In The Service Of The Goddess free porn video

In The Service of the Goddess By Siobhan "Stephanie dear, hurry up or you'll be late for school!" My mother called from the bottom of the stairs. I sighed deeply as I quickly blew out the candle I was using as part of my morning meditation. "Yes Mother, I'm coming!" I answered as I quickly checked myself over in my full-length mirror. I made a couple of final touch-ups to my hair with my brush and then grabbed my school bag off my desk and headed down to where my mother was waiting at the front door. She made me wait for a moment while she made some minor adjustments to my school tie and then she smiled and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have a good day at school, dear!" "Thanks Mother, I will!" I answered cheerfully and then headed out towards the bus stop. A casual glance back at our house revealed what I knew I'd see -- my Mom standing there on our front steps with a big smile on her face as she watched me depart. When I was finally out of sight through some trees at the end of our driveway, I let out a breath of relief and relaxed my posture a bit. It was getting really tiring to have to keep up the same act every day I went to school, but it was all necessary. I honestly didn't think Mom believed she could begin her own day properly without some sort of overt display of how much she loved me, so I certainly didn't want to disappoint her. She wasn't the only one, though. Later tonight when my Dad gets home from work, he always insists on catching me in a giant hug and asking how his 'Little Princess' spent her day. I know that they both mean well, but I also know that some parents never manage to make the emotional recognition that their children do eventually grow up. While at first this can be kind of endearing, by the time one is a teenager it can be really frustrating -- as well as present a potential cramp to one's social status amongst peers. It can be a bit embarrassing to have your friends witness your parents treating you like an 8 year old, but in my particular case even that works out to my advantage. You see, all is not as may appear with me. While I have a generally normal outward appearance, I am anything but normal -- at least not in the manner that one would normally attribute to an average 14 year old. For starters, I possess a number of abilities and physical attributes that would seem as though they came right out of the pages of a Stan Lee comic. No doubt if I was ever given a more detailed physical examination other than my usual check-ups I could very well catch the interest of the medical community. Fortunately I've been pretty adept at avoiding anything that would give any doctor cause for a closer look. My parents are easy enough to fool -- which is why I like to maintain the carefree 'little girl' charade as it allows them to see exactly what they expect to see, but it's getting increasingly difficult to hide these things from my friends. My enhanced senses are relatively easy to conceal, but my physical speed and reflexes are a bit tougher. Once in awhile I'll slip up and do something that would probably make an Olympic athlete jealous and earn a couple of surprised looks from my friends, but fortunately that doesn't happen too often. I'm usually very careful and always try to make sure that I don't appear to be any faster, stronger, wiser, healthier or mystical than any of the other kids my age. For the most part, I am acting the performance of a lifetime in the grandest of plays... and for the greatest of all possible reasons. However, I'm getting just a bit ahead of myself. Perhaps I should explain from the beginning... My name isn't Stephanie, nor am I a 14-year-old girl. It's hard to describe my actual age, but it's probably more accurate to say somewhere around 45 years of age. How I ended up where I am takes a bit of telling, but that is also part of the role I must play. Originally I was born in the early 1970's and my given name was Steven Armstrong. I grew up as an only child with my parents in our modest suburban neighborhood just outside of London, Ontario. In spite of our obvious Celtic roots, my upbringing was more in the English tradition with very little recognition of our Scottish or Irish heritage. My mother was one of those people who could never listen to Bagpipes or Ulean Pipes without cringing -- Dad and I used to joke that her English heritage meant that she was probably lacking the necessary chromosome to appreciate that music. Although the sound of those instruments didn't bother my Dad, they didn't necessarily thrill him either -- but I more than made up for the both of them. I absolutely ADORED traditional Irish and Scottish music as well as various other cultural aspects. My parents' lack of appreciation for Celtic culture meant that there were some things that I wasn't able to convince them to enroll me in -- such as Irish step dance or even Bagpipe lessons. It wouldn't be fair of me to say that they went out of their way to deprive me of experiences that I really wanted, but more that they didn't try to encourage my interests in those areas. As I grew older, I always sensed this cultural 'vacuum' nagging at me and pursued my own interests in Celtic culture. In time, these pursuits were highly instrumental in setting me upon the path that I now walk -- but I'll get to that in due time. Just then, the school bus pulled up. I took a seat beside my friend Lesley to get a better look at how she was feeling this morning. She's had a bit of a sore throat for a couple of days now and it's been causing her a lot of distress. Lesley's in the school choir and possesses an incredible singing talent. She's had to miss choir practice these past few days and she's really unhappy about it. Although she'll eventually recover from it on her own, I've decided to discreetly help her along to speed the process up a bit. She's trying to save her voice so that she might heal faster -- a pretty sensible course of action -- so she says as little as possible during the drive to school. She tries really hard not to appear depressed, but I can sense just how unhappy she really is. While I'm talking to her about possible natural remedies she might try when she gets home after school, I'm also concentrating energy into my hand that will stimulate and accelerate her body's own natural healing processes. Under the guise of feeling her throat to supposedly check for any swelling, I channel the energy directly into her. She didn't notice a thing, but she'll undoubtedly be feeling much better by tomorrow. Now, where was I again? Oh yes... My physical appearance was an ironic contrast to what my family surname would suggest. I'd inherited strong Anglo- Saxon traits from my Mother's side of the family and personality traits from my Dad's. My build was always a bit on the small side. I was never considered scrawny but I was never all that muscular either. With my ocean-blue eyes and rich yellow hair I was often mistaken for a girl and received a fair amount of teasing for it over the years. Mom and Dad would sometimes call me their 'Little Elf', but fortunately none of my old childhood friends were ever aware of that. I played as much as other boys did, got into just as much trouble as boys usually did and definitely got as dirty as other boys did. What was different about me even back in those days was that I always felt a sort of... 