Somewhere near the edge of the world there is a network of caverns that still resounds with the primordial frequency of the world’s birth screams. From a small cave mouth in the depths of a jagged stone pit, rich, warm winds blow from the omphalos, the world core where the pulse of vitality first throbbed, and where it pulses still. Hot springs boil and steam, and mud pools wallop in the cavern’s deep, crystalline galleries. The pure essence of life itself wafts along these breezes, and those who seek healing need only make their way to the caverns and drink from the springs or dab their wounds with the sacred mud. Those lucky or enlightened enough to find their way to the caverns — and past the village that stands guard — discover that their wounds, cancer and old age fade amidst overwhelming vitality.
—"The Village Secret," Mysterious Places
