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Venus

rise24

00:00 / 04:03

HOLES: CHAPTER SEVEN
THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

Dancing with the Flowers

One day, as I was hiking through the foothills, I felt like I had stepped through a portal, a hole in the fabric of reality. Suddenly I encountered a lovely woman in a field of poppies and lupine. She was wearing what resembled a wedding dress.
The woman spoke softly to me, "I am Venus, Goddess of Love, and I'm glad you're here. You are witnessing the marriage of heaven and earth."
That made me so happy that I danced in the breeze with the flowers.

Pink Fairy Lanterns

Venus suddenly vanished, but I continued hiking and soon found pink fairy lantern flowers.

Angel of the Pink Fairy Lanterns

I suddenly noticed an angel in the flowers, who seemed to be the angelic spirit of the pink fairy lanterns.
"A fire burned everything here recently, but the flowers have returned," the angel noted.

Ithuriel's Spears (also known as Grass Nuts)

I continued on the path and discovered Ithuriel's Spears. I danced with the flowers again because I felt the joy of the marriage of heaven and earth.

Angelic Spirit in the Flowers

I hoped to meet the Goddess Venus again at some point, but instead I encountered another angel who seemed to be the angelic over-soul of the flowers.

Gold Stars

I kept hiking on the path and encountered gold stars near some rocks. Suddenly a goddess or an angel with rainbow wings appeared.

Isis

"I am the Goddess Isis," she proclaimed. "My wings represent the rainbow colors of the flowers as well as the paths of the mystical Tree of Life."

Forest Angel

I continued on the path and soon found badly burned trees. The ground was black with ash. Another angel appeared.
"The spiritual essence of the forest remains," she proclaimed. "The forest will recover."

Two of Cups: Venus in the Zodiac

The angel continued, "Like the forest, a relationship can burn to the ground, but a relationship can also recover and continue to evolve and expand."

Indian Pinks

That made me happy. Soon I came upon Indian Pinks. The name of the flower reminded me of all the abandoned Native American village sites that I had encountered on my excursions throughout the mountains. I gazed at the flowers and felt sad because genocide had occurred not long ago within the realm.

Indian Pink Angel

The Indian Pink Angel suddenly appeared. "Horrific events have occurred throughout human history, but humanity has recovered despite all of the suffering and injustice," she stated. "The human spirit is resilient, and seeds of beauty, magnificence, and abundance remain under the dirt and ashes."

Tiger Lilies

I continued on the path and found one of my favorite flowers--tiger lilies. I knew that a conflagration had recently ravaged the area, and I had been afraid that the tiger lilies would never appear again. Fire had completely reduced some areas of the forest to deserts of dirt and ash--due to climate disruption.

Tiger Lily Angel

The Tiger Lily Angel appeared. "Remember that matter is crystalized spirit. The earth eventually recovers, even after great devastation, because the spiritual forces remain. Some parts of the forest heal quickly and some very gradually. Humanity can destroy itself but not the spiritual forces within creation."

Nine of Pentacles: Venus in Virgo

The Tiger Lily Angel continued, "A person can burn down his or her life, but that person can recover and establish a life of harmony, magnificence, and abundance."

Feeling the Marriage of Heaven and Earth

I smiled as I continued on the trail, still feeling the joy of the marriage of heaven and earth.

Ten of Cups: Mars in Pisces

As I continued on the path down the mountain, I came upon a happy family under an unusual rainbow that seemed to represent the elements. The children were dancing together as their parents affectionately hugged each other.
"Despite all the horrors, people can still love each other and experience the marriage of heaven and earth," I said to myself.

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Walking Towards Clouds in a Dream

jup24

00:00 / 05:32

HOLES: CHAPTER EIGHT
THE DESCENT OF THE DIVINE

Walking on the Clouds

One night, as I was falling asleep, I imagined strolling on a path into the clouds. Soon I was dreaming that I was stepping through a hole in the fabric of reality and walking on clouds to a higher realm.

The High Priestess: The Moon

On my cloud path I soon came to the Temple of the Moon, where I met The High Priestess.
"Here you will meet powerful subtle spiritual forces personified as gods or humans or animals," she proclaimed. "These spiritual archetypes reveal the descent of the divine and help you know the dimensions of Universal Consciousness. They also empower you by enabling you to bring transcendent energies into your sphere of influence."

