Gates of Eden Quotes

“No longer am I consumed with wars between clans or even nations and empires. Now there is one final war left to decide ... the war between humanity and itself. Yes, I’ve seen world wars. But now the war for the world has begun... and I cannot remain silent.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“As Cú Chulainn understood it, the tale was meant to cause one to consider the costs of war and measure them against what might be attained in a victory. If the victory is not worth the cost, or if the cost should spoil the victory, then the war should not be fought.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“There is something magical in humans— it’s a power that lies in their thoughts. A simple thought could transform the fiercest warrior into but a mouse at the sight of something so innocuous as a shadow . All it required was a little fear. But a well-placed thought did the opposite, too. Even a common housewife could become a lionhearted hero if she entertained the proper thoughts if she developed a little courage.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“Like the seasons, our lives pass through seasons of growth, seasons of maturity, and seasons of decline. But once we’ve reached the season of death the cycle continues through rebirth. Once you enter the cauldron, your memories of your former life will be wiped away, but the wisdom you’ve gleaned will remain with you. You will carry that wisdom into your next life.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“A worthy tale is one that unsettles its hearers, spurns them to act in such a way to change their lives for the better. Flourished tales might earn a bard quick fame, but they only bolstered the vanity of a people. Sétanta hoped to tell tales that would inspire people to strive toward greatness. Not to delude crass people into believing that they had achieved greatness already.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“Never underestimate anyone on account of appearance , and certainly not on account of gender, young warrior. A true warrior is tested not by the might of arms but by his unwillingness to underestimate his, or her, opponents.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“If you put your hopes on politicians, if you think that the governments of this world are the answer and will save us, you’re grossly mistaken. What the world needs are individuals— people willing to share the Awen, people willing to stand up for our home.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“But while these magical forces pulled each of us in different directions, was it really all that different? Don’t we all have inclinations toward both good and evil? Life cannot exist without death. It’s the cycle of life. Light doesn’t exist without darkness. Without darkness, we’d never realize what the light was. We’d never appreciate it. And I suppose it’s the same with respect to goodness and evil. Evil, if you want to call it that, gives us an opportunity to be good— it invites the better side of us to do its best. Pain gives us the occasion to love. And love always comes with pain. The battle isn’t just a fight— it’s a part of living. But when we recognize it, when we see that everything has its place, it begins to feel less like a battle, less like a war, and more like an adventure.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend… I don’t know who said that… but it’s bullshit. Just read your history books. The Soviets fought the Nazis, too… then came the Cold War.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“I have counsel,” I said. “There is no shortage of people who have opinions about what I should be doing.”“You may have opinions at your disposal, Druid. They may even be good opinions. But whose opinions do you heed? Without your Order, I suspect your own opinion is the only light you have to guide your path.” I huffed. “To act justly requires objectivity. Few of us will illuminate our own path in any way other than how we’d like it to appear without trusted counsel.” Arthur paused for a moment and looked around, gesturing toward his knights. “I know of not too many kings who seek the counsel of their own knights. Though I know of only a few kings henceforth who have not been tyrants.”“Are you sure you can trust them?” I asked. “You said you already know one of them is to betray you.”“I am not so concerned if my person is betrayed… if Arthur is betrayed. But what of justice? Should I have no counsel but only my own opinion, if I merely follow my heart, you can be sure that it will be vanity, not justice, that defines my court.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“How did you get past that ?” I asked, genuinely interested. “How can you trust anyone knowing you’ll be betrayed? How can you even think about having children knowing you’ll exchange death blows some day?”“A tragic end doesn’t spoil all the joy that life still has in store. A betraying friend was still a friend. Friendship is worth cherishing. A wayward child is still a child to love. One cannot ask for more in life than that.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“It appears, gentlemen, that our highness is nearly ready for you. Though all preparations have been set aside, I trust you will observe the protocol for greeting a king. Honor him as you would King Donald of your realm.”Roger busted out laughing. Grinning, I replied, “Our realm is not ruled by a king at all, but a man chosen by vote. And the one we call President Trump is hardly a king, and how one might greet him depends…Some honor him. Some would just as well throw poop at him.”Lancelot cocked his head. “Poop?”Roger interjected, “I think what Elijah means to say is that we are not at all familiar with the formalities associated with royalty.”“Very well,”Lancelot said. “Though I should note that your realm must be in a dreadful state if there are those among you who would treat your head of state with such contempt.”