Celestra’s Universe: Stories of Medieval Myth and Metaphysics

By Michael Barr Mossman

Celestra’s Universe tells the story of a beautiful, magical princess who transforms the lives of four medieval knights. Celestra is a woman of exceptional grace and beauty. However, there is much more to her; she possesses a hidden metaphysical dimension.

Four young men are acquiring knighthood. However, all are lacking in the ability to render compassion toward others. Celestra becomes the main focus. The search for her love turns into a spiritual quest. The four knights must overcome their own personal demons before they receive transformation. In the end, Celestra shows them that there is a greater meaning to life—that there is a spiritual dimension on the other side.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 21, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728332468

Michael Barr Mossman

Michael Barr Mossman was born in Alton, Illinois. He served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam. Mr. Mossman attended St. Bernard College in Cullman, Alabama. He graduated from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and received a Master’s Degree from Oklahoma University at Norman. Mr. Mossman spent thirty-three years in the fields of Elementary and Special Education. He and his wife Barbara, are currently residing in Orange Park, Florida.

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© 2019 Michael Barr Mossman. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/18/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3247-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3246-8 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

Book I       Celestra’s Magic

Book II      Celestra’s Light

Book III    The Celestial Quest: Wilred’s Journey

Book IV    The Celestial Vision

Book V      Manfred’s Journal AD 905

Introduction

Introduction

T he Celestra Chronicles tell the story of a mystical woman who lived in the middle ages. Celestra was one of the most beautiful, charismatic, and mystical women who ever lived. She is said to have had great wisdom as well as magical powers. She was a beautiful princess who walked among the common people. She would always work her magic for the betterment of her subjects.

To talk about Celestra is to talk about bewitchment. There are certain young women who possess this strange power. This ability is not related to beauty alone. It also relies on the compatibility or vulnerability of the subject in question. However, the enchantress is most likely to be beautiful in the eyes of her subject.

The woman in question would possess an unusual mystifying charm. She would have a special charismatic aura that would totally project from her being. This power would render the subject completely vulnerable to her persuasion.

Two factors are fundamental for a person such as Celestra. First, the woman in question must have bewitched more than one person. Secondly, the one that is bewitched must have a predisposition to fall under her spell.

This predisposition could fall under the realm of genetic memory, or having a strong genetic attraction to a person’s body type and social position.

The woman and her subject may have had a common genealogy from certain countries in Europe, Africa, or Asia. Maybe their ancestors migrated through the same countries.

Perhaps those who do not believe in a past life would call her power an act of God. Perhaps her subjects were unconsciously longing for a spiritual epiphany. Be that as it may, the subject seldom knows why he has been singled out.

Celestra was said to have sought out her victim with the power of her eyes. Intense eye contact brought her subjects under the spell. The eyes were said to be the scouts for the heart. Celestra was well aware of that. How or why she selected a certain subject was known only to the woman herself.

Perhaps she saw her victim as a future lover. Perhaps she felt that her subject was in need of help. Maybe she had the power to see into the future. Whatever the reason, her gaze was found to be binding and everlasting.

Sometimes a person would not realize that he had come under her spell. Only years later might the spell ascend to the surface. When it did, it often took the form of constantly seeing Celestra in dreams and causing a complete transformation of a human being. Most of the time, the spell captured her subject immediately.

In the beginning, most men were only physically attracted to Celestra. They saw in her the admirable traits of beauty, charm and social grace. When Celestra vanished, they found themselves being attracted to her mentally and spiritually. Thus, her spell was absorbed in every possible way.

Celestra evoked a desire in her subject to express love. There was a knightly mentality involved. Expressing love for Celestra became the subject’s metaphor for knighthood, or spiritual sanction. The search for her sanction became a spiritual quest. The words I love you became the subject’s key to the gates to heaven.

Celestra’s sanction became the main focus. In effect, the knight was willing to walk through the valley of darkness in order to be in communion with the beautiful princess. Along the way, the knight performed many good works for humankind. Celestra then took on the effect of becoming a spiritual goddess.

