Article_Picture: 

Have you been practicing cogitating with the heart? What have you discovered? If you haven’t done so already, you may wish to record your learning in a notebook, so nothing gets lost.
 
Since Owl tells me you’ve been paying attention (oh, yes, Owl knows!), this is the last reflection for now about heart-cogitation. When The Awakening Tales are in your hands, we can explore more together, if you wish.
 
Meanwhile, I’ll share the last lesson I had with Owl on this subject. He had asked me to meet him at the big rock in front of Bear’s cave. Bear was sound asleep inside, so she would not mind us conversing there. It might even give her a nice dream, Owl thought.
 
So at the appointed hour, I settled my back against the sun-warmed rock. Soon Owl flew in and came to earth close by.
 
“Do you know why I wanted to meet here?” he asked. I shook my head—I had already been wondering about that.
 
“It’s because sometimes, when Bear and I have talked about what we’re doing here in the Glen, she has called her cave ‘the cave of the heart.’ I didn’t understand the first time she said it, so I asked her to teach me. This is what she revealed:
 
“‘A cave reaches deep into the earth, just like the heart is deep in ourselves. When we peer into it, it seems dark. So when I explored my cave, just like when we explore the heart, I didn’t know what I’d find and it wasn’t always easy to see my way.
 
“‘When I reached the deepest part of my cave, I was drenched in a splendid light. That’s just like the cave of your own heart: at its depth there is the Great Light. You can’t see it in the beginning because a cave has many twists and turns and sometimes there are even obstructions to get through. But there is always a way, if you want to find the Great Light at your center.’”
 
Owl paused. I said nothing. I was trying to feel my way into my own heart’s center, but I couldn’t. It did seem dark, though not empty, and I could feel what might be an obstruction. As I kept my focus on the cave of my heart, a deep longing arose to find the Great Light within.
 
“Ah,” said Owl. “Now you will find your way. Just follow your longing.” And he winked at me and flew away. I looked up, startled, because I had more questions.
 
Just then I spied Ant coming from Bear’s cave. “Hello, Ant!” I said. “Maybe you can help me. What does it mean to follow my longing?”
 
Ant nodded, but didn’t pause on his way. “That’s a very good question, Marilyn, but you’ll have to ask the Wizard.”
 
And so must you, my friend.