Tucked Away
Every once in a while I stumble upon a place hidden from the rest of the world so well that it really seems as if I was brought there by some unseen influence. These places tend to emanate their own specific aura, as if there was someone or something watching my every move. Sometimes I feel welcome, other times I feel like the focus of suspicion. Always there seems to be some invisible guardian or inhabitant who notices my arrival. Some people describe such places as sacred, others might use the word haunted, but I guess that depends on who you’re asking.
One such place exists here, in the countryside of Minas Gerais. At the edge of the property line where I’m staying now runs a small river. This river happens to be the source of our drinking water and, although it may be the place you’re most likely to encounter venomous snakes, spiders, caterpillars, and other creepy crawlers, it’s a place I often look forward to returning to. There’s just something about the sound of running water, the humming chorus of insects and the noise-buffering wall of vegetation that lulls me into a state of relaxation.
Unsurprisingly, the area surrounding the river is where the forest is most dense. The canopy above provides everlasting shade, creating an ideal place for life to flourish. This may also explain why it’s always so cold near the river, but I can never shake the feeling that the drop in temperature isn’t the only thing that gives me goosebumps whenever I make the trip to collect water.
Making my Approach
As I mentioned before, the river is where we collect our drinking water. About once a week I descend the hill to collect more water to store in our filter at the house. In order to actually approach the river though, I need to pass through a sort of portal. This ‘portal’ is not just a passage to the river, but seems like a doorway to another world. Each time I make my approach, I’m enveloped in a cold waft of air. It’s at this moment that I know I’ve entered the domain of what I call the Water Spirit.
Now, this “Water Spirit” isn’t as tangible as one you might find in your typical RPG, but its presence is noticeable. It may not jump from the rippling surface of the water like a Zora, or offer to grant me boons, but I still stop to greet him/her/it before approaching the water. After a few moments of stillness and silence, I respectfully cross the threshold and descend a little stairway leading down to the river bank.
Now, the river itself isn’t very impressive. In fact, it reminds me of an old creek that runs through the town where I grew up, only with a little more water. What makes this place interesting, however, is a small natural spring where water trickles down into the river from the side of the river bank’s wall. This is where we get our drinking water, not from the river itself.
Straight from the Source
Whoever dug out the stairway leading to the river also made a few modifications to the spring, using brick shingles to direct the water more easily. They also decorated the area with little trinkets like colorful stones, quartz crystals and jewelry. Somehow I feel these objects are more than just decoration however. Altogether, the place seems more like a small shrine built out of reverence rather than just a place to collect water.
Though what would a shrine be without a ritual? Yes, each time I come to take water, I perform something of a rite before making my trek back up the hill. Usually, the fountain is filled with leaves, moss and mud each time I visit. Although we do filter the water again before drinking it, I always like to clear the spring of any debris, mostly out of necessity, but somehow also out of deference to the ubiquitous presence of the water spirit. Satisfied with the state of the spring, I take my jug and place it under one of the shingles to fill it up.
The water doesn’t flow very quickly and my jug is about five gallons in volume…so this takes a while. Usually, I take this time to sit in silence, enjoying the symphony of nature. Sometimes I close my eyes to meditate and sometimes I admire the beauty of the shrine, though other times, I admit, I sit staring impatiently as the water trickles into the jug. This process only takes about ten minutes. However, as if by some dark magic, it seems more like twenty when I sit and watch…
A Spirit’s Blessing
Making the trip back up the hill with all that water isn’t nearly as peaceful or calming as making my way down, given how heavy the jug is when it’s full. Before leaving though, I always make sure to silently thank the guardian of the river for allowing me to take water in peace without any incidents involving venomous animals or a boot-full of river water. Of course, I’m thankful for the water itself too. Having fresh, naturally filtered water is something I’m going to miss when I move on to my next adventure. It’s just not the same as bottled water and has a certain mineral taste to it that I’ve grown to love. Yes, this mineral taste might technically be due to higher levels of earth in the water compared to bottled water, but it stopped being such a bad thing after my first week drinking it. Like I said, it’s grown on me.
This water spirit, though not so much like a Great Fairy from The Legend of Zelda who might offer me direct benefits, does bestow its own blessings each time I visit. Though these blessings are more indirect in nature, I still feel I have the river guardian to thank. Somehow, I feel more recharged with energy each time I visit the river. The cool air is always nice on a hot, sunny day, even if I have to return to the sun with five gallons of water on my shoulder. This in itself is a good thing too though, since I find myself getting stronger and steadier after every water run. The time alone at the spring is what I look forward to the most however, as those ten minutes waiting for the jug to fill up are often some of the best ten minutes of my day. One can accomplish a lot of self-reflection in a sacred place like that, however short a time they might spend there.
Have you ever found yourself in a place guarded by a force unseen? If so, did you feel welcome, or was your intrusion ill-met? Let me know in the comments section below and feel free to share your own stories, thoughts and interpretations!