Thus, from the beginning, the men whom she confronted always viewed her as a love interest. She was a woman of exceptional grace and beauty. However, there was much more. Celestra possessed a hidden dimension. There was a bewitching quality about her. There was something deep in her eyes that suggested mystical power.

She always enthralled those who fell under her spell. Later the infatuation turned into something of a greater purpose. Her love became a spiritual redemption for those involved.

Therefore, in the end, her influence turned out to be spiritual rather than romantic. She changed the lives of all those who fell under her spell. Those who had been ruled by false illusions came to realize that they should let their hearts lead the way. Greed, selfishness, and immaturity would no longer play roles in their lives.

No one knows why she sought certain individuals to be put under her spell. It is only known that once the individual was chosen, his life was forever changed. All lives were changed for the better!

But Celestra should not be confined to the middle ages. She was reported to have played a significant role in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some say that her spirit still hovers on the earth today. Have you found her? Some say they have. In order to find Celestra, one only has to look into his own heart.

BOOK I

Celestra’s Magic

O nce upon a time, in King Mark’s mystical kingdom of West Shire, there lived a beautiful young princess named Celestra. She had many wonderful abilities. They began to appear when she was very young.

One hot summer day, King Mark decided to ride to a pool and take a swim. The pool was nestled in a limestone hollow beneath the cliffs of West Shire. The water came from a natural spring that flowed from the sea below.

Do not swim today, Father, Celestra said. I have had a dream. I saw a beam of light reflecting in the water. A room of many colors appeared to me. All of a sudden, the light shifted to another area and all became black.

The king laughed off his daughter’s request and rode away. Upon reaching the pool, the king dismounted and prepared to enter the water. Suddenly a strange feeling engulfed him. He hesitated to swim and decided to rest on a rock.

After resting a few minutes, the king heard a rumble. Then the rock canopy hanging over the far end of the pool came crashing into the water. The king was horrified. He returned to the castle and did not return to the pool for several weeks. When he returned, the king discovered that the pool had been covered by tons of limestone.

After that, King Mark began to take his light-haired little daughter seriously. As time went on, he made sure to consult with Celestra on a regular basis. He asked her advice on many things, including how to run the kingdom. Her prophecies always proved to be correct.

Celestra also prepared special herbs for the king. She prepared sage for wisdom, ginseng for vitality, and Irish moss for luck and safe travel. Her formulas helped to improve his health and happiness.

King Mark once questioned Celestra about who would be the next knight. Celestra gazed into her red crystal ball. She answered, "Only two squires will be knighted within the next ten years. The first one will achieve knighthood soon. He is a good young man and has a noble heart.

As for the second one, it will take longer. His heart is not yet open, and he is not ready to reach out to others. He will deny responsibility several times. However, life will one day teach him the lesson of love. His zeal will then be stronger than any other knight’s. He will become sad because he will think he has lost me forever. But true love is never lost. I will return to him when he is least expecting it.

The king nodded and took his leave.

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There was a young boy in West Shire named Eric Bard. Eric’s father died when he was an infant, and his mother earned a living as a seamstress.

Eric did some chores around the house when he got older. However, his mother had to nag and nag before she could get him to do anything. In addition, Eric was a poor student. He often found himself in trouble for playing pranks on his teachers.

Eric and two of his friends got into more trouble for throwing rotten tomatoes at a poor, old homeless man called Old Norvin. Eric and his two mischievous friends had to appear before the town magistrate. They were ordered to clean up the village streets for one month in order to learn a lesson.

Afterward, Eric behaved a little better for a short time. However, it wasn’t too long before he reverted to his old ways. He started to pick on younger children and got a reputation as a town bully. His mother didn’t know what was to become of him.

Eric’s behavior was still the same when he became a young man. One day he decided to go into the woods and shoot some critters with his bow and arrow. He kicked the dog as he left his mother’s porch. Get out of my way, you blasted animal! shouted Eric.

He then headed into the woods. When a cat ran across his path, Eric pulled out his knife and threw it at the animal. The blade of the knife hit the cat on the hipbone and bounced off. The poor cat let out a loud screech and ran into the brush. Never did like cats, said Eric to himself.

