Cranberry - Where it all began... Origins
Cranberry's story starts back on the spring equinox - March 21, 1885. It had been a particularly cold winter and the infamous Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky had recently returned from India to London due to poor health and a need for milder, more temperate climate. Madam Blavatsky was the founder of the popular Theosophist movement. The movement sought to combine science, religion and philosophy into a single discipline.
Her travels had taken her through the Americas, Ethiopia, Tibet and finally India as she sought to establish Theosophical institutions throughout the world. She also saw this as an opportunity to deepen her own understanding of world religion, philosophy and science.
One of the most significant events during her travels was an audience with the Thirteenth Dali Lama Tubten Gyatso. It had left an indelible impression upon Blavatsky. The Dali Lama had explained in great detail how he was found and installed as the spiritual leader of his people. It was amazing for Madame Blavatsky to think that this venerable, religious leader was not born into the role, was not elected to the office, nor did he fight and conquer to win this post.
Lama Tubten explained that he was simply born in the modest town of Langdun to everyday townsfolk. Yet - the spirit of the Dali Lama was within him and recognized by the monks who had been given the sacred task of finding him. But it was his final statement as she was entering her coach to leave that infused Madame Blavatsky with a sense of hope and purpose:
"While these incarnations are true for enlightened spiritual leaders - the concept also holds true for enlightened mystical warriors. Incarnations of gifted warriors and protectors can also be found, if you are receptive, and know where to look."
Those parting words stayed with Blavatsky and were in the front of her mind when she arrived in London. Blavatsky was convinced that she was destined to be the person to find a great spiritual warrior. One that would defend and uplift the human spirit and be a force for good. Upon recovering her health, she resolved to set out and find the current incarnation of this eternal warrior - and once found – this miraculous child would be, Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky's crowning jewel in her grand Theosophical legacy and her final gift to the world.
-----------------------------
Cranberry Vishnu was born in the port town of Douglas, Isle of Man in 1880, under the name of Aelish Watterson.
Her mother Claire Watterson and father Maddrell Watterson were descended from a long line of seafaring people that made their living from fishing.
As early as three, Aelish learned to fish and loved to go out on the boat and help her father. He would let her bait the traps and she would spend hours watching the sea from the side of the boat as he pulled up the traps and hauled in the catch.
Her ability to skillfully and swiftly tie even the most complicated of knots astounded her father. By the age of four, Aelish was even helping to pull up the traps open them and was able to gut and filet a fish with the speed and skill of the most seasoned fishermen in the village. Her abilities were not limited to only knives. One night Aelish was watching her father as he was cleaning his old 20 gauge shotgun. She was staring so intently, that Maddrell decided to take her outside and let her hold it.
Without any hesitation, Aelish’s little thumb pushed the locking lever to the left and flicked the barrel down breaking the weapon open. Quick as thinking, she clutched a shell in her tiny fist and slammed it into the open chamber and flicked the barrel closed with a sharp snap. In the space of time it took her father to gasp and try to reach for the gun, she tucked the stock firmly against her shoulder, sighted briefly and fired into the air. The force of the recoil knocked Aelish flat on her backside shortly followed by a soft thud – as the duck she had sighted on, landed only a few yards away.
Other villagers ran over to see what had happened and the story of Aelish’s amazing feat quickly spread.
By the time she was five years old, it had become clear to everyone in Douglas that Aelish Watterson was not a normal little girl… she was a prodigy. Whether fishing, hunting or any activity requiring physical dexterity, Aelish took to it as naturally as breathing.
It was at this time that Madame Blavatsky arrived in the port town of Douglass. She had heard of this remarkable, young Manx girl and believed that she may be the incarnation of the great spiritual warrior she had been searching for.
Determined to find out she located the Watterson’s whitewashed stone cottage and saw for herself the amazing skill and dexterity exhibited by the extraordinary child. It was at that moment that Madame Blavatsky offered to stay in Douglas and tutor Aelish. She told her parents that she could help their child develop her considerable skills and talents and introduce her to powerful people in European society.
For the next thirteen years Aelish continued to live and help her father fishing and hunting on the weekends. But during the week, she studied Buddhism, Hinduism, Zen, Theosophy and the Ancient mysteries as compiled by Madame Blavatsky and her followers.
Blavatsky had created a curriculum to combine the immediacy of spiritual insight with Aelish’s amazing physical skills and to hone her senses into a single point of focus.
By the time her 18th birthday approached a ceremony had been arranged in the harbor to celebrate Aelish’s graduation. The ceremony was to be a symbolic rebirth – like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.
Aelish Watterson would be no more – she would need a new name. Aelish had thought long and hard about it. She referred back to the many texts she had studied over the years and years of training. She thought about the things that brought joy and comfort. The things that made her feel safe.
She decided on Cranberry for her new first name.
Her studies of mysticism in the America’s revealed that cranberries were considered a symbol of peace. That sharing and eating them was considered by the great Sachem of the Delawares an act of perpetuating order and goodwill.
It was from the Hindu tradition that she chose her new surname. That would be Vishnu.
Vishnu is the preserver and guardian of humanity – he protects the order of things and has appeared on earth in many incarnations.
Upon hearing this – Madame Blavatsky confirmed that Cranberry Vishnu was now officially realized and the next stage of her education could begin at the Theosophist enclave in London.
A tearful, fond farewell ensued and Cranberry spent her final few days in Douglas with friends and family telling stories, going for long walks and promising everyone she would write often.
Cranberry’s relationship with Madame Blavatsky changed when she arrived in London. Blavatsky’s health had continued to deteriorate and there was a sense of urgency that pervaded her training.
Everything was different. The emphasis was no longer on combining weapons training with mysticism as a means to protect humanity.
Now the art of stealth, infiltration and assassination were being introduced to her by expert instructors that had been hand-picked by Blavatsky herself, from around the globe.
Cranberry overheard talk by Madame Blavatsky and one of her senior colleagues known only to her as "Master Olcott." They were discussing sending her on missions to: “...eliminate targets that oppose the Theosophist agenda.”
This shocked Cranberry to her core and flew in the face of everything she had learned and grown to believe from her studies into the ancient philosophies and mystical teachings. This was not what Vishnu was about – it was not what cranberries represented… This was something else – something bad. Not wanting to become an assassin for any organization, Cranberry took what little possessions she had in a small sack and took her chances down at the docks.
She crept aboard a huge ship that was about to set sail. She had no knowledge of where it was going or what she would do when she got there. That boat was the RMS Etruria of the White Star Line. One of the fastest and largest liners in the world – it was heading for America!
