Just about every day I read a daily meditation from a book called, "The Celtic Spirit," by Caitlin Matthews...
Today's meditation is about the power of telling a story, and hearing a story...
The Celts believed that stories held blessings within them, and if you truly listened you would receive this blessing. They also believed that if you memorized the story and re-told the story, you could bless others.
So, the story I'm going to share is from a book I read a bazillion years ago called Hope for the Flowers, by Trina Paulus...
I've chosen this story because not only because it's important to me, but in dedication to a friend of mine who has a SINCERE problem with girls getting tattoos of butterflies. And not that I don't know where she's coming from with this judgement...this is the story behind why I have one...
***
There once were these two catipillars...Stripe and Yellow...happy little catipillars just squeaking alone one day, when off in the distance they saw this peculiar structure on the horizon. Curious, they decided to squeak over and see what was going on.
When they arrived they saw that it wasn't a 'structure' but an actual pillar made up of catipillars...a catipillar-pillar. Catipillars of all shape, size and color, all climbing to the top of this thing.
Their curiousity peaked further, they started to ask around...
"What's going on here?"
"Where is everyone going?"
"What's at at the top of the pillar that everyone wants to see?"
But nobody seemed to know. They just kept saying that it must be great if everyone had gathered here and chosen to climb.
Well, Stripe and Yellow shrugged, and decided that they too would start climbing this pillar.
Up and up they went...still asking the others around them if they knew anything more than the catipillars at the bottom. But no one did. And the higher and higher they climbed the angrier these catipillars became at their questions. Let's call it, pillar-rage...
Stripe and Yellow were confused, but kept climbing. They couldn't understand why everyone would do this without knowing what was at the top...but curious themselves, up they went.
The catipillars were exhausted by now...and still struggling to the top...stepping on each other's heads, pushing others out of the way. Stripe and Yellow were exhausted too and began to question what they were doing. They were scared too, as they started to see catipillars falling past them to the ground from such great a height.
Finally, they decided they weren't happy doing this anymore. Still curious, but unconvinced...so they started to crawl back DOWN the pillar. This made the climbing catipillars furious!
"What are you doing?!"
"You're going the wrong way!!"
And more than once Stripe and Yellow had to struggle just to hold on as they faught the current...but finally they made it safely down.
Exhausted they decided to find a nice shadey tree to relax in and there they fell asleep.
They slept for a long time...
Yellow was the first to wake up...and she was immediately confronted with this strangely shaped object next to her...
She felt different somehow, but without being able to see herself couldn't explain why.
Soon, the strange object began to shake and move...and out came Stripe...
Yellow was startled not only by Stripe emerging from the strange object, but also because he looked different.
He pointed out to Yellow that she too looked different somehow.
And as the two of them pondered this....the blood from their bodies spread out into their wings...
Stripe and Yellow were fascinated and soon, upon experimentation realized that they could fly...
So off they went...testing out their new wings and feeling more exhilirated and free than they ever have.
They decided to fly by the catipillar pillar and share their discovery with the others.
But the others didn't want anything to do with them...couldn't recognize Stripe and Yellow for who (what) they'd been. They flew past the clouds that had hidden the top of the pillar to finally see what was up there...only to find, to their horror, there was nothing.
Just one catipillar reaching the top...only to be pushed off the pillar by the next catipillar to make it...and on and on...each one falling to their death.
Stripe and Yellow quickly flew down below the clouds to warn the others, but the other's completely dismissed them.
"You don't understand! If you continue to climb you're only going to die!" cried Yellow...
"You can't see, there isn't anything up there!" warned Stripe...
But the catipillars were set in their ways..and refused to believe there could be nothing at the top of the pillar, especially after they're struggled so hard to get there...and on they climbed...
Saddened but determined to enjoy their wings as much as possible...Stripe and Yellow turned their backs on the catipillar-pillar, and flew off into the sunset.
***
Or something like that...it's been a while since I read it, but that's how I remember it.
So that, ladies and gentlemen...is the reason I have a butterfly tattooed on my arm.
It's a species from Equador, that SHOULD be green/turqoise, but I had shaded purple instead (so as not to clash with the green already on my other arm...plus, purple is the color of magic)...
And whenever I get frustrated with trying to live a different kind of life, I remember the story of Stripe and Yellow...and that there really isn't anything at the top of the pillar except exhaustion and despair. And it helps me to remember how much happier I am with my wings instead
Today's meditation is about the power of telling a story, and hearing a story...
