

#  The Magi of Futurity

A Story for the Seeker in Each of Us

Judy Mezen
The Magi of Futurity

Copyright © 2008 by Judy Mezen

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

ISBN 978-0-9820376-0-7

Library of Congress Control Number: 2008934012

Published in the United States by Radiance Unlimited

New Age Movement: Reincarnation; Dreams; Past Lives; Aspects

Fiction

1The Magi of Futurity
Part One - Magi Endreema

Part one introduces a 14-year-old girl named Anita who is growing up in a rural setting during the depression era. By repeating a simple prayer, Anita opens a line of communication (while in the dream state) to a future aspect of her soul group who is studying to become a Dream Doctor. For two magical weeks in December 1932, Anita's consciousness is expanded to help her learn the secrets to living a happy life.

Part Two - Spiritual Puberty

Part two reintroduces Anita as a 33-year-old woman just coming out of a divorce, who once again is seeking the elusive state of happiness. Magi Endreema returns to help her through this painful stage of her life. This time, Anita is able to open a conscious channel of communication with her spiritual counterpart.

The Magi of Futurity is a simple, sweet story that answers some of the most basic questions all seekers of happiness are hoping to find.
1Inspiration for this book was provided by the following people and entities:

Ted and Jory, the loves of my life.

Wini, my sweet friend who passed into spirit in 2005.

Sabe, the _Force of the Future_ , as articulated through Sheradon Bryce.

Abraham, as articulated through Esther and Jerry Hicks, a Teacher of Teachers who expounds the _Science of Deliberate Creation_ utilizing the _Law of Attraction_.

Tobias of the Crimson Circle who always makes me laugh.

Kryon of Magnetic Service who often makes me shed joyful tears.

Dorothy and Winslow Schlosser, wonderful angels who coined the phrase, _"I Love My Life!"_

# Part One - Magi Endreema

# A Child's Prayer

1There once was a young girl who longed to know the secrets of life and happiness. She had read stories about people who had special magical friends who came to tell them about such things. But when she asked her mother about these legends, her mother only said, "Silly girl, you're old enough to know now that things like that only happen in story books. They are merely figments of the imagination of those who write such stories."

"So you mean there are no such things as magic fairies, or genies, or wizards."

"Only in your dreams, Sweetie, not in real life," replied her mother. Still the girl wished it could be real somehow. So as she closed her eyes each night to sleep, she said this prayer:

" _Dear God,_

I truly believe in you and I am grateful for all of the things that you do for me and my mom, and I also know that you are very busy. That is why I believe that you must have helpers that come and talk to people like me when they have questions that ordinary people don't seem to know the answers to. There must be more to life than just what I can see with my eyes. So, please, Dear God, send me one of your helpers that will talk to me and tell me the secrets of how people can be happy all of the time. I know you'll hear this prayer because my mom tells me that you know who I am and that you love me very much. I love you, too."

Anita

For several weeks, Anita repeated this prayer. One night, in the month of December, just about two weeks before Christmas, Anita awakened because she thought she heard a noise. She was startled to see what looked like a kind old woman standing beside her bed. There was a soft glow that seemed to shine all around the woman's body.

"Who are you?" asked Anita.

"My name is Endreema. I am known as a Magi of Futurity. I have come to help you understand some of the "so-called" secrets of happiness. In reality, they are not secrets at all. I come here from the dimensions of the future . . . where there is no time and all possibilities. If you choose to work with me, I will help pull you forward where you will discover more of your own inner dimensions and gain some of the deeper understandings of the higher Universal truths. Right now you think of yourself as only being a young girl in a human body, but I can promise you that you are much more than you can perceive from your present focus. In your soul travels, you have experienced many lives and grand adventures."

"Are you really real?" gasped Anita.

"Yes, I am, but for now you can only see and hear me in your dreams," answered the old woman.

"Am I dreaming now?" asked Anita.

"Yes, you are. We will meet in your dreams often. You won't remember talking to me when you wake up, but you will remember the things that I tell you. It will be as if thoughts just seem to float into your head. It will feel almost as if you have known these things all along. Is this arrangement agreeable with you?" Endreema inquired.

"Oh, yes," replied Anita, "but I really would like to be able to talk to you whenever I want to."

"In time you will be able to do that, as you integrate the knowledge into your waking consciousness, but for now I will only visit you in your dreams." With that, the old woman seemed to fade away and the child eased back into a peaceful sleep.

# A New Day Begins

1The next morning Anita awoke with a new sense of excitement and anticipation. It seemed as if everything looked clearer and brighter. As she removed the soft, protective covers of her bed and touched her feet to the floor, she felt as if she was somehow stepping forth into a whole new world.

Today was Sunday. The morning air was crisp and cool as she ran behind their small cabin to the outhouse. She noticed a white rabbit dart away at the sound of her footsteps.

When she returned to the warmth of the cabin, Anita gave her mother a big hug. She loved her mom very much. Life had not been easy for the two of them since Anita's father had died of pneumonia five years ago when she was nine. Her father had been a strong man. He had worked in a lumber mill in the nearby town of Tacoma. Their small cabin was about two miles from town. Anita and her mother easily walked to town for work, church, and school.

Mrs. Thompson did cooking and cleaning for the three Johanson families who owned the lumber mill where Anita's father had worked. Anita made deliveries for the local mercantile two days a week after school and on Saturday afternoons. Mr. Blair, her boss, also let Anita work for him during the summer time. Anita and her mother considered themselves lucky to have jobs during these hard times. Even though their incomes were small, their needs were always met.

Mrs. Thompson prepared oatmeal and hot biscuits for breakfast. The smell of cinnamon and baked bread filled the air. Anita helped her mother clean the kitchen after their filling breakfast, and then she went to the closet to select a clean dress to wear to church. She only had four dresses and she was tired of all of them. She chose a faded blue one. At least it was clean and freshly pressed. She put on her only pair of scuffed shoes, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair. She smiled back at her reflection in the small mirror by the water basin. She felt eager to see what the day would bring.

# New Sunday School Teacher

1When they arrived at church, Mrs. Thompson joined a group of ladies who were chatting about their lives. Anita ran ahead to find her best friend, Dorothy. It was a bright sunny morning that made it seem much too warm for December. The church goers always enjoyed catching up on the neighborly news of the prior week. Soon Reverend Winslow rang the church bell and everyone slowly ambled toward the warmed building. The church consisted of one main room, where the adults met, and several smaller rooms where the children were grouped by age to attend Sunday school. Anita and Dorothy were surprised to see the face of an interesting looking man when they entered their classroom. Reverend Winslow hurried in and introduced Mr. Meyer as their new Sunday school teacher. He explained that the regular teacher, Miss Mason, had a sudden illness in her family and had been called away. Mr. Meyer, who was visiting relatives in town, would be taking her place until she was able to return.

Mr. Meyer had many interesting things to tell the children about his life. He had traveled to many places in the world and seemed to be able to weave his own experiences easily into their Bible lesson. The hour passed very quickly. The children then joined the adults in the larger room where they all sang before Reverend Winslow launched into his Sunday message. This day he talked about the beauty of nature and how everything in the world was God's handiwork. He had a special way with words that made Anita feel warm inside.

When church was over, Anita and Dorothy played tag with a few friends from school while the adults visited. Soon Mrs. Thompson called for Anita to hurry along. They walked home, mostly in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. When they arrived home, they changed out of their church clothes and had a light lunch. Mrs. Thompson set about doing some mending and sewing. Anita went outside to give their goat, Buddy, some grain and fresh water in gratitude for the milk she provided. The girl then returned to the house and settled down to finish her homework that was due on Monday.

Later, they enjoyed warmed up biscuits and butter bean soup for supper. It was not long until it was time to prepare for bed. They took turns washing up. Mrs. Thompson brushed Anita's long hair, and then her own. They sat by the pot bellied stove and enjoyed the heat a little longer before going to bed.

As Anita snuggled down into the comfort of her small bed, she silently repeated her special prayer to God.

# Magi Endreema Returns

1Anita felt a soft breeze blow over her face. She reached to pull the covers closer to her chin. Something made her want to open her eyes, and that is when she saw Magi Endreema.

"Hello, friend," a quiet voice said.

"Oh, it's you! I was wondering if you would come again," said Anita.

"Yes, we have an agreement, remember? And it is time for your first lesson. May I sit on your bed with you?" asked the Magi.

"Yes, please do," said Anita as she slowly sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

Endreema began her lesson by saying, "Most people think that they will find happiness by having lots of material things . . . when what they really want is to touch the true self - the soul that is the spark of light and life created by God. Still, it is hard to realize this without first having experienced the joy of having some of the material things people think they want. So . . . this is your first assignment." Endreema handed Anita a small writing journal and a pen. "Please make a list of five things that you think would make you happy."

Anita smiled. This was going to be easy. There were many things she would like to have. She quickly made her list:

1. Lots of new dresses! ( _She was so tired of wearing the same four dresses day after day._ )

2. A brand-new pair of shoes. _(She had not had a new pair of shoes since her father's death. She had been wearing scuffed hand-me-downs from the families her mother worked for._ )

3. Some bright, colorful ribbons for my hair. ( _She envied the girls at school whose parents could afford to buy them ribbons for their hair._ )

4. More books to read. ( _The school did not have many books and she had read them all. Anita loved to read about adventures in faraway places. Her life seemed so dull compared to the people she read about in books._ )

5. A wonderful new father who is nice and will love me and my mom. _(She missed her father so much and she knew her mother did too._ )

Anita handed the journal to Endreema. The Magi read the list, closed the book and placed it in her pocket. "Good, "she said. "When you want something, you must ask for it. When the request goes out, the fairies of the Universe go to work immediately to find ways to bring it to you. Now you must "know" that your desires will be granted. Have an attitude of gratitude about all that you have already been given and expect miracles in every day."

The Magi gently touched the girl's forehead. As her image began to fade, Anita drifted easily back into her sweet slumber.

# South African Adventure

1The next day, on her way to school, it seemed to Anita that everything looked different. Somehow, everything looked brighter than she remembered. She noticed the delicate shapes of the frozen leaves in the early morning air. Each one was so uniquely beautiful in its own way. Even the trees that held bare branches stood stately and strong in their lovely silhouettes. The mere crunching sound of walking over the frozen ground seemed to produce a rhythmic melody of tones unnoticed before. "What a wonderful world we live in," she thought as she glided along.

It was good to feel the warmth of her school room after her crisp morning walk. Miss Cook, the teacher for the combined class of seventh, eighth and ninth graders, was scurrying around placing shiny magazines on every desk. When Anita came in, Miss Cook greeted her and asked if she would please help distribute the magazines. Anita hung up her coat and hat and took a stack of the brightly colored glossies from Miss Cook. Several other students entered the classroom just as they finished placing the magazines on the desks. Soon the bell tolled to signal the beginning of the school day. Miss Cook called the roll and then began speaking.

"Class, I'm sure that you have all noticed the wonderful magazines on your desks. A friend of mine, who works in the newspaper office in Seattle, took a trip to New York City recently. She visited a large publishing house there. They were kind enough to give her several old copies of National Geographic Magazine. We will be using these to study many things about the world that I'm sure we will all find interesting. For now, I would like for you to look through the pages. If any of you see anything interesting you would like to share with the class, please raise your hand."

Anita began to leaf through the pages of her magazine. It was full of vivid, colorful pictures of beautiful people wearing wonderful clothes of all sorts. Her head was spinning at the magnificence of it all. The first story that caught her eye was about a group of people who went on a safari to Africa to capture white rhinos for a zoo in Chicago. There were pictures of smiling African natives who helped the hunters find the rhinos. The natives wore very little clothing and had bones wrapped in their hair. Their smiles showed that many of them had teeth missing. Even so, the people's eyes looked so happy. In the background, several grass huts with women and children sitting around small fire pits were pictured. Suddenly, it seemed as if Anita was right there with them. She could smell the food cooking and she could hear the cry of a baby in the distance. Some girls, about her age, were moving in a circle pattern to the beat of a drum being played by a young boy. It looked like they were practicing some type of ceremonial dance. Anita longed to join them. There was such a feeling of freedom in the air. Every step was purposeful with slow deliberate movements. They all had bare feet and practically bare bodies. She saw a mother nursing a baby at her bare breast. It all seemed so natural. These people had very few possessions, and yet they seemed so peaceful and content. What did they know that she did not?

"Anita, Anita, are you all right?" Anita looked up to see Miss Cook standing beside her desk. "I asked if you had found anything interesting to share yet. I don't think you heard me."

"I'm sorry, Miss Cook, I guess I was daydreaming," replied Anita.

"Well, please try to stay focused when you are in class," mused Miss Cook. "All right now, class, I am going to give you a homework assignment. You may take these magazines home with you tonight. Please select an article that you find interesting or inspiring, summarize it in your own words, and then tell what you learned personally from reading the story. Bring these reports back in tomorrow and we will read them out loud. Are there any questions?"

One of the boys raised his hand to ask how long the reports should be. Miss Cook replied that they should be between 200 and 300 words in length. She then asked the students to get out their math books to review long division. Throughout the remainder of the day, Anita's thoughts wandered often to the African village scene that had seemed so real in her mind. After school, she and Dorothy walked together to the edge of town happily chatting about their day. They soon reached the spot where they were forced to wave goodbye to one another as they started on their separate paths toward home.

Anita hurried through her evening chores. She was anxious to start on her homework assignment. It would still be an hour or more before her mother returned home. At last she was able to sit down to read the entire story about the safari hunters. When she had read over the article a couple of times, she took out her paper and pencil and began to write.

SOUTH AFRICAN ADVENTURE

In 1930, a group of men traveled to South Africa to find two white rhinos to bring back to the zoo in Chicago, Illinois. They went to the area known as Zululand in the foothills below the Drakensberg Mountains. They had arranged with the African government to have Zulu guides help them find the white rhinos. The men stayed in the village of their guides and lived in a small grass hut during their visit. They were treated as honored guests and participated in many local traditions while there. They ate foods such as _biltong._ This is strips of meat dried in the sun until the outside is black while the inside is still red and juicy. This was served with _mealie_ , which is mashed cornmeal. Their hunt, or safari, was successful. With the help of the natives, they were able to capture the white rhinos within one week's time. The rhinos were transported by military trucks to the city of Durban, on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and then by cargo ship back to the United States. The men said they enjoyed learning about the Zulu natives' customs and arts, and that they would like to visit again someday.

By reading this story and looking at the pictures, I learned that people all over the world are very different, but they are also very much alike. We may appear different on the outside, eat different foods, and wear different clothes, but our hearts are all the same. We all want to be happy and free to do the things that we enjoy. The Zulu people did not need to wear fancy clothes or have fancy serving dishes to make their visitors feel welcome. They just needed to be themselves and speak the only language that is important anywhere. That is the language of love."

Anita laid her pencil down and reread the words that had seemed to flow so easily from her mind. She was surprised and amazed at the results. She knew that she had just written them down, but they didn't seem like words she would normally write. She pressed the paper to her chest. She suddenly realized the truth that the words conveyed. Beautiful clothes and fancy things do not matter at all. The language of the heart is all that _truly_ matters.

Just then, Anita was startled to hear her mother open the door. She sat her homework aside and began setting the table. She looked at their chipped dishes with new eyes. The chips gave the dishes character. Each one had its own story to tell. It made them seem like old friends with whom treasured memories could be shared. These thoughts made her want to touch the dishes and glasses in a new way, with a feeling of respect. It made her realize that everything around her was a part of her somehow, and that each thing expressed itself in a different way. It wasn't only people who had life. _Everything_ , no matter what it was, had a life of its own. She gently sat the last glass down on the table and then went to her mother. She put her arms around this wonderful woman who meant so much to her.

"I love you, Mom! I'm so glad to see you."

"Hey, what brought all of this on?" Mrs. Thompson asked as she warmly returned the hug.

"Nothing really, I just felt like hugging you. The Christmas spirit must be in the air. I feel so happy these days!" beamed Anita. They sat down to eat their supper of leftover butter bean soup. It was delicious. Anita told her mother about the National Geographic magazines and her assignment. She handed her the report to read.

"Why Anita, this is beautiful. I didn't know that you had such lovely thoughts in that head of yours. I'm sure Miss Cook will give you an "A" for this fine report."

"Thank you, Mother. I'm so glad you like it!" For a moment, Anita thought about telling her mother about the daydream that she had in school. But she decided not to for now.

In her dreams that night, Anita revisited the African Zulu tribe. She joined in with the dancing and tasted the _biltong_ and _mealie_. It was all so wonderful. It felt as if a part of her belonged there.

# A Classroom Visitor

1The next few days seemed to fly by. Christmas would be here before she knew it. Anita had been thinking of what to give her mother and Dorothy. She was allowed to keep a dime a week from her earnings at the mercantile. She had been saving her dimes since she went to work for Mr. Blair in September, just so she would have money for Christmas gifts. She had her eye on a warm pair of gloves for Dorothy. The ones she liked were dark purple with little white reindeer stitched on them. But she didn't know what to give her mother. Her mom was much more talented with making things than she was. Besides, Anita didn't want to give her something that she could make for herself. The right idea would come. She knew it would.

On Friday morning at school, Miss Cook made an announcement that they would have a special visitor after lunch. She said that some of the students had already met him. His name was Edward Meyer. He was Miss Cook's cousin, and he was staying with her temporarily. Since the class had been studying geography by reading the National Geographic Magazines, Miss Cook had decided to invite her cousin to come and talk about some of his travels. Anita and Dorothy remembered Mr. Meyer from Sunday school, and so they were the first two to come back to their classroom after lunch.

"Hi, Dorothy, it's Anita. I'm glad to see you. It will be nice to have some familiar faces in the room." Mr. Meyer extended his hand and shook hands with both of them. When everyone else was settled at their desks, Miss Cook introduced her cousin to the class.

"Thank you for inviting me," Mr. Meyers said with a warm smile on his face. "I always welcome the opportunity to talk about my travels. I have been fortunate enough to have seen nearly all of the states in these United States, as well as the foreign lands of England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Egypt, and Africa. You see, I was raised mainly by my Grandfather. My mother died when I was born and my father was too busy with his work to have much time for me. I consider myself very lucky indeed to have been placed in the loving care of my Grandfather. He enjoyed traveling and he took me with him wherever he went. Today I would like to tell you about our trip to Egypt.

Egypt is located in the northeast corner of Africa. It is a large country - about as big as Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas put together. Nearly all of this land is hot and dry. Most of Egypt is desert. In spite of its harsh climate, people have lived there for thousands of years. They have survived because of the Nile River. For centuries the Nile has flooded, leaving rich soil along its banks. The world's largest river brings fresh water and life to the desert.

One of the world's oldest civilizations grew up on the banks of the Nile. More than 5,000 years ago, great kings and pharaohs ruled there. They built palaces near the river. Many ancient monuments are still standing. The Pyramids of Giza stand on the west bank of the Nile. The pyramids contain the royal tombs of some of the pharaohs and their queens. If you like climbing, you can explore the royal burial chambers. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the biggest of all. It is 480 feet high and 755 feet square. The Great Pyramid was built nearly 4,500 years ago. It is made from more than two million big blocks of stone. The stones fit together so well that you cannot slip a knife blade between them. To this day, no one knows for sure how the ancient Egyptians managed to build the pyramids. It is speculated by some that the huge stones were shaped and cleaved during the dry summer months. Then large wooden frames were built around them. When the rains came in the winter and spring, these huge stones were moved by rafts and strategically placed in the structure. It is believed that 40-ton rocks could be moved on the rafts during the floods. Then the wooden frames were burned and the stones fell into place. It is also speculated that the pyramids were built from all four sides simultaneously during the flood seasons. The process took several hundred years.

While in Egypt, we visited Cairo, the capital of Egypt. It is the largest city in Africa. Traveling in Cairo is not difficult, but the markets can be very crowded. Many sights are a short walk from the center of the city. It is fun to shop in the markets there. You can buy goods such as copper and brass coffee sets, gold and silver jewelry, wooden chessboards, and tapestries. The shops do not have fixed prices. You must bargain for what you buy. My Grandfather said that you should begin by offering about half of what you want to pay."

While Mr. Meyer was talking, Anita felt like she was right there with him, seeing the things that he was describing. Her senses delighted at the sights of multi-colored handmade cloths and jewelry. She could smell the wonderful and varied aromas of food filling the marketplace. Pictures of hieroglyphic symbols danced in her mind. She had to make a real effort to pull her awareness back into the school room.

"The Egyptian people eat foods like _ful medames,_ which are mashed beans served with lemon juice and spices, and _hamam_ , which is pigeon, either grilled and served with wheat stuffing, or stewed with onions, tomatoes, and rice. Children go to school there between the ages of six and twelve. After this, they must take an exam before being allowed to go on to higher grades.

I enjoyed my visit there very much. I rode a camel with my Grandfather. I was 15 years old at the time I visited Egypt. Do any of you think that you would like to travel there?"

Anita's hand shot up into the air. She looked around to see two or three more hands that were raised. She was very surprised that more people would not want to see these wonderful sites. Miss Cook asked if anyone had any questions. Mary Lu Loften asked what it felt like to ride on a camel. Mr. Meyer said that the humps moved around a lot and that camels could run very fast when they wanted to. Anita asked if Mr. Meyer had gone inside any of the pyramids. He confirmed that he had and that he had actually touched some of the hieroglyphic writings.

