| The story tells of a father of several children and they were all very rich until one day misfortune fell on them. They had to move to a little shack in the forest and one day news came that one of the father’s old ships has safely come to port and that at last he might have some of his treasure back. Before he sets out on his journey though, he asks his children if they want anything when he returns and all of them want lavish gifts except for Beauty, who only asks for one thing: “Well, dear father,” she said, ‘as you insist upon it, I beg that you will bring me a rose. I have not seen one since we came here, and I love them so much’.” He ventures a long way to the port and finds that the treasures have already been squandered away by the people whom he employed who thought he was dead while he was away so long, and he journeys back to his home. On his way: “though he knew it would take some hours to get through the forest, he was so anxious to be at his journey’s end that he resolved to go on; but night overtook him, and the deep snow and bitter frost made it impossible for his horse to carry him any further. Not a house was to be seen; the only shelter he could get was the hollow trunk of a great tree, and there he crouched all the night which seemed to him the longest he had ever known. In spite of his weariness the howling of the wolves kept him awake, and even when at last the day broke he was not much better off, for the falling snow had covered up every path, and he did not know which way to turn.” At this point we can see the hero is on some journey and now he sleeps a long night in a tree trunk, but the wolves kept him up. This is the hero’s window or portal. The next event is that he comes upon a home with no snow in its path and he enters the home and literally “makes himself at home” seeing nobody is around. Next, a dinner platter appears next to him when he is hungry and the story does not say, but we assume he eats the meal of “dainty cakes and fruit.” Then, as he is venturing outside to the stable to saddle up his horse and tell his children about the palace that he now believes must be there for him: “… this path had a hedge of roses on each side of it, and the merchant thought he had never seen or smelt such exquisite flowers. They reminded him of his promise to Beauty, and he stopped and had just gathered one to take to her when he was startled by a strange noise behind him. Turning ‘round, he saw a frightful Beast, which seemed to be very angry and said, in a terrible voice: ‘Who told you that you might gather my roses? Was it not enough that I allowed you to be in my palace and was kind to you?’” The merchant is about to lose his life and explains his dilemma to the Beast who hears his pleading and gives him an option. He must give the beast one of his daughters in return and this will save the merchants life. The merchant hesitatingly agrees but knows his daughters will never agree to it. Before he leaves though, he must eat a supper at night before bed, and in the morning eat some breakfast that will be served to him and he is instructed not to leave, “until |
you see the sun and hear a golden bell ring. Then you will find your breakfast waiting for you here, and the horse you are to ride will be ready in the courtyard. He will also bring you back again when you come with your daughter a month hence. Farewell. Take a rose to Beauty, and remember your promise!’” On their way back to the castle where the Beast lived, they got a vivid colorful display: “While they were talking the night fell, and then, to their great surprise, wonderful colored lights began to shine in all directions, and splendid fireworks blazed out before them; all the forest was illuminated by them, and even felt pleasantly warm, though it had been bitterly cold before.” They arrived at the castle, her father was forced to depart, leaving Beauty alone with the Beast but it was by her own free will and choice, which is what is important. Anytime one takes an entheogen it should be by their free will and choice to take that journey. The Red Rose of course, represents the mushroom most importantly. Then she arrives at the castle and is propositioned with marriage night after night by the Beast, but she keeps having recurring dreams of a handsome prince who tells her not to trust her eyes too much. Upon waking, the chambermaid tells her the same thing. At one point she finds a room and sits down and enjoys the view out of the window. She had been in the room before: “But the second time she went into the room, happening to be tired, she sat down in one of the chairs, when instantly the curtain was rolled aside, and a most amusing pantomime was acted before her; there were dances, and colored lights, and music, and pretty dresses, and it was all so gay that Beauty was in ecstasies. After that she tried the other seven windows in turn, and there was some new and surprising entertainment to be seen from each of them, so that Beauty never could feel lonely anymore.” Hopefully, we all know the story where Beauty realizes her love for the Beast because he is really a kind and gentle soul who loves her with all his heart and she would not be able to live without grief if he were gone. A beautiful story that is meant to show love has no bounds, but it also shows that appearances are not everything in life. That there is great mystery and surprise “hidden behind veils” if you’ll excuse the pun. The forest once again is a “window” to the other world, but also, Beauty has seven windows to choose from and each one of them presents “new and surprising entertainment.” The rose that the merchant picks is the mushroom. As soon as he picks it, that’s when the beast appears from the “otherworld” to greet him and that’s when he is faced with death. |