These lines are selections/excerpts from chapters 5 & 6 of 'Journeys 2', a fiction description of spiritual levels, empathic expressions, visions--and 'travels through time'; all very interesting indeed, location--Ancient Egypt. Journeys 2, (C)1995, (C)2007 A. Alexander Volenski. Chapter-5, unedited excerpts The Ancient Book ...coming forth by day and living after death, passing over the celestial road and seeing the deceased do their work, passing over the abominable back and gliding through the Amentet, passing beyond thy enemies soaring beyond their misfortune, coming into and going out of... Ab, read these words slowly and then put the ancient text on the table, and as he did he ran his fingers over its cover, and wondered about the scribe who had put the words therein, then he began to contemplate. Closing his eyes, he relaxed and let his mind free, free to wander at will, free to gather and behold, free to see as though through the eyes of truth, free to know how it all was then when the book was written and bound. [The Ancient Book, was written somewhere around 5000BC, or even before that, it was written by the 'first ones' of the Egyptian Civilization. The following are some lines, excerpts from that book which Ab was able to find...] Ab reached across the table and picked up the ancient book and leaned back in his chair as he flipped through the pages, reading here and there a line a description, and some of that ancient book read as follows. ...oh bright star, how you blush your shine upon me, such a beautiful shine you have, and I feel a flush come over me as I ponder and muse in among soothing sighs and whiffs of scented candles and perfumed thoughts, thoughts sent via the lofty sprays of your reaching touch, star light shine. Oh, dear Lady, clothed in a garment of light warmed by the light of a sun, singing and whistling through to the twilight nights approach; dear Lady, flying over the stretching sea like a whisking spirit, coming like chimes to my ears you are, and yes, 'your enchantment has overcome me'. Oh, yonder new moon, arriving in light of day and shining in the night with mystery and goodness, new moon, occurring as a constant reminder that the charm of spring is upon us, your light appearing in silent waves of lathering and soothe, your sensations made to enhance and inspire, made to fulfill ever deeper thoughts and feelings toward the wonders within us. Oh, delight and desire, sent in dazzling like sparkles of spectrum light with halo aura aglow, star-chart messages and places to go. Oh, sprinkling dew, made to soothe and spray its magic, made to warm and caress, dew made to send tingling to our embodied souls, dew made from the wish of a petal soft kiss, dew given to the earthy and sea tossed shores of those who compose. And dear Lady, whose tender fingers touch and tickle the nose and lips to send giggles and small heart throbs through a child's warm and gentle body, a body full of inspiration and tingling sensation, a body, made to move like the sway of the waves which endlessly embrace the sands of a wondrous shore of life, and the whispering breeze of dawn sings along embracing the limbs of time, pretty limbs, ever and alive and yearning for delight. Ah, and the chronicles of time move and sway, like new budding flowers opening for the first time, chronicles, in among the array of an ancient past, a past and a far reaching present which ever and always sees newness alive and well. A newness entwined with the lace and ribbon of immortality. And high above in the silent and quivering night, the Aurora Borealis too sees and reflects in waves of mint greens and pinks, waves of rhythmic dance and sway, waves of a living light. A woman and man are cast into that sea of sparkling light, and travel and glide, both called-on toward their lofty reward, a site in among the star charted meadows and sweet pulse of spirited minds, as bodies too are soothed; starlight shine radiant fuse sapphire night sky. Then in a moments pause, the muse of the mind slowly and reluctantly settles itself into sweet swoon of night, so gentle dawn like an angelic guide may color the mind and renew the sight for another splendid array within an approaching bright and sunny new day. You dear Lady, appear to awaken my comprehension, as the hours continue to ring and sing their harmonious matins, inspiration for this life which is upon and within us. And with this my dear wonderful one, I slowly bow my head and take a long and deep breath, while I wish beauty and goodness to you... Pausing, Ab looked over the page and could see smudges and outlines of small leafs and flower petals, and he knew some of what he now held was an ancient text of letters written between a man and woman. It was evening now and Ab got up and lit some candles and turned on a small lamp, then poured himself a cup of tea and put on a warm sweater, then settled into his chair to read some more. As he opened the next page, he could smell a lavender scent, and a feminine feeling he sensed; and that page went as follows. ...so wonderful messages from you! I did a little nap, the window wide open, music coming from the other room, two hours...and I dreamt of being a little bird, a Swallow or Black Bird, lots of walls and hiding places, companions in the air. I felt to visit all sorts of worlds and landscapes, planets, and