Archangel Raphael

The High Priestess continued, "First, you must meet the Archangel Raphael, the "Healer of God." He can heal individual and collective consciousness and can create an energetic shift that heals humanity and the planet. He commands the element of Air, which includes the triplicity of Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini and their ruling planets, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury respectively, all of which are powerful subtle forces personified as Gods or people or animals."

Aquarius, the Water Carrier

"Aquarius, ruled by Saturn, is personified as a water bearer. Aquarius is a powerful energy that is capable of creating a positive shift in human consciousness. As you know, you are currently living in the Age of Aquarius, which will become a golden age--a great step in human evolution--but some people at first will feel so burned by the transformative energies that they end up causing great chaos and disruption."

Carrying the Sword

In my dream, I carried a sword representing the awakening of the mind and the awesome power of the intellect as the rain cleansed me. "The collective consciousness of humanity must first be cleansed before it can attain higher spiritual understanding," the High Priestess stated.

Archangel Michael

The High Priestess continued, "You must also meet the Archangel Michael, "Like unto God." He can inspire you with the great Fire of the spirit to create balance and harmony in your own sphere of influence. He commands the element of Fire, which includes the triplicity of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius and their ruling planets, Mars, The Sun, and Jupiter respectively, all of which are powerful subtle forces personified as animals or people or Gods."

Leo the Lion

"Leo, ruled by Jupiter, is often represented as a lion. Leo is a powerful energy that can enable you to know your other self, your higher self. Combined with the energies of Jupiter, you can know the harmony, magnificence, and abundance of the human spirit and the underlying unity of creation and the divinity of all life."

Strolling through Fire

In my dream, I walked through Fire, which totally cleansed me. "With Fire, Archangel Michael also cleanses the individual and collective consciousness of humanity," the High Priestess stated.

Archangel Gabriel

The High Priestess continued, "You must also meet the Archangel Gabriel, "Strength of God." He can cleanse your subconscious mind and the collective unconscious of humanity with the element of Water, clearing away all negativity caused by the tragedies and horrors of personal and collective history. The element of Water includes the triplicity of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces and their ruling planets, The Moon, Mars, and Jupiter respectively, all of which are powerful subtle forces personified as people, animals, or Gods.

Eagle, Representing Scorpio

"For instance, Scorpio, ruled by Mars, represents the transformative power of Water in three stages. The first stage is represented by the scorpion, which remains close to the earth. Next is the snake, which sheds its skin, a symbol of rebirth. Finally in this transformative process is the eagle, which sees from the perspective of eternity. Combined with the energies of Mars, Scorpio enables you to experience the great transformative power of the spirit."

Walking on Water

In my dream, I suddenly felt like I was walking on water. "With a mind purified by Water, you remain free of negativity even in the depths of your subconscious mind, which makes the surface-mind much more focused and at peace," the High Priestess stated.

Archangel Auriel

The High Priestess continued, "You must also meet the Archangel Auriel, "God is my Light." The Archangel Auriel can cleanse your etheric energies, the foundational energies of your physical body as well as the foundational subtle energies of the physical realm. Auriel commands the element of Earth, which includes the triplicity of Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo and their ruling planets, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury respectively, all of which are powerful subtle forces personified as people, animals, or Gods."

Taurus the Bull

"Taurus, ruled by Venus, represents the tremendous power of the life forces ruled by the Goddess of Love. Combined with the energies of Venus, Taurus enables you to know the divinity of your own physical body and the holiness of all energy as it manifests in the physical realm."

Strolling through a Field of Wheat

In my dream, I was suddenly strolling through a wheat field. "With a purified etheric body, you can know the great abundance and splendor of the physical plane and feel reverence for all of creation," the High Priestess stated.

Goddess in a Flowers

Suddenly the High Priestess transformed into a Goddess with rainbow wings, colors symbolizing the subtle energies manifesting in the physical realm and the paths of the mystical Tree of Life. "This is your chance now to know the dimensions of Universal Consciousness and to make a difference here in this realm of existence," she stated. "Through these powerful archetypes, you can experience the awesome descent of the divine."

