The Fool’s Journey: A Mystic’s Tale

This story is inspired by the Quantum Memoir Fool's Journey Game, based on Joseph Campbell's stages of the Hero's Journey.

Once upon a time, in a forest, in a far off land… A fool began a journey that was more improvised than planned. You see many years ago the fool moved into the woods to hide away…To be in nature to research, meditate and pray. His goal was to learn as much as he could…To integrate all the wisdom that was understood.

Transcript

A Mystic's Tale,

The Hero's Journey,

By R.

M.

Bodhi.

Once upon a time in a forest in a far off land,

A fool began a journey that was more improvised than planned.

Many years ago,

The fool moved into the woods to hide away,

To be in nature,

To study,

Meditate,

And pray.

His goal was to learn as much as he could,

To integrate as much wisdom that could be understood.

The fool,

Or the hermit as he was commonly known,

Was about to have a dream in which his future was shown.

Upon awakening from this profound vision,

The hermit had to make a most important decision.

The dream was of a dragon that was blocking the hermit's divine inner vision.

He knew he had to take action with steadfast and balanced precision.

For the first time in many years,

The hermit was to leave home.

With no specific destination,

The hermit began to meander and roam.

The hermit had patience and faith in an all-powerful force of the divine.

He walked and walked until there it was,

His sign.

The sound of running water brought back a vision from the hermit's dream.

He remembered seeing a key that lay at the bottom of a free-flowing stream.

The hermit walked through the cold water of the flowing creek.

Glistening through the water,

There it was.

The key was a sign with new answers to seek.

The hermit reached into the clear creek water and picked up the large copper key.

On the key was an inscription that read,

If you are on a dragon quest,

You must find me.

The hermit flipped the key over and another message read,

To the holder of this key,

These words must be said.

The hermit confidently read aloud,

Yes,

I accept the call.

Onward with his quest,

The hermit continued without stall.

The hermit was excited for this valuable clue,

A mysterious new step on this journey to pursue.

As the hermit tried to figure out the meaning of this key,

He noticed a kayak tied to the trunk of an old white oak tree.

There was a sign on it that said,

Kayak for free,

I bought a yacht instead.

The hermit took this as his next sign.

He went over to the kayak and untied the twine.

The hermit set the kayak in the water and went off to explore to see where the flowing water led.

He was excited and alert for all kinds of possibilities ahead.

The creek began flowing faster and the kayak was gaining speed coming around the bend.

It was just then that the hermit noticed a waterfall ahead that he was about to descend.

The only thing the hermit could do was stay calm and believe he would find his way through.

Just as he was preparing to descend,

The hermit heard a voice asking,

Do you need some help my friend?

The hermit grabbed onto a rope that the generous stranger had thrown.

He was relieved to survive with not even one broken bone.

The stranger pulled the hermit out of the water and safely back to land.

That's when he noticed the copper key tied to the hermit's hand.

As the hermit turned to thank his new friend for all that he had done,

The stranger was gone without a trace,

Not even the slightest one.

Did the hermit imagine this encounter,

He thought.

The more questions he had,

The more answers he sought.

The hermit continued to move forward through the shade provided by the luscious leaves of the healthy trees.

He enjoyed the sounds of the chirping birds and the buzzing bees.

That's when the hermit heard that same voice again.

My friend,

Meet me on the ridge above the deep glen.

A treacherous trek filled with peril and danger.

All of this to commune with a possibly imaginary stranger.

But the hermit knew this was an essential task.

He was prepared to follow without having to ask.

With determination and skill,

The hermit made it over the glen to the ridge with a little luck and a lot of will.

Here is where he encountered the stranger once more.

The hermit wondered if there were any more challenges to endure.

The stranger sat by the fire and offered the hermit a seat.

He offered him a warm plate of fresh food to eat.

Stranger,

Please tell me your name,

The hermit implored.

The stranger replied,

I go by many names,

One being the Mentor of the Sword.

The hermit had read about the Mentor of the Sword in one of his many ancient texts.

He was curious to find out where this journey would lead next.

The mentor gave the hermit a large box.

