The Heart of a Gnome

. . . .about when, as Barbara first began connecting with the gnomes, they gifted her with the Heart of a Gnome . . .

Sometimes, along the way, I am just moving one foot after another when, suddenly, I receive a gift. For example, I have recently been seeing praying mantises—one on a sunflower, the next on a chair outside my door (this one gracing me with a slow sweeping waltz up my arm), and then yesterday, three in the garden: one that hopped onto my finger from a deep red rose, a small reddish frightened one in the pole beans, and then one on the kale who scurried into green oblivion. This has sent me back with great pleasure and nostalgia to Laurens van der Post’s Mantis Carol and The Heart of the Hunter. To the African Bushmen, Mantis is of utmost importance. “He has for many years been the spirit of creation,” van der Post says, “the image of the great togetherness of life and time.” This is, for me, a perfect gift to further my spirit-quest.

So this morning, down by the creek, I was journaling and sketching praying mantises. Soon I came in to work on this blog and looked up from the computer to see a mantis, inside, on the window frame. He is still there posing for me, encouraging me to tell another chapter of Barbara’s story. This one is about when, as she first began connecting with the gnomes, they gifted her with “the heart of a gnome”.

“As I entered the amphitheater,” Barbara writes, “I felt that my team of co-workers was already present in the circle. I became aware of a large gnome standing on each side of me, escorting me to the center, similar to the formality I have seen at a military parade. One gnome stepped forward and said, ‘We want to give you a heart of a gnome.’ I felt an energy enter my heart from front to back, then move back and forth in a scrubbing motion, perhaps to clean things out. I do experience the heart of a gnome as being open and very clear.

“The gnome continued: ‘We are focusing on your relationship with the earth and the gnomes, who are the wisdom keepers of the earth. Today we have given you the empowerment of a heart of a gnome. We are asking you to be aware of this new heart during the day when you are out in the world. In this way we can interact with you and have access to the places you go and the people you see. We want to communicate with you and ask your assistance at particular times to begin the work of co-creating change in the outer world.’ ”

“Sometime later I received the message: ‘You have not been using your heart of a gnome. This is a precious gift and will disappear from lack of use.’ (Indeed, I had begun to notice that my heart wasn’t feeling as spacious and airy as it did when I first received the gift.) ‘That is the challenge when a human takes on the heart of a gnome. If it is not tended well, it will shrink to the size of a human heart. We work in joy as we work with you. This joy comes from our grateful hearts. We invite you also to practice a grateful heart, that your joy may be full. There are so many little ways that make an enormous difference. We delight to share these with you to make your path easier and bring you into greater awareness of your work and greater harmony of mind, emotions and body.’ ”

“Over the years I have been given a green heart, a crystal heart, and a faerie in my heart. Different aspects of my Faerie Team have given these hearts for specific purposes at specific times. Twenty years after being gifted with the heart of a gnome, I try to live in this basic heart space all of the time. I have experienced that when I am out of that heart space I easily move into my head and often feel disconnected, judgmental, fearful, and confused. Abiding in the heart of a gnome I feel soft, quietly open, and connected to the tender beauty in all of life. I now see the heart of a gnome as being an aspect of Mother Earth.”