Anita could think of many more questions she wanted to ask Mr. Meyer, but Miss Cook said that was all the time they had for now. She assured the class that she would invite her cousin to come back another time. Anita was sad to see him leave, but she looked forward to seeing Mr. Meyer again at Sunday school. That evening, her supper-time conversation was all about Egypt and Mr. Meyer. Her mother could not get a word in edgewise.

# The Greatest Gifts

1A soft breeze caused Anita to sit up in her bed. She watched as Endreema appeared before her eyes.

"Endreema, I have met the most interesting man. He has traveled to so many exciting places and seen such wonderful things! Do you think I will ever get to see any of those places?" she asked.

"You can see them any time you want. You have just been to Africa to dance with the Zulu princesses," Endreema said matter-of-factly.

"But that was just a dream. I wasn't really there, was I?" Anita's voice trailed off as if she had returned to the vision.

"What's the difference between a dream and your waking life? Didn't you taste the food and feel your body moving to the beat of the drums? All it takes is to focus your thoughts on a place where you want to be, and you simply go there. It's not difficult at all. Some people prefer to call it imagination. I like to call it dimensional travel. It's all the same thing . . . a simple shift of your perceptions, and you are off to anywhere you want to be."

"Do you really mean that I can go anywhere that I want to, anytime that I want to?" queried Anita.

"That's exactly what I mean. All that is required is your belief that you can do it. How do you think I got here?" asked the Magi.

"Wow," sighed Anita. "My life sure has changed since I met you. All of these crazy and wonderful things are happening to me. I almost feel like a different person. Hey, have you put a magic spell on me or something?"

"No, Dear One, I have not put a spell on you, but I have helped you to start noticing the things that are around you all of the time that you have been taking for granted. You are not alone in this world and you never have been. Everything in the Universe is connected to every other thing. The radiant presence of God is in all things, from the lowly weeds to the stately trees, from the brightest stars to a baby lamb. When you look at a leaf, you know that God is green. When you look at the midday sun, you are being dazzled by the brightness of God. When you look into your mother's eyes, you see the twinkle of God's love staring back at you. Everything and everyone is a beautiful reflection of the Creator God. You have been reaching outside of yourself to find an elusive God when it has been the well of living waters within your soul all along. If you will learn to draw from your own inner resources, eagerly and deliberately, these resources will increase and multiply until your entire being is transformed into a vessel literally running over with holy radiance. Your mind and heart work together to form a powerful force. Use it wisely." With these words, Endreema's image began to fade.

Anita could barely hear her final words . . .

"The greatest gifts are those from the heart."

# Saturday Joys

1After completing her morning chores a little slower than usual because of her new found appreciation for the splendor and wonder of all things, Anita went into the house to clean up before she headed to the mercantile. Her mother had packed a lunch for her to eat along the way. They embraced warmly before Anita left. Mrs. Thompson gave her daughter some money to pick up some supplies that they needed. Anita waved back to her mother who was still standing in the doorway watching her with protective eyes. She was feeling hungry so she took out a peanut butter and honey sandwich made with a hardtack biscuit. She savored the flavors in her mouth as she chewed. It seemed that her mother could make anything taste good. She was definitely a good cook. When Anita finished her sandwich, she stopped to take a drink of water from the closed jar in her sack. It was cold and refreshing. She munched on a crisp apple as she continued the scenic journey into town. Many people called this area _God's Country_. It was beautiful and green all year round. "I'm sure this is God's Country," Anita mused out loud, "just as _all_ places are God's Country. Every place is beautiful in its own way."

By the time she reached the mercantile, Anita was full of energy and happiness. She was practically bursting at the seams with thoughts about how wonderful her life was.

"What are you so happy about, young lady?" asked Mr. Blair.

"Just about everything!" said Anita. "The world is beautiful and so are all of the people in it!"

"It sounds to me like you're in the Christmas spirit already. I hope you still feel that way by the time you make all of these deliveries. You're going to have to hustle today," he teased.

Anita picked up the bundles and the list that Mr. Blair had prepared for her. "Don't worry about me," she said as she opened the door, "These days I'm practically walking on air!"

Mr. Blair laughed and shook his head as Anita hurried out the door. She had seven deliveries to make. Anita quickly routed them out in her mind. "Ok feet, let's hop on the Airway Express!" she shouted as she scurried away.

All of the deliveries went smoothly. Her body appeared to be working in harmony with the natural rhythms of time and nature. Mr. Blair's customers were all anxious to receive their orders. Their smiles and warm wishes speeded Anita easily along her way. Mr. Blair was genuinely surprised to see her walk through the door at a quarter to four.

"Well, you must be walking on air today, young lady!" he said. Anita did a little dance on her tiptoes and they both laughed about her silliness. Mr. Blair opened his cash register and handed Anita her weekly quarter. Her eyes gleamed with joy. With the dime that she could keep today, she would have $1.50 to use toward her Christmas gifts for Dorothy and her mother.

Mr. Blair took the lid off of a candy jar and handed Anita a peppermint stick. "This is for you," he said. "You certainly deserve it today."

Anita giggled with delight and thanked him. She licked the peppermint stick joyfully as she handed Mr. Blair her mother's shopping list. Together they bundled the items and then she set out for home with a taste of sweetness in her mouth and in her heart.

# Earth and Soul Groups

1On the way home, Anita noticed that she was not in the least bit tired. Usually when she returned home after her Saturday job, she was exhausted from walking all day long, but not today. Her feet seemed to be pulling energy from the Earth in a way she had never noticed before. She felt refreshed and invigorated.

Was she seeing things? It appeared as if there were streams of light shooting up from the ground around her. They were triangular in shape with various colors appearing in different areas. Anita turned and looked around in all directions. Everywhere she had walked, there were prisms of light shooting up from the Earth. "This is amazing!" Was the Earth somehow sharing its energy and life with her? She was baffled by the mystery of it all, but it was not frightening to her. She felt instead that she was being given a precious gift by the planet. Joy filled her body as she felt tears of gratitude flow gently down her face.

There was no explanation for all of the feelings that she had been experiencing lately. She felt like she wanted to capture these sensations and hold onto them somehow, but she knew that would be impossible. It was better to experience them and let them go. She got the sense that this was just the beginning of better and grander things to come. She had not told anyone about any of these unusual experiences yet. She wondered if she should tell her mother or Dorothy. Would they think she was crazy? She decided that she would wait a little longer. She would know when the time was right.

The soft glow of light from the cabin's windows appeared in view. She saw her home with new eyes. This little cabin had been a safe place for the last five years. Even though it was small and plain, it had served well as a place of protection and comfort. She opened the door and stepped into her home's loving arms. A warm fire was blazing and the smell of beef stew stirred her hunger. Anita handed the bundle of groceries to her mother and hung up her coat and hat. Her body began to soak up the warmth of the room. The two women shared a hug. Anita noticed that her mother had a cough that seemed to grow stronger as the evening passed. Her mom assured her that it was nothing.

As she lay down to rest her body that night, the brilliant lights that she had seen earlier filled her mind. Anita drifted off to sleep while drinking in their remembered beauty.

"Dear One, wake up. We have an appointment tonight." Anita was startled awake and sat up sleepily. She saw Endreema looking into what appeared to be a blue globe.

"What is that?" Anita asked.

"Oh, I was just enjoying the Earth's strobing that you witnessed earlier today," replied Endreema. Anita leaned over to look into the sphere. She could see the same beautiful lights that she had seen earlier.

"I didn't know if they were real or just my imagination," said Anita. "I hoped they were real."

"They're real all right. The Earth is filled with energy that she freely gives away to all things — the plants, animals and minerals who reside on or within her body. You could not live without this energy. Its aura surrounds all things on the planet with the energy and sustenance that is needed for existence. This Earth literally pulses out life energy for all of its inhabitants.

"Amazing, isn't it?" murmured Endreema. "This wondrous planet is self-intelligent and has free will, just as your body does also. You would not have been able to see and feel those energy patterns emanating from the planet if your body and Mother Earth had not agreed to a harmonious exchange and alignment of their frequencies. Many people will never consciously experience the gift that you were given today. The joy that you were expressing made it possible."

Anita had been listening very intently to Endreema's words. "Do you mean that the Earth and my body both have minds of their own?" she queried.

"That is correct. They are both living, breathing organisms that can think and have free will," answered Endreema. "Your feet are natural receptor sites for the energy that the Earth puts off. Simply by walking on the Earth's surface, your body can absorb this powerful life force. Even though your mind was telling you that you should have been tired from your day's work, the body decided to energize itself. Both your body and this planet are marvelous creations which exude natural expression and creative flow. You can freely communicate with either one of them, as well as all other forms of life in this reality . . . plants, animals, and inanimate objects. All you have to do is put your judgments aside and listen with the heart."

"All you ever really need to know is always within your reach. Your body is a living library of all of the memories of your soul group. You can tap into these memories anytime you choose to do so. You are definitely more than just your physical body. Through your soul memories, you can view any lifetime that any aspect of your soul group has ever experienced."

"Are you telling me that I have lived other lifetimes and that there are lots of other me's, from my soul group, living in other bodies?" Anita asked incredulously.

"Of course," said Endreema, rather matter-of-factly. "Your soul's chief steward, who resides in Futurity, works along with certain parts of your brain to keep track of all of your soul's other aspects and faces. You often meet with your other selves in the dream state to trade ideas and information. That's why you can go to sleep with some sort of a problem on your mind and wake up the next morning with a solution. You have been conferring with others in your soul group, who may have experienced similar obstacles, and you work out probable outcomes while your body is sleeping. It's all very simple and logical."

"That is amazing," gasped Anita. "It sure would make life more interesting and simpler if everybody knew about these things. People wouldn't have to worry nearly as much as they do now. They would just know that everything would always work out okay." Anita appeared to be deep in thought.

"Exactly," whispered Endreema, choosing this pause with which to take her exit.

# Sunday Supper Guest

1On Sunday morning, Anita awoke before her mother. She went to her mom's bed to check on her and saw that she appeared to be resting peacefully. Anita had heard her coughing in the night and decided it would be best to let her sleep a little longer.

She put on her warmest clothing and went out to milk the goat. She remembered that her mother had laughed when she had wanted to name the goat, Buddy, since it was a female. Still Anita insisted, so the goat was christened Buddy.

The girl ran through the cold morning air to reach the barn. She petted her friend, and then got the stool and the bucket needed for milking. Although Anita's mother had taught her how to do the milking, she had not done it enough to be really good at it. It seemed to be taking a long time and there was very little milk in her bucket when Anita thought she heard someone say, "Don't pull so hard!" The girl spun around to see if her mother was standing behind her, but she wasn't. "It must be my imagination," thought Anita. But then she heard it again.

"I said you don't have to pull so hard." The words seemed to be echoing in her head somewhere.

"Was that you, Buddy?" asked Anita, staring at the goat.

"Of course, it's me. You have to be gentler. Just let the milk drop into the teat on its own and then squeeze gently. It's much faster and neither one of us has to work so hard," ordered the goat.

Anita tried doing the milking according to Buddy's instructions. She found it was much easier!

"There, that's better," she heard the goat mumble.

Anita felt silly talking to a goat, but then she thought, "Why not?" Didn't she talk to Buddy most of the time when she fed her? The only difference now was she could hear the goat talk back. Before long, the milk bucket was full. Anita thanked Buddy for the milk and her helpful instructions. She then lovingly petted the goat's head again.

"Don't mention it, "she heard Buddy remark as she opened the gate and walked back toward the cabin.

Mrs. Thompson was up and about when Anita returned. She thanked her daughter for doing the milking. She admitted that she was feeling a little poorly. She had stoked the fire and there was a bright cheeriness in the room.

"I'll make breakfast this morning," said Anita. "What do you feel like having?"

"Maybe just some toasted bread and tea," her mother re-plied. Anita heated up the skillet and buttered some bread for toasting. She placed one piece of bread in the pan at a time and brought four pieces to a crispy brown. She put them on a plate and got out some strawberry jam. Then she got two cups for the tea that her mother had already brewed. Mrs. Thompson ate her toast plain, but Anita filled every inch of her two pieces with the delicious homemade jam. She noticed that her mom only ate about a half of a piece of toast.

"Maybe we should stay home from church today?" Anita said with a questioning look on her face.

"I'll be fine," her mother said. "The walk and the fresh air will do me good." Anita offered to clean the dishes while her mother dressed. After the dishes were washed, she went to the small closet to choose a dress. The brown one would do for today. She finished getting ready while her mother rocked slowly by the fire sipping her tea. Then they both bundled up in their warmest coats, hats, and gloves. Anita helped her mother wrap an extra scarf around her neck and mouth.

"There's no need to fuss over me. I've just got a little cold." Mrs. Thompson teased as she smiled and hugged her daughter. Anita looked at her mother's beautiful face and thought about how much she loved her. She added more wood to the fire, and they began their walk to town.

Anita did most of the talking on the way. She pointed out the small birds that were flittering about looking for food. The bright sun was melting the glistening ice cycles that had formed on the trees during the night. There were many things to catch her attention in this delightful winter wonderland.

At last they reached the church. They arrived just as Reverend Winslow was ringing the bell. They walked up the steps and entered into the satisfying warmth of the old building. Anita squeezed her mother's hand and walked to her classroom. Dorothy was already there and waved to her. She giggled and took a seat next to her friend. She was still cold from the walk and decided to leave her coat and hat on for a while. Mr. Meyer walked into the room wearing a broad smile. He greeted the group, then read a Bible verse and said a prayer.

"Today I decided to bring some pictures of my trip to Egypt. I spoke to some of you at the school last week about my visit there. I thought you might like to see my pictures." He divided the photographs and gave half to Mary Jensen and half to Anita. He asked the girls to look at two or three photos at a time and pass them around.

Anita's eyes feasted on the images. They were old black and white photos that cast a spell on her imagination. She devoured each one with her eyes and then grudgingly passed them on to Dorothy. She could easily imagine herself walking down the streets looking at the sights depicted in the photographs. Her mind was alive with the smells and sounds of Cairo. She openly grinned back at the smiling faces of the people in the pictures.

"I thought you might like to know something about the religions of the Egyptians." Mr. Meyer's voice interrupted Anita's reverie.

"Nine out of ten Egyptians are Muslims. Most of the rest are orthodox Christians. Orthodox means traditional. Islam, the religion of the Muslims, came to Egypt with the Arabs in 640 A.D. Muslims believe that Mohammad was chosen as God's true prophet."

As Anita listened to Mr. Meyer talk, his face seemed to transfigure somehow. One minute he looked like Mr. Meyer and the next, he looked like . . . an Oriental man! She knew that she was staring rudely, but she just could not believe what she was seeing!

"Are you all right, Anita?" asked Mr. Meyer. "You look a little flushed."

"Huh, oh, yes, I'm okay. I think I'll just take my coat off now. I'm a little too warm." Anita removed her hat and coat as Mr. Meyer continued.

"The Muslim people pray five times a day, and fast. That means to go without food throughout _Ramadan,_ the ninth month in the Muslim calendar. This month-long fast ends with a three-day feast called, 'Id _al-Fitr_ , when it is over. The _Koran_ is their holy book. Many Muslims go on a pilgrimage, or journey, to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in their lifetime. Mecca is the birthplace of Mohammad. Muslim festivals can be huge gatherings. The people sing, dance and pray. At the center of all kinds of celebrations is the _zikr_ , where a group of worshipers chant and sway until they are in a trance. Mohammed's birthday is an occasion for festivals of this type and street processions in many towns and cities."

Anita raised her hand.

"Yes, Anita, do you have a question?" asked Mr. Meyer.

"Is your Grandfather still alive?" Anita didn't really know why she asked this question. The words seemed to appear out of thin air.

"No, he's not. He has been gone for several years now, and I miss him a great deal. He and I shared some very special times." He spoke in a soft and gentle tone. "However, I have learned to celebrate his life and the time that we had together. The lessons that I learned from him have stayed with me and have changed my life. I now strive to be aware of each precious moment. I have learned to appreciate the ability to feel pain, to laugh, to love and just be alive. Because of him, I realize that life is for living. Our physical lives may be transitory, but our souls are not. Life is only what we make of it, and my Grandfather certainly made his full of adventure and fun. He's still very much alive in my memories and in my heart. Thank you for asking about him, Anita."

A peaceful silence filled the room. Mr. Meyer asked if anyone had any questions about his photographs of Egypt. A buzz of voices and activity continued, but Anita was lost in her memories of her own father.

When the bell rang sounding the signal for the 11:00 A.M. service, Anita remained seated as her classmates filed past her. She whispered to Dorothy that she would be out in a minute. Then Anita boldly walked up to the teacher and asked, "Mr. Meyer, would you come for Sunday supper at our house today? My mother made some really good beef stew yesterday."

"I would be very pleased to accept your invitation, Anita . . . that is if it is okay with your parents," replied Mr. Meyer.

"Oh, it's just me and my mom, and I'm sure it's all right with her," Anita said with a broad grin.

"I'll ask her just to make sure, though." Anita hurried out of the room to find her mother. When she saw her, she suddenly realized that she had forgotten all about her mom's cold. "Oh, I hope she'll say yes!" Anita muttered to herself.

"Mother, I have invited a guest for dinner. I forgot about your cold. I hope it's still okay. Please say yes! I'll do all the work and clean up afterwards, too!" The words tumbled out of her mouth so fast that it made her mother laugh.

"I'm sure it's fine if one of your friends comes home with you for supper. Did she already ask her parents?" inquired Mrs. Thompson.

"Oh, it's not one of my friends from school, Mother. I asked Mr. Meyer to supper. You remember, he's the one that I told you about the other day. Miss Cook's cousin. Remember? I told you that he was teaching my Sunday school class while Miss Mason is gone. You remember, Mother. You must!" Anita looked up to see Mr. Meyer approaching them. "Here he comes now. I'll introduce you."

Anita noticed that her mother blushed when she made the introductions. Mr. Meyer politely said, "I'm very glad to meet you, Mrs. Thompson. I assure you that if my coming to supper today is a problem, it's quite all right. We can make it another time."

"Oh no, Mr. Meyer, it will be fine. That is, if you don't mind putting yourself at risk for catching a cold. I'm afraid I've got one brewing," Mrs. Thompson said as a shy smile brightened her face.

"I'll take my chances," replied Mr. Meyer. "Please call me Edward, however. And may I call you by your given name?"

"Please do. My name is Nora." With the formalities out of the way, they sat down to listen to the Reverend Winslow's sermon.

# Mother's Illness

1After church, Mr. Meyer went off to let his cousin know that he had an engagement for supper. Anita took Dorothy aside to tell her about the visit. The girls knowingly looked at each and giggled with excitement. Mrs. Thompson went to talk to Mr. Johanson, one of her employers, about a Christmas surprise for Anita. Then she began looking around for her daughter. She saw Mr. Meyer talking with several of the children from Anita's class. He caught her eye and began walking in her direction after saying goodbye to the children. Anita joined them and the three of them began their journey together. A group of ladies, who had gathered to talk, pretended not to notice.

On the way, Mr. Meyer told them about a trip that he had taken to Alaska one winter. He said that it was so cold there that it would freeze a drop of water spilling from a cup before it could hit the ground. They all laughed together as he told how he had performed this experiment with several different types of liquids. When he finished his story, Anita ran ahead to stoke up the fire and set the table. She told the adults not to hurry.

By the time they reached the cabin, Anita had the stew warming and the table set. She took Mr. Meyer's coat and hung it up. She asked him to sit at the head of the table. Mrs. Thompson took their best cups from the cupboard and offered Mr. Meyer some hot apple cider.

"I would like that very much. Thank you," he replied. By the time the cider was warmed, the stew was hot also. Anita filled each of their bowls. Her mother asked Mr. Meyer to say the blessing.

"Dear God. I am truly grateful that I have everything that I need to enjoy the here and now. I am blessed with good company, good food and Your eternal love. What more could I ask for? Amen."

After a very pleasant supper and conversation, Anita cleared the table and began washing the dishes. Her mother's cough seemed to worsen suddenly. Mr. Meyer asked, "Do you have any garlic and lemon in the house?"

"Yes, I believe we do," answered Mrs. Thompson. Anita got out a crocheted blanket and placed it over her mother's shoulders.

"Good. I am going to make you some garlic and lemon tea. It's really quite tasty, and it will be good for that cough." Anita retrieved the things that Mr. Meyer asked for. She watched as he cut one small clove of garlic into tiny pieces and put it in the bottom of a cup. He mashed the pieces with a spoon. He cut the lemon into quarters and squeezed one piece into the cup. He then added some hot peppermint tea.

"This should sit on the warmer for a couple of minutes," he said. Both he and Anita noticed that Mrs. Thompson had begun to shiver. Mr. Meyer felt her forehead. "You have a high fever," he said. "This could be more than just a cold. You may be in for a bout of the flu." He handed her the brewed tea and watched as she sipped it slowly.

"I'm sorry I've turned into such poor company, Edward. I was enjoying our visit. This seemed to come on so quickly." Anita felt helpless as she watched her mother's body shiver.

"Well, I think that I should be going for now," said Mr. Meyer. "You need your rest. I am truly grateful for the fine meal." Anita got his hat and coat. As he walked toward the door, Mr. Meyer turned and said, "Anita, will you make your mother some more tea when this is gone? It's very good for this type of thing."

