carpet and a large, comfortable easy chair. You may keep the same secret
place or change as you wish. But wherever you are, visualize yourself as
laying down or sitting down and closing your eyes and relaxing. Don't
try to control or stop your random thoughts - let them gradually settle
down and become very still. Think of the feeling of love inside you, of
the beauty of a flower. Think of the Great Wizard as a loving father,
who wants you to be happy. Imagine as you think of Him, a soft blue
light appearing in front of you, and ever so slowly the blue light takes
the form of a majestic being in a beautiful white robe. As the face
forms, you observe the kindest eyes you have ever seen. You feel waves
of pure love radiating toward you. These waves of love are so strong
that tears fill your eyes and roll down your cheeks.
"The being speaks to you in a most serene and gentle voice. 'My child, I
am so happy that we could meet at long last. I have known you from the
beginning, but you would not take the time to become ever so still in
order to seek me; for you had forgotten me. Now that we are together
again, we must maintain contact. This is your sanctuary. You can be
alone here. It is good for you to come here each day, and when you wish
to speak with me, know that I always hear you. In time, as you become
ever so still, you may see images, which as you learn to interpret them,
will bring answers to your questions. These images and symbols are my
way of communicating with you. Of course, you might at times also hear
my voice.'"
After a moment of silence, Princess Saari continued, "The Great Wizard
is a doer of good, but the work He wishes to do can only be done through
you. He needs you very much. But He says if your mind is full of worry
or fear, He cannot work through you. You must bring your worries and
fears to Him. When you have problems, great or small, wrap them in a
package and bring the package to Him. He will open the package and study
each item one by one. He will keep them and help you to work them out.
You may hear His voice in answer to your questions, or you may see a
picture, just as when you dream, or, you may not receive anything at
that time. But, be assured, everything is known.
"Now, this work that He has for you to do is to bring light to others. A
kind word here, a smile there; people will be drawn to you. He has other
work for you to do as your life unfolds. There is much darkness and
ignorance in your mortal world. He wants you to learn that you may
inspire and uplift and be an example for others to follow. The ignorant
will be cruel to you. They sneer at goodness. But forgive them, for they
know not where their true happiness lies. Send them love and light to
help them. Picture them in your mind as perfect expressions of kindness
and love. Do this often, and I think you will begin to see a change in
their manner. If you were to just hate them back, you would feel as bad
as they do.
"Ah, if you could but catch a glimpse of what is in store for each and
every one, you would be amazed. You see, it is the "I" within you that
goes before you to prepare a place for you, and it is the good that you
do, and think, and feel, that is building that place. So be strong, have
courage, feel love in your heart, and nothing shall overcome you.
"Remember, there is someone who is with you always. Together, you can do
anything; be anything; nothing shall be impossible for you. And never,
never think of yourself as inferior. With the power that is within you,
you can rise above any situation. For you are as strong as a lion."
"Why, thank you," said the Lion. "I take that as a compliment."
Everyone laughed.
As they arose, Dorothy turned to thank Saari. "That was a wonderful
talk," she said. "Thank you very much."
"You mustn't thank me," replied Princess Saari. "You are being taught
these things because of your desire to learn and to grow, and to expand
in consciousness. As you now know, the Great Wizard wishes to bring
light into your realm as so many there live in darkness. And when you
return from Oz, you will take this light with you and be an inspiration
to those around you. Then, as each person in your personal sphere of
influence allows the light of love to shine brightly, so shall your
country be transformed to a world of light. You will truly have Oz in
America.
"We do have some minor problems in Oz, as you know. But we have a great
love for one another. Many emotions and problems that you have in Kansas
are unknown in Oz. We have no hate or greed. We have no need for money.
We are rarely sad, and never bad. Well, hardly ever," the Princess said
with a twinkle in her eye. "If we're bad, it's in a good way, if you
know what I mean."
Everyone smiled.
"I just love Oz," said Dorothy. "When I get back to Kansas, I'm going to
do everything I can to make it just like Oz."
