Gate: The Sun
I stepped through the vision gate into a packed arena where charioteers raced in a circle. Their horses were made of flame and as they rushed by, the light sparkled and reflected off of the cheering audience. The charioteers went around and around in a hypnotic pattern as I began to levitate above the crowd. As I looked down upon the race and observers from a higher vantage point, I saw the interaction of both revealed a pattern, the ancient symbol of the sun, a circle with a dot in its center.
“Heidi, wake up!” I heard and was jostled. I blinked and found myself somewhere new, sitting in front of a fire burning deep within an ancient forest. “You must wake up,” said the voice. “There is something in the woods.”
I pulled my attention from the fire and beheld my friends, Badger and Snake in their human forms, standing close to me and gazing into the trees which suddenly appeared all around us. Though both appeared unarmed to my eyes, they were on high alert, prepared to take the necessary measures if shadows came from the surrounding darkness.
“There is always something in the woods,” I said, taking their arms in my own in an effort to comfort them. “Let’s be patient while it comes. Have either of you met anyone new recently in the Inner Worlds? I had some interesting experiences with Cernunnos, very near this glade I think. There is also this stone from Hades which you must see…”
As I shared my latest adventures with Badger and Snake, groans, sighs and a cold breeze moved through the trees, but our cheery fire kept most of the unpleasantness at bay. I fell silent when a gray mist came from the forest edge and crept towards me and my friends. “Heidi…” the mist whispered. “Heidi…”
“I am here. Who calls?” I said as Badger and Snake rose to their feet once more, placing themselves between me and the mist.
“We do, the spirits of the forest,” came the answer and the mist began to coalesce into humanoid figures. There were soldiers, hunters, women, and children in the crowd. Some had terrible injuries and all stared with blank, blind eyes at a reality that only they could see. My friends and I were soon surrounded by a ghostly host of undead mist.
“Who are you?” I asked, aghast at their appearance.
“Stay back,” Snake warned as a particularly dangerous looking warrior brandished his weapon.
“We are those who died in these woods and now are trapped here,” came the sighing answer. “Some had mishaps while hunting.” A spirit moved away from the others with an antler hanging from his translucent mid-section. “Others were felled by treachery.” Another ghost moved past with an arrow in his back. “And yet others of us chose our end out of despair. We are the suicides under the trees.” A young man with a noose around his neck approached us and his head swung at an unnatural angle from his body.
“We are the frightened, the luckless, the lost hopes,” the spirits whispered. “We own these woods and you are not welcome here, one who walks with Badger and Snake.” As one, the motley assembly turned their blind eyes upon us and approached with grasping claws. “You will die now and join us in our suffering.”
“Like hell we will,” Badger declared, changing into his animal spirit form and showing his sharp teeth.
“I walk where I will to alleviate suffering wherever it may be found,” I said. “We can help you. Give us a chance to put your ancient grudges to rest.”
The ghostly host was undeterred by Badger’s warning or my appeal and continued to approach, their ghastly claws passing through my form as if they were nothing more than the mist they had emerged from. “We may not touch you,” the spirits sighed after some fruitless attacks. “Then we will take your friends in your place.”
As one, the spirits turned and ran at Badger and Snake. When their claws began to rip into my companions, I raised my hands in warning and a building anger. “You will not harm my friends,” I declared. “They are protected by Love as much as I.” As I spoke, Snake and Badger’s skin glowed with a golden light. The ghosts who had lain hands on them cried out as their claws began to smoke with the fierce energy that poured from my friends.
Grumbling now but wary, the ghosts hovered around us, contemplating their next move. “Why do you not pass into the realm of the dead and leave this unnatural state?” I said. “I have walked in the Halls of the Underworld and they seem a far better place than this.”
The ghosts moaned but did not answer so I reached into my pocket and pulled out the stone Hades had given to me. I held the stone to my eyes and the spirits were not visible when I peered through the sapphire. “Strange,” I said. “This host appears only on this level of reality and not a deeper one. I wonder what that means. Do you guys know?”