It was sealed with two separate locks.

The mentor took out a key and asked the hermit if he might have one of his own.

They put the keys in the locks to reveal the contents previously unknown.

Inside the box a sword was revealed.

Underneath the sword a scroll was concealed.

The mentor said this sword and scroll have been here since days of ancient past.

They have been waiting here for this exact moment to come at last.

The mentor said the scroll is for the hermit alone to be read.

He left the hermit some advice for the road ahead.

The mentor said,

Hermit,

May you remember the sword is double edged and can cause harm not only to others but to yourself too.

Follow the light and listen to the inner wisdom in all purpose you pursue.

And with these last inquisitive words for the hermit to ruminate and ponder,

The mentor of the sword was gone back to his wandering through the forest back yonder.

The hermit was in awe of this surprisingly light sword made of obsidian and steel.

He was curious about the scroll and used the sword to open its waxy seal.

To paraphrase what the scroll said,

The hermit was to continue to the mountain foothills ahead.

There in the mountains high elevated air,

Another key was to be found with another resource to share.

The hermit would set off on this next leg of his journey at the first sign of the sun's morning light.

Until then,

The hermit made a fire and shelter to keep him safe through the night.

As the hermit dreamed that same very night,

He saw a gold key gleaming in the sun's glowing light.

The key sat there sparkling all alone,

Shining so bright atop a granite stone.

What wonders would this key unlock?

How long has it been just sitting there on that rock?

The hermit dreamt of more than visions of another key.

He saw a keyhole in the trunk of a heart-shaped tree.

The hermit had another sight,

A mighty dragon that was quite prepared to fight.

Upon the rise of the sun and new day,

The hermit sat still and awake.

He pondered about his next actions to take.

The hermit's senses were sharp and keen.

His wits were about,

Observing sights previously unseen.

The hermit saw a cluster of granite stones stacked in the distance.

He had faith in his dreams and visions and continued on with persistence.

There it was,

The key lay atop the granite stone,

Just like he thought.

Next,

The heart-shaped tree was sought.

The hermit kept his eyes wide open,

Looking for any clues.

His gaze fixed to the trees,

Searching for any wisdom he might use.

Alas,

In the midst of the luscious forest,

Here was the rare heart-shaped tree.

And in the center of this ancient tree was a keyhole that would be open with the hermit's newly found key.

The hermit inserted the key and turned it to the left gently and slow.

He wasn't sure what he would unlock.

He simply didn't know.

With a click and a spring,

The tree's trunk door swung open free.

Inside was a magnificent wand,

A scroll,

And yet another key.

The message on the scroll was simple and clear.

Use this wand to open the bridge to your shadow dragon fear.

Use the key to unlock the castle gate.

Face your dragon now.

Move forward to fulfill your fate.

The hermit pointed the wand and a portal appeared with a bridge made of pure golden light.

The golden glare was blindingly brilliant and bright.

At the end of the long winding bridge was a gate to be unlocked with the hermit's key.

Was this where the dragon was waiting?

There was only one way to see.

The hermit unlocked the gate with great anticipation.

As the gate opened,

The ground rumbled with waving vibration.

The dragon emerged from the castle wall.

The hermit said,

Fear not,

Dragon.

I mean you no harm at all.

The hermit knew he could never defeat the dragon in a fight.

His plan was to use the wand of discernment to form a bond with the dragon and unite.

The hermit revealed the wand of discernment to the dragon who let out a joyous sigh of relief.

The dragon was waiting for this moment for 500 years and was beginning to doubt his belief.

But now the prophecy was shown true.

The dragon foresaw this moment,

Freed from his portal prison,

When a mystic came through.

The hermit said,

Dragon,

I'm no mystic,

Just a humble man.

Nonsense,

Said the dragon.

No mere man can possess such a wand.

Only a mystic can.

The dragon continued,

With the wand of discernment you have the power to share wisdom and magic with all who seek.

Flowing wisdom and truth are the vibrations we both speak.

With this wand we will unite.

I am devoted to you,

Mystic,

And your powerful light.

