─ Chapter Six ─ Beings

Boys’ Brigade was the greatest influence on Leonard’s early life. He respected one officer in particular, Kevin Rice, who had transformed the Company from twenty or so rather disillusioned members to over one hundred young people, winning sports and band competitions galore.
Kevin inspired young men to be the best they could be, to try new things and to respect other people. Many a youngster was turned away from crime to more creative and useful activities. The Boys’ Brigade’s motto gives a clue to its success, “The advancement of Christ’s kingdom amongst boys and the promotion of habits of obedience, reverence, discipline, self-respect and all that tends towards a true Christian manliness.”

     When Leonard heard the news that Kevin had died he knew he must attend the funeral. Since leaving Castlethorpe a few years ago he had bought a large town house in Glasgow and established a youth outreach centre that provided support and information to young people about employment, relationships, drug misuse and spirituality. This was funded through profits from his growing building business that others managed on a day-to-day basis for him.

     Kevin’s funeral was held at the Methodist church in Dundee where Leonard had grown up. It was so full more than fifty people had to stand. As the service concluded a lone bugler played The Last Post. Its haunting tones reverberated around the church. As the first note sounded Leonard was transported back summer camps at Woolacombe. At nine o’clock each evening The Last Post was played. Everyone, whatever they were doing, stood still and faced the BB flag in front of the marquee as it was lowered. It was always a special moment and marked the end of the day. Those camps were his fondest memories. A line of eight ridge tents, the temporary home of eighty boys from eleven to eighteen. Leonard looked up to his tent commander, Ian, and hoped he would be a good leader someday. He was. In August darkness fell quickly after retreat had sounded and everyone gathered in the marquee for coco, biscuits, evening prayers and games. It was a special time. A wise tent commander knew the boys under his care and would ensure everyone was okay. Being away from home for the first time was tough for some eleven year-olds so an assuring smile from your leader was comforting.

     Several of those former eleven year-olds now stood as suited adults with tears trickling down their cheeks as their friend, their mentor, their inspiration disappeared behind the closing velvet curtains. The crematorium chapel felt soulless. “Please be seated. This is a time for personal reflection. Kevin’s favourite piece of music will play, Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus and then this service will end. Please leave when you are ready.” The stirring chords comforted the mourners. Some closed their eyes and bowed their heads. Others knelt in prayer. Leonard stared at the cross above the catafalque and wished his friend well on his journey. It was then that he began to notice the wisps of green light whizzing around the chapel. No-one else appeared to notice them. Their speed increased, forming a huge oval of soft green light a few feet above the heads of the mourners. Leonard wondered whether it was Kevin’s playful ghost performing a farewell dance for family, colleagues and friends. The Chorus was approaching its crescendo. Leonard started to wonder if he was seeing things; perhaps the emotions of the day were playing tricks with his mind. “... and He shall reign for ever and ever... for the Lord God impotent reigneth...” The musical chords wrapped around Leonard’s heart and mind. He closed his eyes. As he did so the green light coalesced into a green misty cloud right in front of him, though he was not yet aware of it. “Hal...le...lu...” He opened his eyes. Everything froze. No music. No movement. Leonard was staring at the face of what looked like a lion. His heartbeat quickened. He blinked and looked around. Everyone was sat completely motionless. The lion opened its mouth and breathed on him. It was like a soft electric shock, if there is such a thing. A tingle gradually enveloped him from the inside out. He had never felt such love.

     ‘Who are you?’ he said to the lion.

     ‘I am your guide Leonard. I have been with you since you were born. You have been aware of me before. It is time for us to work together for the common good. Do not be afraid. Share what you experience now with the Six when you meet.’

     A paw emerged from the green cloud, touched Leonard’s chest for a second then passed right though him. He felt a warm wind. He was glowing.

     ‘There, I have implanted some information that you will be able to recall when needed.’

     “...jah!” The chorus ended. People began to leave. Several went to the front and blew a kiss at the curtain. Leonard got up and walked out into the cool afternoon air. He saw several friends and chatted about their time together in the Boys’ Brigade. He was in a daze. What had just happened? Why at a funeral? He decided to go home and be quiet. He needed time to process what had happened. He knew he would see many of them again and many more at the memorial service in a few months’ time. For now, all he could think about was the green lion, his Castlethorpe friends and their first reunion the following week.

*

     Five years previously, a few months after the Seven had made their pact, Folina invited them to gather at The Room of Meeting for juice and cake. Folina had made fresh blueberry juice and a fluffy banana cake crusted with toasted almonds. By four pm everyone was seated around the table. Each of them was bubbling about the discoveries they were making in their study paths.

