By Nevyn Campanella
Listen quietly, and I will tell you a story about a little girl named Juniper.
One breezy summer day Juniper was playing with her friends, Tommy and Alice. Last month, their family moved into one of the new houses that were being built next to the trailer park where she lived with her mother. Juniper was glad to have children of her own age to play with. Tommy was nine, one year older than Juniper, his sister was one year younger.
It was Sunday and Tommy and Alice had just come home from church. They had a story to tell Juniper about what they had learned at church that morning.
Tommy was very excited about what he had learned and said to Juniper, We learned all about God at church today and how he made everything, like the stars and the sun. He even made us.
"Who's God?", asked Juniper.
"Oh", said Alice, "he's a very important person who can do anything! He makes the plants grow and he even made all the fish that are in the ocean."
"Did you see him at church?", asked Juniper.
"No". Tommy answered, shaking his head. "You can't see God. He's too important. Maybe some people can see him, like the pastor of our church, but not regular people like us."
"What's a pastor?" asked Juniper.
"He's like our teacher in school", answered Alice. "He tells us all about God."
Juniper had heard this person s name before, but did not know much about him. When Tommy and Alice said they knew about him, she became very curious and wanted to meet him. But Tommy and Alice kept telling her that only special people could meet him.
"But, I'm special", insisted Juniper. "My mom says that I'm special and so is everything else, even a blade of grass."
"None of us are special enough", laughed Tommy. "Only important people, like the pastor of our church, or the president of the United States are special enough."
"But that's silly , said Juniper. "No one is any more special than anyone else."
Tommy and Alice only laughed at Juniper and told her that she was wrong.
"If you were special, then you would be living in a big house like the president, or in a church like the pastor.", Tommy said.
"And if you were really special", added Alice, "then you could see God, and he would whisper things in your ear."
Looking sternly at his sister and Juniper, Tommy said in a very harsh voice, "No one can ever see him, or hear him because he's too important! Anyhow, our Pastor said that we should be afraid of him and bow our heads down whenever we talk about him."
"But that doesn't make any sense", said Juniper. "Why would you have to be afraid of someone that can do so many wonderful things?"
"That's just the way he is!" shouted Alice very angrily. "And if you don't believe that he is the most important person in the world then when you die he does really awful things to you." , she whispered.
Sounding much like his pastor, Tommy growled, "Yeah, he sends you straight to hell!".
"I'm telling Mom!" threatened his sister. "You're not supposed to say that. It's a naughty word!"
Juniper liked her new friends and she didn't understand why they were becoming so angry. What they said about some people being more special than others made her feel upset because it wasn't what her mother had told her. Juniper decided that she would ask her mom about God and why was he so mean just because he could make things like the sun and the fish in the ocean. Just about then the wind began to blow very hard and it started to rain. Not wanting to get wet, Tommy and Alice ran in their house. Juniper liked the wind and rain but she didn't like being alone. She hurried home to ask her mom about God and why only some people could see him.
Juniper rushed home and found her mom in the kitchen. Juniper and her mother, Sara, lived alone in a small trailer. Her parents were divorced and her father lived far away in another town. He came to visit once in awhile, but never stayed very long.
"Hi, honey", said Sara. "Are you ready for some lunch?"
Juniper was thinking very hard about what Tommy and Alice had told her and didn't hear her mother's question. She had a frown on her face. Her mother could see that something was wrong.
"What's the matter?"
Juniper plopped herself at the table and told her mom what Tommy and Alice had said about only a few people being special, about the very important person they called God and how he would get really mad if you didn't believe he was important.
"If I'm special, like you always tell me, then how come I can't see him?", Juniper asked her mother.
Sara handed her daughter a towel to dry herself with and said, "What Tommy and Alice told you is what they believe. Just because they think something is true doesn't make it true for everyone."
Not understanding her mother's answer Juniper asked, "But how can that be?"
"Think about your dreams" , Sara said. "The dreams seem very true when they happen, but then when you wake up you know it was only a dream. So at one time you believe it to be true, but when you wake up you know that it was not true."
"Does that mean that Tommy and Alice are dreaming about God?", asked Juniper.
"Yes. In a way, they and many other people are dreaming about a God; and he is true for them because it's their dream."
