She attached her egg-baby gently to the underside of a juicy green leaf. The tiny little ball of life looked so vulnerable there all by itself, but she had to trust that it would be OK, and that her child would be birthed into the world when the time was right. One thing she had learned during her time on this Earth was that the world was a remarkable place, and that one had only to trust.
Unlike other Mothers, she had no ongoing words of wisdom for her young one. She would not be around to teach by example when her egg-baby hatched from his egg and took his first look around at the wide, wonderful world. But she had no need for words or actions. Her baby was already pre-programmed with all the knowledge and wisdom he would ever need to survive and thrive, for he carried her inside his very cells and for this reason, she would always be with him. He only ever needed to look within.
She pressed her tiny face to the smooth surface of the egg and listened to the stirrings of her baby inside. She had created a miracle. One day soon he would emerge as a hungry caterpillar- starving for knowledge, experience, sensation and all the culinary delights he could devour. He would consume all that life cared to offer him and all of this, she knew, would act as food for his soul, nourishing and growing him in ways he never thought possible.
He would outgrow and shed many skins in his search for himself, stripping away that which no longer served to embrace new ideas, styles, beliefs and personas. She knew he would journey through the inevitable times of despair and darkness. He would need to be resilient to fend off the attacks from others who sought to destroy him, and along his path of joys and danger he would try on many ‘skins’ in his pursuit of enlightenment. She knew that one day, when the world had pushed him too far, he would retreat to a place so cramped and dark that it would feel like it was suffocating him. And that is when the true miracle would happen.
Only then, in his darkest hour, would he discover that the greatest transformation came not from reinventing the person from the outside, but from rebuilding the soul from within. He would look deeper into him Self than he had ever dared before, until finally, after many nights of journeying alone in the dark, he would finally discover the light within, causing incredible transformation at a cellular level. Then, possibly even in a moment of surprise, he would suddenly emerge from his chrysalis and be reborn into a garden of light and wonder, having finally left the old skins behind for ever.
“And then, my darling-child,” She whispered to him, “You will discover that you are a beautiful butterfly with wings that would rival the most colourful of flowers, and freedom to match the birds who soar in the skies above us. You will realise that you carried the secret to your own transformation all along, and that most of us need to journey to the darkest place inside ourselves before we can discover the light within. And now, as I leave you in body, but not in spirit, please remember: as long as you trust and know yourself, you will never be without my guidance, for my voice will always speak from the deepest part of your soul”
She kissed her egg-baby one last time with soft, windy lips and fluttered her brilliant wings until they carried her away from her baby and into the awaiting sky above.
Original writing by Kate Mantello: www.echantedshaman.com
Original artwork by Jane Schwartz Gates: http://www.janiesart.com/