As it fell toward the ground a short distance ahead of her, it began to glow like swarm of lightning bugs illuminating the landscape. Curiosity overshadowed her fear as she inched her way down the trail for a closer look at this mysterious, glowing light. But her fear suddenly subsided when she saw a very old woman sitting on a rock weeping as if she had lost something precious. The woman was dressed in a long, blue flowing cloak and had a gold  heart necklace around her neck. On her forehead a radiant white flame appeared. It was not the fire of destruction, but rather it appeared to be a flame signifying some kind of empowerment.  Feeling that she should offer assistance to this strange, distressed woman, Stella moved cautiously toward her, “Do you need some help? Can I get you something?” As the old woman looked up at Stella, revealing a deep sadness and suffering in her eyes, Stella asked “What makes you so sad?”

The old woman answered, “People have forgotten their source of origin and have lost the way of the heart. They are lacking a needed connection to one another, and without that network of oneness, they have lost hope. It’s as if all the stars in the sky have burned out leaving everyone in the darkness.”

                                                                                                                           

“But how can I help?” asked Stella again, not sure if she really could make anything better. “And who are you that you are grieving the challenges that burden the people of Earth?”

“I am the Crone”, she announced, standing up slowly as if she were carrying the weight of the world on her rounded shoulders. “I am she who watches over your dreams and visions, who whispers secrets to your heart. I am the ancient teacher of song and story offering you wisdom as you spin and weave the web of life. Yes, I am the Hag who knows how to call down the power of the moon to work magic. ”

“How will magic change things?” Stella asked.

“It will support us all as we remember the ancient wisdom that has  been forgotten - that practicing the feminine way of balance is needed to bring about justice on Earth as we realign ourselves with the laws of nature.”

“What is this ‘feminine way’ you speak of that can bring about justice?”

“It is the path of creating the harmony that comes from aligning with love, finding power in the present and feeling gratitude for all that you have. The feminine way affirms our sacred relationship with the Earth and with one another.” 

“How can I learn more about this feminine path to justice?”

“You must enter into the unknown terrain within yourself and search in that darkness for the lost daughter of the feminine source of life. Upon finding her, you must then encourage the lost daughter to drum the rhythm of wisdom that the people all over the world long for.  That drumbeat will awaken and restore a remembering within all beings that can save the world and unite us all once again in love.” 

The Crone smiled at Stella while she raised her arm and swept open her colorful cloak to reveal the dazzling cosmos. The breathtaking display of light radiating from her cloak revealed an array of heavenly bodies that illumined a pathway into the stars. “Walk this path and you will find the wisdom of the feminine way that you seek and, most certainly, in walking this path, an awareness of justice will follow .”

Cautiously, Stella stepped onto this luminous path of light and was suddenly swept into the sparkling stars of the Milky Way.  Up ahead of her on the path, Stella recognized a pattern of stars that was the shape of a rabbit. She watched as that star-filled rabbit hopped onto the path in front of her and, after studying  her for a few seconds, said, “What’s your rush? What are you looking for?”

“I am seeking justice. I need to learn about the feminine way. Can you help me?”

The rabbit twitched his nose as he thought about her quest. “The wisdom you seek for your journey of knowing is stillness. It is much harder than anything that you could possibly try to do. As long as you are frantically searching for the truth of justice, it will continue to elude you. What you chase will run from you even faster. You must cease your chatter and learn to be still as you prepare to receive what you seek. Finally, in the sound of silence, you will hear the guidance needed in your search for the wisdom of justice.” Before Stella had a chance to ask another question, the rabbit transformed back into its pattern of stars and began to emanate more light, making the dark night a little less dark.

Continuing on this Milky Way path, Stella saw another constellation twinkling in the distance. With a loud roar, out of this pattern of stars leaped an angry lion. Stella drew back in fear terrified about the possibility of being hurt by this aggressive apparition. “What are you afraid of?” hissed the lion as he began to appear a little less threatening. 

                                                                                                                           

“I am scared of never finding out how to make things right here on Earth…. that justice will never happen. And I am so frightened when I hear about people hurting each other to get the things they think they need.”  Stella watched the lion as its expression began to soften even more.

“Stella, fear never points the way out of your dilemma. It will never guide you to your truth. In fact, fear will block the light of truth just as storm clouds darken the rays of the sun. Growth cannot be seen in the darkness, but embracing that darkness with courage is what makes growth possible. I offer the gift of courage to you, Stella, as you search for a higher vision. To find freedom from your fear, use this offering of courage to to brave the unknown, especially within.” 

With compassion beaming from his eyes, the lion retreated to his place in the cosmos and twinkled against the dark of the sky, manifesting even more light.

After making several turns on the starry pathway, Stella saw an even larger pattern of stars come to life. She watched as a huge black bear lumbered toward her displaying a star patten on its body that was the shape of a container with a long handle. This mystical bear, pointing to the luminous configuration on his body, asked Stella, “How will you fill this cup?” What do you choose to put in it?”

