The moon mother resides
in the hidden valley.
Her cape made of the misty moon
is a doorway between worlds.
Only the wise may enter.
(Tao Te Ching, Chapter Six
Interpreted by Terry Chitwood)
Writers filled with mist from the moon act as doorways between worlds. Words flow from the hidden world through the writer into this world. Only wise writers may enter the sacred realm and bring back the fire.
The moon mother doesn’t negotiate; she reveals. To those she invites, the clouds part revealing a silver path leading to the door of her house in the hidden valley. Knock at your peril, for if you’re found unworthy, you’ll forget who you are and return to the world destined to imitate mediocre writers.
The moon mother extracts a price for her secrets—everything you thought you were. Stripped of outworn conceptions, you are ready to receive her teachings. Stepping onto a beam of moonlight, you enter a new world.
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