Tears of a mermaid
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We all carry within us, our own folklore. It has been with us from our first breath. And our personal story takes shape in the footprints of our lives. Once I realised this, I went searching for my own myth. I joyously discovered many beautiful Lithuanian tales and ancient stories, which spoke to me. One in particular, led me to realise I carry the tears of a mermaid in my soul. I have the curious spirit of a hummingbird. The instincts and visionary nature of a gentle fox. And the wild nurturing of a big cat. This is my personal symbology. And this is the key to unlocking me.
But first, let me tell you a story.
Living under the Baltic Sea. Deep in the stillness near the ocean floor. Far away from the crashing waves and memories of sailors. Is Jūratė. A tailed goddess. A mermaid with a name gifted to mankind, to make sense of the body of water that laps at the shores of the land they have claimed to be their own. The sea. With its mystery and magic always eluding them.
Jūratė lives in a beautiful amber castle. Her sacred home created from the tears of trees washed into the ocean long ago. She is the caretaker of all who live below the watery horizon. She is their guardian and protector. She rules with love and gentleness. But she is fierce with those who threaten harmony. She has killed before.
One day, as the moon was just starting to be veiled by the brightness of the sun, a fisherman appears. Kastytis. A young fellow from the village of Šventoji. He has come to fish. His gentle voice of song, to pass the many hours his boat dances on the sea, attracts the curiosity of fish aplenty. He takes more than agreed. A violation of a promise. A forgotten lore. Taken to the graves of sleeping men from centuries ago.
Word of the breaching reaches Jūratė. She takes to the surface. Blood in her sights. She swims. Waves break. She swims. Clouds break. The storm begins to take a life. A fisherman’s boat overturns. Kastytis slowly sinks to the ocean floor. Jūratė swims to where his body is resting. His body is limp and seemingly lifeless. She lies next to him and closes her eyes. She wants to know his character. See his journey, before sending him below into the fiery underworld, too hot for human souls.
Something that cannot be explained. Something she sees. Softens her heart. And forgiveness is asked. She places her hands on each side of his neck. The warmth of her hands awakens him. He agrees to stay and rule this underwater world beside her. To remind fisherman of the forgotten lore. To not take more than agreed. Swimming backwards Jūratė allows her hands to slowly slip from his neck. Gills appear where her fingertips last touched his skin in that moment. A turtle smiles in the distance.
And so begins their time together. Jūratė and Kastystis.
Jūratė teaches Kastystis the way of her world. And for one hundred moon songs they live in harmony. Until their love is discovered by the thunder god, Perkūnis. Chasing the devil in his red iron chariot he spies Jūratė and Kastystis kissing on the rocks, waves lapping at her tail with the feet of Kastystis entwined. In rage the hand of Perkūnis reaches down and sweeps the water so the tide reaches as far back in distance as a thousand years resting on its side. Banishing Jūratė to her amber castle he rips the gills from Kastystis and drowns him, sending him to the underworld for eternity. For in the fire of the eyes of Perkūnis, the balance of power to the world of the gods will not continue if any immortal goddess is in love with a mortal man. Alas Perkūnis was too late. The shifting sands had already begun. Mortals had inhaled the fragrance of power. It had briefly passed by their lips. They could taste it. Unaware that they would have to swallow the destruction that accompanies power, they began to follow the scent. But that is a tale for another day.
In her castle. Deep beneath the Baltic Sea. Jūratė weeps. Today. Tomorrow. Yesterday. And her teardrops, holding the memory of her love, turn to amber as they fall from her eyes. Tiny, delicate pieces of amber. Collecting on the ocean floor. Her amber tears wash ashore after each storm. They are collected by villagers. Sold to jewellers. Bought by godmothers. Handed to orphaned souls.
And if you dare come out on a stormy night. To brave the wild wind in your hair. To stand with your bare feet in the sand. You can hear Jūratė crying in the stormy sea. She weeps not for sorrow. Not for love lost. But for the joy of knowing the beauty and awe of human love. The antidote to destruction. But that is also a story for another time. This is the story of Jūratė and Kastystis.
And that is how I see the story of Jūratė and Kastystis in my heart. This is my retelling of the great Lithuanian Legend.
Sorrow has been my comfort for many years. Laced around my soul. Weaved into my heart. I have carried it like a warm blanket around my body. And in the beautiful amber ring gifted to me by my godmother. After discovering the story of Jūratė and Kastystis, I realised I have been wearing the tears of a broken-hearted mermaid on my finger each day. And in my amber heart. No wonder sorrow had been my life companion.
Rewriting this myth I found joy, as I turned Jūratė’s tears from those of a mermaid crying for a love lost, to tears of joy. Joy of the gift of knowing her fisherman. Joy of loving Kastystis. Joy of knowing the beauty and awe of human love. And so, I stepped forward and let the blanket of sorrow drop. Now, with each day I step into the world with joy and love woven into my soul. Glowing from my amber heart, which holds the spirit of a mermaid. The goddess Jūratė.
And with each piece of amber jewellery I have received, I have been gifted the spirit of an animal. The spirit of a curious hummingbird gives wings to my writing. The wild nurturing of a big cat is found in my meditations. And the instincts and visionary nature of a gentle fox, is what guides me to understand and interact with this beautiful but mysterious world we live in.
I am grateful to have found my myth, to have discovered my personal symbology, which has given me such a rich understanding of who I am. And who I may become.
Discovering our personal symbology, in animals, ancient stories or the natural elements, reveals what sits behind the veil of consciousness and social expectation. Finding our story in classical mythology or modern literature helps us express and explain our behaviour and our beliefs. To ourselves and to others. Myth is a way to understanding. Rewriting our myth is the key to unlocking the way forward. For us to manifest what we are seeking. Whatever that may be.
Perhaps you would like to join me on this journey. In June 2021, I will be launching a six week online course, Myth and Manifestation: a way to use mythology and symbolism to rewrite your life. In this course you will understand the power of mythology, the importance of symbols and how to notice them in your life. Together with a small intimate group, we will explore archetypes and how they impact the roles we play. In this course you will find the symbols which represent you and the myths you have been carrying, which have driven your behaviour. Rewriting these myths will set you on the path to what you are looking for in life, armed with an understanding of the relationship between myth and manifestation.
Bookings for Myth and Manifestation are now open. I hope to see you there.