Of this life, find what's real
Look beyond the form,
There burns the flame."*
One evening, passing by an estate that was at the edge of the Peaceful Kingdom, I was intrigued by the gate which barred entry onto the grounds. It was made of a beautifully curlicue-shaped iron; filigree held within gold trimmed panels, just below a golden arch of the gate, which held eight of the Kingdom's five pointed star insignia. This was just beneath a detail of more graceful filigree, topped by a ninth Pentacle. Just inside the gate, as I stood admiring the work, I saw a woman enter the garden, smartly adorned in a gown that was quite regal, though I must say that I also saw a transformed seeker in her manner of dress. It was like seeing a glimpse of myself in the future, having achieved many goals and now as easily communed with the wild side of life, as she does with those who inhabit the Royal Court. All of this while she appeared to be a woman of leisure, strolling through her domain. And it was a well cared for estate, filled with plentiful rose and, berry bushes bursting with flowers and fruit.
I watched as she reached out and picked one, tasting it. On her other arm, she wore a falconer's glove, and perched there was a magnificent specimen of bird. It was hooded. I wondered at her situation. I got the sense that she was, like the others of the Peaceful Kingdom, very learned. There was a sense of three aspects of teacher's I'd met upon my journey: Her careful movements, along with seeing her control of the exquisite falcon, spoke volumes of the mastery of the Magician, the first teacher I'd met. This blended equally with a sense of The High Priestess. She was very balanced, though this came more from a marriage of these two, perhaps due to her upbringing, and not pursued as a vocation. The third teacher I saw in her was The Hermit, for this woman stood alone, on her own two feet, and I knew she was quite capable of taking as good care of herself as she was of her estate.
For a moment, I sensed that the gate, in some way, was indicative of how easily she saw through the veil that was just beyond this life, which, for most others was thinnest only upon Samhain, [the New Year]. For her, this seemed more at her behest. Then that impression passed, fading as the sunset does, pulling the colors from the clouds almost imperceptibly, until there is just the rich deep hue of approaching twilight. When she'd gone deeper into her gardens, I wondered if I had not imagined, or perhaps, even dreamed her.
[insights] Solitary. Wealth, affluence and luxury. Mastery over the material realm [as Rachel Pollack put it: "Dreams made a reality through dedication, hard work and discipline."] Femininity.
*song for Nine of Pentacles: There Burns The Flame by Denean
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