'connection' to nature. Sometimes I liked to just go out by myself and sit amongst the trees or lie down on the grass and listen to the ground. On a few rare occasions, I almost believed that I could actually feel the planet rotating. As difficult as it may be to believe, I could always feel a certain special energy when I was out there by myself. It's difficult to describe, but I suppose it's closer to George Lucas' concept of 'The Force'. I think the Alec Guinness quote from that first movie went something like: "...It's an energy field, created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us and binds us together." Back then, I had no idea whether that was true or not. Sure, I'd seen the movie but even back then I understood that movies and television weren't necessarily real. As a result, I never gave too much consideration to what it was I was feeling when I was out communing with nature -- nor why it was that I felt compelled to do it. I was also able to make friends with most animals very easily. Cats in particular always seemed to like being near me -- even the bad-tempered ones. A few of my friends and even some adults had jokingly given me the nickname 'Nature Boy'. Ironically, through the course of time it was revealed just how prophetic that nickname truly was. School was a slightly different matter for me. In class, I often found it difficult to concentrate on my studies because I was very easily distracted. I always seemed to notice every little thing going on around me and would often interrupt whatever I was doing to take greater notice of whatever it was. At other times, I could concentrate on something so intensively that I would ignore everything else around me until I would complete that task -- and usually I would do it at an abnormally fast rate. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that as often as I would have liked and generally my schoolwork fell behind the rest of my classmates. A few of my school teachers had suggested to my parents that I might have some kind of behavioral disorder that was preventing me from applying myself and suggested that I be tested by a doctor. Out of concern for my studies, my parents did have me tested and I was diagnosed with what was then referred to as 'School Adjustment Disorder'. In the years to come, this medical term had evolved into 'Attention Deficit Disorder' and the more-popular 'Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder'. While it is commonplace today for children with such a diagnosed condition to be medicated to help them 'control themselves', it was rarely done back then. I was fortunate enough to avoid having Ritalin or some similar thing thrown at me like candy by some child-psychologist who thought it was the be-all cure-all for every time a child had a temper tantrum. It is more a pity of our current time that this diagnosis is so over-used, but that's a topic I'll avoid for now since I can't honestly say that I'll be able to be un-biased. Children can often find it difficult to express themselves properly to adults since they lack the kind of vocabulary and life experiences to get their point across in such a way that an adult can understand them. Often the children don't even understand what it is they are experiencing, so describing it in terms others can understand can be nearly impossible. My problem wasn't that I couldn't concentrate on anything; it was that I tended to concentrate on EVERYTHING. While it was an unfortunate reality of my school years and often caused my grades to suffer a bit, I did eventually learn how to focus myself often enough to get things done. Although I didn't realize it back then (I was a child, after all), what I was doing was developing more direct control of my sensory and emotional states. It usually took a lot of effort, though and I wasn't able to maintain it for long periods of time. When it was 'on', I could do my schoolwork. When it was 'off', I was able to sense things around me much more clearly. Today, my biggest problem seems to be Phys-Ed class. It's really difficult to have to hold back my enhanced physical abilities and appear 'normal'. Although I try really hard not to look out of the ordinary, there's usually at least one slip-up every class. It's particularly difficult this semester, as we've been doing indoor track and field stuff. Last week, we'd been running hurdles and I'd accidentally run them far faster than I'd meant to. When I realized what I was doing, I deliberately tripped over the last barrier. It certainly wasn't the first time that I've had to pretend to be a klutz to cover something up. Fortunately we're just doing a relay race today so I'll try to remember to hold back in pace with the other runners. For now, I'll continue with the story... By the time I entered my teen years, I had learned that my sensory abilities had expanded to the point where I could pick up emotional sensations from the people around me -- and girls in particular, much to my teenage-boy delight! While it may sound as though I possessed a major advantage to aid in dating, the ironic twist was that things usually went the opposite way. Instead of doing a lot of dating, I mostly had a lot of close female friends. Too many of them saw me as something between a brother and a close girlfriend. Flattering, I suppose... but very frustrating! Around the same time, I had re-kindled my interests in Celtic culture and would often spend weekends digesting books on Irish Folklore. More importantly than that, though, was my developing interest in Celtic Mysticism. I had accidentally encountered a few books at the local library about 'Wicca' -- books, which by their very nature would NEVER be found in school libraries, back then. Within those books, as well as many others that I'd sought out afterwards, I'd discovered a lot of theories and principles that seemed to make a lot of sense out of what was going on with my life. I was still a little skeptical about all the references to spell craft and working Magick, but there were a lot of black-letter references to my sensory conditions and my kinship with nature. It was more than a relief to discover that perhaps I wasn't such a freak after all since there had to be others like me if people were able to write books about such things. Although I was eager to share this interest with my friends, 'witchcraft' was still under a heavy stigma back then and was at the very least considered un-cool amongst most teens. Many felt that only the absolute freaks and weirdoes would have any knowledge or interest in that stuff so I kept my knowledge and occasional indulgences in The Craft a secret. It was a little more difficult concealing it from my parents, though. I didn't do anything too obvious with my room other than keep a lot of candles around. My parents used to think it was odd, but just imagined it was one of many phases a teenager goes through. For the most part, I liked to simply meditate in my room by candlelight to help strengthen my concentration and focusing ability. If I ever wanted to do anything slightly more ritualistic, I usually felt more comfortable in a secluded area out amongst the trees. After High School, I went to University for my bachelor's degree where I was pleasantly surprised at the greater number of open-minded people there. It wasn't quite as taboo a subject to be interested in Wicca anymore and I began to notice that there were some people who would practically flaunt their interest to the general public. I always found it difficult not to laugh when I saw some of these people walking about wearing black clothing and wearing Pentacles on display around their necks. I found it really amusing how that stereotype was so predominant amongst the novices. This was no doubt due to the entertainment industry making witchcraft a hot topic in pop culture, as there were a few popular TV shows and at least one motion picture on the subject. Quite simply, witchcraft was 'in' and there were a few individuals that felt it was necessary to make sure everyone knew how cool they were because they were into it too. While I'm certain that many of these people looked into the mechanics of the Craft, far fewer would embrace its spiritual aspects. Even so, I did manage to make a few good friends