The Pact E-Book

Barbara Sinor

• Herausgeber: Loving Healing Press
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 297

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

The Pact: Messages from the Other Side takes the reader on an adventure through time while weaving tales of love and determination. A vow between the author and her husband finds us tracing the steps of present and past lifetimes devoted to uncovering the mysterious cycles of life, birth, death, and rebirth.
The author shares the stories of some of her past lives and the insight she gained by channeling her departed husband's words. She shares lifetimes spent in Atlantis and Egypt, as well as, many other time periods. Barbara's stories resonate with readers because of their integrity, detail, documentation, and the sincerity with which they are expressed. Join the author as she searches with her departed husband to reveal their souls' explorations through time and space. The Pact is a fascinating mixture of contemporary memoir and past lifetime narratives reconstructed to allow the reader a glimpse into the metaphysics of life.
"Every once in awhile you read a book that takes you beyond the edge of the known and into the timeless realm of the soul. The Pact: Messages from the Other Side is one of those special books. It takes the reader on a spiritual journey through life after life. Dr. Sinor and her departed husband's personal life pact unfolds as a spiritual memoir that uplifts and inspires, uniting past, present, and future."
--Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., New York Times best-selling author
About the Author
Dr. Sinor is a retired psychotherapist living in northern California. As a child, Barbara experienced paranormal phenomena which lead her on a spiritual journey to explore metaphysics and other spiritual practices.

Leseprobe

The Pact

Messages from the Other Side

Barbara Sinor, PhD

Marvelous Spirit Press

The Pact: Messages From The Other Side

Copyright © 2014 by Barbara Sinor, Ph.D. All rights reserved.

Cover photo by Jeff Tangen Photography. Used with permission.

No part of this manuscript may be reproduced in any form without direct permission from the copyright holder.

Distributed by New Leaf Distributing, Ingram Book Group (USA/CAN) , Bertram’s Books (UK/EU), and other fine wholesalers.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sinor, David Lee (Spirit)

The pact : messages from the other side / Barbara Sinor, Ph.D. -- 1 [edition].

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-61599-213-3 (ebook) -- ISBN 978-1-61599-214-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) -- ISBN 978-1-61599-215-7 (hardcover : alk. paper)

1. Spirit writings. 2. Reincarnation. 3. Sinor, David Lee (Spirit) 4. Sinor, Barbara, 1945- I. Sinor, Barbara, 1945- II. Title.

BF1301.S623 2014

133.901’35--dc23

2013047484

Published by Marvelous Spirit Press, an imprint of

Loving Healing Press, [email protected] Pontiac TrailTollfree 888-761-6268Ann Arbor, MI 48105Fax: [phone]www.LHPress.com

Praise for The Pact: Messages from the Other Side

“Every once in awhile you read a book that takes you beyond the edge of the known and into the timeless realm of the soul. The Pact is one of those special books. It takes the reader on a spiritual journey through life after life, weaving a tale of relationships that is like a Navajo rug. Seen from the bottom, there are multiple threads. Seen from above, a pattern of stunning beauty emerges, a story of love that is stronger than death. Dr. Sinor and her departed husband’s personal life pact unfolds as a spiritual memoir that uplifts and inspires, uniting past, present, and future.”

~ Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., New York Times best-selling author

“The Pact is a profoundly intimate and poignant account of a deeply loving couple whose love and connection remain true and flowing across time, space, life, and death. I have never seen a book about channeled information written in quite this way and it strikes me as very effective and moving. The Pact provides a clear example of the phenomenon of channeling, and the spiritual education and satisfaction that can come from recognizing ourselves as eternal beings with many lifetimes of growth and experience.”

~ JP Van Hulle, Michael Channel, author

Michael: The Basic Teachings

“The Pact grabbed me deeply and fully within my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies with validity and confirmation to my own intuits and perceptions. The Pact assisted me in my own expanded conscious awareness of my Oneness with All That Is, God Source. The book will validate many questionable feelings for others, as it did for me. Thank you, Barbara and David, for your courage to write this book and present it to humanity. The way you brought many of your lives together and how you showed the connectedness is phenomenal.”

~ Reverend Ruby M. Morrow, Astara

“Sinor weaves together a tapestry of exotic narratives from her lifetimes (past lives) into her present life journey, blending themes of living, loving, dying, and believing. Depending on how the reader approaches The Pact will determine the lessons gleaned from it and their degree of impact. This, I believe, is the beauty of the book. Although my belief systems vary greatly from Sinor’s, I resonated with her enduring love story that transcends eternity. With her timeless connection to her earthly departed husband, Sinor’s writing gifts readers with a path to healing and most importantly to hope.”

~ Holli Kenley, M.A., MFT, author

Mountain Air: Relapsing and Finding the Way Back …One Breath at a Time

“The Pact is a beautifully written illumination of the thin veil between souls and incarnations. We truly do walk within, beside, and toward one another every step of the way. Highly recommended!”

~ Jeff Brown, author

Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creation

“Dr. Sinor’s The Pact weaves together a story of a lifetime of love, and also explores the past lives of this devoted couple. Anyone with questions about what it is like when we cross over to the Other Side will find the question and answer portion at the end of the book both fascinating and thought provoking!”

~ Kay Fahlstrom, author

Reborn a Medium: A True Story of Dying, Returning, and Serving Spirit—and You

“The Pact brings the reader an adventure of many lifetimes with the clarity of a personal energetic connection between two souls. The stories are filled with tears of truth and a laughter of knowing beyond words which seem to call spirit inward for recognition. Thank you, Dr. Sinor, for sharing the intimate details of the pact which was made between you and your husband.”