"But they aren't asleep" , said Juniper, "so how can they be dreaming?"
Placing a bowl of soup in front of Juniper, Sara continued, "Sometimes when you have a bad dream you wake up really scared. And even though you are awake you still think that the scary things in the dream are in our bedroom. The last time you woke up from a bad dream you wanted to keep the lights on because you believed that what was in the dream was in our room."
Remembering the bad dream and now understanding what her mother was saying, Juniper yelled, "That's right! I thought those scary things I was dreaming about were in our closet. So Tommy and Alice could be awake and think that what they are dreaming is true. I'll tell them that they're just dreaming."
"No dear, if you tell them that they are dreaming, they will not believe you because they strongly believe that they are fully awake. The best thing to do is to be quiet and not say anything. Sometimes people become very angry and upset when you tell them that what they believe is only a dream. They have to find it our for themselves."
Thinking for a moment about what her mother had told her, Juniper asked, "Then where does everything come from if God is just a dream person?"
"Oh, God is very real." , answered Sara. "It's what people think about God that is the dream. It is true that there are some spirits who act like a mean God, but they are just confused, like some of the mean people who live on our planet."
"Then I can see him!" , yelled Juniper; then added in a lower voice, "I don' t have to be afraid of him?"
"Of course, you can see God anytime you like. And there is no reason to be afraid."
Juniper was very excited and asked her mother if she could meet God right now. She had many questions to ask someone that could do so many wonderful things like make the stars in the night sky. Her mother told to close her eyes and when she opened them again she would see God. So Juniper closed her eyes and waited very patiently for her mother to tell her when to open them. After a few minutes, Sara told her to open her eyes. What Juniper'saw was her reflection in the hand mirror that her mother used to put on makeup. While Juniper had her eyes closed, her mother had placed the mirror on the kitchen table in front of her daughter. It was leaning up against the jelly jar.
Juniper looked around the room, puzzled and said, "But I don't see him. Where is he?"
"Look in the mirror."
"I only see me." , said Juniper.
"And that is God", said Juniper's mom. "God is everything and everyone. We are all God. Even your new little kitten is God, and the plants we grow are God; even the mirror that you are looking at is God. God is everything and everything is God."
This was very confusing for Juniper. If everything was God, and if she were God, then why didn't she remember being God. And how come she couldn't make things like stars, or fish in the ocean. It was not easy for Sara to answer Juniper's questions."
"Listen quietly", said her mother, "and I'll tell you what I believe about God. This is a Pagan dream and what some Pagans, like us believe."
Sara sat at the table across from Juniper and began to speak.
A very long time ago, before the stars were made, before the sun was made, even before there were clouds, or a sky to put them in, all that existed was one sound, and that sound was named Love. It is a very beautiful sound. Sometimes, you can hear it in the rain that falls, or in a babbling brook, or sometimes it can be heard in the wind. However, Love was very lonely and wanted to share itself. So, Love thought and thought about sharing itself; soon it was so filled with thoughts of sharing that it burst into many different sounds. And each of the new sounds that were made burst into more sounds and soon there was an entire universe of different sounds all coming together into a harmony of music. Then suddenly, because of the great harmony, some of the sounds turned into spirit, and some became the spirits of stars and planets. And all of it started from the very first sound, Love. Now each new spirit had its own thoughts and each could make its own music.
There came a time when there were so many spirits of sound that some had drifted very far from the first sound of Love. They wanted to find their way back and knew that they must come together in a very special way in order to re-create the sound of Love. In their attempt to blend together, some of the spirits formed into beautiful beams of light and color. Now, when the spirits were sound, they could easily blend and form a harmony of music. However, as color, they found it difficult to blend and some of them began to believe that they were alone and separate from everything else. But all of it was still Love, and Love was aware of every sound and spirit that it had become.
Now the spirit of Mother Earth was also trying to find her way back to the first sound. She knew that this could only happen by sharing herself with others. So in one great shower of Love, she offered each spirit of light and color a place to learn that they were not separate, but a part of everything else. But in order to learn this lesson, they would have to take on form and shape. Some became the trees and rocks of the forest and others the people that would live among the trees. Some became the flowers of the fields and some the life giving water that helped the flowers grow. Some became the plants and animals that live among the flowers and become the food for the people of the forest who, in turn, accepted responsibility for the care of the entire planet.
