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Back to Wesoomi's Archives The Legend of Wesoomi: Twenty Three: Partaking the Fungi: August 5, 2002: In the days following his trance, Spirit Guide went often into the forest. There he partook of the wild fungi Wesoomi. Each day he added more of the fungi to his diet until he partook of nothing else. As he added the fungi he began to have visions. He found he could see things which happened out of his sight. He spoke with Soft Hand about these things. "I have partaken of the fungus Wesoomi and I did not perish," he began. "You jest, my friend. You speak in jest." "Nay, Soft Hand. I speak in truth, by my Mother's spirit I speak true." "Then I must needs believe you. You would not invoke the Golden Earth Mother's Spirit in jest." "Nay, Soft Hand, nor even in simple things. This be a deep thing I share with you." "How come this to be, Spirit Guide?" "My Mother so charged me." "To eat the mushroom?" "Indeed. She told me Wesoomi be a sacred fruit of the Great Spirit. As you know, it brings painful death to those who partake without leave." "But, The Golden Earth Mother gave you leave?" "Aye." "To what end?" "To prepare my head to learn the wisdom of the Great Spirit, Soft Hand. I am to be enlightened." "That be a fearful thought." "It be my fate." "I wish you well. When will your illumination begin?" "I believe it be already begun." "In what way?" "I have visions. I see things which are not in my sight." "True things?" "Aye. Some I have proved." "What else will come?" "I know not. I am to visit the domain of the Great Spirit to be instructed." "Will you share this with us?" "As I am allowed." "It is good. I will aid you as best I can. I will follow you." "It is good for you must needs minister to me. I shall become ill in my duty. I will suffer a great ordeal." "I will attend you and serve you, my friend. You are indeed the Spirit Guide. I shall never doubt you." "It be good, Soft Hand." On the following day, the time of one moon had passed and Spirit Guide fell into a great trance. A fever gripped him with a burning hand and he lay on his mat on the border of death. Soft Hand tended him and Quiet Stalker sent women of the village to help. They bathed him in cool water and watched over him as he suffered his ordeal. Many days he suffered thus as the Husbandmen beseeched the Great Spirit on his behalf. Sometimes Spirit Guide would regain his human senses for an instant. On these times, he would smile at whoever was tending him. One time he spoke. "I have been in the domain of the Great Spirit," he said. This was told about the village and the people marveled at it. In his visits to the domain of the Great Spirit, Spirit Guide was being enlightened. He learned about the beginning, when the Great Spirit created the heavens. He learned of the creation of earth and of Fertileland. He came to understand how each of the creatures were created. He was told how the Great Spirit created a man creature and a mate for him. He saw how the Great Spirit breathed much of his own spirit into these creatures. He saw how this pair were placed in Fertileland and nurtured until they multiplied into the Nation of People. Then the Great Spirit gave into the keep of the Nation of People all of the land and waters of Fertileland. And the Nation of People became the caretakers of Fertileland. Then Spirit Guide understood that man was the Great Spirit's caretaker. It was man's duty to care for the earth and become its master. It was man's duty to gather knowledge about the Great Spirit's works and to understand the nature of all things. From this knowledge, It was man's duty to achieve wisdom. It was man's final duty to even understand the domain of the Great Spirit. With the wisdom gained, man was to finally come into the domain of the Great Spirit. That was meant to come to pass, but it had not. Then Spirit Guide saw how men had neglected their charge. He saw how men had become intent on man's needs on earth. He saw how men had dishonored the Great Spirit by putting him out of their hearts. He saw the rituals and saw that they were empty vessels. They wanted for man's love of the Great Spirit and even for man's love of other men. Man had lost his faith and knew it not. He practiced the rituals and sang the songs with an empty heart. He saw how evil began to stalk the earth because of this. Then Spirit Guide began to see his own duty as his mother had foretold. It was truly his to bring the Great Spirit's love back into man's hearts. It was his to teach and to be the example of what man truly is. Man he saw is the living vessel of the Great Spirit's, wisdom, knowledge, power, and love. This is what man had lost. On the last time of his instruction, the Golden Earth Mother spoke to him. "You are the chosen tool of the