The Initiate by Jade Ashcroft

The Initiate.
by Jade Ashcroft

Chapter 1
Beginnings
July 21st 2006

Midsummer air scarcely breathed, the moment hanging in suspension as Elanor stood poised at the outer rim of the Labyrinth. Eyes cast downwards to the tiles at her feet, then tracing her intended route to the centre of the pattern in a fluttering eye movement. Unlock the door to the past and find my true self.
To the uninitiated she would appear briefly paused for thought, stealing a moment's peace amid the chaos and confusion. For Elanor this was a momentous landmark in her life cycle. Her entry point, or initiation, into the Higher Mysteries. No Cults, no Secret Societies or Covens, just the journey inward seeking the truth.

Elanor stole a brief glance around the deserted park, and inhaled deeply as she stepped over the threshold of the Labyrinth. Walking slowly and deliberately, the traffic noise began noticeably ebbing away from the sphere of her sensations, and the silence amplified.
Slowly, step by step, the tensions drained from her shoulders and neck. The incessant chatter of her conscious mind subsided to a dull roar, and she drew in a long deep breath. Re-focusing her attention on the glistening black tiles underneath her feet, every corner diverted her attention inward. Calm serenity descended over her like a radiant shower.

It is a rare thing to find a moment of tranquillity and even more precious to be able to keep it. The pursuit of wealth and status, residual groves of unfulfilled desires and ambitions float aimlessly through the ether to assault the consciousness of those sensitive enough to perceive it. Elanor had never been particularly interested in money or fame, preferring to live in relative anonymity and stealing through the crowds unseen when it was necessary.
People's attitudes, ignorance being at the top of the list and intolerance coming a very close second, were the fuel for the fire of anger inside. Her awareness shifted though the subtle layers, like a bicycle through its gears. The electrified atmosphere around her shimmering with energy as the lines of the mosaic floor gleamed with silvery lines of force. This power conduit was here all the time, embedded within the symbol of the labyrinth, but the daily lives of the general population simply left no room for the slightest perception of its existence.

As she paced the final stretch towards the centre, she sent parts of her consciousness spiraling outwards, seeking contacts. Her body felt as light as air, as if she might raise her arms to the sky and float away.
Elanor reached the epicentre of the Labyrinth, her eyes still cast downwards as she stood in contemplative silence. A gentle breeze swept around and through her, raising the tiny hairs on her body. A shiver rattled down her spine and every fibre of her being shuddered with the intensity of it.
She took a small step forward and considered the star underneath her feet with its 7 petalled lotus in the middle. In that moment of silent wisdom she understood and accepted her fate. She must surrender to the will of the Gods. That is what she had feared, though not knowing why or what it was that she was afraid of. A voice very much like her own spoke to her from somewhere deep inside.

No matter what I do, or how far I try to runaway, I chose this path long before this moment. Acceptance of my Fate and Destiny is merely the beginning, and the only truth to seek in this quest is Love. To be a seer is to be a messenger, and persecution is inevitable for anything which threatens their illusions will produce fear.
The answers make themselves apparent to those who would seek, needing only patience, faith and endurance to receive.

Elanor remembered being told many years ago that she must learn to love without judgement, but Universal Love of everything without question isn't quite as easy as one might think. A nearby crow announced its warning of ascent, breaking the silence. The air molecules around her swirled, alive with something stirring. She thought hard about her journey so far, and in her mind she de-constructed the fragmented pieces, reorganizing and categorizing her experiences.
Leaves whirled along the grass, shuttled with the force of a blast of wind. In ever decreasing spirals, the wind picked up the leaves and tossed them around for a while and surreptitiously dumped them in another part of the park. Elanor smiled as she thought of this motion as a fairly accurate analogy for her life. She had never felt that she belonged in any one place and had spent most of her time searching for meaning in things, people, places and all the while not realizing that knowledge, understanding and wisdom lay within.

