National Water Center, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
National Water Center, Eureka Springs, AR
Updated: April 2014 Contact: Contact: NWC
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Maiden of Basin Spring
by Dwight Ott
A few years ago, I was present when Josie, Ra'Mona, and Nancy cleaned the basin of years of accumulated grime. We were all aware of the power and beauty of this long-neglected and buried basin which was the reason for us all . . . for Eureka Springs being here. It was also symbolic of how we human beings often bury our most vital and real selves under the debris of unconscious living . . . and how it is possible, with effort, to rediscover and refresh these sacred places.
We spent long periods of time in the following days with the grate removed, just watching the water ripple over the stone, collect in the basin, and move on in its underground course.
One morning I was alone, staring into the well when an image appeared so distinct it was like there was a mirror in the well reflecting a scene from the sky. I saw the beautiful form of a young woman, like a Madonna, in the basin, adoring what appeared to be an infant. Around her were a winged cherub with a bugle, and another child holding an open book.
The woman was holding the infant in one arm and a globe that seemed to be the earth in the other. Behind her was the head of a sleeping man with blankets pulled up over his chin. As I focused on this image, it successively sharpened and vibrated and blurred. (No drugs, I swear.)
I decided not to tell anyone, but I called my son to have him bring a video camera down to see if anything like what I had seen could be captured.
The pictures caught almost every element except the face of the woman. I used colored pencil to bring out the features a little.
Anyone can look at the original un-manipulated picture and see that everything is there . . . I didn't create it. It took no imagination or invention. It was not a hallucination or induced mirage. It was a real image, and though it was delicate and fleeting, its elements are still there . . . in the well . . . in the basin . . and in my photos for all to see.