the ring

The day I arrived here, I noticed that my friend had a ring with a large irridescent stone on his finger. I had never seen him wear a ring before and I asked him about it. He said that a friend had loaned it to him because it had special powers in order to open ones' heart to love. Since my friend had been suffering from a marriage that had ended after 15 years, he was ready to try anything that could help him feel that life was worth living again. He was told that within 2 weeks he would feel the results.

As we spoke, it was just as the 2 weeks had ended. He removed the ring from his finger and gave it to me to try on. I did. And he said that now I was the one to benefit from the power of the ring. I tried to refuse since he was the one that needed it, not me, but he insisted, saying that he has already felt the effect of the ring. Now it is for me.

The first few days I would "hear" lessons from the ring about love. That first one must have love of self before you are able to feel love towards someone else. That the other person you love is a mirror for you. That love must be in the Light, otherwise it is dark and cannot be felt. That love is intangible and changing all of the time. Love can reach fathomless depths. Love cannot be grasped or held on to. One must constantly be aware that there can be a dark side to love, and to be careful.

Other than the lessons, I didn't feel anything special, but enjoyed wearing the ring and looking at it now and then. As we sat by the priest, my friend told him about the ring and asked his opinion. The priest asked me to give him the ring. He placed it on his finger, but didn't say anything. After a while he entered into the special meditation room he has, and returned in a short time, returning the ring to me. I didn't know what it was all about, but just put it back on my finger.

In the evening I asked my friend what the priest had said about the ring and why he went into the room with it.
"He told me that the ring is not suitable for me. But it is necessary for you. It has the power to protect. It is as if it creates a golden ring around your body so that people can see you but they cannot touch or harm you. You need that now so that no dark forces will harm you. I naturally have that ring within me, so It is not suitable for me. He went into the meditation room with it in order to understand the power of the ring. If the stone was evil, then he would have been pushed out of the meditation room since that stone would not be allowed inside. But the stone has a good vibration and can help you in your life now."

I laughed and thought what a coincidence that it. I had been speaking with a girlfriend about some issues I had in my life a few weeks ago, and she suggested I imagine a gold bar that surround my so that I will not allow harmful influences to enter me anymore.  When I reflected on her advice I realized that that is the lesson I need to learn now at this point of my life. That my sensitivity and vulnerability are no longer serving my best interests, and that I must protect myself from forces that can harm me. So here I am, in bali, with a ring that is intended to provide just that power to me now.