amongst some of them. I'm convinced that even if they may have started their interests for image purposes, one day they'll make the leap and see the real wisdom of the Craft. Halfway through my University program, my life was drastically turned upside down when both my parents were killed in a car crash. I was devastated, to say the least. I withdrew from University to take a year off since I wasn't able to cope with my schoolwork at the time. In spite of my years of learning how to focus myself, I was too emotionally distraught to apply it to my studies. My parents had left me a reasonable amount of money in their Will as well as our family home so I was somewhat comforted that I'd be able to return to school when I felt I was ready. In the meantime, I missed them terribly and the sense of loss was so overpowering at times I couldn't think of anything else. Miraculously, I had been home to see them only a week before the accident and had a great weekend with them. At the end of the weekend, just before I returned to school, their last words to me were to tell me of how much they loved me and how proud they both were of me. I held onto that memory and it eventually got me through all of the pain and grief. I knew that they'd want me to get on with my life and probably would tell me just how pissed off they were if they'd seen how I'd retreated from life like that. With the help of my friends that I'd kept in contact with I was finally able to break the cycle of depression that had crippled me for months. I was through the worst of it but I still didn't feel ready to return to school. I needed to somehow recapture the inspiration and optimism that I'd had in my life before my parents' death. I decided to take the opportunity to catch up on some long-overdue traveling plans and went on a tour of the United Kingdom. At first, I went over as part of an organized tour group. We'd visited Ireland, Scotland and a fair amount of England before I decided to part with the tour group and do a bit of solitary traveling. A legacy of my mother's English heritage provided me with a special Visa in my passport. It granted me extended visiting privileges as well as temporary residency status if I wished and the right to work while I was there. I was in no hurry to go anywhere in particular and liked the freedom of being able to just backpack and hitchhike wherever I wished. I took the odd job here and there for a few weeks at a time to supplement my finances, but eventually always moved on. While it was interesting to visit London, I wanted to travel to less urban areas and see more of the countryside. I made it a point to visit Stonehenge, as it wouldn't really be proper to visit England without stopping by that famous landmark. The experience was pretty humbling, I must say. Anyone who has been there knows exactly what I mean. The monuments have a sense about them that suggests an age beyond our comprehension. There was once great purpose there which is shrouded in mystery, but there was something else I could sense there as well -- energy. Speaking of energy, I really have to work on my control for channeling it a bit more. Lesley seems to have already recovered and just got back from lunchtime choir practice. The little 'nudge' I'd given her body that morning to heal itself wasn't supposed to heal her THIS fast. If she wasn't so ecstatic about having returned to choir for the first time in several days, she might have suspected that I'd had something to do with her speedy recovery. I'll going to have to be a little more careful in the future. Let's see... we were talking about Stonehenge, right? At first I wasn't quite sure what I was feeling. It had been a long time since I'd been able to feel anything like that and this was not like the sort of living energy of nature that I remembered from my youth. I looked around at the other tourists in the area to see if they'd noticed anything as well, but it didn't appear so. The area is cordoned off to help preserve the site so no one was actually able to get right up amongst the stones, but I could feel a strange sort of static in the air that got stronger the closer I got to them. I asked one of the local guides employed at the site if anyone noticed anything, well... odd, in the air around the area. She had a look in her eye that told me that she'd been asked that particular question far too many times to count, but she was still quite polite with her answer. Quite professional, those Brits are. She told me that it was quite common for people to imagine they feel some sort of reaction to the area as the site itself can have an emotional impact on the individual. She admitted that in spite of the amount of times she's come out to the site she always got a thrill from the sight of the place and it still sometimes manages to take her breath away. I was pretty sure that she had no idea of what I was talking about so I asked her if there were any other areas to visit that were popular amongst tourists who claimed to have 'felt' something at Stonehenge. She told me that perhaps I should travel to the Somerset region and visit Glastonbury. There was a lot of myth about that region and its supposed roots in Arthurian legends that seemed to attract a lot of visitors. As soon as she'd mentioned Glastonbury, I had a faint idea that I'd heard of that place somewhere before but I couldn't quite remember exactly. I was intrigued though. The Arthurian legends alone would ensure that the area would be flooded with tourists and make for a less-than- ideal visit, but it was definitely worth having a look. I thanked the guide for her help and then headed off on my way. I was fortunate that I'd gotten an early start to my traveling on that day because it was close to sunset by the time I'd managed to walk and hitchhike my way into the town of Glastonbury. One of the most noticeable landmarks of the area is the large, steep hill that juts out of the surrounding countryside -- called the Tor by the local residents. On top of that hill, just visible in the distance, sits the remains of a Christian Abbey that had been constructed there several centuries earlier. As I walked further through the town and drew nearer to the Tor, I marveled at the sheer beauty of the area. I took in the surroundings and imagined in my mind's eye how it all might have looked back in King Arthur's day. I took a brief glance at the Tor just as the sun was beginning to set and was suddenly startled as it seemed as though the entire Tor was... shimmering somehow. I rubbed my eyes and looked again but the strange sight was gone. I'd assumed it was only that my eyes were getting tired and put it out of my mind. It had definitely been a long day with a lot of traveling so it was probably a good idea to grab a bite to eat and see about settling in for the night somewhere. I expected the local residents to be understandably jaded towards visitors from having to endure so many of them on a day-to-day basis. It was fortunate that I'd arrived so late in the day as most of the tourists had already left or were making preparations to leave the area with their various tour groups. Since I was traveling alone and had obviously come in by foot, I was greeted quite pleasantly as a visitor to the area and not as simply another tourist. I entered a small Pub off the main drag for a pint and a bit of food. As I sat down I sized up the other patrons. I was hoping to see if I could discreetly engage some locals in conversation about the area without looking like the kind of tourist that they must encounter by the thousands. I was looking for a way to break the ice and start up some conversation when the bartender noticed my Canadian flag patch on my backpack. He immediately cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted to the rest of the patrons. "Lads, we've got us a Canuck