Great spirit. It is yours to guide his people back to him. Now, you are no longer Spirit Guide. You are Wesoomi, the sacred tool of the Great Spirit. You have seen how all things are and how all things came to be. You will now have new powers to use as needs be. The Great Spirit has so given you. Test them as you will. Then use them carefully for the good of the Great Spirit. "Your instruction is done." The domain of the Great Spirit faded from Spirit Guide's dream. He awoke on his mat and looked up to see Soft hand who breathed a sigh of relief. Spirit Guide smiled. "It is finished," he said. "It is good," whispered Soft Hand. "Now you must rest." "Indeed, but first I must tell you. I be no longer Spirit Guide. Now, I be Wesoomi, the sacred tool of the Great Spirit. I have been so charged." Then Wesoomi fell into a deep, but normal sleep. His instruction was done. Each day, Soft Hand watched over him, with the women to help. Each day, Wesoomi became stronger until he no longer needed the ministering of Soft Hand and the women. Then he was up and about the village and he began to learn of his new powers. With his strength regained, Wesoomi thought to play some pranks on the village cubs. He found he could move from place to place simply by thinking it. He came upon a group of cubs and talked to them. They were startled, as he expected, when he disappeared. Then he spoke to them from behind. They turned and saw him there and they ran from him in terror. They ran and told their mothers and fathers. Wesoomi knew he had been careless with the powers, but it was done. The story flew around the village and as he walked about Wesoomi saw fear in the eyes of the people. It was not good. He hear the whispers. "He is Wesoomi. He eats the wild mushroom and lives. He has powers. Fear him." Wesoomi went to the lodge of Soft hand and told him of his error. "I must needs speak to the people," he said. "It be not good that they fear me. I cannot teach those who fear." So it came to pass that Soft hand went to Elder Quiet Stalker and told him of Wesoomi's dilemma. Quiet Stalker then assembled the people before the longhouse. There Wesoomi spoke to them thus: "Some of you have seen that I have some powers. I have shown them in a way which caused you to fear me. That was my error. For that I beg your leave. These powers were given me by the Great Spirit. They are not to be feared for they are to do good works. "It is given me, by the Great Spirit, to lead you in things of the spirit and to help you in all things. I will do this. I will sit with the cubs and teach the words which the Great Spirit gives us for our ceremonies. I will teach the cubs of the Great Spirit's love and gifts to us. I will teach of the creation of the earth and of our duties. I will also teach of the domain of the Great Spirit, for these things I have learned. "For the village, I have learned about building and growing. The hunt you know well. I can teach you little. I can teach you how bring water to your fields in bad times. I can also teach you how to thwart the rodents who steal your grains and the spoiling which invades the storage places. These thing I can give you. "More weighty are those things which I can tell you of the Great Spirit's domain and his plan for you. You must come back to the true path and follow it. Be assured that the Great Spirit has a place for you in his plan. He has also prepared a place for you in his very domain. You will reside there at some time. That time will come when you have prepared yourself to dwell there. I can tell you and show you how to be. I cannot be for you. You must do that. If you would, let us begin come morn." There were nods and whispers of assent amongst the people. Wesoomi knew he had a beginning. There was much to do, but there was time to do it. In the days following, Wesoomi began his mission. It would begin with the Husbandmen, but he would also travel. It was his to bring the new word to all of the People of the Nation. As Wesoomi showed the Husbandmen useful new ways to work he also coaxed them back to the ways of the Great Spirit. He showed them how to turn a stream from its own path to flow into the planted fields when they became dry, and he told them to love the Great Spirit. He taught them to put the pungent leaves of a bush into the grain to thwart the crawling insects, and he told them of their place with the Great spirit. He showed them how to make stone floors in the storehouses to stop the rodents and explained the great Spirit's love for them. As Wesoomi taught the Husbandmen, travelers came to the village and the songs and tales of the miracles went out over the land. The legend of Wesoomi was born and was told to all who would listen. Back to Wesoomi's Archives
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