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Maiden of Basin Spring
by Dwight Ott
A few years ago, I was present when Josie, Ra'Mona, and Nancy cleaned the
basin of years of accumulated grime. We were all aware of the power and
beauty of this long-neglected and buried basin which was the reason for us
all . . . for Eureka Springs being here. It was also symbolic of how we human
beings often bury our most vital and real selves under the debris of
unconscious living . . . and how it is possible, with effort, to rediscover
and refresh these sacred places.
We spent long periods of time in the following days with the grate removed,
just watching the water ripple over the stone, collect in the basin, and
move on in its underground course.
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One morning I was alone, staring into the well when an image appeared so
distinct
it was like there was a mirror in the well reflecting a scene from
the sky. I saw the beautiful form of a young woman, like a Madonna, in the
basin, adoring what
appeared to be an infant. Around her were a winged
cherub with a bugle, and
another child holding an open book. |
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The woman was
holding the infant in one arm
and a globe that seemed to be the earth in
the other. Behind her was the head of
a sleeping man with blankets pulled up
over his chin. As I focused on this image, it
successively sharpened and
vibrated and blurred. (no drugs, I swear.)
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I decided not to tell
anyone,
but I called my son to have him bring a video camera down to see if anything like
what I had seen could be captured. The pictures caught almost every element except
the face of the woman. I used colored pencil to bring out the features a little. |
Anyone can
look at the original un-manipulated picture and see that everything is there .
. . I didn't create it. It took no imagination or invention. It was not a hallucination or induced mirage. It was a real
image, and though it was delicate and fleeting, its elements are still there . . . in the
well . . . in the basin . . and in my photos
for all to see.
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