The Gorgon's Mirror Room

A key is left in my room, enclosed in a letter.

Dear Luna,

Enter the Gorgon’s Mirror Room after midnight to see how others often see you.

Eternally,
The Enchantress

To prepare myself I bathe with neroli and jasmine oils. The warming scents relax and open my minds eye.

At midnight, the corridor is quiet. I can hear water dripping and soft echoes of night creatures. My smoky blue cloak drags on the floor making a hissing sound as I move. I feel like I am being watched. I distrust the dark; you never know what is there. The Gorgon’s heavy key has a patina of rust, softly worn down but unmistakably shaped like the head of a snake.

The door looms massive and ancient; the lock makes a satisfying clunk as I turn the key. In the darkness, I grope forward hoping not to crash into anything or anyone. My hands reach out and touch a cold, flat surface. As my eyes adjust, I see a large standing mirror, looking through it the room is filled with candles. A hooded figure stands before me. I push back my hood to see myself as a much older person with long grey hair. My face is wide with good eating and wrinkled with worry and laugh lines.

The room behind me is filled with paintings. The light shifts and it looks like a gallery opening, I see myself chatting with very well dressed people. That’s a good sign. The mirror dims and all is dark.

Light comes from the corner of my left eye. Turning , A little girl screams at me in the mirror. I am not sure if it is me, but probably how most folks see me: a spoiled brat. The mirror goes dim like the other one.

Far away another light catches my eye, I slowly move toward the back of the enormous room. Now I notice the room is truly full of mirrors, but the lit one calls to me with its brilliance.

A standing mirror sits on a table. I sit in a hard chair and look straight into this old, rough mirror. The light fades and swirls of mist churning, I wait. After many minutes of silence, I whisper, am I suppose to ask a question? A little swirl creates letters that oddly form the word, yes.

I cannot imagine what to ask this mirror. So I sit and meditate. My brain wanders around my foot begins to itch and I get a flash of a house with a funny shaped roof. I open my eyes and this funny roof is in the mirror, a house appears with a garden.

A house, roses are in full bloom, it is a slice of heaven when I see it. I smile and the image fades. I sense that the room is all quiet and done with me. The room is pitch black. Light comes from under the door and I make my way back to the corridor.

Two towering mirrors face each other. I get a funny feeling this is not over. As I approach, two giant samurais in full warrior battle gear appear in the mirrors, one red the other steel grey. Yes, I see you great warriors. I have not forgotten you. They incline their heads towards me and whisper: Shinjo, be brave, do not fear darkness, and vanish. Ah yes, my intense ancestors reminding me of honor and what it means to live well and without regret, which is a challenge.

The door opens on its own, the Enchantress looks up and smiles. Well done. Your ancestors wanted me to give you this… So you don’t forget. She slips me a blood red pouch, inside is a garnet and gold bracelet. It is so beautiful; I will think of them often as I wear it. I put it on and smile to myself walking back to my room in the dark, thinking about honor.

Walls

Day by day
brick by brick
a wall was created
that enclosed my heart

Night by night
brick by brick
I mourned the loss
of my innocence

Day into night
night into day
the wall came down
to create a bridge

Luna’s arrival

The House of Serpents

The mahogany reception desk is as massive as I remember. The Griffin looks up elegantly without blinking and says, “Yes, The Shinjo. Your room is ready.”

I bow my head, “Thank you.”

She remembers me, the Griffin who asked me to prove who I am. Did I make an impression? Or does she just have a really good memory?

A young girl leads me down the hall. The wide corridors are open like the Greek style with a courtyard full of plants and fountains. Birds sing and flit around happily.

My room is really a suite with a balcony overlooking the wide world. A private suite is the ultimate luxury and I draw a bubble bath and light some candles.

Before going to bed I pull out some parchment to send a letter. Her ravens appear without even asking. They will find her.

Dear Lady Enchantress,

I have arrived safely at The House of Serpents. My room is lovely and the view of the sunset is inspiring. I hope all is well with you. I look forward to chatting with you at the banquet.

Your dear ravens showed up just as I pulled out the parchment. What magic they possess.

Blessings,
Luna

A voice

Bound tight
gagged and blind
I lost myself

Ideas hidden away
locked, sealed
invisible

A small voice
with no confidence
head low

Beaten down
by words that despise
and hurt

Yet words
are the way
to freedom

Release them
that lay heavy
on my heart

They ooze
like sludge
quivering

timid
shy
unlovable

Word by word
Poem by poem
Blog by blog

A wisp of a voice
grows strong
unafraid

My voice
came as a surprise
like a child

Gurgling
and laughing
with delight

Here I am
not a child

But believing
I can be again

On my terms

Letter from Le Enchanteur

Dear Travellers,

What brave souls you to walk the Serpentine Road with me. I am you guide but I am not the sort of guide you may have met, or heard about, travelling on a tour bus somewhere. I have no microphone and I will not be providing particularly clear instructions. This is a tour with a differerence. You are pretty much on our own and you have to keep finding me. I will go ahead and help that whining Heather set up some camps (she does go on about having to do everything herself and it is simply not true) and will let you know our whereabouts. How you reach us is up to you.

