Magical Realism

The Stress Doc shares a tale of "magical realism" -- the unexpected evolution of an "out of this world" relationship through the channel of cyberspace between Miss Sun and Mr. Moon. Is it real or virtual?

Miss Sun and Mr. Moon: A Romantasy

By Mark Gorkin, "The Stress Doc"

Once upon a time, Miss Sun and Mr. Moon appeared to be at the opposite ends of the world, seemingly destined never to meet. After a full day of working hard, expending much energy for the betterment of life and growth, Miss Sun could hardly wait to go home, turn out the lights and just recharge her batteries in her haven below the horizon. And like clockwork, after Miss Sun had departed the scene, Mr. Moon would shortly thereafter gradually make his appearance. Well, most of the time.

You see, Mr. Moon was not quite as reliable as Miss Sun. Sometimes he was fully present, other times he was nowhere to be found. Sometimes he could be caught hiding among the clouds. "A universal male pattern," some cosmic voices insisted. However, let's not be too judgmental. Mr. Moon wasn't totally erratic. Actually, a month's time would pass between when he was full and when he was absent. He would consistently wax and wane from an ephemeral sliver to a full-bodied orb and back again, in an endless cycle. Some of the celestial-female gender suggested it was his monthly ebb and flow that accounted for Mr. Moon's sensitivity, despite an outwardly cool, hard and aloof appearance. "Surely," these voices insisted, "here was proof of there also being a 'woman in the moon' or, at least, a subterranean female spirit."

In the spirit of fairness, one should also note that some of the starry-eyed, celestially correct were a bit resentful, if not envious. When Mr. Moon was his most luminous self, their sparkle and limelight was diminished.

Miss Sun and Mr. Moon each had critical and far-reaching roles to play in their world. Both were so unique and indispensable one might say they were in a state of glorious isolation. Miss Sun, with her radiance and ultra-powerful thermal and luminous presence, had her legion of admirers and worshippers though, of course, from afar. Some individuals were not simply content to transform her gift of energy into solar power. There have been those who have tried to pridefully approach, reach out and capture Miss Sun; such hubris has always resulted in scorched wings and a fall down to earth. Then there are stubborn souls who refuse to avert their gaze and inevitably become blinded by Miss Sun's dazzling aura and fiery persona.

Now Mr. Moon, with his ever-changing luminous nature, also had moonstruck followers. An array of creatures of the animal kingdom were swept away by his gravitational pull or were inspired to howl at his mysterious presence (and absence). Was it just his variable nature, was it because he was almost always surrounded in darkness; just what did account for Mr. Moon exerting an invisible force on the animal kingdom, in particular, the human psyche? What of his ability to cast a penetrating, sometimes haunting light, in the midst of darkness, even upon those who prefer having a closed mind or don't wish to see beyond their heavenly illusions and repressive shadows. Many a creature has been pulled and driven to the edge of illumination and lunacy by the cosmic-psychic beams of Mr. Moon.

Yet, despite the myriad of fans that rejoiced at their daily, awe inspiring, if not at times intimidating, celestial performance, Miss Sun and Mr. Moon were actually quite lonely. Alas, neither had found their cosmic cohort or true counterpart anywhere on Earth or even throughout the larger galaxy.

First Contacts

Then, after many eons, members of the human race started visiting Mr. Moon. It took several decades but, eventually, the humans started leaving more than just footprints, flags and little robots on Mr. Moon's surface. The Earthlings finally introduced Mr. Moon to the revolutionary breakthrough that was transforming their planet - the ability to communicate in cyberspace.

And Mr. Moon, a moody, romantic poet at heart, began sending his rhythms and rhymes, intuitive sympathies and enlightened lunacies throughout the internet and world wide web. And to his surprise his earthbound followers responded. People now were often requesting, sometimes pleading, for advice on the dark side of human nature. With his vast experience evolving into and out of lightness and shadow, Mr. Moon had much to say. He truly knew both a sense of wholeness and what it means to be invisible or, at best, a vulnerable sliver. A natural ebb and flow helped Mr. Moon resonate with the highs and lows, the triumphs and tragedies of the cosmos; to conceive intimately the endless cycle of life and death. His waxing and waning, along with his crater-marked moonscape evoked particular empathy for those mortals struggling with the bipolar peaks and valleys of depression and mania. No wonder Mr. Moon was a source of inspiration (well, at times, more consolation) for so many artists, madmen and lovers. (Forgive any redundancy here.) And Mr. Moon was glad to share his other-worldly knowledge.

