The day my spiritual journey began, I had no fore warning my life was
about to change forever. Nothing nudged me or warned me. I had, at that
time, no understanding just how BIG it all would become.  Nor did I know
that, I, myself, would never be the same again.

    It was a winter day. Much like any other winter day in the south of
Georgia.  The sun shining and kinda cool. My everday life had piled itself
up so high I could not see my way out of it. I was mad, disgusted, and
really just wanted to give it up all together.  But, I had read, in a book.
How stones could help us, heal us if we would but give them a chance.  So,
thinking "what the hell it is worth a shot, I have nothing to lose"

     I took a pale lavender amethyst, and put all my woes into it. I cried
into it.  Let all the pressures go into it. Then with friends I went to a
mountain stream. I remember the moon was full that night and we gazed upon
the glory of it.

    The stream was singing, neverending songs of the night time. No
creature's sounds disturbed the peaceful scenery.

We each did our own private ceremony.

   For mine, I prayed into the stone and thanked it for helping me. I asked of it,
that if there was something BIGGER than me. Something like the "God"
they talked of in church, and if that something could hear my prayers,
then please give me a sign. So that I may know the truth.

I took the pale amethyst and buried it under a tree.  Was a tall and stately
tree. He had been there beside that murmering brook for many a moon. So I
knew he was very wise and strong. That he would lend his essence to the
ritual I had performed.

Six months came and went. Nothing happened. I felt lost and forgotten. I
felt the world was a lie. There was no God!  It was all a story they make up
to tell little children to get them to follow THEIR rules!

Then an urge came over me. I asked one of the friends who had been with me
that night to go back to the stream with me.

We drove up to the tree I had buried the stone under. There was someting
going on under the tree. At first I could not beleive my eyes. We got out of
the car and went to see what was happening under MY tree. As there was a
commotion going on.

When I got nearer to the tree, I saw the most amazing site.

I rubbed my eyes to see if I was dreaming. This could not be!

Then I looked again. Yes, it was so. Under my tree was a spiral of little
tiny butterflies. They were flying round and round, ever higher ever faster.
The spiral started at the base of the tree and went all the way to the top.
Twenty feet of butterflies. I could not beleive it. And, best of all.  They
were pale lavender. The very same color as the stone I buried.

I got goose bumps. My stomach began to roll. Then, I realised. This was the
sign I had been waiting for!  There it was, plain as the nose upon my face!
A heavenly gift.

There was a God!

And best of all. He had heard my prayers. And answered them. I cried for a
time then, and so did my friend. He knew what I had buried, and why.

It was a miracle! Happening right before our very eyes!

I went right up to my gift. To the very edge of all the wonderful
butterflies. Still spiraling, still going higher.  I looked up to the
highest ones. They were glowing in the light of the sun. Flying ever higher.

I then looked down to the bottom of the spiral.

I was horrified at what i saw.

How could this happen I demanded to know! Was nothing ever beautiful? Did it
always have to be spoiled by DEATH?

For at the bottom of the spiral was all the wounded and dying butterflies.
Some were already dead, and some were struggling pittifully to get back up
and fly again. It was so sad. I could not help them. They were just
struggling and dying and there was nothing i could do about it.

I was so sad and hurt and a bit angry that i just started crying all over
again. My present ruined by DEATH, was all I could think.

I went home in a strange mood. I was both elated i had discovered something.
Although I was not quite sure WHAT I had discovered. I knew it was something
BIG.

At home i asked my tarot cards why butterflies?

Then I looked at my tree spirit that was on my desk. It was a miniature
replica of a little tree. It had been a gift given long ago and i treasured
it. I had always tried to decorate the tree, but never did anything fit on
it. I looked again at the tree, and at the very top was a little butterfly
that I had put on it one day and forgotten about it. One little butterfly on
my treasured tree.

I got goose bumps then. Sat thinking for a very long time.

I realaized my prayer had been answered. Although I did not understand what
all was being shown to me, I knew I had made a connection.

I knew there was a God, or a Spirit , that could hear and answer our
prayers. I knew I had discovered a secret, and that the secret concerned a
tree, butterflies, and the color lavender.

Many years later I learned of the asscension. Of the soul's spiral dance into the
heavens. I learned of the tree of life, and how the tree symbolizes us and
our lives upon this earth we call mother. I learned a butterfly was the
symbol for the soul. I learned that light lavender is the color of our crown
chakra.

Most of all, I came to know that in life there is always death. The dying
butterflies gave up their life nobelly so the others might go higher into
the heavens. All living is in a way a death. To begin life anew is to give
up the old. To let things die willingly and to not hang onto them when it
was time for it to go.