here!! Come over and welcome him proper!" I was quite surprised and more than a bit apprehensive about what was about to happen. I wondered if perhaps one of my countrymen had left a bad impression on these folks during an earlier visit and I was about to be dragged out and stomped for it. Fortunately, it turned out to be quite the opposite. Canadian travelers are quite well thought of in much of Europe, certainly in England, very much so in Somerset and DEFINITELY in that Pub! I quickly found myself surrounded by a lot of people who were formally welcoming me to their town and insisting on buying me drinks. For the rest of the evening, my money wasn't any good in that pub no matter how much I protested. After answering a lot of questions about what life in Canada is like, I began to ask them a few subtle questions about their area and its historical significance. A few scoffed at some of the legends of the area, many laughed about the kinds of people that arrive by the busloads just to look at some large hill but some had a few interesting things to say. "All kinds of people visit for various reasons. Tomorrow, you might want to go up on the Tor and look around nice and early by yourself before too many tourists arrive," said one man. Others agreed with him and said that none of the 'strange' things ever happen when there are too many people walking all over the place. I definitely got a sense that I was onto something and pressed for a bit more information about what sorts of strange things are rumored to have happened around there. "Many have seen strange lights some nights when the fog rolls in," the bartender said as he topped up my mug. "Some have even said that they've seen the entire thing kind of waver a bit for a moment or two." I was definitely interested now, but I didn't want to appear too eager or too gullible. It would be counter- productive to come off as some sort of magnet for tall tales at this point. "What is so special about this area, exactly?" I asked casually. "I mean, I know about the King Arthur stories, but wasn't Camelot supposed to be located somewhere else?" "Ah, so you haven't heard of Ynis Witrin?" The man on my left asked me. "It means 'Isle of Glass'. The legends say that the Tor was the mystic Island of Avalon back when the waters covered much of the area. To those whose sight could see into mystic realms, the entire island would appear almost transparent and glowing with a soft light." My heart nearly skipped a beat. So that's where I'd heard of Glastonbury before! It had been mentioned in one of the books I'd read in my studies of Celtic folklore. Avalon... the Isle of Mysteries! The man continued, "For ages people have spoken about the place of worship to the Goddess that had been built there and of the priestesses that served her. They were considered the wise women and healers of the age before Christianity came to the land and forced them to withdraw their Island behind a mystic barrier and isolate themselves from the world of man." "Hence all the tourists," the bartender added. "Many hope to find some kind of connection to that legend by coming here. A fair number of them are even ridiculous enough to think they might find Avalon itself!" They all gave a hearty laugh at that and I joined in to keep up appearances. Internally though, I felt a level of excitement that I hadn't felt since my childhood. I was sure that description of the Tor going transparent was what I'd seen on my way into town. I had no idea what the significance of that meant, but I knew that I was definitely going to head up there early the next morning. I wasn't sure what I would find, but I knew it would be something and possibly an experience to spiritually jump- start me back into the kind of life I'd lived before my parents died. It was difficult to break free of the group at the Pub, but eventually I managed to politely withdraw and went off to spend the night at a nearby Bed and Breakfast that one of the patrons had recommended. I got up very early the next morning and was pleased to see that the Matron of the establishment was an early riser too. She was a bit surprised to see me up so early, but she had a nice pot of coffee going and a few toasted scones for me. Breakfast wasn't supposed to be for another hour or so, so I simply accepted the scones and thanked her for her hospitality as I explained I needed to leave early. The morning light of dawn had already begun to lighten the sky, although the sun was not yet visible. There was a gentle blanket of mist throughout much of the town and around the Tor that dampened my clothes a bit and chilled me only slightly. I knew that when the sun began to rise, the mists would burn away and I'd warm up pretty quickly so I wasn't too concerned about the cold. The path up the Tor was very easy to find as it was obviously well traveled by the hundreds of daily visitors to the place. As I began the walk, I immediately noticed a residual energy hanging in the air that was similar to what I'd felt the day before at Stonehenge. It got stronger as I made my way along the path and eventually it was practically causing the hair on my arms to stand on end. It was a bit of a long walk as the path wasn't very straight and did a lot of looping back on itself before eventually bringing me to the top. Just as I'd made it to the top, the yellow disk of the sun began to peek up over the horizon. The view from up there was incredible. The surrounding countryside looked like a living Monet painting. There were already a couple of people up on the Tor that early, but like myself they preferred to keep to themselves, as they were no doubt looking for solitude as well. As I looked around in all directions, I noted the approach of tour busses in the distance. I sighed to myself as figured I'd be lucky to enjoy another half hour at best before the site is besieged with noisy tourists. Back to the present for the moment. I'm feeling really good about what I was able to do in Biology class last period. Sometimes the simplest of achievements can bring about the greatest satisfaction. I was able to cure one of the plants at the back of the class when no one was watching. It had been kind of sickly for the last week or so and our teacher couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. I'd overheard him talking to another teacher in the hall about it and he'd mentioned something about throwing it out at the end of the week since it looked as though it was already dead. I could sense that it wasn't dead, but was in fact slightly poisoned by something in the water. When I was sure that no one was looking, I manipulated the water in the soil to cleanse it of the impurities that were making the plant sick. I then gave the plant a little energy boost and replaced the water in the jug that was normally used to moisten the soil. I'd detected a slight acrid scent to the old water as I'd poured it out. Something probably wasn't right with the plumbing in the lab sink -- possibly a corroded pipe or something. I'd used a bit of enhanced strength to break off the faucet handle and then told the teacher it seemed to be so rusted that it'd come off in my hand. Just as I'd hoped, I sensed him make the connection between the pipes and the water quality, so now he'll probably get the school's maintenance department in there to work on the problem. Sorry, I just wanted to share that with you. Back to Glastonbury... I looked up at the remains of the tower on the Tor and thought of how it might have appeared centuries earlier when it was newly constructed as part of the early Christian presence in England. To the area's residents at the time, it must have felt somewhat oppressing and over- powering to have such a thing built on what was their legendary sacred land to their indigenous beliefs. During my years of study in both High