While Badger shrugged, Snake held out his hand for the stone which I gave to him. Then he repeated my experiment of peering through it at the ghosts. “I would love to hear Lord Hades’ opinion on the subject,” Snake said at last, handing the stone back to me. “But I think it means they’re trapped here, unable to access the other worlds for whatever reason.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Badger. “We cannot leave these lost ones in a spiritual purgatory.”
“I agree for the ones who walk this path next might not share the same divine protection that we enjoy,” I said. “We must find what is keeping these spirits from their rest not only for their sake but also the future.”
“First things first,” Snake said. “We’ve got to get out of this glade without injuring the ones who need our help. I have an idea. Badger, help me.”
As he outlined an escape plan, Badger and Snake took large, sturdy branches and lit crude torches from our fire. They waved these lights at the ghosts and the misty dead shied from the light and heat, clearing a path through the unhappy host. My friends and I moved down this path and further into the woods. I continued to hold Death’s stone to my eye but saw nothing through its surface to give us a clue as to how we should proceed.
“What are we looking for?” asked Snake, waving his homemade torch at another angry ghost.
“I honestly have no idea,” I said. “But I will know it when I see it.”
“Back, you fiends!” Badger declared and with a flurry of motion, drove the remainder of the spirits back into the shadows of the trees. “Now we have some breathing room, Heidi.”
“Thank you, Badger,” I said. Without the whispering spirits, the forest was completely silent. Strangely, no forest animals disturbed the unnerving peace beneath the trees. The view within Death’s stone was similarly empty.
Finally, a faint glow appeared in the stone, some ways off of the beaten path. “There!” I said. “A light shines in the darkness. That is where we need to go.” Making a beeline through the trees, my friends and I entered a clearing in the woods and, in the center of this space, there stood a tall, dead tree.
A hole gaped in the side of the trunk like the mouth of a hungry beast. The branches were mere sticks with no leaves and rattled together with a hollow sound. When I looked through Death’s stone, I saw a lighted outline of this tree. Its spirit looked healthy and had leaves that glowed with a white, bright light. But, in the reality that Badger, Snake, and I walked in, it was dead and rotten.
“Here is something strange,” I began to say when a figure moved out of the mouth of the tree. She was cloaked in a tattered black robe and moved slowly, bent at the waist as if with great age. Badger and Snake waved their torches at this new figure, warning her away from us but she stood fast in the light and heat unlike the other spirits of the wood.
“Hello, Ancient One,” I said. “My name is Heidi and these are my companions, Badger and Snake. Who are you?”
The spirit from the tree straightened her back proudly. There was a bandage covered in dirt over her eyes and she had no mouth but, even standing silent and blind, I felt threatened by her mere presence. Fear and shadow came off of the being in waves.
I drew closer to my friends in response and tried communicating again. “What happened to your home?” I said. “We will help you restore it to what it once was, if you wish it.” The menacing figure remained silent.
I raised Death’s sapphire in front of my eyes and beheld a beautiful young woman who glowed with the light of the phantom tree. She had flowing, lovely hair that reached her waist and was plaited with flowers. When I lowered the stone, I saw the ancient, blind spirit once more. Within Death’s dreams, this being was a glowing, radiant spirit of the forest.
“Hello! Who are you?” I said, pitching my voice into the stone. The forest spirit heard me through Hades’ gift and smiled.
“I am the soul of this tree, the entrance and exit to these woods,” her voice was melodious. “You may call me, Gate. Isn’t my tree magnificent?”
“I’m afraid that something terrible has happened to you, Gate,” I said. “Your tree is dead.”
The nymph laughed. “Dead? You can see it is not,” she gestured behind her and the tree within the stone glowed brighter still. “We are doing very well here. Thriving, I would dare say.”
“If this is thriving, I would hate to see the reverse,” Badger murmured.
I lowered the stone and gazed at the ancient, blind spirit in our reality. “You are not seeing your tree as my companions and I see it,” I said into the stone. “Maybe we can help you share our vision of the present moment. All we require is a mirror.” The Mirror of Shadows appeared beneath the trees in his ornate, golden frame and I angled the mirror so the rotten tree was reflected on his surface. “Lady Gate, this is what Badger, Snake and I see,” I said.
