“CONFESSION of a GHOST”
a novel by Alexandra Kryuchkova
in the “PLAYING ANOTHER REALITY” series
35 BEFORE/6 AFTER. HOUSE No. I
*****TREASURE ISLAND*****
***
Somewhere in the Universe
“Be bolder, Rukh, it’s not scary there!” the Guardian smiled as we approached House No. 2.
“What is there?”
“Treasures, exclusively earthly.”
I closed my eyes, pulled the door open, and stepped inside. As soon as I felt something slippery under my feet, I was abruptly thrown up and then down, I opened my eyes and … gigantic waves came crashing down on me, throwing me into the raging element! Ominous sky, sparkling lightning, the raft with my Guardian sailing away… I went to the bottom like a stone, and a shark rushed towards me, maliciously baring its teeth. Suddenly, an old man in bright robes with an orange cap on his head appeared, picking me up at the very bottom. He lifted me up, returned me to the raft with the Guardian and disappeared. The storm was gradually subsiding. The clouds were moving away.
“Glory to Saint Spyridon! Good sign, Rukh! So, on Earth, he will help you. Don’t forget to give him a new pair of slippers!”
“Now I see why there is a skull with the sign ‘Remember the Death’ on the door of the Tower of My Life!”
“There are also violets blooming there with butterflies fluttering above them as a symbol of transformation and immortality.”
“Why are you always smiling, Angel?”
“Because you become more and more human-like forgetting that you can’t drown yet.”
“Where are we?” I looked around, but there was neither land nor treasures.
“In the Sphere of your finances, material wealth, property and savings, your energy reserve, therefore — physical body nutrition, earthly goods.”
“What kind of earthly wealth are you talking about here? There is only water all around!”
“Steer your raft!”
“I have no oars.”
“By the power of thought and intuition! The Moon is in charge of your finances. You have a nose for money, you always feel where treasures are buried!”
“Ugh,” I breathed out and realized that I had to swim to the right.
Soon the Moon disappeared, the Sun rose, and an island loomed on the horizon.
“There will be also some Sun in cold waters of your life,” the Guardian smiled. “Earnings thanks to intuition and common sense. It’s very good to see here the Sun, a friend of your Moon, although the Sun didn’t appear immediately. Saturn is half a step away from House No. 2, even if he were three steps away, in fact, he is present here invisibly and exerts his influence.”
“Uninhabited?” I asked when we landed.
“Yes, now find your treasures and get food.”
“What food can one find here?” I was surprised, stepping onto the shore, where there was nothing but rocks and unknown trees.
“Why not? Fish swim in the sea and trees bear fruit. Conclusions?”
“Not much!”
“As your granny will say, your whole life, Alice, is continuous fasting!”
“Isn’t it easier to go straight to a monastery?”
“Easier, I agree. So, seafood. Ascetic diet, twice a day and whatever God sends. Not good in terms of getting energy, but you’ll get no dependence on earthly food and no sin of gluttony. True, if you don’t eat systematically, the digestive system will suffer, there will be a tendency to anemia and exhaustion. As a child, you’ll have not much food.”
I walked along the shore and turned into a thicket, where I immediately came across … a hut.
“My property?”
“Real estate is in House No. 4, but they say on Earth, with a sweetheart there’s heaven in a hut!”
“Are you kidding?” I exclaimed. “Will I live in a hut?”
“Many Saints didn’t even have a hut on Earth!”
“Saints, mind you! Not ordinary people like me!”
“They are not born Saints, they become Saints. And are you ordinary? Look what’s there inside.”
The hut, in fact, turned out to be very nice. There was a small window, a kid’s stool and a table with a checkered notebook and a pen on it inside. However, I was drawn into a far corner, where something was clearly wrong with the hay-strewn floor. I pulled the straws apart and discovered a hiding place with a box buried in the ground. It contained sea pebbles and a bunch of various keys. I left the hut in confusion.
“Well, how do you like your grandfather’s legacy?” the Guardian asked. “He’ll build you a hut in the garden of your summer house. You’ll read and write inside. Your grandfather loves nature, and you’ll love it too.”
Suddenly the sky turned black, lightning flashed and thunder roared.
“Uranus is naughty! Let’s go to the hut, Angel! It’s going to rain!”
I turned to the hut, but lightning struck the tree to which the hut was attached, and then, catching fire, it immediately disappeared along with my legacy, as well as with Uranus. The sky instantly cleared, and the Sun shone again.
“Oh no!” I screamed. “Deprivation, restrictions and … ashes in the end?”