School and University I'd learned about Christianity's aggressive expansion throughout the remains of the Roman Empire. The Crusades alone were enough of a reminder of the religious fanaticism that dominated much of Christianity for thousands of years. No doubt this Abbey had been constructed here for exactly that purpose -- to stamp out and drive away any reminder to the people of their pre-Christian beliefs. I began to slowly make my way back down the Tor and made note of a few other spots of interest on my way, Such as the supposed original burial site of King Arthur and Gwenevere and the Thorn Tree that symbolically marks the site where Joseph of Aramathea was reputed to have set his staff upon his first visit to the region. Of particular interest that morning, though, was the Fountain of the Goddess. The Fountain is an ornate collection of circular flowing pools that pour into each other, amongst a nicely manicured garden. It was incredibly beautiful and peaceful there, as well as incredibly charged with that energy I'd noticed earlier! There was no one else nearby at the moment to disturb me, so I closed my eyes and performed a few mental relaxation exercises. Once I was as calm as I felt I could be, I looked into one of the pools and gently exhaled while concentrating on the surface of the water. I could see myself reflected in the pool, but it appeared as though there was a slight glow around me. As I continued to gaze into the water, I allowed my conscious thoughts to drift away and was startled to see that my reflection began to change. Instead of my usual self, a young girl in her early teens seemed to be looking back at me. I touched my face to see if it was truly a reflection of me and the young girl did not mimic me. It wasn't a reflection then, but a vision of some sort... but what did it mean? I gently reached down and touched the surface of the water and for an instant the water felt warm, but then turned cold as the image disappeared. I sat there motionless for a few more minutes thinking about what I'd seen when I become aware of more voices approaching. The tourists were now increasing in number and it would be much more difficult for me to do any proper meditating with too many people around to disturb me. I stood up and made ready to leave when I felt a huge jolt of energy explode from the fountain in all directions. Although I didn't actually see anything, the sensation of that rush literally knocked me on my ass. I remembered thinking at the time, now THAT was intense! I took a physical and mental inventory of myself and was quite elated that I felt more invigorated than I'd felt in a long time -- definitely before my parents had died. It appeared that I had finally found what I had come for as I now felt a joy and happiness that had been denied me for so long. I decided to make my way back into town and then make arrangements to get back to London and finally fly home. As soon as I'd stepped through the trees and looked to where I'd expected to see the town, I saw something that made me certain that I'd fallen asleep somehow and I needed to wake up. Where I expected to see the various fields and the rest of Glastonbury, I now saw a lake of water that covered much of the land. Except for the Tor and a reasonable amount of land around its base, the nearest land was far off in the distance and I'd need some kind of boat to get there if I decided to remain in this dream any longer. I was a bit intrigued though, and I hated to pass up an opportunity to experience a lucid dream where I could control what happened as well as experience it. I mean, I knew it had to be a dream and I didn't wake up even though I was aware of the fact that I was dreaming. I assumed that I'd relaxed myself a bit too much at the Goddess Fountain and probably fell asleep. I probably didn't have too much time to explore this region before someone came along and woke me up so I figured I might as well enjoy the experience while I was there... but where was I exactly? Obviously it had something to do with the legends of Avalon and I was probably imagining what it would have looked like. There were now a lot more trees and foliage on the slopes of the Tor and especially nearer to its base. It was beautifully green and tranquil and I could even smell the richness of all the plants. The energy I'd felt earlier seemed to permeate everything -- including myself. When I made my way to the base of the Tor, I found a collection of what appeared to be small huts, and a few assorted larger structures. It was possible that I was dreaming of the past as I noted the materials used in building the various structures. Everything was very organic and there didn't appear to be evidence of any modern building materials anywhere in sight. Just as I was drawing nearer to one of the larger structures, I was surprised to see a couple of women wearing elegant blue robes stepping out of the structure. They took notice of me immediately and I smiled and waved to them. It was obvious that they were not nearly as pleased to see me, however. They both suddenly shouted a cry of warning back over their shoulders into the building they'd just left and then charged at me with long staffs in their hands. In spite of the robes they were wearing, they moved so fast that they were on me before I could even blink. Although I was still convinced it was only a dream, I instinctively stepped back away from them. I extended my arms to show that I was unarmed. Before I was able to tell them I was only a visitor and meant them no harm, one of them moved past me with lightning speed and struck me from behind. I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and saw a quick flash of light as I felt myself drop to the ground. Before everything blacked out, I remembered being a bit confused since one isn't supposed to feel pain in a dream. The next thing I became aware of was the sound of various voices around me as I slowly started to wake up. I guessed that the dream had finally ended and I was now hearing approaching tourists that were waking me from my meditation. I did note a bit of a throbbing in the back of my head but assumed that it was only the result of a stiff neck or something. I opened my eyes and was immediately aware of the fact that I was not where I thought I would be. I was lying on a cot of some kind in a large room, which was lit by daylight that poured through the many open windows. In the room with me were about a half-dozen of those blue-robed women and a couple of men dressed in brown and gray robes. I heard a woman's voice to my left say, "He's awake. Notify the High Priestess at once." It was beginning to dawn on me that this was no dream. Somehow I'd ended up in what was very likely Avalon itself. Judging from my reception, I gathered that the people here weren't accustomed to welcoming guests. I looked down at myself and was relieved that I wasn't tied down or restrained in any way, but it was obvious from the expressions of those in the room with me that it'd be in my best interests to remain exactly where I was. I had hundreds of questions that I wanted to ask but the last time I'd tried to talk to them I got whacked over the head for it, so I thought it best to stay quiet and wait for them to start any conversation. Before long, a woman who was dressed in a similar blue robe but much more elaborate than her companions, walked gracefully into the room followed by a dozen more people. A couple of the women approached her and had a few quiet words with her that I couldn't quite make out. After a few moments, she then approached me and looked at me carefully. I had the distinct impression that she was trying to make her mind up about something and was more than a bit scared that maybe my life might hang in the balance. It was extremely difficult to lie there really still