"It may take a little time," said Princess Saari. "People don't change
quickly. One day Oz and the mortal realms will be as one. When people
finally come to the realization that most of their unhappiness is
brought about by their own attitudes and negativity, then change will
begin to take place. For example, when love is substituted for
animosity, and generosity for greediness; and patience for temper, and
as jealousy, envy and hatefulness are eliminated, then you shall see a
true peace on earth. In your dealings with others, you must remember to
be kind and courteous. Do not speak or think negatively or allow
yourself to be placed in a negative state by them. Never speak ill of
others or speak harshly against them. If you do listen to people who may
influence you in the wrong direction, stop and think of the consequences
before you are won over into their darkness. You will grow in the light
and walk in that beautiful illumination. You will know that you have
created that light through your own desire, and you will keep it aglow
by working in harmony with others and by your daily meditation. You are
not expected to be an angel among mortals; only to do your best.
"Now, we really must go into the Green Belt. We have stayed a little too
long in the Yellow."
Everyone arose and followed Princess Saari into the Green Belt. At once
it felt cool and serene. The musical note "/Fa/" could be heard clearly.
Princess Saari turned and motioned them all to sit. They did so, and
quickly absorbed the green light. The feeling of serenity and peace
almost made Dorothy fall asleep. Princess Saari explained, "The green is
identified with growing things: grass, trees, flowers and so on. It is a
strong healing color. Doctors and nurses often have green around them,
along with other healing tones. Green also has a calming effect on the
mind and nerves. So, relax everyone, and soak up the green. Breathe it
deeply and hold it for a few seconds. See it flow to every cell of your
body. Now breathe it out slowly, hold; breathe it in again. Doesn't that
feel good? It is good to feel the quiet and calm. The outer noise and
turmoil is far removed from us. The more light we allow into our lives,
the less the outer restlessness, discord and confusion affects us. We
can remain calm and peaceful in all circumstances. It makes us feel good
about life; about ourselves, and nothing can come to us of an inferior
nature."
Just then, Dorothy noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. She
turned to Princess Saari anxiously. "Excuse me, but did you see
something?" she said, rather worriedly.
Saari placed her arms around Dorothy, saying, "You know there's nothing
to worry about here."
"Of course," said Dorothy. "I'm sorry. But I saw something move."
"Oh, I think we have guests," said the Princess. "I was wondering if
they would appear. They're a little shy, you know."
"Who?" inquired Dorothy.
"The Conciencez," repeated Saari. "That's pronounced /Con-ci-en-chez/.
The reason you can hardly see them is that they are green."
Everyone peered hard into the green. Sure enough they began to make out
the forms of several creatures. When the creatures saw that they were
recognized, they tilted their heads to one side; they cupped their heads
in their hands and made a sound in unison: "/Aummmm/."
"What are they doing?" said Dorothy.
"They are tuning in with nature," said Saari. "They like you. You must
like plants."
"Why yes," replied Dorothy. "I'm very fond of growing things. I have my
own little garden back in Kansas."
"Well, the Conciencez know that," said Saari. "That's why they came to
see you. They would never have come if you didn't like plants."
"Do they like plants, too?" asked Dorothy.
"Yes indeed," replied the Princess. "The plant world is their world --
they are the protectors and keepers of the plants. Without them plants
would not be so beautiful and would hardly grow at all."
"My goodness," said Dorothy. "I thought that if plants had light and
water and food in the soil, they just grew."
"That's what most people think," said the Princess. "But if they could
see the Conciencez at work, they would be very surprised.
"Plants to the Conciencez are as important as people are to us. They
protect them and care for them. Each Conciencez has many plants under
his charge. They start work at dawn with a great joy and happiness. They
draw their feelings of joy from the flowers and other plants which are
themselves filled with happiness at the coming of each new dawn.
"The Conciencez hover near the plants they are in charge of and try to
find out if anything is wrong -- sort of like a doctor making the rounds
of his patients. They often stay with a flower if it's not doing too
well; petting it and loving it like a baby until it feels better. They
will work also with people who love plants and will help them, although
they don't like to be seen unless they know that you will understand and
not be frightened. As you can see, they have a resemblance to humans,
but their facial features can barely be made out. Their eyes are almost
nonexistent, with no eyelids or lashes. They have a slight suggestion of
a nose and of ears and just barely a slit for a mouth, although if you
look closely, you will see a funny yet merry appearance in their faces.