     ‘I have some news. Following the finalisation of Carlos’ estate I was shocked to learn the extent of my financial wealth. Eleanor has been fantastic through it all. Basically, I am a millionaire, several times over! The burden of this knowledge has almost crushed me. My first thought was to give every penny away to good causes but as I started to explore this I experienced some very unpleasant experiences due to the way that people felt the need to advise me. That was not what I wanted. I trust you and Eleanor, my dear friends, more than anyone. I had already been privileged to make a donation to Castlethorpe and have set up an account so that a minimum of fifty thousand pounds a year will be paid into the Castlethorpe bursary fund to enable people who can’t afford the fee to come here. I will also donate money to specific projects of my own choosing. I would like you all to become trustees of a private trust of the remaining money to distribute as we feel guided by Spirit. The interest alone of the current sum is generating thousands of pounds of interest each month. What do you think?’

     ‘How about we all link hands for a short while,’ said Callum and then continued...

‘Let the Energy move amongst us. No-one should feel as though they must become a trustee. I sense an urgency for clarity today though. Folina needs it. If anyone does not want to be a trustee, just say.’

     There was a lovely silence and the Seven gently squeezed the hands they were holding. Folina began to sob with joy. She made no attempt to mop the tears. They poured out of her soul in sealing their commitment to using this treasure as guided by God, the Divine Spirit, the Christ consciousness in them all. They remained hand in hand for fifteen minutes.

     ‘My burden is shared. Thank you.’

     For the next hour they discussed practical matters and agreed that Eleanor would be invited as an adviser. One of their key decisions was an agreement that every donation would be completely anonymous and that each trustee was bound to secrecy. Their first donation of £250,000 was to projects in India, providing medical supplies, food and clean water to children in Bangladesh. They were identified through separate messages received by Sarah, Val and Leonard. They allowed one personal indulgence, the funding, if needed, of their reunions, wherever they were held throughout the world. They then turned their attention to the first reunion and agreed the following:

1.   It would be held at a Zen retreat centre in a beautifully restored Georgian house near Woolacombe, Devon from Tuesday, 15^th to Friday 18^th September 1987.

2.   The purpose is to be determined by Spirit.

3.   Val will coordinate practical arrangements for the first one and communicate with everyone as a programme takes shape.

4.   If any of the Seven have young children by then they are welcome.

5.   Spirit has already shown us that we are to be in one place together for at least four hours be in complete silence.

6.   Any and all expenses will be paid on the basis of trust and mutual agreement.

     ‘Five years may seem a long way off but, as we know, time is just a feature of living in this human form. Each of us lives fully in the present moment. There is no pressure to communicate between now and then though, of course, we probably will. Our paths may cross, run in parallel or diverge in many different ways. It is incredibly exciting! All of us are currently here yet each of us is thinking about life beyond Castlethorpe.

*

Fourteenth January 1987. Patrick looked out of the window, the snow was still falling. It was a foot deep and the United Kingdom was grinding to a halt. He turned on the television, watched the images of abandoned cars, people sleeping in village halls and thousands of commuters unable to get to work. Hundreds of schools were closed. Sledges out. Snow ball fights. The British at play. Factory and office workers became children again and joined their offspring sliding down hills and colliding with each other.

     Patrick’s attention was in a different direction. He was continuing his research, his passion, into female mystics across traditions. He was baffled that nearly all the gurus, seers, prophets and spiritual leaders and authors were men. Why?! There were some notable exceptions such as St Theresa de Avila and Julian of Norwich but, even then, they were answerable to men who had ecclesiastical authority over them. His list had grown to this:

