The Making of The Mystical Ark
I had an idea once. I thought there might be a deeper meaning to the scripture commonly known as The Ten Commandments. As a student at what is now known as Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute, I learned to interpret the Bible metaphysically, meaning beyond the physical. I found this view of scripture fascinating as the words on the page opened up to reveal an underlying story that made so much sense it brought tears to my eyes.
I learned that the name Moses means “drawn from the water,” and that water represents a sea of consciousness, in this case, a consciousness of bondage and limitation. Suddenly, this story was not about a group of people that lived thousands of years ago. It was a story about you and me; a story about being drawn out of a sea of negative thought and freed from limiting beliefs.
It was from this expanded perspective that the first seed thoughts of The Mystical Ark were planted in my mind. The theme first emerged as a series Sunday school lessons titled, Seekers of the Lost Ark. The Indiana Jones movies were popular then, and the allusion to the Lost Ark film made the lessons more engaging for the kids. Years later, the idea took shape as a series of Sunday sermons, followed by a collection of essays that I was determined to make into a book.
Progress on the book was painfully slow, and the distractions were many. A half-written manuscript sat on my shelf for a year or two. But the idea would not go away. I would move on to something else, and then someone would ask when I was going to do the next talk in the series or when I would publish the book. Spirit seemed to be using people around me to encourage me to get busy with the book – and soon. So, I planned a writing binge; a weekend with the house to myself, no distractions, and forty-eight hours of nearly non-stop writing. Surely, I would complete this project before Monday rolled around. It was a great plan. I had lots of enthusiasm for it, but it didn’t happen quite that way. That weekend writing spree turned out to be just the beginning.
The morning I was to begin my writing marathon, I was awakened by a lucid dream. In this dream, a small group of explorers sat in a circle around the Ark of the Covenant. They were dirty. Their clothing was torn and spattered with blood. They tried to open the box, but it repelled them. They were all unable to touch it – except for one member of the team. When she approached the relic, her hand slipped right through the invisible force-field that had deterred the others. Then, the box opened, revealing a passageway to another realm of being. The entire team was pulled through the opening into a mystical experience that would forever change their lives.
The dream clung to me in vivid detail. I tried inserting the scene as a fictional forward to my exegeses of the Ark. But that didn’t work. The fictional scene was engaging – but the shift to the essays was abrupt and disorienting. It was as if two different books had been glued together rather than one leading gently into the other.
It seemed this book was destined to be a work of fiction; a story with relatable characters that would draw the reader into the experience. Writing a fictional novel was something I had never considered. I wasn’t even sure where to begin. What characters would I need to create? There was the small group of explorers in the opening scene, but I didn’t know who there were or what they would represent. What I did know was that I had to write this book. It would not leave me alone. It permeated my every thought. The Mystical Ark wanted to be born and was asking me to be its midwife.
But how does an author of spiritual essays and inspirational articles successfully birth a fictional novel? I was about to find out. The next two years would be spent putting the principles of visioning and positive thinking into action, developing a disciplined writing routine, reading every book on writing I could get my hands on, researching everything from geography and anthropology to the genetics of hair color – and oh – writing!
What began as an idea and a dream planted in my mind and heart blossomed into reality. The book is now published, and available from retailers around the world. The characters I created and lived with for the past two years are now engaging and entertaining an expanding group of readers. It is a deeply satisfying experience, and I look forward to sharing more about the steps I took to turn that dream into reality in blog posts to come.
© 2019. Eileen Patra
Eileen Patra is the author of The Mystical Ark: A Vessel of Blessings and an ordained Unity minister. She is currently guest speaking at a variety of Unity churches and working on her next book, Living as the Ark. Learn more about The Mystical Ark at themysticalark.com
In this wondrous time of year, we witness the wonders of the first snow fall, of holiday lights and decorations, the glitter, the activity of giving, the excitement of children as they anticipate visits from Santa and extra days off from school. We hear the sounds of familiar carols playing in stores and churches and on car radios. And perhaps we hear these familiar words, “Star of Wonder, Star of Night, … guide us to thy perfect Light.” It is a song describing the journey of the Magi following a great and mysterious Light to the birth of the Christ, a sacred and glorious event in the story of humankind.
TRANSFORMATION is the miracle of changing form. One might think this is something magical or something reserved for the few, those who have chosen a monastic life. But change is occurring all the time. Cells die, cells are born. The body changes form. The physical image I see in the mirror today is not the same as the one I saw yesterday or 20 years ago. Everything changes. Everything transforms. The mystical TRANSFORMATION is the one that is not seen yet known and felt in awareness. This TRANSFORMATION occurs when we have a deep change in mind. When we release a long-held belief or fear something magical is born; a new thought. A new thought born in mind has a physical effect on our appearance, our stature, and most importantly in our awareness. A change in mind forms something grand and new in our lives. The miracle is more than just the change. The true miracle is our power to choose it. TRANSFORMATION the miracle that allows us to choose a new way of being. Whatever that thought is that is frightening you right now, change it. Let it fall away and choose a new thought, an affirming, life-giving thought. Choose a thought that affirms the power of God in you as bigger than what your mind has been focusing on and be TRANSFORMED.
