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evaluation, preparation, possibilities, validation, where to next
Follin was disappointed that Master Pew hadn’t let him do much more than clean the smithy and feed the forge. The most exciting thing he had done thus far was to work at the bellows, pumping air into the forge for he and Justin to heat the iron for bladesmithing. Days had led into weeks and weeks into months, but all the same, he picked up the manner of smithing by that age-old teaching tool - observation.
He learned such things as how to pump for hours at the bellows without tiring; to fire up the forge and bring it to temperature using the correct tinder, charcoal and air; to hammer the white-hot iron into ingots ready for Pew and Justin to make into tools and weapons. Follin worked with a will as his chest broadened and his arms thickened. He now found that he could swing his hammer all day without tiring.
“Eve, I need a hot bath,” Follin called as he began to undress after a particularly hard day, “and your healing hands on my back.” He threw his trousers across the bedroom floor, but Eve was nowhere to be seen. Then he heard a splash from the bathroom. His voice drifted off when he saw her waiting for him in the bath-tub. Built for one but big enough for two, he leapt into the bath to join her. The young lovers giggled and splashed about like love-birds courting in a birdbath, despite their heavy workload there was always enough energy for lovemaking.
Eve had her trials too. Her work with Mage Hermes involved hours studying the history of earth magic, particularly the Pentacles style of earth magic. She met with the Kingdom’s high officials, frequently with the King and Queen of Pentacles, attending most of their weekly ceremonies. Many times she asked Mage Hermes if he could get her out of their endless, boring committee meetings.
“My dear girl, I know what you mean. We of the Emperor’s court call it, ‘death by committee’. It’s worse than the Wildlander’s ‘death by a thousand cuts’ I’m told.” Mage Hermes nodded and chuckled to himself. “You are gaining or rather absorbing the energy of the Pentacles Kingdom through your interactions with these people though. Each office has certain magical qualities, no single official or crafts-man or woman, has them all, none. Even the King and Queen need their officials around them to create balance and harmony in the Kingdom. Haven’t you noticed that your history lessons have come along by leaps and bounds after each ceremony? And yet there are things you know that you haven’t even studied yet. That is the power of magic, to do without thinking, learning unconsciously. That’s what my sister, Hera, is also doing in your dreams, teaching without your being aware of it.”
The Mage studied his young apprentice. “Besides,” he said, “the King and Queen of Pentacles are teaching you their special earth magic too. You haven’t noticed because you’re caught up in the goings on at the table and their ceremonies. But beneath, in the silent spaces within the conversations, you can find them conversing with you directly. That, my dear, is a lesson you can bring yourself to catch all by yourself. The next time you are in the royal presence stop your internal self-talk and go beneath the conversations around you. Go within and listen.”
Eve turned her head to the side, all the better to think about what he’d just said. “Mage Hermes, I’ll certainly try that listening thing, I’ve heard you speak of it before.” She paused, “I wanted to ask you something too. I’ve dreamed every night since I came here but still I’m not really sure about High Priestess Hera. She’s beautiful but she is a shadow in a shadowy world. She’s darkness and she is night, that’s another one of her names, isn’t it, Nyx, the Goddess of the Night?” Hermes nodded and waited for her to continue. “Well, it’s just strange that my other teacher, teaches me in my dreams. How am I supposed to learn when I’m sleeping? I just don’t get it.”
The old man brushed some leaves and chicken mess off his chair in the lovers’ courtyard, he then invited Eve to sit with him.
“My dear, Hera is not of this world, well...” he put his finger to his chin, “yes, she is of this world but she isn’t really corporeal, she has no body.” When he noticed Eve turn a shade of white and her eyes glazing over he hurried along. “No, she isn’t dead or anything like that. Hera has evolved along a different path to us, it’s to do with the power of her Sanctuary. She studied magic through means even I don’t understand. I’ve spoken to the Hierophant, he’s lived the longest of the arcana folk and studied humanity more than I have. He said that he doesn’t know how Hera did it but I have a feeling he knows more than he lets on. He speaks to the trees and the rocks you know, oh yes, The Hierophant lived before man built cities - before humanity tilled the soil to plant the first harvest. That old man is as old as time itself and has accumulated more knowledge than anyone I know.”