“You have no idea,”I added. “These days it seems that people are only capable of respecting leaders selectively.”Lancelot looked confused. “It’s a democracy,”Roger added. “People choose their own leader by a vote.”“But those who did not choose him feel they owe your leader no honor?”Lancelot asked. “In our realm,”I said, shaking my head, “people only seem to honor those with whom they agree.”“Such a realm,”Lancelot said, “cannot stand for long. Such is the state of many kingdoms apart from our own. Without a sense of honor and duty, without a common purpose, such realms are always in a state of war.”“But not Camelot?”I asked. “A divided kingdom,”Lancelot explained, “is prone to war for many reasons. None of these, however, pertain to Camelot under Arthur Pendragon.”“What reasons?”Roger asked. “First, a divided kingdom is so accustomed to conflict within that it cannot help but resort to the same when dealing without. Likewise, however, a divided kingdom is especially vulnerable and therefore attractive to others who would exploit them or, perhaps, aspire to conquer them. A divided realm is like a heated pot of oil. It takes only the slightest thing to upset it and turn it into a rage against itself.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“If you think about it,” Roger said, his hand still pressed to the ground, “science relies on a sort of faith, too. It’s a faith in the accuracy of human senses to discern every truth. But as I’m sure you know by now, there’s a whole world of truth out there beyond what the common person can see with his five senses.”“So, you’re saying science is crap?” I asked. “Not at all,” Roger said. “Just that it’s myth. It’s a form of truth, but not the whole truth. Just like Taliesin’s tale or your father’s stories, or my Choctaw legends. To presume that science comprehends everything is a form of absolutism as dangerous as any kind of religious extremism. When we comprehend our myths properly we should recognize that they put us into contact with a truth greater than our own, with something grander than any dogma.”“Some mysteries are better adored than investigated,” I said. “My dad used to say that.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“Fate, will, and destiny form the fabric of one’s life. One’s present. The present is not the opposite of the past or the future— it is a place one only realizes when perfectly situated between the two. Fate, will, and destiny must remain in balance. Pursue will and destiny apart from fate and one is like a child disoriented from the past, and is apt to confuse one’s destiny for the desires of the will. Pursue only fate and destiny and the will rebels against them both. When fate, will, and destiny are all pulling in different directions, the soul stumbles through life, achieving nothing. When these three work together, however, there is no power in the universe that can stand against them.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“When Ask met Embla he was overcome with joy, allured by her beauty, and filled with gratitude for the marvelous partner he’d been given. He ruled not over her, nor she over him. They were equal in dignity, though distinct in constitution. Together, male and female bore children—thus, they fulfilled their own divine image, becoming makers themselves. Their progeny, in turn, helped to maintain the balance between the garden groves and the skies. “Meanwhile, Taranus, Hu-Esus, and Beli came together and placed an icon amongst men. A great tree, rooted in the ground yet elevating its branches toward the skies. It served as an image of the All Father’s character, a reminder of the role man and woman were to serve by maintaining balance in Abred, the natural realm. By reaching to the Tree, the soul of man and woman together participated in Gwynfydd, a place beyond though not above the natural realm, a place where they could hold together the mysteries of nature.

Yet the most prominent of the Great Tree’s progeny, while matching the Great Tree in beauty, differed in character. The Great Tree had always taken from the land no more and no less than it needed. It reached to the sun and absorbed waters from the nearby wellsprings, but never in excess. The Great Tree exemplified balance and harmony in Abred. Insofar as Ask and Embla maintained the balance of things, respected the agency of each element and creature, the Great Tree was a true Tree of Life. It nourished them in kind, channeling Awen into their souls. “The other tree, its progeny, rebelled against its own nature. It sought not balance nor harmony between the elements, but its own magnificence. It took from the land not as the land would freely give, but whatever it might use at the land’s expense. It could take no more light than the sun would offer, but drawing in all moisture from every surrounding wellspring and from the air itself, the temperate sun no longer exhibited a pleasant warmth, but a scorching heat. “But Ask and Embla, blinded by this Wayward Tree’s magnificence, failed to see its true character. Allured by its fruit, they took from it and ate. Thus, Ask and Embla came to resemble the Wayward Tree and forgot the Tree of Life. “Enraged by what he had seen, how his likeness had departed from Awen and the way of the Great Tree of Life, the All Father—Taranus, Hu-Esus, and Beli—dispatched an emissary, the one known as Michael, to Earth to salvage what had been lost.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“I realized that life is so much more than choosing a college or making career decisions. We have time for that. Today, be grateful, whatever path you are on. Be thankful for the people in your life . Be grateful for the gifts and talents you’ve been given, and don’t worry about your limitations. We all have limitations. Anyone who has seen me in gym class knows— I definitely have mine! But limitations are important. When we recognize them, it opens our eyes to seeing a new side of ourselves. It shows us that we can be the best version of ourselves by embracing what we’ve been given… our gifts, our talents, and the people in our lives. So, you will find that some of your dreams today will die tomorrow. That’s a part of life. One dream dies, another one is born. That doesn’t mean you should stop dreaming. Dare to dream again. Live your life with gratitude. Love others more than you love yourself. If you do that… then this life… it’ll be one hell of a ride.