Secrets of the Blood Moon: Prologue
It is through our remembrance that the Mother Goddess lives on
My eyes blink open slowly and reluctantly, as I struggle to rouse from my sleepy haze. Exhaling deeply, I allow awareness of my waking life to resurface and take a moment to languish in a long indulgent stretch. I arch my back, pointing my chin up to the warm sun, and begin to rise from my woven mat before the heaviness of dreams and melatonin can coax me back to sleep.
Hmm that’s…different.
An unfamiliar energy laces my drowsy haze, and I sense there is something foreboding and ominous about the dream I have just risen from. I search the edges of my mind and explore what is lingering from my impromptu nap. A fragment of an image, pieces of an idea, a whisper of sound…
I sigh, nothing made it through to my mental space in one piece. I try to convince myself that it probably wasn’t too important, but the energy I feel pulling me back into the astral realm tells me otherwise. I should know better than to doze off by the water. Those ocean spirits are always so…mischievous
I bring a hand up to my face, rubbing the last bits of sleep from my eyes. As I do, excitement bubbles up in my stomach as I remember that today something incredibly powerful is taking place.
What exactly would that be again?
Hmm.
I just can’t seem to remember what I was just thinking of. It’s like my whole train of thought has come to a screeching halt. Taking a pause, I suddenly feel a strange emptiness…almost like a vacancy in my mind. I can’t put my finger on it, but something is definitely…off. The excitement I felt only moments ago sours in my gut, leaving me with a shocking pang of dread.
Oh Goddess.
This isn’t right. I can feel myself slipping in between two worlds. Grandmother always said to never sleep alone by the Umaji Sea. Grandmother? Who is that?
Fear arises in my chest, as a sort of amnesia makes itself known. I clutch at the pounding beneath my ribcage, willing my heart to slow down its beating frenzy. Thoughts begin to surface in rapid succession, nearly tumbling over one another in my mind.
Who am I?
What am I doing here on this beach?
How did I get into this body?
When did I get in this body?
Everything is happening so quickly, it’s too much for me to process all at once. Where are these thoughts coming from? Whose voice is this inside of my head?
The edges of my vision darken, as panic attempts to take over. Nausea rolls over me with such force that I’m certain I’ll be sick any moment now.
Oh Goddess.
I let my head hang back in exhaustion, and as my eyes meet the endless sky I instinctively search for a faint outline of the moon above. Ah there it is. I gaze up at the fullness of the moon, praying that the calming presence of this celestial body will somehow help me regain my grip on reality.
When I hear my inner voice again, I can tell that something has been shifted.
Breathe. Remember. Ground.
All at once a primal urge overtakes me, and I intuitively feel that some physical part of me is tied to the land here.
Oh, if only I could reach it.
Ah yes.
That’s it, I have to feel Her, this is the only way I’ll find myself again.
Trusting my gut, I thrust my hands and feet into the warm sand and feel the familiar presence of the Great Mother surrounding me. I breathe deep and low into my belly, relishing in the wonderfully nurturing presence that is Her. Clarity and calm wash over my whole being like cool water. I feel sharp, alert, so clear it’s crystalline.
And just as quickly as it came, the feeling of panic dissipates.
A long exhale escapes my lips, and I am overcome with a profound sense of safety that soothes the aching burn in my chest. I let my eyelids flutter to a close, just for a moment, and whisper a prayer of thanks to the Great Mother for guiding me back to wholeness once again.
I rise up, standing tall in the fullness of my womanhood, and am pleasantly surprised to find the irresistible sweetness of jasmine and honey suckle dancing on the swells of the briny ocean air. I breathe it in even deeper, allowing the delicate floral aroma to fill me, and caress all the most tender aches of my Spirit.
My eyes drink in the gorgeous scene before me. The pristine clarity of the tropical blue water, the lush rich greenery of the mountains, the brilliant hues of orange and pink painting a masterpiece above the setting sun…it’s simply perfect in a way that leaves me breathless.
As I peer down the length of the shoreline, I notice the unmistakable blaze of a massive fire raging in the distance. It’s just then that I sense a subtle smokiness in the undercurrent of the breeze, and wonder how I hadn’t picked up on it before.
The flickering of the flames is sensual and hypnotic, like the hips of a temptress swaying with flirtatious allure.
I am completely drawn to it as if by some invisible tangible force, and as I take several steps towards the pyre the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.
The strange sleep, the amnesia, the flowers, the spellbinding fire…
Tonight there is a ceremony taking place, and everything I’ve just experienced is apart of the ritual preparation.
A chill snakes down my spine as I realize that I am the guest of honor.