Alyosha's Tales: Purification by Fire

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Previous tales: Shop, Bonfire, Pipe, Forest, Power of Life, Stone, Water

Autumn was relentless. It got colder every day. New Years was approaching, summer 7522. Our ancestors usually celebrated this ancient Slavic holiday on the day of the autumn equinox. They gathered around the fire, danced around, jumped over the fire to cleanse the Soul, and walked over the coals to cleanse the Spirit, whoever wanted to, forcibly pulled no one. Afterwards, the feast was rolled up like a mountain with songs and dances. And if you think about it, it's amazing! I don’t remember that at some holiday there was no fun, or you could meet someone with sad, dull faces. Take Shrovetide, even Kolyada, or Kupala - there was always fun. Maybe because our ancestors did everything in their lives in Joy, but from a pure heart, with all their Soul. Therefore, people always had smiles on their faces. And if everyone smiles at you sincerely, will you remain indifferent? So people used to communicate with their Soul.

They did not stand sadly looking at the wall with pictures, but they did not listen to the mournful songs. That is why they said: “Life should be lived in joy, for it is only a single moment” So that!

The autumn wind ruffled the boy's hair. Alyosha noticed long ago that with the coming of cold weather the wind changed its direction as if on command. The north wind now prevailed. The time of his reign lasted until the holiday of Kolyada. And only with the beginning of spring, as if interested in what was happening in another part of the world, he strove to see what was there. Maybe that's why people said: "Free Wind". From the fact that he wanted to go there and flew. Like a shepherd, he drove the clouds after him so that it was not boring, but at the same time he helped migratory birds that gathered in warm lands.

Together with Grandfather, they stood on a cliff face. The water surface of the Pacific Ocean stretched before him. The day was overcast. The sun had already risen, but now it was hiding behind the clouds. From this, my soul was somehow melancholy.

- Well, Alyokha, where do we start? - Grandfather narrowed his eyes slyly.

Now Alyosha knew what to do. First, it was necessary to light the place.

“From the fire!” The boy smiled.

This time they stopped in an unusually "bright place", but sadly, other people have already been here and left behind trash. Empty plastic bottles, napkins, juice bags. For some reason, people who came from the city thought that the garbage could simply be thrown out right here and someone would come and take it away for them. Probably everyone in the city did that. Then Alyosha did not know about the customs of city dwellers, and nature was closer and dearer to him than the city.

- The place is bright, and around is dirty - he told himself.

- Well, let's clean it up and light it up - my grandfather suggested.

While they were collecting garbage in one heap, Alyosha asked Grandfather: "Why do people throw garbage here?"

- How do they live in the city, Alyosha? Everything is public. Common areas. Apartment houses. Many people live in the city, but there is no land of their own! No earth - no support - no earth power. A man cut off from the earth, like a tree without roots. In it, the creator perishes, because he does not have a world in which he himself is the master. And in a foreign world, how to create? From that he begins to litter and create other obscene things. From the fact that he is not the owner there. And he lives like a slave to the city. No land under your feet - no master! And if you are not the master, then what is the demand from you. This is how irresponsibility is born. I don't really like the word master. Well, for now, let's do it, and then remind me about it, I'll tell you. So! They think that someone will come after them and take them away. They instilled in them that they were not the owners, and that someone would take care of them. They are not going to nature now, they are taking the city with them, because it is scary for them to stay in nature. From that and start to shout and turn on the music loud. For fear of hearing other voices. The voice of nature. I think so. But why are we cleaning now? - the grandfather looked at the boy with interest.

- I somehow did not think why and why we are cleaning. It's just that I'm looking at the garbage that is lying on the ground and it's hard for me, as if garbage appeared in my soul too. And I don't want to live with garbage in my shower. It's hard.

- Speaking right! Look! You came to the place. He may have stopped to rest, or some business he started, or maybe he was going to create some fortune-telling. And there is rubbish around. And the place itself is strong and bright. The soul reveals itself in this. And as soon as she opened, the garbage attracted her attention. She absorbs everything into herself. That's how it turned out in your soul! Imprinted as if he were in her. There is such a word even in Russian - Impression. The soul would be glad to soar, but the garbage does not allow it to rise. Like a bag, the wind picked up the paper and carried it to the heavens, but if you cram garbage into it, then such a wind will not cope with it.

And it happens differently. Maybe you've already come with garbage in your shower. There were some problems, worries, resentments. Here, you brought them here, with you. Mental rubbish. And then, even if the place is strong and bright, it is hard for the soul to open up in such a place.

Fire has great cleansing power. Fire transforms one quality into another. It gives new forms and properties to the world. Man has this property too. Maybe that's why Kres-yane (fire-worshipers) said that a person has a fiery essence. That is, a person received something, gave it a new form and then passed it on to someone. But we are still interested in purification. So there you go! You collected all the trash and burned it. And he cleaned up the place and a place in the shower was freed. Now the soul can calmly open and listen to the beauty. And along with this, the place is illuminated.

A bonfire is always warm, it brings light and purification. And this is important for any person, and for the sorcerer, it is probably the most important.

- For a sorcerer? the boy asked in surprise.

- Our ancestors used to call the fire Dunia. This was the name for the combination of heavenly and earthly living fire. Did you notice that our meetings rarely go without a fire? So before our ancestors gathered and made fires when the Rites were performed.

“Rituals?” The boy was even more surprised.

Well, that's when Both Are Near. Well, as we are now. See how easy it is? So there you go! Around Dunia, a fire, that is, a protective circle was built, well, in order to limit the space around the fire. And the circle was called Kolo. From that Wheel, Well, Bell. The man who, inside this circle with fire, performed actions and was the Sorcerer.

- So we can say that we are sorcerers? - the boy goggled his eyes in surprise.

- Well, there is little! - the grandfather laughed heartily.

Hastily they collected all the rubbish that was around, built a fire and set it on fire. The fire came to life. The flames began their dance merrily. Today he turned out to be very cheerful, as if he himself was glad that he was clearing the land of garbage. So the three of them stood on the cliff.

Unexpectedly for himself, Alyosha noticed how light and joyful it became in his soul. All around was Beauty, in its original form. Suddenly he realized that something had changed. Grandfather's words seemed to come true. As if, together with a fire, they cleansed not only the place, but also their souls. He actually felt light, warm and light inside. An extraordinary feeling of joy and lightness gripped him. There was a strange lightness, as if he had turned into a balloon and was about to take off from the ground. And then Alyosha noticed that it was not clear how, but the weather suddenly changed too. Either the wind scattered the clouds while they were collecting trash. Either the Sun itself wanted to see how they worked together with him for the benefit of all living things. They did not notice how the weather had changed, but now there are only memories of that cloudy day that was half an hour ago.

Alyosha looked at Grandfather and it seemed to him that he, too, was glowing with happiness. Along with this, he caught a mischievous spark in his eyes. The boy had seen that look before and knew what it meant. Usually, after that, Grandfather began his Tale.