A TELESCOPE houses a set of lenses that allow us to see over a great distance. As I look through my telescope I can see the eagles nesting in the cellular tower ½ mile away. They are just tiny specs, almost imperceptible to my physical eyes, but focusing this set of lenses I can see them as they build their nest, raise their young and then fly off to distant places. Through these lenses I can see the stars, satellites passing by, and the craters of the moon. I can see things that are always there but too far away to see. Did you know that we each have a telescope within us? There are lenses we see through that can be focused to see more clearly. We call this perspective and we can choose a new perspective any time. We can also widen the lens to include other perspectives, gaining a greater view. We also have within us the ability to see the invisible. Some call this faculty the third eye. Some call it clairvoyance. The Hebrew Scriptures called those who could see the invisible prophets. This inner telescope does not need to stretch out to see more clearly. Rather, we simply need to allow the physical eyes to grow dim, to see through them less and behold instead the vision within us. Seeing through spiritual eyes is like viewing a holograph that takes shape in our very midst. The holograph is malleable, formable and greatly responsive to Light. As I view the holographic image of myself and the world around me I see more clearly. Judgment transforms to discernment. Heaviness transforms to movement. Shadows become illuminated. Telescopes are miraculous devices and the telescope in me is miraculously and wondrously made.
MIRRORS provide us with the opportunity to see ourselves as others see us. That first moment when humankind caught a glimpse of self in a still pond must have been an amazing experience. There would have been an instant of recognition of the self being much like the others in the clan, yet somehow different and distinct. MIRRORS that reflect our physical appearance give us that opportunity today; a glimpse of the self as a similar, yet unique member of the human experience. Metaphorical MIRRORS provided by other people in our lives reflect characteristics we may not have noticed or owned about ourselves. These are MIRRORS that help us grow and evolve in self-awareness. But there is yet another type of MIRROR that reflects much more than our physical being. There is an inner MIRROR that gives us a view of who we are beyond our physical appearance. Because it is within however, does not make it small. Instead, this is a MIRROR without limit. It might be called a “cosmic” MIRROR, one which reflects the image and likeness of God in us. This MIRROR sees through the physical being and beyond the perceived limitations and cultural baggage we might carry. This MIRROR allows us to see ourselves as a member of an infinite, ever-expanding clan of consciousness, yet a unique and individualized expression in it. This is a reflection that lifts us into seeing and being all that we are meant to be. MIRRORS are miraculous and they are all around us and deep within us. 
ALIGNMENT, the ability to arrange items or ideas in a correct or appropriate position, creates a portal for miracles to occur. When baby ducks align themselves behind their mother, they travel in safety as they learn the ways of a duck. When sea locks are aligned, the levels of two bodies of water are equalized, providing safe passage for ships. When a chiropractor aligns the discs in one’s spine, there is a greater experience of comfort and health. When we align our thoughts, words and actions with the greater self, the Christ Mind in us, we create a passageway for God to be more fully expressed and we find that indeed, “… all things come together for good.” ALIGNMENT is a miraculous ability bestowed upon humankind and expressed throughout the manifest world. What we ALIGN with is a choice, for choice is also bestowed upon us. What will you align with today?
WORDS, our ability to form them and use them are a miracle. The human mind is capable of forming and using an infinite number of words, each presenting us with a vast variety of interpretations. Yet each word begins with an original intention or idea. Each word created and formed then spoken is meant to connect, to find a common understanding of something. Each spoken word creates a vibration in the universe and attracts to it like vibrations. Words of love and kindness attract love and kindness. Words of anger and judgment create a stream of dense vibrations that block the higher vibrations of love and kindness. According to the Gospel of John, all the manifest world is the result of the “Word” that was with God in the beginning. God is Love. The Word is Love. This is a vibration that expands and multiplies and presents us with an infinite variety of experiences and interpretations. Yet behind this one Word lies one original intention; the expansion and expression of Love. The Word is the miracle that manifests as you and I. The WORDS we use and form are indeed miracles when we align the thoughts and ideas behind them with this original WORD.
ROOTS. A Tree or plant is nurtured by its roots which absorb nutrients and moisture from the soil in which is planted. This is the miracle of nature, the miracle of life; seeking, growing, expanding, thriving and then being fruitful and multiplying. Like a tree, I have roots. When I get back to my roots, I get back to that which feeds me, that which nourishes me. When the roots of a tree are trimmed, the tree responds. An expertly trimmed bonsai will result in an exquisite replication of the roots.
NOW. In The NOW moment, I take a breath and recognize the miracle of “NOW.” Free of what has been, assured of what can be, I rest in the NOW. It is the only, true moment. Everything else is an illusion created by the movement of objects; matter, in a constant state of flux and contrast with the space between which is still and whole, complete and full. In the miracle of NOW, I breathe the breath of Spirit and see with eyes that see. I see that all things emanate from this wholeness; expanding, stretching, manifesting, soaring, and then are gently pulled back again to NOW; where 
Eileen Patra 