Chapter 10: My Wishing Well

BOOK OF SAGES

A path is a way especially designed for a particular use … it is also a course of conduct.

When in doubt, act. Action frequently leads to decision.

Beware the honeyed tongue of rulers too long in power. Listen to the words behind words and choose then your own path. Beware, however, of sedition, hold your tongue.

Fortitude is the most terrible of all virtues.

Tell the truth, traveller, or you create issues hard to overcome later.

Words of power should never be underestimated.

What is fair? Answer that, and you solve the riddle of universes.

News of arrival, when wished for and hoped for, spreads swiftly and requires no magic.

A young soul cannot distinguish between a lesson and an insult.

The most beautiful is also the most intangible. Often true beauty resides only in memory.

Even in utter darkness is the path present.

Freedom is more a state of mind than a condition of circumstances. Of course there are factors that need be in place to ensure the process, whether physical or emotional, and yet freedom is of and for the soul first before all else. In darkness and confinement a soul can yet experience freedom, although few will know … and few will agree. There is another type of freedom and it is flight. Free of gravity a soul is also free of cares.

Even after all has changed, time has a way of bringing forth the familiar. One day you look around you and remark, “Nothing has changed.”

Trust your mind to reveal the truth. See it, feel it.

Every desert is special, for in its lifelessness it contains the secrets to life.

The wise tell us home is where one’s heart is. This, I believe, is to still the longing when one is in an unfamiliar port. Home is home, is it not? The stone, the earth, the sky above, the rustling tree of our first steps, of growing up … of leaving. If one is blessed, one may return … if only for a moment.

The surprise of fresh surroundings engenders insight.

Every plan feels like the best strategy, but every plan has an alternative and each can twist out of control. The best-laid plans refer to those sketched in brief, ever allowing for the unforeseen.

Do not attempt to inhabit another’s skin.

When a team functions in tandem, it is an effective tool.

Nothing exists in a vacuum. What this statement means has little to do with the likelihood of life in an airless space. It means all is connected, that function results from mutual reliance.

One cannot wander old paths without finding them altered.

Subterfuge, whether a small lie or a large manipulation, eventually turns back on the wielder.

What is true justice? If sentience is subjective, how does one measure true justice?

Every journey is different. Choose wisely before you embark.

Profess a willingness to change … and discover it is not as easy as belief engenders.

Thought is matter. A void, therefore, cannot ever be empty.

Magic in the most unlikely places has the power to astonish.

We are made for opposites. We are part of the multiverse, after all, and it cannot function without action and reaction.

Listen to the old and wise. They have experience youth cannot fathom.

The best advice anyone is able to share, when advice is sincere and may be regarded as less than criticism, is to be yourself always. On the other hand, to follow it, you have to know yourself.

Memory is subjective, personal, misleading, encompassing, and is the stuff of life. We are because we think, yes, but we are also the result of the years, events and experiences residing in memory. Without it we are born anew, and it is hard to start building a personality again … can one ever be the same?

Friendship is first in the call to duty. Aiding a friend is aiding yourself.

Catharsis is an intangible gift, and yet is a gift, a healing of the soul.

Same sex partners are as ancient as time. Many frown upon this and others are not affected. The truth is no one has the right to judge and there is no wrong where love is supreme. And now the codicil, reader. High rank sorcery is dangerous to wielder and bystander, and should thus ever be contained. But who are we to judge? Step forward, however, when two powers seek to meld, whatever the ideal or purpose, for then the danger is manifold. Unfortunately, for manipulators of the realms of sorcery, this means keeping same sex partners apart.

The past is with us always. We are the product of experience.

Oblivion takes many forms, although one can say only a minority attains it consciously. Sleep is a form of oblivion, but is regarded as imperfect, for the unconscious is more active during that period. When drugs are used, the user claims oblivion, and yet this cannot be. Too much changes within for that to be true. Death is not oblivion, for new journeys begin. What, then, are the forms of oblivion?

Coma can mimic oblivion, but this is rare. Degeneration of brain tissue heralds oblivion, a physical enforcing. Forgetting is oblivion.

Not knowing something is oblivion. Unawareness of truth is also regarded as oblivion.

Freedom must be paid for, whether by blood or terrible understanding. Freedom, true freedom, cannot be borne by weaklings.

How do you grapple with slippery nuances and then hold onto a facet long enough to affect the change required to alter a situation or perception? Faith, reader, and self-belief.

Delirium isn’t oblivion, but it can feel that way to the healthy mind.

To forget is sometimes the easier option. This is akin to stating ‘ignorance is bliss’.

