Pan
Sitting in this room of my dreams at Riversleigh, I meditate on what is, now. Before I go on any journey I must read and I am aware my mind is partly obscured by the crags of superstition. I look outside at green boughs, swaying innocently in the slight breeze, and doing nothing at all but being what they are, shelter for humans and animals, shade from the sun for the earth and its inhabitants. Generous boughs like loving arms, just doing what they do, because that is wise. The boughs bend in the breeze, and only break when they obey the natural cycle. No more, no less. I saw some old despatches pinned to the bark of one tree, "This tree means death! This tree is cursed! This tree must go! This tree is a nuisance! This tree drops leaves! This tree hides the robbers of the wood!" These were ancient signs, on faded paper and animal skin. The ink had faded and run into rivulets, so disappeared just as I read the words. There was no more.
http://www.loggia.com/myth/pan.html
(click for Pan Mythology.)
Pan, the ancient God of eternal youth, the green bough, the song of nature, the bounty of the woods for man and creature. Yet he became the horned one, for reasons that are no longer important in this time and space. All eras have their confusions and oddities. To some Pan might have been a shape shifter, a menace, a conjurer to those who misunderstood the purpose and magic of the God. Green meant "uninitiated, foolish, immature, artless" to those who couldn't sense the meaning. And it's no wonder, when the gap between the sense of life was cleaved, division became the way, not the means. All or nothing, extremes, labels, like those on the tree through the ages, branded it, made it into something it wasn't. Yet the truth was always lying in wait, for those who sought it. And it matters not, just that it be known. Pan is green, piping through the wood audaciously, to those who would see him. To others he is a menace, seen through superstitious, fearful eyes. So much "truth" is just perception. I must ask the right questions and be careful of how I perceive this journey.
copyright Monika Roleff 2005.
posted by Imogen Crest @ 7:21 PM
4 comments
The 
4 Comments:
I sense a crush as all these characters come rushing up the pathways at Riversleigh to join us. It feels like there is quite a crowd wanting to be here - calling to be noticed. Pan is one of my favourites and he is welcome any time.
What are we to do? L'enchanteur is creating quite a queue and a bottleneck! Help! And it's boiling down under...
Run a cool bath and sit in it sipping iced tea and then organise your room. Put up a do not disturb sign and hope that all these characters are distracted for awhile. We could get Lois to do some diversional therapy with Pan and the Green Man while we make ourselves comfortable.
You're making me scream with laughter! Hilarious!
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