Magnificence

“Calm yourself, NOW. Relax and take your time. This is a new awareness for you that you must integrate, so be patient and relax into it. Breathe, relax and focus.” Liz quickly stopped her frenzy, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and relaxed. As the tension drained away, she began to have a renewed feeling of calm. She felt herself become balanced and centered, without a need for anything else. By letting go of the urgency to hear him, she was able to refocus all of her senses onto the wall, and she began to smell the scent of roses. When she refocused, she saw the figures of herself, Sheri, Robert and Don Carlos standing alongside each other holding hands, facing the wall. As they stood there, the little old man hobbled to the center of the small door and placed something into the small circular notch. Then, from that spot, she saw a sparkling bright, golden-blue light begin to swirl; it reminded her of Tinker Bell touching the Disney castle on television. The memory made her smile and her heart began again to radiate the joy she had felt earlier. The swirl now grew into an immense vortex of blue light that filled the whole area of the large door and columns, taking on a presence of its own. All at once everything burst into a bright white light, and she felt as though an explosion had gone off in her head. Her body jolted backwards but was caught by Renaldo, who prevented her from falling onto the rocky earth. He helped ground her as she readjusted, making sure she was all right, and then he looked over and saw the little old man smiling at them, nodding as he said to Don Carlos, “Estamos listos.” “We’re ready for what?” Renaldo said as he stared at the man, before immediately catapulting into the same vision that Liz had just experienced, except with the completion of the revelation, but without Liz’s encounter with the white light. “Whoa,” he whispered in awe. “I didn’t expect this.” He sat on the ground with his head in his hands, digesting its significance. In a few minutes, Don Carlos called the four of them over to him and gestured for them to stand in front of the blanket where he had built the despacho. In keeping with ceremonial tradition, they each held three coca leaves, just as they had in the previous night’s ceremony. Through Renaldo, he spoke to them as he would his own children, saying, “These leaves are like the feathers of a bird, carrying your prayers to the Creator. With one breath from your heart for each, ask Great Spirit for the healing you wish for your past, the life you wish for the present, and the future you wish to create. In the ceremony, you are representatives of humanity, so the healings are not just for yourselves, but also for all people on the Pachamama, Mother Earth. Then put them on the mound here,” he said, pointing to the beautifully layered mandala of coca leaves, candy, flowers, shells and grains that he had built. As they each took their turn, he showed them specifically where to place their offerings on it, and then gave them a blessing on the top of the head as they were kneeling. When they were done, Don Carlos again went to each of them and handed them a small stone. “Keep this stone with you as your connection to your physical body and the Pachamama,” he said in English. Then he gathered his poncho, cap, a small pouch, and the little old man, and spoke to Renaldo, who instructed the three to get their coats and follow him. Walking toward the big wall, Liz began getting nervous, remembering her vision, and asked Renaldo, “What are we doing now?…And don’t tell me we’re making corncakes.” Renaldo stopped, turned to face her and grasped her shoulders firmly. “We both saw that vision, and whether you want to admit it or not, you know why you came here. They know why you came here,” he added, nodding first toward Don Carlos and the old man, and then the rest of the shaman. “You must honor who you all are and fulfill your destiny my friend, our destiny. You are very supported and protected, believe me.” “What destiny? Who says I know why we are here? I don’t know why I’m here. I just came on a vacation!” Liz felt herself moving into a wobbly spin. “Stop it!” Renaldo commanded. “This is not just about you, Liz. This is about the whole world. Did you not just see a miraculous vision?” “I saw me, Sheri, Robert and Don Carlos standing in front of the wall that had a blue light on it, that’s all. And then a white light hit me, and I passed out.” “That’s it? That’s all you saw?” “Yeah, that’s all. To tell you the truth, I’m feeling a little in the dark right now, and I just want to go home.” “Well let me fill you in.” Renaldo briefed her on what he’d seen in his vision. Liz stared at him in awed disbelief, unable to comprehend fully that he was talking about her. “Now do you understand?” he asked. She looked at the ground for a long time as she allowed herself to accept what she had heard. Gathering her inner strength and courage, and knowing with all of her being that this was true and there was only one thing to be done, she looked back at him and said, “I understand. I also understand that this is way out of the box from anything I’ve ever imagined I would do.” Liz turned her head, gazing out over the field in front of them. Reminded of her vision of the garden party, her heart burst as she envisioned the little children laughing and the joy that the scene brought her. “You can do this. It is your destiny! You are capable, powerful and very, very big—a great Being of Light—so BE that!” She took a deep breath and, from the place of newfound self-confidence said, “Ok, I’m ready.” When they rejoined the others, Don Carlos spoke briefly with Renaldo and handed him the pouch. When they finished, Renaldo walked back over to Liz and said with a concerned look, “Well, another shift in gears. He said we passed through another gate back there, meaning our conversation, and that means that I go with you now, not him, as we were shown in the vision. He said it’s best, so that he can guide us all from the center of the wheel, so to speak. “They were hoping that’s how it would happen,” he added, “you stepping up to the plate, that is.” Liz stared at Renaldo for a moment and then took a deep breath. “So what’s the problem?” she sighed. “That sounds like a sort-of promotion for you, right?” While she was talking, she glanced at Don Carlos, wishing he was coming. “Yes, it is, but I feel the same concerns as you—fear of the unknown, what if?, and all that…my family,” he said, gazing off in the distance. “It’s different being on the other side of the fence.” “Yeah, but like you said, it’s not about us, right? And we are protected, right? And we’re coming back, right?” “That’s what they say.” Renaldo smiled, confidence returning. “No offense, but I have to say that I’d rather have him coming with us; I’d rather have an experienced captain sailing the ship,” Liz admitted sheepishly. “At the same time, if he can’t come with us, then I’d feel safest if you came instead.” Liz flashed a smile. They looked at each other grinning, each knowing they were headed into an adventure of a lifetime. “Okay, then. Let’s do it,” he said, holding out his hands for a high five. “No guts, no glory!”