when there was so much I wanted to ask, but I held my tongue and waited. She looked me over and then her eyes narrowed, as she seemed to notice something below my chin. "Tell me, what is this symbol that you wear?" she asked me in a soft voice. At first I didn't know what she was referring to but then realized that she must be talking about the Pentacle I usually wear under my shirt. I don't normally display it, so it had probably fallen out into view when I was moved into this room. "It's... it's a symbol of protection." I stammered. I was a little dismayed that my nervousness should be so obvious. "It represents the four elements as well as the mind, encompassed by the Universal Spirit". There was excited whispering amongst the rest of the people in the room until the woman standing over me held up a hand in a gesture for them to be quiet. "Why have you come to this place? What is your purpose for seeking Avalon?" I wasn't sure how to answer her. Although I got a sense that she was looking for a specific answer, I relaxed a little bit as I also got the impression that I was not in any mortal peril if I didn't give her the answer she wanted. "I'm... not sure. I didn't expect to find Avalon, but I still felt drawn to this place. I guess I came seeking spiritual enlightenment of a sort." I replied quietly. The woman nodded her head and with a smile she waved her hand at the rest of the people in the room and most of them began to leave. "I am called Dierna, the High Priestess of Avalon. We serve the will of the great Goddess and God and preserve the teachings of the ancient wisdoms." I almost wanted to whistle in response. That was quite the introduction, after all. In my nervousness, I almost wanted to make a joke about whether or not she had that printed on a business card, but thought better of it. "Uh... m-m-my name is Steven... Steven Armstrong." She flashed a radiant smile down at me and then gestured for one of the remaining women in the room to come forward and help me sit up. "I must apologize for the manner in which you were greeted upon your arrival. You can imagine that we have had little contact with the rest of Humankind over the ages. Avalon was hidden behind the veils because increasing levels of intolerance and narrow mindedness threatened our very existence. Although it seldom happens, once in awhile someone who possesses the right instincts can penetrate the veil and find their way into Avalon. We have to be certain of such a person's intentions beforehand, lest they should attempt to subdue or destroy us." That made sense, I supposed and I simply nodded as I allowed the other woman to help me to my feet and support me as she walked me out of the room. Although I was still a little dizzy, I felt a lot better once I stepped out into the sunlight and was able to walk on my own. I followed Lady Dierna and answered whatever questions she had about me and the outside world in general. She seemed particularly interested in some of the things from my childhood and the connection I felt with nature and animals. "In the ages past, those qualities you possess would have identified you immediately as being selected by the Goddess and God. You would have been sent here to the Holy Isle to be trained as a Druid Priest or a Priestess. While it is good to see that there are still people born in your world with the tools to do the will of the Goddess, very few recognize that. It is rarer still in this age that one should feel her call as clearly as you have and travel such a long journey to serve her." That kind of stuck me for a moment. I didn't recall ever having said that I had come to serve the will of the Goddess and God. I started to get a little nervous that I might have given them the wrong impression. "Great Lady, I do not know if that's why I have come." I replied respectfully. "I have no idea if that is what is meant for me or not." "The Goddess guides you as she guides us all. You have been brought to us by her wisdom and it is only she who can decide what purpose we are to fulfill. To be blessed with the gifts of the Goddess as you have been is to be one with her. You could not have entered Avalon otherwise, had it not been for her will that you should." I thought about that and considered much of the ideals I believed in from my Wiccan practices. She was right, of course. I'd never considered what it was that drove me to come to this place. How much of it was chance and how much was choice was irrelevant. It was clear that I had been summoned, but to what purpose still remained to be seen. Even in the present it isn't always clear what I should do from day to day. It is important to have faith that events will unfold as they are meant to. Normally I just try to trust my instincts and go with what feels right, but I also receive a few hints once in awhile. For example, just as I was getting off the bus today after school, I had a precognitive flash that helped me save the life of a neighborhood cat. A car was about to come barreling down our residential street a bit too fast and the noise of it's engine would have startled the cat that had been sitting under a parked car just up ahead of me. In its confusion, the cat would run out in the middle of the road and get hit by that same car. I'd quickened my pace and coaxed the cat out from under the parked car. Then, I held it in my arms for a moment and was stroking it just as the car from my vision came roaring into view. It was being driven by a couple of young boys who whistled at me as they drove by -- no doubt admiring how I looked in our school's uniform. With the danger passed, I'd set the cat back down again where it promptly dashed into some bushes on our side of the street. It can be a tricky business sometimes trying to decide what one should or should not do if one has direct knowledge of future events. I would like to believe that if it was meant for that cat to meet its end then, I wouldn't have received the warning about it in time to prevent it. Just the same, I really wish some drivers would take a little more caution when driving through residential streets! Anyhow... I was treated as an honored guest for the next two days and was given a tour of the mystic Island. In Avalon, there is no trace of there ever having been any Christian influence at the top of the Tor. Instead, there is a smaller stone circle that is slightly reminiscent of Stonehenge itself. Perhaps the two are related somehow -- the guide showing me around wasn't sure. There was a full moon on the evening of that second night. I was brought up to the stone circle as part of some important ritual they needed to perform to seek the guidance of the Goddess. I was a little nervous, as I didn't know what I was supposed to do, but they only required me to wait inside the circle as they began the ritual. It seemed that many of the residents, both women and men, were there to assist. They all formed a circle and began to chant as they slowly rotated clockwise around the circle. I immediately felt a surge in the energy that was everywhere in Avalon and felt it draw into the circle and concentrate. The tempo of the chanting increased and a glowing light started to form around each of the participants of the circle. In the center of the circle, Lady Dierna and one of the men were standing over a bowl of water that had come from their Sacred Well. As I watched, the glowing light around the participants seemed to be drawn away from each of them and concentrated upon the two people at the center of the circle. Each of them raised their hands to the sky and at the peak crescendo of the rhythm from the chanters, they suddenly brought their hands down in unison. There was a brilliant flash as a column of light exploded out of the bowl of water. Then, there was silence as the circle participants stopped chanting and joined