The Mystic Paradigm: An Evolutionary Novel Read Free

made him impatient and confused.
    Passing up a chance for further study at the University, Joshua eventually chose to work on the bioregional collective farms nestled near the Cascade Mountains. He had initially been raised in the urban areas of the Northern Willamette Valley, near what had been Portland, Oregon. Most cities had been transformed throughout much of the world after the revolution. The larger cities, like Portland, had been broken up into small sustainable ecovillages. Much of the concrete and many miles of roadways past were replaced by forests and green space. Joshua had been raised in such a village close to the Willamette River. Yet even being brought up in this beautiful new urban utopia, Joshua felt the intense need to be closer to the earth. The earth gave him a calming feel and the daily proximity to the soil, plants and trees grounded him. Digging his hands deep into the fertile soil made him feel connected. So it was that he came to live at the Rising Sun Farm.
    Many came to the collective farms to do their service to the larger community. Together they grew the organic food that helped feed the larger society, and that sense of purpose was invigorating. Rising Sun Farm was a diverse place with many cultures and languages spoken. A beautiful place of farms and forest nestled among the Santiam River, many younger people came here for solitude and service. Joshua had made many new friends. The work and education on the farm combined to provide exactly what he had wanted.
    He knew that every experience was part of the journey. Yet he also had a longing for something he couldn’t quite grasp. Perhaps his dreams were part of this? He could not get the gentle voice of the feminine spirit out of his mind. Amid the chaos and terror of his dream, this one voice had seemed to save him. Were the ones beyond Earth calling him? Was he being called to the mystic way of life again? Was he to help in some way? He knew from his upbringing that many dreams carried critical messages. He had learned to interpret some of them, yet he wasn’t quite clear what this one meant.
    Before he left for the village he decided to spend some time in meditation and prayer to gather his thoughts about it. He found an inner peace with the meditation that the elders had taught him. He had learned to meditate at an early age and he loved what it did to him. This part of the early mystic training had stayed with him.
    After getting dressed, he looked at his clock and knew he had time for a short calming session on the bluff. He grabbed what he needed and followed the rocky path to the farm’s sanctuary. Immediately, sensing the earth all around him, he felt a sense of peace. The beautiful sanctuary slowly came into sight. Handmade of local wood and rock, it rested on a bluff overlooking the river. Joshua’s eyes skimmed the tops of the fir and alder trees that lined the meandering river bed below. The slight breeze of the mountain air gave him a sense of satisfaction and the beauty of the area made him feel centered. He felt at home here.
    Drifting in the space of no thought for several minutes, he began to find his sense of peace again. Joshua opened his eyes and remembered: the reflection ceremony, Talis’s grandfather. He would have to catch the maglev train to town in about 20 minutes. He slowly got up from his place and made his way down to the station. He stopped again to smell the fresh scent of fir and slowed his pace even more. I will have time, he thought. Slow down and breathe. Focus your thoughts on the reflection. With that gentle reminder, he walked slowly to the train and boarded for the village.

Chapter 4

The Reflection
     
    It was time for the group to gather. Grandfather’s time had arrived and people began filing slowly into the room. The energy was calm and serene; people sensed a peace in the room. Grandfather was smiling as he recognized his friends. He was happy to see so many gathered. Jasmine, a mystic from