Eve’s face brightened. “Follin met The Hierophant, he told me so. He said he felt really comfortable with him, in fact, he told The Hierophant all his secrets. I’d like to meet him one day too. Can we do that? Go and meet him?”
“Why do you want to visit that boring old man for? He’s not your teacher, my dear. You need to focus on what we’re doing now. When you cross over to the Swords Kingdom I have a feeling The Hierophant will want to take over part of your teaching then.” He tapped the table to make a point. “Don’t forget, my dear girl, you have many teachers in the Empire. Myself and the High Priestess are your two pillars, your foundations. What we teach you is what the others will build upon. So please, just be patient.”
Just then a blackbird alighted noisily on the courtyard wall. It spied the birdbath and dived down to perch on its edge. The little bird then carefully checked its surroundings for danger. Eve saw it look at her with its piercing eyes and it seemed to wink at her. She felt her face frown as she tried to tell herself that it was not so.
“See, now you’ve mentioned The Hierophant, he’s come to visit and check up on us,” said the Mage. “Oh, all right, I’ll leave you two to chat for a while. I’ll meet you for lunch in the court gardens.” With that Mage Hermes stood, arched backwards and Eve heard his bones crack loudly. She gritted her teeth, the sound made her feel like her own back was breaking.
“Certainly, Mage Hermes, but... it’s only a blackbird...” She spoke to thin air, the mage had gone and now in his place stood The Hierophant. He was tall, taller than she expected, he had a woodsman’s dress and boots of leather that looked strangely soft to the touch and extremely comfortable. He calmly stepped over to sit in the Mage’s chair.
“And so we meet, Eve. I heard you talking of me and since I wanted to meet you, I decided now was as good a time as ever.” He winked his eye and looked across to the birdbath. She followed his look and saw the blackbird bathing, splashing water under its wings in delight. “A little birdie told me you wanted to know something.” He smiled at her look of surprise.
“Hello, Master Hierophant, Follin said you could cook a meal with just your imagination. He said that he saw you light a fire without a spark and handle a pot of boiling water without a rag to protect your skin.”
“Aye, little tricks for a tired and despondent young man on a journey of discovery in the miserable rain and mist. That evening was enough to make anyone feel miserable. Follin reminded me of myself when I was young, carefree and not a thought for his next meal. Now let me hear your question, Eve, and just so that you know, I don’t tell Mage Hermes everything – I like to keep some of my secrets, secret.” The Hierophant’s smile broadened and he made a conspiratorial wink again.
“Oh, I thought Mage Hermes knew everything,” she replied innocently. The Hierophant certainly didn’t look ‘as old as time itself’, not the way Mage Hermes described him. In fact, he looked about middle-aged and not even as careworn as many hard-working men she knew.
“Well, in some ways, Mage Hermes does know everything, he is the Empire’s Magician you know. But some of us archetypes have our ways and know things even magicians aren’t to know. For instance, what does it feel like to swim under the water...” he paused for emphasis, “but to also breathe the very water you would drown in?”
Eve didn’t have an answer so he continued.
“Or the feel of sunshine on your skin - so strong that it penetrates into the marrow within your bones? To then suck that sunshine up through your marrow into your spine and to send that light into every part of your body? Or, better still, what is it like to turn your fat into strength or your muscles into springs?” He stood and sprang into the air startling the blackbird to flight.
To Eve’s eyes The Hierophant appeared to leap from tree top to tree top in the blink of an eye to finally return to his seat at the table.
Eve gasped, “What did you just do? Did you really jump into those trees and...” she stopped, bewildered, not trusting herself to even speak.
“Mage Hermes didn’t tell you about that did he? No, but don’t be fooled by that old man. To you he looks old, to Follin he appears middle-aged, to others, he will appear just as he wants them to see him. Or perhaps, how they want him to look. Magic is one part art and pageantry and many parts dedicated hard work.”