hands. The entire experience was exhilarating, to say the least. I found myself unable to move as I took in the fantastic sight before me and simply stared with awe as the glowing column of light split in two and then enveloped both Lady Dierna and the man standing beside her. They both turned in unison towards where I was standing and then spoke together as one. "Mortal, approach and do not fear us for you are welcome in our presence as are all that know us." It was hard to accept that I was now standing in the presence of the manifestations of the Goddess and God. Nevertheless, I approached and knelt before them. "You are one of the chosen of your people, as are those here that serve our will. You have been summoned to this place to be prepared for the tasks ahead of you. Like those before you and those that shall follow, it is your purpose to bring the wisdom of our love to all of Humankind." There was a pause and I got the impression that they were waiting for me to say something. "But... why me?" I asked in a quiet voice. "And how am I to do this?" "All of your people have been blessed with the gifts of our love. You are more in touch with those gifts than many of your people because you have embraced us within you. To know us is to be one with us. This is the message that you must help bring back to your people." I considered what it was they asked of me and knew that no matter how difficult, I would accept this task. I was unsure of how it could be done, though. "Even now, in many parts of my world people destroy each other in the name of their own beliefs as to what is the one true God. How can someone get through to those that will not listen to the truth?" I asked respectively. "We have many names, but one presence. Those that you speak of are already seeking us, but do not realize what it is that they seek. We are present in all things. They must find us within themselves or they can never be as one with us or each other." It was then that it all made sense to me and I realized that on some level I'd known it all along. Female and male, positive and negative, Goddess and God... different aspects of the same principle. It was all so obvious... My thoughts were interrupted when they both extended a hand towards me and I found myself enveloped by a warm, bright light. I felt its energy saturated in every part of my being. I lost all sense of time, as I remained engulfed within the power of the Goddess and God. When it had gone, I looked down at myself and was astonished to see that I had been transformed into a young woman! The Goddess and God then gestured for me to rise. "Behold, Siobhan -- she who has answered our call to join you in the great work at hand. Instruct her well in the ways of our teachings and let her come before us once again when she is ready to begin her long task." The column of light enveloping each of them then began to merge into one and form a great sphere of light. The sphere shimmered for another moment or two and then seemed to explode in every direction and was absorbed into everyone who was present -- including myself. There was a great silence amongst everyone that was unbroken until Lady Dierna addressed everyone. "The Goddess and God have blessed us once again and now they have brought us a new sister to join with us." She said in a clear and commanding voice. "She shall be one with us just as we are all one with the Goddess. So be it, for our purpose this night has been fulfilled." With that, she opened the circle and everyone began to disperse. As soon as the circle had been opened, I immediately felt quite cold and a little self-conscious, as I was completely nude. Just as quickly though, two of the priestesses draped a few blankets around me and escorted me back along the path with the others. Once we'd returned to main settlement area, I was brought into what appeared to be a dormitory of sorts for the priestesses. I was immediately aware of how tired I had become and offered no protest as the priestesses settled me into bed. I was asleep almost instantly. The next day, Lady Dierna announced that we would all celebrate the arrival of the newest novice with music, dancing and a great feast. All through the celebrations, all of the priestesses as well as the Druid priests were all welcoming me with joyful hugs and many questions about what the world of Humankind was like now. I answered as many of their questions as I could, but I really wanted to try and see Lady Dierna for I had a few questions of my own. Eventually I managed to make my way over to her and she bade me to sit beside her. "You must have many questions, Siobhan. I will answer what I can, but remember that I serve the Lord and Lady just in the same way that you now do. It is not always for me to know their purpose for doing things." The first question was an obvious one, of course. "Why did the Goddess and God change me into a female?" I asked her tentatively. "Are you disappointed?" She asked me. "Oh no! I am thankful for their gift, but I was wondering what it had to do with the way in which I am to serve them?" "Everyone has both female and male aspects to them, just as the Goddess and God are one and the same. A physical body can manifest either aspect, but essentially both are identical and one cannot exist without the other. As one who has been chosen by the Goddess, this is your true physical form just as it is for the men of Avalon who have been chosen by the God." I considered her answer and looked at the some of the men as they danced with a few of the priestesses. It was easy to see amongst some of the couples that there was true affection between them. How unlike so many of the other predominant religions of the world where physical intimacy between two people is treated as something that we should be ashamed of. As if reading my thoughts, Lady Dierna said "It is how we show our greatest appreciation to the Lord and Lady that we honor them both by giving expression to the physical attraction between two people. To show each other love is to love them as well." Although I was now a female -- and possibly was one all along if this really was my 'true' form -- I was not quite sure if I'd ever be ready to express physical love with a man, and I told Lady Dierna so. "The act of loving has no restrictions. That is an unfortunate belief that has been entrenched in your world by various religions over the ages. Love is a pure emotion, no matter whom it is experienced with. In Avalon there is no difference to whom you may feel an attraction. It is not uncommon for priestesses to sometimes prefer each other's company just as others may prefer to be with the men." I felt a bit easier about that. While I was now a rather attractive female, I was certain that my years as a male were still a large part of me. I was more interested in some of the priestesses than any of the men, but I knew there would be plenty of time to sort those things out. Lady Dierna then dismissed me with a wave of her hand and advised me to enjoy myself. I had much to learn and my training as a priestess of Avalon would begin the next day so it was best to enjoy myself while I could. I marveled at just how alive I felt in my new body. I felt incredibly light and full of energy. I joined in the dancing and got so caught up in the joyous revelry that I'd even accepted a dance or two from some of the men. Eventually, everyone danced themselves into exhaustion and the celebration drew to a close. Some of the people went off together in pairs while others returned to their usual sleeping quarters. I noted that I had a LOT of stamina in this new body, but even so I needed sleep as well. I crawled back into the same bed from the night before and fell into a deep sleep. Early the next morning, my training began. Everyone started with physical exercises in the morning and it was readily