They have no hair at all, as you can see. They cannot hear or see as we
do, but they feel the radiation of light and sound with their entire
body. They don't eat food; but they gain their nourishment from the
perfume of the flowers by bathing in the various fragrances daily. They
don't have inner organs as we do, but where the ear would be is a
glowing pulsating golden light. They tune the pulsation's to the pulsing
vibrations of the plant, and become one with the plant. Remarkable,
isn't it?"
"It's just amazing," said Dorothy. "People don't know the half of what's
going on right under their noses -- it's as if they were half asleep."
"Well," said the Princess, "it's like a surface fish in the ocean. He's
totally unaware of the world above the surface or deep below. What he
perceives with his senses in his own world is to him all there is."
Princess Saari stood and beckoned everyone to follow as she walked into
the Blue Belt and the sound of the musical note "/So/." As they walked,
Saari explained, "The blue is a very interesting color. If you have a
temperature, the blue will have a soothing effect on you; it is a serene
color and quiets the nervous system. It's good to visualize the blue
around you as you go into a quiet state or begin a creative activity.
Incidentally, you might like to experiment with all of these colors;
take a glass of water and allow the sun to shine on the water through a
color filter for a few minutes or, if you don't have a color filter,
just hold the glass of water in your left hand and hold the fingers of
your right hand over the glass pointed downwards toward the water. Now,
visualize the color you wish as flowing from your hand into the water.
Do this for about five minutes. You may then drink the water several
times during the day using a small glass. Experiment with different
colors to see what effect each color has on you. Perhaps, for example,
if you have trouble sleeping, you may wish to drink the blue and violet
treated water, as these colors have a soothing effect on the nerves. At
night, when you go to bed, visualize these colors swirling around you,
since they are relaxing colors. When you drink the color-treated water,
do so very slowly, while at the same time mentally absorb the color and
see yourself in a deep peaceful sleep and tell yourself that upon
awakening the next morning you will be fully rested, vibrant, full of
enthusiasm, and ready to be up and at 'em.
"All right, everyone," said Princess Saari, clapping her hands, "it's
time to be moving along. We will now enter the Indigo Belt. As you
enter, you will become aware of the musical note '/La/.' Indigo is the
dark blue. In ancient times, this color was associated with intuition,
with the seeking of wisdom and truth. It is the color of highly
developed sensitivity. You will feel, as you enter the dark blue, a
strange awareness. The stirring of memories deep within, remembrance of
other places, other times. You will know that you are, always have been,
and always will be. And that you are being molded according to your
inner desire. As you think in your heart, so shall you be. No one else
makes you as you are, only you. If you are loving and kind, patient and
understanding, you are allowing that inner and higher self to have an
expression. You are the master of yourself and you will allow no
thoughts of an inferior nature into your kingdom, for you are the
supreme ruler. You have power, you have peace, you are all there is. And
so many wonderful things will come unto you that there shall not be room
to contain them. If all the children in the world were to grow up with
this understanding, the world would be heaven on earth, fear would be
unknown; guns and locks would be museum curiosities. Those mind-bending
chemicals and the alcohol would no longer be used to bring people into
false states of happiness. For each would have so much happiness within,
it would be bubbling over and shining from their eyes.
"This force within you is a mighty limitless energy that will flow
freely, unless you cut off that flow with words like /'I can't; I'm not;
I won't; I hate/; and such as -- /'I can't do that; I'm not able; I
haven't the ability; I won't do it; I hate to do that/.' Every time you
say /'I'/ you are arousing that great fire and power within you -- that
power can bring you untold misery or unhappiness to others as well as
yourself. And generally, if you unleash misery to others, you are
automatically unleashing it to yourself. Just as when you make another
happy, you feel good inside. It is impossible to be angry or upset with
someone and to feel good at the same time. Repeat this to yourself as
you start your day:
"I am the power to be peaceful or warlike,
I am the power to be harmonious or irritated,
I am the power to be happy or unhappy,
I am the power to be generous or stingy --
in thought, feeling, words or actions.
I am the power to be constructive or destructive."
"You see, you are largely a do-it-yourself project. You may also repeat
these words of power:
"I am the mighty, electronic cosmic energy. Flowing through,
filling and renewing every cell of my mind and body right
now. As I go out into the world, expressing ever-widening
circles of creative and constructive activity, nothing shall be
impossible to me; nothing has power over me. I am the master of
myself."
