Tuesday, May 29, 2012

As the Light of Venus Rose - Part I, Chapter Six

Part I, Chapter Six


Connecticut 2010

Early as usual, Amanda waited at the Starbuck’s Café in Barnes and Noble for her friend Marie, sipping on coffee and thinking about Avedar as she was apt to do when time permitted and few other distractions intervened. The morning was quiet with one other customer engrossed in her computer, so Amanda’s musings were uninterrupted. All of a sudden, she stopped and shook her head as a new idea surfaced. Avedar wasn’t a reptile, he was a dragon. A dragon?

Pulling out her iPad to check on information about and images of dragons, wondering what anyone did before this technology of instant gratification and a way to logically respond to an illogical thought, she found pictures that looked like she had always imagined Avedar, although there wasn’t any one picture with all the right features. She had come to see him as an upright eight-foot figure with hind legs longer than the front limbs, which were strong and not short or stubby as she knew from, seemingly, feeling them wrap around her often at night. His face was friendly, kind and gentle and he had a sense of humor reflected in his eyes and a constant hint of a smile with the corner of his mouth slightly upturned. That is how she always saw him, although further details and color eluded her. The internet images, however, were much closer than any of the reptile pictures she found. While the wings posed a problem as her vision never included them, fifth dimension creatures did not necessarily have to conform to third dimension realities.

Unlike the ancient reptiles that were portrayed mostly as negative creatures, dragons were friendly and considered good luck in China and Japan, and they were warm-blooded, which helped explain why she never felt quite right about the cold-blooded reptile-thing. 2012 was the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and she pondered if that had any significance. A website, colba.net, suggested dragons “accepted and taught those few men who sought the essence of truth.” Was that what she was doing, seeking the truth? She liked the second part which questioned what would happen if dragons revealed themselves to humans, and “…would we be able to accept another form of intelligence probably far superior to ours?” A dilemma she currently faced.

Marie interrupted her search, and Amanda rose to greet her with a big hug, “Hi, so glad we could get together, it’s been too long.”

“I know, good to see you. First, let me get my coffee, desperately need a cup this morning, and then tell me everything.”

Amanda looked up as Marie returned with coffee, admiring her slender body with shoulder-length blondish hair, colored from the now naturally whitish hue. Black pants with an orange shawl complemented a fashionable look, a trait she always admired about Marie.

The exchange of “How are you?” and “What’s new?” quickly moved to Amanda’s newest thoughts. “Didn’t you tell me about seeing dragonflies all summer long, often enough that you knew it wasn’t just a coincidence?” Marie asked as her caffeine kicked in and Amanda was nodding and looking quizzically at her and starting to say, “Yes, but I’m talking about…”

“I know,” Marie cut her off, as only close friends can do, “I know, you’re talking about dragons. But dragonflies, according to legend, were dragons, remember? Oh yeah, in the Medicine Cards by Jamie Sami, didn’t you say you met her in Santa Fe when you gave me that set of cards?”

Jamie Sams, the author of a tarot set called “Medicine Cards” lived outside of Santa Fe. Amanda spent a couple of afternoons visiting her and gained an appreciation for the importance of animals in the Native American tradition, and she used her Medicine cards often to look up the significance of animals that crossed her path.

“What else do the cards say? How did the dragon become a dragonfly? I don’t remember.”

“Me neither – just that the dragon was deceived by Coyote, the trickster, into changing. I don’t think it was a good thing, just not sure why,” Marie added.

“Oh sure, everything except the main point,” Amanda teased her. The conversation continued as Amanda reminded Marie about her encounters with Avedar, with Marie accepting the possibility of Avedar, even if he looked like a lizard or dragon. All she said was, “If that is your belief, I won’t question it,” quickly adding with a grin, “and I can see you with a dragon, and what is it exactly you’ll be doing together?” Amanda ignored her question, never mentioning the idea about leaving to work with Avedar, feeling to share that was unfair since Marie was very practical and, even though a spiritual person, she might have a hard time understanding, and Amanda wasn’t ready to defend her decision, not even to a best friend.

The conversation turned to updates on family members and mutual friends, and two hours later, after much laugher, they reluctantly got up from their place of respite for the afternoon rendez-vous, wishing, as always, there was more time to spend together. Their bond, which went back to their childhood, was strong. Nothing had ever interfered with that friendship, neither distance, different beliefs, backgrounds nor current demands. No matter how much time spent apart, their discussions always continued as if they had been together the previous day, and being in each other’s lives for so long meant the strong connection transcended time, and no topic was forbidden, except, of course, Amanda’s recent activity.



At home that afternoon, she went right to her set of Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through The Ways of Animals by Jamie Sams and David Carson to check on the dragonfly. Marie was right, as usual. The dragon was tricked by Coyote into changing form, although there was no explanation of why. Dragonfly represented “illusion.”

I guess “illusion” is as good as any description for what I have been through with Avedar. From guide to lover to lizard to dragon, lack of clarity at play. Seems as if the universe is not allowing me specific, clear explanations or descriptions of Avedar and my adventures. Yet that doesn’t make it unreal, just ambiguous. I can accept that…for now, especially after Jennifer warned me about astrological uncertainty in Connecticut.

The fact that Avedar might be a dragon made no difference in their relationship or in Amanda’s thinking, except that she suspected she was closer to the truth and that he was part of a race that did have superior intelligence. She remembered reading some myths that dragons had helped humans on earth previously, and although she had no idea if that had occurred or not, she did accept that at this time this dragon was around to help.

Sometimes she felt as if she were a dragon like Avedar. It wasn't a heavy feeling but as if this, what one might imagine as a big, clunky body, were actually light and comfortable. She could sense the wings folded to her sides and imagine them opening, spreading out with a lightness and softness that seemed unexpected. Too many pictures of the heavy, clunky dragon bodies in movies such as Dragonheart with Sean Connery had initially warped her thoughts. For now, she was seeing her companion as a warm, caring dragon with or without wings.

And I can’t wait to email Jacqueline, “Guess what, friend, my entity is a dragon!” Oh yes, she will love this latest twist.

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