The Kingdom Of Gaia, Traveling Up The Spiritual Mountain Of Enlightenment

An open grass plain stretches as far as the eye can see. It is a beautiful plain, warm, comforting, golden. To the north of the plain rises a great lone mountain. A spiritual mountain, its very top peak disappearing in the clouds that crowns it. In the south, not too far away, is a small lyrical stream cutting through the plain. There is a willow tree standing calmly by the stream like an elegant lady in waiting for her knight to coming shining home. I cross the plain to the stream and sit in the grass next to the trunk of the willow in her shade. I am very aware of this kingdom of Gaia that I dwell in, the physical body around me. The land, trees, rocks, plants, water, and animals. My own body.

As I sit under the weeping branches, I reflect on my day to day physical life and become very aware of my physical needs that seem to be released; those physical needs that I hold on to as if I am addicted to them. My extreme need to continue living in the apartment I now do because it has a second bedroom and a garage.

The need of this extra "space" fills my mind. I become aware of this neediness and understand that it has been an obstacle. I whisper to the willow, to the stream, to the grass I sit in, "I need to let go of this physical addiction to this apartment because of its second room and garage. If I let go, I will become free to move into the space where I can become more spiritual."

As if having spoken a magical charm, as if having a physical weight lifted from my shoulders, I suddenly feel light and stand. I turn and face the open plain and the mountain. A path that I had not noticed before is now openly stretches away from me up toward the mountain. I step onto the path and begin walking toward the mountain. Soon I arrive at a plateau and sit down to rest. I face the plain below and take in the view. I am still very close to the plain below. I glance up to the mountain, back down to the plain and realize I am about a quarter of the way up the mountain already. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I feel very emotional. Without planning to, I now know I have begun a journey, a vision quest, and that I am traveling up a spiritual mountain in the rich and wild kingdom of Gaia.

I am filled with fears. I am afraid. What is holding me back from becoming a spiritual woman? I silently ask myself. I know that it is an emotional fear. Darkness floods my mind, my heart. I gulp for breath.

"What do I need to let go of emotionally to become more spiritual?" I scream to the plateau, the path, and the plain below. Fear of failure. Fear of failure? How stupid. How can I fail in my spirituality? I am a daughter of Gaia, of MaMa Earth. I am a priestess of Goddess. I honor spirit and soul; life and death. I am not going to fail. It is not my life-path to fail!

I begin laughing; laughing out the darkness of fear. Clearing the cobwebs from my mind, my heart. I stand and brush the dirt off my backside and throw a kiss to the kingdom that is giving me this insight.

Up the path I go. The spiraling path that now crawls around the mountain. The altitude begins to shift. My breathing becomes a little more labored. I must use the muscles in my legs more. Glancing around I see that I have traveled halfway up the mountain. As I turn a curve in the path I come to a place where large rocks hug the path.

I am drawn to a very large boulder and climb onto it. I sit very still. Down below the land is beginning to reveal its-self to me. I can see the beginning of the landscape designs, the beginning of the intellectual stimulating of Gaia.

"Ah," I sigh. "It is time to look at those things that mentally plague me. The mental mind-set that must be released to become more spiritual." As if opening a dam, negative thoughts flood into my mind; spinning in my mind. I am dizzy with the negative effects of this mental confusion. Why do I always need to be right? Why can't I admit when I'm wrong, or if I don't know something? Why?

"Ah," I sigh a second time. "I see. I am trapped intellectually in my need to always be right. What a joke. That is not the attitude a spiritual woman takes. In Gaia's kingdom we are continually evolving, learning, and experiencing the cycles. Beliefs change. Levels of awareness change. What was right yesterday can be different tomorrow. What sometimes seems to be in the dark of night can be something totally different in the light of day. Therefore, I must always remain open and willing to learn. The innocence of the child." I smile, release a slow breath. My mind is clear.

After climbing off the rock, I bow to its stoic wisdom, then turn to face the spiraling path. I step onto it and continue my journey. Within a very short time the incline of the path becomes much steeper. I am feeling light-headed and adjust my breathing. I have climbed three quarters up the mountain and arrive at a granite shelf.

I crawl on hands and knees to the edge of the shelf and look down upon the increasingly diminishing world below. With trust in my heart, I dangle my legs over the ledge and sit there. Forcing myself not to clutch the shelf beneath me, I rest my hands in my lap.

The view is awesome. Below I can see the rock I sat upon, and further down the plateau where I also rested. I can see the path as it unwinds off the mountain and trails next to the willow tree and the gurgling spring. Physical, emotional and mental. I have traveled through these three aspects of life. Now, I have come to the shelf of my spirituality. The place where my inner spirit resides. Now is the time to examine what has been holding me back from taking my spirituality and fully living it.

"What must I let go of spiritually to become more spiritual?" I ask the world below. "Spiritual Masters, dear one." I am startled by this realization. Spiritual Masters. The kingdom of Gaia shimmers in the full sunlight. A mirage in my mind yet more substantial then any physical experience I could ever imagine.

"Yes," I say as I fill with the knowledge of how I can become more fully activated. "I must not always search for spiritual masters. Gaia, is always with me. She, after all, is the greatest master." I take a deep breath and release the trappings of self-delusion.

Once again I stand and continue up the path, which now disappears around a bind. It feels as if I am leaning into the mountain because the path is so steep. The veil of clouds seem to evaporate as I move into its white coolness. I can almost see the top of the mountain. The last few feet pass quickly. I have come to a ledge and pull myself over it. As I make the lip, I see I have at last reached the top of the mountain.

I stand and look at the work I stand on top of. Slowly, I turn around. Everywhere the beautiful kingdom of Gaia stretches out from me. It is as if I am the center of all life, that all life emanates from my being.

The sunlight catches bits of crystal that lie scattered about the top of the mountain. The light glitters off the stones. My attention is drawn to one crystal, so I bend over and pick it up. As I hold it up before me I see that this crystal contains a rainbow inside it. The rainbows light shines and seems to absorb the light of the sun.

It is this rainbow that attracted me to the crystal. I know that I am part of this rainbow. That on my spiritual path I am joined by people of like-mind, who are walking similar paths from different ethnic backgrounds, with different skin colors. And I begin to understand that it is this rainbow of people who demonstrates the true oneness in life. This oneness, this rainbow of people will act an umbrella of protection for the continuance of Gaia, Mother Earth and future generations.

I cradle the crystal to my heart and breath in the rainbow light. It seems to sparkle and spiral within, floodlighting every aspect of my being. Re-awakening the cell memory of my beginning; my origin. In this moment of lightness, ego and spirit rejoin bridging the cap that just minutes ago existed between them. Their joining creates a new strength within.

In this kingdom of Gaia each one of us travels up the spiritual mountain of enlightenment. Some of us get stuck at the different points of recognizing. But those of us who can continually release and let go, who continue up the path and finally reach the top, can receive the wonderful enlightenment that we are the rainbow people who dwell in this great kingdom. We worship Gaia, Mother Earth, and that makes a difference. We can help guide others to this place of crystal clarity, light and strength of heart; uniting and forming the long sought-after kingdom of paradise, which has always dwelled beneath our feet; that has always been referred to simply as earth.