The Secret Wisdom of Charmwood Forest

By Arielle Kelly

One long winter in Charmwood Forest a philosophical goat, a rebellious lamb, a gentle wolf cub and a self-reliant young deer all learn the ways of the Old Wisdom from a forest Elder. Through terrible misadventure, each of them are tried and tested, including their Mentor, who in the end learns something valuable from each of his new students.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jun 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514496558

Arielle Kelly

ARIELLE KELLY is a poet, author and activist who lives in Sydney, Australia with her extended family. She loves singing, dancing and cooking and she has a deep love for nature and animals. She likes to meditate and to embark upon adventures in consciousness leading to peace, knowledge and enlightenment. She currently works as a volunteer biographer for people who are fi ghting life threatening illnesses and those in palliative care.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Arielle Kelly. 742012

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016908864

ISBN: Softcover     978-1-5144-9656-5

Hardcover     978-1-5144-9657-2

EBook     978-1-5144-9655-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 06/28/2016

Xlibris

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www.xlibris.com.au

The Secret Wisdom

of

Charmwood Forest

Written by Arielle Kelly ©

To all who believe in the Magic of The Natural World.

Based on an idea by Daniel Masefield.

"The Creation is Mother Nature herself, only much more.

The Creation is The Great Mother of All That Is.

She gave birth to all the stars in the heavens,

And to all that is seen, all that is unseen, and all that is yet to be."

~ The Old Wisdom

One long winter in Charmwood Forest a philosophical goat, a rebellious lamb, a gentle wolf cub and a self-reliant young deer all learn the ways of the Old Wisdom from a forest Elder. Through terrible misadventure, each of them are tried and tested, including their Mentor, who in the end learns something valuable from each of his new students.

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Contents

Chapter 1 The Mysteries of the Forest

Chapter 2 A Thief in the Night

Chapter 3 Home Sweet Home

Chapter 4 The Forces That Shape Us

Chapter 5 The Journey by Night

Chapter 6 The Unseen World

Chapter 7 On The Scent

Chapter 8 The Shame

Chapter 9 The Shelter

Chapter 10 What the Eye Cannot See

Chapter 11 The Seeds of Destiny

Chapter One

The Mysteries of the Forest

Each of us teach what we most need to learn.

~ The Old Wisdom

O scar pushed his glasses back up on his beak and pulled his feather cape warmly around his shivering shoulders. The chill wind from the north was playing on the edge of the circle, and the crackling fire spat tiny, dancing sparks into the night air. Everyone waited for the wise owl to begin. He cleared his throat. Greetings and Blessings to One and All.

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Oscar paused to look around at his students. A bit of a scrappy bunch, he had to admit to himself, But they all have good hearts. Young Wesley was sitting alone, deep in thought and repeatedly slicking down his fur. He had this little tuft of fur on his face that made it look like he had one eyebrow larger than the other. It made him feel like everyone was looking at his eyebrows when they spoke to him. He was a bit of a loner, but not because he didn’t like the company of others. He just didn’t feel the same as the other young wolves in his pack. He was more sensitive and compassionate. He was different.

Yes, Wesley has great potential Oscar mused. At that moment someone threw some dry twigs onto the fire and it crackled and hissed, and sent up a stream of sparks, like tiny golden dots all rising into the air simultaneously. Oscar breathed deeply to take in the intoxicating scent of burning wood.

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Larry was looking down and flicking at the dirt with a bent twig. A swathe of dark wool draped itself over his fine featured face and swept down under each eye. Although he would usually prefer to be home listening to music or playing his guitar, the thought of sneaking away without his parents’ permission had been too much of a temptation. So what if he did have to listen to a boring lecture for half an hour. Well, at least he had the chance to do something risky and secret. It would be worth it.

He was never allowed out once it got dark. His parents always warned him that dangers lurked in the darkness, especially for young lambs. But Larry refused to let it dampen his spirit of adventure.

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Oscar was especially fond of Larry, despite his pretense of boredom and indifference. He had always suspected that Larry used that as a shield to protect his vulnerability and keep people at arm’s length. Oh Larry, thought Oscar, If only you can find a way to let your guard down.

Oscar glanced over to see what Kelvin was doing. He had a small notepad and he was writing some poetry. He must have been stuck for a word because he stopped, looked up in the air, and was stroking his goatee thoughtfully. Larry often teased him about his poems, and squirmed whenever Kelvin proudly recited one, which he did whenever the opportunity presented itself. Larry found it cringe-worthy, but most other people thought Kelvin was cool and unconventional. He had plenty of charisma, like an aura that radiated from him. There was definitely something attractive about him and it wasn’t just that he was handsome for a young goat. It’s as if his sense of personal freedom was somehow liberating to others. Not that Kelvin cared what anyone else thought of him. He was his own person, and impressing people was of no interest to him at all. He just wanted to make people think more deeply, and to feel something beyond the normal things of life.

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