knew I died several times, yet, was without fear, but, a big curiosity! I continued living, and saw a lot of beautiful patterns there, then I partly awoke and could scratch my nose, turned over and continued dreaming, and the patterns were not even disturbed, I was aware of both realities. Love is the big guide for us, and there is not a single accident of why things happen the way they have, and if I want to know if I am at the right spot, I only need to ask if I love to be there, and if I have a very nice overwhelming feeling, then I know it is right. You make me think and dream and feel and write much more than I ever thought I would. Then as I dreamt on, I found myself as the woman I am, and someone took me by my hand and showed me something. That something was totally overwhelming, sort of patterns of the universe with stars, or like moving Persian rugs, colorful beautiful sparkling changing colors rhythms patterns, and all in time to each other! The someone who held my hand looked like a man, perhaps a master... I did not see his face, he had a long robe, dark blue or so, and I sensed a guidance, and felt there were also several guides. I'm wondering and wondering, and can see that we can trust the universe! And that we are protected and guided all days and nights. The night goes on... and I have lost my feeling for time, I feel as if several millstones have fallen off of my neck with all these discoveries and insights, and I have no idea what will come out of this sudden lightness. I can feel you, yet not see you, feel you touching me, a great tenderness. There is more than only warmth, it is a sparkling light, expansion...yes, which connects with the sky... and there is an idea of how big this expansion can become, which is a bit scary in its dimension, but very pleasant. 'One must hold on tight to their dreams.' Then Ab saw the candle flicker, flutter and spark, and he felt a coolness in the room, a room in which he sat alone, and he reached and sipped the tea tasting its warm sweetness. Turning the next page over, Ab saw much scorching of the edges, and there was a small oak leaf impression and a powdery dust as pollen dust might be, but he only smelt a lavender scent; and that ancient page went as follows. ...several things come to mind and have gotten me up from my bed, in that I must write to you my dear Lady. I go to bed tired and warn, and after a short while my mind drives me up on my feet, telling me, 'you better write, this is important,' and I wonder what lofty spirit or Goddess or God, spur's me so...as I move along the dark and dim roadways or corridors, what heavenly thing must it be that a poor man as me must discover and share with dear sweet star that you are. Ah, if it were to please heaven, then it is a must for me to please, and continue on even into the wee hours of the quiet calm night, a night where only sweet slumber of swoon and soft whispers of a child's breath might be heard murmuring through the new budding branches, murmuring sighs sent to be heard by peaceful angelic ears. And reluctantly I pause from such warm and clear prose, as a servant comes to see if it were that I wished something, food or drink, and I smile and ask for deep cool tea and a wheat wafer dipped in honey. As I wait for my servants return, I see my shadow form from the lamp in the darkness of my living quarters, and I smile and almost laugh to myself as a healthy and cheery opus like feeling encompasses my thoughts, and I feel the coolness of the room upon my back and arms. Then the tea and wafer arrives, and again I am left alone in the quiet of this night, with pen and the light now of many oil lamps, my servant insists on more light for my eyes, and I feel the comfort of your thoughts and warmth of my woolen robe; weaved gift from you. While this night sits with me like an old and caring friend, I feel its shadowy softness and also know that often one can only drift as a cloud within the atmosphere of their thoughts and seasoning. Ah, but would it be so, that wee creatures that we are, could see through the mist and sparkle, gathering it all up into a shaping form, like gathering up star dust and shaping it into a human... Oh, travelers in the Cosmos, Cosmic visit does seem, voyagers who with a charm like chance came upon 'adrift tablets and capsule of dust'. What does it mean, galaxy objects in space, what can this be, smooth texture dust like pollen flowered, as scented they be. Heavenly wayfarers, with much love in their midst, continued on through the universe of time, seeing the cosmic clusters colorful and alive which spray like spectrum profuse, nebulous made only to muse and engage with a williness and sigh. And the capsule containing that dust floating in darkness of space, with tablets enclosed mystery and more, was collected studied and traced to a planet like place for a race to perform. So upon a wish of compassion and love, dust was infused collage and then form... human it was warm and alive, yet what did it know and how did it come to be, space-dust alone. And from that ponderous unknown the Absolute appeared and did speak and proclaim: "now out of darkness come illumine and life, now be it so...no longer alone." And as a child would sleep so peaceful in silent drift like dream, so too did the riddle enliven and beam peaceful and silent, while vision and