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Esther: Prana Community

Here is the next part of Esther (Book 2 of Waldmeer Series – 2nd Generation).

Chapter 9: Mixed Drinks

“Weak latte (no sugar). Hot chocolate,” yelled the Waldmeer barista. 

Merlyn grabbed her coffee and headed for the door. They put sugar in my coffee, she thought as she sipped it. Hang on, that’s not sweet coffee. It’s hot chocolate. The orders have been muddled. Oh, well, it tastes delicious. She then turned her thoughts to the recipient of her latte who would be missing their own order of hot chocolate. Looking around for a likely suspect, she easily spotted a woman, about her age, staring at her drink. Merlyn wondered what her reaction would be. The woman seemed to be weighing up the benefits of caffeine versus sugar and, like Merlyn, decided to go with the flow. Merlyn then realised that the mixed-drink-recipient was Esther, the psychologist.

Continue reading “Esther: Prana Community”
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Pittown: The Sleeping Prophet

Beauty is the soul of life. If we learn to see beauty, we are never far from God.

Chapter 2: Benjamin

Although the Pittown cafe owner had misjudged Merlyn’s friend to be her husband, she actually did have a husband. An estranged husband, anyway. The estrangement was how she came to be living in Pittown. Merlyn and Benjamin had only been married for three years. It wasn’t long but, as it turned out, long enough. They had known each other for two years previous to getting married. Merlyn wasn’t a big fan of getting married but Benjamin had fallen in love with her and very much wanted the marriage to work. For her part, Merlyn both loved and was in love with Benjamin in return. However, unlike Benjamin, she knew that he was ill-prepared for the reality of a committed relationship. She also knew that love is the most powerful force in the universe, so she gave Benjamin and the marriage her best shot and put her faith in his love to get him through. Continue reading “Pittown: The Sleeping Prophet”

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Relationships and Commitment

All significant relationships have a price. It’s not that relationships are a sacrifice. After all, who wants a life of sacrifice? It is more a matter of priorities. We can’t do everything in life and we can’t be with everyone in life. In choosing what we will do and with whom, we automatically make priorities. If something is at the top of our list then other things have to come second or third or last. Continue reading “Relationships and Commitment”

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Faith: For Nothing, For All

For everything in life, there is a price. The trouble is that most people pay dearly for worthless things. On the path of wisdom, we still may have to pay a lot, at various stages, but as soon as we do, we realise that nothing of any value was taken from us. Indeed, everything is given to us. There’s no better bargain.

I love the ending of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series). For me, it encapsulates the whole human journey – the struggle to find peace within ourselves and with each other. All the struggle disappears in those moments of acceptance, trust, and love. It disappears into nothingness as if it was all totally unnecessary. Yet, without the struggle, we could not have made the choice. It is all for nothing and also all for everything.

The last useless battle;
someone will fall.
Useless but useful,
for nothing, for All.

Chapter 36: Annihilation

Although the Lowlands army was primed and ready to attack, the little group at Floating Cave Monastery did nothing – nothing out of the ordinary that is. The six members of the household – Faith, Aristotle, Odin, and the three mystics from the other Borderfirma lands – went about their day as calmly and quietly as if it was peace time. It’s not that they sat in meditation all day. They had their normal prayer and meditation times common to any monastery, however, they also gardened, cooked, and cleaned. They went shopping to the local village. They talked about minor things to the villagers and asked them about their lives. They volunteered at numerous local charities. They did normal things, but they did them with abnormal love and inclusiveness. Continue reading “Faith: For Nothing, For All”

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Faith: Game of Life

Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series).

Chapter 31: Coming and Going

Faith and Rybert walked to the top of a nearby hill at sunrise. This part of the Lowlands was mostly grassland. The wind was cold and unfriendly and there were few trees to minimise its sweep across the hillside. Rybert and Faith both pulled their coats tighter. The sun would warm the land a little later but its warmth was only a promise at the moment.

“I don’t want to go back to Wurt Wurt Koort,” said Rybert. “I wouldn’t have come if I wasn’t intending to stay.”

“Yes,” said Faith, “I understand that.”

She looked out over the land. Soon the entire hillside and beyond would be filled with the armies from the Borderfirma territories. Continue reading “Faith: Game of Life”

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Faith: Gathering the Forces

Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series).

Chapter 27: Borderfirma Battle

A year ago in the Borderfirma Mountains:
One year ago, in the Great Valley of the Borderfirma Mountains, Nina passed her hand over her flickering crystal ball. Faith watched carefully. The last time Faith had seen the crystal ball was when Nina did a reading for Bethany and told her that she would visit Earth and find her future husband. With the help of Rybert’s Aunt Charity, Bethany had discovered her internal husband on Earth. It was the realisation of her spiritual completeness. She returned to take over the running of the Borderfirma Mountains with her newfound husband in tow. Mind you, since then, Bethany had not been lacking in attention from eligible men. It was a matter of time and destiny to see who of the wonderful, young men was meant for her. Faith sometimes smiled to herself that it might not be one of “the wonderful, young men” at all. It could be anyone, of any age, with any personality, she thought. She would leave that matter to Bethany, just as she had always listened to her own heart about such things. Continue reading “Faith: Gathering the Forces”

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Faith: Floating Cave

Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series).