Forgetting is also difficult to overcome. A state not only physical, but emotional, and it is emotion that creates the greatest obstacle.

A dual nature is of no use when evil is paramount. Duality, then, sickens the vessel.

Everything is relative, given sufficient distance, whether of actual miles or the march of time. Hark to that, friend, because something hurtful this day may become something else along your road.

Listen with ears and heart and then take the time to dissect the new information. Do this whether confronted by a family secret, a friend’s confidence, a stranger’s unwitting slip. Do this especially thoroughly when you are surrounded by your enemies. All has meaning; your task is to find the straight in the twist. Only then might you act in a manner to solve an issue.

If you would be counted, by others, by history, by yourself, place your mark where it is ever visible.

Abandonment teaches hard lessons.

Connections between us are imperative for sentience to function. Not all connections are benign, however.

Heat is able to arise from a mere thought. The chill of fear comes from a heart beating out of rhythm.

Memories are never what you expect when you examine them dispassionately.

Grief creates currents hard to swim from.

Love is a choice, as choice is part of love.

A simple touch is able to alter time.

Turn your back on the past if you wish for a joyful future.

Ignorance is bliss, some preach, and prefer a life of stasis to maintain such a state of ‘bliss’.

Knowledge is bliss also, the informed reveal, and seek to know ever more, thereby discovering chaos.

As in all, balance is key.

Tread lightly, seeker.

Wake up, lazybones.

No one needs more gods. You are, each of you, a god.

Love is a precious gift.

Thought is matter. A void, therefore, cannot ever be empty.

New paths are determined by new choices.

Rocks tend to keep secrets.

Turn the tables on others at your peril.

The winds of change are not always benevolent, but they should be welcomed, no matter the state, for it is in change that we discover renewal and purpose.

When you read your future, know that there will be both great moments … and heartache.

Available in print only: My Wishing Well

Chapter 10: OUR LANTERNS GLOW

Those of you who have been following along with the chapter excerpts will know that other than Song of the Spaces & My Wishing Well (posting that soon!), all LORE chapters 1 & 10 have now been shared, along with posts with all links (click Chapter 1 & Chapter 10 in Labels or mosey on over to the pages overhead for links if you haven’t yet read a bit 😀). 

Now it’s time for Chapters 10 from my standalone books … well, those long enough to have a 10 (short stories don’t often get that far!). We begin with OUR LANTERNS GLOW, which has much Lore in it anyway and therefore the perfect choice to begin with, and CHOICE fits in this instance because chapter 10 is all about choices.

Written and shared in the latter half of 2020, this inspirational book was conceived to cope with the different world we suddenly found ourselves in. As the author, it matters not to me if it sells or not; this is a personal project – I needed to find my light, and this is how I did so. Based on fictional insights, for fiction has helped us in these trying times, Our Lanterns Glow isn’t a cure all; it is about insight and the inspiration we need to move forward.

Now we are in a new year and it is not over; the pandemic and economic fallout is still with us. Our Lanterns Glow is more relevant than ever. Now it helps us make sense of the very strange time we endured and aids us in focusing on the future. Whether we read this today or in a hundred years, it remains relevant; ever do we need the light and always it is our responsibility to lift our lanterns for others to find their way in the darkness. Find the insight you need in this small book and shine your light today!

Elaina J. Davidson

2021

Choices

When a choice lies before you, be as objective as possible. And be firm in your decision.

Awl ~

THE LORE SERIES

 When in doubt, act. Action frequently leads to decision.

Book of Sages ~

THE LORE SERIES

Intention unrealised murders creativity, but action conceived without due thought imprisons choice. Think before you do and do as you intend.

Scroll of Wisdom ~

THE LORE SERIES

 It is easier to remain anonymous. It is easier to keep talent under wraps. That way no one can use you. Of course, you will be as nothing.

Awl ~

THE LORE SERIES

In an earlier section we spoke about helping others, and our purpose. Fame is not part of that, and remains true here. The talents we have are more important than ever and it is imperative we share them in order to create a brighter future. This isn’t about crowing to the heavens about how special we are; this is about employing our gifts to the good of all.

Do you have a talent for sewing? Make masks or offer T-shirts to the mother struggling to make ends meet and clothe her children. Can you prepare large quantities of stew or soup? Offer your services to a feeding scheme or share with your neighbours. Do you enjoy bargain hunting when grocery shopping? Share your methods with those of little means.

Do you sing? Sing! Do you write? Tell your story!

Our talents are endlessly varied; let us share them, if only to put a smile on someone’s face.

Thought is matter. A void, therefore, cannot ever be empty.

