A Novel by Sophie Nougué. Part 6

– The first time I got the bath, I was in my mother’s womb. She had come to the source of the origins accompanied by her sisters. I was born during the night. I am the son of all that surrounds us, night, day, earth, water, air, ether. I was born a shaman by the will of the gods. I see with my eyes closed and I listen to the invisible, I learned everything that way. When you carry the spirits of the world bigger than you, you carry peace and wonder. There is no false note in the universe if you are present at what is here and now you are connected to everything. Energy flows everywhere, all the time. Vegetable, animal, mineral, we are one. Life is our soul that draws it. There is no right or wrong, good or bad. Every moment that comes in is the moment that is meant for you. If you don’t know why, life, she knows, trust her. Big dream, dream bigger than you, the strength of the universe is to welcome the dreams of the world. If your dream encompasses all dreams, it will be fulfilled in abundance. Carries a loving dream that inspires the world. Anything’s possible, you know that?

– Yes, I do.

– I am happy and proud to have taken you here. Tonight, the spring will give you a name, that of the life you have been carrying since the beginning. Follow the sun, he is your guide from now on. You’ll reach the source before nightfall.

I followed the sun without baffling myself. My mind was joyful. Yellow’s voice resonated in my heart, I felt his presence by my side. He was there, him and everyone else every time I walked. I was carried by the joy of welcoming this exceptional ritual soon. It filled me beyond anything I had ever imagined.

As the sun’s rays passed through the foliage to touch my chest, I reached the source. She was incredibly beautiful. It had the shape of a large round, deep squalion with polished stones covered with soft green mosses. Fine bubbles rose from the bottom. I spent long minutes admiring him. The translucent green water was crossed with golden reflections. Tree roots plunged into it leaning on rocks arranged all around in perfect alignment. One of them looked like a giant hand. The tree above those five fingers that clung rock and earth was astoundingly vibrant. Flower vines hung from branches and placed themselves delicately around the basin. I’d put my bag down and take off my clothes. I stroked the knuckles of these perfectly drawn fingers and laid some flowers on the surface of the water. I watched them float gently, when the tree breathed. The flowers began to dance in subtle ripples. They swirled and I too was taken with a sudden desire to dance. I sang and danced on a rock overlooking the spring. The reflection of a face that was not mine smiled at me. I danced all night carried by the drunkenness of the birdsong and the scents of the forest.

I was flaking the leaves and flowers in my little bag. I spoke to them while mixing them as I had seen Yellow do. I pressed them, crushed them delicately with a pebble. The dream I carry came from my mouth. My voice was safe. My hands were strong. Colors came out of my fingers and rose to the tree tops. Lightning was forming and plunged into the spring. I was passing my hands over my body, my face, my hair. Instantly, a rainbow of colors covered my skin. I danced barefoot on the earth, the roots, the mosses. I could feel the warm breath of the matrix slipping on my body. I danced until the first ray of the new day landed in the center of the spring.

Delicately, I slipped into the water, letting my eyes run wide open. On the stones at the bottom, tiny snails with spiral shells formed four letters: AHAM.

I stayed without moving or breathing welcoming the vibrations of the water for long minutes. I was a drop in the bucket. A voice to resonate:

“You are the most sacred part of yourself, the original way of life. You’re rooted in subtle worlds. You are AHAM, determined to follow your path.”

The sun bathed in a soft light on the surface of the water. Everything was peaceful. I clutched in my hand the little shells, sublime companions of this new day.

Yellow, crept into the water. His body was covered with paints. Only the hand of a god could draw such delicate shapes. He smiles at me. A great burst of laughter and tears of joy flooded my heart.

– You danced all night and your dance traced these circles on my body, the same as those of the shells you hold in your hand. From now on, all those you meet, your friends, your family, your allies, all those who have strayed or lost are reunited by the dance of the heart. Every time you reach out, the universe carries your message. You are AHAM, the soul of a new path. It is not what you receive that is important but the way your mind welcomes life.