copyright © 2002, all rights reserved.
first performed 6/22/02
Now around you all is darkness. Gradually you find yourself in a familiar place at night. The rising moon is bringing a gentle light to this setting.
It is very quiet here, as though the whole place is sleeping. And you can feel a slight warm breeze caressing your cheeks.
The moonlight is now bright enough to see that there is a path leading from your Sacred Place. You begin following this path, leading away into the darkness. Winding, and turning, the path leads upward and downward in erratic patterns. Soon you find that you are approaching the edge of a cliff, overlooking the seashore.
As you reach the cliff, you watch the reflection of the moon in the waters below. The breeze is a bit more obvious here, and it grows stronger at times. Except for the gentle breeze, all is silent as the sea.
A flash in the distance catches your eye. It lights up the sky and is just as quickly gone. Soon a gentle low rumble can be heard in the distance across the sea. And the wind suddenly grows a little bit stronger.
A sweet smell of rain rushes with the wind as a second bolt of lightning streaks across the heavens. You realize the storm is coming, and you begin looking around you for shelter.
The path leads through a narrow pass and down the rock face. As you begin climbing down you can see small earthen huts lining the seashore below. You come closer to the huts and feel that one of them is calling your name. You come to this hut as a much louder rumble of thunder greets you at the door. Large wet drops of rain begin falling as you enter the hut. The sweet smell of rain grows stronger as you close the door behind you.
There are windows in the hut, but you are safe from the storm in here. You see the rapidly-falling rain rushing outside through the window. And the flashes of lightning become more frequent. The thunder rumbles so loudly that the walls seem to shake.
You look around the hut, now noticing the candles burning on a nearby table, the only source of light in here. And you notice that the hut has been prepared just for you. It is warm in here, away from the cold rain. And the outside noises seem so far away.
The hut is divided into different areas: a lower alcove, a large room where you stand, and an upper room lined with incense holders and candlesticks.
Near you is the table with the candles burning. They have not been burning for very long, as the wax is only now beginning to drip. And on the table near the window is a black mirror, with the flashes of lightning still reflected on its dark surface.
You move closer to the mirror and watch as your reflection joins the flashes of light in the mirror. Then, as you get closer to the mirror, the flashes become less and less, until only your face appears.
As you continue looking into the mirror, you see a multitude of other faces behind yours. Yet there is no one in the hut with you. Then it becomes apparent to you that these are the faces of other people, also seeking refuge from the storm. So many souls looking for the calm beyond the lightning. You see their pain and their fear. But in their eyes you also see their beauty. Each pair of eyes reflects all the other faces, including your own. And so every face, every heart, connects with every other.
A small drop of rain lands in the mirror from some unknown source. The mirror ripples like a pond, and the faces are gone. The lightning is also gone. And all that remains is your face.
As you look out the window, you see moonlight on the wet sand outside. And the sky is growing clear.
The candles are nearly burned out and you realize it's time to leave. As you reach the door, the hut becomes dark.
The bright moon makes it easy to again find the path. You climb upward through the pass and up to the top of the cliff. The moon reflects brightly in the sea. And the stars seem to dance in the ocean as well.
The path winds away: up hills and down, twisting, turning. Finally returning you to your Sacred Place. As you arrive back home the moon begins to set and darkness returns...
Created by Guides Chandonn, Hypatia X, and Sophia X Pharou
Last modified: 06/20/2009