Eric then spotted a woodchuck. He lifted his bow and pulled out an arrow. The arrow sailed wide to the left, and the lucky woodchuck scrambled back into the thicket. Darn, thought Eric, two misses in row!

Eric advanced farther into the woods, hoping to find more critters to shoot. Then he suddenly heard a voice behind him. Eric spun around and encountered a large man with red hair and a red beard. The man was dressed in knight’s garb and was very rugged looking. He carried the seal of King Mark on the front of his tunic. Although the man looked rough and weather-beaten, his eyes showed kindness and sensitivity.

I am Sir Galen, said the knight. I spend a great deal of time in the woods and have been secretly watching you for a long time. Sir Galen went on to say he thought Eric would make a fine knight. He told the young boy that he reminded him of himself when he was young. I will be glad to teach you, said Sir Galen.

I always knew I was mean enough, answered Eric. When do we start the lessons?

First you must prove that you have what it takes to begin your training. You might not be aware that King Mark has a beautiful young daughter named Celestra. She has a magic sword. If she dubs you with her sword, all your problems will be solved. Then we can start our training. A new world will be open for you!

Why do I need her sanction in order to start training? asked Eric.

Because she is hard to find. If you have the ability to find her, I will know that you will make a good pupil.

How do I get to her?

She’s far away from West Shire. She is up in the highland, staying in a big castle at the foot of the windswept moor. The only hard part is crossing the rugged, dry land in the North Country. Once you cross the dry land, the castle is right there. If you decide to go, be sure to bring plenty of water with you, advised Sir Galen.

I will have no problem finding her, boasted Eric.

Eric thanked the knight and headed home. He laughed to himself on the way. What would that old guy know about anything? he wondered.

That night, Eric had a strange dream. In his dream, he observed a beautiful princess. She seemed to be calling him to come to her. As he approached her, his heart filled with a wonderful feeling of peace and tranquility. He had never been so happy in his life.

When he awoke in the morning, he was disappointed that it had been only a dream. Eric decided that he would go ahead and seek out the magic princess the knight had spoken about. What do I have to lose?

He gathered supplies the next morning. He packed plenty of dried meat and several jars of water. Eric reasoned that it would take him all day to cross the dry land. He would reach the foot of the moor at twilight and spend the night under the stars. The following morning, he would get Celestra’s sanction and become eligible to begin knight training.

Eric’s mother said that everyone knew about the king’s older daughter, Margarete. However, she told Eric that there were strange stories about a magical younger daughter. I hope you find her, said Eric’s mother. But be careful! The highland is very rugged country, and it’s easy to get lost up there.

The next morning, Eric set out on his trip across the dry land. It was cool in the morning, but it began to heat up in the afternoon. The summer sun beat down on Eric’s head and back. Eric had used half his water by late afternoon. He figured that he would have plenty of water and could even refill his jars at the castle.

Finally he came to the end of the dry land. He spotted the castle in the distance. It was there at the base of the moor, just as Sir Galen told him. He found a hollowed-out area surrounded by trees and decided to make camp. He would arrive at the castle the next morning, just as he planned.

Eric rested under the stars that night. He thought about his life. For the first time, he wondered about its meaning. What is my role, and why am I here? He finally drifted off to sleep.

Eric awoke at dawn. He was startled to see a white figure standing above him in the fog. It appeared to be a woman beckoning him to come to her. The specter began to disappear as Eric became more aware of his senses.

What was it? wondered Eric. Could it have been Celestra, the magic princess? He felt this surely must be a sign that he was on the right path.

Later that morning, Eric packed his gear and headed for the castle. As he got closer, the castle appeared more beautiful than he ever could have imagined. The white limestone seemed to glow in the early morning sun.

He reached the path leading to the castle’s door. When Eric reached the large wooden door, he knocked three times and waited. Then he knocked some more, but no one came to greet him. He noticed that the large door was not locked. It had seemed to give a little after each knock. He pushed on it, and the door swung open.

Eric walked inside the castle. It appeared to be completely empty. There was no one there!

Where is everyone? cried Eric.

As he walked around, Eric