luminous kissed deeply and warm, sensual passionate and breathe... compassionate it was truthful spheric like free as melodious of soothe awakened within, knowing the known just as love knows it has wings. In the depths of the deepest and more, where love and compassion lives to be born, a hand does reach as eyes do see dreaming of love and how it could be, or is it a-dreaming of how love once did see. And out of the midst of a dust like thought, imagine and muse manifest and fuse touch and be loved breathe and to be open and awake all that is free, awaken and do see how all is to be. Learn from a tablet smooth and of stone, see in the words ancient and so strong, and watch as the dust does form and then rise, spirit of darkness now reaching alive. Embodied delight riddle and more, full bodied desire sensual and so warm, kiss like a dream to learn and be free, see how it was as beginning came to be; adrift in the cosmos a powdery dust, as dust of humanity was originally found. And so, all alone that dust like ash was gathered and then formed... now human's do roam. There must be more to write of all this, so much like a sweet kiss from a warm love secure, and with a heartfelt warmth it all does so seem, as the whispers of love have come to be freed. Within a thousand seconds of rainbow light and its beam, hover like ribbon blue green yellow and glow, I see in the background snow whiteness delight, and smile as I sip my cup of sweet tea and marvel and wonder thinking of you, and know in my heart you've helped to enliven awaken for us both, both to inspire a day book to fulfill in a home of bright peace, an abode which calls forth even as we slumber and sleep, a site for to keep with the spirit we seek... It was there that Ab paused, and he didn't close the book, just laid it upon the clear crystalline table next to his cup of tea. ...He too mused to himself of the Egyptian hymns, inscriptions religious text on walls, sarcophagi, papyri and amulets, of the hieroglyphic symbolic messages, their missives all meant to link the mind toward the recension of self through verbal tones and visual pictures; one looked at the pictures and then listened to their own thoughts. Ab then smiled to himself, for he knew there was more to Egypt than just pictures or structured-technical messages, pyramids and temples; that it was all about a free association with ones inner intuituve inborn self, that wondrous expanse of their conscious & subconscious being. The picture text (of Egypt) was read not in a linguistic form as in a spoken language, it was read by the individual through viewing the pictures and combining those views to linguistic-tones represented ...then listening to their inner words and feelings, even seeing inner pictures of their mind. Ab realized there was an outer language as in written text and words, and also there was an inner language which communicated as from between the lines. He also reflected that to the Egyptian, the Bible was the word of God, and the Egyptian said that nature, birds, animals, fishes, plants insects, with their movements and sounds were the spoken word of God. Egypt was an attempt or expression to show and convey, 'the rising of spirit,' 'the formal ascension,' 'the illustration of completeness,' 'the link with the divine,' 'the embrace of the subconscious & conscious.' Then Ab again rose from his chair and went to pour another tea, and as he did he began to envision what the man had written, and he felt too what the woman had composed, for he perceived much of the love and emotion which both communicated and shared. These two were saying something about their love and feelings for each other, but too, they were speaking in a kind of 'between the lines' about tablets found in space, container of dust, all within a vessel or capsule; and Ab imagined an elaborate receptacle holding ashes and tablets. [Okay...at this point I'll end these portions from this chapter, and move into the next chapter 'A River Beyond Time,' which is linked to this beginning description of the Ancient Book. Please realize, that these are excerpts, because it would take quite awhile to enter the entire text of these chapters...so I shall try to weave them in a manner which will be pleasing to the reader and also the story.] ~ Chapter-6 unedited excerpts A River Beyond Time [in this chapter Ab moves through time and reaches the realm of ancient Egypt...in the story how he makes these moves is explained, but here I shall skip that part and start with the most interesting areas of this story.] ...As time passed, the sun reached higher in the sky approaching near noon, for they had traveled some distance, and up ahead on the left Ab saw a large palace or temple. As they approached that place, the Egyptian asked, "would you like to be my guest for awhile here in my home and share food, drink, and have rest." Ab, answered, "it would be of great comfort to me to share your home and generosity for awhile." The Egyptian smiled and in response said, "good...it is settled," and then he brought the boat into its docking area where many servants were waiting. [after the boat was docked, two young people took from the boat, two tablets and led Ab and the Egyptian to a special room where those tablets were kept.] The walls and ceiling of the room were all white, and in the center of the room was a large