Bahá'í Faith

Táhirih

Bahiyyih Khánum

Ásíyih Khánum

Buddhism

Yeshe Tsogyal

Cheng Yen

Dhammananda Bhikkhuni

Karma Lekshe Tsomo

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Pema Chödrön

Thubten Chodron

Robina Courtin

Ani Choying Drolma

Ayya Khema

Houn Jiyu-Kennett

Christianity

Beatrice of Nazareth

Joan of Arc

Teresa of Avila

Maria Bolognesi

Bridget of Sweden

Heilwige Bloemardinne

Marguerite Bays

Maria Domenica Lazzeri

Hildegard of Bingen

Edith Stein

Catherine of Siena

Itala Mela Italian Venerable

Consolata Betrone

Hadewijch Dutch

Jeanne Guyon

Anne Catherine Emmerich

Margery Kempe

Anna Kingsford

Christina of Markyate

Flower A. Newhouse

Julian of Norwich

Marguerite Porete

Mother Shipton

Catherine of Siena

Lilian Staveley

Simone Weil

Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi

Gertrude the Great

Hinduism

Ghosha

Gargi Vachaknavi

Maitreyi

Medieval

Akka Mahadevi

Sant Andal

Sant Avvaiyar

Sant Bahinabai

Sant Janabai

Sant Kanhopatra

Lalleshvari

Sant Mirabai

Sant Molla

Sant Muktabai

Sant Nirmala

Sant Rupa Bhawani

Sant Sahajo

Sant Sakhubai

Sikhism

Bebe Nanaki

Amma Sri Karunamayi

Anandamayi Ma

Mata Amritanandamayi

Ma Devi Jnanabhanishta

The Mother

Mother Meera

Sarada Devi

Gurumayi Chidvilasananda

Daya Mata

Sister Nivedita

Islam

Rabi'a al-Adawiyya

Hazrat Babajan

Judaism

Hannah Rachel Verbermacher

Jainism

Sister Champa

Taoism

Sun Bu'er

Western mysticism and syncretism

Helena Blavatsky

Annie Besant

Alice Bailey

Mabel Collins

Helena Roerich

     Patrick was in love with these women. He had delved into the lives of many of them and, at times, was filled with anger by the way organised religion had treated them. One verse from the King James Bible stuck in his being with increasing power “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1²⁷.” The patriarchal vice was created and broken in the very beginning. Biology rules. Culture rules. Religion rules. The verse is the cause and the solution. Patrick felt this within the very core of his soul.

     All the women mystics he studied were remarkable. Sun Bu’er was someone he thought about frequently and he had a passionate love affair with her inscrutable prose and poetry. As the gently falling snow was whipped into a blizzard by a fierce northerly wind Patrick picked up a mottled green book that was given to him by an old woman in a Shinto temple in Japan two years ago. Its pages were wrinkled. The edges were brown and frayed. He treasured it. He sat down near the window and turned to The Secret Book on the Inner Elixir as Transmitted by the Immortal Sun Bu’er, Sun Bu’er yuanjun chuanshu dandao mishu. Sun Bu’er was a twelfth-century female Daoist practitioner, the only female member of the “Seven Immortals.” Patrick had read these poems many, many times. They instruct the reader, in metaphorical language, in the practices of “nüdan” which specifies the method of Daoist inner cultivation especially modified for the female body.

第一收心（男女同）Step One: Collecting Heart/Mind (shouxin)

吾身未有日一氣已先存似玉磨逾潤如金煉豈昏

掃空生滅海固守總持門半黍虛靈處融融火候溫

Primordial qi already existed before the time of my existence;

Like jade being ground to reveal its brightness, how could it be possible that more polishing would make it darker?

Eliminating the seas of desires for life and death to guard the ultimate gate;

At the place of half a grain of rice where the empty spirit is alert, the adjusted fire is at its perfect temperature.

第二養氣（男女同）Step Two: Cultivating Qi (yangqi)

本是無為始何期落後天一聲纔出口三寸已司權

況被塵勞耗那堪疾病纏子肥能益母休道不迴旋

The origin begins in non-action, but it then collapses into posterity;

Once the first sound of crying bursts forth, breathing starts to take control of life.

Earthly dusts and labouring exhaust one’s life; one’s body is tangled with weakness and illness;

Abundance of children can benefit the mother, how can we say that we are unable to return to our beginning?

第三行功（未二句女子獨用）Step Three: Moving Energy (xingqi)

斂息凝神處東方生氣來萬緣都不著一氣復歸臺

陰象宜前降陽光許後栽山頭并海底雨過一聲雷

At the place of concentrating breath and spirit, the generating qi comes from the east;

Myriad desires have no place to stay, so only unified breath reaches to the stage of spirit;

The image of yin is descending in the front while the light of yang is ascending at the back;

When the top of the mountain is united with the bottom of the ocean there is thunder after the passing rain.

第四斬龍（女子襡用）Step Four: Slaying the Dragon (zanlong)

靜極能生動陰陽相與模風中擒玉虎月裡捉金烏

著眼絪縕候留心順逆途鵲橋重過處丹氣復歸爐

Extreme stillness can generate motion, where yin and yang coalesce;

Capturing the jade tiger in the wind and grasping the golden bird in the moon;

Keep eyes alert to the moment of intercourse of heaven and earth and be aware

At the meeting places of the magpie bridges, the qi of the elixir returns to the stove.

第五養丹（首二句女子獨用）Step Five: Cultivating the Elixir (yangdan)

縛虎歸真穴牽龍漸益丹性須澂似水心欲靜如山

調息收金鼎安神守玉關日能增黍米鶴髮復朱顏

The captured tiger returns to the authentic spot while the grasped dragon gradually shows the effective elixir;

Disposition must be as clear as water while the desires of heart/mind must be still like the mountain;

Adjusted breath collects in the golden cauldron and a peaceful spirit guards the jade gate;

One can increase the cord of rice every day and a woman’s grey hair can return to youthful radiance.