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Lady Merlin with Artura

jnco24

00:00 / 05:24

HOLES: CHAPTER NINE
THE ONCE AND FUTURE MONARCH

Isis

When Artura was gathering mushrooms in the forest, she encountered an old woman in a hooded robe.
"I am Lady Merlin," she proclaimed. "I shall show you how to become a queen." Then the Lady Merlin suddenly turned into a Goddess with rainbow wings.

Moon Goddess

"You must first become acquainted with the Goddess of the Moon--the Holy Spirit who reveals subtle spiritual forces in symbolic form. From the Emanation of the Moon, you can rise toward the Sun and experience the Vision of Harmony and the Mysteries of Sacrifice. At some point as you rise, you will dissolve in brilliant light. As you rise even higher toward the Crown of Creation--the Source--you experience the underlying unity of creation and become more and more open to the dimensions of Universal Consciousness."

Pulling the Sword from the Stone

The Goddess guided Artura to a gleaming sword stuck in a stone. "You must now pull this sword out of the stone before we continue." Artura grabbed the sword and pulled. Nothing happened. She tried again and again. Finally, she pulled with all of her might, and suddenly the sword slid out of the stone.
"You have just freed your mind, dear Artura! You have achieved independence!" the Goddess proclaimed.

The Ram: Aries

Artura and the Goddess strolled deeper into the forest and encountered a ram. "This is Aries the Ram. As you gaze upon the ram, feel the potent but gentle life forces within you. Know that you are as powerful as the ram--but also tender and caring."
Artura closed her eyes and could suddenly feel the life forces of the ram resonating within her.

The Bull: Taurus

Artura and the Goddess strolled deeper into the forest and came upon a bull. "This is Taurus the Bull. As you gaze upon the bull, feel the powerful and vibrant life forces within you. Know that you are a force of nature."
Artura closed her eyes and could feel the incredibly strong life forces of the bull resonating within her.

Brothers: Gemini

The Goddess guided Artura to a room in a castle. "These are the Twins. Together they are known as Gemini. One is mortal, one immortal. Feel the mortal and immortal aspects of yourself now," she commanded.
Artura closed her eyes and could suddenly sense both the immortal and mortal aspects of herself.

The Crab: Cancer

The Goddess led Artura back to the forest. "This is Cancer the Crab. Feel how your immortal soul is enclosed within a shell, and honor your physical body within this realm," she commanded.
Artura closed her eyes and felt a deep reverence for her body, her physical shell.

The Lion: Leo

The Goddess and Artura traveled deeper into the forest. "This is Leo the Lion. Feel how majestic you are. You are a ruler, and you know the harmony, abundance, and magnificence of the spirit," she commanded.
Artura closed her eyes and felt herself to be a majestic spiritual being.

The King in the Emanation of The Sun

Suddenly a king appeared before them. "This is the king who rules The Sun. Know now, dear Artura, the energies of harmonizing love and sacrifice, for they establish balance within you. To create and maintain balance and harmony, a sacrifice of energy of some kind almost always must occur," she stated.
Artura closed her eyes and felt a deep sense of harmony and balance within herself, and she knew that she would be willing to sacrifice something to create and maintain that sense of balance.

Demeter: Virgo

The Goddess and Artura traveled deeper into the forest. "This is Demeter, who represents Virgo. Focus your heart and mind so that you know the abundance of your spirit and can create abundance in your sphere of influence," she commanded.
Artura closed her eyes and focused on the abundance of her heart and mind and spirit so that she could then manifest abundance in her realm.

Aphrodite: Libra

The Goddess and Artura traveled deeper into the forest. "This is Aphrodite, who represents Libra. Through love, she establishes harmony and just proportion in this realm. Feel the spirit of Aphrodite within yourself so that through love you can create harmony and balance within your sphere of influence," the Goddess encouraged Artura.
Artura closed her eyes and felt all the love within herself.

Scorpion: Scorpio

The Goddess and Artura traveled deeper into the forest. "This is Scorpio the Scorpion. It is a being of dramatic transformation, for it transforms from a scorpion to a snake and then into an eagle, which perceives the world from the perspective of eternity. Allow the process of deep transformation within yourself," the Goddess encouraged Artura.
Artura closed her eyes and imagined herself being a scorpion and then becoming a snake and then an eagle--and seeing the world from a very high perspective.