Now you have your special bags don't you? Each bag contains spectacles, a candlestick, a tiny anchor, a medallion with the imprint of the Unicorn and a set of wings. However, each bag contains something that has been chosen specifically for the recipient. It also contains a map.

Look at the map carefully! You will see the Cave of the Ancients marked on it. This is where we are headed. The Cave of the Ancients is the place which is purported to contain remnants of ancient civilizations - wisdom that has been lost to humankind because of those who have tried to raze all memory of old wisdoms and truths.

It is a long and dangerous journey to find the Cave of the Ancients. Tracks have long been overgrown and you have to pass through steep mountain. We will need a number of stops along the way. At various stops it would be a good idea to find out as much as you can about this cave and its precise whereabouts. The map I have given you is old and needs to be updated. Perhaps there is a cartographer in our midst and that person will mark things as we go.

With scientists, botanists, herbalists, journalists, artists, amongst our number it is hoped that this path will be well documented and that come December the Advent Calendar will feature this journey of exploration. Documents are kept safely in sealed archives (bloggers) ready to be accessed after the journey is complete. It is a good idea to have your own personal blogger that contains your journey - and it will be linked to the Serpentine Road so that we can find you.

Now! I am going to go ahead to the House of the Serpents, which is close to Blind Springs. I will meet you there.

Good luck
Sibyl

Sweet Surrender

I have become an amalgam of ideas.
I have become one I didn’t expect.
My philosophy shifted and my vision crashed
I am still reeling from my newness of mind.

Now I understand everything is grace
Everything is given to fulfill something

Take it!
All of it!
Leave me what you think I need
and I will trust that all will be well.

I have done all I can now
I can only go with the flow

I offer my everything
To the earth, to the sky
To the moon, to the sun…

The dreams of my heart
are the dreams of
the universe dreaming
through me

Prayer by Julia Cameron

found written on a tiny scroll inside a burnt out apothecary chest

A flutter of wings

It’s time to go to bed and my mom comes in to tuck me in. I am getting a little old for it, but I like it. We walk towards my room and I gasp. She stops and looks at me, “What’s wrong?” I whisper, “Don’t you see them?” She looks at me, puzzled.

My room is crowded with pulsing, quivering wings of angels. They surround my bed and look at me. Their eyes are glassy. But they smile serenely.

My mom kisses me goodnight on the forehead, like every night, since I can remember. The door is left ajar. Light from the hallway barely streams in. But my room glows with their soft light.

Murmuring among themselves they gently tell me not to be afraid. He loves me and they will be near. I can feel their hands pass over my head, like adults do when they are saying hello, but with a more reverent manner.

All night I can feel them, watching me sleep. It’s comforting. In the morning only one angel sits and waits. She smiles at me and tells me, she will shadow me all day. I shrug, “okay.”

Jeremy’s birthday party starts with food and games. Everybody brings towels and swimsuits. We play King of the Mountain, Marco polo, and more games I don’t know. Everybody jumps in the pool and starts to push.

The pool is really deep with a fake waterfall and tropical plants. I only learned how to swim last summer and I hang on the side of the pool most of the time. When everybody starts to play water polo the real pushing begins. Kids start jumping for the ball and crash on top of one another, laughing. The angel gazes at me from near the house.

In the middle of pool the ball comes right to me. Before I can jump up to return it, kids from all directions crash on top of me. The water is blurry and bodies move everywhere. I can’t catch my breath. I struggle to come up, but I am sinking. Bodies wiggle and swim away.

I watch my body fall to the bottom of the pool. I feel warm hands around me. The angel has come close and says it’s okay. I can’t remember how I got out of the pool. The water glitters and somebody starts to shout. All the kids get out of the pool. The waterfall makes it difficult to see. A shape lies on the bottom. Someone jumps in and pulls out my body, it’s grey.

The angel holds my hand. Another wipes at my tears. A circle has formed around the body and kids stare and babble like they don’t understand. But they do.

The pool sparkles. I start to shake all over. Suddenly, I am wrapped in light. An angel leans down and whispers we need to go. Golden eyelashes touch my cheek. A fluttering of wings enfold me. A crowd hovers just like last night. I try to see my mom. I can hear her voice. I can hear her crying. A beautiful face looks inside me, without words, I feel safe. An overwhelming love embraces me. I feel a buzzing in my head and it’s peaceful. I drift with the angels like clouds following music that is vaguely familiar.


Author’s Note: I wrote this in memory of a little boy I didn’t know. He saw angels the night before he died. I wanted his story to be remembered here.

Mothers & daughters

So many daughters cry
so many mothers cry
for what?

Mean words spoken
cannot be taken back

When all they want
is a tender word
a thoughtful glance

Why can’t mothers let go
why can’t daughters let go
forgive past sins

Why can’t they just hold hands
with gentle respect for one another

Let me set my own tempo
you set your own too
and dance

Daughters want their own way
mothers want their own way
sinking fast

All I want for you is simple
let us talk like friends

Be at peace to find
the loving center
within