The Chariot and the Oracle

Getting grounded the hard way

Ethan’s life was imploding. He lost his income, he lost his friends, he lost his family, he was on the verge of losing his home, his internet was just three days from being cut off, his phone was five days from being cut off, and his refrigerator was empty. There seemed to be no hope left.

Then he got the idea to go check his mail. Hope never arrived in his mail box but very soon he would no longer have a mail box — and no address for mail to be forwarded to.

There were five bills which Ethan threw on his kitchen table. There was no use opening them because there was nothing he could do about them. There was also the September edition of AstroWooWoo Magazine which he subscribed to with a note attached saying that his subscription was about to run out.

He plopped down on his couch and opened the magazine, going directly for his horoscope for September…

Like A GUST of wind, AUGUST has whooshed by. Now it is time to do nothing, say nothing, think nothing. Stop all activity, all emotions, all routines, all habits, all hopes, all desires. Lie down upon the bare ground and place your face against the soft skin of Mother Gaia and surrender.

What the fuck? I paid for a subscription to this shit? thought Ethan.

Tossing the magazine on the living room floor which he had not bothered to vacuum since July, he proceeded to the altar in the inner sanctum of his bedroom. He lit candles, he smudged, he burned incense, he meditated and then proceeded to perform the oracle. Then, with a calm and peaceful mind he read the oracle…

The very structure of your life has toppled. You have suffered one disaster after another after another. But it is not over! You have one more disaster to experience. Not until everything has been lost can anything be gained. You have been so thrown out of balance that the only thing that can restore balance is another final disaster. It is this disaster that will bring the fruit of what you have sown. When it is finally over a chariot will await to take you to a new life.

With tears in his eyes, Ethan put down the oracle. A sudden sharp stabbing pain erupted in his left forearm and wrist and hand. Suddenly, his neck and right shoulder were immersed in pain as were his feet. He began feeling nauseous and light-headed. His vision blurred.

This was it. He could feel his body giving up the ghost. He had fallen so far down that the only thing left was the very bottom.

The only thing left was surrender.

He fell upon his bed, his head and face sinking into his pillow. He quickly fell into a deep kaleidoscopic dream state. Episodes of his life shimmered in and out between images from the oracle. His mistakes and disasters replayed themselves interspersed with the many moments of joy he had experienced. He lost all power of action and thought as the images flashed in high speed. He was observing himself falling hopelessly into a bottomless abyss. Finally, he managed to gather the will to open two very large and tall double doors. He was quickly blinded by the light.

As his eyes adjusted to the light he saw two horses tied to a golden chariot. He knew that all he had to do was get in and be taken away. He was overcome by a very deep and profound peace.

Abruptly, Ethan woke up. Sitting up in bed, he realized that all the pain was gone from his body. He felt energized. He felt really, really good. Getting up from the bed, he realized that he felt powerful and surprisingly happy. All the pain and anxiety and hopelessness were gone. And yes, he was still there in his home. He was still there in his life. The only thing missing was the chariot.

Copyright by White Feather. All Rights Reserved. This is a work of fiction.

Speaking of pillows…