apparent that everyone in Avalon was in superior physical condition. Both the men and women all seemed to have incredible strength, speed and agility. I wouldn't go as far as to say super-human, but I'd bet they could out- perform most of the people in the world. After the physical exercises, there was philosophy, herbology, ritual practice, history lessons, various chores that everyone shared in and countless other things to be learned. Time seemed to fly by while I immersed myself within the community of Avalon. I'd learned that as a side effect of the barriers that shield Avalon from the rest of the world, time passes at a different rate there. In effect, a month spent in Avalon would have seen a year pass by in the rest of the world. This came as a bit of a shock to me when one day I'd realized that I'd been in Avalon for several years. I didn't even want to think about how much time that meant had passed by in the world I came from. Anyone who'd ever known me had probably died of old age by then -- not that they would have recognized me as I am now. I was a bit saddened by that thought, but pressed on with my training. There wasn't any point in being unhappy about what I couldn't change in the face of the more important tasks at hand. I'd discovered that I was certainly not the only one who had been transformed into a 'true' form by the Goddess and God. In ages past, it had happened for many of the original inhabitants of Avalon. You see, there was a lot more to my transformation than a gender-change. The 'true' form that all of us now wore included the extremely high physical potential as well as heightened senses and enhanced resistance to most illnesses. It was rare for anyone to get sick unless that person ended up eating something that didn't agree with them. We were still human, after all... just in a much more idealized form. It is the will of the Goddess and God that one day all of Humankind would be able to realize that level of potential. Eventually it might be possible through evolution that future generations may possess these enhancements, but those future generations need to sufficiently mature before that can happen. For those of Avalon, the Goddess and God accelerated the process to give us the tools we need to meet the challenges we must face. It hadn't been done for quite awhile, though. The current residents all possess their abilities because they were born of parents that had them. In my case, I got 'upgraded' so I could perform at their level. Beyond the physical enhancements, there were mystical aspects as well. We were taught that everyone has a slight connection to the 4 elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, but in some it is not uncommon to have a special alignment with at least one of them. Each of us was trained to develop our abilities to manipulate each of the 4 elements, but with the most training in whichever one we were more adept at. Those that were Earth adepts could cause slight tremors in the ground and manipulate the soil. For the Air adepts, they could often summon a strong gust of wind, or a storm if they concentrated hard enough. Water adepts could command the water and make it move by sheer force of will. Those that could command Fire could cause it to appear and ignite things with a mere glance. My element was water, but I was also pretty good with air as well. I do allow myself a few indulgences every so often with my control of water. Even in my prior life as a male, I sometimes liked to enjoy a nice long, bath -- and even more so now in this female form. What's different now is that I can manipulate the water in my tub around me so that I can have the effect of my very own Jacuzzi. A little decadent of me, perhaps, but it's great for relaxation at the end of a long day. I'm fortunate that I have my own bathroom at home so I have a little more privacy, otherwise the sounds of the churning water might sound a little suspicious. No need to worry about that tonight, though. My parents are used to my marathon bath sessions and they are pretty cool about leaving me alone while I unwind. Mind you, I have been soaking for nearly an hour so far this evening, so it might be a good idea not to stay in for too much longer. Anyhow, to go back to what I was saying... The fifth element, that of the mind, was where we worked to develop what might be considered psychic abilities. By our very nature we are all adepts of the 5th element -- including the rest of the people of the world. Instances of telekinesis, clairvoyance, precognition, telepathy, empathy and many similar things are all linked to this last element. The inhabitants of Avalon had more control in these areas because they'd learned to remove all of the normal mental barriers that usually prevent most humans from making active use of those skills. In time, I was able to retrieve brief glimpses into the future and was extremely adept with empathic senses. It turns out that I'd lived most of my life with a certain degree of empathic ability and had never stopped to actually recognize it for what it was. This was largely responsible for why I got along with animals so well and how I could sense certain types of energy, which, if you recall, is what ultimately drew me to Avalon in the first place. My training in Avalon lasted for several years, but eventually I was initiated and finally recognized as a full priestess of Avalon. On the night of the first full moon after my initiation, it was time for me to once again present myself before the Goddess and God and be sent upon whatever task awaited me. Earlier that same day, I was summoned to the High Priestess so she could help prepare me for what was to come. "You have progressed well, Siobhan," she said as she looked appreciatively at how I looked now wearing the same blue robes as the other priestesses. I bowed demurely to her in reply but said nothing. A result of years of training had taught us only to speak when necessary. "Tonight we shall once again be blessed by the presence of the Goddess and God. You have learned your lessons well and will be fully prepared to cope with whatever it is that the Goddess asks of you. Are you frightened?" "No, my Lady," I replied in a confident voice. "I have faith that everything has unfolded as it should. It is my duty to serve the Goddess in whatever manner is asked of me." She nodded approvingly at my answer and motioned for me to follow her. We walked in silence as she led me along the path to the Sacred Well, where she bade me to sit down with her along side of it. "In ages past, there have always been those of us who have remained in Avalon to preserve the wisdom of the Goddess and teach it to others. However, this wisdom is not meant only for us and our purpose is to share it with all of humanity. Our task has been far more difficult since Avalon was shielded from the outside world and over the ages even the very memory of Avalon has faded into myth." I nodded and listened carefully, although I already knew much of what she was saying as part of my required instruction as a priestess. "While it may be that much of the outside world has forgotten about Avalon and the purpose for which it exists, we have not forgotten our duty to the Goddess. While some remain here to instruct the new initiates, others have returned to the outside world where the wisdom of the Goddess is needed the most. Throughout the many ages, there have been those of us who have rejoined with the outside world and have worked to carefully bring about the gradual acceptance of the Goddess' wisdom once again. This, is what I believe is meant for you." She then directed me to look into the Well as she began a scrying ritual. I cleared my mind by the manner in which I'd been taught over the years and focused on the surface of the water. Slowly, an image began to form -- an ima