“Now to your question, who is the High Priestess Hera? Why does she teach you in your dreams and in meditations?” The Hierophant looked at Eve with his piercing eyes.
“Yes, that is my question. Mage Hermes said she is his sister yet they are so different. I just don’t get it,” Eve replied.
“Yes, they were once brother and sister, and very talented ones at that. They came from the Isle of Runda, the island of secrets. The Magician and High Priestess at that time had almost completed their season in this plane of existence and were looking for a couple to replace them. They found that couple, and what was most interesting was that they were of the same blood. Hera and Hermes were brought from the island to the Empire of the Tarot many centuries ago, a long time before you were born. They were taught the magic of the four Kingdoms, much like you and Follin are now, and they stepped up to take the retiring Magician and High Priestess’s positions when they were required to do so.”
The Hierophant had spoken softly but he had also engaged Eve in her dream mind. In her mind’s eye she saw the two siblings as children doing magic tricks for their family and village friends. Then as teenagers, rebelling against their elders who gladly handed the two over to the Magician and High Priestess when their end-years approached.
“So Mage Hermes was right, Hera is his sister,” said Eve softly.
The Hierophant then stood to walk inside, he brought back a pot of tea.
“Eve, I too have my lessons for you, a gift awaits, do you wish for it?”
When Eve nodded The Hierophant continued. “Please, put your hand out and feel this teapot, it’s just warm isn’t it?” He put it down on the table between them, Eve carefully touched its surface. It was barely warm, having been made by herself for Mage Hermes a good half hour earlier. “Now close your eyes and I want you to put your mind into the centre of your body, into the space behind your navel.”
She felt her mind sink and she followed it with her breath. This was an exercise she had learned from Hera, somewhere, some time, she wasn’t really sure. It was as though she had breathed through her abdomen all her life it was so natural to her.
The Hierophant shifted his body to bring his index finger to point at Eve’s forehead, it’s very centre - the third eye. Over the next minute he watched as Eve relaxed into her breathing then he closed his eyes and spoke.
“Do you feel the warmth?” he asked, they both had their eyes closed.
“Yes, my mind feels like it is expanding. I’m sucking the energy from the universe into my navel and... I can see all around me, oh, it’s magical. I can see the courtyard, it’s all sparkling... and sort of strange.” She stopped talking and her smile grew larger. “I can see little creatures, they live here too and I never noticed.”
“These are elementals that populate the Pentacles Kingdom, they belong here. They help the mages and guildsmen and women to keep the Kingdom healthy,” explained The Hierophant softly. “There is one waiting for you to notice her...” he became quiet, waiting for her reply.
Eve moved her head from side to side as if searching in her mind. By now The Hierophant had removed his finger and held his hands in his lap, smiling broadly.
“I think I see a mole... it is a mole, it’s a girl mole, Molly. She’s telling me she knows Hera, the High Priestess... and Mage Hermes. In fact, she knows you, the King and Queen... she knows a whole lot of people in the Empire. She’s invited me to accept her as an ally, an elemental ally.” Eve kept her eyes closed as she now waited for The Hierophant to respond.
“I would say that this invitation is one you should accept. An elemental ally is rare, there are few with Molly’s powers in the Empire, and fewer still in each Kingdom. ‘Tis an honour to be accepted as an equal by an elemental.”
“Oh, she said I can call upon her at any time. I just have to ‘see’ her. She said I have to go back now, she said my energy is waning and I might get a headache if I don’t stop.” Eve opened her eyes but she felt disoriented and dizzy. The Hierophant was there to catch her as she leaned sideways out of her chair toppling towards the ground.
The Hierophant spoke quietly of Molly, her new Pentacle elemental. He explained that because a mole is blind she has to ‘feel’ her way around. That’s why Molly suggested Eve come back to consciousness. “Molly allowed you to ‘see’ what she feels as a blind elemental, and that is both demanding and exhausting.”