Book of Sages ~

THE LORE SERIES

Sometimes you have to start over, friend. Sometimes it is the best way forward.

Awl ~

THE LORE SERIES

 Sometimes starting over needs contain elements of what you seek to leave behind. Choose wisely.

Awl ~

THE LORE SERIES

Personality drives action. It is, after all, how we think that causes us to move in one direction or another.

Awl ~

THE LORE SERIES

 The best advice anyone is able to share, when advice is sincere and may be regarded as less than criticism, is to be yourself always. On the other hand, to follow it, you have to know yourself.

Book of Sages ~

THE LORE SERIES

You also have to love yourself. When we are not in sync with our inner selves, being ‘yourself’ (ourselves) will cause us to feel less, to experience what we regard as failure. I hold with the above insight, but know that we must love who we are as well before the statement is effective.

How do you grapple with slippery nuances and then hold onto a facet long enough to affect the change required to alter a situation or perception? Faith, reader, and self-belief.

Book of Sages ~

THE LORE SERIES

Catharsis is an intangible gift, and yet is a gift, a healing of the soul.

Book of Sages ~

THE LORE SERIES

 Prepare for change, friend. Know you will not emerge unscathed.

Awl ~

THE LORE SERIES

 Thought is able to create a shield.

Ilfin Belief ~

ILFIN OF ARC

Fear does not define you. Allowing fear to rule, however, will shape you into something dark.

Arun, Druid ~

THE LORE SERIES

Heat is able to arise from a mere thought. The chill of fear comes from a heart beating out of rhythm.

Book of Sages ~

THE LORE SERIES

Anger clouds truth, rage obliterates it. Heat devours, fire destroys. Choose your emotions wisely. If you cannot, allow another to point out to you your situation. Attempt, reader, listener, to hear that other before your rage obliterates good intentions and real caring.

Arli of Pendulim ~

THE LORE SERIES

Even a dandelion has a place. It is not a weed to be rooted into extinction; it is a herb with medicinal properties. Do not, therefore, judge too soon. Do your research. Be careful in your deliberation.

Scroll of Wisdom ~

THE LORE SERIES

Honour lies in a promise kept.

Arun, Druid ~

THE LORE SERIES

Plans should not be made under emotional duress.

Scroll of Wisdom ~

THE LORE SERIES

 Little things, if unattended to, truly can upset your life.

Henri Dorn – Electan of Valaris; Year 773 a.s.~

THE LORE SERIES

Even a tiny step is a step forward. Do not be disheartened, seeker.

Isling of Xen III ~

THE LORE SERIES

Choice determines your path. It is your salvation or your downfall.

Scroll of Wisdom ~

THE LORE SERIES

It is in the little things that change is affected; a subtle intention leading to long lasting result.

Awl ~

THE LORE SERIES

 “… would you not agree that the only absolute is change? And to deal with change you should learn the lessons of the past, sometimes many times taught before understanding comes. To fight it only makes your life impossible and why would you want to put yourself through that, when change, good or bad, will find you anyway?”

Torrullin to Lucan ~

LORE OF REAUME

The world can only be understood in action, not soul-searching, many say. This is a lie. Both action and introspection tell the tale.

Mother Shania of Hyberus ~

ANCIENT TERRA

A decision is able to add magic to the unchanged way.

The Sine Handbook ~

TINSAL

In Summary

Daily we face choices, little things, such as what to make for supper, and now we face, in this time of crisis, the large, life-changing kind. Choice is a part of us; it is how we function. Choice, therefore, is not to be feared. Use it to restart. Employ it to step away from what no longer works. Let us share our talents and do so with only love in our hearts.

Available in print and as an audio book also: OUR LANTERNS GLOW

Chapter 1: Our Lanterns Glow

Written and shared in the latter half of 2020, this inspirational book was conceived to cope with the different world we suddenly found ourselves in. As the author, it matters not to me if it sells or not; this is a personal project – I needed to find my light, and this is how I did so. Based on fictional insights, for fiction has helped us in these trying times, Our Lanterns Glow isn’t a cure all; it is about insight and the inspiration we need to move forward.

Now we are in a new year and it is not over; the pandemic and economic fallout is still with us. Our Lanterns Glow is more relevant than ever. Now it helps us make sense of the very strange time we endured and aids us in focusing on the future. Whether we read this today or in a hundred years, it remains relevant; ever do we need the light and always it is our responsibility to lift our lanterns for others to find their way in the darkness. Find the insight you need in this small book and shine your light today!

