Butterfly Hardy: You Are The Ancient Ones

(Editor's Note: Butterfly Hardy's Poem, You are the Ancient Ones can be read in the archives.)

Hello, I would like to share with you a brief story concerning one of my more memorable experiences with the Ancient Ones. Before I begin, I feel it's necessary to share a little about myself.

My name is Butterfly and I reside near a lake in a small-forested hilly-hideaway in southern Saskatchewan where I have learned to love and live each moment. My many meaningful pursuits and ever inspiring accomplishments read as follows; Wife, Mother, Magical Endeavours, Woodworking, Beading Talismans, Crone Undertakings, Solitude Simplicity, Tapping into the Creative Forces, Awareness and Communicating with the Watchers of the Human Tribe.

This story began last October during one of my ritual walks into the belly of nature. My walks are a sacred time and are spent under total awareness, openness and working intuitively with the magic of my environment. But I have one drawback to this sculptured perfect harmony. I'm afraid, horrified, and even down right terrified of dogs. Not all dogs just the big hairy ones that have enormous fangs for teeth. Although I persistently work to overcome this phobia, I have repeatedly failed in all attempts. My older son has the same phobia and in his case, I know of no known reason for his phobia. The only conclusions I have for this mysterious even genetic phobia is that it's either an incident from a past life that we may have shared or it's because we are both Leo's and cats don't like dogs. Either way we share a common phobia.

As I took that walk in early October, I became lost in the wondrous beauty of Fall. As I strolled down the path of solitude, I observed the leaves in all their brilliant colours as they tumbled descending to the ground. I marvelled as the crunching of leaves beneath my feet tickled my senses into an almost hypnotic state. Lost in the complete flavour of Mother Earth and unaware of the four-legged creature that was approaching, I moseyed onward. Stopping to stare as an approaching dog closed in, I froze. Much to my relief I spotted the dog was happily wagging his tail as I timidly bent to pet the dog. Feeling very impressed with myself as I nervously suppressed my fear and with a calm and friendly voice, I asked the dog to join me on my walk. The medium sized dog appeared to have a mind of his own as he stood his ground and expressed himself with a continuous rendition of barking. I turned to proceed on my walk, thinking I'm on my own as the dog stubbornly preceded with his incessant barking leaving me with a momentary gut feeling that the dog wants me to follow him.

As I continued my walk, I was left with a nagging foreboding feeling that something's not right. Still proud that I didn't turn-tail and bolt back home, I was able to convince myself that the barking dog is not going to viciously chew my leg off and that the foreboding feeling is just my nervous phobia. As I strolled further down the magical pathway I approached my favourite spot where the trail narrows, I went confidently back to observing the wonders of nature as I watched a small frog leap off the pathway onto safety from my feet. I also observed that the barking dog was gone.

Totally lost in thought and basking in the fumes of Mother Nature, I resumed pondering my surroundings. I was happy that the Sun God had peaked through the trees and smiled down upon me. But at that same eerie instant, the hairs on the back of my neck rosé and my warning senses peeked. Quickly looking around as I scouted the area, I found no apparent danger. But with the next breath, I saw and heard my most horrific nightmare. I saw coming straight for me, two massive dogs viciously barking, stampeding my way. Feeling sorry this wasn't a nightmare, lest that I could wake-up, I quickly went into survival mode.

Realizing that the first dog, the one who was so friendly and so insistent, just moments ago, was actually there to warn me. I also realizing and was wishing I had listened. Feeling my body tingle as a rush of adrenaline streamed though my body left me with a single thought, to run hard and fast. I've heard that people when facing their death have their life flash in front of their eyes. Since I'm not having my life flash in front of me, there's a slim chance I'm not going to die, mutilated maybe, but not die.

To just stand here, I decided was my only and best recourse since yelling for help would have been futile. The area was deserted for miles and besides nobody knew where I was. As I closed my eyes and wondered how bad the attack is going to be I was interrupted by a warm presence. I opened my eyes to find the dog from earlier, the one with the incessant barking standing next to me and looking directly into my eyes. Even before I was given a chance to make sense as to why he was here, the dog ran off barking in the direction of the other two attack dogs as they closed in.

I watched that beautiful morning as the friendly dog came to my rescue and as he charged towards the other dogs growling and chasing them away. All three dogs ran back in the same direction the two dogs came from and disappeared from sight. Breathing a sigh of relief, I returned home as quickly as my legs could carry me. Now you are probably wondering what has that story got to do with the Ancient Knowledge? Let me explain.

If I would have followed my intuition or gut feeling, which I see it as a product of all life force, which in its self, is a part of the fundamental nature surrounding all the mysticism that shrouds the Ancient Knowledge. So, if I would have heeded the calling of the Ancient Knowledge, as I normally do, when it came to the insightful-messenger, the dog and what he was incessantly try to tell me, I would not have gotten into the predicament that I did. Plus, and this is the ending to this story. When I got home that day, relieved to be alive, I did something I've never done before. I went to the computer and wrote a poem and I swear the writing was not of my doing. Well at least that's the only way I know of how to explain it. I wrote the poem that is called 'The Ancient Ones'.

I know an inspirational force was guiding my fingers that morning as I wrote the poem. The inspiration to write the poem came as a lesson and as a result of my dog-phobia-predicament. And up to that moment in my life, I've never even written anything, never mind a poem. I'm even going to confess my ignorance to poetry. In fact, I don't even like to write. I love every-thing about the Sciences, especially anthropology and archaeology.

It's been four months since that incident and I still shy away from dogs. However, one thing that has changed is that I have written two other poems since then and that strangely enough the Gods have blessed me with an interest in writing.

I hope you enjoyed my story, I know I enjoyed writing it.
                     Butterfly

Devlyn Rhys Young: Journeys to the Inn

(Editor's Note: Dev Rhys Young's Poems, Journeys to the Inn can be read in this issue.)

Hmm....how it comes to me? Just a shift in consciousness, a shift in breathing, a Call, most often. Sometimes, I am journeying for a specific reason; sometimes, I am journeying and I am shown a different Path to follow; sometimes, Spirit says: "Go this way." I am open to whatever Spirit wills.

I enjoy the adventure. It is who I am, I could not be other than who I am. I don't know how to explain it. I walk wherever the Path goes... whenever. I am often in two worlds at once, even on the job, and I am always in a Shamanic Place, always have been. It's just me.

Mary Pat Mann: The Inn of Infinite Dreams

(Editor's Note: Mary Pat Mann's poem, The Inn of Infinite Dreams can be read in this issue.)

...Whenever I write poetry, specifically, it seems to be in response to something. Sometimes I'm responding to an experience or emotion, sometimes I'm responding to another poem or other writing. This poem was written in response to Dev's description of the Inn, and my subsequent visit there.