THE FANTASTICAL TALE OF THE FAIRY PRINCESS AND THE REBELLIOUS ADVENTURER (OR HOW NORTHERN GUILD WAS BORN)

This is the story I shared at our 40th Anniversary Celebration Evening.

Once upon a time, long ago, in the lands to the far, far North, a chance meeting in a co-counselling group took place between a fairy princess and a rebellious adventurer. It was not a success.

Secretly, the princess called the adventurer ‘Red Nails’ and thought her far too forward. Red Nails, called the princess ‘Frilly Skirt’ and thought her too easily pleased. You won’t be surprised to hear that they decided to have nothing more to do with one another. Although, it would have been against the group rules of that time to say any of this so they each kept quiet about their decision.

But the fates had another plan.

After four weeks Red Nails declared she was leaving the group because the rules were getting in the way of real relationships. 

A terrible wave of shock made the group shudder. But nobody said anything.

Then Frilly Skirt spoke up,’ If you are leaving can I keep in touch?’

An even bigger wave of shock shook the group.

Even Frilly Skirt was surprised at herself. Being an adventurer, Red Nails said ‘Yes’ far too quickly and then wondered what she had done. Shouldn’t she have said ‘no’?

But the fates are clever and they understand that unconscious processes are there to be worked with, especially if you can surprise them.

And so it was that this unlikely pair started to talk. Slowly, they became closer and closer. They would talk long into the night, have picnics in the snow and read books on TA together. A lot of people gave them cold pricklies for making an ‘unsuitable’ relationship. But the warm fuzzy feelings that they felt when they were together were much stronger than the pricklies.  And they just carried on having good times together.

They started talking to anyone who was interested about the autonomy each of them was discovering. It was scary because other people didn’t always understand. But it felt so good to be spontaneous and close and who you really are. They couldn’t help sharing it. And slowly but surely others looking for their own autonomy started to gather around, listening and sharing their own seeking and journeying.

Many moons waxed and waned, until the day came when the two women decided it was time to make the journey to the far-off land where the teachers of knowledge could be found. There was so much more to learn. They were excited to find out all that they could.

Their journeying in this far off land lasted over the course of more than 84 full moons. And you won’t be surprised to hear that the biggest part of the journey was to a place called ‘the self’.

 Some very surprising things happened there.

 Red Nails started to wear frilly skirts sometimes. The frills tickled her legs and made her feel giggly. A fluffy, floaty feeling - like a marshmallow being tickled by a soft white feather –  would envelope her. She had never felt this before.

Frilly skirt turned out to be an intrepid adventurer who loved nothing more than travelling far and wide discovering new ways of thinking and doing things like eating bread buns stuffed to the brim with cabbage for breakfast.

In the end, the fairy princess and the rebellious adventurer from the start of our tale simply disappeared one day without a trace. In their place stood two strong-minded, thoughtful, tolerant women with a passion for sharing what they had come to know and understand about real freedom and the journey that you must take to find it. They were very clear that this journey is not safe or right for everyone. And that true, inner wisdom lies in knowing for yourself the right path.

By now many other seekers of truth and openness, spontaneity and intimacy were making their own journeys alongside our two. Those drawn to the path of their own knowing. In their own unique and special way, everyone shared a vision of a world where you could talk about what was in your heart, share your awareness, shout out new insights without fear of being derided, diminished or disavowed.  People listened  -carefully and with interest- to each other. Offering support, validation and even practical help when it was needed.

Eventually, everyone started taking their knowledge far and wide all across the land and over the ocean, sharing all they knew. And there were so many of them that they made an enormous, unstoppable river of hope and help, kindness and caring that flowed

 quietly, wordlessly and irrepressibly

high into the mountains and deep into the oceans across all the lands.

Many, many moons have now waxed and waned. And still, many are born and have cast on them at birth that bad spell where their own knowing is not listened to.

 If you are not listened to for long enough you completely forget what you know. You become captive to the fantastical tales of others and what they say.

Here, tonight we have a waning crescent moon. This is is a time for us to reconnect with our own inner knowing. To listen to our hearts, to follow our vision and to trust our intuition, the ‘unthought known’ that is the source of our inner wisdom. If we listen to ourselves we will hear others more clearly helping them trust their own journeying and

Connect their Hearts Minds and Souls