第六胎息（男女同）Step Six: Embryonic Breathing (taixi)

要得丹成速先將幻境除心心守靈藥息息返乾初

氣復通三島神忘合太虛若來與若去無處不真如

In order to arrive at the perfection of the elixir quickly, one must eliminate all stressful situations in the human world;

Each movement of the heart guards the spiritual medicine and each breath returns to the beginning of heaven;

Qi returns and penetrates the three islands and the forgotten spirit unites with the ultimate void;

Whether coming or leaving, wandering just like a Buddha.

第七符火（五六兩句女子獨用）Step Seven: Symbolic Firing (fuhuo)

胎息綿綿處須分動靜機陽光當益進陰魄要防飛

潭裡珠含景山頭月吐輝六時休少縱灌溉藥苗肥

At the harmonious place of embryonic breath one must distinguish the timing/opportunity of motion and stillness;

The light of yang should gradually move forward and the spirit of yin should be protected to avoid its flying away;

The pearl in the pond reflects the scenery and the moon at the top of the mountain radiates brightness;

Be constant and concentrating through the six periods of the day, cultivate the abundant elixir.

第八接藥（男女同）Step Eight: Receiving the Elixir (jieyao)

一半玄機悟丹頭如露疑雖云能固命安得煉成形

鼻觀純陽接神鉛透體靈哺含須慎重完滿即飛騰

Halfway to grasping the mysterious opportunity, the sprout of elixir appears like a dewdrop;

Though it is said that it can stabilize life, it still must be cultivated into a form.

Use the nose to smell and receive the pure yang while the divine mercury penetrates the bodily spirit.

Cultivation must be careful and it will take off as soon as it is complete.

第九煉神（男女同）Step Nine: Transforming the Spirit (lianshen)

生前舍利子一旦入吾懷慎似持盈器柔如撫幼孩

地門須固閉天闕要先開洗濯黃芽淨山頭震地雷

Before birth there was a primordial spirit that once came into my body;

Be careful to hold on to it like holding a delicate vessel and be gentle to it as touching a soft infant;

The gate of earth must be firmly closed and the palace of heaven needs to be opened first;

Washing and reflecting the yellow sprout so that the top of mountain is shaking and booming.

第十服食（男女同）Step Ten: Taking Food (fushi)

大冶成山澤中含造化情朝迎日烏氣夜吸月蟾精

時候丹能採年華體自輕元神來往處萬竅發光明

The great moulding forms the mountains and ponds and within they contain the essence of transformation;

In the morning it receives the qi of the sun and in the evening it absorbs the essence of moon;

At the proper time one can pick up the elixir and return to youthfulness, and the body will become light and clean;

At the dwelling place of primordial spirit myriad apertures radiate the bright lights.

第十一辟穀（男女同）Step Eleven: Fasting (bigu)

既得餐靈氣清冷肺腑奇忘神無相著合極有空離

朝食尋山芋昏飢採澤芝若將煙火混體不履瑤池

Get vital qi from food and cleanse, purify the internal organs;

A mindless spirit has no desire to be attached and the unified ultimate contains emptiness and space;

Yearning for food one will find mountain taro and hunger will pick magic fungus;

If one is still involved with the ordinary cooking fire then one can never reach the divine pond.

第十二面壁（男女同）Step Twelve: Facing the Wall (mianbi)

萬事皆云畢凝然坐小龕輕身乘紫氣靜性濯清潭

氣混陰陽一神同天地三功完朝玉闕長嘯出翜嵐

Myriad things are all put to rest while one sits at a small shrine in concentration;

A light body rides the purple qi, and one’s purified nature is washed in the clear pond;

Qi of yin and yang become one and the spirit unites with heaven and earth to become three;

The completed training moves toward the jade palace, and a long breath blows out the morning haze of mountains.

第十三出神（男女同）Step Thirteen: Coming Out of the Spirit (chushen)

身外復有身非關幻術成圓通此靈氣活潑一元神

皓月凝金液青蓮煉玉真烹來烏兔髓珠皎不愁貧

There is a body outside the body but it has nothing to do with the achievement of skilful magic;

Circulating this spiritual qi activates the primordial spirit;

The bright moon forms golden fluid, and green lotus transforms the genuine jade;

Receiving smoothly the essence of bird and rabbit in the moon; holding the bright pearl, one never worries about poverty.

第十四沖舉（男女同）Step Fourteen: Ascendant Breaking Through (chongju)

佳期方出谷咫尺上神霄玉女驂青鳳金童獻絳桃

花前彈錦瑟月下弄瓊簫一旦仙凡隔冷然渡海潮

At a good time it will come out of the ravine and fly up to the divine cloud;

The jade girl rides the green phoenix, and the golden boy sends the silk peach;

Performing on the pipa in front of the flower and playing the jade flute under the moon;

Once immortal and mortal are separated one can calmly deal with the waves of the ocean.

