.. Once upon a time there was this young girl who grew up to be a wise and healthy young lady. She was well behaved and always did exactly as her parents expected. One day, as most do, she realized how much she wanted to be free. Free of expectation, free of being good, free of the boring life she had. Yet, she like most young girls her age was scared to death of taking that first step and making change happen. One night while she was looking at the stars from her bedroom window she had a thought. I could just kill myself, make it look like I am dead then I will be free. The next day she went to the river, stripped naked and slowly walked to almost the center, swam for a bit, until she could walk again. As she walked out of the river, cold and wet she realized how alive she really felt. She walked for several miles before she came to a farm where the wife of the farmer took her in and gave her cloths. Before night fall she again started to walk. In the dark of the night she found herself in a loose forest of unfamiliar trees. She built a small fire and spoke to the moon. "Goddess, I know right now I am as free as I will ever be. I know I am healthy and wise because of your grace. I ask only one thing. I ask for a direction. What is my passion? What will you have me do with this freedom?" As she spoke these words her eye lids fell heavy and she slept soundly and comfortably on her rich Mother Earth. When she woke she walked. She walked until she could not walk anymore. She fell on her knees and started to cry. When she could not cry any more she lit a fire. As she began to speak to the Moon Goddess she realized that something on the ground where she had cried was shiny, almost wet and sparkly. She went over and picked up a very clear tear drop shaped crystal. She smiled looking up at the Goddess who was rising and ripening in the sky and said, "Thank you Mother Goddess for blessing me with a small smile after such exhausting tears." Then she slept. A day or so later she came upon a small town. Now, because this young woman was wise, she was able to read and write and speak in more than only language. She presented herself in front of the school house and was quickly giving lessons to the older children for room and board. The young lady did this task with great ease and satisfaction for several lunar cycles. As all good things must come to an end; one night several of the small minded, small town men decided that no woman should be so smart. They decided to teach the teacher a lesson. After being raped by several, possibly five, of the young men of the small town; after they left her bruised, battered and vomiting, she again decided to fake her death and be free. She walked as best possible to the nearby lake and with pain she removed the clothing that was left on her body and slowly stepped, floated, and swam to the center of the lake. As the cold water surrounded her she looked up and saw the beautiful full moon. She yelled, "Goddess, I know right now I am as free as I will ever be. I know I am healthy and wise because of your grace. I ask only one thing. I ask for a direction. What is my passion? What will you have me do with this freedom?" She then relaxed her muscles and allowed the water ant he moon light to heel her. She woke on the edge of the lake as the sun was breaking the horizon. She stared to walk. She again walked until she saw life a small cabin. As she approached she saw children in a lovely garden. Their mother was hanging cloths on a line. The woman took her in, clothed and fed her and never asked about the bruises on her body. On the third night after leaving the crystal on the table in the cabin she started to walk. She walked in the sun of mid day, in the dark of night, in rain and wind. She walked until she could not walk any more. She finally fell under a birth open sky and began to cry. She cried until all the fluid left her body on tear drop at a time. Then she slept. When she woke the sun was setting and she started a fire. And as before she saw them, lying on the ground, dancing in the fire light, only this time they were pink. The teardrop shaped crystals were pink and delicate and there were several. As she laced them on a thread she looked at the moon and said, "Thank you- Mother Goddess for blessing me with plenty of tiny smiles after such a painful cry." She tied the laced crystal tear drops around her neck and fell asleep. Several moons passed and she realized that like her Goddess, she was starting to ripen. So she headed toward civilization. The young woman saw that an eatery on the edge of town was crowded and a server was necessary. She spoke to the cook, was given an apron and started to serve as necessary. The 9th moon arrived and the young woman knew it was time. In the tiny back room, all alone, during a very loud and extra busy morning meal, she gave birth. Then with her own hands she took the life of the child she had just birthed. She made her death bed and started. This time she walked toward the sea, salty and fresh, large enough to make a real move, yet small enough to keep her Goddess with her. She slipped unnoticed onto a small ship and only saw the Goddess Moon through the gaps in the planks of the floor above her. The ship sailed for nine days. When it docked, she jumped off into the cold, salty and dirty water. With only the necklaces as protection she made her way to the shore. The beach was a rock pebble beach and not sand. She knew it was time to walk again. As she passed a hut a large happy woman with very dark eyes gave her a gown and offered her food. She only sat with the woman for an hour or so, then stood, bowed, gave the woman her necklace and began to walk. She walked until her legs cramped and her lungs clenched with the need to stop. She then sat in a grove of large trees with fat leaves. She saw that there was no Goddess bright tonight, but she knew she was there. So she built her fire and cried her tears and screamed her prayer. "Goddess, I know right now I am as free as I will ever be. I know I am healthy and wise because of your grace. I ask only one thing. I ask for a direction. What is my passion? What will you have me do with this freedom?" She cried more and screamed more. She stripped to bear skin and danced, whaled, cried and chocked on the emotions that had brought her to this place. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. She fell to the ground and slept. She woke with the sun in her eyes and the win on her body. As she stood she noticed the tears, the screams, the pain strewed on the ground around the fire. As she began to collect her crystal tears she saw that there was a new color and many, many more. Clear, Pink, and Yellow crystal tear drops circled the ash and pit. There were enough to create a full laced collar. She at and calmly and slowly began to weave. She was still weaving when the Moon Goddess began to show herself as a very thin smile in the sky. The young woman smiled and said, "Thank you Goddess for giving me so many blessings after such a painful cry." Two nights later, when the crystal necklace was complete the young woman began to walk again. She now realized the difference between freedom and liberation; for the latter absolute change without fear is necessary. And the necklace you ask? Look in the mirror, what will you do with yours?