Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims,
At Easter I published a beautifully illustrated fairy tale titled Journey to Joy and later this month over the summer solstice I will be leading a two-day mini-retreat with guest musician Te Martin.
The story is about Sophia, a writer and woman in search of physical healing as she has experienced a long bout of illness and the joy in her village has also been depleted. I want to share an excerpt from it near the beginning, after Sophia decides to has to leave the village and find the Medicine Woman:
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At the river marking the eastern edge of the village, she came to the Bridge to the Beyond. This bridge had a Troll secretly living under it whose greatest delight was creating hardship for people. Every time someone crossed the bridge, the Troll would grow angry and would furtively steal their joy. Those who crossed were not aware and didn’t understand why they always felt so tired when leaving the village.
Because of Sophia’s weariness, she stumbled, and the Troll took advantage of the moment. Sophia blacked out briefly and when she awoke, unaware that the Troll was hidden in the darkness beneath the bridge, felt something drain from her.
Sophia continued on the path heading away from the village over what felt like an endless number of hills. When she came upon a stone to perch on or a tree to lean against, she paused to catch her breath or rest her aching feet. Sometimes she would eat an apple or some hazelnuts from her bag.
After arriving at the Medicine Woman’s house, she realized she felt even worse than when she left her home and questioned her decision to make this journey. Her body slumped further, and her heart felt like a deflated balloon. The Medicine Woman had already prepared a pot of nettle and hawthorn tea, as well as delicious morsels of nuts and dried fruits, and greeted her warmly. She seated Sophia on a pile of soft blankets and furs and offered her warm lavender-infused water to wash and refresh herself.
Aware of the source of Sophia’s worsened condition, once Sophia had rested and was refreshed, the Medicine Woman told her, “When people cross the bridge, the Troll steals a bit of joy from them. She uses her cursed magic to put the joy into jars and then hides them in a cave deep in the woods protected by a dragon she bewitched and enslaved.”
Sophia’s eyes widened. “How do I retrieve my stolen joy?” she asked.
“The joy must be retrieved on the night of the full moon and the path to get to that part of the forest is swampy and dangerous. You will need to move slowly, despite your rush to retrieve what you are looking for,” the Medicine Woman counseled.
Sophia rested a long while at the Medicine Woman’s home to strengthen her body for the journey ahead. She drank teas and tinctures made for her from various leaves, flowers, and roots. She ate bowls of delicious stew and sat in the fragrant herb garden in between her times of rest, and her body slowly felt restored enough for more traveling. The Medicine Woman also reminded Sophia of her own healing power through the words she wrote and told her, “You will need this gift for the journey you will make.”
Finally, after many days, the full moon rose round and white above the horizon and Sophia realized she had to go.
“But how will I find the Troll’s secret cave?” Sophia asked the Medicine Woman.
“The cave is hidden deep in the forest, guarded by the Troll’s dragon. Take Schatz (*Darling) my Drachenhund (*dragon hound). She will be your companion and sniff out the dragon. There, you will find the cave.”
The Medicine Woman packed her a satchel of supplies and sent Sophia on her way with her black, four-legged furry friend as a guide.
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If you want to know more about Sophia’s yearlong pilgrimage to reclaim her joy, consider joining us for the online retreat June 20 and 21. Or order a copy of the book and enjoy the illustrations and reflection questions at the end to guide you in integrating the story.
Today we release the audio podcast for Day 5 Morning and Evening Prayer on the theme of peace from our Cultivating Seeds of Liberation Prayer Cycle. Listen to the podcast here or on your favorite podcast app.
With great and growing love,
Christine
Christine Valters Paintner, OblSB, PhD, REACE
Illustration by Domenique Serfontein | Maiden Moose Studio