“I have nothing to fill it with”, replied Stella, feeling quite inadequate to meet the demands this adventure required of her.

“Yes, you do” mused the bear, smiling with empathy at her reply. “Fill your container with your dreams and visions, and top it off the most precious part of your essence. You are more than enough to fill this cup - but only with the truest part of you - your authentic Self.” 

“How do I find this authentic part of me?” wondered Stella

“Remember the lesson of the rabbit -  ‘Be still and listen with your heart.’ And recall the wisdom from the lion - ‘Engage your courage - dare to grow and learn.’ And lastly, hear the lesson I offer you now. - Believe in yourself. You are enough. Your confidence will reveal all that you need to be happy and prosper.  Let your passion for life guide you.” This huge bear appeared almost benevolent as he shared this wisdom with Stella.                               

The bear then took his place in the night sky as the Crone wrapped her star-filled cloak around her ancient body. She reached up into the night sky and gently took the moon into her hands, and, as she brought it down, that lunar orb became a drum. The Crone turned toward Stella and offered her this magical frame drum, decorated with patterns of the very constellations that she had just encountered on her trek through the Milky Way. “Find your own rhythm, wise woman - that unique drumbeat that guides you to your true Self. You are the lost daughter of the feminine that you seek. Every person who hears this universal beat within knows how to restore this lost daughter to her rightful place in the cosmos. It is time.”

As Stella held this moon-shaped drum near her heart, she began to hear the soft drumbeat from the old yew tree on the hill. She began tapping out a rhythm that, even though it was uniquely hers, still harmonized with the sound from the ancient tree. As the truth of life was awakened in Stella’s heart, a star lit up on her forehead, signaling a remembering of the wisdom the bear had spoken of. The ancients were awakened by Stella’s drumming and responded by dancing around the ritual fire of celebration. As they moved and danced to the primordial rhythm of the universe, Stella remembered the knowing that had been lost, not only to her, but to all people of the Earth. As what happens when one awakens, all life in turn responds to this change in energy.  Every sentient being on Earth, both male and female, began to wake up and resonate with the nurturing vibration of the feminine way. A web of connection was woven igniting compassion in each heart and making a way for justice to prevail. The ancients, in their dance of celebration, moved with a vibration that lit up the night sky with glorious color. The faster they danced, the more radiant they became, until they burned like the stars on fire. Joining hands, they rose slowly up into the night sky and assumed a place in the heavens becoming the newest constellation. It was to be a reminder for all of humanity so that they would never again forget their rightful place in the family of things. The Great Imbalance, that ravished the Earth and her people for thousands of years, would no longer drain the life force from our world. It was finally over.

                                                                                                                         

Chapter 3 - The Dawn of a New Day

As the Earth became more luminous with the harmony of everyone’s pure light, the Crone sat down on her rock and smiled with gratitude. The sadness was gone from her face, and the darkness in her heart was brightened by the harmonious balance that filled the consciousness of every part of creation. Lingering in the background, the soft, steady rhythm of Mother Earth continued to nurture all life and align the beating of every heart with the drumbeat of goodness. 

As the sun’s rays inched their way over the horizon, Stella found herself s itting at the base of the old yew tree, with her back supported by its sturdy trunk.The messages she had received from the stars inspired her to look upward into the endless expanse of the night sky and contemplate the new decisions that she had resolved to make in her life. Within the vast array of darkness, she was drawn to the brightest constellation in the sky - the circle of stars formed by the dancing ancestors.                               

That orb of stars will continue to shine brightly for generations to come as a reminder, not only for Stella, but for everyone, about the unity in our web of creation. This eternal rhythm of justice raised the vibration of all matter and opened consciousness of all people to receive the highest of truths. Setting things right was restored that night on planet Earth and just in case anyone might be tempted to forget, that circle constellation would be in the sky shining every night as a reminder of our unity and oneness. Stella had witnessed this great transition as did the black raven, who responded with a loud squawk from his place in the old yew tree.

And both Stella and the raven were transformed by this celestial event. Stella went on to publish a book of her works of art and stories, motivating many others to compassionate action and a greater stewardship in the care of the planet. And the noisy raven began sending his tribe of ravens out into the world to transform the darkness of lies into the light of truth. As the wisdom of this revelation was received by more and more people, who had also heard this rhythm of remembering, sacred feminine energy, once lost, was again renewed on Earth. And to make sure that the feminine way would never be lost again, all yew trees around the world now drum a rhythm of truth every day at dawn and every night at dusk. If you are quiet and listen carefully you can hear it. And if you are really ready and open, you will feel it in your heart. That rhythm will say to you, “Rest easy, dear one. The love you seek is plentiful. The balance you crave is again  restored. Justice and compassion are returned as the foundation of our living network. The feminine way makes it so. Can you hear that rhythm of remembering?”