     Patrick read the verses several times and let his thoughts and emotions snuggle into them. His understanding was growing but still limited. An errant snow ball splodged against the window. Patrick laughed and laughed and returned to his musings.

*

     Mahayana was close to the sea, sheltered and secluded by trees. A car park was provided a few hundred yards away, at the edge of the grounds. This reminded Callum of how Castlethorpe treated motor vehicles – useful but kept separate from the main purpose of the College. Covered trolleys were available to transport heavy luggage to the house. It had twelve single guest bedrooms and five family rooms. Val had chosen well. She had been the guest medium there on several Spiritualist conferences so was confident it would be ideal for the Seven’s first reunion.

     Val and Sarah arrived first and had settled into their rooms. Callum had cycled from Barnstable station, through Morthoe, to the house. Folina, Leonard and Hannah arrived next by taxi from the station. Patrick was last to arrive in his ancient racing green Morris Minor. Afternoon tea was served in the drawing room. It had a sandy coloured carpet with comfortable arm chairs and polished oak side tables. The walls were covered with very fine silk wall paper that had a subtle light green bamboo motif on it. There were no pictures, ornaments or hangings of any kind. A huge bay window looked out onto a breath-taking oriental garden with tiny streams and fountains surrounded by beautiful head-height trees. As each entered they went to the window and stared in silence. The room’s design and outlook had cast its intended spell.

     Tea, juices, water were brought in by delightful people and then warm scones, jam, made on the premises and Devonshire clotted cream. The last time they had a cream tea was at Val’s when they made their Pact. It seemed fitting to do so again at the start of what would turn out to be a most remarkable first reunion. Sarah took her first bite.

     ‘These are totally scrummy! If there is a heaven and if we can eat then I’ll vote for these scones for sure. They are amazing.’

     Everyone agreed, this was the best cream tea they had ever had. The Seven were used to each other. They had experienced the Divine together. They had laughed, cried, shouted, hugged, walked and talked, and talked, and talked and been totally silent together. They were comfortable with each other. They were alert and relaxed. They had learned to be attuned to the moment, sensing vibrations, deep listening, spiritual discernment – manifested through relaxed human beings with love.

     After they had finished eating and drinking they moved their chairs into a circle and Val checked that everyone was comfortable.

     ‘I would like to share a dream I had last night about how our session should work which. I saw us in this room, sat in a circle as we are now. A silver essence hovered over us and asked us to suspend all thought, to place every expectation to one side, to open ourselves deeply to each other, to be vulnerable, to be open to the Divine, to trust and to love. Each person then spoke, saying exactly what they had been prompted to say in the quietness. There were no questions between people speaking. As each person spoke the silver essence grew more intense over the person speaking and silver energy flowed from all the others to the speaker. I heard “Don’t plan what you will say. I will give you the words. Focus on the person speaking and send them energy. Your attentiveness to them is my gift.” This instruction was, of course, nothing new, but it came with a ferocious fire of clarity that surprised me.  By the end the silver essence was dancing amongst the group, almost turning into a tornado, yet the most fragile snow drop would not be moved.’

     ‘I’m so relieved to hear that,’ said Patrick, ‘I did not want a pedestrian walkthrough each of our five years. This sounds great to me. I’m excited. Thank you Val.’

     ‘As you spoke Val I felt a beckoning paw of a lion, its roar drew me in, its razor-sharp claws tore into my heart yet I felt no fear. Its eyes invited me to touch. I approached, stroked its head. It licked my face and I felt exposed. I could not help myself, I was hypnotised by its power. I bowed in respect. I’m ready for this and think the instruction is spot on.’

     Everyone nodded in agreement with Hannah.

     Sarah felt she should open with a prayer.

     ‘Holy Lion of Judah, Divine Spirit, Pure Consciousness, we gather together at your direction. We surrender our judgements, expectations and thoughts. We desire only your agenda, your plan, for our time together. Free us from anything that could get in the way of your purpose for us during these four days. Deepen our bonds in Oneness.’

     ‘I feel I must start. We are all teachers. We have always been teachers and we always will be in this human form. Teachers are learners. Learners are teachers. It is the way of things. The curriculum is the same: to learn what it means to be a human being on planet Earth. The subjects are many. We teach our mothers and others before we are born. We teach everyone from our first breath. There are no qualifications. Everyone is qualified. We do not teach from our knowledge. We do not teach from our minds. We do not teach from our memories. We do not teach from our skills. We teach from the Source of Life. Anything else is from the ego and can only lead to psychological defects, discord and insanity.