"Yes, I will," she murmured. "Thank you for coming." They both glanced back at the shivering woman. Her eyes were closed and her arms were wrapped about her body. Neither of them wanted to disturb her.

"If she's not better by tomorrow, please let me know. I'll be glad to check on her while you're at school and help you out around here until she's better." Anita nodded. Memories of her father's illness filled her mind. Her mom just had to be all right!

Anita helped her mother change into her flannel night gown and get into bed. She got an extra blanket out of the cedar chest and placed it over the bed covers. She then made some fresh peppermint tea with garlic and lemon and helped her mother sip it until she fell asleep.

# Healing Energies

1By the time Anita crawled into her bed, she was exhausted. She fell asleep with thoughts of her dear mother rambling through her tired mind.

"Anita, Anita, wake up. Come over here and help me send some healing energy to your mother." The girl quickly got out of bed and walked to where Endreema was standing over her mother's bed.

"What did you say?" asked Anita.

"We need to send some healing energy to your mother. She's quite ill, you know. But we can help her by laying our hands on her to comfort her and help relieve the pain. We can use our own bodies to channel the life activating energies of the Universe into hers to help it heal itself. People and animals are more than physical beings, as we have discussed. You have a physical body that is perceptible by sight and touch, but you also have other bodies. These invisible, nonphysical bodies are energy levels of Universal life force that surround the physical body. Healing cannot come from the physical body alone; it must come through the vibrational energy bodies too. Where medicine only treats the physical body, channeled life force with pure intent treats all of the energy bodies as well."

Endreema continued, "The most important thing to remember when you are sending someone healing energy is that you must hold them in a state of perfection, by just knowing the natural state of every cell in their body is well-being. All you have to do is think of your mother as being happy and healthy and perfect in every way. Do you think you can do that, Anita?"

"Oh, yes, that will be easy to do," replied Anita.

"Now, place your hands, palms down, gently over your mother's stomach. Hold your hands there until you can feel warmth flowing from them. Then imagine your mother as being happy and well. Listen to your hands. They will tell you when it is time to move to another location."

Anita stayed in this position for several minutes, and then she felt a slight pulling motion directing her hands upward over the heart and chest area. She focused on the normally happy, smiling face of her mother in her mind, and again waited for the signal before moving her hands to the throat area, then to the forehead, and next to the top of the head. Then she noticed that her hands directed her motions downward, stopping again at her mother's forehead, throat, heart, stomach, and down to her pelvis, knees and feet. Each time her hands would stop at a particular location, she could feel the heat emanating from them. Anita loved imagining the beauty of her mother's smiling face. Before long, she couldn't imagine her mother any other way than being happy and healthy, full of life and love. After a few more minutes, Endreema motioned for Anita to step back and follow her.

"The healing process has begun. The energies will filter through the nonphysical bodies and eventually to the physical one. She will be fine, but her body will need to rest for the next several days. In your mind's eye, you must continue to see her as if she is already in perfect health. " Anita quickly nodded her head in agreement; she felt both relief and joy at hearing these words.

"Thank you, Endreema. I know that she will get better now."

The Magi placed her two hands together in a prayer-like fashion over her heart and bowed to Anita. Her form slowly faded out of sight. Anita checked on her mother one last time and went back to her warm bed.

# Joyous Health Returns

1When Anita awoke on Monday morning, her mother was sitting in the rocking chair by the fire. She looked pale, but better. Anita threw her bedcovers back and ran to her mother with open arms.

I'm so glad to see you're feeling better," she cried excitedly.

Mrs. Thompson managed a weak smile. "I am feeling better, but I'm afraid I won't be able to milk Buddy or go to work today. You must go to the Johanson families to let them know. Tell them that I will try to return by Thursday. I will plan to work this weekend to make up for the lost time. Let them know that I feel bad because it is so close to Christmas and there's much to be done. Still, I can't risk passing this flu along."

"Don't worry, Mother. I'll go out to milk Buddy. Then I'll eat an apple while I am getting ready for school. I can make my lunch, too. I'll still have plenty of time to deliver your messages before school starts. Besides, Mr. Meyer said that he would be happy to help us out for a few days. I'm sure that everything will work out all right!" She pulled on her coat and hat and ran out to the shed. While she milked Buddy, Anita told the goat all about her mother's illness and how she was sure her mother would be fine. Buddy was very cooperative and told the girl not to worry.

Anita busied herself getting all of the necessary things done. She hugged her mother warmly and left her with a fresh batch of garlic-lemon tea. She trotted off to school with an easy gait, feeling the Earth's energy in her feet. First, she went to the three Johanson families to deliver her mother's message. They all took the news kindly and conveyed their best wishes to Mrs. Thompson.

Anita arrived at school with time to spare. Mr. Meyer was waiting for her there.

Good morning, Anita. I wanted to find out how your mother is feeling today?" he said.

"She's still too weak to do much, but she says she's feeling better. She doesn't think she will be able to go to work for a few days, but I know she's going to be just fine. Thank you for asking," Anita replied.

"Do you think it will be okay if I stop by to check on her?" he asked.

"Yes, I think she would like that. It would make me feel better too since I have to be here at school all day." Anita said anxiously.

"Good. I'll see you later, then." Mr. Meyer smiled as he walked away.

Anita did her best to focus on her school work. Still, it was hard to keep her mind off of her mother. It made her feel better to see her mother's smiling face in her mind. Anita talked to Dorothy about Mr. Meyer's visit and her mother's illness at lunch time. Dorothy said that if there was anything she could do, she would be glad to help. Anita was grateful for her friend's kind offer.

"Say," Anita asked, "Do you think your mother would let you do my deliveries for the mercantile tomorrow and Thursday? I would feel better if I could go home right after school."

"I'm sure she will," beamed Dorothy. "Besides, I could use some extra money for Christmas. I'll ask her tonight."

The rest of the day seemed to drag by, but at last it was time to go home. Anita waved a goodbye to Dorothy and sped away. "Don't forget to ask your mom!" she yelled.

As Anita approached the cabin, she noticed a fresh stack of wood by the front door. "Mr. Meyer must have come," she thought, with a smile forming on her face. She rushed in and greeted her mother, who still looked a little pale, but much better overall.

"How are you feeling, Mom?"

"I'm getting better all of the time. I'll be as fit as a fiddle before long!" Anita noticed that there were two cups on the table.

"Did Mr. Meyer come by? I saw him at school this morning and he said he was coming to see how you're doing," questioned Anita.

"Yes. He was kind enough to chop and stack some firewood for us and make me some more of that good tea. He's a very nice man. I'm glad you invited him to supper yesterday," she replied with a warm smile filling her face. "He also got some bread dough going for us. It should be ready to go in the oven by now."

Anita lifted the towel from the bread pan. It looked perfect. She smiled as she placed it in the wood stove's oven cache for baking. She told her mother how kind her employers had been about her not being able to come to work for a few days. Mrs. Thompson was relieved. Anita cut some small potato pieces and added them to the leftover beef stew. At least her mother wouldn't have to worry about cooking for a few days. She explained that she had asked Dorothy to make her deliveries until Saturday. Her mother smiled and said, "There's no need for you to worry about me. I'll be back on my feet before you know it."

1Anita did her homework right after supper, and they both agreed to make it an early evening. She awoke in the middle of the night with her hands extended out in front of her body. They felt hot like she had been warming them over a fire. "That's strange," she pondered as she drifted back to sleep.

# Bad News

1The remainder of the week went well. Mrs. Thompson was getting stronger by the day and was able to return to work on Thursday as she had predicted. Anita could have done her own deliveries on Thursday also, but Dorothy was so excited about earning a little money for Christmas that she didn't say anything. Besides, she had enough money to buy the gloves for Dorothy with ninety cents to spare.

"What am I going to buy for my mother?" she wondered.

Anita spent her extra free time helping her mother do some Christmas baking for her employers. Mr. Meyer had stopped by several times to help with the chores. It always made Anita feel good when he was around. Life was getting back to normal and she was glad. Christmas was next Tuesday. She could hardly wait!

Friday was the last day of school before a two-week break. Dorothy surprised Anita with an early Christmas present. She had knitted her a bright red cap with a green tassel on top. Christmas colors!

"I'll have to bring your present to you," Anita told Dorothy. "I'm not going to have it until tomorrow." The girls giggled with excitement.

Anita shared her joy with the Earth on the way home. She was rewarded with a multi-colored array of lights for the favor. She felt great just being alive. "What more could I want?" she thought as she danced her way home.

She knew that her mother would be tired, so Anita did both of their chores while she eagerly awaited her homecoming. Then she went out and gave Buddy some extra hay just for the fun of it. She patted the goat's head and told her how excited she was about Christmas. "I'm going to find something special for my mom tomorrow at the mercantile," she crooned. "I don't know what it will be yet, but I do know it will be perfect." Buddy munched away on her hay and giggled as only a goat could.

Anita looked up to see her mother coming and ran to meet her. She was carrying a very large package. "Here, let me help you with that." It wasn't very heavy, but it was bulky. "What is it?" she asked excitedly.

"Just never you mind. It's a surprise, and I won't have you looking at it until Christmas morning."

Mrs. Thompson had to laugh at the broad grin on Anita's face. She took the package from her daughter after they entered the house, and placed it securely behind her bed. "I plan to keep an eye on it," she said laughingly.

Anita showed her mother the hat that Dorothy had made for her. Then she told her about the gloves that she was going to buy tomorrow. The smile left Mrs. Thompson's face.

"Honey, I have to talk to you about something. Please sit down." They took their seats at the table.

"You know that I lost some time at work because of my illness. I had planned to make it up this weekend, but that is not going to work out now. That means that we will be a little short on the rent money this month. I was going to ask if I could borrow the money you have been saving for Christmas. I know you had your heart set on buying presents, but maybe I can help you make something for Dorothy. We still have a few days left."

Anita's heart sank as she listened to her mother's words. She had already told Dorothy that she was going to buy her something. And what about her mom's gift? What would she do now?

"Of course, you can have the money, Mother. I'll think of something to give Dorothy." She managed a weak smile as she said the words. But as she saw the tears form in her mother's eyes, she knew she had done the right thing. They hugged each other for a very long time.

That night, after her mother went to bed, Anita sat up for a while by the fire. From somewhere in her mind, she could hear the words, "The best gifts are from the heart . . ." She got some paper and pencil and began to write.

TO DOROTHY, MY VERY BEST FRIEND

Whatever we reap, so must we sow

Love must be planted wisely in order to grow

Once it is sown, it cannot be taken back

It stays in the soul - left intact

Years may pass and things may change,

But the miracle of love stays the same

It becomes a cherished memory ingrained in time

To add to the souvenirs of the mind

Your life will ever be intertwined with mine

As we travel the endless journey of time

Gifts of caring and sharing firmly set in life's soil,

Will reap much happiness and be worth the toil

I wish you sunshine and growth without pain

Along with the sunshine, you'll also need rain

To cleanse and nurture and make you strong

MAY YOU PLANT A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

FILLED WITH LIFE'S SWEET SONGS!

Anita reread the words. They made her feel good way deep down inside. This was truly a gift from the heart. She decided she would ask her mother to help her make a cloth frame for it. Maybe she could write a poem for her mom too? She certainly had lots of strong heart feelings to share with this wondrous person who had shown her in so many ways just how much she was loved and appreciated. She would think about it more tomorrow, for she was too sleepy tonight. Anita turned off the lamp and trotted off to bed.

# Magi's Christmas Wish

1The next few days seemed to pass in a flurry of activity and fun. Sunday at church, Anita was delighted to learn that her mother had invited Mr. Meyer and her teacher, Miss Cook, to their house for Christmas dinner. She had given her poem to Dorothy framed in a lovely Christmas print pattern that her mother had found in a box of scrap material. The poem made her friend so happy that they both cried. Dorothy said that she would treasure Anita's gift forever.

She had also written a special poem for her mother. It was crafted using the Japanese Haiku form of unrhymed three-lined verse she had learned about in school. Mr. Blair gave her an old wooden frame to use that he took off of the store's wall. He said it had been holding an advertisement that was very outdated. Anita polished the frame with shoe wax, and buffed it until she could almost see her reflection, then painted some small daisies on the edges, her mother's favorite flowers. It was Christmas Eve and all seemed right with the world.

Later, in the darkness of the night, Anita opened her eyes. She felt the familiar presence of Endreema.

"Hello. I hoped you would come tonight. I want to thank you for helping heal my mother and for opening my eyes to see the many wonderful things that I haven't noticed before. I will never forget this Christmas."

"Your life is just beginning, child. You will have many more beautiful memories before it's over. Realize that life is joy and joy is life. If you want to experience happiness in your life, you have to allow yourself the moments to experience it. Within your own being, if you follow no other truth or teaching, follow the one in your heart that is leading you to freedom, for that in turn is leading you to seek joy in every moment. By accepting and doing only those things that bring you joy, you will always be just where you need to be. This is the greatest secret to finding happiness. The reason the Christmas season is so wonderful is because it is so full of joy. It is a time of life, of spirit, and of excitement. One of the greatest miracles of this season, along with the celebration of the birth of the Christ child, is that it is also a time for birthing the beautiful, joyous gifts of your own spirit. It is a time for allowing the child in you to feel the wonderment of life. Imagine what a wonderful place this world would be if everyone felt the joy of this season all year long, instead of just once a year. How much would that change the world? It would move the people back into a place of hope, excitement, and expectations of happiness. Then every day would be full of miracles because every day would be like Christmas! It would make a world that would be better than anyone could ever imagine."

The Magi's aura flared brightly, her whole body seemed to take the shape of the Christmas star, and then she quickly disappeared.

# Christmas Miracles

1Christmas was finally here! Anita was so excited she was about to burst. Mrs. Thompson brought the large package to the freshly decorated Christmas tree for Anita to open. She couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. She tore back the wrapping to find several beautiful dresses. There must be a half a dozen or more! And to top it all off, there were two pairs of almost new shoes.

"Mother, where did these beautiful things come from? You know how much I have wanted some new clothes!" Anita held one of the dresses up to her body and twirled around in a circle.

Mrs. Thompson was giddy with happiness as she watched her daughter dance and twirl. "Mr. Johanson's daughter, Louise, is going off to a college in the east so they bought her a whole new wardrobe. These are some things she didn't need any more. I'm so glad you like them!"

Anita put the dress down and grabbed her mother around the waist. They danced a happy little jig together. "I want to try them all on, but first, I want to give you your present. I hope you like it."

She handed her mother the wrapped frame and watched as she slowly removed the paper and read the poem out loud.

Haiku for Mom

A sweet mother's love

Like the Earth and her children

Grows anew each day

Your smile so very warm

Brings sunshine to my spirit

Lilting my childish heart

Your soft caresses

Prove to me that I am loved

How could I ever doubt?

Your sigh of delight

When you look into my eyes

Resonates with glee

Sharing food you cook

Nourishes my body and soul

I am so content

You nurture so freely

Always thinking of me first

Setting your needs aside

My love grows Mother

As I learn by watching you

I bloom like a rose

I dream of growing

To be a Mom just like you

Filled with love like yours

Anita 12/25/32

Tears of love flowed down both of their faces as they warmly embraced. "What a wonderful present. I'll cherish it always!" Mrs. Thompson murmured as she went to look for a hammer and nail so she could hang up her treasured gift. Anita began trying on her new clothes. They were all so beautiful. How would she ever be able to choose just one dress to wear at a time?

The morning air was filled with love and laughter as the two women prepared their Christmas feast. They were having roasted chicken with cornbread stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce, potatoes with gravy, and snapped green beans. Miss Cook was bringing pumpkin pie for dessert. It all seemed like a perfect dream.

1Just when Anita thought that things could get no better, her teacher and Mr. Meyer arrived. They each had a gift for her. Miss Cook gave her a beautiful book that she had never read before and Mr. Meyer gave her six colored ribbons for her hair. This truly was a day for miracles; all of her wishes were coming true!

# Dream Doctor University

1Professor Jory, the facilitator at The University of Futurity, slowly adjusted the modulator frequency on the Vigilance Controller. The Magi apprentices began to awaken one by one. As they awoke, each went to his or her assigned station and sat down. Most had opened up journals and were making notations.

The Professor spoke. "Today we are scheduled to hear from Magi Endreema. Will you please give your report?"

Endreema walked to the front of the large classroom to stand behind the podium.

"My current subject is a young girl on planet Earth. She resides in the state of Washington, in the United States of America, in the Earth time line of 1932. Prior to this incarnation, she made the decision to begin the spiritual awakening process at age 14. I have been making contact with her in the dream state over the last two weeks — Earth time. I am pleased to say that she is making substantial progress in utilizing the joy quotient in order to set the stage for future progress. She has chosen to incarnate with several other members of her immediate soul group. An important pivotal contact has been established with the human who will play the part of her stepfather. He will make it possible for her to travel and visit many places on the planet. It is her pre-intended goal to have conscious memory of her self-awareness as a Universal Entity Self in this lifetime. Upon the successful completion of this phase, she will then aid and assist other Earthlings to do the same. It is my assessment that she is progressing rapidly and will have no trouble completing this mission satisfactorily."

1Thank you for your report, "apprentice Endreema. "As you all know, it is the duty of every Dream Doctor to assist their subjects only if asked. No unwarranted interference of any kind is allowed. It is the purpose of this fine school to graduate only those students who exude the highest integrity of intention and purpose in honoring the wishes of their subjects. Remember . . . each Universal Entity has paid for our services in advance. Therefore, it is our duty to allow each aspect to awaken to his or her full potential, _on their own_ , as they begin to ask the question, "Who Am I?" We may assist them _only_ in the dream state until they elect to consciously become aware of our presence. Then and only then, can we communicate with them in the waking state."

1Now, let's see, next we will hear from Magi Equarius and then Magi Shalana."

# Part Two - Spiritual Puberty

Coping With Changes

1Anita had never felt so alone. Here she was, 33 years old, newly divorced and with no direction in her life. "How did I get to this place?" she wondered. For the most part, she felt the events in her life had been rather enchanted. People and things had just _dropped_ in as they were needed or hoped for. True, the early years of her childhood left something to be desired, but all in all, life had been good.

She closed her eyes and let the events of her life unfold as she silently relived the memories. The greatest tragedy of her childhood was when her dear father suddenly died of pneumonia when she was only nine years old. She and her mother struggled on their own for several years, but even with the economic depression, they had managed to survive better than most. Anita's stepfather had entered their lives in the winter of 1932, just before Christmas. That Christmas had always stood out in her memory as being the happiest one of her youth. It held a special magical quality that she often wondered about. The following summer, her mother and Mr. Meyer were married. Anita had stood by her mother's side filled with love and awe at the wonder of it all.

Anita's stepfather was an author. He wrote travel guides filled with all sorts of wonderful information about places that people might want to visit. He included details about the inhabitants, local customs, the foods, historical sites and any other tidbits of information that he thought subsequent tourists might enjoy knowing about. These travel guides were published and distributed by a large publishing firm in California, after pictures and reference indexes were added. Because of her stepfather's work, she and her mother had often accompanied him on both long and short travel excursions. It was like a dream come true for Anita, because she had been fascinated by stories of faraway places for as long as she could remember.

The Meyers' permanent home remained in Tacoma, Washington however. It was there that Anita married Peter Johanson at the age of 20. They had both been born and raised in the Tacoma area, but it wasn't until Peter went away to college in Seattle and returned home for his first visit, that the two met at a local dance. Peter was three years older than Anita and seemed so much more worldly and sophisticated than most of the other boys that she knew. They began corresponding and saw each other often when Peter returned home for visits. After graduation, Peter was assured of a management position in the family-owned lumber mill. Anita accepted his marriage proposal eagerly. Their wedding was small, but elegant, and their honeymoon in the nearby San Juan Islands had been glorious.

As the wife of the marketing manager for the Johanson Lumber Company, Anita was obligated to entertain often. The mill was involved in both local trade and foreign export sales. Her marriage of thirteen years had been a whirlwind of social engagements and activities. When Peter announced that he wanted a divorce, Anita was both shocked and dazed. There were no prior warning signs. From her view, she had worked very hard at being the model wife. She soon learned he had become enamored with a beautiful young woman who had been hired as a secretary at the lumber mill.

Looking back, Anita realized that there had been no real communication in her marriage with Peter. The majority of their conversations revolved around the company, and the next social function to be planned. The few vacations they had taken over the years had always included business meetings. In a strange way, she felt a sort of relief that it was over, although she would never admit this publicly. Yet, she was still filled with anxiety about her future.

Anita could see no sense in prolonging her agony, so she consented to a quick divorce. Peter gave her a generous settlement and a comfortable monthly income for the next three years. She decided to accept her parent's thoughtful invitation to stay with them temporarily, while she took secretarial and bookkeeping classes at a local business college. Since Anita had never worked outside of her home while she was married, she had no real marketable skills. Her new business classes were scheduled to start in about six weeks.

The Meyers were on an extended trip to Great Britain, and so for now, Anita was quite alone . . . for the first time in her life. Her biggest regret was that she had never had children. She and Peter had talked about it and both wanted children, but somehow she had never conceived. In the past several months, she had spent a lot of time longing for a child. Maybe she was unable to bear children? It seemed to be a moot point for the time being. Still, she could feel her biological time clock ticking away.

Anita was startled back to awareness by the shrill ringing of the telephone.

