The Coyoté Oak: Burgeoning Wisdom

VANTAGE QUEST:

Stimulating Personal Growth, Transformation, and Higher Creativity.

901 W. South Street Salina, KS 67401 (785) 827-1835 www.vantagequest.org

Book cover artwork created by:

Carlisle Bergquist
Vantage Quest Design

Author’s portrait taken by:

Duane Billings
 

Dedicated to the memory of:
James Armstrong & Andrew Levine
Who were created to dream,
and with whom,
I lived the dream of creating.

Acknowledgements

"You’re a songwriter,” James said, entering my small cabin in the California mountains, “and I want to have a recording studio. We should get together and record sometime.” That began a friendship that would last a lifetime. A few years later, when his dream joined with others, he invited me to be a part of a uniquely creative outpost, The Silvery Moon Studios in LA. Like its namesake, the studio waxed and waned but what we experienced there changed our lives forever. In the years after closing the studio, I went to graduate school and became a transpersonal psychotherapist. James began writing screenplays with Andrew. Then one day I got a call informing me that James had died. At his funeral, I asked Andrew to show me some of the work that meant so much to James. One five-page story idea captured my imagination and, along with Andrew, we planned to finish the screenplay in honor of James. Then another phone call; Andrew was dead and so was the screenplay. I tucked the orphaned story away for several years until I noticed that it blended with another tale I had written and this story was born.

I cannot give enough credit to my wife Geralyn for her contribution of ideas, encouragement and patience. She let her head float the creative ethers with me, and dedicatedly weeded my wordiness while uplifting my imagination. Diane Luboff, also made critical suggestions and extra effort that helped me clarify the story.

Then there is the river of souls in which I often recognize others who, like me, have served a common purpose for who knows how long, brothers and sisters in the oldest of families. My very deep gratitude goes to John Jay Harper, one such being in the river, with whom I am pleased to create.

Special thanks to Stanley Krippner for teaching me more about the phenomena beyond the horizon of rational explanation and for helping me learn to write about it.

Others who assisted with proofreading, suggestions, and cheerleading are Paul Krumm, Judy Edmunds, Bev Cole, Chris Booth, Rose Booth, Paul Bondy, Doris Beddinger, Nolene Davis, Karen Hauser, and Carrie Tatro.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge my cousin Bob Anderson in whose barn great childhood adventures seeded my imagination.

As I share the adventure written on the coming pages with you, I want to acknowledge the contributions made to my experience and imagination by James Armstrong, Andrew Levine, and all those mentioned above. In my gratitude, I have named the main character in James’ honor. Thank you always my brothers and sisters.

Contents

Chapter 1 - The Legend of Coyote Oak ...........................................................................1
Chapter 2 - Between the Dreamtime ................................................................................2
Chapter 3 - Daylight Deliberations ..................................................................................3
Chapter 4 - The Quickening .............................................................................................4
Chapter 5 - The Grove......................................................................................................5
Chapter 6 - Initiation ........................................................................................................7
Chapter 7 - The Barn........................................................................................................8
Chapter 8 - A God Named Joe .......................................................................................10
Chapter 9 - The Gathering Storm...................................................................................12
Chapter 10 - Slithereens, Slimers & Sloths....................................................................14
Chapter 11 - A Barrister’s Bond.....................................................................................15
Chapter 12 - Seven Penny Trust.....................................................................................17
Chapter 13 - The Despot’s Designee..............................................................................18
Chapter 14 - The Eye of the Storm.................................................................................20
Chapter 15 - Staring Down the Moon ............................................................................21
Chapter 16 - Midwives of the Burning Ground .............................................................23
Chapter 17 - Dungeons & Dragons in the Aeolian Woods ............................................25
Chapter 18 - Broken Wisdom.........................................................................................26
Chapter 19 - Memos from the Edge ...............................................................................27
Chapter 20 - Estuaries of Transformation ......................................................................29
Chapter 21 - The Nexus..................................................................................................31