“Restrictions in money, especially in childhood, yes. Money is earned by your own labor, the amount received is always less than the effort expended. Lack of stability, no solid ground underfoot. The Moon easily parts with money, while Saturn saves it, as a reliable foundation and a symbol of security. Deprivation in childhood forces people to look for stability and guarantees for reserve because of the fear of poverty in old age. Anyway, wisdom and practicality will prevent you from turning into a miser. In any case, you’ll swim out, Saint Spyridon will help you.”
“So where is the money?” I asked, looking around.
“The Moon is not a friend of Saturn, so you are deprived of financial support from the family. You hardly receive any legacy, since Uranus is a symbol of sudden collapses due to circumstances beyond your control, such as broken promises, theft of property …”
“Will the legacy be burned?”
“The property may be burnt or taken away. The will will be rewritten to another person at the last moment. House No. 8 is connected with other people’s capital. You’ll have a lot of temptations – risky or illegal financial schemes, gambling, balancing on the verge of collapse. There are no chances for financing from Sphere No. 5, loved ones and children, you have an evil Pluto there, he’ll use your sniffing for money for his selfish purposes.”
“My Saturn controls also the Sphere of Partnership, Marriage and Enemies, so are my partners and enemies wealthy?”
“You can marry a wealthy person or a parasite, taking away what you have earned with difficulty. It gives a tendency to constant disputes over property up to lawsuits. It’s better for you to have the same scale of values with partners. Otherwise, they can cheat you, leave without money. Let’s suppose the case. You are fundamentally honest and straightforward (Saturn in House No. 1). You get a higher education in the field of finance (Saturn helps Uranus with House No. 9 in House No. 2). Some Pluto (the Master of House No. 6, your job) appoints you (Venus in House No. 10) to manage finances in a large company (Saturn the Master of House No. 8,7). You can brilliantly manage other people’s capital and organize any business from scratch, brainstorm projects with a sober mind and implement them in the best way thanks to the sixth sense, but you discover something bad in the company – fraud, theft, or you realize that the financial model of the business is initially unprofitable. As an honest person, you tell Pluto the truth, but he doesn’t need it or it’s not profitable for him.”
“Why doesn’t he need the truth?” I jumped at the injustice.
“Because you have illusions at job (Neptune in House No. 6), and your Pluto has Neptune as the Master of his death and bankruptcy. Neptune puts pink glasses on Pluto and blows fog in his eyes, and that’s it, Rukh! You wanted to save Pluto, and he kicked you out overnight without paying anything (Uranus helps Saturn with Houses No. 7,8).”
“Wow!” I exclaimed and bit my lip in annoyance. “Life is fair!”
“You’ll get a good education – both church and financial (Saturn-Uranus), and humanitarian and linguistic (Moon-Uranus), which will help you realize your Self in the Sphere of Uranus – House No. 9, including work in foreign companies / with foreigners, in a foreign country, in publishing business, in the field of higher education, spiritual practices, tourism, sales items related to spirituality; but without stable income.”
“Where can I get money?”
“This is a mystery shrouded in darkness,” the Guardian chuckled. “Your Moon, the manager of Finance, is in the House of Mystery – secret sources of income, income from secrets and everything mysterious and mystical, through psychic abilities and Lunar sniffing, from work in closed organizations, in isolated places, on islands, in exile, in prison or colonies, monasteries, hospitals… Big capital and real estate are connected with Jupiter, it doesn’t smell him here, but you have to be friends with him! He is in opposition with Uranus and gives less than you deserve, or he will suddenly change his mind, or go bankrupt. Your Sphere of Patrons is strong, you won’t die of hunger, and, as one astrologer said, ‘the sultry winds of the desert dry up the oasis of my selfishness’. Money can’t buy happiness. Patience, humility and hard work! Saturn patronizes wise and old people, is friends with Venus, symbol of cash capital, in House of Status – money from status, career, from men, boss, although not big capital. Suitable professions are connected with creativity, you value emotional joy. Saturn and Venus love art and collecting. What did you see in Saturn Tower?”
“Books, icons and stones… Look, what is there?!” I exclaimed, noticing a strange ship on the horizon.
“It’s time for us to go to the Library, some pirates are about to land on the island!”
***
Library of the Universe
We reached the Reading Hall in absolute silence. I had neither the energy nor the desire to ask anything. The book about ghosts opened at the page with the story “House by the station.”
“In the evenings, my Vasily and your grandfather are talking about apple trees. Did you see what happened to our garden here? We remember our Past telling stories. And in general, sometimes we play cards, sometimes checkers, less often chess… You’ll see them tonight, too. They’ll be glad to meet you here! If you want, take these keys forever. I kept them for you, for whom else?.. I always knew you would be back!”
*****CORFU*****
***
Ouranoupoli
I moved along the walls with icons in Janis’ shop, and one of the Saints followed me with his eyes. I couldn’t stand it and took the icon in my hands.