"Hello." She waited for the sound of the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello, Anita, it's Dorothy." It was good to hear her old friend's voice.

"I called to see how you are doing. I still think it's foolish of you to stay in the same town as that _rat_ of an ex-husband of yours," Dorothy stated with an irritated chuckle.

"Now, Dorothy, we've been through this before. This is my home. I'm not included in the same social circles as Peter anyway. As a matter of fact, it's a very strange feeling when I run into women that I have worked side by side with for years on volunteer committees and the likes, and they barely nod at me. It's been weeks since I've seen anyone from the Johanson family. It's strange, but it's almost as if that part of my life never existed," Anita replied. "Besides, this is where my parents live, when they aren't out gallivanting around the world. I feel better staying where I am for the time being."

"You can't fool me, Anita Thompson. I've known you for too long. You put on a good front, but I know you must be lonely. That's why I've called. There's someone I want you to meet," Dorothy crooned.

"I really appreciate your concern, Dorothy, but I'm just not ready to meet anyone right now. It's too soon. I want to take some time to adjust to my new life. Yes, I am lonely, but I'll be okay. Besides, who would want to meet a middle-aged lady with red, swollen eyes?" she laughed. "Give me some time to at least let the tears dry!"

"Okay, I'll let you off the hook for now, but I'm going to keep bugging you. Besides, you are _not_ middle-aged. I'm not middle- aged, so you can't possibly be either."

The two friends laughed and conversed for a while longer. It felt good to catch up on what was happening in the _real world._ However, Anita felt that her own personal world had suddenly become very small.

After hanging up the phone, Anita began to weep. There seemed to be no way to stop the flood of salty tears streaming from her eyes. The life she had known and become so comfortable in had been ripped away so suddenly and without warning that she didn't know who she was anymore. "Where do I go from here?" she wondered, as she sobbed herself to sleep.

# Dream Symbology

1When Anita awoke, it was just about dusk. She made herself a piece of toast and a cup of tea and carried them out to the table on the covered front porch of her parent's home. There was little activity on the street. It was the dinner hour for most of its residents. There was a pleasant breeze on this warm August night. She sat in silence for a while, observing everything but focusing on nothing in particular, before reentering the welcomed confines of the house.

The door to her parent's bedroom was slightly ajar. Anita caught a glimpse of a bookcase in the room as she passed by. Reading a good book seemed like a good idea. She flipped on the light and began studying the book titles . . . _The Whys and Hows of Meditation; Is There Life After Death; Reincarnation, a Greater Plan; The Life of Edgar Cayce; All About Dreaming._ Anita had no idea that her parents were interested in these subjects. The bookcase was full of similar titles. She chose the book about dreams and went to sit in a comfortable chair in the living room. She opened the cover, flipped to the preface and began to read,

"Dreams are messages from our subconscious in the form of a puzzle or symbology. Dreams contain all of the personal and most intimate material of our lives. They show us the conflicts and emotional upsets we are currently going through. Dreams reveal what we really think of ourselves when we take off the masks required for everyday living. By recalling our dreams, we become more willing to confront and resolve our conflicts and experiences, and this allows for greater levels of self-awareness and self-understanding.

Dreams are usually aimed at the unfinished business of life, showing us what we need to face or learn next. There can be a strong desire to use dreams to blame other people for the things that occur due to our own unconscious behavioral patterns. Usually dreams are connected to specific events in our lives over the past few days. Sometimes, however, we have dreams that show us an overall development of our inner growth over a long period of time. Dreams are the most helpful when we are open to see what we need to learn and where we need to change.

"Many cultures have used dreams for centuries for better self-understanding. The Senoi people of SE Asia meet each morning to discuss their dreams. They believe that remembering, understanding, and acting on information we receive from our dreams can contribute to overall good health. The Senoi learn from childhood to recall dreams, to repeat enjoyable ones and to dream happy endings to nightmares. The major theme that runs through Senoi dream work is that dreams are real, that dreams should and can be continued and completed, and that completion should result in some knowledge that will be useful to the dreamer and his mates. For example, one should arrive somewhere when he flies in a dream, meet the beings there, hear their music, see their designs, and learn their useful knowledge. Frequently, the dreamer learns a poem or a song in the dream that he can share with his friends and family upon awakening. If a person has a floating, flying, climbing or traveling dream, he is urged to travel somewhere to find things of value to share with the group. If he dreams of a fight with a friend, he is urged to apologize to that friend and perhaps present him with a gift. Group activities are often planned from dream images. If one dreams of a new hunting device, he is urged to try to make it. A dream of a new dance will often result in an impromptu tryout of the steps in the morning dream group. The Senoi people have learned to use their dreams to overcome common conflicts and obstacles in their lives."

Anita had never thought about dreams in this context before. It all seemed very logical to her. She flipped through the pages and saw that the descriptive information was actually very short. The majority of the book contained a listing of dream symbols and their meanings.

The author suggested that it would be helpful for anyone to keep a dream journal by recording their dreams nightly and assigning their own meanings to the symbols in their dreams. In this way, one could learn to better interpret one's own dreams. The author concluded the preface by stating:

"It is thought by some that every dream is precognitive and that every person or symbol in a dream is simply a reflection of a personality aspect of the dreamer, and as such, reflects the current inner nature of the dreamer. Simply stated, man becomes that upon which he reflects."

The author believed that the simplest way to program dream recall was to make the suggestion before retiring each night that you would remember your dreams when you awaken, and that you will be consciously aware of them when they are happening. One should repeat this intention several times, slowly and earnestly; then relax and go to sleep. He also suggested keeping a notebook and pen next to the bed for use in writing the dreams down upon awakening, then interpreting them, to the best of one's ability, on both a common everyday level as well as a higher spiritual level. He assured the reader that dream interpretation became easier with practice.

Anita closed the book. She went to her stepfather's writing desk to look for a pen and notebook. She found them and placed them by her bedside. She then took a long, luxurious bath and thought about what she had just read.

Before retiring, Anita repeated to herself several times, "I will have an insightful dream tonight, which I will remember upon awakening." Then she promptly fell asleep.

Sometime in the night, Anita awoke with the vague remembrance of smelling smoke. She got up to look around the house. There was no sign of fire, and the smell of smoke was not prevalent. She went to the bathroom and returned to bed. Suddenly she remembered a dream! A group of Indians was sitting around a campfire talking about receiving messages from The Great Spirit. One Indian saw red writing in the sky, and another saw smoke forming words and symbols in the air. All of the messages were vague and hard to see in the dark.

After thinking about the dream, Anita smiled. She turned on the light and jotted the dream down in her notebook and then added her own interpretation:

Meaning: A part of me must be asking God for help in understanding my current situation. I am in the dark now, but I intend to move into the light! That makes sense.

"This dream stuff could prove to be interesting," she mused to herself before turning off the light and drifting back to sleep.

# Parental Truths

1Over the next couple of weeks, Anita read several of the other books from her parents' private library. They covered many interesting topics that she had never thought about in detail before. For instance, the writings surrounding Edgar Cayce were particularly intriguing. This was the true story of a common, ordinary man who would "fall asleep as if in a trance" and could, while asleep, offer amazing medical cures, make accurate predictions about future events, interpret people's dreams, and tell people about other lives they had experienced through reincarnation.

Anita was especially interested in his views on reincarnation. She read with rapt attention:

"Christianity embraced reincarnation for three hundred years until the Roman influence expunged it after the Emperor Constantine reorganized the Church. The early Christians mentioned reincarnation when they asked Christ whether he was Elijah, who had come before. Reincarnation is a rebirth. Just as the Earth has constant rebirth, so does the spirit. Christ said that 'Unless man is reborn again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.' As a soul develops, each new life lesson acts as a stepping stone for further learning. 'Whatsoever ye sow, so shall ye reap.' Man goes over and over his lessons, and necessarily under different times and environments, until he builds that which is lacking, that which keeps him from understanding his relationship to his Maker."

The Meyers had a couple of other books that talked about the theory of reincarnation. Anita soon learned that the philosophies of many Eastern religions revolved around reincarnation and karma. Reincarnation was taught by Buddha, Krishna and Rama. It was also taught by the Essenes, with whom Jesus had consider-able contact.

1Anita noticed that as she spent more time studying all of these fascinating concepts, she thought less and less about her former role as Peter Johanson's wife. She almost felt like that had been another lifetime. In fact, the new outlook on life that she was gaining seemed to offer new hope for a brighter future. Her parents were due to return home the next day from their travels. She could hardly wait to discuss all of her newfound knowledge with them.

The next day, as usual, Anita had her nose stuck in a book when she heard voices from outside. "They're here!" Anita ran to open the front door.

"Mother, Dad! I'm so glad to see you!" They greeted each other joyously.

Anita helped her parents carry their bags in from the taxi cab. She put the tea kettle on to boil, and they settled down for a nice visit. There were pictures to see and vacation stories to be told. Anita 1prepared a light supper consisting of tuna sandwiches and vegetable soup, which they eagerly consumed while they visited. After a couple of hours, the weary travelers were ready for rest. It was good to be home.

After her parents headed off to bed, Anita curled up on the couch and resumed reading her current book, the topic being the Spiritualist religion and their avid belief in life after death. This book included many accounts of spiritual mediums who claimed to have delivered messages to people from persons who had passed over into spirit. Anita heard footsteps and looked up to see her mother re-enter the room.

"What are you reading, Dear?" Mrs. Meyer queried.

"Mother, I hope you don't mind. I'm reading a book that I borrowed from the private library in your room. In fact, I have read several of them over the past few weeks. My head is literally swimming with so many new ideas and concepts that I've never thought about before. Tell me, when did you and Dad become interested in these metaphysical philosophies?"

Mrs. Meyer sat down beside Anita. "We've actually been interested in these things for many years. We never mentioned it because we didn't know how you would feel about it. We have been attending a weekly meditation and discussion group for about two years at a friend's home. There were many times when we wanted to invite you, but you always seemed to be so busy with your parties and volunteer work that we didn't want to bother you. In fact, the next meeting is this Thursday evening if you would like to come along?"

"Yes, I think I would. Will there be anybody else there that I might know?" asked Anita.

"I don't think so, Dear, but your father and I will be with you. They really are a wonderful group of people. I think you will enjoy it."

"All right then, I'll go. It will be nice to get out of the house and meet some new friends." The two women hugged each other affectionately, and Mrs. Meyer said good night.

Anita looked at the clock. It was only a little after 9:00 P.M. She decided to call her friend, Dorothy, and ask her if she might like to attend the meditation meeting. She dialed the familiar number and soon heard a cheerful, "Hello," on the line.

"Dorothy, hi. It's Anita. Did I catch you at a bad time, or do you have time to talk for a few minutes?"

"Oh, hi Anita. No, I'm not busy. What's up?"

Anita told Dorothy that her parents had arrived home safely and filled her in briefly about their trip. Then she asked, "Dorothy, while my folks were away I discovered some really interesting books that they have in their library. I've been reading a lot of them, stuff about dreams, reincarnation, you know, things like that? Anyway, a lot of it is really interesting to me. My mom tells me that they attend a weekly meditation group when they are in town, and she invited me to go with them this Thursday. Do you think you might want to come with us?" There was total silence on the line.

"Dorothy, are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm still here. I'm just in shock, that's all. Anita, I can't believe what I am hearing! You're talking about delving into the mind and reincarnation. Don't you know that's the devil's work?"

Anita was horrified. The devil's work? When she could speak again, she said, "Dorothy, I know some of this stuff sounds a little strange, but I would never think of it as being the devil's work. I'll admit it's different from what we were taught in church, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's all bad."

"All I can say to you, Anita, is that I don't want to have anything to do with it. In fact, I would appreciate it if you don't bring it up to me again. I'll pray for you and hope that you come to your senses soon. I still can't believe you can turn your back on the church like this so easily."

"But, Dorothy!" Anita heard a click and the line went dead. She sat looking at the phone in her hand in total disbelief. She had known Dorothy practically her whole life. How could the two of them have such totally opposing views on this subject? She replaced the phone in its cradle, and headed for her bedroom. Maybe a good night's sleep would leave her with a clearer understanding.

The next morning over breakfast, Anita told her parents about her conversation with Dorothy. They did not seem surprised.

"We have found that many people are closed-minded about these things, Honey. That's why we don't talk about them too much outside of our own circle of friends. It's easier that way," Mr. Meyer explained.

"But, Dad, it's just so silly that anyone would call these things evil. I don't want to lose Dorothy as a friend. Maybe I should just forget about going to that meeting with you two?"

"The final decision has to be yours, Anita," answered her stepfather softly. "Your mother and I would never try to tell you what to do. I will tell you that our friend, Bunny, is a trance channel. She freely answers questions for people in the group on any subject. You could ask her how she feels about metaphysical concepts being the devil's work."

Anita's curiosity was peaking. "Do you mean that she goes into a sleep trance like Edgar Cayce?"

"Yes, something like that."

"That settles it then," replied Anita. "I really want to meet these people."

# Bunny and Bernard

1By the time Thursday rolled around, Anita was more than anxious to go to the meeting. She and her mother kept busy during the day by running several errands and doing the grocery shopping. As the time passed, Anita's excitement and curiosity grew. At last, it was time to go.

The Meyers, with their daughter in tow, arrived at the home of Bunny and Bernard Knapp right on time. There were a couple of other people already there, and five more arrived within a short period of time. Introductions were made. Then the conversation turned toward the topic of Nora and Edward's trip to Great Britain. While this discussion was going on, Anita looked around the room. Out of the twelve people there, four were men and the rest were women. A variety of age groups were represented. None of the people looked the slightest bit out of the ordinary. One might run into any one of them while riding the bus or shopping in the grocery store.

Anita was pulled out of her reverie when she noticed that Bernard was dimming the lights in the room. Bunny was sitting in a comfortable looking overstuffed chair. She began taking very deep breaths and exhaling in a blowing out fashion. Within a few minutes, her body quivered slightly and her breathing became normal. Anita noticed that she kept her eyes closed. In a voice that sounded deeper and raspier than Anita recalled, Bunny stated, "The questioning may begin."

Anita watched intently as several people asked questions and received logical, well-thought out answers. When it seemed there was a lull in the questioning, Anita found the courage to speak, 1 "I would like to ask a question if I may?"

1Bunny turned her head in Anita's direction and said, "You may proceed."

"I am new to these ideas and concepts. I want to trust that there is truth in what I am hearing and seeing, but a part of me isn't quite sure. Maybe it is because of my religious upbringing, I don't know, but I must ask. Are these teachings the work of the devil?"

All eyes in the room turned toward Bunny in anticipation of her reply. After a few moments of silence, she spoke, "There is one here who wishes to reply to this question. She calls herself an old friend of the questioner. Her name is Endreema." Chills shot up and down Anita's spine. That name had a familiarity that she could not explain. Somewhere in her memory banks, it struck a very strong chord. The voice that began speaking was smoother and much more melodic than the previous voice.

"For a moment, I would ask that you put yourself in the place of the Intelligence that created this planet. This is not a blasphemous thing. If you had children, wouldn't you want them to understand you? How could they understand you if they couldn't explore you, your mind set, your emotions and your feelings? If you have children, the only way that they are going to understand you, as a parent, is to literally "know" who you are.

So now you have these small children trying to understand who you are. Are you going to condemn them because of how they approach you to try to understand you? Let's say that you are a Supreme Being that possesses the intelligence needed to have created the magnificence of this planet, . . . everything that is here . . . the human body . . . how it works . . . why it works . . . all of its functions. You did that. And now you have children who are trying to explore you and understand . . . 'How did you do that?' . . . 'Why did you do that?' . . . 'What does it all mean?' Are you offended? Or, as a parent, are you going to marvel at the fact that they are even asking the questions?

And if you are the Supreme Intelligence that created all of this, what state of mind would you have had to be in to even design it? One of, 'Let me go out there and whip out a few slaves?' or one of such grand ideals and appreciation that it would require the ultimate state of pure love?

Let's say that your children start warring and fighting? How do you feel? You are the Supreme Intelligence that created this world and its beauty and you gave life to it. Aren't you going to understand that these children that you created are trying to understand you . . . each in their own way . . . on their own path? Which ones are right? Which ones are wrong? Which of your children are you going to condemn to some imaginary hell? As this intelligence, did you create hell? And if you did, why? Didn't it require the ultimate act of love just to give life to your creations?

Okay, so now you have six billion of these little children down there. And they are warring and fighting amongst themselves. They are polluting the planet and killing it and messing up everything that you created. What do you do? The Supremeness of your Intelligence maintains. You allow your children the free will needed for exploration. You invented them to carry out any and all concepts that could ever be conceived for the sake and purpose of returning that knowledge to the Source for the full understanding of compassion and unconditional love. This totally nonjudgmental allowance is the purest form of love that exists.

And now I ask you, would you as a human parent condemn your own children for making mistakes, to the point where you would hate them, or destroy them for making those mistakes? No, you are going to continue loving them. You may not appreciate some of the things they do, but you are not going to stop loving them. It's the only thing you know how to do. So, don't make Deity be less than you are as a human.

Now, what is the difference between what you call God and the devil? Which one is going to punish you and torture you and throw you into a hell for 10,000 years to burn? Are you as a parent going to take one of your children, just because they did something you didn't like, and throw them in a prison for 10,000 years? And if you did, why would you? But yet, you invent a Deity that is supposed to be the Intelligence that created this Universe, and you believe this Deity is capable of doing that? Again, I ask you, what is the difference between the God and the devil?

I tell you this. The Supreme Intelligence that created this Universe and the humans within it, is so far removed from an ego of punishment that the only ones keeping track of any so-called mistakes is each one of you individually. You are the ones who judge and criticize yourselves. The Supreme Creator does nothing but love you in your innocence and your quest for knowledge and understanding."

The room was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. All eyes were still glued on Bunny. Her body made another quivering motion, and then her eyes opened.

"Well, did everyone get the information that they were seeking this evening?" she asked.

A shower of laughter and applause filled the room. Someone replied by saying that the only way to answer that question was to let her listen to the tape recording that had been made of the evening's session. People began getting up and milling around as if what had occurred here was a common happening.

Anita sat in silence, trying to soak in the magnitude of what she had just heard. Her mother came and placed her loving arms around her child. That simple gesture gave full meaning and understanding to the words that had been spoken through Bunny.

There was a social interlude for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Bernard Knapp then walked through the room playing an autoharp. This was the signal for the group to gather again in the meeting room. When they were all seated, Bunny explained that it was time for the weekly meditation. She added, "For those of you who are new to our group, we will give a brief overview of what meditation is, and some of the benefits that can be derived from practicing it. Meditation is a means of quieting the mind so that the heart's perceptions can find room to expand. There is no need to have expectations of hearing or seeing anything. The only expectation should be that you will have a joyful and relaxing experience. We choose to start our meditation process with several deep relaxing breaths. Then we repeat the _OM_ mantra three times. We consider the sound value of the _OM_ to be very important. We strive to pronounce it using three separate syllables. A - U - M. "A" represents our waking or external consciousness; "U" represents our dream or inner consciousness; and "M" represents our spiritual and Universal consciousness.

Usually we select a word to focus on, such as love or peace. Then we sit with the intention of "listening" to our inner wisdom. Tonight, we have chosen the word, "truth," to put our focus on.

Over time, if meditation is practiced on a regular basis, many have found that they achieve a greater level of awareness. Some people are able to connect into a form of inner guidance or knowingness. At the very least, it is a great stress reliever. Now, let us begin. Place your feet on the floor and place your hands comfortably in your lap. Close your eyes and begin taking several deep, relaxing breaths."

1Anita joined the rest of the group in following the instructions given. She was surprised at the gentle feeling of relaxation that flowed over her. When the three _OM's_ were repeated in a sweet and long sing-song fashion, she found that she could feel the vibration echoing throughout her body. She relaxed into the silence, but found it hard to keep her thoughts from wandering. She remembered reading in one of her parent's books on meditation that it was a good idea to focus on the inflow and outflow of the breath. As she began to do that, she drifted into a sweet calmness. Suddenly, she recalled that she was supposed to be focusing on the word, "truth." She repeated the word slowly several times in her mind. Then she sat comfortably in silence for a while. From somewhere, deep within her being, she "felt," more than heard, the words:

" _Truths cannot be learned._

They have to be rediscovered continually."

These words reverberated in her mind. Then she heard Bernard playing the autoharp again, and she opened her eyes. A feeling of peace permeated the room.

Later, during the drive home, Anita's stepfather asked if she wanted to talk about her experience.

I don't really know how I feel just yet. There's so much information to absorb. I do know that I don't feel that there is any kind of evil lurking around the people I met tonight. I'm very glad that I went, and I want to continue going to the meetings."

As their conversation continued, Anita was pleasantly surprised to notice that she no longer felt like these two people were just her parents. They were more like good friends that she could convey her deepest feelings to and converse with easily. They were very interesting individuals and she both liked and loved them very much.