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“Crisis and loss, challenges , and broken dreams. These things are not setbacks. They are opportunities. Chances to grow, chances to change, chances to be something better than the misguided dream we first sold our hearts into following would have allowed.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“The point, young Ovate, is that progress is no less magical than what I can do. Or what Mr. Wadsworth and Miss Campbell can do. Simply because men have seized the resources of the world and developed great inventions does not mean that man has accomplished anything which was not already latent in the potential of nature itself. The distinction between a wizard and a scientist is not in what he can do, but in how he has imagined he has done it.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“The conventions of logic and ethics declare that the ends do not justify the means… Neither, though, do the means necessarily spoil the ends.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“Would you begrudge the sun because it could burn your skin? Would you hate the hand of your mother who feeds you for the occasions her same hand disciplines you? Nature is a great provider. She reflects her maker’s goodness, the All Father’s loving kindness. But like her maker, she cannot be collared. She will not be bound to the will of man, though workers of maleficium attempt it. The unwieldiness of nature does not in any way belittle her constant and faithful provision.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“What makes someone a freak isn’t their genetic makeup— it’s the choices they make, the path they follow.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“A woman’s intuition. Powerful magic, that is!”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“am not a man, Diarmid.”“What do you mean? You look like a man, that’s for sure.”“I’m a seraph,”Michael responded calmly. “Some people call us angels. I’m an archangel.”Diarmid stared at Michael blankly. Apparently he had never heard of such a thing. Joni gripped my arm tightly. We were probably even more stunned by Michael’s announcement than Diarmid was perplexed. “It means I’m a messenger,”Michael continued. “I’m an ambassador, carrying out my master’s will. I am one of God’s messengers.”Diarmid raised his eyebrows. “Which one? There are so many gods. Every visitor or tradesman who visits our clan seems to claim different gods. I can’t keep them straight.”“Surely you are familiar with the Great Tree. The Tree of the Spirit Bull?”Michael’s inquiry was met with a grin of satisfaction and an open-mouthed, “Ahh.”His previous bewilderment was immediately replaced with an air of confidence. “I know this one,”Diarmid said resolutely. “The great branch. Taranus. The White Bull. The Creator. From his branch, Hu-Esus, the ideal man who will one day emerge from the tree and guide us all to perfection. And Beli, the Great Flame. A fire that burns still in man, guiding him back to the tree. Together, united in one trunk, all rooted in Ana-Earth, but extending its reach upward toward the skies.”“Indeed,”Michael responded with a smile. “Ceridwen has taught you well. That is the God whom I represent.”“One? But that’s three gods. Taranus, Hu-Esus, and Beli.”“Distinctly three, yes. But together, unified by a single trunk. They are ever distinct, ever inseparable. A unity. I serve all three, even as I serve the one. Together this God is known as All Father, the creator of the world. The One who made you and me. The animals. The forest around us. All of it.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“When evil is tolerated long enough, it eventually becomes accepted. “The creatures would gallop , slither, fly, or walk past it without even giving it a thought. They imagined it simply wasn’t there. But it was. From fear… to indifference… to curiosity. Curiosity inevitably became temptation.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“Every child is born of a father and mother. But what about the first father and mother? Where did they come from? How were they born?” Diarmid shrugged. “I suppose I never gave it much thought.”“An important matter to consider. If we don’t know where we are from, it is immensely difficult to tell where we are going.”
“According to our legends, Ask and Embla were first molded from earthen clay. The All Father, the master craftsman and creator of all creatures, took earth into his hands and carefully formed our flesh. Our lives and every member. Thus the earth itself became our mother, the soil the very womb from which we were born. When the All Father commanded, when he breathed upon the clay form of man, life entered the body. These clay forms were known, in legend, as Ask and Embla. “They were beautiful beyond description, the finest of all the All Father’s creatures. The closest of all in resemblance to the All Father’s heart. So he made them his stewards. His representations. He charged them to assume care for all the earth, all creatures. Not to rule them, but to guide them, serve them, express the All Father’s love and goodness unto all.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4

“I suppose that’s just the world we live in today . The supernatural— the paranormal— we’re fascinated by these things so long as there’s some room to doubt, to question, to explain it. But when it stares us in the face? When there is no alternative explanation? When something scares the crap out of us? We turn to denial. We pretend it didn’t happen. Denial is a defense mechanism. It allows us to move on with our lives under the illusion of normalcy.”
― Theophilus Monroe, Gates of Eden: The Druid Legacy 1-4