Elaina J. Davidson

2021

Change

Son, daughter, to understand yourself, you need understand others. But, hark, my children, it isn’t enough to watch your neighbour – think far, listen to nations of other worlds …

The Journals of Humanity, Beacon Library of Exploration ~

THE LORE SERIES

‘The Journals of Humanity’ sets the tone. We are now in a period where our humanity will be our saving grace. Other cultures have much to teach us, as much as we have for them. Seeing ourselves as one, a global society, celebrates differences while knowing we have so much common ground. We all love, we all need comfort … and suffering and loss does not hark to culture and creed. We are in this as one. We will win together. Let us celebrate every small victory, worldwide, as one.

It is said life is a game. One is born into it and one must strategize every step. If one has this ability, the game is not strenuous, but if one has issues with other players on the great board, the game can swallow one. The trick, reader, is to follow the gut. Do not be snared by detail; trust the gut. And do not attempt to understand the grand design – that is a path to madness.

Father Rees’ Diary ~

THE LORE SERIES

It feels like a great game sometimes, doesn’t it? This 2020? Or this is a Netflix series filled with incredible events. Every time we put the News on, or browse social media, something insane is happening or the latest statistics are horrifying. How then does one strategize every step? Most of us are playing the waiting game.

In our current situation, the grand design relates to how did Covid-19 happen? Who is potentially to blame? How do we hold accountable our political leaders and medical experts globally for not only the pandemic, but for loss of income? A path to madness, indeed, and although those questions require answering at the opportune time, it will only drive greater rifts between us and those we are meant to trust.

Right now, we must concentrate on what makes us human, what drives our compassion, and the means to walking a path of serenity (or as near as) through the chaos. This holds true for the present and every situation we may find ourselves in at some future time. Take a breath, breathe out, switch the News off for a while, and focus on the positive. Despite all, always there are the little things and moments in our day able to make us smile, and that must be our focus.

Know your place, children of the universe. This does not mean you stand in the shadows without contributing to the grand design; it means know yourself and what it is you are able to contribute …

Ancient Oracles ~

THE LORE SERIES

If my contribution is writing this book, then I have succeeded. If yours is taking a hot meal to someone in need, then you have, too, spectacularly. It isn’t only about the great deeds. It isn’t about fame. When we know how and what we are able to contribute, we take our places – we have purpose. We lead by example. We do not hide; we are not meant to be in the shadows. We shine a light.

OUR LANTERNS GLOW

Chapter 1: My Wishing Well

Technically, this isn’t Chapter 1, rather 2, but seeing as the first section (About Valaris) can be viewed in the Appendices in my Lore books, I thought I’d offer the first true collection of sayings. 

This is a personal project, a way to gather the little things that surround Elaina J. Davidson’s writing.

The term ‘Wishing Well’ fits. The author wishes to have pertinent info to hand and the allusion to an inkwell makes all kind of sense to her.

Excerpts and more have been extracted from the Lore Series (Lore of Arcana, Lore of Reaume, Lore of Sanctum and Ancient Terra) as well as Ilfin of Arc, Latticework. Ethereal Musician and TINSAL, and arranged alphabetically.

Perhaps you, too, will be pleased to have this nearby when checking on something as you read Elaina J. Davidson’s many books.

Available in print only HERE.

ANCIENT ORACLES

Secrets unlocked secrets.

The Valleur are nomadic; it is time to set down enduring roots.

Do not rely on the future to solve problems.

Look to this day.

What did our nomadic existence teach us?

Only that we are restless by nature.

It is the mind that wins battles, not bodies.

When all else fails, deny the enemy entry.

Erect walls, impenetrable barriers.

If the barriers crumble, blind them.

Know your place, children of the universe. This does not mean you stand in the shadows without contributing to the grand design; it means know yourself and what it is you are able to contribute …

“Build a structure able to stand the test of time upon a natural energy node, and you will build with magic and essence also. It is a great gift to future generations, but it is also a grand gesture that creates balance in the world. A true geomancer knows where to locate a site that will be sacred forever.”

Every experience builds your character, defines your strengths and weaknesses.

Every point in life, that moment of decision, forms a web of connections.

When Valleur youth raise the question about the Dragon’s presence, the Elders are ever hard-pressed to give an answer that makes sense. Until the day Ranthor formalised it. “The Dragon is part of the Vallas; ours is not the right to question.” Thereafter that single reply was spoken every time.

“There are no absolutes. Some might tell you change is the only absolute. I tell you change by nature is too volatile. There are no absolutes.” ~ Nemisin – First Oracle

Stone star. Blank wall. Blind is evil.

Valleur name true.