# Painful Encounter

1Over the next few months, Anita's life settled into a comfortable pattern. She was attending her business training classes during the day, and working on her homework during most evenings. She was also meditating on a regular basis and attending the weekly meditation group at the Knapp's home. In addition, Anita accompanied her parents to several other metaphysical gatherings. They visited a couple of spiritualist churches and found that each offered evening or weekend classes on aura reading, psychometry, Tarot reading, and several other interesting topics. They found these classes to be fun, worthwhile, and informative. They heard about a group of Edgar Cayce followers who sponsored monthly discussions and attended one of their meetings. Anita was actively keeping a dream journal, and could see many parallels and symbolistic precognitive information unfolding from her dream states into her waking states. The area that interested her the most, however, was that of reincarnation and past lives. The whole idea of having more than one lifetime to advance one's spiritual knowledge and understanding was a very comforting thought to her. She had wondered many times if she had experienced other lifetimes with her parents, or Peter, or Dorothy? Somehow, she felt certain that she had and she felt a deep desire to discover these past connections.

After the Christmas holiday break, Anita's schedule would be changing. She was doing well in her studies. The school's employment counselor informed her that she had the option of attending school part-time and working part-time. This would allow her to gain some on-the-job experience. There were several companies that worked with the business school to allow the students to gain first-hand experience. Anita would begin the interview process with some of them after the first of the year. Even though the wages she would earn while training would be small, it felt good to know that she was moving toward the capability of supporting herself.

1Anita's life had changed a great deal over the last six months. She felt that being a single woman had both advantages and disadvantages. For the first time in her life, she was free to make her own choices. She was making new friends and learning new skills. Through her dreams and meditations, she was also learning about herself. She had lived in such a sheltered environment in her marriage. It was almost like having tunnel vision. Now her world and her world view were expanding. It felt good. She didn't know where it was all leading, but she was having fun for the most part. She felt very fortunate to have such wonderful parents to help her through these changes.

The Meyers were planning a small Christmas party. They invited the Knapps and several other people from the meditation group. They told Anita that she was free to invite anyone of her choice. Her first thoughts went to Dorothy and her husband, but she hesitated. She had not spoken to Dorothy since their "devil's work" conversation. Still, she missed her friend, so she sent an invitation. Dorothy replied with a note stating that she regretted that they had a prior engagement. Anita was saddened, but felt better knowing that they had at least opened a line of communication.

1Anita decided to treat herself to a new dress for the party. It was the first time she had gone shopping for clothing since her divorce. All of the stores were decorated so gaily! There were Christmas lights and music everywhere. Observing the beauty and magic of the season felt wonderful. She had her eye on a lovely red dress that she had seen in one of the store windows near her school. The warmth of the shop felt inviting as she stepped inside, away from the chilly air outside. Her eyes were darting in all directions, looking at the beautiful displays of holiday goods.

Suddenly, Anita caught sight of Peter and his new bride. A sickening feeling rushed over her body. She wished that she could just disappear. But it was too late. Peter had already seen her. She detected a shade of embarrassment on his face, but the gentleman in him won out. Anita stood rooted to her spot, as he made his way across the room, after excusing himself from his wife. The only thing to do was to be gracious. They greeted each other and shook hands, just as old friends would do.

"How are you, Anita? You look wonderful, as usual." Peter's words seemed genuinely sincere.

"I'm fine, Peter, and you?" She was surprised at all of the confusing feelings that were cursing through her body. Here was the man that she had spent the last thirteen years of her life with, and he seemed almost like a stranger now.

"Good, good. And how are your parents? They must be back from England by now?"

"Yes, they have been back for a few months. They are planning a trip to Mexico in the spring. They are doing quite well, thank you," Anita responded.

"Well, it was good to see you. Say hello to your parents for me, and have a Merry Christmas, Anita."

They shook hands again and Peter turned to retrace his steps. Anita noticed that the new Mrs. Johanson was browsing in the infant's section. It appeared that she could be pregnant. A wave of sadness swept over Anita. Would she and Peter still be married if they had conceived a child together?

As she walked toward the elevator that would take her to the ladies clothing department, Anita thought of something she had read recently.

Everything happens for a reason.

Life is always unfolding just the way it is supposed to.

At this moment, those words didn't make a lot of sense to her. Anita noticed a woman who was walking by and holding a small baby. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. Would she ever have a child of her own? Right now, that possibility felt very doubtful.

# An Interesting Guest

1Guests were arriving for the Meyers' Christmas party. A light snow had begun falling earlier in the day to make for a delightful winter wonderland. Warm wishes and holiday cheer abounded. Anita suddenly felt happy and carefree. She joyously set about taking the guest's coats and hats and seeing to it that they were escorted to the refreshment area. She had hosted many such festive occasions. It felt good to help out in small ways, but to also know that she was simply a guest at this party.

The room was soon filled with familiar faces. Anita was engaged in a conversation with a lady who was new to the meditation group. Her name was Lilah Duncan. She was about Anita's age and was also single. They shared a common interest in reincarnation.

Lilah informed Anita that she had learned about a hypnotist who specialized in regressing people into their past lives, and that she had made an appointment for the first week in the New Year.

"Do you think you might want to tag along just for the fun of it?" Lilah asked casually.

"Could I?" Anita resounded. "I have been fascinated with the whole idea for so long. I would love to see how a regression is handled."

"To tell you the truth, I'm a little nervous to go on my own. It would make me feel better to have a friend along . . . So can I count on you coming?" Lilah queried.

"You bet," said Anita. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Anita, Lilah, excuse me." The ladies looked up to see Bunny Knapp. "I have a friend that I would like the two of you to meet. This is Bill Michaels. He is going to be joining our group. He's just moved back here after being in Hawaii for several years. Bill, this is Anita Thompson and Lilah Duncan."

Both ladies took turns shaking Bill's hand. He was very handsome with stunning gray hair. He appeared to be somewhere between 35 and 40 years old. Lilah was the first to find her voice.

"It's very nice to meet you, Bill. I've never been to Hawaii. Tell me; is it as beautiful as it appears in pictures?"

"Even more so. The colors of the sky, the water, and the sunsets are beyond description. It really is something that everyone should see for themselves." Bill replied. "Have you ever visited Hawaii?" he inquired as he turned his eyes toward Anita.

"Yes, I have. I was fortunate enough to go there with my parents right after I graduated from high school. We were there for two weeks. The weather was beautiful for the most part, with just a few stormy nights. I must agree with you about the sunsets. They are spectacular." Anita smiled.

Mrs. Meyer appeared just then to ask her daughter to help with some hors d'oeuvres. Anita reluctantly accommodated, not particularly relishing the idea of leaving this conversation.

" _Everything happens just as it supposed to,_ " she reminded herself as she followed her mother into the kitchen.

"Who was that nice looking young man, Dear?" asked Mrs. Meyer as she handed a tray of appetizers to Anita.

"His name is Bill Michaels. Bunny said that he would be coming to our meditation group."

"Oh, that's nice. We have met many wonderful people over the past several years at Bernard and Bunny's home. People come and go. I'm glad that there is such a relaxed atmosphere there." Anita grinned as her mother winked at her; then she walked back toward the living room.

While passing the appetizers around, Anita noticed that Bill and Lilah were still talking. "Just my luck," she thought. She began walking toward them with her tray. Suddenly the pair got up and headed toward the door. Lilah smiled as she brushed past Anita.

"Just going outside for a breath of fresh air," she cooed. Bill nodded politely at Anita.

The rest of the evening was pleasant. Anita decided to enjoy herself despite the situation. She engaged Bernard in a conversation about dreams. He was wonderful at dream interpretation, and had helped her decipher several of her own dreams.

* * *

Before she knew it, people were starting to leave. The evening had passed so quickly. She began retrieving hats and coats for the departing guests. As Anita was coming out of the guest room with an armful of coats, she literally "bumped" into Bill.

"Oh, excuse me," she laughed. "I guess I got a little carried away with the number of coats I thought I could carry!"

"No bother. I never mind bumping into someone as pretty as you." Anita blushed at his words. She felt awkward standing there with nothing to say. She was relieved when he offered to help carry some of the wraps into the other room.

"There could be hope yet," she thought to herself. She watched as Bill thanked her parents for their hospitality. He smiled and tipped his hat in her direction as he strolled out into the snowy night.

# New Start / New Year

1Christmas came and went with its usual glee. This was Anita's favorite time of the year. She found that she did not miss running from party to party as was her experience for so many prior years. Now she had more time to simply enjoy the season. She had gone caroling with a group of friends and had volunteered to wrap presents for the Children's Home one weekend. Other than that, her time was spent relaxing, reading, and sitting by the warm fire. Her parents retired early in the evenings. After they went to bed, she had busied herself crocheting each of them a warm blanket for Christmas. The one for her stepfather was deep green with a silver star pattern, and her mother's was baby blue with a large white daisy in the center and a border of smaller daisies along the edges. Anita had easily seen the delight in their eyes when they opened their gifts.

Mrs. Meyer had always been a wonderful seamstress. She made Anita a stunning woolen cape in a red and black hound's tooth design for Christmas. They all agreed that their blessings were wonderfully bountiful.

* * *

Anita returned to school in the New Year filled with curiosity about where she would find work. She had an early-morning appointment with her career counselor. Mrs. Dixon explained that she had set up three job interviews for Anita, one each day for the next three days. The first was with a company that sold uniforms, another with a dentist, and the last with a glass company. Mrs. Dixon then gave Anita some interviewing tips and wished her good luck. They scheduled a follow-up appointment for the end of the week.

The first interview was with a uniform shop. It was a small shop that specialized in medical uniforms, as well as uniforms for barbers and beauticians. It was a retail shop that also offered a nationwide mail-order catalog. If hired, Anita would work in the office performing a variety of clerical functions, including keeping track of the inventory for the mail-order department. The shop was owned by an older couple who both worked in the store. Two sales clerks were employed for the retail sales, and a shipping clerk handled the packing and shipping of parcels for the mail orders. Anita was told that it would be her responsibility to help out in both of these departments wherever she was needed most. Anita thought the interview went well. She liked the fact that there would be a variety of duties in this job.

The next day, Anita was interviewed by the dentist. He was a fairly young man and was very businesslike. He stressed promptness, cleanliness, and orderliness. He asked Anita to stay in the room and observe as he examined a patient's mouth. She noticed that he was very precise in his work. It seemed like a nice enough place to work, but Anita wasn't sure she would like the rigidness of the atmosphere. Although her job would be to answer the phones, schedule appointments, and bill the patients, the dentist made it very clear that a business-like attitude was expected at all times. Anita noticed that her whole body felt tense when she left.

1The final appointment on the third day was with a glass company. This company replaced broken glass in automobiles, private homes, and businesses. It was run by two gentlemen who were long time partners. The business was brisk, and Anita noticed that the telephone rang a great deal. Her job would include answering the phones, making daily bookkeeping postings, and preparing bank deposits. She would assist the head bookkeeper as required. When the owners introduced Anita to the bookkeeper, she was surprised to meet a somewhat elderly lady. She appeared to be quite efficient, but apparently overworked. There were stacks of papers piled all over her desk and also on an empty desk that was nearby. As she offered her hand to shake, Anita looked into the woman's eyes. They seemed to express a desperate plea for help. Somehow, Anita felt that this lady deserved more than she could offer at this early stage of her skills development.

Anita discussed each of these positions with her parents. They told her that she should ask her inner guidance to lead her to the perfect place. She placed this thought in her affirmations before going to sleep.

On Friday, when Anita met with Mrs. Dixon, the counselor told her that she could basically have her choice of the jobs. All of the potential employers had been happy with her appearance and attitude.

1"Mrs. Dixon, I feel I would be the happiest working for the uniform shop. It seems to have the most relaxed atmosphere, and I feel that I would be more comfortable starting out without a lot of pressure on my first job, especially since I will still be going to school at the same time."

"That sounds like a wise decision, Anita," responded Mrs. Dixon. "I will call them now to find out when you can start." Anita waited while her counselor made the call.

"You will begin work on Monday afternoon at 1:00," Mrs. Dixon said as she hung up the phone. "The Baileys are delighted that you will be working with them. You can attend school from 7:45 until 11:45. That will give you enough time for lunch before you are due at the uniform shop. Your work hours will be from 1:00 until 6:00 PM. Congratulations, Anita, I'm sure you will do just fine."

"Thank you for all of your help, Mrs. Dixon." Anita stood and shook the counselor's hand. As she gathered her things and headed for the bus stop, she felt nervous and excited all at the same time. A new phase of her life was about to begin. That evening, the Meyers toasted to Anita's new job, the upcoming New Year, and to the changes that it would bring for all of them.

# Lilah's Regression

1On Monday morning, Anita felt nervous. Not only was she starting a new part-time job today, but she also had an evening appointment with Lilah Duncan, where she would be allowed to observe Lilah's past life regression. There was almost an excitement in the air as the morning sun caused the melting ice to glisten and sparkle as Anita rode the bus to school. Drinking in Mother Nature's beautiful displays was a glorious way to start out this special day.

The morning passed quickly. Anita ate her lunch in the city park. The Bailey's Uniform Shop was within walking distance to her school, so there was no need to rush. She arrived early and was shown to her desk by Mrs. Bailey. She stored her personal belongings; then her employer then gave her a full tour of the shop and the shipping and storage areas. As the other employees arrived back from their lunch breaks, she was introduced to each of them. Faye and Doris worked in the retail area, where they greeted and helped the customers. Jolene was the shipping clerk for the mail-order room. They each welcomed Anita to the shop with warm enthusiasm. The remainder of the afternoon was spent with Mr. and Mrs. Bailey in the office, as each in turn instructed her in her new duties. Anita was genuinely surprised when the other ladies came into the office area with their coats on to say their goodbyes for the evening. Could it be 6:00 o'clock already?

"Tomorrow's another day. Go home now and enjoy your evening," Mr. Bailey said as he handed Anita her coat. She walked out with the other workers. Faye and Doris waved as they hurried to catch their bus.

Jolene walked on with Anita. "I believe we ride the same bus," Jolene said. "I have noticed that you get on a couple of stops after I do in the mornings."

"That's great," Anita responded. "It will be nice to have someone to talk to during the ride. I'll walk with you as far as the bus stop. A friend of mine is picking me up tonight. We're going out to dinner and to a meeting."

"Oh really, what kind of a meeting are you going to?" asked Jolene. Anita hesitated to answer.

"My friend is going to a hypnotherapist for personal reasons and she asked me to come along."

"Wow, that sounds interesting. I've done a little reading on the subject of hypnosis. I understand that a lot of people have been helped by it. Maybe we can talk more about your friend's experience sometime if you feel it would be okay with her," Jolene inquired as the two ladies reached the bus stop.

"Sure," said Anita. "I'll ask her if she minds. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Anita continued walking toward the designated meeting place she and Lilah had decided on. She was glad to see that Lilah was waiting for her. She settled into the warmth of her friend's car. They drove to a little café to have a quick meal before Lilah's appointment.

"I am so glad you are coming with me tonight. I have been nervous all day," Lilah gushed as they slid into an empty booth at the café. "I've been tempted to call and cancel my appointment a couple of times, but my curiosity just won't let me do it."

"I'm sure you don't have anything to worry about. Just think about it as an adventure," Anita responded. "I am almost as excited as you are. Maybe I'll get brave enough to schedule a session for myself?" The two friends laughed and talked more about their shared excitement. Soon they had finished their meal and were on their way.

The sign on the door read:

Laural Hughes, Registered Hypnotist

Lilah turned the door knob and walked into the office, followed by Anita. A pleasant looking middle-aged woman greeted them warmly.

"Hello, I'm Laural Hughes. One of you must be Lilah."

Lilah held out her hand, "Yes, Ms. Hughes, I'm Lilah. This is my friend, Anita. I hope you don't mind that I asked her to come along with me this evening for my regression. I admit that I'm a little nervous."

"Oh no, I don't mind. Most people are nervous their first time. Please come into my office and we will talk a little bit about the process of hypnosis. By the way, please call me Laural." The ladies followed Laural into the next room, which Anita noticed was dimly lit. Laural asked Lilah to be seated in a large overstuffed chair and motioned Anita toward a couch that was across the room. Laural sat in a chair which she placed in front of Lilah, and then she began to talk.

"First of all, I want you to know that when you are hypnotized, you don't go to sleep the way you do at night. It is more like a dreamy, relaxed state that you may have on a weekend morning when you awaken at your normal time and then realize that you don't have to get up after all. You just snuggle back down in the bed and enjoy a sensation of well-being. You might hear the birds outside or other noises, but they seem far away. You don't lose consciousness when you are hypnotized. You will always be aware of the words being spoken by the person hypnotizing you and you frequently hear other things that are going on around you, such as the cars outside or the telephone ringing. Although you can hear these things, they don't seem to matter to you. If you do lose consciousness, it will be because you have fallen asleep. In that case, you would not hear the words being spoken. And when your nap was finished, you would wake up just as you would from any other nap.

When you are hypnotized, you do not stop thinking. Your thinking merely slows down, and you permit your imagination to be guided by the hypnotist. There are many ways to help you become hypnotized or for you to hypnotize yourself. In fact, no hypnotist ever really hypnotizes anyone else. It may appear so, but all that is really happening is that the subject allows the hypnotist to guide his or her imagination. Of course, if the subject, because of some kind of false understanding of what was happening, actually believed that he had to do what the hypnotist asked him to do, then he probably would. But it would be the belief that would be responsible, and not the hypnotist. While under hypnosis, you will only do things that you believe you should do or that you don't mind doing. No one can ever force you to do something against your free will without you agreeing to it.

Now, let's talk a little bit about past lives. I want you to know that whether past life recall is pure fantasy or the actual memory of another existence, many men and women have obtained definite and profound release from a present day pain or phobia by reliving the origin of the problem in some real or alleged former existence. By exploring prior-life experiences, you may recall physical or mental skills you may have mastered in other lifetimes, or you may rediscover talents that will bring greater creativity into your present life experience.

Some people think that they are going against their traditional religious beliefs if they want to explore the reincarnation theory. However, if you think about it, 'What you reap, you also sow' is the same thing as cause and effect, or what some people call karma. When tragedy strikes, we often ask, "Why did this happen to me?" But what if, 'What you reap, you also sow' extended throughout many lifetimes? Would that begin to answer some of your questions, or at least raise some interesting possibilities? What if one's soul, that part of us that survives after the death of the physical body, chose to live many lifetimes . . . sometimes as a man, sometimes as a woman, a king or a slave, an artist or an illiterate, and all sorts of lives in-between, simply for the purpose of learning compassion for all walks of life?

The most important thing for you to remember as we go through this process is that you need to trust yourself enough to let the information or memories flow. If you begin questioning what you are feeling or seeing, and start to put judgments on these things, you will probably not allow yourself to relax enough to complete the process. Perceptions or impressions received while in an altered state may seem dreamlike. Again, it is important that you allow your perceptions to flow. I will be asking you lots of questions that will cause you to pay attention to your surroundings and your emotions while the regression is taking place."

"All right, Lilah, we are just about ready to begin. Do you have any questions about anything that I have explained to you?"

"No, I don't think so. I have done some reading on the subject, so I think I have a fairly good understanding of what's going to take place." Lilah looked over at Anita and then back at Laural. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she said as she giggled nervously.

"Good!" said Laural. Then she explained that she would be tape recording the session and asked Anita to be as quiet as possible during the process, in order to have fewer distractions. She then put on some soft background music.

Anita watched and listened closely to everything that Laural said and did. She began by telling Lilah to close her eyes and relax completely by taking some deep, relaxing breaths. Then she went through a process where she had Lilah visualize her own bedroom in her mind. She asked her questions about the colors and pictures in the room, the arrangement of the furniture, and the clothes in her closet. Laural explained that pictures from a past life could be brought up just as easily as Lilah had just recalled the scenes from her own bedroom. The most important thing to remember was to let the information flow without analyzing or placing judgments on it.

She then spent about ten minutes having Lilah relax the individual parts of her body, one part at a time, while letting go of any worries or concerns in her daily life . . . loose and limp . . . relaxing all over in every way. Laural had such a pleasant voice that Anita found herself becoming very relaxed also. She remembered Laural telling Lilah that she could awaken herself at any time if she felt uncomfortable in any way. The tone of Laural's voice rose slightly as she stated:

"It is very important for your self-understanding to allow yourself to be able to experience a past life that is directly related to some of the troublesome spots in your present lifetime. This could involve present day phobias, guilts, compulsions, illnesses, or troubled relationships. So this is the type of past life recall that we are going to focus on. Permit the real you within the physical structure to become aware of a beautiful figure, robed in violet, standing in front of you. This beautiful figure is surrounded by an aura, a halo of golden light, and you know at once that you are beholding your guardian angel, who has come to take the real you, your soul essence, out of your physical shell and to travel with you to a higher dimension where you will be able to receive information of a past life that you need to know about, a past life that has greatly influenced your present life situation. This will be a past life in which you will probably see some of the people who have come forward with you into your present life experience . . . to complete a task left unfinished, or to learn a lesson left unaccomplished. Whatever you see or feel, it will be for your own good and your understanding, and your guardian angel will be ever near, allowing nothing to harm you. Your guardian angel will protect you completely. Now permit your guardian angel to take you by the hand and to lift the real you up . . . free to soar . . . totally liberated from time and space.

A swirling purple mist is moving all around you, and hand in hand with your guardian angel, you begin to move higher and higher. Higher and higher. Lights and colors are moving all around you. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, gold. and purple. Stars are all around you. You seem to be floating through space, moving gently through space, moving through all time. And time itself seems to be like a spiral moving around you. A circle, a spiral, never ending, always beginning. You know that you absolutely have the ability to move through time and to see a past life that you need to know about for your personal understanding.

