Chrysalis - Personal Transformation from the Inside Out

A Tale of Ancestors (A Tale Within a Tale, Within a Tale)

Dorak is excited. Very soon he will be meeting his family at the fire pit, and his grandfather will tell them a tale of ancestors. He wonders what the tale will be about. Ancestors are important to his clan—Dorak's father told him to honor his ancestors. Some day, he too will be an ancestor.

Dorak can't wait. He walks over to the fire pit and looks around. The soil has been cleaned and smoothed, and there are pillows to sit on. Dorak goes home to have a meal before the tale begins.

It's time!!! Dorak walks with his mother and father and brother and sisters to the fire pit. His mother reminds them that they honor the ancestors with silence. Dorak becomes quiet and smiles.

Dorak's grandfather welcomes them and begins the tale.

"Many years ago, life was very difficult for the ancestors. They worked hard just to live. They loved each other, and although they sometimes suffered, they had fun together and their lives were happy. They had food and beauty and shelter and each other.

In their culture, they would mark certain points and passages in each clan member's life. This was very important to them. When a boy or girl reached a certain age, they would be told to prepare for a treasure hunt!! It would be an important passage for them. They would leave their ordinary life and enter the journey to their own identity.

Before the treasure hunt began, each boy or girl would spend several weeks creating a tale of his or her life so far. They could write, draw a picture or create a story to tell—it was up to them. In their creation, they would describe their mother and father, their sisters and brothers, their grandparents, and anyone in their clan who had been a part of their life. For each person, they would identify one gift that person had given them. It could be a good gift or a bad gift; it was some way in which that person had changed their life.

In their tale, they would show the clan who they are—their physical characteristics, how they feel about life, their dreams, what makes them happy, what makes them sad. Once they finished their tale and presented it, each boy or girl would be given a Treasure Map!!

The Treasure Map was a beautiful map drawn with colorful plant dyes on animal skin. The dyes were made each summer and brushes were made to apply the color to the animal skins. The treasure map had a long pathway on it that depicted each boy or girl's life until now as seen by their clan members—their ordinary life. At the end of the pathway was a Golden Gateway that each boy or girl could choose to enter, if they were ready and wanted to fulfill their life's purpose.

It was a hard decision for each boy or girl to make about whether they would enter the Golden Gateway. To enter the Golden Gateway, they would have to leave their ordinary life behind. Did they want to do that? Ordinary life was comfortable. Others helped them get food, took care of them and told them how to live. When you enter the Golden Gateway, you are in charge of your journey. Others may still be around, but it wasn't the same as ordinary life.

The treasure for each boy or girl lay beyond the Golden Gateway. What they would find beyond the Golden Gateway was unknown. They would find their treasure through courage and adventure and becoming the hero of their own life.

One day an ancestor named Drego received his treasure map. He was scared. He felt safe in his life and wasn't sure he wanted to venture from it. What would he do? He had one more sun and moon and then he must decide. How would he make such an important decision? His mother told Drego to dream on it, and the ancestors would help him. That night, as he went to sleep, he asked for help from the ancestors.

Drego began to dream. In his dream, Drego was visited by a dragon. She was beautiful with rainbow-color shimmering scales and a beautiful, red head. She invited him to jump on her back and fly with her to the land of the ancestors.

They flew for two moons and finally reached the land of the ancestors. It was a peaceful land with soft, rolling hills, flowers and streams. They touched the ground and were greeted by a man named Rector and a woman named Anelle, who invited Drego and the dragon to sit by a stream as they had a story to tell him. It was the story of the Golden Gateway!

The Story of the Golden Gateway

Many years ago, there was only one way of life. Everyone lived together and did the same things. People were safe and life was predictable. One day, a girl named Chrysa began to wander. She wanted more in her life. For the last several days, Chrysa had been hearing a melodic horn that seemed to be calling her. She decided to follow the sound of the horn. She walked from the sun's first light until it was high in the sky. The sound of the horn was very close. Chrysa was excited!

A short time later, Chrysa came to the most beautiful gateway she had ever seen. It was high and golden and shone in the sunlight. The Golden Gateway began to speak to her. 'Welcome Chrysa! There is so much more to life than you and your clan think is possible. I can lead you all to wonderful possibilities. Beyond my gates there is a life of individuality, magic and joy. Once you enter the Golden Gateway, you became the leader of your life, not your clan.' Was Chrysa ready? Chrysa told the gateway that she was looking for more; that she felt she was meant to fulfill a purpose but did not know what it was. The gateway was happy and said, 'Exactly! Your purpose, Chrysa, can only be found by you, and that is the journey you begin when you enter the Golden Gateway.'

Chrysa was happy, but she was concerned. Would she have to leave her clan and all she had known in order to enter the Golden Gateway? The Golden Gateway answered her, 'No, Chrysa, what you do when you enter the Golden Gateway is to leave your ordinary life behind. You become the master of your life, Chrysa. You start a journey where there are challenges, adventures and wonderful happenings. You grow and discover your purpose. Do you want to be the hero of your life, Chrysa?'

Chrysa thought about it for a while and then answered, "Yes, I do!" She was happy with the possibilities before her. Chrysa said goodbye to the Golden Gateway, and as the sun began to lower in the sky, she started her walk home. She knew her life would never be the same and would be filled with adventure when she entered the Golden Gateway. She would go and tell her clan."

Grandfather continued: "Drego was awakened by the sound of a horn calling him to the clan. He remembered his dream of the Golden Gateway. He WOULD follow his treasure map and walk through the Golden Gateway!"

Dorak thought his grandfather had told a wonderful tale of the ancestors. He couldn't wait to walk through his own Golden Gateway to the life he was meant to live. Dorak knew that soon he would be leaving his own ordinary life behind.

THE END

Author's Note

Often you are not guided to begin your journey of transformation. It would be nice if you were. Many times you have to find our own way.

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