“Saint Spyridon, Bishop of Trimythous, the Wonderworker,” said Janis. “We love him very much. He lived in Cyprus in the city of Trimythous in the 3rd-4th centuries, and still works miracles.”
“Why is he wearing a hat, and what is the strange thing with fire in his hand?” I asked.
“It’s the shepherd’s cap, he grazed the sheep, but after the death of his wife and daughter, he devoted himself to serving God and was appointed bishop. Spyridon served in the temple with angels singing prayers, people heard them. He performed many miracles – healed and resurrected the dead, cast out demons, caused rain in the drought, water streams parted in front of him. In 325, at the 1st Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, there was a dispute about God and the unity of the Holy Trinity. Spyridon was an uneducated person, but he took a tile and prayed, so the tile broke into its constituent elements – the water flowed out, the fire soared up, the earth remained – as three in one. God gave Spyridon many spiritual gifts. He saw through people, foresaw events, including the date of his death. He died during prayer.”
“A girl came to us once,” Leah remembered. “She was offered a job in another city, and her diploma was lost on the eve of departure. Most likely, tiding the house up, her mother accidentally threw it away. At night, the girl slept with the balcony door open. In drowsiness, she seemed to hear someone entering the room through the balcony and placing papers on the table. So, in the morning, she found the diploma on the table! She bought an icon with Spyridon from us and took it to Corfu along with slippers. Spyridon, helping people, wears out his slippers, so he is pleased when people bring new ones as a token of gratitude.”
“What do you mean?” I was surprised.
“His body is alive and soft,” Leah answered calmly. “The temperature is 36,6. Even scientists examined him. The shrine with the relics has been in Corfu since the 15th century. When priests cannot open the shrine, Spyridon is absent on business, the tapping in the shrine means he has returned. Sometimes they find wet clothes and algae inside, as he helped at sea. They say that in other churches with particles of his relics, tapping is heard too, the door to the relics opens and closes by itself. Spyridon’s slippers are wearing out from walking, priests change them, then cut and distribute to pilgrims the worn-out ones.”
Leah left us and after returning handed me a paper square with the stamp of Spyridon.
“From his relics! Put it in your wallet for money.”
“Thank you! So does he help with finances?”
“He helped the poor, gave out money,” Janis said, “but he was strict, sent rain on a stingy rich man who sold bread three times more the price. Greedy people tried to deceive him. The merchant didn’t pay for one of the 100 goats, so that goat returned from the merchant to Spyridon.”
“One day, thieves decided to steal sheep from Spyridon,” Leah continued, “and they couldn’t get out of the sheepfold overnight, as if tied hand and foot. Spyridon came in the morning, urged not to follow the path of Darkness, gave a sheep each and said, ‘you haven’t suffered here all night for nothing’.”
“He turned snakes into gold,” Janis added. “Once he showed a rich man the money turning into a snake and crawling away. As John Krestiankin said, if they prayed to St. Spyridon, they would have got house for a long time. Spyridon helps also with employment, in commercial and trade matters, to farmers, cattle breeders.”
“Corfu, with the relics of Spyridon, wasn’t captured by the Turks,” Leah continued. “And the bombs of the Second World War fell at an angle – into the sea, the temple with the relics remained untouched. You can go to him by plane from Thessaloniki or by ferry from Igoumenitsa. Four times a year they make a religious procession with the relics of Spyridon around the island. People run under the shrine, many are healed. In the temple, you’ll see the beaten up lamp, gifted by the Italian admiral, who decided to convert the altar into a Catholic one at the beginning of the 18th century. Spyridon twice appeared to the Italian in a dream with a warning, but work began. A storm raged at night, the Saint left the shrine, went out to the gate, and three tongues of flame from the bell tower hit the gunpowder warehouse, the admiral and his workers were killed, and the lamp in the temple fell and received a huge dent. Oh, I’ve almost forgotten! Go to the dungeon of the temple, Spyridon’s rings are sold there!”
***
I ordered fresh orange juice in a cafe on the sea street. Kiri ran up to me.
“The customer is looking for money icons. I told her about Spyridon, and she asks others!”
“In childhood, I had the only icon called ‘Unexpected Joy’. It depicts a sinner praying in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary. Grandma said it helped with money. Rather, with sudden joy when there’s no hope. At the age of 13, I was baptized in the Church of Unexpected Joy.”
“I don’t think it was an accident! We say icons choose themselves which house to go to serve. Anyhow, I don’t have ‘Unexpected Joy’. What else?”