While Mr. Moon felt blessed to be able to cast a little light on earthly darkness, his heart still laid heavy. If you recall, he still had not connected with a true heavenly body, his celestial soul mate. Some soular system observers even suggested that Mr. Moon's many craters were psychogenic, if not spiritual, in origin. His insides were being eaten away by stress and loneliness creating the many pockets of emptiness across his pock-marked landscape. (Mr. Moon also had a difficult adolescence.) Still, whatever the circumstance, Mr. Moon accepted his history and fate: the evening show must go on!

Then one day, just as Mr. Moon was about to start his ritual disappearing act, a startling thing happened. He received a cyberspatial message unlike any other that had come across his screen. Immediately, his screen took on a brilliant glow, heat was emanating right through the monitor. And the message itself projected much lightness and warmth. It was Miss Sun. Apparently, with her pulsating, electromagnetic rays, Miss Sun had also learned to penetrate the internet. The lady was a stellar hacker.

Celestial Connection

Until this very moment, despite their common celestial natures and importance for planet Earth, these two had never actually met. Invariably, as Miss Sun was setting in the West, Mr. Moon was ascending in the East. But because of the East-West time differential and their naturally varying cosmic biorhythms, paradoxically, there was a window of opportunity for a celestial cyber connection. Now with her blazing and blinding, overpowering presence Miss Sun often was not approachable. When it comes to starting relationships, even celestial ones, timing, as usual, is key.

The pair gradually discovered that when Miss Sun was preparing for her morning rise or, especially, upon returning from her high-powered workday, her email emissions were not so blazing; they exuded less heat and more light. They were filled with an array of soft pastels and slightly wary but often whimisical words and ideas. And the use of dark backgrounds made the words and images ever more striking. It was almost ethereal how her emails mirrored what was transpiring in the cosmos. (Who was Miss Sun's internet providerUniverse Online?) Yet, her words still possessed a hint of the passion and fire to come. And, of course, her graphic downloads took your breath away, or had you panting for more. While somewhat dazzled and certainly excited, Mr. Moon was neither scorched nor blinded like so many of Miss Sun's previous worshippers.

At the same time, Mr. Moon realized that Miss Sun had actually been a source of inspiration, albeit from afar, for as long as he could remember. Mr. Moon, once out of the celestial limelight was, surprisingly, an early riser. His best poetry and essays were born at dawn's early light. And these pre-dawn chats only fired further Mr. Moon's fertile imagination. As for Miss Sun, IMing with Mr. Moon before retiring made her bedtime dreams the sweetest ever.

Over time, the two celestial bodies discussed their respective histories and fantasies, their hopes and fears. Miss Sun and Mr. Moon also shared a love of humor - from light and whimsical to fiery and dark. Ever so gradually, Mr. Moon began to discover Miss Sun's inner core. And his heretofore romantic yet rocky heart and soul began to melt. For despite her blazing and fiery persona, Mr. Moon sensed a uniquely sensitive and perceptive inner nature. And the two seemed kindred in another sense: both labored under strong feelings of concern and responsibility (perhaps too much so) for the legions dependent on their energy and presence.

And this last point was a source of concern and tempered hopes for Mr. Moon. He had to recognize Miss Sun's symbiotic tie with planet Earth. Throughout the entire solar system, only the Earth and all its creatures gave Miss Sun a unique feeling of purpose and importance. So despite periodic exhaustion and job dissatisfaction, Mr. Moon wondered if Miss Sun would ever reconsider her Earthly bond.

Of course, beyond her Earthly duties, Miss Sun was responsible for keeping the other planets aligned. And if truth be told, Mr. Moon felt pangs of jealousy, not just with his planet, but for all the stars and so-called heavenly bodies that hung around his cyberpal. Still, Miss Sun would periodically remind her cohort of all his adoring, advice-seeking "Dear Mr. Moonie" fans. But eventually, the respective jealousies began to fade. Slow at first, but with increasing momentum, Miss Sun and Mr. Moon understood that they had discovered their celestial complement and cyber mate.

