“Mystique”
I will rise from the fires of adversity Alight with inspiration and purpose The light of my intuition Dispels the darkness of doubt With a courageous heart I move forward and trust That love conquers all
~ Kim McElroy
Midnight Mystique was a black arabian colt born to author Linda Kohanov’s mare, Comet. He was only on this earth for a few brief days, and he crossed over quietly on the night of the new moon. His powerful spirit left its impression in many hearts. I created this painting for Linda after a vision I had about Mystique, in which I was given the image of a phoenix, in a powerful symbol that portrayed his spirit in the elusive elements of fire, air, and smoke – black against black – like the night of a new moon. I also included a depiction of what Linda referred to as a rose in the fire. In her memorial for Mystique, Linda referred to Marian Woodman’s quote as a message she found powerful and healing; “The rose in the fire symbolizes the daily round of human passion intersected by the divine, so that what could be meaningless suffering is transformed into soulmaking….”
In my shamanic journey with Mystique I had a wonderful encounter with his spirit. Rather than appearing as an ethereal vision in some other realm, he came to visit me in mine, and his playful and strong spirit left me with no doubt that he was in charge of his own destiny.
I asked to connect with Midnight Mystique in spirit. I traveled a long time through a series of wooden shafts and openings, and then I came back fully to my art studio. I was surprised to be back in my house, then in my inner ears I heard a clatter and I stood in my mind’s eye and opened the door and there was Mystique in my house. His presence filled me with a delightful happy energy. He stepped into the studio and walked over to my pastels and started riffling through them. He picked up a turquoise chalk with his mouth and I had the impression that this was the color he wanted for his star. Then he pointed out orange colors. Then he wanted to get in my cupboard – he opened the doors, and then he tried to show me to pull out a book. I didn’t know which book he was after so I asked him, what do you want to show me and he showed me the image of a phoenix.
I asked him if he had a message for Linda and he showed me a picture of her holding him and he said, “I felt safe in her arms”.
He nosed my other pictures, approving it seemed, of my other work in progress, and he also noticed that I had Linda’s husband Steve Roach’s music ready to play while painting his portrait. Then he nosed my aromatherapy oils, and I realized later that the box I store them in has a rose on the top. Like the rose in the fire.
Then he tiptoed out of the room. I followed. He wanted to meet my animal family! He walked around, first greeting our pig, Duchess with great delight – then the llamas, he took a special liking to our llama Beau. He playfully reared at our goat Angel, in goat fashion, and nuzzled Angel’s goat mom, Rhia with affection – acknowledging the mother in her. He greeted our older mare Meadow respectfully, then Minuette our mini mare, whom I felt he sensed as small but holding a powerful feminine energy. He bowed to Laddie our mini gelding, and then greeted Mystico, our Paso Fino gelding – mouthing submissively at both of them. He conveyed that Mystico reminded him of his earthly horse brother Spirit, and I told him that he also has a new brother on earth named Indigo Moon.
At the thought of Eponaquest and his former home, a vision of the property where he was born appeared and we walked into it like stepping from one doorway to another. He greeted his older brother Spirit, then tiptoed by his younger brother Indigo Moon who was sleeping in the sun, and walked by his mother Comet – who was serenely grazing. He paused next to her – the feeling I felt from him was of reference and love. Then he trotted into Linda’s house, went inside to her office, jumped up on top of her desk, and started riffling through her papers, scattering them – he tipped a wooden chair over by picking up the cross bar with his teeth. He stepped on her papers with his little hoof. He said he wanted to make an impression. Then happily – he went outside – gathered himself, and dramatically disappeared in a puff of smoke in the middle of broad daylight.
When I came out of the journey, I looked at my pastels, and the turquoise color just happened to be stored next to the orange colors of flames. Then I looked in the cupboard he had opened and showed me a book, and in that cupboard was a book I have called Magical Beasts – and in that book was a beautiful phoenix.