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STORYTELLING In 2006, Royda developed an interest in storytelling. Since then she has been exploring all the ways in which storytelling can be used for passing on wisdom, lore, and healing images for her family, friends, and clients. She is using stories as therapeutic metaphors for clients, writing stories for special occasions for her families, and telling stories to various groups and workshops. Two of her own story creations are posted below. On June 3, 2006, her grandson, Ryan Brix, married Rachel Sump. Royda read this poem during their wedding celebration. It is the story of her great love for this first grandchild. Ode to a Grandson Up and down, up and up. Dancing waves welcome a red-headed sunrise and a shimmering ocean of love, showering rays of light on the horizon of my life. My heart dives and rises like a bird riding the winds of change. Down and up, up and down. Carousel horses carry us on intoxicating adventures, Down and down, down and up. Massive silver birds lift us through fluffy white clouds of enchantment, wandering lost on the midnight streets of Helsinki, laughing at a skinny Santa and mangy reindeer in Lapland. Down and up, up and up. The squawks and flapping wings of wild turkeys mirror our own enthusiasm as we drum our way up to the mountain top in Mesa Verde, shouting and singing the departure of your adolescence. Up and down, down and up. Waves of devotion unfold the wrinkles in my heart as I witness you climbing the steps of the Mayan temple in Chitchinitza, Down and up. Up and down. Your sun moves toward high noon. by Royda (Cracker) Crose On April 14, 2007, Royda's daughter, Cynthia Brix,
IN the beginning (of this story at least) the world was a concrete jungle, a maze of roads, highways, interstates, filled with roadblocks, dead ends, and dangers. In this maze, there were creatures, scurrying here and there, on their unique travels from womb to tomb . All seemed to be searching for the perfect roadmap that would lead them out of the maze. One such creature was a turtle who had already completed a little more than half of her life's journey.
This turtle had enjoyed many successes and suffered a few failures in the maze of the concrete jungle. She had been through many stages and phases of her life and had been working very hard for a long time. Her best friend and closest companion in the world was her daughter, a beautiful green serpent.
Now this serpent was a very unusual snake because she was a little confused about who she really was or wanted to be. In fact, she didn't even know yet that she was a snake. Since her mother was a turtle, she believed that she might be a turtle as well. Of course, in her youth, there had been good indication that she was a snake because she had been charmed by a musician. It was while she was under the spell of this snake charmer that she had birthed her two spectacular children. Then she had broken the spell and moved off in new directions as a single parent. Her devoted love for the children made them the center of her world. “This way for a break. Why not take the road less traveled?” She didn't hesitate for a moment. She stepped out of the traffic and onto a little path leading away from the concrete jungle. Of course, she didn't know what to expect from this impulsive shift in direction, but she felt adventurous and sensed that this could very well be the path to an interesting destination. And she was right! Beautiful plants and trees lined the path as she got farther from the busy roadway, and then the turtle found herself in the cathedral of a redwood forest. A mountain stream rippled through a clearing, and nearby she saw some cabins, and an organic garden brimmed with sumptuous plants. The peace and quiet enveloped her like a down comforter. In this serene setting she encountered a handsome golden lion, surrounded by an array of animals also seeking new directions in their lives.
When the turtle asked the other creatures about the lion, she learned that he was a scientist and had once traveled in the fast lanes. In the concrete jungle, he had been known for his whistle blowing and tree hugging, among many other talents during that time of his life. When he became disillusioned with that life, he veered off the fast track into the forest, where he learned about a land of inner awareness and looked to the stars and planets for guidance. Now he was teaching other creatures this new way of living that integrated their bodies, minds, and spirits, healed their ailments and soothed their souls. The lion's special method of breathwork led the turtle to places that she had never known. She was amazed and very grateful to the lion for this remarkable experience. Reluctantly, she had to leave the forest and rejoin the beautiful green serpent in the concrete jungle. From time to time, though, she went back to the forest to follow the teachings of the lion. She came to think of the lion as her guru. At that time, the serpent was just entering the ramp onto a new, very busy highway, convinced that she was finally finding her way out of the maze. However, she felt ready to take a break and travel into the inner world that her mother had told her about. The turtle directed her to the path that would take her to the lion's domain. This time, the path to the lion led to the magic land of the high desert, a place called Ghost Ranch, in New Mexico, a place just perfect for a serpent.
The beautiful green serpent immediately benefited from her journey on the breath into inner awareness. During this first visit to the lion, she realized she was not a turtle like her mother. She began to think that she might not even be a reptile at all. She believed that she could soar in the heavens as a ravishing black raven. Since she had just started traveling in a new fast lane back in the concrete jungle, it was exciting to think that she could rise above the frustrating maze and see all the dead ends, roadblocks, and dangers. She could give others the roadmap they were looking for that would lead them to health and wellness. So she left the desert and the lion to return to her children and her new life as a ravishing black raven. Not long after she returned to fast lanes of the maze, she had a very unfortunate accident, a collision with a big, bad, ugly bulldog, which left her disoriented, bruised and battered. As she lay on the side of the road, in pain and despair, she contacted the handsome golden lion for guidance. After much consultation, he generously offered the beautiful green serpent a job in his mountain domain. So she left the jungle and went to join the forest creatures who surrounded the lion. This was a place where she could feel safe and could heal from her wounds, and indeed, she did just that. The beautiful green serpent and the handsome golden lion became fast friends. After the serpent joined the lion in his work, the turtle decided to visit them for yet another inner journey into the land of the breath. During this breathwork journey, some magical experiences happened that changed all their lives once again. This time the serpent saw clearly her true nature was that of a reptile, but not as a turtle. Instead she now knew that she was a snake. So she stepped out of the skin feathers of the black raven into her destiny as the green serpent, to become a unique part of her reptile family. “Jump start your heart!” The turtle did not know where these impressions came from or what they might mean, but she dutifully reported this experience to the lion before she returned to her home in the concrete jungle. As a result of these things, the turtle, the lion, and the serpent vigilantly watched and listened closely for more directions from the spirit world that seemed to be all around them. After some time, the beautiful green serpent felt called away from the handsome golden lion's domain to a spiritual path of her own. The lion decided to move his home to another part of the forest, even further away from the concrete jungle. The turtle retired from the fast lanes and settled into discovering new aspects of her creativity. As the lion dared to venture out of his cage, the snake was staying close to the ground, tending to her family and her spiritual studies. What they did not know was that their separate paths were now leading them away from the maze into a labyrinth.
In a labyrinth there is only one continuous path that leads all travelers to the center, the same destination. Each creature on the labyrinth moves at his or her own pace and rhythm, turning as the way leads, feeling close to the center and to other travelers at times, and very far away and all alone at other times, but always moving toward the center and trusting the process. Sometimes the lion and the serpent were walking beside each other and other times they were separated by great distances. Each time they were close, their friendship and their connection grew. Each time they talked to each other, they realized more that their life goals were aligned and their relationship deepened. They kept walking the path of the labyrinth, coming together and moving apart, all the time traveling toward a common destination where truth resides. When they finally reached the center of the labyrinth and stood in the truth of their great love for each other and devotion to the divine source that had led them to this place, they shed all pretenses and joined their lives and their paths forever. The moral of this story is: The End The handsome golden lion and the beautiful green serpent have invited their families to gather with them at the place where they first met in the high desert of New Mexico, at Ghost Ranch, to celebrate their union. Here in the center of the labyrinth, you may choose to be any creature that calls to you and journey with them into the land of inner awareness, for healing and peace, far away from the maze of the concrete jungle. |
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