“Well, ‘Joy of All Who Sorrow’ with coins. Usually the image is painted without money. During a fire in a church of St. Petersburg, the usual icon wasn’t damaged, because some coins from the alms bowl miraculously stuck to it. If you have lost something, as health, work, money or hope, the Virgin will help you get it again through the angels.”
“I haven’t that one either! I have ‘Economissa’ from Athos. In the 10th century, the Virgin appeared to St. Athanasius the Athonite, the founder of Great Lavra, when the monks, due to lack of food, decided to leave the Mountain. ‘Don’t leave the monastery, I’ll take it under my protection, and you’ll always have food.’ So, Athanasius returned and found their cellars full. The image of his vision called ‘Economissa’, or ‘House-Builder’, or ‘The House Lady’, is located in Great Lavra. It helps in solving material problems, saves from bankruptcy and hunger. Is it known in Russia?”
“Yes, the image was prayed to in the besieged Leningrad.”
***
Corfu
Corfu, or Kerkyra, also called as “the City of castles”, a Greek island in the Ionian Sea and a town with a strong Venetian influence, since it belonged to Venice for about 400 years, was under UNESCO patronage.
I stood praying in the temple of St. Spyridon, in line to his relics. The shrine was set to the right of the altar gates in a special aisle, which was periodically opened for pilgrims. Having entered the chapel with indescribable trepidation, I passed the slippers to the priest standing at the feet of Spyridon, and he immediately placed them in the open shrine, and then I gave the icons I had acquired on Athos for blessing on the relics. Mentally thanking Spyridon for the help already rendered to me and making another request, I leaned towards the head of the Saint and caught his gaze. An inexpressible radiance emanating from his eye sockets was a flood of pure Light. The priest standing at the head board returned the blessed icons to me, and I left the chapel.
I noticed a strange Monk in the temple. Where had we met before? On Athos? There was a thick fog in my head, and everything in it swirled, mixed up and melted. Soon the Monk disappeared, I calmed down and, without difficulty remembering my relatives and friends, handed over the memorial notes to the priest, and then went down to the icon shop, located under the temple somewhere on the left.
I asked about the ring of St. Spyridon, the monk gave me an appraising look and offered to follow him into the dungeon. In a distant cell, he took out a box of rings with an engraved and gilded image of the Saint and a prayer on the back side.
“We don’t sell them in the temple shop unless someone really needs. They are made out of silver plates that we hang on the shrine for a while.”
Joyful from the acquisition of the treasured ring, I went to the church of John the Baptist and, after handing over the memorial note, stood in line for the relics, which the priest had took out from the altar. Having kissed the relics, I turned to the exit, but the priest stopped me, pointing to my cross purchased at Janis’ shop. He blessed it and passed my cross back to me, then touched my forehead with a particle of the Life-Giving Cross, and strong energy waves ran through my body.
I was walking around the town when a familiar voice called out to me.
“Not Athos, I may appear here,” Ray explained. “Shall we go to a cafe? How are you?”
“Great, and you? Don’t you want to leave, or they don’t let you go?”
“Are sorcerers allowed into Heavens?” he grinned, and we settled down in a cafe by the sea.
“You didn’t believe in life after death, did you? Oh, Ray, why did you use your magical powers against people? What all these millions and the Cote d’Azur for? Did they bring you happiness? You ended up losing almost everything you had got. Are there any devils? Is there a Hell?”
“Both, Hell and devils.”
“Have you seen them?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t believe in them, and anyway you have seen them!” I didn’t let up.
“Are you hungry?” Ray asked, clearly not eager to tell me about the devils.
“No, and you? Do they eat anything there?”
“Sinners are fried in pans and then eaten!”
“However, you haven’t been fried yet!”
“It’s not evening yet. Have you noticed anything strange? What seems to be wrong? And what kind of dreams do you have?”
“I see a monk,” I admitted, “today at Spyridon’s temple, and before that on Athos. I rarely dream about something or don’t remember my dreams.”
“What am I to do with you?” Ray said thoughtfully. “Tell me where are you now?”
Suddenly, something made me shift my gaze from Ray to the crowd of passers-by, and I saw … myself, sitting down at the next table! Ray glanced at my copy and then at me.
“Ray,” I said in horror, “are you conjuring me?!”
“You’ve guessed it wrong. I really don’t know what to do with you. You don’t remember anything, or rather, you remember selectively and you are not aware of reality, therefore you see neither devils nor angels. You are tightly stuck in your Past, wandering through the labyrinth of memory.”
I got up, walked over to myself at the next table, called out – in vain, and returned to Ray.
“Let’s suppose I’m stuck in the Past, but where is my Present?”
“It’s no longer on Earth, Alice. You are dead.”
I screamed in horror at such a sudden thought and… woke up…
It was deep night on Athos.