clear crystal slab which was inlaid onto a plain cedar table. Laying in the center of the table was a large open book, and to the right and left of the book were holders for the tablets. The young woman and man both walked to the table and took the tablets out of the wooden frame holders and placed the tablets onto the holders resting on the crystal slab. Then they gave a short bow to the tablets and book, and both turned to the right, bowed to the Egyptian and Ab, and then silently walked out of the room. The Egyptian now looked to Ab and said, "Ab, here is where it all begins, this is the original beginning and place...tablets and book... me and perhaps now you...I am only following the day and days as they come moment to moment, to see what shall be." Ab looked into the eyes of the Egyptian and read a very stern and powerful energy; also came feelings which he read which had much compassion and kindness, much humility and truth. Ab felt much human emotion and peace from the eyes and complexion of the Egyptian and knew here was a man whom he could trust to speak the total-truth. Then Ab looked at the book which laid open as it was, and saw a powder like pollen laying upon the page, this was the same ancient book which he read yesterday evening of letters between a man and a woman. However, as Ab looked to the open page, all that was on it was the powdery dust, for the pages were blank, and words had not yet reached them, and he smelt a sweet lavender scent and then knew this was the very same book. Ab turned to the Egyptian with a slight watery in his eyes and said, "please, do not be alarmed at the stuff of my feelings this moment, for if you see an emotion of tear hidden aloft in my eyes, it is truly a feeling of knowing a great love between two, and bears no ill of any sort...all I can say to you at this moment is that I have read portions of this book which now lays open and void of writing...and all which I have read was good, compassionate, and filled with a great love between a man and woman." Upon hearing those words from Ab, the Egyptian smiled and responded, "I feel your emotional quivers, so generous you are and open of all within you...a trusting man...but, I wonder if I may know how is it you have read that which is yet to be written?" Then Ab nodded a little to the left and right in understanding the Egyptians question, and answered, "if it were that I could tell you...I would in a moments breath...yet, even I who have read do not know how the words found their way to be written therein." Then the Egyptian asked, "and the tablets...what can you tell me of them?" Ab nodded again and said, "as to the tablets...I have seen them in a vision dream, and in that event they were the same as they are now, resting as they are in this room of whiteness...smooth polished and without inscriptions on them." The Egyptian then reached and touched the necklace of royalty around his neck thinking and seeming to muse within himself, and then he nodded too and said, "Ab, come with me, let us relax and have food and drink, perhaps take a swim in a pool here in the palace...let us give our early day moments upon the river a chance to mature, rustle and flutter within the halls of our minds, and then share as we truly can." Ab smiled and felt much charity from the Egyptian, and then said to him, "that would be very pleasant and wise, for we both do know and realize, much patience and moderation is necessary with understanding the unknown...for we both in our wisdom know, 'the way is long and the purpose steady.' With that the Egyptian turned and led Ab out of the room from the book and tablets, and into the private quarters of the palace. [at this point I've moved several pages ahead and come to the portion of the 'evening' dinner time at the palace and the end area of the chapter...] ...Where Ab now stood was a large terrace with a floor of white stone, it was lined with a low surrounding hedge, a small table and three chairs were there, a table now being prepared by several servants. The servants saw him arrive, but did not speak and would not look into his face, yet they did look long and hard at the Winged Disc which hung around his neck. And Ab wondered if they had ever seen another disc like his, or if they may know of it through legends or other sources or stories. Ab walked down the three steps from the palace onto the terrace and went to the low hedge to look over. The terrace was completely outdoors and high above a couryard below. Ab saw much construction going on there, a large wall was being built on the far side where an obelisk lay all tied with rope on a long sled. It was positioned at the top of a ramp next to a deep pit that its base would eventually slide into, there were large piles of rope and many wooden wheels in a row on both sides of the obelisk. The technic of construction he envisioned they used, were of many sizes of wheels, cylinders, pulleys, counter-weights and levers. There were many kinds of tools, picks, wooden shafts, large wheel barrels, hammers, chisels, and tables with measuring instruments. The work had stopped for the evening, and only birds now flew about, some on the newly formed wall, some hopping about the work tables, and an Ibis was perched on the large obelisk. Ab for some time gazed toward the obelisk viewing the Ibis perched there with white