Expanding The Sanctuary Horizons

Helena writes: There is an enormous power in writing things down (or drawing them), because the moment I had written my last email, it's like a light went up and suddenly I realised that I had indeed started making progress and that the whole secret was no to try to hurry things up. Things HAD been changing, but very gradually and I had just been too impatient to get it over with. I also realised that I don't even have to lie down to be in Sanctuary since that's when I tend to fall asleep or when my thoughts start racing. I know what the story is, and here it comes in a shortened version.

What the story is about, however, is a different matter.

I might know, and then I could be completely wrong, and I don't think there's any point in speculating, so I'm trying to solve the pieces of this puzzle as they are presented to me in PS, and leave all interpretations behind. Besides. I have this feeling that whatever this is about will sooner or later be revealed in my everyday life.

So, here's the story.

I was taking a walk in my forest and ventured to go farther than I had ever done before, until the woods transformed into a jungle and I reached a very large lake which extended to both left and right so I couldn't see the end of it - in fact, I've now come to realise it's probably a river. I splashed around for a while enjoying the coolness of the water, taking in the beauty that surrounded me, when I suddenly raised my eyes and looked over to the other side.

I couldn't believe what I saw. On the side I was standing there was this lush, gigantic vegetation, sparkling with colours and perfumes. But in front of me, on the other margin, the only thing I could see was a dead, barren landscape of burned out trees that seemed to have been there for a very long time. I just knew that there had been a fire a long time ago and that the whole place was absolutely lifeless. The charcoal coloured trees looked like scars against the sky, everything was dry and dreary. I hadn't a clue of what this dead landscape stood for, but it was there for a reason and the time had come for me to interact with it.

I actually felt excited! At last I could do something about this, whatever it was, and even though I didn't know what it meant, I did know it was time to make both margins of this lake live and prosper. I decided to take a small boat that was very conveniently bumping about, then changed my mind and got myself a canoe instead. And that's when I fell asleep that night.

The next morning, I curiously checked how I was doing, certain that I would be out and about on the other side by now, exploring the landscape. But there I was, sitting in the rowing boat again (I was definitely not supposed to have a canoe!), and I had not moved an inch since the night before. That's when I began to realise I was in for a long trip where things wouldn't run as smoothly as I had got used to.

When I finally had reached the other margin I decided to call in the rain and thought that would solve it. It rained and rained for days in a row, but when it was over the only difference was that the ground that had once been dry was now drenching wet and just as barren and miserable as before. I screamed and cried for help for some time to no avail, then started walking deeper into the desert to see what I could find. Eventually I arrived in a kind of oasis where I found a small town with houses in north-African style with a terrace as roof. One of the houses was for some reason meant to be my house, although I didn't feel at home in it at all. I wasn't alone in this house so I tried to interact with the other people there but nothing changed and I felt as frustrated as before. The real breakout came after sending this email .

It's really amazing, it's as if there was an opening with it, I finally found the courage to tell the people around me that I didn't feel at home in that place, no matter how nice they were and that I definitely intended to solve all this elsewhere. As soon as I came out on the street, I saw that the desert was gone and the same kind of jungle there was on the other margin was slowly starting to grow here too. At the same time, it's as if I was lifted into an invisible stretcher and there were healing spirals coming up and down all through my body; if you've ever done a CAT scan you'll know the feeling of being slightly cradled and yet wondering if it's just your imagination. This went on for quite a while.

Well, some other things happened along the way back but the main point is that for now both sides of the lake / river are prospering and I have even made a very natural, beautiful dwelling in this landscape for future visits.

BUT I know that this is not over yet, for upon returning to my beach I had someone waiting for me and I can't help giggling as I'm writing this. there's this old - times sailor who's a real pain in the neck, every now and then he pops up in front of me, claiming that he's there to "serve me". Now, the guy is rather nice, good-looking and everything, but what can I say? I guess he just isn't my type! I'm sure he's there for a reason, though, so I finally agreed he could take me on board his vessel to meet the rest of the crew. And guess what? Right now we're out sailing in the vastness of the ocean, I have no idea where we're heading and I have this strange feeling that neither do they, but hey, I'm not stuck in the desert any more and they guaranteed me that this voyage is one important piece of the big puzzle that I'm trying to solve.

How's that for some development? ;o))

Sparkling ocean waves!

Helena

• Admin Note: SFX has awarded the new "Story of the Month" award to this story from the Project Sanctuary group, because it highlights so perfectly all the main rules of the game: Don't analyse it, be brave, react to the environment, let the story unfold and CO-CREATE with the unconscious mind so both parties get to a forward resolution. Great stuff, especially the energy healing sequence in the middle!