The Archer: Sagittarius

The Goddess and Artura traveled deeper into the forest and came upon an archer who suddenly shot his arrow at the sun. "This is Sagittarius the Archer. Aim always for higher awareness, and you will eventually hit your target," the Goddess stated.
Artura closed her eyes and imagined herself shooting arrows at the sun until she attained higher consciousness.

The Goat: Capricorn

The Goddess and Artura traveled deeper into the forest and came upon a goat. "This is Capricorn the Goat. He knows all the subtle spiritual forces as they manifest in the physical realm. Feel the subtle forces within each physical being so that you know how spirit manifests in nature and within yourself," the Goddess commanded.
Artura closed her eyes and imagined herself experiencing the subtle forces within the grass and bushes and trees and the animals that scurried across the path--and within herself.

The Water Bearer: Aquarius

The Goddess and Artura traveled deeper into the forest and came upon a woman holding a jug of water. "This is Aquarius the Water Bearer. She sees far into the future, and her energy stimulates the opening of the heart," the Goddess stated.
Artura closed her eyes and imagined herself opening her heart and mind and allowing the hearts and minds of others to open and grow.

The Fish: Pisces

The Goddess and Artura traveled deeper into the forest and came upon two fish in a stream. "Pisces. Together the two fish know the darkness and the light deep within the river and within the mind," the Goddess stated.
Artura closed her eyes and imagined herself knowing the darkness and the light deep within herself.

Queen at Round Table

"My dear Artura, you are now ready to be queen of this realm. And you, my dear, shall sit at a round table, for all men and women are equal. All are expressions of divinity." From that day forward, the queen served the realm with wisdom and understanding and grace. Her reign seemed almost magical. When Artura passed, many mourned but believed that she would return and rule the realm once again. Others believed that her spirit would return periodically to guide those who strive to know the dimensions of Universal Consciousness....

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

Knight on a Trail through the Forest

sycm24

00:00 / 03:23

HOLES: CHAPTER TEN

THE JOURNEY HOME

Surrounded by Bears

I finally decided to return home, so I left the castle and wandered on a path into the forest. Soon, I found myself surrounded by bears.

Knight on a Unicorn

A knight on a unicorn dashed into the fray, yelling and banging his sword on his shield, and he scared all the bears away. "I see that you are a brave knight! You are invited to join the Order of the Knights of the Enchanted Realm!" the knight proclaimed.
"But I cannot remain here in the forest," I replied. "I must return to my home in another realm." The knight on the unicorn nodded, then he and his unicorn trotted away.

Stalked by a Mountain Lion

As I was sneaking through the forest, I began to sense that something was watching me. I turned my head, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see a mountain lion on the trail stalking me from a distance.

The Liars

I was unsheathing my sword when suddenly a man with a lion's head appeared, blowing a trumpet. The strange man was riding on the back of an enormous bear, and the mountain lion that had been stalking me slinked away into the underbrush. The lion-headed man began spewing the most hideous and flagrant lies. "I will let you follow me if you are loyal and believe only me," the strange man announced.
"I would love to, kind sir, but I'm afraid that I cannot remain here in the forest," I replied. "I must return to my home in another realm." The strange man frowned and blew his trumpet, and together the liar and his bear lumbered away.

Huge Spider in the Enchanted Forest

I continued down the path. Suddenly a huge spider dropped down from a tree branch. I was suddenly afraid that the spider was going to wrap me up in a web of evil, so I cut the spider in half, and the two parts squirmed as spider blood drenched the earth.

The Witch

Soon I came upon a witch. "You have killed one of my lovely children," she declared. "You must now serve me or be assaulted by dark forces for the rest of your short, miserable life!"

Stalked by the Witch

I drew my sword and tried to scurry away but could see out of the corner of my eye that the witch was pursuing me.

The Salacious One

I soon came upon a strange creature with the head of a lion and the hands of a man. "Since you killed one of the witch's beloved children, you now must follow her commands! You must attend to her every desire, no matter how salacious or lewd or crude or hideous," the strange creature ordered.

Knight Riding a Wolf

A knight on a huge wolf suddenly careened onto the path. The witch and the bizarre creature disappeared. "If you want to escape the wicked witch and her evil creatures, you must join the Order of the Knights of the Enchanted Realm. Otherwise, she will hound you until you die!"
"I cannot stay here in the forest, brave knight," I replied. "I must return to my home in another realm."
"Suit yourself," the knight replied, and together the knight and the wolf loped away.