feathers black head and long curved bill. The Ibis moved and seemed to be gazing at the inscriptions carved on the long obelisk shaft as though it were reading the message. Very heavy ropes were tied around that stone column of massive dimension, its bulk and size radiating a kind of strength or wonder, and Ab marveled to himself of the thousands of years that obelisk would stand, and the many ten's of thousand days and moons it would endure. The obelisk would stand like a sentinel to view and over-see all which was performed and given to the annals of time; a witness in silence to all taking place. And he mused to himself of all the Archeologist, Historians, Scholars, who would view, decipher and ponder the inscriptions. Of the many who would view and even run their fingers over its surface in the centuries to come, while time and the future consummated the birth of history, a history weaved as it would be around the stone obelisk, a foundational link formed in a beginning. It was then that Ab felt as if someone were watching him, and turning around he saw standing on the steps of the palace, Am and a beautiful woman, who Ab took to be Ma. They were dressed in white gowns which were clasped or belted at the waist. Both, were the same height with matching color of hair, and around their necks was a single large necklace of beads and small polished precious stones. Ma had long hair tied in the back, she held a red flower in her right hand and grasped Am's hand with her left. They were smiling and very pleasant to see, much happiness radiated from that couple, and then they walked down the steps to greet Ab, as he walked toward them. Am spoke first, "Ab, I would like you to meet Ma, my very dear love." Ab looked into her eyes, smiled and bowed his head and she greeted him saying, "Ab, welcome to our home, it is a wonder that you have come to us." Ab nodded and looked to them both, then he said, "very kind and generous you both are, and it is with an open heart that I have come upon this way to your domain." Then they walked together across the terrace to the table and chairs. The table had a white cloth covering it, and the dishes and cups were a purple glaze with a thin white line near the edges, the platters and bowls for food a light-purple tint. And how would it be Ab thought, of this meeting in a faraway realm, hidden in another time, how would it be and what would these two have to say. What hidden secrets could they divulge, what cryptic passage did they know of, and who was the originator of the tablets. The vast and wondrous heavens shine their light in the night, and in the daylight, those lights seem to fade out, but the stars are still there, only invisible to the seeing eye, as sight is overwhelmed by the blue spectrum from the light of the sun. Cosmic Order galaxy collage, misty nebulous, far flying comets, Milky-Way, glimmering constellations, arrayed planets on the move, and earth and its moon too are suspended and do move within that Cosmic Order. Ab realized, those were outward things, clumps and bits of cosmic material solid and displayed for the human to see, matter and substance in arrangement, an arrangement of the all. And as one gazed outwardly into the heavens seeing the sparkle and shine, and then focused to the moon above the earth, seeing its reflected light of the sun, and then came in closer with a focus to view the distant mountains, seas, clouds, and land, eventually that focus arrived up in front of the human itself. The human reaches out and touches a branch of a tree or a bush and feels its substance, the human smells a flower and realizes its scent, the human hears surrounding sounds, and the human can and does walk within all of the immediate outward things. However, those things are still just outward and only a minuscule part can the human touch. Thus, the human realizes that the outward things are vast and wondrous, and how limited the human feels in what it can grasp of the outward. As one stands and sees the table in front of them and looks across the room and then out the window to the rolling lawn and further into the distance beyond, one's intellect begins to range and perceive, but how to go there? To go there must be done with more than walking and moving the body into those locations. For even when the human holds something in its hand, still there is much to understand and be aware of in that item. So the human comes to the truth of itself, that the outward things are only known through the inward self, and it is the inner-self which a human must learn to develop and nothing else. The inner-self is where all the answers reside, it is also where love resides, the immortal bonded love which all are born to perceive. ...Can we ride the wind on high, can we glide in starlight sky, can we be to our selves true and touch the marvelous mysterious known, a known that's held within, a known that's there to ever blend a known with dreams which are so true, a known that's there for us to see as we reach to be complete... ...Earth Sun Moon and Universe of Stars, which ever gaze upon my love and I, let it be known to you all, that my love and I look and see you too... [here I pause--follow the links to other chapters and also the novel Journeys of the Mind.] [page is yet to be proof read] This page created April 1998 page updated 2007 members.tripod.com