Dorothy commented to Princess Saari that she was learning a great deal.
Princess Saari replied, "Colorland is a university of the highest order.
Many come here to learn as they absorb the energy of the colors. You are
fortunate to have earned this privilege. Not everyone has reached a
point in their evolution where this teaching can be given to them, for
they are not ready. To give this teaching to some would be like sowing
seeds on stony ground; the thoughts given here could not take root in
their consciousness, but would wither and die for lack of nourishment.
"Now, lastly, but certainly not least, we enter the seventh color --
purple. The Purple corresponds to the seventh level of consciousness
that you will one day reach."
As they entered, Dorothy felt the most beautiful sensation pulsating
through her being. She felt as light as a feather -- almost as if she
were floating. In fact, as she looked down, she saw that she was
hovering about twelve inches above the ground. The musical sound of the
note "/Ti/" was vibrating softly throughout. She turned to see that all
the others were floating, too, including Princess Saari. Everyone looked
at each other in great surprise, with the exception of the Princess,
whose eyes twinkled. She explained, "It is impossible for the density of
matter to exist in the purple, due to its high frequency. As you enter
the purple, you leave the atoms of the physical behind you -- only the
higher vibrating counterpart of the atom -- the '/anim/,' can enter.
Hence, your lack of weight. As you can see, you appear solid to each
other, as indeed you are; but, were you back in your homes, you could
walk through the walls of your houses. Incidentally, there's no need to
hover above the ground, unless you want to. Your thoughts now control
everything. You can choose to walk to a given destination, or just think
yourself somewhere, and there you are -- in the twinkling of an eye --
even thousands of miles away. Distance makes no difference. For example:
think of yourself at your home...." No sooner did Dorothy think of
herself in her house than she was there. No one was home and, for a
moment, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming. However, as she looked
around, she saw Princess Saari appear through the wall.
She smiled, as she took Dorothy's hand. Together they walked through the
outer wall to Dorothy's little garden. "I see the little flowers you
planted are doing just fine," said Saari.
"Everything looks exactly as I left it," said Dorothy.
"Of course," replied Saari. "Now, let's discuss the purple further. The
purple is the highest vibration of the spectrum. It is the seventh color
ray, and seven is a very mysterious number. The Purple is a blending of
the red and the blue. It is the color of royalty. As you bathe in it,
drink it in, you will feel that you are master of all things -- that you
are all there is.
"Well, this is where your journey ends and where we must part," said
Saari. "I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Colorland, and that it has
inspired you to learn more about the nature of color. I will miss you
all very much."
"We will miss you, too, Princess Saari," said Dorothy. "Thank you for a
wonderful experience." Dorothy reached up and gave Saari a big hug and
kiss. Saari embraced each of them in turn. As they left, her eyes filled
with tears. She had grown to love them all very much. Dorothy turned to
wave as Saari disappeared from view.
*
Chapter Fourteen:
Tickleland
*
As they approached the borders of Tickleland, Dorothy became
apprehensive. "I'm so ticklish. I'll just die if the Ticklemonsters
catch me," she said.
"We'll do our best to protect you, Dorothy," said the Tin Woodman as the
Scarecrow nodded his head.
"What about me?" said the Lion. "I'm ticklish, too, you know."
"Well, we'll do our best," said the Tin Woodman. "But there's only two
of us to protect you, and there's an awful lot of Ticklemonsters."
"All you have to do is tell them 'don't stop'," said the Scarecrow.
"Tell them 'don't stop'?" questioned Dorothy in surprise.
"Yes. Don't you remember what I told you?" said the Tin Woodman. "The
Ticklemonsters don't like being told what to do, so if you tell them to
stop, they'll just keep going, and if you tell them to tickle you, they
won't."
"What if they're really hungry?" said Dorothy.
"Hungry?" echoed the Tin Woodman.
"Yes, " replied Dorothy. "You said that Ticklemonsters don't eat regular
food, but that the sound of laughter energizes molecules in the air
around them, and that they absorb the energized molecules through their
skin."
"Oh yes, of course," said the Tin Woodman. "I almost forgot. Well, to
answer your question, the Ticklemonsters are so stubborn that they'd
rather go hungry than do as they're told."