The young forest spirit cried out when she saw the reflection of her tree. “In the name of the Forest God,” she said. “What has happened to me!” Tears formed in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks as she assessed the damage to the woodland gate.
“I thought perhaps you could tell us,” I said, when a growl came from the blind and ancient spirit in our reality. Badger and Snake raised their torches once more in a protective reflex. The black cloaked figure spoke with no mouth, placing the words directly into my mind and heart.
“It is my tree now, Mirror Friend,” the crone said. “I took it fairly and in accordance with all ancient laws. None in heaven or earth would deny my claim to it.”
“In whose name do you claim this tree?” I said. “For in another level of reality, it has a different guardian who definitely disputes your residency.”
“I grow in the shadows and thrive in the darkness,” the blind spirit growled. “This tree belongs to Moss and the servants of the Nameless Fear.”
The distraught forest nymph appeared on the surface of the Mirror of Shadows in the present reality, outside of the stone. She gazed forlornly at the broken thing that once was her tree. As I watched, the spirit touched a tear on her cheek, then brushed it gently across the barrier of the mirror. Through the bridge created by her sorrow and grief, her hand began to pass through the mirror’s glassy surface. I subtly gestured to Badger and Snake to stand before the mirror, in order to conceal the forest spirit’s slow but inevitable journey through it, and turned my attention back to Moss.
“Why do you cover your eyes, Servant of Fear?” I said. “Is blindness required by the shadows who rule your spirit?”
“Reality is not as I nor my ruling powers wish it to be,” Moss said. “I see things as I wish rather than what they are. My vision is the dominant one in this time and place.”
“Looking at the state of things, there is no doubt about that in my mind,” I said. “Did you have help in acquiring this tree or did you take this territory under your own power and authority?” Behind the concealing forms of Badger and Snake, the forest spirit took a tentative step out of the mirror.
“The day I awoke here,” said Moss. “I heard a being who spoke with your voice but she didn’t feel like you, an invasive light in the peace and quiet of a dark night. She felt like the welcoming arms of shade beneath a rock or the safety and security of a deep, dark cave.”
With the speed of a spring breeze, the nymph was free of the Mirror of Shadows and raced to the entrance of her tree. Passing by Moss as if the ancient being was no more than a shadow, Gate threw herself into the hole in the trunk. As the forest spirit resumed her residency of the tree, there was a sound like a rope under pressure being severed. Moss’s blindfold slipped and I saw eye sockets filled with green and gray puss that dripped with tears of black rot. The ancient one gave a roar of rage and turned to throw herself back into the wood of the nymph’s tree.
“This particular tree can no longer be your home, Moss,” I said. “The servants of Love have come to reclaim a gate that we formed and you merely took. Creation trumps conquering in the court of the Woodland King.”
I held up my arms in entreaty to the ruling powers of the realm and a thunderclap sounded. A storm manifested above the forest and soon cooling rain laced with the power of the sky was pouring from dark clouds. As the raindrops touched the blind Moss, she smoked and burned through the touch of the light in the water. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the storm ceased, night turned to day, and bright sunlight burst through the clouds.
The sun caused Moss’s flesh to further crumble and deteriorate until nothing remained but a pile of dust and green ash on the forest floor. A slight breeze passed through the trees and the remnants of the monster were swept away.
The broken and bent tree of Gate began to straighten herself as the forest spirit sent her energy through it. Leaves of green and gold burst from her branches and a suppleness returned to her trunk. Shifting and swaying with the presence of the nymph, a new doorway through reality appeared as a tunnel into a living tree rather than a decayed hole in a rotten log. What had once been dead was now alive again.
“The way is open,” Snake said with a smile.
“I wonder how long Moss held that gate,” Badger said, bumping my shoulder in solidarity.
“If I had to venture a guess, I would say the servants of Fear held it for much too long,” I said, waving my hands and banishing the mirror from the glade.