Valleur do not surrender. Valleur fight.

During the time of Vintari (205th Vallorin) a peace settlement was sought between the Valleur and the mud people of Dinor. At first it went well, for the adversaries were weary of the lengthy war. Fighting had become pointless and starvation a stark reality. Two Valleur generations passed peaceably enough, and then the 7th Dinor ruler since the settlement rose up against the accord. Vintari, although nearing the end of his reign, went to war again, and that time he showed no mercy. But for a small kernel of resistance, the Valleur put an end to the mud people. The Dinor swore they would one day find a way to revenge the terrible insult. ~Excerpt from the 2nd volume of the Valleur Oracles

When a sun is weak, a world is cold and life shrivels with time. When an atmosphere alters components, a world is poisoned, and life shrivels swiftly. And yet life is amazingly tenacious. Lift a rock in a desert and find it there, hidden … thriving.

For love of a friend, one walks into danger.

Frustration is your spirit telling you to change tactics.

The power hungry are blinded by their arrogance.

Truth is Light

Mother Universe chose a path of objectivity. We revere her for that, for she cannot judge; she simply is. Many say Mother Universe is not as uninvolved as time would have us believe, for are we not her children and do we not judge? Are we not subjective in our thoughts and deeds? This is a debate for our sages … and still we whisper of it among ourselves.

Be careful, adept. Lumin power is wonderful, but it can be as addictive as darak. A sorcerer worth his weight knows to hold back, always.

“… a state of abstraction, a trance in which a series of images, ideas and emotions occur involuntarily. This altered conscious may occur during the hours of sleep or, more disturbingly, while the subject is awake. Neither should be discounted. Ever. Hark to that inner prompting …”

The unborn are special. Revere them.

Ask the name of the stranger if you desire understanding. A name can reveal more than features are able to.

When souls band together something marvellous comes to pass. A note in the Ancient Oracles

There is an obstacle in the mind known as denial. It is able to prevent knowledge entering, but it can also force the mind to move sideways onto a divergent path. Beware the divergent path.

Tree is Letter

This image has been on my computer for a long time. I don’t know who to attribute for it, but this is a favourite. In fact, I have a print on my wall of it because, for me, this tells a story, an epic about time and tenacity, about light and love, and that, in a nutshell, is what my LORE is about. So, tree is letter: do you see it, too?

Finding Light in 2020

This book – Our Lanterns Glow – is close to my heart. All my books are, but this one especially. Our Lanterns Glow is my contribution towards finding a path through a pandemic’s chaos, and even if no one reads it, for me it has been cathartic. It is ranking on Amazon, though, so I’m guessing someone wants to read it!

Our Lanterns Glow isn’t a standard inspirational book; for this, I tweaked. Instead of using sayings from our real world motivators, I turned to my published work, my fiction. If you have read any of my books, you will know most of them have excerpts heading chapters, sometimes inspirational, sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes humorous, and sometimes dark, too. For Our Lanterns Glow I chose both inspirational and thought-provoking, and included excerpts from the various narratives also.

Extracts are from Lore of Arcana, Lore of Reaume, Lore of Sanctum, TINSAL, Latticework, Ilfin of Arc, and Ancient Terra. Considering how much of the Lore Series went into this, I thought I’d share it here!

Currently on pre-order for $1.29 (£0.99), I believe much of what is contained within will offer both insight and aid to the reader and seeker. Our Lanterns Glow will deliver on 31 August, so not too long a wait!

Blurb

The year is 2020

 We have seen fires in Australia, locust plagues in Africa, both flooding and drought elsewhere, and riots and marches, too, but all pales in comparison to what 2020 is really about. A global pandemic.

 We have endured lockdown and it appears it will befall us more than once as this virus runs its course. We no longer live with any kind of certainty. We need to cope with the reality, which includes the virus itself, the loss of loved ones and economic devastation, if only by staying as positive as is possible.

 Understanding who we are and who we can be, if we take care to be honest with ourselves, is the first step to dealing with the progress of utter change and helps us forge a path through the chaos.

 Therefore, this book.

 Our Lanterns Glow is a deliberate choice of title. We are, each of us, lanterns in the darkness. We shine, and we hoist our lanterns for others to find their way. We can trim the wick of our lamps to brighten our inner selves, and will thus shed the resultant glow ever outwards.

 Based on fictional insights, for fiction has helped us in these trying times, Our Lanterns Glow isn’t a cure all, it is about insight and the inspiration we need to move forward. We have everything to gain in trying something new, something different …

Exclusive to Amazon:

OUR LANTERNS GLOW