She could feel eyes boring into the back of her skull, as someone else entered the park. Autumn seemed to be pushing for an early entrance this year. Already, at the back end of July, the currents were raging for change. Elanor shifted uncomfortably knowing that it was time to leave. She didn't like being observed and suddenly felt very vulnerable with her soul bared to the world. Swiftly gathering her thoughts together, she constructed her veil of protection. The discarded bag and coat were still lying on the ground at the entrance to the Labyrinth. She squirmed, wriggling into the coat and pulling her bag over her shoulder. She hurried towards the iron gates away from prying eyes. There are going to be difficult times ahead, but this is the journey beginning I can feel it.

The temperature dropped without warning and a shower of heavy raindrops plummeted from the purple sky overhead. Elanor walked quickly out of the park gates heading towards the Library, she tugged at her hood to shield her from the downpour.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a row of old gravestones peeping out from behind the shrubbery, as she walked past the crumbling park wall. Leaning up against one of these gravestones was an unmarked solitary red sandstone cross. It looked so of place that it made her stop and stare. She wondered why it had been hidden away behind all that greenery.
“Are you interested in local history then?”, a voice spoke from behind her, and Elanor turned around to see the face that accompanied the voice. The old man leaned heavily on his walking stick. A mischievous expression played across his face, “That cross lying there”, Elanor offered, as she pointed to where it lay, “It's Fleur de lys at the ends isn't it?”
The old man smiled at her with a curious expression on his face, “There's not just crosses hidden here you know”, and he winked at her. Elanor gave him a sideways glance. How could he have know what I was thinking?

“I used to work in the Florence Mine”, he said unperturbed, “one day when we were digging, the floor gave way and fell out from underneath us and you know what we found there?”
Elanor shook her head and gestured with open palms.
“A Burial Chamber”, he breathed, with dramatic emphasis.
Something unseen hit Elanor in the solar plexus, it was a bit like butterflies but with a cold drawing feeling attached to it. She was used to warning signs but not usually in situations like this. He leaned in closer to her and whispered, “There used to be devil worshipers round here and there were bodies in there buried in the likes of which you wouldn't ascribe to any god fearing Christian”
Elanor coughed nervously in an attempt to cover the alarm rising in her body. She was feeling threatened but couldn't locate the source of the discomfort.
“What did you do”, she asked, striving to appear nonchalant. The old man straightened up a little, his eyes seeming to dull momentarily,
“Nothing”, he sighed, “we were there to mine for kidney ore, not to excavate remains. They just boarded it up and told us to forget about it. Get on with our work”, he shook his head as the moment replayed in his memory, and a spark of recognition jolted him out of his reverie,
“D'you know ST Begh's Church then?”, he asked, eying her suspiciously. Elanor nodded in affirmation.
“They found a temple room buried underneath the old part of that church, you know. All painted in dark blue with stars and angels all over the walls and ceiling. It was at the end of one those secret tunnels that they uncovered at the beginning of this century”
She realized then that his accent had been slipping in and out of local dialect, sentences rounding off with a broad Irish twang. A shiver ran down her spine as she though about how similar this old man was to her grandfather. Her instincts told her that her grandfather's presence around her was at least partly responsible for the delivery of this information. She'd been thinking about him a great deal lately, and with her grandparents wedding anniversary having just passed it meant that his faith had been in her mind while she had been studying.

The old man was still talking, “I have this plate that we found when we were digging”, he hadn't noticed her lapse in concentration and carried on, “I have kept for years, if you want it you can have it. There is something odd about it. Never could quite figure out what it was”
Elanor fumbled in her bag for a pen and a piece of paper,
“Give me your address” she said, “I'd love to see it”
She scribbled down his details, thanked him and made polite excuses to get on her way. The old man shrugged his shoulders and ambled off in the opposite direction. Coincidence, or is this a portent? She shivered again as she thought about what the old man had said. A Temple room, buried underneath a Cumbrian Church?
Elanor walked quickly, so immersed in thought she barely noticed the wind and rain whipping around her.

Walk the pathway with an open heart and an open mind. Seeking awareness as you go.