     Let me tell you a story. As you know when I was a young girl I would wander with glee along dusty trails in Perú’s Andes. I hardly ever worried. I did not think much. I didn’t need to, nature was my world and I was deeply in love. I soaked up the colours, smells and texture of things. I talked with animals large and small. I knew there were beings that took on different forms and loved to help people like me. I was nothing special, many people in my tribe were like me. We never considered it a gift. Seeing and communicating with other beings was normal. We lived in “La ceja de la selva” which means “The eyebrow of the jingle”. It is where the majestic mountains meet the jungle. Temperatures can soar to thirty degrees centigrade in the day and plummet to minus two at night. It can feel humid and dry during the same day.

     One day I was walking along a favourite path into an area with lots of lush trees. A breeze danced though the corn and I started to feel blissfully sleepy, wondering what form my dear friend, Elonedil, would take that day. It was a game we both enjoyed. In the distance I spotted a large queñua tree and, despite my tiredness, ran towards it. The game was over. I knew immediately it was Elonedil. The branches swayed with wisdom and playfulness. Sometimes Elonedil would use human words, today our spirits entwined making words unnecessary. I had no idea that today other beings would join us.

     A bush rustled nearby revealing a vole. She sniffed the air as she walked purposefully towards us. Elonedil then bowed its branches as The Queen of the Misty Mountains approached. I also bowed to a huge iridescent bubble bee. A silver-winged sea-horse, The Prince of Another Realm, glided down from Elonedil's upper branches and greeted the three of us with a graceful bow. From a hole in the knarled trunk a badger emerged, smiled, bowed and sat next to me. Its coat was muddy but there was not a hint of embarrassment. The next being to join the gathering swooped down from the sky and landed softly amongst them, a huge condor, King of the Clouds. It bowed to all with a smile. We sat in a circle of anticipation underneath Elonedil's lush shade.

     It’s difficult to describe in human words what happened next. A golden-white glow gradually enveloped us. I felt an intense joy that almost overcame me. Time stood still. No words in any language were spoken. We were one. Time, of course, did not actually stand still, it did not exist, apart from within the minds of humans. I had learned this from Kasish, my grandmother, a deeply wise elder within my tribe. “Time,” she said, “is for those who do not understand what it is to be. It acts as their prop and gives superficial order to things. It is of the pretend world.” I accepted and understood exactly what Kasish had said. In that circle I experienced eternity which is now.

     My focus gradually shifted to the sweet sparkle of the seahorse’s silver wings. They were overwhelmingly beautiful. Its translucent aura, tinged with dappled blue, brought tears to my happy eyes. We looked at each other and our spirits embraced. “I am Befawn and Elonedil and I will help you in the work you are to do across the seas.” I listened intently to what Befawn revealed to me about its travels over Earth and to the depths of its many seas and oceans. I had so many questions. I wanted to know what Earth looked like from the sky, the forests, deserts, frozen lands and mountains that I had heard about but never seen. “Patience, my child, many things will be revealed to you. Soon you will meet the guardian dolphins and whales that love people yet are sad to see how they treat beings they do not understand.”

     Up until that day my experience of other beings had been with Elonedil. Since then I have encountered thousands of different beings and have come to understand the messages they have been sending to human beings for thousands of years. I now know why I left Perú. I now know why I came to Castlethorpe. Castlethorpe is my home and I love teaching there. We are multidimensional beings. There are many limitations living in this human form but there are incredible discoveries to be made as we open our souls to the Source of Life. We are so much more than who we think we are. I have a mystic hunch that this will become plainer than ever as each of us speaks in this session and the things we will experience here.

*

     ‘Being born into a woman’s body was weird; I can’t tell you how weird it was! Of course, I could say that I chose this “route” before I was born. We have explored pre-incarnation and I’m no nearer really understanding it all. I don’t need to. Fact is I grew up in a girl’s body and it was probably necessary for me as preparation for my current contribution to life, the universe and everything.

     My one disappointment at Castlethorpe was Hertory. I disliked the word and was not satisfied with the learning. Why, why, why, I kept asking myself, were the vast majority of gurus, spiritual leaders, holy people, ancient spiritual writers men? I can understand it in religion and politics but not amongst enlightened human beings. Where were the women? Where are the women? This question almost consumed me. To make matters worse our studies then focussed on the “sacred feminine” yet nearly all of it was about characteristics that, to me, were totally stereotypical and informed by men. This patriarchal dominance is, and I use this word with some reluctance, evil. It is manifestly unconscious.

     Spirit is showing me that human beings are essentially androgynous. God is androgynous. The Source of Life radiates androgyny. Yes, this flies head on into all cultural norms on planet Earth, it contradicts psychology and sociology, it does not fit with history, or, as I will call it from now “herstory” – we simply left the “s” out in our studies of “hertory”. The main reason for the longevity of patriarchy is the suppression of female stories. Women’s stories can challenge long-held assumptions, cut though layers of tradition, cultural norms and male control. Male dominance is the one of the most persistent and all pervasive characteristics of all races, empires and indigenous people since the first human being walked on planet Earth. There are many notable exceptions where women have played a dominant role but, in nearly every case they exhibited “male” behaviour: coercion and physical violence to achieve their goals. If I had a magic wand and could transform this in the blink of an eye, I would. I wonder what the world would look like?

