In The Mists<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Eight of Cups from the Robin Wood TarotI know this place,I\u2019ve been here before.I always loved the forest, andit was right outside my back door.But times\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2010\/08\/in-the-mists.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In The Mists\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eight of Cups from the Robin Wood TarotI know this place,I\u2019ve been here before.I always loved the forest, andit was right outside my back door.But times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2010\/08\/in-the-mists.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"John Beckett\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-08-23T18:35:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_cpRXT6ZSHTw\/THME6pWDtGI\/AAAAAAAAAhQ\/48velisgoBU\/s320\/Eight+of+Cups.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"John Beckett\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"John Beckett\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2010\/08\/in-the-mists.html\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2010\/08\/in-the-mists.html\",\"name\":\"In The Mists\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2010-08-23T18:35:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2010-08-23T18:35:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/#\/schema\/person\/b4c8980dc36f971434424c304ca429ad\"},\"description\":\"Eight of Cups from the Robin Wood TarotI know this place,I\u2019ve been here before.I always loved the forest, andit was right outside my back door.But times\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2010\/08\/in-the-mists.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2010\/08\/in-the-mists.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2010\/08\/in-the-mists.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"In The Mists\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/\",\"name\":\"John Beckett\",\"description\":\"Musings of a Druid, Pagan, and Unitarian Universalist.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/#\/schema\/person\/b4c8980dc36f971434424c304ca429ad\",\"name\":\"John Beckett\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f50bfa2a79f70103847fe75540bb29c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f50bfa2a79f70103847fe75540bb29c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"John Beckett\"},\"description\":\"I grew up in Tennessee with the woods right outside my back door. 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I always loved the forest, and<\/span>
it was right outside my back door.<\/span>
But times were hard and<\/span>
I would wander in and out,<\/span>
never truly seeing what I saw,<\/span>
afraid to stray from the straight and narrow,<\/span>
and besides, the path of concrete and steel<\/span>
looked so enticing, so real.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the forest was always there,<\/span>
and if I looked closely enough,<\/span>
quietly enough,<\/span>
I could see movement in the trees.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the land of the Dark<\/span>
I saw the Light<\/span>
and in the distance<\/span>
for the first time<\/span>
I saw the Stag.<\/span><\/p>\n

I stayed on the edge of the forest,<\/span>
still wandering in and out,<\/span>
a little deeper now,<\/span>
but always fearful of becoming lost.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nine years ago I found the mists<\/span>
or the mists found me<\/span>
and the Stag spoke clearly:<\/span>
\u201cYou cannot stay here.<\/span>
Follow me deeper into the forest<\/span>
or return to concrete and steel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I followed.<\/span><\/p>\n

I journeyed within<\/span>
and I built on the foundations<\/span>
laid by the sages of Old and New.<\/span>
Fear was pushed out by Love.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Stag led me further.<\/span><\/p>\n

I found a home and I found a voice<\/span>
and I learned to serve.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Stag led me further.<\/span><\/p>\n

I found a path and I found a teacher;<\/span>
I learned the Wisdom of the Trees.<\/span><\/p>\n

I found a vision<\/span>
that looked so perfect,<\/span>
so easy<\/span>
it had to be mine.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Stag waited patiently as<\/span>
the vision crumbled.<\/span><\/p>\n

The mists rose.<\/span><\/p>\n

I know this place,<\/span>
I\u2019ve been here before.<\/span><\/p>\n

The mists are cooling, soothing,<\/span>
restful.<\/span>
I will stay here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe mists will leave soon,<\/span>
and you must choose.<\/span>
The path leads up the mountain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That path is steep.<\/span>
\u201cNo steeper than other paths you\u2019ve travelled.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I cannot see the top.<\/span>
\u201cCould you see this place nine years ago?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

My load is heavy.<\/span>
\u201cThen set down what you do not need.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I cannot suffer loss.<\/span>
\u201cYou will lose what you do not need<\/span>
or you will lose what lies ahead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I am tired.<\/span>
\u201cThe time grows short,<\/span>
and you are not yet so old.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I cannot die having not seen the mountain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is work on the mountain that must be done.\u201d<\/span>
Few see it, but I do.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone must work the magic.\u201d<\/span>
I can, but not yet, not here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will learn on the journey.\u201d<\/span>
I have before, I will again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be sacrifice.\u201d<\/span>
Nothing of value comes cheaply.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShall we begin?<\/span><\/p>\n

I know this place,<\/span>
I\u2019ve been here before.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"