Ahead of you, suspended in space, is a great golden door. And you know that when you step through that door, you will be able to explore this past life. You will see some of the reasons why you chose to be born again at this moment in time. You will see what you presently need to accomplish to further your soul's evolution. Now your guardian angel is ushering you to that great golden door. The door is opening, and you step inside. There you are. You see yourself as you were when you were a child in that lifetime. You know what country you are living in, as you would understand it today, and what period of time you are living in, as you would understand it today.

You see the color of your hair, your skin, and your eyes. You clearly see the gender that you are. Now you see your body dressed in the characteristic clothing for that time. See clearly now the kind of shoes that you are wearing and the clothing you are dressed in."

"What are you wearing?"

Lilah appeared almost to be asleep. There was silence for a moment, and then she began speaking, "I am a peasant girl. My dress is tattered and soiled . . . and I don't have any shoes. My feet are bare."

Laural asked, "How old are you?"

"I am 12 years old. I am very unhappy."

"What are you unhappy about?" Laural probed.

"I am tired of being poor and having to beg in the streets. It is cold and I don't have a coat. I want to go home, but I don't have enough money to buy a soup bone and some bread. My mother is sick and I must bring her something to eat." Lilah's voice was very low and she was beginning to sob.

"All right, I want you to begin to move forward in this lifetime until you feel or perceive the next significant event occurring. You are leaving the scene that you have just viewed and you are moving forward . . . let me know when you perceive something of significance happening to you," Laural prompted.

Again, there was a short silence before Lilah spoke. "I'm older now. I am dressed in very fine clothes, silks and chiffons. My hair has grown very long and dark and flows beautifully down my back. I am in a room with a very handsome man. He is a King. There is a table laden with many different varieties of food. We have just eaten and are drinking some wine. He starts to kiss me, but I push him away. I am angry now because he will not do what I want him to do." Lilah grew silent once again.

"What is it that you want him to do?" asked Laural.

1"I want him to denounce the Queen and marry me. I am tired of being his lover in secret. He pleads with me to be patient, but I tell him that I have been patient long enough. I throw my wine in his face! He yells at me and turns toward the door. I don't want to see him leave being angry with me. I beg him to stay, and we fall into each other's arms, lost in the passion of our love." Lilah fell silent again.

After a short pause, Laural said, "All right, I want you to leave this scene now and go forward again in time until something else significant happens. Continue to move ahead and tell me when the next important thing happens."

Lilah did not speak for about 30 seconds. Then she continued, "I am standing at the gallows. There are many people yelling and jeering at me from the crowd. I see the Queen looking at me with hatred in her eyes. I do not blame her. I am sad and remorseful too. I did not mean to kill the King. I loved him very much! I just got so angry with him. He promised me so many times we would be together. When he told me that the Queen was carrying his child, I knew that he would never leave her. I picked up a knife and stabbed him in the back as he turned to walk away from me. I stabbed myself also, but I was not lucky enough to die. Now they are putting the dark cloth over my head. I pray that I will be forgiven for my sins. Everything is black now. I am sure that I am dead, but I don't feel anything."

1"Okay, Lilah, I want you to remember that your guardian angel is still with you, still protecting you and guiding you. I want you to view this entire scene from a totally detached perspective. You feel no pain. You have left the physical body behind in the lifetime that you have just viewed, and you are now in your spirit body. From this wiser, all-knowing part of yourself, ask your soul what it is that you most need to understand about the lifetime that you have just seen," guided Laural.

"I think I'm supposed to understand that I was so afraid of being poor again that I could not see that I had worth as a person, just as myself. I thought that if I was married to the King, I would be rich and powerful. I used my beauty to get the things that I thought I needed. But in the end, I could see that money could never be more important than a person's life."

"All right now, we are going to start bringing you back into full consciousness, but first I want to ask you if any of the people that you have just viewed in this prior lifetime are now in your current lifetime. They may not look the same, but you can recognize them by their soul energy," stated Laural.

1"Yes . . . this is really odd. My mother in that lifetime is my younger sister in this lifetime. The man that I killed . . . the King was Bill Michaels . . . and the Queen was my friend, Anita. Yes . . . yes, I'm sure of it." Lilah's voice trailed off.

Anita paid very little attention as Laural brought Lilah out of her hypnotic state. Her mind was too busy thinking about this whole incredible experience. Could it be true that she and Lilah, and Bill Michaels had lived the lifetime that Lilah described? She listened as Lilah and Laural discussed a few more details of the past life. Lilah said that she thought the time frame was in the mid 1500s and the country was Finland or Sweden. She said that it all seemed so real, and that she could actually feel the emotions that this woman had experienced.

Suddenly Lilah remembered that Anita was present. She turned to her friend, "I don't know what to say. I feel so strange right now. There is a part of me that still remembers what I just saw in my mind, but there's another part of me that says, 'No way, that couldn't have happened!' I guess I could have made it up, but why would I make up such a bizarre story, especially with you and Bill in it? What do you think, Anita? Could it be real?"

"I'm afraid I'm just as confused as you are right now, Lilah. To tell you the truth, I don't know if it's real or not, but I do know that it sounded very convincing while you were talking."

Laural interrupted at this point, "Well, ladies, I can tell you that I have regressed a lot of people. Some are convinced that the experience is real, and some are not. Most of them, over time, convince themselves that it was all their imagination. The most important thing to remember, however, is that the past is always the past. If we truly do live multiple lifetimes in order to learn unconditional love and compassion through first-hand experiences, then we need to be grateful for the knowledge that is gained from all our experiences, whether they are real or imagined. In order to integrate the wisdom from this information into your life, you must be willing to take the 'pearls of knowledge' given and use them to be the best that you can be in your current lifetime."

All three of the women looked at each other reflectively for a few moments. Then Laural stood and turned on the overhead light, and excused herself to get their coats. Lilah made out a check for the agreed upon amount for the hypnotist's services. When Laural returned, she handed the check to her and said, "Thank you so much. I think I would like to come back again for more explorations after I've had a chance to digest this one." Laural smiled and squeezed Lilah's hands in her own.

The trio walked out the door together to go their respective ways. It was a beautiful moonlit night, with thousands of stars adding to the glow. On the way to drop Anita off at her home, Lilah did most of the talking. She went over the regression filling in details that she had not spoken in words earlier. Anita could feel herself as an observer in the situation. She did not necessarily feel a strong connection to the part that Lilah had assigned her in her former lifetime, but she could relate to being "the rejected wife" in her current experience. Seeing Lilah's side of a similar situation helped her to release the blame that she had been placing on Peter's new wife. "We are all just actors in the game of life," Anita thought.

# Anita's Vision

1Anita found that she liked dividing her time between work and school. There was much to be learned in each place, but it was easier to apply the book knowledge she was gaining while having actual hands-on experience doing the work.

Thursday evening as she left work, Anita found herself looking forward to attending the meditation group that night. The sessions had been suspended for several weeks due to the holidays, and she had missed them. She and Jolene walked at a brisk pace in order to catch their bus. The transit schedule did not leave any time for dawdling. The gals made it to their stop just in time to see the bus rounding the corner. After boarding they found a seat near the front. It was about a ten minute ride before Anita's stop. Jolene's stop was a few blocks further down the route.

"Do you have any special plans for the weekend?" Jolene asked.

"No, not for the weekend, but I am going to a meditation group meeting tonight. I'm looking forward to that," said Anita.

"What do you do there?" Jolene queried.

"Well, during the meditation, it's mainly a time for quieting the mind and listening for any inner guidance that might come through. Sometimes we meditate on a specific word or quality that we would like to possess, such as patience or forgiveness; and sometimes we are led through a guided meditation," answered Anita.

"It sounds a little bit like self-hypnosis," said Jolene. "By the way, you never told me what happened last week when you and your friend went to see that hypnotist?"

"It was fascinating. My friend had a past life regression done, and I was allowed to observe the whole process. I don't think she would want me to discuss the details, but it was very interesting. I haven't talked to her since then, but I will be seeing her tonight. I'm anxious to see how she feels about it now that a little 'real' time has passed," teased Anita.

"Wow, you are into some weird stuff!" Jolene exclaimed. "I've read about some of those things, but I don't have the nerve to try any of it. I envy you in a way."

"Oh really, why?" asked Anita.

"Well, it doesn't seem to bother you what other people will think about you doing those things. Maybe someday I'll be as brave as you," mused Jolene.

Anita's stop was coming up. She pulled the signal cord, and then looked back at Jolene, "I don't think of it as being brave, just curious. Instead of simply reading about life, I have always wanted to participate in it. I love to read about faraway places, but it's much more fun to actually visit them. I feel the same about metaphysics; why just read about the concepts when you can experience them first hand?"

When the bus came to a stop, the two friends said their goodbyes. "See you tomorrow. Have fun tonight!" yelled Jolene as Anita exited the bus. Anita smiled and waved back at her friend.

Anita and the Meyers were late in arriving at the Knapp's. Everyone else was already there discussing the holidays and happenings since their last meeting. Anita noticed that Lilah was talking intently to Bill Michaels. She wondered if Lilah was telling him about her regression. They must have felt her thoughts because they both looked in her direction. Lilah motioned for Anita to join them.

"Hi! I was just telling Bill about our visit with Laural on Monday. He says that he has always been fascinated with the idea of reincarnation. Small world, huh?" chuckled Lilah.

Anita extended her hand toward Bill. "Hello. I'm glad to see that you made it tonight. It's nice to know that another curiosity seeker is joining our group." Then she turned toward Lilah. "Did you tell him about the past life you experienced?"

"Are you kidding? I did tell him that you and he were in it, but I'll have to get to know him a little better before I go into the details of it. It was a little personal, don't you think?" Lilah winked at Anita in a manner that Bill couldn't miss seeing. Anita was relieved to hear Bernard playing the autoharp to signal the beginning of the meeting. She was embarrassed by Lilah's obvious flirting with Bill.

Anita seated herself on the floor. She was surprised when Bill sat down next to her. Lilah positioned herself on his other side. Bunny welcomed everyone to the group and asked if there was a particular topic that anyone wanted to discuss before the meditation.

Lilah's hand shot up. "I would like to get a few opinions on the topic of reincarnation. I had a past life regression earlier this week, and I'm still a little dazed by it. What is the general consensus? Do we live many lifetimes or just one?"

Several people voiced the opinion that they believed reincarnation to be a fact. Most heads in the room were nodding in approval. Bunny asked, "Would you like to see what my channel has to say on the subject?" Affirmations came from throughout the room.

"Okay then, I will now ask my inner guidance to deliver some information on the topic of reincarnation." Bunny closed her eyes and began some deep breathing. Before long, she opened her eyes and began to speak in the familiar voice of her channel.

"This Earth School is indeed designed to allow individuals to experience an infinite number of lessons which are presented through an infinite number of incarnations. This will continue until the individual grasps the spiritual significance of himself or herself as a spark of the Infinite. You are never tied to any one character in any one play or lifetime. You are in fact many characters at the same time. God's energy expresses itself through each being in a myriad of realities or dimensions simultaneously. This Earth School is only one of those realities. However, several aspects of one's being can be expressing at the same time in any of these realities. While you are acting in one play, you are also watching many others. In the highest truth, you are all aspects of each other since you were all created by the same God. All that is learned from each of these aspects in every reality is taken into the Expanded Self. An individual aspect enters each new incarnation with the same baggage he thought was important in the last. Many, many realities can be lived before one chooses to recognize himself or herself as the true divine spark that he is, and will always be. God, Infinite Intelligence, the All That Is, is the collective presence of all things living, all evolving beings. Therefore, man is indeed God. His eventual path is always toward remembering his own divinity. There is nothing in the Universe that is outside of what you are terming God."

Low murmurs filled the room as Bunny opened her eyes. Lilah voiced her appreciation to Bunny and her channel. Several others included their thanks.

"Well, I think we should have another short break to digest this wonderful message, and then we'll begin our meditation," stated Bernard. A few people got up and moved around, but most remained seated.

Anita looked over at Lilah, who appeared to be in deep thought.

"That was some great information, wasn't it?" Bill spoke directly to Anita.

"Yes," responded Anita. "It helps me to see that there is no reason to judge anyone for anything. We are all simply playing different parts in the play of life in order to gain knowledge to bring back to the Whole. The more I learn, the more I understand how important each one of us really is in the scheme of things. Our combined knowledge will benefit every one of us in the long run. It's a pretty amazing concept."

"It certainly is," said Bill. The two of them gazed into each other's eyes for a long while.

Bernard strummed the autoharp once more. As people settled down he said, "Tonight we are going to have a guided meditation. I want each of you to take a moment to center yourselves. Take some deep, relaxing breaths and begin releasing all tensions from your bodies and your minds." He was quiet for a few moments while the participants slipped into their own processes of relaxation. He then led the group through the traditional three OMs.

1"Now I want you to let your minds soar freely and follow where I am going to lead you. Have the intent that you are ready to listen and receive. If any mundane thoughts enter your mind, gently push them away. Invite one of your spiritual teachers to guide you and protect you on your journey. Become aware of a presence now. Someone has approached you and has come to stand next to you. As you look at your spirit guide, you can feel warmth and compassion flowing gently from its being into yours. You are instantly filled with such a feeling of love and joy that it makes you feel wonderful just to be alive. Your guide reaches out its hands and touches your face, your eyes, your ears, and your lips. You know that this touching symbolizes that you are about to see or hear something that will have great significance to you.

Your guide is showing you something important. Warm hands open and are holding something for you to see. It is a tiny flame. The flame flickers and dances. You cannot take your eyes off of it. You no longer see your guide. You only see the flame. It is growing larger and brighter, as if there is nothing in the entire Universe except the flame, the flame and you. You know that this flame has appeared to bring you an important message or vision. This is a powerful, personal message meant just for you at this time. It is a gift. Open to your own inner knowingness and receive this gift now."

As Anita's mind followed Bernard's words, she was clearly able to see her spirit guide appear. She was a wise old woman with long, flowing gray hair. "I know you," thought Anita.

"Of course, you do. We have visited many times in your dreams," the woman said with a smile. You have chosen not to remember me consciously for some years now, but I have been here all along. I am Magi Endreema. Now, see what I have brought you."

From out of the flames there appeared the vision of a great black horse. It was a very handsome and powerful stallion. It was running toward her. When it got close enough, it reared its powerful body. It seemed so real that Anita felt she would surely be crushed. She covered her face out of fear. Then everything was quiet. She removed her hands from her eyes and looked to see a very gentle gray stallion in place of the black one. She went to it and stroked its mane. The gray stallion lifted its head and nuzzled her cheek.

From somewhere far away Anita could hear the strums of an autoharp. She recognized Bernard's voice, "You will awaken now and be filled with the memories of your vision or teaching. You feel healthy, happy and filled with a sense of unity with all life. Open your eyes now and allow your body to begin moving and stretching, feeling happy to be alive."

As the participants moved back into waking awareness, Bernard reminded them that guided meditations often appeared like dreams and would contain dreamlike symbolism. He offered to help interpret any messages that were not understood. People began to stand and move about the room. Anita got up from her position. She didn't have a clue as to the meaning of her vision, and was curious to see what Bernard would say. She told him about the two horses. Bernard smiled and said, "Didn't your former husband have dark hair?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" inquired Anita.

"Well, from what you have told me, both of the horses were stallions. I would say that represents two men in your life. You were afraid that the dark one would hurt you. In the vision, your fear was transmuted when a man of gentle character replaced the one that caused you to be fearful."

"What did the gray color signify," asked Anita?

"I think you'll be able to figure that out for yourself very soon," chuckled Bernard, as he turned to talk to someone else.

When Anita returned to her friends, she overheard Lilah saying to Bill, "You have such magnificent gray hair. I hope mine will look as nice as yours when it turns gray."

# Magi Endreema's Update

1Endreema checked over her notes. Everything seemed to be in order. She then turned her full attention over to the matter of listening to and assimilating the information contained in the progress reports given by her fellow apprentices on their current subjects. At last it was her turn.

"Today I am delivering an update on one of my subjects. Her chosen Earth name is Anita Thompson. She resides in Washington State in the United States of America. The current Earth time line is 1952. Her age is 33.5 years. My last report on this subject was delivered in the time line of 1932, when she was 14 years old. At that time, I made several contacts with the subject in the dream state over a period of two weeks. It was the Entity's request that these contacts be discontinued for an approximate 20-year period, Earth time, so that the body and mind could become totally immersed in social consciousness. No major traumas were to be induced during this period. The preselected time for the next series of contacts was requested to commence shortly after the ending of her first partnering relationship, due to the fact her psychological state would be ripe at that time to begin searching for the deeper meaning of her existence.

I am satisfied that she is progressing nicely. I have made one indirect contact with her through an open channel, and one direct contact, while my subject was in an altered state of relax-ation. She is meditating regularly, and I feel that open communication will be possible shortly.

1The method that was chosen prior to this incarnation for opening the second brain was to instill a desire within the subject for knowledge and understanding regarding reincarnation, simultaneous lifetimes, and multidimensional realities. This desire has been set into motion. She feels a deep longing to remember possible prior connections with several other entities from her soul group. I feel the subject is advancing nicely toward the pre-intended goal of greater self-awareness in this lifetime. I do not foresee any problems with her progression in the immediate future."

Professor Jory thanked Endreema for her update and called the next apprentice Dream Doctor to the podium. Endreema listened intently as the report was given. There was always much to learn from each individual's experiences.

# The Messages Begin

1Although it was only the end of February, the promise of spring was in the air. The sun was in its full glory. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and tender young leaves were pushing their way out from the protection of their buds. The abundant birthing of Mother Nature's latest offerings blessed the landscape. "What a grand world we live in," said Anita as she looked out of the dining room window of her parents' home.

"It is beautiful," her mother agreed.

"Mom, there's something I want to share with you. For the past couple of weeks, I have been receiving 'messages,' of a sort, during my meditations. At first, I didn't know if it was just my imagination, so I decided to write them down. Now that I read back over them, I am convinced that it is not coming from my imagination. I would like for you to read some of them and tell me what you think."

"I would love to read them," replied Mrs. Meyer.

Anita went into her bedroom to get her journal. She returned a short time later and placed the book on the dining table in front of her mother. "I'll just be in the living room reading the Sunday paper if you want me," she said.

Mrs. Meyer opened the book and began to read. Anita had written the journal in question and answer fashion.

Meditation Communications for the Month of February 1952

Who are you?

We are those faces of your deeper being who exist in what you would term your future. We are what is pulling you forward in answer to the longings of your soul. As you allow your curiosity to freely explore those things that resound within your being, we are pointing you in the right directions to find the answers that you desire.

Are you here for a particular purpose?

We are here in reply to your conscious and unconscious calls for assistance in understanding who and what you are. The progress that you make will benefit the whole of your soul group as you progress through your Earthly experiences.

What do you mean by "as I progress" through them?

You incarnated in what is known as a "core" lifetime. This means that the spiritual entity that you are put out the single thought that it desired to create a physical body in one core lifetime that would eventually hold the entirety of its being. As the thought went out, the manifestation occurred instantly. A spiraling light shot through this timespace dimension that created all of the revolutions required to complete the finished prototype. Each revolution fractured off particles of light that created the "life" substance for each soul group member along the way. Those particles of life that fractured on the time line that you are currently focused in are your aspects. Those fractures on the other revolutions along the way are faces or reflections of you. All faces and aspects combined make up the totality of all that you are. Any one of these fractures has the ability to view its aspects or faces. Mostly this occurs in the sleep state, but it is possible to consciously access this information also. This is the job of the second brain. It keeps track of all of the individual fractures in all dimensions. As the individual fractures in each dimension and leaves physicality through what you term the death process, they rejoin the soul group for that dimension. When leaving the physical body, the knowledge gained by each fracture is sent to those who are remaining in physicality. All fractures are continually being pulled toward their future selves, in the next revolutions of the spiral, for the purpose of integrating the combined knowledge and experience of all into the greater Whole.

What do you mean by the term dimensions?

These are the other slices or faces of existence of your entity that are evolving through the individual revolutions of the spiraling light within simultaneous time.

What is meant by simultaneous time?

All of the lives or experiences of the Core entity were completed in the same moment, that moment when the spiraling light shot through this continuum. Each revolution intersecting a timespace medium created individual segments or dimensions. Time is a linear measure of those millions of simultaneous snapshots or lifetimes being lived in the same moment. A core lifetime for an entity consists of about thirty-five million years with a million zeros behind it in Earth time. The culmination of this current cycle is rapidly approaching.

When will this cycle be ending?

Sometime within the next 60 - 100 years.

What is the actual process of reincarnation?

Reincarnation is simultaneous lives viewed from a linear perspective.

Does that mean that the term "past lives" is in error?

Yes and no. All parts of a core lifetime are experienced simultaneously. However, each slice and each fracture can be viewed independently. It depends on where you are standing on the linear time line as to whether you might be viewing a past life or a future life. Each individual fracture can claim the experiences of every other fracture. That is why, from the larger view, an individual can literally claim millions of lifetimes worth of experience.

Are all of the people in this dimension from this same Core entity?

No. There were 144,000 Core entities that projected thought into this Universal system. Fractures from each of those entities could have potentially wound up in each dimension.

Why am I being given this information?

Did you not issue forth the desire to understand more about the subject of reincarnation? In that request, you chose to receive this knowledge.

Am I able to access information about my other aspects and faces?

