It was Uzume, a goddess of laughter and joy, who was finally able to lure Her out of Her cave and out of Her depression. Uzume was known for her dancing and comedic antics. It was precisely these things that enticed Amaterasu to venture out.  When She emerged from the cave, She saw Her reflection in a large mirror that was placed in front and She was momentarily distracted by Her own beauty and love allowing Her to be drawn out further and never return to the darkness.

Amaterasu allows us to acknowledge our dark periods. Those times of grief and depression. Sometimes it is necessary to go into our caves to heal. What Uzume shows us is that we cannot stay there forever.

If the healing turns to self-pity and becomes an addiction sometimes it takes another to be a mirror to us and show us our true selves. As a mirror we can be shown the true beauty of who we are and not the darkness that we may have become.

When Amaterasu steps in, you are being asked to bring more joy into your life. Examine your shadows and where you might be stuck. Take a look again at who you are in a brighter light. Now is the time to come out of your cave and to begin life anew. Go ahead, laugh at yourself, allow joy, close your eyes and feel the warmth of the sun. And remember that sometimes you are the light and sometimes, you are the mirror. Reflect love.

Making Contact

You rise and dress comfortably putting on a light jacket. You look around your room packing some items in your backpack and preparing for the journey ahead. The day is cloudy and it looks as if a storm might be­ brewing but you are not concerned.

A brisk wind stings your face as you open the door to venture out. Your first clue that this will not be an ordinary journey.

The ground is springy beneath your feet and the grass here is quite green and soft. You set off in the direction of the mountain in the distance. You feel full of energy and optimism. But as you walk you notice that your chest gets heavy. The air becomes thinner and it becomes more difficult to breathe.

Your pace slows as the ground becomes uneven and rocky. Your pack begins to weigh heavily on your back as the terrain steadily inclines. You begin to lean forward to counter the weight.

As your ascent continues, your descent into yourself begins. You begin to question why you chose this journey.  You lament all the decisions you have made in preparation. Why didn’t you chose a warmer coat? Why did you pack such a heavy bag? Why didn’t you wear better shoes? You should have known. You should have known. You should have known. The sky grows darker.

You continue to move forward but you are tired now. Your breath comes in ragged gasps. You cough and you trip on slippery ground. You catch yourself with your hands, cutting them on the sharp gravel. You wince with pain noticing the tiny drops of blood pushing up through your skin.

You think you cannot go on when the rain begins to fall.

Your head swims with thoughts of “what if?”. You curse yourself for not being good enough, for not being strong enough, for not having what it takes to reach the top. You decide you were never going to make it anyway so you may as well quit now.

It is then that you notice a cave in the hillside. You decide to rest there until the rain passes.

You sit for some time in the entrance of the cave listening to the storm and watching the rain as it falls heavily upon the ground. You are wet and cold and alone.

Shivering, you turn toward the tunnel leading into the earth and decide to venture into its depths. Your despair becomes overwhelming. You no longer care and you wish to disappear. You gather up your pack and begin to walk into the darkness.

You smell the fire before anything else. The smoke from burning wood peaks your curiosity.  You move forward, deeper into the depths of the cave. You begin to hear the crackling as it burns and then begin to feel its heat.

A tiny spark floats in your direction, beckoning you toward the warmth. As you round the bend, it comes into view. The cave is filled with light. There are soft piles of blankets on the ground and a plate of warm food.  

Then you notice Her. She sits with the hot golden glow of the fire on her skin as it burns between you. Her face is twisted in pleasure and beauty. Sweat sparkles like diamonds on her skin. You briefly wonder what it is you walked into and contemplate a quick and embarrassed exit. But you stand there unable to move in her presence, wondering what it is that compels you to stay.

She motions for you to remove your wet, cold clothing and to sit. You drop your pack, disrobe and you take your place upon the soft blankets. The warmth of the fire relaxes you and pulls you into a sensual embrace. Her unreal beauty mesmerizes you and you continue to stare unblinking. Your fingers absently touch the fabric of the blankets, mindlessly noticing their otherworldly softness when you suddenly realize it is in fact, your own skin that you are stroking.

She laughs at your shock and discomfort. You can’t help but laugh at yourself too.

She stands and walks toward you. You lick your lips in anticipation and your heart beats faster. You don’t understand what it is you are feeling, but you no longer care.

Taking Her place beside you, She picks up your pack and throws it in the fire. It crackles and burns clean away. She scoops up your clothing and burns it in the fire. It too dissolves in the heat of the flame.

Naked and exposed, you lose your desire to hide. She picks up the food, one morsel at a time and pushes it gently into your mouth. It melts like magic over your tongue in an indescribable taste explosion. You feel it vibrate through your entire body.

As she feeds you, she tells you her story. She speaks of a grief so deep and unending that it takes your breath away and cuts deep into your heart. You feel the knife of her pain cutting into you, carving away pieces until a deep, empty chasm is all that remains.

Then she kisses your heart and you feel it soften. She kisses your belly and you begin to feel your own inner fire. She kisses your pelvis and you feel pleasure that is akin to pain. She stands to kiss the top of your head, pulling all of these sensations through your being. Filling the cavernous space that she carved.

Lastly, She picks up a mirror and slowly turns it toward you. For the first time you are able to pull your eyes away from Her and look at your own reflection within.

And there you are with skin the color of the golden flames, sweat sparkling like diamonds in the firelight. There is laughter in your eyes and love in your heart. And there is light. A light so big and blinding that you know you will never totally give into the darkness again.

She laughs as you gasp in surprise at who you have become. She laughs as the light flashes, blowing you back from the flame and blocking out all sight as you lose consciousness.

You hear nothing.

All is quiet.

You slowly wake to find that you are resting outside of your door on the soft grassy earth where you had taken the first steps of your journey. You are not sure of the time or how long you’ve been gone. As your eyes adjust to the rising of the sun, you laugh at Her shining down upon your new day.