"Once, I was sent to bed without any dinner for not doing as I was
told," said the girl.
"Well the Ticklemonsters are gluttons for punishment," said the
Scarecrow. "They simply won't do as they're told -- no matter what. So
they go hungry a lot."
"Why do they hate having to do as they're told so much?" asked Dorothy.
"I don't know," replied the Tin Woodman. "They just don't like it. They
want to do what they want to do, and not what someone else wants them to
do."
"Well, I guess we are all sort of like that." said Dorothy. "We're told
what to do by our parents and by our teachers, and then when we leave
school to go to work we have a boss telling us what to do. It does get a
little tiring."
"Yes, but imagine what it would be like if no one ever told you what to
do," said the Tin Woodman. "Would you help around the house without
being asked? Or get up in the morning in time for school, and go to bed
at a reasonable hour? Would you behave in school, and concentrate on
learning all you could? And do your homework without putting up a fuss?"
"I might do all those things if given a chance, said Dorothy. "But
grown-ups automatically assume that you have to be pushed and prodded
all the time. They don't leave you alone. It's /'do this,/' and /'do
that/,' and /'why aren't you doing so and so/?' It's just too much at
times. Sometimes you feel like verbally lashing back at them, or just
going off and not doing anything at all."
With that, they arrived at the gates of Tickleland. A sign above the
gates read:
WARNING!
TRAVELERS THROUGH TICKLELAND
ARE WELCOME
"That's a strange sign," said Dorothy. "Warning you that you're welcome?"
"Well, when you think about it," said the Scarecrow, "travelers are food
if caught and tickled. So naturally they welcome you. And they are
warning you in advance, which is very nice of them. After all, if you
are caught, you may be tickled to death."
"Oh, my," gasped Dorothy. "I hadn't thought of that."
"Well, we have to go on, Dorothy," said the Scarecrow.
"We'll do our best to protect you all," said the tin man.
The Lion gingerly opened the gates and peered in. "Not a soul in sight,"
he said. "Maybe they're all at a convention or something," he added
hopefully.
As they walked, everyone felt better. Tickleland was quite pretty,
really. Rolling hills of green grass and clumps of trees here and there.
As they approached some trees, they noticed a well. "Would you like a
drink of water, Dorothy?" asked the Tin Woodman.
"Oh yes, please," replied Dorothy. "I'm quite thirsty."
As the tin man lowered the bucket, he began to relax.
"Well," remarked the Scarecrow, "it looks as though we may walk right
through Tickleland without seeing one Ticklemonster. Tickleland's not
very big, you know. Look, there -- the border's right there." Everyone
turned in the direction he was pointing in and, sure enough, the border
was about the same distance as they'd traveled so far.
"What a relief," said Dorothy as the Tin Woodman handed her a ladle of
water from the well. "Mmmm, this is good," said Dorothy. "So refreshing."
"Surprise!" said a loud voice.
Everyone jumped. They turned to see about twenty Ticklemonsters who
quickly surrounded them.
"Are we glad to see you," said one who appeared to be their leader. He
was a little taller than the others and was the one who had greeted them
so abruptly. "We welcome you to Tickleland," he continued, bending over
in a mock bow. "I might add that we are all very hungry, so we doubly
welcome you. Grab those two!" he said, pointing to the Tin Woodman and
Scarecrow. Six of the Ticklemonsters quickly jumped on them and held
their arms and legs.
"Now," said the leader, "let's have us a feast!"
"Oh, no," said the Lion, beginning to laugh uncontrollably. "I won't be
able to stand it."
The Ticklemonsters moved quickly with their eight arms as they grabbed
the Lion and Dorothy and tickled and tickled.
"Oh, no! Stop, please stop!" shouted Dorothy between peals of laughter.
The Lion could not even plead with them to stop. He was laughing so much
that tears were rolling down his cheeks. Their pleas to stop could
hardly be heard above their laughter. The Tin Woodman and Scarecrow shouted,
"Tell them to tickle you." "Then they'll stop." "Remember they do the
opposite of what they're told."
Dorothy managed to gasp out, "Don't stop tickling me -- tickle me some
more." The two Ticklemonsters who were tickling her immediately stopped.