Yes. All that is required is the intent and a genuine desire to access the knowledge.

I would genuinely like to know if I have experienced another lifetime with my mother. How do I go about accessing that information?

All that is required to access any information that you may wish to know about, is to go into the gentle space of the sacredness of your own being while putting forth the intent to receive the answer. It works best if you make your request in the form of a question.

It is my desire to access this information now. Would you please help me access another lifetime I may have experienced with my current mother?

Note: After a few moments of stillness, I began to perceive what appeared to be a snapshot or picture. Then the feelings from the picture began to flow into my mind.

I saw a picture of a young woman holding onto the back of a wheelchair, in which an older woman was seated. She had a blanket over her lap. I felt that I was the younger woman and that I was the daughter of the woman in the wheelchair. My father in that lifetime was no longer living. I detected that there were siblings, but they were gone from the home and leading their own lives. I had taken it upon myself to remain in my mother's household in order to care for her. There were times that I felt resentful toward my mother, and also my siblings for this decision. This resulted in bouts of unhappiness and depression. I remained unmarried this entire lifetime. I felt that we were somewhat "well-to-do." We booked an ocean voyage from America, where we lived, to England. During the trip, there was a storm. The ship sank, along with all of the passengers. My mother and I were both drowned at sea.

Note: I recalled that when I witnessed Lilah's regression, Laural told her to ask for an understanding of the lessons learned from the incarnation, so I made that same request.

The thought came to me that I spent a lot of time in that lifetime feeling self-pity and blaming everyone else for my unhappiness. There were many benefits to my position, which I mostly ignored. I did not learn to truly appreciate my mother's love and generosity. I could now understand that on a soul level, I chose this life of service and the circumstances involved in it to try to learn that I had value as a person, no matter what my station in life was.

Thank you for helping me access this information. Do you have a name that I may address you with?

You may call upon "Endreema" when you wish to communicate with any of us, as we are all from your future soul grouping.

* * *

Mrs. Meyer walked into the living room holding the journal to her chest. "Anita, this is amazing information. I want to hear more about how you began receiving it."

"Well, about a month ago, during one of the guided meditations at Bunny and Bernard's, I was introduced to one of my spirit guides. She appeared to me as a wise old woman with long flowing gray hair. She gave her name as Endreema. I began to ask for her presence during my daily meditations. A couple of weeks ago, this information came through. Since then, I have been asking to receive information in regard to other past life connections with some of the people in my life. I have been recording those as well in another journal."

"This is wonderful," exclaimed Mrs. Meyer. "After I read your entry about our past connection, the first thought that came into my head was that this must be the reason that you and I are both afraid of deep water and never learned to swim. That fear must have carried over into our present lives."

"I thought of that, too. It also helped me realize that you have never pushed a lot of responsibility on me in this lifetime. Instead, you have allowed me a great deal of freedom."

"That's true. It always seemed very important to me that as you grew older, you needed to get out of the house, do things on your own, and go places," Mrs. Meyer replied. "This is why I thought it was so wonderful when Ed came into our lives. He made it possible for us to travel, which has added a lot of enjoyment to all of our lives."

"Yes, Mother, I agree. It seems to me that our many lifetimes are almost like pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. All of the pieces fit together to form a logical "big picture." Each piece represents bits of knowledge gained along the path toward completion of some huge project. It makes so much sense!"

"Yes, it does," responded Mrs. Meyer. "Anita, would you allow me the privilege of reading the information about your other lifetimes?"

"Of course I will." Anita went to get her past life journal. When she returned, she handed it to her mother, and said, "As I meditated on each life, I jotted down the impressions that I received. Then I decided to write them down in story form. That is why I am keeping a separate journal on them. They are a treasure to me because they contain such a wealth of knowledge. You can just read them at your leisure."

"I think I'm feeling leisurely right now," her mother whispered as she gently hugged her daughter.

# Past Life/Aspect Storylines

1PAST LIFE/ASPECT EXPERIENCE

WITH PETER JOHANSON

I perceived an Egyptian lifetime. I saw myself as a young woman of about 20. I was one of a group of people who were slaves. We were forced, by day, to push a giant stone pulley apparatus to raise the heavy blocks of stone that were used for some of the buildings in those days. Another group of slaves would anchor the ropes that held the stones and pull them into position. It was grueling work for all. We were fed barely enough to keep us alive in order to perform the work. There was a taskmaster, who guarded us and whipped us with a leather strap if he felt that we were not pulling our weight. I perceived this taskmaster to be Peter. He was very aloof and non-compassionate. If a person was injured or got sick while working, he beat them with the leather strap to add to their misery. It was very evident that he considered himself superior to the slaves. While he knew that all of us were constantly thirsty, he would taunt us with the water pouch and pour it freely over his strong body. Then he would laugh at our thirsty cries and spit on us. I only felt pity for him. I wondered how he could be so blind as to not see the value of our lives. To him, we were as disposable as soiled rags.

1There was a day when one of the stones that was being lifted up slipped from its rope. The taskmaster did not see it in time and it hit him on the right side of his shoulder and body. As he cried out in pain, many of the slaves ran to help remove the stone from his crushed and bleeding body. I was among them. When I looked into his eyes, I knew that he was going to die. I could sense his disbelief as he looked around at these people whom he had mistreated, who now came to his aid so quickly. Even through his pain, I could feel his regret.

I perceived that the way that I died in that lifetime was by starving myself to the point that I was no longer strong enough to work. I refused to eat, and only drank water, until my body finally gave out from the strain that was placed upon it while trying to help push the giant wheel. As I dropped to the ground, the faces of my fellow slaves were the last that I saw.

Life Lessons: I feel that in this lifetime I gained a great respect and appreciation for the underlying "good" in all people. I could see that the taskmaster truly regretted his behavior before he died. I also saw how people generally band together in times of trouble or pain. I feel that Peter and I came together in our current lifetime because of that fleeting glance we had into each other's souls, as our eyes met at the moment of his death in that former lifetime. I believe our divorce was amiable to show that people don't have to hate or mistreat one another just because of their positions in life, or the fact that their feelings have changed. I still believe that there is innate good in everyone.
1PAST LIFE/ASPECT EXPERIENCE WITH MY

BIOLOGICAL FATHER, WILLIAM THOMPSON

The snapshot that filled my mind was that of a man harnessed to a plow horse. He was working in the hot sun. He had a bandanna over his nose and mouth to keep the dust out of his lungs. After a very long day, he walked with the plow horse back to the barn. He unharnessed himself and the horse; then fed the horse and brushed him down. The man then went to his own small house, where he had a wife and five very young children. The oldest was a girl that couldn't have been more than seven or eight. In this former lifetime, the man was again my father, and I was the eldest daughter. He was a sharecropper, who was trying to make a living for his growing family. He had so hoped for boys that would be able to help him with his work, but only the youngest child was a boy. The older four were all girls. I was the only one who was old enough to have responsibility for chores. It was my job to feed the chickens and turkeys, gather the eggs, and rake out the horse and cow stalls. Father milked the cow in the morning before starting out to the fields. I tried as hard as I could to do what was required of me.

1My father paid very little attention to me or my sisters. Any free time that he did find was spent playing with our baby brother. The way he gloated over my brother made me very jealous.

"I'm the one that works so hard to please him," I thought. "Why doesn't he ever pay any attention to me?"

My mother had her hands full with all of the younger children, on top of the cooking, cleaning, washing and any other chores she could manage. She said I was old enough to take care of myself. I was very jealous of the attention that my siblings demanded from both of my parents. I spent a great deal of time feeling sorry for myself and my plight. More than anything, I wanted to go to school. But they told me that I was needed more at home. They said that maybe I could go to school in a couple of years when the other kids were a little bigger.

I often threw temper tantrums and ran away from home for a few hours until I cooled down. My young life ended while I was on one of these excursions. We had a fast-running creek that came down out of the mountains behind our little cabin. I would sometimes climb into the foothills to a spot where a small eddy formed. I liked to plunge my feet in the water and watch the swirls of the eddy. On the day of my death, I waded too far into the pool and got caught up in the swirling water. I was pulled into the currents and washed down into the stream. My head bumped on a boulder, and I was knocked unconscious. My body was pushed over by the swift water and I drowned face-down in the river. My father was the one who found my body. This was another lifetime in which my mode of death was drowning!

1Life Lessons: More self-pity! I resented my sisters and my brother in that lifetime because I thought that they were the reason that I never got any attention from my parents. I believe that this is one of the reasons why I chose to be an only child in my current lifetime. The irony is that I have always wished that I had brothers and sisters. This must be how we gain experiences from all kinds of different perspectives. Also, my father, in my current lifetime doted on me and showed me that he loved me in a million different ways. I missed him terribly when his own death took him away from me when I was only nine years old.
1PAST LIFE/ASPECT EXPERIENCE WITH

DOROTHY PETERSON, MY CHILDHOOD

BEST FRIEND

This snapshot revealed a young girl of about four years old sitting on the lap of a nun. I felt that I was the child and the nun was my friend, Dorothy. The lady was the Reverend Mother in charge of the nunnery, which was being used as a shelter for women and children during the French Revolution in the late 1700s. I was brought there after being found hidden under the collapsed, dead body of my own mother. My mother had been one of many that were killed trying to escape from our attackers.

Usually, the homeless children that were brought to the shelter were transferred to Avignon, a town which housed an orphanage in the south of France, after a few weeks. For some unexplained reason, the Reverend Mother decided to keep me at the nunnery. I remained there for almost ten years, working as a chore girl. I helped in the gardens and with the cleaning and cooking. I felt that I was greatly loved. The outside world held no interest for me. One day some soldiers came and banged on the gates. They said that they were confiscating the nunnery, which would be used in the service of the new ruler. The Sisters were given one day to gather their few sparse belongings, some food and some gardening tools. They were also allowed to take one donkey and a cart and were sent on their way. The Reverend Mother was old and the trip was hard on her. The others begged her to ride in the cart, but she insisted that another that was older be allowed to ride in the cart instead. I walked alongside her offering my body as support. The nearest village was several days away. When we arrived there, all that was left were the charred remains.

The Sisters made a temporary shelter for the night in order to pray and ask for guidance. The Reverend Mother was given a vision. She saw an angel of the Lord hovering in the firmament with arms open wide. The angel promised safe protection for us and said that we should journey on to Avignon.

When the sun woke us the next morning, we heard the sound of horses slowly approaching. A family of farmers appeared in the distance. There was a man and his wife on horseback and a child riding double with each. They had two wagons, one filled with personal belongings and the other with hay. Two older boys were driving these. A donkey carrying food and provisions and a milk cow were tied behind the wagons. The Reverend Mother knew that this was the answer to our prayers. The family was going very near to Avignon and offered to take us there. The nuns took turns between walking and riding on the hay wagon. The angel of the Lord kept his promise and we were delivered safely to the orphanage in Avignon.

1There were seven nuns, including the Reverend Mother, and myself. The orphanage housed about 75 children. We were welcomed and told that we could stay there as long as we liked. The Reverend Mother wrote a letter to the church officials in Rome telling of our plight and asking for further instructions. We had been at the orphanage about three months when a reply was received. A carriage was being sent for us. We would be transported to a small nunnery near the ocean in the southern border of France, near Italy. The trip would be more than 100 miles from our current quarters. As the nuns prepared for the trip, I asked for permission to talk to the Reverend Mother. I made the request to stay on at the orphanage. I told her that I could see that much help was needed there and that I had grown very fond of the children.

The Reverend Mother told me that she loved me very much. She said that she would miss me, but she could tell that I was sincere in my desires. She told me that she hoped I would become a nun someday, but she also knew that my fate would have to follow its own their natural course over time.

The Reverend Mother died within a few short weeks after the group was relocated. One of the nuns sent a message to me in Avignon. I was very saddened by the news, but took great pleasure in thinking about what a divine angel my dear friend would make.

1Life Lessons: It is no wonder that Dorothy's friendship means so much to me. We shared a very strong bond of love in that former lifetime. It also explains to me why her ties with the church are so strong. Although we were not raised in the Catholic religion in this lifetime, it was always evident to me that Dorothy had deeper religious feelings than I did. This helps me to see why she would be so upset if she thought I had turned my back on the church. I feel that there is still hope for our friendship. Even in that former lifetime, she was able to release me to go on my own path. I will be patient.

This experience also helps me to understand my great love for children. I believe that I had been an only child in that lifetime. That individualized attention continued after I went to live with the nuns.
1PAST LIFE/ASPECT EXPERIENCE WITH MY

STEPFATHER, EDWARD MEYERS

1In the snapshot introducing this lifetime, I again saw myself as a young woman in my late teens or early 20's. I was of Oriental descent and was enrolled in a school that taught Eastern philosophies. My instructor was a male of about 40-45 years of age. I feel that this was my current stepfather. I was very infatuated with this instructor, but he was wise enough not to return my romantic overtures. It seems that I was quite blatant in my feelings, and caused great embarrassment to myself as well as my teacher. My father was very wealthy and a great many young men were in pursuit of me. I simply could not understand how this old one could reject such a prize. I decided that the only way to win him was to make him jealous. I chose a young man, whom I cared for very much as a friend, and announced that I would be willing to enter a period of courtship with him. My friend was delighted, and so was my instructor, much to my dismay. He thought that he was finally rid of my childish games. When my teacher congratulated me on my pending courtship, I went into a fit of rage, wildly swinging my hands at him, hoping to deliver several blows. It was at this time that he told me, once and for all, that his life was dedicated to his spiritual studies. He stated that it was his chosen path to draw one step closer to enlightenment in every day. I went away crying and left the school, never to see my beloved instructor again.

Life Lessons: In this lifetime, I could see that my vanity got in the way of many things. I might have gained a great deal of wisdom from my instructor had I chosen to learn what he was there to teach me. In our current lifetime, my stepfather has led me toward greater spiritual truths without trying to force them upon me. As my old instructor, he elected to have another opportunity to reach his student. I was spoiled, vain, and unyielding in that lifetime. Seeing this gives me the opportunity to be more flexible and open to change in my current lifetime.

1Mrs. Meyer closed her daughter's journal with a feeling of deep longing and introspection. She had felt the passion and emotion of each of the experiences as she had read them. She decided that she, too, would like to learn more about some of her own experiences. She went to find Anita to ask the many questions that were building up inside of her. The two of them spent the remainder of the day discussing insights, meditating, and doing some regression work on Mrs. Meyer. Both ladies were genuinely surprised when Mr. Meyer came home later that evening, after attending a football game, hungry and looking for his dinner. Where had the time gone? They quickly made some sandwiches and talked long into the night about the eventful happenings of the day.

# Messages of Joy

1As Anita packed her bags, she was filled with excitement and anticipation. The time had finally arrived for her to fly to Mexico to join her parents. It had been a long time since she had taken a vacation strictly for pleasure. When her parents first invited her to join them, she dismissed the idea quickly, thinking that it would be frivolous to take time away from work before she had even been there a year. But the more she thought about it, she knew that this was really what she wanted to do. Her stepfather assured her that May was a lovely time of the year in Mexico. It would be a welcome change from the spring rains of the Pacific Northwest. The vibrant pictures in the travel brochures clinched the deal.

Anita boldly asked the Baileys for the time off. She was pleasantly surprised by their response. They told her not to give it a second thought, and encouraged her to go and have a wonderful time.

Just as she closed the lid on her last suitcase, she heard the horn of the taxi cab. Anita carried her bags to the front door. She stepped out onto the porch and signaled for the driver to wait one moment. She made one last run through the house to check that the doors were locked and the security lights were left on. Satisfied that everything was in order, she carried her bags to the cab. The driver loaded them in the trunk and they were off.

* * *

The flight was uncrowded and peaceful. Anita decided to take out her journal and read over the latest messages that she had transcribed into it.

1Meditation Communications for the Month of May 1952

What is the purpose of our weekly meditation group?

It offers a support system and a safe place for people to experiment with new ideas. It helps those who are ready to begin making changes in their lives by letting go of old beliefs and paving the way for new understandings.

How do I know what part of this communication experience is me and what is outside of me?

In reality, it is _all_ you. From what we have explained about individual entity fragments, you can see that they are all faces or aspects of your total entity self. Nothing can enter into your internal vibrational frequency that is not another fragment of your entity. Your own individual integrity is intact when you are feeling beauty, joy, or excitement in your life, and there is no struggle with your personal identity issues. This would be when you are not overly concerned with what others might think about you.

How are people able to help heal others?

The greatest healing that can ever occur is to teach another how to do it themselves. True healing occurs when a person realizes that there is nothing to heal. When a person feels that they have something to heal, it means that they see the imperfection only. The greatest teacher or healer, because they are one in the same, is that one who can show the perfection that truly exists. When one only sees perfection, what needs to be healed? Healing is simply a reorganization of the thought that is projected. It is taking thoughts of imperfection and moving them back into perfection. The greatest healers that have ever walked the face of this planet are the ones who knew that nobody ever needed to be healed. They realized that everything is in a state of perfection. But if an individual thinks they are in need of healing, let them think so. Then do whatever it is that they think they need. This gives them permission to see themselves in a state of perfection. In order to maintain the healing, however, you must teach the individual to continue to project thoughts of perfection.

What is God?

The term God is a reference point meaning to reorganize creation. It actually means to govern, to arrange, to organize. On this planet, the term God is a creation of men's minds. You all needed a story to explain the wonderment of your lives and how you came into being. In your reaching out to learn of your origins, you invented the term God as a name for what you were seeking. When you strive to become God, or the Christ (God-Man), you are actually reaching out to touch your whole entity. You were birthed as full-fledged entities. To an entity, the term God is a limitation. Entities are the only things in the Universe that are individualized; they are totally unlimited beings. You lowered your energies down from the entity to become Gods, and then even lower to become God-Man.

Why did we lower our energies to become man?

Entities are birthed being totally unlimited. From your viewpoint, that sounds like the greatest thing that you could obtain. But from the entity's standpoint, it is boring. When you are birthed knowing everything that is to be known and to be anything there is to be, what more is there to be? You are already everything. The moment anything pops into your mind, you are it. From here that may sound fantastic, but from your entity's perspective, it is somewhat of a detriment. If all of the powers and abilities of your entity were suddenly turned over to you, you would at first think it to be grand. But after about a year's time, you would be bored too. There would be no mystery, no surprises, no thrills, or achievements left.

So if you are everything, what is the only thing left in the Universe for you to do? It is the game of seeing how many faces or masks you can wear so you can pretend that you don't know they are all you. In order to do that, the entity must create the veil of forgetfulness so that it can view these individual faces as they are playing out their games.

The limitedness of the physical faces is "freedom" to the entity. That is the irony of the situation. You, as the game players, perceive the unlimitedness of your entity to be "freedom."

A way of looking at this so you can better understand it would be that if you took the most famous person on your planet and tripled or quadrupled their popularity; would they have freedom? No. They would not even have the freedom to walk down the street. The entity only got freedom when it went into limitation. Now it gets to hide out behind all of its faces and be free enough to play any game that it chooses in its perceived limitations. All any of you have to do to change your lives is to realize that you are merely playing a game. If you don't like it, change it.

Why are there so many miserable people on the planet?

You have forgotten to remember who you really are. The biggest problem that most have is that you have developed the belief that the only way that you can get out of your reality is to die. You believe that you are born, and then wait around to pay some kind of penitence, and that when you do, you can check out. You are virtually taught from the time that you are born to prepare for heaven. You are never taught to prepare to live. Instead, you sit around waiting to die so the good things can begin. And then you pretend to be afraid of death. If you spent as much time learning to live your lives instead of preparing to die, you would learn to change your games at will.

When you learn to love your life with passion, the rules of the game change, because then it operates off of your excitement and passion. Heaven is in the "living" along the way to whatever you feel like doing. Heaven is not where you end up, but how much you enjoy the journey. When you are enjoying the journey, you will always be drawn toward those things that resonate with the greatest joy within your being.

From the information that you have given me about reincarnation, it would appear that we come here to learn certain lessons. Is that the way it works?

Because you are all multidimensional, you are working on a thousand different things at the same time. They all help you to progress. It's only when you get stuck on obsessing with one concept that you get so serious that you forget to have fun. Understanding reincarnation unravels one piece of the puzzle. It is by no means the ultimate answer to everything.

Something that you all come here to learn is respect for all things. All that it means to be fully aware and self-conscious is to have self-respect. When you say that you want to gain self-awareness, all you are really saying is, "I want to respect myself and who and what I am." This is also what is meant by "being yourself" or being "natural."

To love yourself is a form of allowance. You can't allow or love yourself without respecting yourself. The greatest lesson that can be gained from any lifetime is to learn to have respect for all things. There is "life" in all things, even seemingly inanimate objects. Everything has a spirit and a personality.

When you respect who and what you are, you will start to understand that it is okay to enjoy yourself while you are here. This planet was created as a playground for your entities. You are meant to live in freedom and joy while you are visiting here. By thinking that you have one specific mission to accomplish while you are here, you begin to take life too seriously, and you forget to have fun.

Another of the deepest reasons that you all have for coming here is to learn to love and respect your bodies. Your entity created the ideal of a physically manifested body that could actually hold a living God, and do anything that the living God would want to do, a body that would give you sensory perceptions. Outside of a physical embodiment, the entity has no sensory perceptions. You have a form of sight, but you do not have touch, you do not have smell or taste, or many other sensory perceptions. These bodies are being evolved into one that will give your entities sensory perceptions. These bodies are the grandest prizes in the Universe. Whenever the light entity that you are comes close to these bodies, it brings grand joy with it because of the excitement it holds for the possibilities these bodies bring.