Breakers into Pieces

I kept hiking on the path, hoping that I would soon find my way to the other side of the forest. Suddenly a knight riding an alligator crashed through the under brush. "You can become an awesome knight like me! People will fear you and call you a 'Breaker into Pieces.' Think of what great fun you would have if you would just stay here in the forest with us!"
"A tempting offer, my friend," Nathan replied. "But I must return to my home in another realm."
"Suit yourself!" The knight roared in ridicule. The Breaker into Pieces suddenly turned his alligator and together they lumbered away.

Troll on the Trail

I continued down the trail. Just as I was starting to feel a bit frazzled, a troll arrayed in golden armor blocked his way. "You cannot pass this point without paying a toll," the troll scowled. "Or you can cause disputes and conflict and disagreement and force people to pay if they need anything. You would, of course, give most of their money to me, but think of the riches that you might someday accumulate!"

The Burners

I was about to say, "I must return to my home," but a fiery demon trotted up on his horse. Everything around the demon burst into flames. The troll stumbled away, growling.
The demon glowered. "That brutish oaf wants you to be his slave, doesn't he? Why be his slave when you can be like me and burn everything to the ground? Together we could burn this senseless realm to ashes and create a better realm that we rule!"
"No, I don't want to burn everything down," Nathan replied. "I just want to return to my home in another realm."
The demon spit out fire and scowled. "Suit yourself, fool! Someday you will beg to become a 'Burner' like me." The Burner turned his fiery horse and galloped away.

With Mr. Mellifluous

Exhausted, I plopped down under a tree. Suddenly Mr. Mellifluous appeared. "You're having quite the adventure, I see!" Mr. M chuckled.
"I would turn around right now and head straight back to the castle if I could, but I am afraid that I would encounter all those unhinged creatures again!" I replied.
"You will encounter the same unbalanced forces in your homeland, my friend," Mr. M stated. "Watch your back!" Suddenly Mr. M vanished into the underbrush.

Faery Knight

I closed my eyes and rested for a while and then continued on my journey. As I was hiking, I suddenly realized that someone in the enchanted forest had turned me into a faery. I felt enraptured and entranced, but I was still determined to return to my homeland instead of living as a faery in the enchanted forest, so I continued hiking.

Faery Casting a Spell

A faery suddenly jumped out onto the path and exclaimed, "You can stay here and be a faery knight forever! You can protect our realm and us faery folk!"
"No, no! I cannot stay here!" I groaned. "I must return home and protect my own folk!" The faery frowned and reluctantly turned me back into a human. Mumbling, I moved on, stumbling down the path toward my realm.

The Hinderer

Suddenly a massive dragon blocked my way. "I might let you live, perhaps--just perhaps," the dragon smirked. "You can even be my friend if you bring me gold and silver. It doesn't matter what you do to get it. As your friend, I will protect you, but you must keep bringing me gold and silver. If you don't follow my commands, I will live to stymy you. I will hinder you and thwart you. I will burden you and hamper you and frustrate you, and after all that I might eat you. What do you think about that? Do we have a deal?"
"How could anyone say 'no' to that?" I replied. "My great dragon overlord, I know of a realm filled with gold and silver. I will go there and bring as much back as I can carry."
"Go now!" the dragon bellowed. Then he hissed, "I will find you if you ever try to escape from me!"

Raven of Dispersion

I hurried down the path and suddenly came upon a huge fly, who spoke, "You are probably wondering what I am. Okay, so I will tell you. I am a 'Raven of Dispersion.' I know I don't look like a raven, but I am good at scattering and dispersing and depleting and ravaging and ruining things. I overheard your conversation with the dragon. Because you're wearing a helmet, he couldn't possibly know what you look like. He doesn't even realize how stupid he is. If you give me your armor, I will strew it all over the realm, and he will never find you." I regretfully agreed but kept a shoulder guard just in case. The massive fly buzzed away with the rest of my armor, and I continued on my path.

Reaching the Homeland (Three of Wands)

The path eventually led out of the forest. I kept following the path and climbed up a hill overlooking a lake. I had found my way home.

All poems, stories, essays, illustrations, and music Copyright © 2024 by Jim Robbins.

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