The hermit,

Now mystic,

Used the wand to merge the dragon's knowledge with that of his own.

The mystic gained ancient wisdom through the dragon's dreams and visions shown.

The dragon showed the mystic a treasure chest.

The dragon insisted,

Take it,

It's yours.

This is not a request.

The mystic took the chest and crossed the bridge portal with the dragon.

Hop on,

The dragon said to his new mystic companion.

Together they flew to such incredible heights.

The mystic was shown such wonderful and amazing sights.

The mystic and dragon were now on their journey back home to the sacred woods.

But first they needed to collect some more resources and goods.

As they approached a village nearby,

The dragon flew to the ground.

The mystic went to the village while the dragon flew around.

The mystic assured the villagers the dragon meant them no harm.

He assured them to remain calm.

There's no cause for alarm.

The dragon flew to the ground and sat by the mystic's side.

The villagers looked on with a wonder well justified.

The mystic proclaimed,

Once a fool,

A hermit,

Now mystic returned.

What you call me,

I am to the least bit concerned.

What I am here to share is wisdom of practices from a time of magical and mystical ancient days.

A time before humans and dragons ambitions parted ways.

If you wish to know yourself in a spiritual and universal way,

My hermitage at the sacred woods is a sanctuary free for all to stay.

The villagers whistled and cheered as the mystic and dragon took to the air.

Many followed along in hopes of learning wisdom and magic the mystic offered to share.

After a few days of travel,

The mystic and dragon decided to rest for the night.

They set up camp with a welcoming campfire light.

Many people joined the mystic and dragon by the fire.

The mystic listened to each person's individual heartfelt desire.

That's when the mystic revealed his treasure chest.

It was still locked as the mystic was waiting for the timing of the moment to be passed.

He opened the chest and it was filled with gold pentacles,

Too many to conceive.

It was overflowing with gold,

You would have to see it to believe.

The mystic offered pentacles to all of his new followers,

But they turned them away instead.

They were not interested in material gain,

But rather wisdom the mystic had in his heart and in his head.

As the fresh new day began at dawn,

The mystic awoke to the dragon's fiery yawn.

They decided they would take the rest of the journey on the land,

To appreciate the earth's ground,

Dirt,

Clay,

And sand.

He started with his feet connected to the earth's floor.

The mystic reflected on his journey,

All the lessons learned and places yet to explore.

Throughout this road back home,

The mystic had many introspective visions and dreams.

He seemed to lose track of time,

Perhaps he'd been traveling for far longer than it seems.

As another day ends with the setting sun,

The last leg of the mystic journey has just begun.

As the sun's light approached,

The mystic and dragon traveled to the nearby town with one thought in mind.

They were searching for the highest quality,

Best cups they could find.

The mystic had a vision in the night of an ancient dragon scale brew.

An elixir of energy healing that has been lost for about a century or two.

The mystic used his pentacles to buy a bevy of pure gold cups to use,

To share his elixir for those seeking wisdom that the healing brew imbues.

With just a bit of dragon scale,

Water,

And dried tea leaf,

The mystic's elixir was tasty beyond belief.

The mystic and dragon had to cross one last bridge.

They crossed the creek and were back home on the ridge.

The followers from the village did not stop their journey as well.

Excited for the wisdom and stories the mystic and dragon had left to tell.

Now many years have gone by and passed,

And the popularity of the mystic and dragon's magical elixir still lasts.

The Sacred Woods Hermitage has become a mystical center for wisdom,

Meditation,

And prayer for all who seek within.

This is where the mystic's tale ends and where another magical journey is about to begin.

Once a fool,

Now the hermit returned home a hero and mystical sage.

Learning much from his experiences,

The lessons he couldn't learn from the book page.

You can still visit the mystic and dragon at the Sacred Woods to this very day.

You can enjoy nature and magic of their philosophy 321 Love Way.

May you find the journey that lays within your dreams and visions.

May you find the peace of mind and strength that comes from making your own decisions.

The Sacred Woods Hermitage www.

Mooji.

Org

Reviews

This creates amazing visuals!

Dozed off. I'll listen again. Your voice is good for stories.