But you get disconnected and stuck in your biological personalities. As you get stuck, you often forget the light that you are, and this is where you see the body as a limitation. You see it as being in your way. You see it as slowing you down from everything that you want to do. None of you were forced to take a body. You asked for them, and you didn't ask for them in order to be punished. You asked because they are a grand gift and a treasure.

The cells in your bodies have the knowledge of this whole Universe. The cells in your bodies know how to build another Universe just like this one. They know its secrets. In not understanding the miracles of your body, you are sometimes very harsh and hard on them. You go around cursing them a lot while they are growing and evolving. You came here because of the knowledge that is contained in these bodies. Your bodies are a living testimony and history to this whole planet. They are a treasure beyond your measurement. That is why eventually all of you will take one with you when you choose to leave this plane, but it is a matter of learning to manipulate it here and learning how to live in it, with it, and love it while you are here.

You are not totally limited. You are only limited because of your perceptions and because you believe yourselves to be limited. When you can move past that, these bodies will grow at light speed toward their true purpose of being able to hold the entity light body in its entirety. You are on the last leg of an uphill journey. Once you get to the peak, it will be all downhill after that. These bodies are totally changing. This is a very precious and beautiful time for these bodies.

So come to peace with your bodies. Just allow them to be and love them into their own existence. That loving into existence is going to come through a relaxed state as you put joy in them and into every facet of your life. The body responds to joy. It is the ultimate body response that can be created. In spirit, there are other concepts and constructs that are grand and wonderful, but in the body, joy is the ultimate expression. After joy, it can begin to understand the lessons of passion and other vibrations of the life force. Joy is the grandest thing you can teach these bodies. Love your bodies, put that joy in them, and allow them to be your most joyous expression.

We will repeat a message that was given to you as a child, because it bears repeating. Realize that life is joy and joy is life. If you want to have joy in your life, you have to allow yourself the moments to experience it. Within your own beings, if you follow no other truth, follow the one of your own heart that is leading you to freedom and that is leading you to learn how to have joy in every moment of your existence. That is called the search for life. Follow that one always and no matter where you go, you're going to be one-hundred percent right where you need to be. In this, you truly honor your highest purpose in life.

Living in joy seems like a grand ideal, but it also seems to be next to impossible to be in that state constantly. Can you offer some suggestions toward achieving that state more often?

Being in joy does not mean that you are excited and full of enthusiasm all of the time. It simply means that you reach a feeling within your being where, no matter what happens to you or around you, you have an underlying subtle feeling that everything is still okay. Your house may burn down, or you may lose your best friend, but on a deeper level, you know that everything happens for a reason and all is in a state of divine perfection. You do not have to jump and shout to be in joy. You simply accept and allow all things, including yourself and your body, to walk through whatever occurs, and know that life goes on. It always has and it always will. This is taking the middle path, and living in the subtleties of joy. These subtle feelings are what actually brand your entity into the atomic structure of your body. Thus, by simply being in joy, you are accomplishing your highest mission in life. This goes hand-in-hand with having a respect for all things in the Universe. When you are walking in the subtleties of joy, you develop a deep respect for your body and all manner of life. It is this respectful attitude that ultimately leads to full awareness and true enlightenment.

What should I do with this information that I am receiving?

Whatever will bring the greatest amount of joy into your heart and your life. It is not your life's purpose to bring these messages to the world. If you are drawn to do so because it will bring you joy, then do so. If you choose not to share them with anyone, or with just a few others, it makes no difference. Follow whatever bliss your heart leads you to.

* * *

Anita thought about what a peaceful feeling it gave her to know that she was under no obligation to _"do"_ anything with these communications. She placed the journal into her carry-on bag. She closed her eyes and let the drone of the airplane's engines lull her into sleep.

# Mexico City

1As Anita departed from the plane in Mexico City, her body responded to the warm sunshine with delight. As much as she loved the beauty of her home state, it did lack in the sunshine department for a good part of the year. The minute she stepped into the terminal, she saw the welcoming faces of her parents. Even though it had only been a few weeks since last seeing them, her heart sang with joy. Her stepfather's traveling expertise made short order of the formalities required for the paperwork and luggage gathering. Soon they were on the way to the hotel.

The itinerary called for two nights and one day in Mexico's capital city, and then the trio was going to spend several days on the Yucatan Peninsula. Since it was already early evening, the only immediate plans on the agenda were for a warm meal and some relaxation. The following day, Tuesday, would be spent entirely on sightseeing and shopping. After a hot bath and change of clothes, Anita accompanied her parents to partake in a delightful, authentic Mexican meal at the La Casa Restaurant. After dinner, they enjoyed fresh fruit sangria while being serenaded by a strolling Mariachi band.

"This is living!" thought Anita.

* * *

The busy sounds of the city awakened Anita bright and early the next morning. She telephoned her parents' room to let them know that she was up. They planned to meet in a half an hour for breakfast and sightseeing.

1After their morning meal was finished, the Meyers boarded a tour bus in front of their hotel to go to the Chapultepec Castle, a fine museum housing decor and furnishings reflecting nearly every period of Mexican history. Other stops included the Plaza de Toros, the largest bull fighting ring in the world seating 40,000 people, and the National Library. The tour would then take them to lunch at an outdoor restaurant across from the Alameda, a huge central park with luxuriant gardens and vegetation. The Palace of Fine Arts, where the national theater, auditoriums, and art galleries were housed, was also located in this park. Colorful shops lined the lovely Pasa de la Reforma Boulevard nearby. The tourists were given the balance of the afternoon to visit the sites of their choice before being picked up to return to their respective hotels at 6:00 P.M. Anita and her parents drank in the beautiful sights and bold colors of the entire area. The time passed quickly and enjoyably. The appointed hour for the tour bus pick-up came much too soon to suit the Meyers.

Later, Anita and her mother admired the lovely jewelry pieces they each had purchased that day. The travelers refreshed themselves and then savored another delicious meal in a small obscure restaurant that a fellow tourist had suggested earlier in the day. Since they would be journeying on the Buena Vista Rail system to the Yucatan Peninsula early the next morning, an early evening was called for to leave time for packing and plenty of rest.

1As Anita lay in her bed that evening, in that soft twilight state, she recounted the adventures of the day with gratitude. She didn't know why exactly, but she felt almost giddy with excitement about the next leg of her vacation. Was something special about to happen? "I'll just have to wait and see," she mused.

# Surprise Encounter

1The train was very crowded, but somehow Anita didn't mind. She was working her sensory perceptions overtime drinking in the variety of sights, sounds and smells. She could tell by appearances that many of these people had very hard lives. Mexico was a very poor country in many ways. Still, the people sharing this ride with them were friendly and seemed accommodating to the tourists. Did these poor, low-waged people understand the importance of having respect for all things? She was sure that many did.

Mr. Meyer knew enough of the Mexican language to allow him to converse fairly easily with the natives. Even though Anita understood very few of the words spoken, she liked the sound of the language. The natives seemed to _roll_ out their sounds in almost melodious tones. It was like listening to a song that was being spoken with passion. Bright smiles, shining teeth and bold hand and arm gestures completed the delightful word and sound inspired body language of the native people.

This inviting atmosphere and the lush scenery made the train ride very enjoyable. Soon they were listening to the train's porter announcing their arrival in Merida, the capital of Yucatan. They collected their luggage and hailed a taxi to take them to the Toltec Inn, where they would be staying. Nighttime had blossomed. The stars shone like diamonds in a clear dark sky.

Due to the lateness of their arrival, they ordered sandwiches to be delivered to their adjoining rooms. They carried the welcomed nourishment out onto the balcony of Anita's room and ate in peaceful silence, needing only the glistening show of the evening sky as companionship.

* * *

1A new myriad of smells and sounds ushered in the new day. The Meyers had plans to go directly to a highly touted site of some ancient Mayan ruins. They opted for a continental breakfast and brought coffee along for the twenty-minute bus ride to the site.

The bus driver was very talkative and supplied ample entertainment, along with interesting tidbits of local history. One bit of information that Anita found especially interesting was his statement that according to Mayan legions, a full lunar eclipse represents a time when cosmic doorways are opened to allow for interdimensional travel, using the powers of the mind. He went on to say that many visitors came to the ruins in the Yucatan to find and access these portals. Furthermore, many people believe that the "G" pattern, evident in much of the Mayan artwork, is a symbol of our spiraling galaxy and is an important factor in dimensional travel. Anita recalled that a full lunar eclipse had recently taken place. It would be interesting to talk to someone who had come here with the intention of accessing one of these interdimensional portals.

1They were blessed with another warm day. Anita took off the light jacket she was wearing, rolled it up and placed it in her back pack. When they arrived at their destination and stepped out of the bus, she was glad that she had removed the extra layer of clothing. The warming rays of the sun felt delicious on her skin. The passengers were led on a brief tour of the site. Then they were left on their own for the remainder of the day to explore the diversity of the ruins. Anita was engrossed in examining a symbol that she had discovered etched on one of the wall sections. She looked around to try to spot her parents in order to share her discovery. She was surprised to see them talking to a man that looked very familiar. He had a hat on so she couldn't be sure, but she thought it was. Yes it was! Bill Michaels!

Just at that moment, he caught her gaze. His broad grin was unmistakable. Anita returned his smile and walked over to the trio. As she approached, she offered her hand in greeting. Instead of taking her hand, however, Bill embraced her in a warm hug.

1"It's so good to see you," he expounded. "I have thought of you so often over these last few months."

Anita blushed. "It's great to see you too, Bill. Are you here on vacation?"

"Well, yes, in a way. I would love to talk to you more about it, but I have to get back to my hotel right away. You see, I have an important call being relayed to me regarding a real estate transaction that I have been working on. My cab is waiting for me now."

"Oh, I see," said Anita as she looked in the direction that Bill had pointed.

"I really do have to go, but would you consider having dinner with me tonight? I really would like to talk to you." He seemed very sincere.

Anita glanced at her parents and then back at Bill. "Yes, I would like that very much," she said.

"Great! I've already found out from Nora and Ed that we are in the same hotel. How about if we meet in the lobby at 7:00?"

"Okay, that sounds great. I'll see you then," replied Anita.

Bill turned and jogged toward his waiting taxi. As he opened the door, he glanced back at Anita and her parents, grinned, and waved.

1Mrs. Meyer nudged her husband's arm. "Fancy that," she said. "Anita had to come all the way to Mexico to get a date."

Anita laughed nervously. "It's not really a date, Mom. I hardly know him. Besides, aren't you two coming along?"

"No. I don't recall being invited. Anyway, we're kind of tired with all of this sightseeing in the past few days. I think we'll just order room service and get some rest tonight," responded Mrs. Meyer as she quickly changed the subject. "Now, what was it that you were looking at before we bumped into Bill?"

1Anita knew that it would do her no good to try to convince her parents to join her and Bill for dinner. Although she was nervous, she had to admit that she was looking forward to her evening engagement. Her companions were already walking in the direction of the wall with the unusual symbol on it. She hurried after them, but her thoughts were no longer on symbols or ruins. She was wondering what to wear tonight?

# Moonlight Stroll

1Anita wondered if she should be fashionably late, but decided against it. She entered the hotel lobby a couple of minutes before 7:00 P.M. She was pleased to find Bill waiting for her. He took her arm, and led her into the dining area.

"I hope you don't mind if we have dinner here," Bill offered. "I didn't know for sure what time you would be coming back from the ruins, so I thought it would be more convenient. Plus, the food is excellent."

"No. I don't mind at all," responded Anita. "The decor is lovely, and we haven't eaten here yet."

After they were seated and had made their selections from the menu, Bill began the conversation. "There have been so many times when I have wanted to call you in the last few months, but it just seemed that things kept getting in the way. Tell me, are you still attending the meditation group?"

"Yes. I enjoy it very much," said Anita. "To be truthful, I assumed that since you and Lilah both stopped coming to the sessions that you two had probably gotten together."

Bill smiled. "Well, actually we did go out a couple of times. Lilah is a very nice person. I think she would have liked to continue our relationship, but there was a part of me that just didn't feel comfortable with her. It's kind of hard to explain."

"Did she ever tell you about her past life regression experience involving the three of us?" inquired Anita.

"No. I asked her about it, but she kept saying that she didn't feel comfortable talking about it," Bill replied. "Would you tell me the story?"

Anita nodded and told him about the entire experience and how fascinating it had been to her. He listened very intently, and then said, "I can see why I felt a little uncomfortable around her if she supposedly stabbed me in the back, literally. How do you feel about it? Do you think that could have actually happened?"

"I must admit that, at the time, I was very skeptical. But I now believe that it is entirely possible. You see, I have had several past life recalls of my own since then," Anita chuckled.

"Did you go to the same therapist that Lilah went to?"

"No. Actually, I have learned that we are all capable of remembering our past lives, or maybe I should say those of our aspects and other faces. I had my experiences during my own private meditations."

"Whoa!" said Bill. "What do you mean by aspects? What are aspects?"

Anita laughed. "Well, it's a little complicated to explain."

Just then, the waiter appeared with their meals. Anita waited for him to place their food on the table and leave, then continued, "Aspects are other pieces or faces of ourselves that are incarnate at the same time that we are. It all falls under the category of simultaneous time."

"You are really confusing me now. I am intrigued by everything that you are saying, but I must admit, I don't understand it," Bill stated with a confused look on his face.

"I'll tell you what," said Anita. "Why don't we just drop the subject for now, and enjoy this wonderful food? Later, I will give you something to read that will explain these things much better than I can. Deal?"

"Deal."

While they were eating, Anita learned that Bill had decided to come to Mexico on the spur of the moment. For some time, he had wanted to visit the Yucatan Peninsula and the Mayan ruins located here. He explained that he had felt a very strong inner urging that this was the time to do it. When he realized that he could make the trip at the time of the lunar eclipse, he dropped everything, assuming this to be the reason for the strong urging. He had joined a group of fellow adventurers, all of whom wanted to experience the energy portals during the lunar eclipse.

"I followed the instructions given by the facilitator of my group," explained Bill. "I could literally feel myself spiraling out of my body, but I lost consciousness or something . . . because when I came back, I couldn't remember anything that happened. The facilitator told me this happens to a lot of people. They go so far out that when they come back, there is no conscious recollection."

"I can understand that," responded Anita. "There are many times when I don't remember anything from my experiences when Bernard leads us through some of his guided meditations."

"One thing that I will never forget," murmured Bill, "is the energy surge that went through me when I felt my soul, or whatever you want to call it, spiral out of my body. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before. Have you ever had a feeling like that, Anita?"

"I think I have, or at least something similar to it. There have been a few times in the last several months when I have been awakened in the middle of the night by something that is vibrating throughout my entire body. When it happens, I hear a swooshing sound and every cell in my body is tingling with electricity and excitement. The first time it happened, I was frightened. But then, something told me to just relax into it. When I did that, all fear left me, and I simply allowed myself to experience the feeling. It was wonderful."

"How long does it last?" asked Bill.

"Probably no more than thirty seconds or so, but it seems like much longer when it's happening."

They were both silent for what seemed like an eternity. Then Bill slowly took Anita's hands into his own.

"I hope you don't think I'm being too bold . . . but I think the reason it was so urgent for me to come to Mexico at this time was to see you again. I have thought of you so often. I have wanted to come to the meditation sessions, but to be honest with you, I also wanted to avoid Lilah. And now, you tell me that she hasn't been coming either. I realize now that, whether or not Lilah was there, should have made no difference. I should have followed my heart. Anita, I would really like to spend more time with you. Would that be all right with you?"

"I'd like that very much," Anita replied.

After dinner, Bill suggested a moonlight stroll on the beach. They walked hand in hand on the sandy beach, listening to the lulling surf. Magic was in the air and time did not exist. It was well after midnight when Bill delivered Anita to her room. She invited him in, and retrieved her meditation journal from her bedside table.

"This is what I want you to read," Anita said. "It contains communications I have been receiving for about four months during my meditations. I'm anxious to hear your views on it."

Bill took the journal from her. "I'm filled with curiosity," he said huskily. "I'm sure it will be fascinating, but not nearly as fascinating as you." He took her gently into his arms and kissed her waiting lips. Tingles of joy filled Anita's body as she freely responded to his touch. They found themselves lost in feelings of ecstasy and excitement. It was as if nothing else existed in this moment but those shared feelings.

In reality, nothing else did.

# Dream Doctor Update

1Professor Jory walked around the room inspecting the dreaming chambers. All apprentices in his section were registering in the normal frequency range. He scanned the screens one last time, and then adjusted the frequency modulator to begin the awakening process. The apprentices began to stir and slowly take their places in the classroom.

After being seated, Magi Endreema jotted down the last of her notations on the detail reports. She checked the rotation schedule, and was pleased to see that the report due for today was for one of her favorites. She knew she wasn't supposed to have favorites, but it was extremely hard not to develop personal feelings for one's subjects. This aspect had chosen a childhood awakening, which meant that their relationship had been longer than most. Many did not choose to have their spiritual genetics awakened until mid to late adulthood. The other thing that made this particular relationship more interesting was that this subject actually chose to "live" many of the concepts she was given. That meant that she touched the life spark within her being much more often than most. Sadly, most humans only touch that spark an average of twenty minutes out of a seventy-year life span. One of the benefits of being a Dream Doctor is the fact that one can share in these life-touching "aha" moments along with their subjects.

Endreema was shaken from her reverie as she heard her name being called. She took her notes and went to the podium.

"I am pleased to present an update today on a subject who is progressing nicely toward her predetermined goals. She incarnated under the name of Anita Thompson, but is currently known as Anita Michaels, due to a recent marriage. She resides in the State of Washington, in the United States of America. Her current age is 35 Earth years in the time line of 1954. She has recently accepted a contract of impregnation. This child will be a son. He is from her ancestry line and was, in fact, her own great-grandfather on the maternal side.

The subject has opened up to her own self-awareness by accepting the preciousness of her life and her body. She lives with a great respect for all life forms and understands that there is divine perfection in all things. The contract that has been agreed upon between her and her unborn child, is that she will help him understand these concepts at a very early age. In this way, he will have the highest opportunity for experiencing the greatest amount of joy throughout his lifetime. He hopes to be an active participant in the human species shift and the birth of a new paradigm that will take place on Earth within 50 years after the turn of the new century. In this regard, the child has already signed a longevity clause that will extend his life as long as required for him to be a part of this event horizon.

An open line of communication has been established with the subject for approximately 1-1/2 Earth years. I am acting as the spokesperson for the group of future selves which are actively pulling the subject forward. We are pleased that she is receiving our transmissions and transcribing them with very little distortion. She is also working with us through her sleep states to disperse this information into various consciousness gestalt groups on Earth. I feel this is all that needs to be reported at this time."

"Good work, Magi Endreema," hailed Professor Jory. "Now let's hear from Magi Rainbow."

* * * * * * *

# Definitions:

Magi: A wise person or sage.

Futurity: The future. The time yet to come.

Enlightened: Having highly developed spiritual insight.

Spiritual Puberty: A spiritual rite of passage.

Rite of Passage: An event marking a new & significant change in a person's life.

Dream Doctor: An enlightened aspect or face of the person dreaming who can manipulate any and all portions of an individual's dream state.

Aspect: A fragment of one of the original 144,000 Core Entities who came into this physical plane to experience a physical body. An aspect could have been fractured small enough that it was not able to create its own persona during the initial fracturing of the Core Entity as it entered into this physical Universe. Each aspect has the potential to become aware enough to turn itself into a "face" and play and/or observe its own physical games and eventually become a Core Entity.

Face: One or multiple fragments of the same Core Entity who were strong enough to form their own personas in the initial fracturing of the Core Entity as it entered into this physical Universe. Each face can have its own web of aspects, which can be created from anything the face denies or rejects about itself.

Game: An entity game of pretending it doesn't create its own reality and is temporarily choosing to live in limitation, when in reality it is totally free and unlimited in its abilities.

Entity: 1An expansion of our limited ideas of God. A totally un-limited and indefinable being of light.

Core Entity: One of the original 144,000 entities that entered this physical Universe1 who is aware of and keeps track of all of its multiple games (faces & aspects) at the same time. 1It is outside of time and can see all of its fragments simultaneously. It is the gravitational center of all of its fragments.

Note: The definitions for Dream Doctor, Aspect, Face, Game, Entity, and Core Entity have been modified from the body of work articulated through Sheradon Bryce, Rio Sabe Loco Publications (Arizona – Copyright 1993-2008)

# About the Author

Judy Mezen has been a spiritual seeker all of her life. After investigating several different spiritual disciplines, she was drawn to study the psychological effects of hypnosis and dreams on people's lives. She was a registered hypnotist and past life regression facilitator for six years. Then she became a first-time mom at 40 years of age and chose to be a homemaker and homeschool teacher to her son for most of his K-12 education.

Judy has gained inspiration and knowledge from a variety of spiritual teachers, several of which have had a profound effect on her life.* "The Magi of Futurity" is an attempt to capture the essence of those teachings that have meant the most to her during her metaphysical explorations.

Judy currently lives in a small town near Olympia, Washington with her husband and son.

*Please see the "inspirations" listings at the beginning of this book.