“This is how you will experience Molly’s world, through your senses. Sensory feelings, smells, tastes and sounds. It is three dimensional and somewhat disorienting until you get used to it. Just think of what it would be like to be blind and that’s how you should interact with Molly,” he said as he reached for the teapot and poured what was now steaming hot tea for the two of them.
“What happened? My head, argh, it hurts right in the middle of my forehead. It felt like I had a horn, like a unicorn’s, right there.” She placed her index finger right at the centre of her forehead, right where The Hierophant had held his finger.
“I opened your third eye, it was ready to burst anyway. I just helped ease it into wakefulness. But I needed you to centre your breathing at your navel first, that is what allowed you to open your third eye safely,” The Hierophant replied. “May I suggest that you not open your third eye too often, it can make you dizzy and cause painful headaches. Hera is already working on it so it is best that you leave it to her to guide you. If you do it too much when you’re conscious, instead of ‘seeing’ you might just develop a headache.”
The two now sat quietly sipping their tea as they watched the blackbird return to its perch on the birdbath. The bird splashed to its heart’s content. By now Eve’s headache had disappeared and it was time for her to go to lunch with Mage Hermes.
“This tea is so hot, how did you do that?” exclaimed Eve.
“I used your life-force which you had centred at your navel. Maybe Hera will teach you how to do that too,” smiled the Hierophant as he lifted his cup to his lips.
“My dear daughter, today you have made a friend, a special friend. Molly has no power for fighting evil. She does, however, know things, her wisdom exceeds most elementals. There-in lies her power - knowledge is power. Molly knows how to find the answers to secrets and I think the High Priestess may have had something to do with your meeting today. Perhaps you can ask her tonight when you see her,” said The Hierophant, looking intently at Eve’s relaxed features now her head was clear.
“But it’s so hard to see her,” she replied softly.
The Hierophant smiled. “Ah, perhaps a little time with Molly may rectify that.”
With an impossible leap Eve’s special visitor was standing beside the birdbath. He flashed her a smile and the blackbird took to its wing - The Hierophant was gone.
⇔
Follin’s meditation – Seven of Pentacles:
In his meditation with Alice’s pictures, Follin now saw the image of a man working in the fields. It looked like he was bored or tired, or even despondent. ‘He looks like he feels overwhelmed for some reason?’ thought Follin.
Sitting in the sunshine in his inner-world hermit cottage, Follin closed his eyes and enjoyed the sense of peacefulness and stillness. His old hermitage was always a special place to visit in his meditations. He now brought the image into his mind’s eye and when he opened his eyes he was in the field with the young man in the picture.
“Sir, what is it that tires you so?” asked Follin.
“Oh, hi, I didn’t notice you watching me,” said the young man. He appeared to be a little startled but he was obviously so tired he wouldn’t have noticed anyway.
“I’ve just finished weeding the crop and now I’m tired. I’ve put everything into it but wonder if I did a good enough job,” mumbled the young man.
“You sound like me, sir, every time I do some task I always worry if I did a good-enough job or if I could have improved on it.” Follin recognised that his own sense of failure and shame was so enormous that it forced him to evaluate everything he did.
Since his time with the Pentacles he had discovered that he always performed his tasks well. He liked it when Master Pew heaped praise on his apprentices.
“Sir, let me look at your work,” said Follin to the young man. As he came closer he recognised that the man was himself as a teenager.
“Why, this is perfect, you’ve done a grand job of weeding. I like how you’ve heaped the soil up around the roots and spread the weeds on top so they won’t sprout again. Nice work, sir,” Follin said. As he did he saw the young man raise his head and smile at him.
“Why... thank you, that’s really nice of you to take the time to notice. I’ve given the plants so much extra care today, thank you. I think I might now do some pruning. I’ll get the sheers out and start over there.” The younger Follin pointed to the grape vines to his right, they appeared to be somewhat overgrown.
“That’s a good idea. And thank you for showing me a lesson on humility and kindness, sometimes it makes a difference to notice the effort someone has put into their work and to praise them for it.”
As Follin departed, he heard his younger self whistling lightly, like a bird, free to enjoy the sunshine of life.