Hi, dear friends and followers. Today's topic is mostly about lessons in life. I hope you enjoy reading the entry and thank for visiting my blog
Let’s face it: life is complicated. It is full of everything from screw ups, bad luck, failures, and never ending wrong turns. But the biggest part of life is learning how strange it is to be human.
Anodos doesn’t mean to go to fairyland; he simply wakes up to the morning sun and there he is. Like him, I open my eyes every morning in a world that might as well be fairyland, for despite my years living in it, I still don’t know my way around completely.
I have stopped trying to make sense of the world because it will never make sense for as long as it is ruled by fallible unstable human beings. The only way it makes sense to me is what I do my best to do in each day. What can I do today that might help to make a little more sense for me and the people around me? I can only accomplish this, in one place and one person at a time, while living in a fallible world. Just do the best I can do today for I do not know what will happen tomorrow. I might get struck down by a meteorite for all I know.
There is no map to life in these strange lands, not for me, not for Anodos. He doesn’t know where he is going; he journeys vaguely east and follows a river. Somewhere along the way, a seed of wondering is planted in his mind. It doesn’t take long for him to start striving for a life worth living, even in the world of fairy. I can almost hear him ask, “but how?” How in this crazy world of accidents and mistakes do you find something worth doing?
I think this is why I love Anodos’ story so much. He meets more successes and failures along his journey, just like I do.
Past failures creep back into his life, just like they have mine. At a low moment for him, a shadow that had stalked him since his first steps in fairyland returns. It is stronger than ever now, and it imprisons him.
While jailed, Anodos suffers much. He finds himself tired, alone and without hope. Eventually, he is freed, saved by a beautiful song sung by a woman he had wronged ages ago. He is free, but he is a broken man; in that moment, he asks for and is granted forgiveness and reconciliation.
The journey is the most important part, and it ought to be remembered.
There is no map to life in these strange lands, not for me, not for Anodos. He doesn’t know where he is going; he journeys vaguely east and follows a river. Somewhere along the way, a seed of wondering is planted in his mind. It doesn’t take long for him to start striving for a life worth living, even in the world of fairy. I can almost hear him ask, “but how?” How in this crazy world of accidents and mistakes do you find something worth doing?
What's your true burn? What is your deepest desire? Once you know that, then don't let anything stop you. Do it! Even if you fail you have succeeded, just for having honestly tried. I know I have repeated this statement many times in my entries, but it is the most important lesson that I have learned in my life which helped to balance my self-esteem and worthiness. Even if I missed the boat on all opportunities that came my way, I am still a winner for having tried
How often I have wished I could meet one of the wise old women of the fairies, who would tell me exactly what I need to do that is worth my time. How often have I thought I would pursue a worthy thing if only I could find it.
Anodos does find it though. He ends up meeting two brothers, who take him in. Together they go to slay some giants that were terrorizing some townsfolk. Perhaps this is it, Anodos’ moment; the mission his life was building up to. This is the deed that will somehow make his life worthwhile.
Somehow I thought slaying giants would usher in some happy ending for him, and everything would work out well. But no. The brothers die and Anodos lives, becoming a hero of the kingdom. But there isn’t a happy ever after. He wanders on.
How often I have wished I could meet one of the wise old women of the fairies, who would tell me exactly what I need to do that is worth my time. How often have I thought I would pursue a worthy thing if only I could find it.
Anodos does find it though. He ends up meeting two brothers, who take him in. Together they go to slay some giants that were terrorizing some townsfolk. Perhaps this is it, Anodos’ moment; the mission his life was building up to. This is the deed that will somehow make his life worthwhile.
Somehow I thought slaying giants would usher in some happy ending for him, and everything would work out well. But no. The brothers die and Anodos lives, becoming a hero of the kingdom. But there isn’t a happy ever after. He wanders on.
Have you heard the saying, be careful what you wish for? Well sometimes you end up finding out what you got was not really what you wanted. Or the novelty wears off and it becomes more of a burden than something beneficial. I only just pray for each day to bring me whatever joy I can get from it, Life is getting shorter and I do not any longer have time to waste on yesterday's dramas and other negative trivialities. I count my blessing and move on and share them with others who might be interested in hearing them
I think this is why I love Anodos’ story so much. He meets more successes and failures along his journey, just like I do.
Past failures creep back into his life, just like they have mine. At a low moment for him, a shadow that had stalked him since his first steps in fairyland returns. It is stronger than ever now, and it imprisons him.
While jailed, Anodos suffers much. He finds himself tired, alone and without hope. Eventually, he is freed, saved by a beautiful song sung by a woman he had wronged ages ago. He is free, but he is a broken man; in that moment, he asks for and is granted forgiveness and reconciliation.
Somehow I thought slaying giants would usher in some happy ending for him.
Is this life? A constant losing and finding of self, till somehow the idea of a true self-emerges through the ashes, purified by the fires of success and failure? Will it be the same for me? That somehow, after all, this is over I will see how it makes sense though it all seems like nonsense right now?
Leaving those words, he reflects on all his wandering thus far, how he has changed and how he has not. “Self will come to life even in the slaying of self; but there is ever something deeper and stronger than it, which will emerge at last from the unknown abysses of the soul” (Phantastes 169).
Is this life? A constant losing and finding of self, till somehow the idea of a true self-emerges through the ashes, purified by the fires of success and failure? Will it be the same for me? That somehow, after all, this is over I will see how it makes sense though it all seems like nonsense right now?
It does, and so it will continue to appear like that in a world of such chaos as ours appears to be in at this time. As I have mentioned above, alone we can't save the world, but we can help it along in it's healing one person at a time. Your very own fairy world is no further that in your own heart. You build it piece by piece every day of your life. Just need to meditate and reflect back and you will see fairyland was there all the time
Anodos reminds me of myself. There is that fumbling uncertainty, that trying to do something worth doing, that repetition of mistakes. Yet somehow the fires of success and failure act as a purifying agent so that the unknown abysses of the soul can come forth.
The last chapters of Phantastes record Anodos’ death. The introductory quote to this chapter, written by Novalis, leaves me wondering. “Our life is no dream, but it ought to become one and perhaps will.” When I die, will this life feel like a dream? I hope not, because as confusing as it is, the journey is the most important part, and it ought to be remembered.
Anodos reminds me of myself. There is that fumbling uncertainty, that trying to do something worth doing, that repetition of mistakes. Yet somehow the fires of success and failure act as a purifying agent so that the unknown abysses of the soul can come forth.
The last chapters of Phantastes record Anodos’ death. The introductory quote to this chapter, written by Novalis, leaves me wondering. “Our life is no dream, but it ought to become one and perhaps will.” When I die, will this life feel like a dream? I hope not, because as confusing as it is, the journey is the most important part, and it ought to be remembered.
Thank you very much again, dear friends, for visiting my blog. Please share your thoughts with us, if you will. Have a great day.
✿ڰۣ❤In Loving Light from the Fairy Lady❤ڰۣ✿
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