Chapter 26: Salt and Sex
In the Borderfirma Lowlands:

Floating Cave was sacred and secret. It wasn’t particularly hidden but only those who were meant to find it did so. It was a single cave within a large rock formation at the far end of Indra and her father, Peter’s, property in the Lowlands. An underground spring fed into the peaceful rock sanctuary creating a lukewarm pool. As there was no natural outlet for the water to pass through the cave, the water gradually evaporated leaving behind large reservoirs of salt and other minerals. Salt ponds are highly buoyant. In fact, it is impossible to sink in them and you have to make a concerted effort to roll over; not that you would as you would probably get salt in your eyes.

Unlike other salt lakes and ponds, the Floating Cave did not smell. Nor was it infested with brine shrimp and flies which make salt lakes unpleasant to swim in. Part of the Floating Cave’s mystery was how the water remained so clear, clean, and fresh-smelling. It was as pristine as a commercial flotation tank but it was much more beautiful and healing. Peter told Faith that he believed the monks, who had lived for centuries in the Floating Cave Monastery, extracted chlorine from the surrounding plants and that they would religiously treat the water so that it kept its purity. That sounded the most plausible explanation, except for one thing. Since Evanora had ruled the Borderfirma Lowlands, the monks had gradually disappeared until there were none of them left in the Monastery. Still, the water remained pure.

Faith stood at the entrance of Floating Cave. Gabriel stood behind her. A year had passed both in Borderfirma and Waldmeer. This was the first time Faith and Gabriel had seen each other in that time. They hadn’t spoken yet. Gabriel appeared next to the ancient bell of the Floating Cave Monastery a matter of minutes ago. The bell was a portal for interdimensional travel. It announced visitors with a ring and forewarned their departure with another.

Walking a few metres into the cave and gladly away from the early winter wind, Faith stood facing the quiet pond. Without glancing back, she began to undress; Continue reading “Faith: Floating Cave”

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Faith: Way Out

Here is the next part of Faith (Book 4 of the Waldmeer Series). The last few parts have been written in close succession, however, we will now have a break from the story before returning to finish this fourth and final book in a few months. I sincerely appreciate your sharing in the series which began with the first chapter, One Who Speaks, 3 years ago.

Chapter 24: Death Row

In Tierramedio:
Last time Faith was in Tierramedio, she hadn’t noticed the hallway beside the Mirror of Life. It had a sign, Death Row. She certainly wouldn’t have gone down the passage except that the Master appeared and pointed for her to do so. Knowing that he would not lead her into danger, she accepted the invitation; not wholeheartedly, mind you. Faith came to a room on her left. It looked like a hospital room. Entering, she saw a lone bed with a sleeping man. He was an older person who was probably in the last stages of a fatal illness. She read the notice at the foot of the bed Continue reading “Faith: Way Out”

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Faith: Husband

When the ocean comes to you as a lover, marry, at once, quickly, for God’s sake. Don’t postpone it. Existence has no better gift. Rumi

Desperation is the door of the Divine.

Chapter 21: Zen Den

In Wurt Wurt Koort:
“I need a bigger space for my Mystery School,” said Aunt Charity as she showed Bethany the room she had set up in the back of Rybert’s tearooms.

Bethany passed her hand over the bewitching glass ball which had pride of place in the middle of the round table. How similar it looks to Nina’s, she thought. It even has the same red velvet underneath and the same mysterious lights darting around inside.

“It’s one of a pair,” said Aunt Charity. “The sister crystal ball went to a woman I met in a country shop sixty-five years ago. The shop was called Zen Den.”

Nina is Charity’s age, thought Bethany. “Where did the other woman come from?” Continue reading “Faith: Husband”

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Faith: Keep Going

“Everyone who has come to Earth,” he said, “has chosen the ego and must learn, quickly or slowly, its worthlessness and its venom.”

Chapter 16: Move

Michael, the shy sixteen-year-old boy that Malik was training, stood in the cafe line. A group of similar-aged boys came in. Michael averted his eyes and hunched his shoulders as if he was trying to hide inside himself.

“Move back, idiot,” said one of the boys. “We’re ahead of you.”

Michael was about to give his place to them when he noticed Malik sitting at a nearby table. Malik was watching intently. Michael didn’t know what to do. If he didn’t move, the boys would get angry. If he did move, he would have to face Malik next training session. The boys also noticed Malik and paused to see if the gritty, no-nonsense man was going to do anything. All he did was return to his phone so the boys returned to their former aggressive stance. Although the boys had turned their backs on Malik and could no longer see him, Michael could see him all too well. Continue reading “Faith: Keep Going”