Mother Earth was very wise and knew that in this great cycle of life some of the spirits would forget why they joined with her. So as a reminder of the lesson of harmony, she asked some of the spirits not to take on form, but to remain as light and become the four directions which would guide the flow of life and death. They agreed. In the east, with each sunrise, the reminder of Love. In the south, the warmth that each spirit needs to grow and flourish. To the west, the great mystery of creation. To the north, the reminder that life and death are not separate, but part of the grand lesson of harmony and sharing.
In this way, each beam of light and color joined with Mother Earth and each other to learn this lesson of harmony and sharing. And now, Pagans remind themselves of why they are on Mother Earth by gathering together and inviting the spirits of the four directions to join them in their quest for harmony and sharing.
Juniper was delighted with the story her mother told her; however, it didn't really answer her question about being able to create things. So she asked her mother why she couldn't create things, like Love created.
Note To Parent: It would be extremely difficult to explain to a child that since God is already everything, which includes the absence of everything, then creation is always from that which is and that which is not. This is difficult for adults to grasp. While not entirely correct, the concept creating from something rather than nothing is a little easier for children to understand.
"It depends on what you mean by create.", answered Sara. "If you mean to make something out of nothing, then no, you can't create. But, Love didn't make something out of nothing, it made something out of itself. Everything is a part of Love and it always was a part of Love. Just like one drop of water in the ocean is still part of the entire ocean, so you too, are a part of Love. You can create in the same way, but first, you have to remember how. And that is why we are here on Mother Earth, to learn how to blend our sounds so they are in harmony with everything else."
"Will Tommy and Alice be able to learn this?" asked Juniper.
"Maybe. Sometimes, if we don't get it quite right the first time, we come back to Mother Earth and try it again. But, this isn t the only place to learn the lesson of Love. There are many other places that are a part of Love. Some of us may decide not to come back to Mother Earth, but instead, try another place."
"What is the lesson of Love?", asked Juniper.
"Love allows and accepts all without hesitation.", answered her mother.
Remembering last week, when Tommy pushed her out of the swing, Juniper asked, "You mean I have to be nice to Tommy even when he s being mean to me?"
"Of course you should be nice to him", answered her mother. "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't tell him how you feel when he is being nasty."
Juniper wasn't sure if she liked the lesson of Love. It seemed to her that Tommy could do whatever he wanted, but she would have to be nice, no matter how mad she got. Sometimes, it seemed like Tommy was always trying to make her mad."
"But Tommy is always doing something to make me mad" , said Juniper. "Yesterday, he put sand down my back."
"Tommy can't make you mad.", said her mother. "He might do something that you don't like, but how you feel about it can only be created by you. If you want to be mad, then you will be mad. But, if you decide to accept, then you will tell him that you don't like what he did, but not get angry over it."
By the time Juniper finished her lunch it had stopped raining. She told her mother that she was going to go outside again. The sun was peeking out from behind some of the big dark rain clouds when she stepped out of her trailer. She looked for Tommy and Alice, but they were not outside. The afternoon sun was now becoming very warm. It felt good on her face. Remembering the story of Love, she politely thanked the spirit of the south for keeping her warm.
Juniper had been to many Pagan gatherings and was aware of the Ritual of Directions , but until now she did not know why it was done. Now, she understood that it was simply a way of saying hello to some very ancient spirits and inviting them to join the gathering, nothing more. Juniper was also glad that the mean person Tommy and Alice called God, wasn' t mean at all. Juniper decided that the really hard part about everything she had learned was not being able to talk about it with Tommy and Alice. But, she knew that her mother was right about them becoming upset and angry. Both Tommy and Alice had become upset over her few simple questions.
The hot afternoon sun made Juniper kind of sleepy. She walked around to the back of the trailer and laid down on the cool summer grass. Her kitten, Winnow, had followed her out the door and after a few attempts at play, curled up on Juniper's tummy while she stared at the high drifting rain clouds. Some of the clouds had the shape of different animals and in some she could see faces. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something flash in the sky. At first, it looked like a long purple ribbon, that's silly , she thought, "how would a purple ribbon get up in the clouds?" Just as Juniper was about to get up, she saw that same flash of purple ribbon. But, this time it didn't disappear behind the clouds. Much to her delight, it really was a purple ribbon. It seemed to be just hanging there; the top end looked as if it went up and behind the clouds, almost like a country road.