There was a sigh and moan from the watchful trees and the angry, lingering spirits emerged from the forest. With sighs of relief and exhaustion, they vanished into the tunnel of Gate’s tree. As they passed from one reality to another, I raised Death’s stone and saw the energy from the ghosts moving down through the trunk into the roots of the tree, where they went from the roots into the soil, and then the energy was dissipated into the earth.
Badger and Snake finally dropped their torches. “Is that it?” Snake said. “If only all shadows could be banished so simply.”
At that moment, a giggle came from the tree. A chubby, cherubic figure tumbled out of the tunnel and landed on his rump in the grass. He gave an innocent laugh once more and shot away on gossamer wings that seemed far too small to support his weight, disappearing among the trees.
“What on earth was that!” exclaimed Badger.
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” I said. Then, there was a creaking sound and a living plant came out of the tunnel. Magically, it unfolded leafy branches and twigs from a form that was far too large to have passed through the tree. This new growth acknowledged us with a slight bend at the trunk, like a tree sways in the wind, then it also moved through the forest and was gone.
Next, a swarm of butterflies flew out of Gate. After the butterflies, a huge spider crawled forth and, as her numerous legs touched the ground, violets emerged from her steps, creating a path of flower blossoms where there was once only grass and shadow. Broken spirits continued to enter the tree throughout this parade of new creatures, but soon there was more life pouring from the tree than ghosts entering it.
“I think Snake is right and we have reestablished the doorway for spirits of light to walk in these woods,” I said. “Conversely, the spirits who were once trapped here are now able to be reborn into this existence rather than linger in forgotten hurts and pain.”
The influx of new life did not slow as pixies, dwarves, elves, nature spirits of plants and stone, deer, snakes, squirrels, birds, and other creatures that I could not identify poured forth. The woods came alive with the sounds of laughing, dancing, and singing, bringing life back to the present moment beneath the trees.
“That was a job well done,” said Badger.
“I couldn’t have done it without both of you,” I said. “I wonder how Moss took that gate in the first place.”
“Let’s find out,” said Snake. “Follow me.” He led us back to where our original fire had burned in the woods. Its flames had died down to embers but it still emitted heat. Salamanders, small serpents with scales that flamed and sparkled, danced in the coals. “Badger, help me,” Snake said. “We must find some moss.”
After a few moment’s search, my companions discovered a large piece of bark, coated in a springy green moss. Snake handed it to me. “Cast it into the fire, Heidi,” he said. “Then use your sapphire to view the smoke. Sometimes, you can see what has passed through the eyes and spirit of the plant consumed in the flames. Perhaps, then, our questions will be answered.”
“What a great idea,” I said as I tossed the bark into the fire and a thick, cloying smoke was released. “I still have much to learn from you, my friend.” Gazing into the smoke through Death’s stone, I saw a figure moving in it but as if from a great distance.
I recognized the dark figure as my Shadow self. She slipped beneath the trees of the forest and slunk between the stones until she reached the clearing with Gate’s living tunnel. The young, graceful tree spirit emerged from the trunk to speak with my Shadow upon her arrival at the forest spirit’s threshold.
“Nymph,” said Shadow. “You are neglectful of your duties and no longer deserving of your post at the Woodland Gate.”
“What do you mean?” asked the tree spirit. “I have encouraged the growth of my tree as much as I ever have.”
“See the result of your neglect?” Shadow said and made a gesture with her dark hand. The Mirror of Shadows appeared behind her and reflected the living tree of Gate as dead and rotten. “It’s a wonder anyone can still move through your doorway.”
“My poor tree,” cried the nymph. “I can’t stand to see it this way. How do I travel through the mirror to fix my mistake before the Woodland King discovers it and sends me away? I don’t want to live in another forest.”
“Do not concern yourself for another moment,” said Shadow. “Pass through my darkness and I will take you to the mirror’s reality. There, you can see clearly what must be done and heal your tree so that its reflection is as lively as this version.”
“How will I return?” Gate asked. “My folk are not known for our skill at mirror walking.”
