Dearest Friends,
When my plane landed, despite my exhaustion, I went immediately to visit an old friend of mine who lived in the area. It was an arduous journey because he lives on top of a mountain. I hired a driver and it was quite treacherous, then I had to stumble along a moonlit path until I finally found his house, which was surprisingly palatial. This was no mountaintop hermit living in a cave dressed in rags, although a hermit he may be. I hoped he was there and in a welcoming mood, because he has no telephone, no cellphone, no email or internet.
"Why do you have to make it so difficult to find you?" I asked, once I was settled on his back deck with a cup of hot chocolate and a lambswool throw.
He gestured to a collection of different sized telescopes sitting on his deck and said, "In order to better see the stars, of course. To get closer to God, as they say."
I shivered. "You feel closer to God up here?"
"Of course, and to all of the astronomers who came before me. Who paved the way. They spent many hours, many days, many years, many lives in the cold, in the dark, staring at the skies. I can only hope for the same."
I set down my mug on the deck railing and said, "I have come to ask you if you've seen any changes in the stars."
"It's too soon for that Winter."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"The heavens are vast. We cannot begin our study of them until we know what we're looking for."
"I see. So how do we begin?"
"Begin," he said, "by telling me your dreams."
I closed my eyes and begin telling him the story of a priest who had been coming to me in my dreams and giving me pieces of a map to another world.
* * *
Before you can begin your mission you must complete a series of lessons. The first few lessons will be simple, and are designed to get you into the mindset of an explorer. After that, they will become more challenging, and you will need to lean on each other to decipher them.
I have created a website for you to use as portal for the lessons and for your mission. I will be adding your names next to the cards you have chosen, so please let me know how you would like to be referred to on the website, and whether or not you would like me to include your twitter handle.
Thank you to those who have chosen to follow me on this journey. I wish you luck.
All of My Love Always,
Winter
https://www.sylvanastories.com