In her excitement, Juniper jumped up and the kitten went sprawling across the lawn like a small gray bowling ball. Then, to her complete amazement, the ribbon began to stretch and drifted slowly downward right toward her backyard. Juniper just stood there, totally stunned. She could not believe her eyes as she watched the end of the ribbon finally come to rest at her feet. It was nearly as wide as the road in front of her trailer. She could still see the entire ribbon stretching from her yard up to the clouds. It reminded her of a very strange and grand purple highway. She didn't know if she could walk on it, but it was tempting to at least put her foot on the very edge. However, her kitten didn't hesitate at all, but immediately pounced on the ribbon and quickly scampered upwards. Juniper began yelling.
"No, Winnow! No! Come back!"
However, the kitten either didn't hear her, or didn't want to come back down. Juniper was now very frightened, she knew she would have to chase after the kitten, but her fear held her feet glued to the ground. It was a terrible moment for her. Finally, she found the courage to jump on the ribbon and race after her kitten. Winnow wasn t at all frightened, but seemed to think it was great fun having Juniper chase after her. Just as Juniper was about to reach out and pick up the kitten, a loud clap of thunder knocked her down. The end of the ribbon that was resting on her lawn began to roll up towards her.
"OH NO!" , she screamed, "How will I get down?"
She could not jump because the ribbon was much too high in the air. To add to her problem, the ribbon began to form waves, as if some giant were holding the end of it and giving it a good shake. However, even with all the shaking and rolling she had managed to grab her kitten. She held her tightly. Juniper had always considered herself to be very brave, but this was far beyond anything she had ever experienced. She didn't know what to do. Large glistening tears began to roll down her cheeks. Then all of sudden, through her haze of tears, she saw a bright golden light taking shape in front of her. Abruptly, a beautiful woman stepped through the light and onto the ribbon.
Looking down at Juniper the woman said, "This has got to be a mistake. You were suppose to be a Pagan child. Who are you?"
Somewhat confused, Juniper stood up, wiped her eyes, and said,"I am a Pagan and my name is Juniper."
"Impossible!", said the woman, with a shake of her head.
"Well it's true! My name is Juniper."
"Your name may be Juniper", said the woman, "but you are not Pagan. You couldn't be. A Pagan child would not be crying just because of a little shaking."
A bit embarrassed, and also somewhat annoyed at being told that she was not really a Pagan, Juniper argued, "Well I am Pagan. I was just frightened because I didn't know how I was going to get off this ribbon."
"Are you frightened now?" asked the woman.
"Well, no, I'm not" , answered Juniper.
Smiling, the woman said, "You just told me that you were frightened because you didn't know how to get off the ribbon. What has changed? Do you now know how to get off the ribbon?"
Juniper wasn't sure how to answer the question. She was at a loss for words for a moment, then started to speak, "Well, no, I still don't know how to get off the ribbon but you're here and . . ."
However, before Juniper could finish her sentence the woman interrupted, "What does my being here have to do with how you feel?"
The conversation was getting very difficult for Juniper. She felt unable to explain anything so she just blurted out, "I don't know! I just want to go home!"
With a playful look in her eye, the strange woman said, "You don't seem to know much of anything. But, at least you should be aware of who you are speaking to. My name is Ekleipsis."
Juniper was not at all happy with this conversation and said, a little impolitely, "Well, I'm only eight years old. Did you know everything when you were eight?"
"No, not everything, but I always knew how to be polite."
"I'm trying to be polite", apologized Juniper. "It's just that I don't have any answers and your questions don't make any sense to me."
"My questions don't make any sense to you because you are not listening to them.", Ekleipsis explained. "You are still listening to your fear. If you no longer feel afraid, simply because I am with you, then that means your fear would come back if I were to leave. That means you are a slave to your fear; it owns you."
Juniper was beginning to understand what Ekleipsis was telling her. She must learn to deal with her fear by herself. If she didn't, then she would always have to depend on others to help her with the fear. And there might not always be someone else around to help her. If she did it by herself, then she would be a free spirit and could do whatever she wanted without having to wait for others.
