3.16.2007

Sister Cate Mermaid & the Old Buck

oldmermaideer

Not too long ago, I received a magnificent present from my friend Cate in Canada land. She sent me a lovely peace ring and a mermaid (see photo) which I now wear around my neck all the time (and often cradle in my hand when I'm driving or walking or thinking). When I asked her about the pendant, she told me an amazing story. I wanted to write an Old Mermaid tale to go with the pendant, but the more I tried, the more I realized that her story was already an Old Mermaid story.

With her permission, I repeat the story here; they're basically her words, but I changed it to third person. I hope I kept the spirit of the wondrous event. I don't have the words to describe what this mermaid means to me—I've tried, but I'm speechless about it—and I will one day put her in one of the Old Mermaids books.

One fine mild morning last February, Sister Cate Mermaid was walking through her wash in the highlands when the Old Buck who is guardian of the property came sauntering by. He stopped, nodded at the Sister Mermaid, dipped his head at her, and dropped one of his antlers at her feet. A gift. Sister Cate Mermaid was awed and amazed. She brought the antler home and looked at it for quite a long while before she knew what it was supposed to be, and then it said (and very clearly too), "I am a mermaid, silly woman, don't you recognize another old mermaid when you see one?" So Sister Cate Mermaid took the antler off to a friend in the highlands who carves wonderful things from shed antlers and bits of wood, and she swapped him the whole big honkin' antler in exchange for him carving one mermaid.

And I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of this gift from the Old Buck and Sister Cate Mermaid. The buck is still around, by the way, and Sister Cate Mermaid saw him last weekend. He packs a whole bunch of mojo, Sister Cate Mermaid says, and so does his antler. She also tells me, "Being given an antler (and in the old northern wash no less) was a rare treat and an uplifting thing. Shed antlers (NOT the antlers of deer killed by hunters) are veritable repositories of good solid, earth based healing energies, and when one turns them into a mermaid, well that is something truly special. Things made out of shed antlers have cauldrons full of mojo, magic and other good stuff."

oldmermaideer2

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooooooh, she is so beautiful!

And I'd say the giving of such a gift is part of the mojo too.

Both Kim and Cate enrich my world, every day.

Goddess Leonie * GoddessGuidebook.com said...

oh wow!
what a profound tale and immense gifting...