     My focus for five years has been to seek out female mystics, to see what they say and how they say it. This is just a starting point. I share all of my learning with Castlethorpe students as I discover them, having responsibility for any learning sessions within the Herstory stream. I sense that there is a new chapter opening up for me on this path but I am not yet clear what this is. You all have a list of the women that I have studied. There may be some learning from these women for us during our time here.’

*

     ‘Taking the job at Oxford was the right thing to do. What Patrick has just shared resonated with every part of me. My last walk as a student in Castlethorpe’s Labyrinth was extraordinary and has formed the basis for my lectures, tutoring and writing. As you know I have always been full of doubts. I question everything. It drives people crazy. I accept it as a gift and it has proved essential as I navigate the turbulent seas of cult figures, falsehood, lack of intellectual rigour and human jealousy, pride and greed. This is evident in the claims people make, the disagreements over ownership of ideas, artefacts and manuscripts and the desperate search for fame that many seek in the scientific, archaeological and historical disciplines.

     Myths and legends can teach us many things. Like Patrick I also seek out the female authors and to deepen my understanding of their ideas and writings. The gift of interpretation is becoming crucial in my work, unearthing the hidden meanings of ancient texts, understanding the use of spiritual tools like labyrinths – pointers to the Divine but are not divine in themselves and rituals and practices that also are only tools, not objects of adoration and worship. Planet Earth is, itself, a multidimensional being whose mysteries and powers we are only just beginning to fathom.

     I feel called to explore, to reveal what I find and to communicate this with love to as many people as possible. I have encountered wonderful beings who have pointed me the way to hidden treasure, kept me safe and shown me the purpose of the things I have discovered. Wow, as I said that I felt a fabulous shiver down my spine. I think we are coalescing around something here. I had no idea our first session would be like this. We are all so different and live and work in relative isolation yet our Divine unity is palpable. What a privilege!’

*

     Leonard described the funeral he attended last week and the green lion.

*

     ‘I’m obsessed with the evolution of human consciousness and how this plays out in the drama of daily living. I grew tired of organised religion in all its forms. Divisions, sub divisions, schisms have occurred in every major religion as well as religions that say they are not religious since the dawn of time. They are an inevitable outcome of the ebb and flow of pride, arrogance, greed and Divine intervention. There is truth in all of them. Problems arise when one religion, or even one person, claims to know and follow the whole truth. “I am right and you are wrong!” The oaths that witnesses swear or affirm in court are always a farce. “I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” No-one can know the whole truth. I love this definition: “The tradition of requiring witnesses to swear an honesty oath likely traces back to Roman times. Legend contends that male Romans had to squeeze their testicles while vowing to tell the truth, which is why the Latin word for witness is testis. Latin scholars have debunked this colourful claim, pointing out that testis more likely comes from the Ancient Greek for “three”- a witness being a third observer of events. Still, the orator Cicero alluded to the importance of legally binding oaths in De Officiis, and the Law of the Twelve Tables, the earliest of codification of Roman law, stresses that perjurers “shall be hurled down from the Tarpeian Rock.”  Whatever, truth can be elusive.

     As you know my book on this theme, following the evolution of human consciousness through religious, spiritual, secular and pagan traditions was slammed by the critics which boosted sales no end and provided me with an income to lecture to any group that invited me.

     This is a far cry from my days as a medium but Spirit has been revealing what my next steps should be which is to dig deeper and deeper into any specific religion or movement that Spirit directs me. I have just about completed my research on spiritualism and theosophy across the world and have identified some glittering threads that shine and reflect everything I studied before.

     When I was in New Zealand staying in a retreat lodge in Kaweka Forest Park  on North Island I encountered pixies for the first time. There were about fifteen of them. They appeared from nowhere as I walked along a trail in a dense forest. They danced in a circle before me as I walked, squeaking and giggling. They looked a bit like fat brown stick insects with two eyes, a nose and a mouth that shone out of their faces with a yellow sheen. “I don’t understand you.” I said, suddenly they stopped dancing and flew at me. The next thing I knew I was flying over the trees and could see the town of Napier in the distance. Each of them had grabbed a piece of my clothing. I remained vertical throughout my flight. They kept on repeating their song, like a chant “Val, Val, it’s all about vibration. Val, Val, it’s all about vibration.” The words didn’t rhyme yet, somehow, they sang it and it sounded as though they did rhyme. “Carry on doing what you are doing. Dig deeper. Dig deeper. The more you dig the stronger the vibration will be. Learn how to change your vibration and you will see more of our kind from other planets.” I landed in a small clearing and the instant my feet touched the mossy ground the pixies disappeared. I have no idea why I called them pixies, it just fitted!