“I will come fetch you when it is time,” said my Shadow with a sly smile of triumph. “I promise you that. If you would like to return before my arrival, a single tear of longing for home is all that is required.”
“You make it sound so easy,” the tree spirit said. “Thank you for opening my eyes to my gate’s reality.”
Then, the nymph stepped bravely through Shadow’s form and entered the mirror where she ran to the blighted tree and began her ministrations upon it. My Shadow snapped her fingers and the mirror vanished. “Dumb plant,” she laughed and covered the living tunnel with her darkness.
“Moss,” she whispered and blew a dark, moist breath from her lips onto the tree. “I call you here. In the name of Fear himself, attend me.” The breath clung to the tree’s surface and fanned out from its starting place with unnatural speed. Then, Shadow leapt into the sky and covered the sun with her shade, changing day to night in the darkness of her presence. I watched until Gate’s tree became its reflection, the broken shell that had eventually healed, and I lowered Death’s stone with a sigh.
“The wound was caused by Shadow, my Shadow,” I told Badger and Snake. “She tricked the nymph and planted the rot that closed the gate to the woodland spirits, but why?”
“That is her nature and the desire of those she serves,” I heard and looked up to see the Green Lady emerging from the woods. An enormous golden mushroom sprang from the forest floor which she seated herself upon and delicately arranged her green skirts around her bare feet with a rustle of silk.
“Well met, my lady,” I said. “What are you doing in this place and time?”
“I was trapped on the other side of the portal when the Shadow closed it,” she said. “Thank you for reopening the door to my home. All will benefit from your actions this day.”
“Why did my Shadow do this heinous thing?” I asked. “She and I are not what you would call close.”
“I will grant a boon to you now for this service, Heidi,” said the Green Lady with a smile, ignoring my question. “Whatever you desire is yours.”
“Please give me only what will help my companions and I most at this time,” I said.
The goddess reached around her neck and removed a golden chain with a mushroom tied to it, a clone of her seat, and put it in the pocket of her ivy-colored silk gown. “Tell me, do you know the purpose of moss and other fungus?” she said.
“To break down dead material,” I answered. “To create rich soil for new growth and begin the pattern of renewal for those who dwell beneath the trees.”
The Green Lady nodded her head solemnly. “That is its function. Your Shadow is very clever, you know,” she said. “By using a natural process and shadowing the sun, she was able to completely shut down this path. The trick was to introduce an imbalance at the one place that must be balanced, which is the gate.”
I frowned. “She can be very clever when she sets her mind to it,” I said. “I find it troubling that other spirits trust her implicitly because of her connection to me. My shadow does not mirror me as she should and we are always fighting about one thing or another.”
“You can be quite clever too,” said the Green Lady. “Remember Heidi, as a Warrior of Light, you are life and death. You are growth and recession. You are all of the variations in between. You are eternal and so it is with the rest of the woodland creatures. The shadow, even one as powerful as yours, is only temporary and passing.” The goddess’ form began to shift and shimmer.
In the blink of an eye, the Divine Mother with her ever-present cloud of fairies was now standing where the Green Lady had sat. “Though the Shadow thinks she triumphs, whatever success she experiences is only of a moment and not a true victory.”
“But Mother,” I said. “Doesn’t she wreak havoc in even the temporary success? Gate experienced suffering because of her actions. I do not mind alleviating the suffering of those I meet, but I will not stand for having my Shadow be the cause of the initial wound.”
“Those of the shadow realms delight in sowing chaos and confusion in those they interact with,” said the Divine Mother. “But we must be ever mindful that she is only part of a natural cycle. From death, there will arise new life, growth, and being. Gates that have been shut for generations shall be thrown open and travel between the worlds will become commonplace once more. Take my silver necklace, a symbol of my favor and love for you, and remember what you have learned here today. Do not allow Shadow to trouble your vision of how reality should be.”
The goddess unclasped a long silver chain from around her own neck and wrapped it gently around my throat. I held up the trailing gold mushroom pendant of her gift in my palm and my vision ended.
The Light Congress 