esson 21: Spear Knight, Spear Four and Spear
Fiveesson 21: Spear Knight, Spear Four and Spear
Five
rydwen returns from
Annwn and I find myself back in the safe haven of
Spear Three. I hear the cry of an eagle,
but I don't see him, so I begin to move out of the trees. A white
boar comes out of the underbrush, and for a moment I am frightened
and still. He comes and snuffles at my feet. I crouch and look at his
face, and in his eyes I see the seas of Annwn . . . "Well, if you're
coming, come on," I tell him, and he runs ahead of me on the path,
leading me out of the woods.
We come to an open plain and I see the eagle
"weaving and soaring, watchful and
protecting."1 He circles over an
approaching rider.2 I see the Spear
Knight coming, spear poised and ready, and I shoo the white boar back
into the brush.
"Ah! you women with your soft hearts! Howd'ya
expect a man to feed his clan? What care have you for a pig?"
"There are plenty of pigs, sir, besides this one.
You hardly look like you're starving. You do, however, appear to be
very caught up in the thrill of the hunt. But you will have to seek
other prey."
He casts his spear at me, and it pierces the corner
of my garment and pins me to the spot. Riding closer he pulls the
spear out of the ground, grabs me, and throws me over the back of his
horse. While I outwardly protest, I am inwardly shouting
"Whooo-hooo!"
He gallops over the plain, and we approach a
village. As we pass a wreath-hung spear, he slows and we dismount and
are drawn into a dance. The village sings with fiddlers and
flautists. Children try to climb rope ladders, young men engage in
knife-throwing contests, and young women dance and twirl up their
skirts. Seems everyone is showing off, but in a fun rather than
boastful way.
Moving through the crowd, I spot my friend Nanette!
After many hugs and few words, we move through the festival, sampling
tasties, then dancing them off again. We drink and flirt and buy each
other trinkets from craftsmen. She adds her lovely voice to a chorus
of singers, and I wish I could stop time . . .
As the afternoon wanes, Brian (Spear Knight)
approaches and informs me that it's time to say goodbye to friends
old and new, for there is much to be done in the 'Lands Adventurous"!
Hugs all around, and we set off toward the lowering sun.
Approaching a monolith at Spear Five, I see two
spears crossed, foreshadowing. "It is a sign," Brian informs me, "of
someone wishing to do combat." He slows, and we cautiously dismount.
A shadow emerges from behind the stone. At first I think it is a
trick of my eyes, but no--this shadow is upright and walking, long
shadow-hair swinging and in the even deeper shadows of its face, I
see my own features. She's smirking at me.
"YOU BITCH!" I scream, as I charge with raised
fist, and pass right through her misty shape. I want to choke her!
And I am even *more* enraged that I can not even lay a finger on
her.
Brian intervenes. "You should not waste your energy
trying to harm or destroy this creature. She has no physical form.
You cannot exile or flee from her either; she's a part of y'rself.
The only way for ya to deal with her, and not always be at odds, is
to spend time getting to know her better, and teach and lead by
example. So long as you face the Light, your shadow will always be
behind you, following you, and you can't hide her either. When you
wander in twilight, she grows in strength. Walk in the full light of
day!"
Shadow-Moon says, "I'll travel *with* you! You know
you want me to. It'll be fun! You know you like it. Just say
yes."3
"Why don't you invite her to join you along part,
if not all, of your journey," Brian suggests.
"WHAT? That BEAST!? She only cares about herself!
She breaks every rule, and tries to kill me, swiftly or slowly,
however she can! When she's not doing that, she's embarrassing and
harassing me! No way! I want to be rid of her!"
"You can't be rid of me," she says, laughing.
"At least if she travels *with* you, my dear
Moonchild, she won't be sneaking around *behind* you. You have to
give her credit for coming out in the open to meet you face to
face."
"Okay," I reply, "as long as she doesn't try to
lead!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) I was listening to Riverdance. {back}
2) My Maninni II Warrior of Wands has an eagle over him. {back}
3) The Arthurian Tarot book says, for Spear Five: "...the need to distinguish between rightful intuition and unassuaged desires." Hmm, sounds like that "conscience vs. conscious" thing again. = ) {back}
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