     I wondered if beings, sent from God, had been influencing the evolution of human consciousness for millennia. I now knew this for sure and it has added a whole new dimension to my investigations, thinking, meditation, writing and speaking. It is all making even more sense now we have gathered together.’

*

     ‘Apologies for being flippant but I was hopeful that some wonderful beings would come and breath life into my spine and legs so that I could run again. It hasn’t happened yet.

     Two years ago I was on an Northern Line underground train travelling from Morden to Kilburn. This was not an easy journey for a wheelchair user and I had to change several times. As we left Clapham South I became aware of something sitting on my lap. I had been dozing so you can imagine my surprise when I saw a white creature with bright black eyes staring at me. It said “Hello, on your way to Kilburn, aren’t you to that Sufi group? Irina Tweedie will be there as always though she hasn’t been well of late. I expect that young chap, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, will probably take her place.” I was sure it was made of snow yet it didn’t melt which was odd as it was hot and stuffy in the carriage. There were plenty of people around yet they seemed totally oblivious to my unannounced visitor. It had no mouth or nose and ears that I could see and the words sounded high pitched, like a child but mature. I touched it and it said “Hey, mind the flakes.” And then burst into laughter. So did I. I felt embarrassed but looking around no-one was aware of my behaviour. I pinched my arm just to test I was not dreaming. I had not taken any mind-altering substances, just in case you were wondering! “I’m one of your many guides. I thought I would appear like this as it would make you smile. Anyway, must dash before I melt – only kidding – look, I’m all here still and your lap is dry. I have some snow to make and ice to carve. Too-da-loo.”

     “Kennington, this is Kennington, change here please for the City line via Bank.” I was dumfounded, discombobulated and highly charged. I eventually arrived at the flat and joined the group of people I had come to love. Mrs Tweedie entered the room looking as stern as ever though this concealed a heart of fiery love that consumed her daily and would do the same to us too; but maybe more on that later.’

*

     ‘Being excommunicated under Herem was, perversely, one of the best things that had happened to me. People have a persistent tendency to take sides, to adopt positions and develop arguments to support their views. I have never had any interest in these kinds of divisions and being the subject of them created a great deal of discomfort in me. My three books, speeches to the United Nations and visits to many countries across the world giving talks about peace have, unfortunately, made me a celebrity. This has come at a cost but is something I have used to get messages out to as many as possible. Why have I been silent for three years? I am under orders not to speak. Whose orders? My beautiful unicorn’s.

     In 1983 I was working in a Nicaraguan refugee camp near Cartago in Costa Rica. It was hard work but we were determined to save as many children’s lives as we could. Bright brown eyes shone out of their dusty smudged faces. Their smiles hid their pain. Their pleas had been heard. Clean water, salt and sugar was all that was needed at first to hydrate them and enable their bodies to return to stasis when their true appetites would return. It was a horror to see one year-old children dying of diarrhoea and other infections. The joy I experienced at seeing many recover and thrive was indescribable. We owe so much to the intervention of the nocturnal unicorns. I first saw them galloping down the hills shortly after midnight. There were more than fifty of them, white, brown, grey, dappled and black. As they trotted towards the camp for the first time I had no idea what their intentions were. One of the mothers approached me, tugged my jumper and said in Spanish “Our friends are coming. They travel many miles. They will help to save our children. They know them. Watch.” Slowly, the unicorns entered the camp and split up, walking towards the canvas shelters where the children were sleeping in long rows. They lowered their heads over the children, gently touching each head with their horn. As they did so a small spark of light flickered momentarily. “There, Hannah, their touch is magical, now they will leave.”

     They did apart from one who trotted over to me. It was nearly twice my height and I could see its breath in the cool air of the night. It stopped and bowed its head. Its eyes melted my heart. It then said to me “Your work is almost done here. You need to need to retreat. Go find a place of seclusion. This will be for several years. We will meet again.” With that it touched my head with its horn. I lit up, that’s the only way I can explain it; I lit up with Divine light that caressed my entire body from within. Jamila was still beside me and after the unicorn had left she placed both hands on my cheeks, kissed my forehead and said “The children have been kissed by a unicorn and now you. This is a wonderful night. I must sleep now. Good night Mamita.”

     The seven remained quiet for several blissful minutes.

     ‘Not the standard way to open a reunion is it!’ exclaimed Callum.

     Everyone nodded in agreement.

     ‘Dinner is at six thirty’ said Val, ‘shall we gather together again at eight?’

     They agreed and each went to their rooms.