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permaculture - [permaculture] "The Voyage" and "The Clearing" - maybe some parts of these will be of interest - supernatural stories, works in progress, thoughts about GAIA, Pachamama, the natural world, future visions

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  • From: Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] "The Voyage" and "The Clearing" - maybe some parts of these will be of interest - supernatural stories, works in progress, thoughts about GAIA, Pachamama, the natural world, future visions
  • Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2025 01:12:30 -0400

The Clearing

“a bee loud” glade glowing under the afternoon sun, filtered through a thicket of aspiring saplings, laying stripes of light on the rough carpet of grasses,
loud and clear, there was buzzing with purpose. It was a microcosm of perfection within an irregular opening in the forest, a mostly flat field landscaped
with secret gardens having their own arrangement of small trees close to banks of shrubs, a few large rocks embedded in rich soil covered with a lawn of
low perennial grasses and a scattering of wildflowers and herbs occupying their ecological niches. The soft wild grass cover offered a place to sit and watch
clouds rolling far above. As if a ghost in the wind, unnoticed but lurking, not seen until the sky turned grey with billowing thunderheads
crowds vanished into the lush inviting greensward; thoughts persisted as if clinging to the lingering afterglow at sunset.
The collective mindset amassed energy, expended in Gaia's breath as we discovered new ways of doing things, exploring the world around us from urban to wildland
savoring local spaces sequestered in fragile nodes within the developed monoliths. At that time a world with little pollution was ours to discover.
Off the moor, through gorse and bracken, past rocks, down the old path toward the dark wood and out into a clearing under brilliant streaming sunlight,
blue sky, shimmering grass below. A place of magic, an oasis, thoughts about infinity, the cosmos, origin and order of the universe; what makes it up
from components small and large, unseen worlds, energy, other dimensions, other times.

[]

The Voyage

a strange adventure in a distant place

Encountering the knots and convolutions of the natural world, complexities beyond imagination stretching, it would seem, toward infinity, the group commenced their voyage on the boundless lake.
The afternoon they passed near the island was sunlit and clear with great thunderheads well off in the distance. It seemed an unremarkable event though they could tell that the terrain contained deep jungle
up to the edge of vast stretches of beachfront. It was apparent to all that they knew not what they might encounter as time wore on and they plunged deeper into the abyss of their strange adventure.

They slowed their boat to a crawl and then they could hear it. Sounds resembling repetitive chanting from many voices were carried faintly through the trees. No language or musical system could be identified.
The recital went on for a short time, stopped and then resumed. The travelers could see faint beams of colored light emerging at intervals from far within the forest accompanied by
strange ringing sounds reminiscent of crystal glass chimes struck with wooden mallets. The light was unfamiliar in form and could have been a mixture of flashing points, auroras or rainbows. As they watched,
it pulsated out of harmony with the ringing and chanting. The tops of the trees were moving as if swept by wind coming from multiple directions at once, accompanied by a clearly audible low hum that appeared
to cause swarms of flying insects to form unfamiliar geometric patterns in the air above the dark grey sand. Large numbers of crabs emerged from the water heading for their burrows seemingly in great haste.  
The unfamiliar sounds and lights diminished abruptly.

With the approaching storm about a half hour away they began looking for a cove or lagoon to pull into, secure their craft and make shelter. Soon they discovered an inlet leading to a small body of water
and they headed for cover. The sky darkened as the great storm in the distance moved closer to the island and soon brought a deluge of water and heavy wind. It passed away from them in less than an hour
as silence and darkness crept in to reign over the strange landscape. They could sense a vague lurking presence hovering in the air accompanied by unexpected gusts of wind arriving in an odd sequence.

They spent the night encamped near their boat, at a distance from the jungle. The breezes did not end at sunrise though activity shifted from their campsite to nearby trees whose branches were swaying randomly,
occasionally violently. Suddenly the currents of air were laden with a strange odor not unlike ozone blended with the perfume of gardenia blooms.

Morning brought a campfire and a hearty breakfast of sidemeat, hard cheese, dried fruit, rye bread and coffee. As they broke camp and prepared for a new day's adventure, conversation shifted to their
strange experience during the previous dozen hours. They pondered whether to spend time exploring the isle of great mystery or continue their voyage further on to a chain of islands about four hours distant
that they could see without binoculars but was not on any map stored in their gear. They decided to set out on a new quest.  

Approaching the island became perilous as they were caught in a narrow channel with strong current like a riptide. It drove them onto shore in an instant where new surprises awaited.
As they beached the boat they noticed that the rolling surf they waded through contained clouds of brightly colored particles like mica dust, shimmering in the strong sunlight.
There were patterns of color spiraling in every direction leaving convolutions of dark empty tubes behind, like worms in a tangle around crumbs of soil. The strange swirls of  
iridescent microparticles reflecting toward the amazed explorers was an enticing, perhaps ominous, prelude to what would follow as they made their way across the beach.

Sand was loose and deep, transformed into long trails of footprints covering themselves within minutes as the sand collapsed in on itself at every depression. Gentle breezes stirred almost as if on command
from some entity without their present surroundings; a taste from a westerly direction then a broad gust from the south. Wafted over airforms, mingling then separating, patterns of color emerged, flowing like
mist over the moor, undulating as it moved, enticing the explorers to follow. Toward the deep forest edging the beach the entourage progressed, unsure how the nature of their destination might manifest itself.

A delicious chorus of featherlight melodies suddenly chimed around them, with sounds unlike anything they had ever heard. Tones resembling wind, bell, crystal, merging into unique blends of timbre,
interrupted with distinct individual voices. The captive audience was transfixed and transported to visionary worlds transcending the prosaic domain they left behind at the start of their trek into the unknown. 


--
Lawrence F. London, Jr.
lfljvenaura@gmail.com






  • [permaculture] "The Voyage" and "The Clearing" - maybe some parts of these will be of interest - supernatural stories, works in progress, thoughts about GAIA, Pachamama, the natural world, future visions, Lawrence London, 08/16/2025

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