The thought of being able to control her own fear was very exciting. She asked, "But I don't know how not to be afraid when I'm by myself. How do I that?"
"You are doing that now." Ekleipsis said. "As soon as you asked the question of how not to be afraid , you started learning how to do it. The first step in solving any problem is knowing the right question to ask. And that was the right question. Fear is like any other problem, you must ask the right question. Fear cannot live in the bright light of questions. Simply ask yourself why you believe you have no power over what you are afraid of. In that way, you cast a bright light into the dark corners of your mind. For Pagans, this is called 'To Know.' And to know, or have knowledge, is the first step in conquering fear."
Some of what Ekleipsis said was hard for Juniper to understand, but she was starting to learn that she would not be afraid if she asked herself questions about why she was afraid.
"I think I understand", said Juniper. "But, when I'm by myself and something happens that is scarey, I don't know what to do."
Then, Ekleipsis taught Juniper a little poem to say whenever she became afraid.
"Fear is dark and cannot stay when
light shines in to show my way."
"Where does the light come from?", asked Juniper.
"From inside you", said Ekleipsis. "When you become afraid, close your eyes and think of a very bright light all around you, and then keep saying to yourself, Fear is dark and cannot stay when light shines in to show my way ."
"Will that show me how to get home?", asked Juniper.
"No", said Ekleipsis. "You already know how to get home. The poem will make the fear go away so that you can find the answer that is already inside of you. Sometimes, it helps to have something to look at so you can focus your thoughts on the problem. Pagans often use crystals to help them focus on solving a problem. Crystals have little power of their own, but they can magnify what you put into them."
With a slight twist of her wrist, a beautiful purple crystal appeared in the palm of Ekleipsis hand. Giving it to Juniper'she said, "Stare into the crystal and think of finding your way home. Imagine a beam light coming out of the crystal that points to your way home."
Holding the crystal in her own hand, Juniper began to feel a little sleepy. The center of the crystal had a very pretty purple color and it looked like some of the things that she had seen in her dreams. She began to wonder if she might be dreaming right now. Looking up into the dark green of Ekleipsis eyes, Juniper asked, "Am I just dreaming all this?"
"Of course, dear", answered Ekleipsis. "We are both dreaming."
Juniper was about to ask what she meant by both of them dreaming when she suddenly awoke and found herself, and her kitten, lying in the warm sun on the lawn behind the trailer. Rubbing her eyes, she stretched and stared up into the sky. It was getting late and the summer sun was curving its way to the south. Picking up the kitten she said, to no one in particular, "I guess it was just a dream."
But just to be sure, she searched the sky one more time for any signs of the purple highway. She saw only a few lingering clouds and decided to go inside.
Juniper's mother was busy getting clothes ready for work tomorrow. She worked in a small cafe on the highway leading out of town. Juniper often went to the cafe with her mom, it was a fun place to visit and meet people. The old couple who owned the place treated Juniper like a granddaughter. The old man, Gaf, was very funny and told her silly stories. Molly, his wife, always had a special treat for her. Juniper helped her mother with some chores and before long it was time for dinner and then bed.
Climbing into bed that night, Juniper asked her mother if she was ever afraid. "Of course I've been afraid", answered her mom.
Then, thinking that Juniper might be worried about having a bad dream, she added, "but there is nothing to be afraid of here. If you want, I'll turn on the night light."
Giving her mom a kiss goodnight, Juniper replied, "Oh I don't think I'll ever need that light again."
Her mom said goodnight and was just about to walk out of the bedroom when she spotted Juniper's clothes piled on the floor. As she reached down and picked them up, a very small crystal rolled out from Juniper's pocket. With a knowing smile, she placed the crystal in a music box that held Juniper's treasures. Then looking at her daughter, who was now nearly asleep, she thought to herself, "So, you've met Ekleipsis."
Note To Parent: Discuss the story with the child and make sure they understand that all power comes from within them. It would be a mistake to let the child believe that the crystal has any kind of magical power. However, the poem that Ekleipsis taught to Juniper would be a useful devise for your child to learn. It directs the child to go within for light and answers.
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