It was the Saint who lifted the gossamer veil from my face and bade me to drink from the cup of
Apollo. The perfectly proportioned vessel – an item of matchless value and
prestige - was fashioned of finely beaten gold, studded with pearls and onyx, which
mirrored the torch lights so brilliantly that it appeared as a glowing flame to
all who saw it.
When I had drunk
of Apollo a priest stepped forward and placed a garland upon my head that was
scented with the sacred flower of Parnassus. He gestured for me to look into
the holy waters of Delphi, where I saw reflected the cosmic path of Psyche as
it was mapped by planets and stars.
Time passed and
the moon came. A vast yellow star, brighter than any other, was held in
conjunction with the lamp of night, sphere of Zeus, father of the gods.
Something then
occurred that delivered a profound shock to me. I was gazing deep into the dark
and limpid waters, lulled into a state of trance by the light of the father,
when a massive figure suddenly materialized by my left shoulder, forcing me to
jump in panic and thereby loosening the grip of this mortal coil upon my soul.
In the moment that
followed I felt a wave of euphoria, as if lifted by the moon steeds in Selene’s
chariot. The one who had appeared beside me was shining bright as silver with
eyes of mercury. I saw his winged cap and sandals, the staff with serpents
twined around, and knew him at once to be Hermes, lord of time and travellers,
herald of the gods.
It was then that
I embarked upon my first true journey into dreams, which all the priests and
priestesses must undertake. Hermes was my guide, author of time and messenger
of the Gods, the one who showed me the way to other worlds.
I have friends in
high places; they speak to me through poetry and dreams.
