I will be posting to this category periodically, but the best way to learn things nobody knows about the creation of The LightBridge Series is to visit my LightBridge Secrets page on Pinterest.
LightBridge on Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/elaynegjames/lightbridge-series-secrets/
Elayne G. James on Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/elaynegjames
A Sacred Christmas in the Mojave Desert
Living fifty miles from any semblance of a town and a hundred miles from any shopping mall, and having very little money to spend on presents, the Jaspers created their own holiday traditions far removed from those of modern society.
A glimpse of Christmas at the Jaspers:
Having no family of his own, Kahetay, Ani’s Navajo shaman grandfather spends every Christmas with the Jaspers and brings to their holiday a sense of reverence they cherish.
It is called the Circle of Light Ceremony.
At midnight on Christmas Eve, the family gathers in a circle, sitting cross-legged on the floor, each with an unlit candle. The room is dim, lit only by the warm glow of the tree lights. There are no presents under the tree, just four ornately embellished boxes with slits at the top just large enough for folded pieces of paper to enter.
Kahetay lights the first candle and says, “With this flame I heal the wounded hearts of the world.” He then leans to Ani and with his candle, lights hers and says, “With this gift of light I offer the love and light of my heart to connect all who share this circle.”
As Ani’s flame is lit, she says, “With this flame I bring the world to peace, to this one pure and beautiful moment of peace, so that they may know what it is to be at peace and will seek it in their lives forevermore.” As she leans to her mother and light’s her unlit candle she says, “With this gift of light, I offer wholeness, to bind us with a deep knowing that no matter what we search for we are already complete.”
As Mrs. Jasper’s candle is lit, she says, “With this flame I bring the world laughter, so that they may know joy and embrace joy in their lives a little more every day.” As she leans to her husband and light’s his unlit candle she says, “With this gift of light, I offer the spirit of discovery, to bind us with a sense of becoming all that we are meant to be.”
As Mr. Jasper’s candle is lit, he says, “With this flame I bring the world belonging, so that all may know they are loved.” He leans forward and lights the large candle that waits, unlit, in the center of the circle and says, “With this gift of light, I offer safety and warmth, to bind us in the knowledge that home is not just where we live together, but what we share with each other.”
To complete the circle, Kahetay chants a blessing of winter, of light and love. And as all the candles are finally lit, and the room is filled with firelight, they open the beautiful boxes that are waiting under the tree. In each box are little pieces of paper. For the seven days before Christmas, each member of the family writes a message or a blessing or a wish for everyone, whether it be humorous or heartfelt, and places it in the other family member’s boxes.
Still sitting on the floor in a circle they take turns sharing their gifts from the heart, reading the messages aloud, laughing, crying and hugging as the love between them grows as bright as the flames of their candles.
When the sharing is complete, they enjoy a sumptuous meal together that they all helped to prepare. Christmas eve is Ani’s favorite day of the year.
From my family to yours…
I wish you a wonderful holiday filled with light, laughter and love,
Elayne James
Author’s Note: Ani, the Jaspers, and Kahetay are characters in The LightBridge Legacy series.
My favorite secret in New York City (and CJ’s too) is the City Hall Subway Station. It is closed to the public… has been for decades now, but it remains one of the most beautiful works of style and craftsmanship in the metropolis.
I asked one of my characters, Ani Jasper, from The LightBridge Legacy, to introduce herself.
Here is what she said:
“You know how sometimes when you’re asleep you can’t tell if you’re dreaming or not because everything feels so completely real? Well, that’s how it feels to be me. I never know if what I’m experiencing is real or not. But I think I’m slowly figuring out that it’s ALL real, and that is the scariest thing I can think of. See, if it’s all real, then I am in some deep dark shades of trouble with all kinds of bad mixed in.
I’m Anani Jasper. People call me Ani. Not Annie. Ahh-nee. I’m a girl, I’m almost fourteen, I’m an amateur geologist and a magical apprentice. I live in New York City, but I still consider the Mojave Desert my real home. I’m technically an only child because I lost my twin brother the day we were born, but if you want to know a secret, the truth is, I didn’t really lose him because we are still together. Two souls. One body. Weird I know. But kinda cool at the same time. It’s called Zielfah which means “double soul,” and because of it, I’m next in line for some fierce magical mojo I didn’t ask for. Oh and get this… because I am the appointed heir apparent, I have some equally fierce enemies that want me permanently deleted in the worst way. Mom and Dad don’t know. Nobody knows. No one would believe me anyway.
So I live my life as if everything is normal…whatever that is. Mom’s an anthropologist and Dad owns a rock and gem shop. I can tell you anything you want to know about all sorts of stones (including their magical properties–but don’t tell my dad that. He doesn’t believe in magic). My godfather, Kahetay is a Navajo shaman and has some pretty cool skills of his own. He’s the one who first taught me about magic. And then there’s Sophie, my um… I guess you could call her my mentor… she’s a wise-woman… a magical practitioner and a good friend. She knows about my “future memories”—these strange visions I have where I go into the future and remember things that haven’t happened yet. That’s how I found out my mom’s in trouble. She’s gone missing on expedition in the Amazon jungle and it’s up to me to save her.
Have you ever had to do the thing that scares you the most? That’s what I have to do. And in order to do it, I have to “embrace my magical destiny,” whatever that is, but that’s how Xephero puts it. Xephero is the master of the LightBridge, the most powerful magical object in the world, and he has chosen me as the next in line to be the keeper of that magic. All I know is if I do it I can save my mom because if I don’t she’s gonna die. It means doing things I never thought I’d do, wrong things, dangerous things, but you would too if it meant saving the person you loved most in the whole world. You never know what you are capable of until you are forced to face the unfathomable.
Welcome to my world.”
lightbridgelegacy.wordpress.com 