Yet, one nagging question remained: was it really real? Could these two ever break free of the cosmic boundaries, planetary commitments and galactic forces that in reality kept them apart? Their mutual romantic propensities, despite differences in thermal intensity, eased their becoming virtual soul mates. But in actuality, could Miss Sun's fire transform a cool and rocky, sometimes moody (especially when waning), somewhat perfectionistic persona, after all these mostly solitary years? And could Mr. Moon help Miss Sun overcome some of her earthly enabling and incessant giving? Our lunar lover even derived a Mr. Moon Maxim: When Mastery times Monotony provides an index of Misery! As we know, stars, in particular, often need to fireproof their lives with variety.

And speaking of fireproofing, Mr. Moon also expressed concern about Miss Sun's somewhat agitated and fiery nature. If she did not pace herself, he feared his beloved might get sunstroke or burn herself out. Still, perhaps simply going on faith, Mr. Moon fervently believed his cool, moody and luminous, mysterious sides, spiced with a strong dose of lunacy, could blend with Miss Sun's heat, fire, sensitivity and blazing brilliance. And he knew when that actually happened there would be an unprecedented spiritual-electrical cosmic connection: SOULAR FUSION!!

Virtual Visioning and Electronic Emancipation

But how could virtuality evolve into reality? One early morning, after another of their delicious cyberchats, while in that slightly hypnotic state between waking and sleep, Mr. Moon had a luminous aha! At the next eclipse, when moon and sun were aligned, and gravitational boundaries were in flux, and the earth was cast in darkness, while human eyes were diverted, Mr. Moon and Miss Sun would elope to a faraway galaxy and start a new galactic system. Their cosmic fusion would give birth to new planets and living creatures.

Mr. Moon understood that humans were becoming less interested in reality, and increasingly living in a cyberspace time continuum. Why not send all those earthlings brilliant gifs of their fusion experience along with an endless variety of pictures of their comings and goings across the heavens. It made perfect sense and rather useful parting virtual gifts. First, the fusion shots would not be the all too common crass cybersex found on all too many sites, but celestial cyberotica! A joint intergalactic website would become a source of endless entertainment, like watching a nuclear explosion (and we know how enthralled humans are of mushroom clouds as the ultimate phallic symbol). And second, now people could simply download their favorite sunrises and sunsets along with all the phases of the moon, whenever they wished. They no longer would have to wait for the real thing. Surely, one downside of the advent of cyberspace, is how impatient humans have become. Megahertz and modem speed is increasingly the mantra all over the globe.

And maybe this was affecting Miss Sun and Mr. Moon. Increasingly, people were demanding Miss Sun stay above the horizons for longer and longer durations. Other's were insisting that Mr. Moon's full moon persona comprise a larger portion of his monthly cycle or, better yet, why should they have to wait a month for that big moon pie? While there had always been carping comments about their performance, (and this El Nino creature was certainly not helping their reputations) lately the vitriol was unprecedented.

Having so many bodies dependent upon them was finally taking its toll. Miss Sun and Mr. Moon definitely needed a change of scenery and R & R. The day had come for these two to breakaway. Their niche of success had them feeling stuck in the ditch of excess. It was a cosmic crossroads. Would they be able to create a new psycho-spiritual world, a universe of healing, humor and harmony? It was Miss Sun's and Mr. Moon's destiny to explore and integrate sensitivity and wholeness, to help others harness their moods and passions and to see both the dark and light sides of life's complexities and absurdities. A common purpose, too, was facilitating the discovery of genuine identity and the pursuit of uncommon expression. Miss Sun's and Mr. Moon's self-defined mission was to achieve, sustain and share a love and a light that will shine throughout the galaxies, into the minds, hearts and souls of all the creatures and heavenly bodies - great and small - throughout the cosmos. And, of course, to help allPractice Safe Stress!

Virtual Ending

Will these two planetary paramours actually fulfill their interplanetary virtual dreams? Alas, dear reader, the final frontier has not been etched upon the heavens. Pray, stay tuned. Only time and your humble narrator can tell. Please share your thoughts and energy. Can one create a sensual and spiritual connection through cyberspace? I will certainly pass on your observations to our protagonists.

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