The Celts believed that stories held blessings within them, and if you truly listened you would receive this blessing. They also believed that if you memorized the story and re-told the story, you could bless others.
So, the story I'm going to share is from a book I read a bazillion years ago called Hope for the Flowers, by Trina Paulus...
I've chosen this story because not only because it's important to me, but in dedication to a friend of mine who has a SINCERE problem with girls getting tattoos of butterflies. And not that I don't know where she's coming from with this judgement...this is the story behind why I have one...
***
There once were these two catipillars...Stripe and Yellow...happy little catipillars just squeaking alone one day, when off in the distance they saw this peculiar structure on the horizon. Curious, they decided to squeak over and see what was going on.
When they arrived they saw that it wasn't a 'structure' but an actual pillar made up of catipillars...a catipillar-pillar. Catipillars of all shape, size and color, all climbing to the top of this thing.
Their curiousity peaked further, they started to ask around...
"What's going on here?"
"Where is everyone going?"
"What's at at the top of the pillar that everyone wants to see?"
But nobody seemed to know. They just kept saying that it must be great if everyone had gathered here and chosen to climb.
Well, Stripe and Yellow shrugged, and decided that they too would start climbing this pillar.
Up and up they went...still asking the others around them if they knew anything more than the catipillars at the bottom. But no one did. And the higher and higher they climbed the angrier these catipillars became at their questions. Let's call it, pillar-rage...
Stripe and Yellow were confused, but kept climbing. They couldn't understand why everyone would do this without knowing what was at the top...but curious themselves, up they went.
The catipillars were exhausted by now...and still struggling to the top...stepping on each other's heads, pushing others out of the way. Stripe and Yellow were exhausted too and began to question what they were doing. They were scared too, as they started to see catipillars falling past them to the ground from such great a height.
Finally, they decided they weren't happy doing this anymore. Still curious, but unconvinced...so they started to crawl back DOWN the pillar. This made the climbing catipillars furious!
"What are you doing?!"
"You're going the wrong way!!"
And more than once Stripe and Yellow had to struggle just to hold on as they faught the current...but finally they made it safely down.
Exhausted they decided to find a nice shadey tree to relax in and there they fell asleep.
They slept for a long time...
Yellow was the first to wake up...and she was immediately confronted with this strangely shaped object next to her...
She felt different somehow, but without being able to see herself couldn't explain why.
Soon, the strange object began to shake and move...and out came Stripe...
Yellow was startled not only by Stripe emerging from the strange object, but also because he looked different.
He pointed out to Yellow that she too looked different somehow.
And as the two of them pondered this....the blood from their bodies spread out into their wings...
Stripe and Yellow were fascinated and soon, upon experimentation realized that they could fly...
So off they went...testing out their new wings and feeling more exhilirated and free than they ever have.
They decided to fly by the catipillar pillar and share their discovery with the others.
But the others didn't want anything to do with them...couldn't recognize Stripe and Yellow for who (what) they'd been. They flew past the clouds that had hidden the top of the pillar to finally see what was up there...only to find, to their horror, there was nothing.
Just one catipillar reaching the top...only to be pushed off the pillar by the next catipillar to make it...and on and on...each one falling to their death.
Stripe and Yellow quickly flew down below the clouds to warn the others, but the other's completely dismissed them.
"You don't understand! If you continue to climb you're only going to die!" cried Yellow...
"You can't see, there isn't anything up there!" warned Stripe...
But the catipillars were set in their ways..and refused to believe there could be nothing at the top of the pillar, especially after they're struggled so hard to get there...and on they climbed...
Saddened but determined to enjoy their wings as much as possible...Stripe and Yellow turned their backs on the catipillar-pillar, and flew off into the sunset.
***
Or something like that...it's been a while since I read it, but that's how I remember it.
So that, ladies and gentlemen...is the reason I have a butterfly tattooed on my arm.
It's a species from Equador, that SHOULD be green/turqoise, but I had shaded purple instead (so as not to clash with the green already on my other arm...plus, purple is the color of magic)...
And whenever I get frustrated with trying to live a different kind of life, I remember the story of Stripe and Yellow...and that there really isn't anything at the top of the pillar except exhaustion and despair. And it helps me to remember how much happier I am with my wings instead
((hugs))