~ Reverend Peggy Tennent, Astara

“The Pact is a fascinating book… an engrossing page-turner. It enlightens the reader to the reality of the journey of the soul on various planes of existence. The book increases the understanding of who we are spiritually and what is in store for us after we have moved from our current lifetime. As a longtime psychotherapist and regression therapist, I appreciate the depiction of several of the author’s lifetimes. Sinor beautifully interweaves the theme of abiding love through her accounts of her current life with her husband; their previous lifetimes; and, the communication between them from the other side.”

~ Barbara Lamb, M.S., MFT, CHT, Regression Therapist, author

Crop Circles Revealed

“The Pact discusses the author’s past lives and how her loved ones’ souls interact from lifetime to lifetime. It is a very personal and in-depth exposition of reincarnation that coincides with lives from Eastern, Western, modern, and ancient histories. The book also describes God within us and the relationship with our soul. The Pact is a must read for those interested in the subject matter of karma and reincarnation.”

~ John Smethers, Ph.D., author

Addict to Academic

“The Pact is a beautifully written account of communication with one who has passed. In a thought provoking way, Sinor relates a journey of lifetimes with her husband, and in so doing, assists us in asking the question, ‘Can we also communicate with our loved ones?’ Sinor helps us to lighten the veil between ourselves and the other side and to assist us in our search for answers about our own path on this journey of lifetimes. A wonderful book!”

~ Rev. Patricia Haller, Unity Minister

“My soul was touched by the energy of the words from The Pact. I have been a transpersonal psychotherapist for over thirty years and I know Truth. The forever lasting love that is shared in this book informs us about the world beyond the physical realm. I highly recommend it.”

~ Susan B. Cohen, MFT

“Most of us only get a glimpse of our karmic trail in the life we are living; yet in The Pact, Dr. Sinor offers some of her soul lineage via channeling from the other side. By dancing back and forth, past and present, the reader indulges in a time machine effect that is entrancingly entertaining. I found the overall thread of past lives to not only be credible by way of interconnectedness to other souls, but also by virtue of the fact the author consistently pursues healing people both physically and psychologically. The different lifetimes will fascinate the reader from a myriad of experiences and historical viewpoints offering a window into many interesting cultures that have long since pasted. Only a seasoned veteran of authoring multiple books could weave such an enlightening manuscript. I highly recommend The Pact: Messages from the Other Side.”

~ Celeste Palmer, author,

The Follies of Free Love

Contents

Introduction

Channeling

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Channeling: David’s Story of Heaven

Channeling of Lifetimes

Author’s Note

Lifetime Identification Chart

References

Illustrations

About the Author

Other books by Barbara Sinor, Ph.D.

Beyond Words: A Lexicon of Metaphysical Thought Gifts from the Child WithinAn Inspirational Guide for the Recovering SoulAddiction: What’s Really Going On? Inside a Heroin Treatment ProgramTales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery

We are not offered guarantees.

What we are offered is knowledge of life and ourselves;

And if we are awake, glimpses of the wisdom held in the storyour life is telling the world.

from The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Barbara Hutchins Sinor

Introduction

Beyond the reality of our daily lives, busy with getting an education, raising a family, and securing employment to sustain our desires, there is a spiritual life silently unfolding. Our spiritual views are as diverse as the people on this planet. Different types of spiritual and religious beliefs possess words and rituals used to sustain each system that brings people together for the sole pleasure of worshipping a Divine Source. Even if one does not have a spiritual belief system, that is a spiritual belief in itself.

Belief comes from our mind, a human concept that is guided by our physicality, or brain. The renowned theoretical quantum physicist Amit Goswami stated so clearly, “Consciousness is the ground of being—not the brain. The brain is made of consciousness, but consciousness is not made from the brain.” Whatever your belief in the nature of being, there can be an appreciation of open-mindedness to the concept of a soul’s progression after death. Spiritual teacher Ram Dass explores this topic openly when he writes:

People ask me, “Do you believe that there is continuity after death?” And I say, “I don’t believe it. It just is.” That offends my scientific friends no end. But belief is something you hold on to with your intellect. My faith in the continuity of life has gone way beyond the intellect. Belief is a problem because it is rooted in the mind, and in the process of death, the mind crumbles. Faith, consciousness, and awareness all exist beyond the thinking mind.

During my life, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to explore many of the religious views found on Earth, and I find they ultimately covet sisterhood and brotherhood through Love. Whether or not a religious system proclaims a belief in reincarnation, we must ask ourselves the same questions. The Theosophical teachings, founded in 1875, provide some of these spiritual ponderings: How can we believe that souls are created at a certain point in time, and yet, they live forever? How can a soul survive the body, but not pre-exist it? How can one soul live for over seventy years within a body, then drift into insignificance at the death of the host body? Perhaps questions such as these will never be thoroughly answered to our satisfaction, but you may find some answers within this book. My chosen belief system encompasses a broad view of East and West thinking, which has sustained my compassionate and positive attitude toward all life. My late husband and I had made a pact that whoever passed away first would connect with the other to confirm, or not, our belief in an afterlife and my belief in the existence of reincarnation.

The writing of The Pact has been a collaboration between me and the channeled words of my departed husband. For those readers who are not familiar with the concept of channeling, it can be accomplished through techniques such as mediumship, automatic writing and drawing, intuitive sensory perception, and various other means. I channeled my husband’s words during meditations that can be found in the chapter “Channeling David’s Story of Heaven.” In Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen, I offer this personal process in more detail. At the back of the book is a glossary of the lifetimes shared in this book called the “Lifetime Identification Chart.” This chart can be used to help guide you through many of my soul’s adventures.

Let me attempt to answer the eminent question you must be thinking: How did I receive the channeled words so clearly from my departed husband? As I sat at my computer each session, I allowed myself to leave my body insomuch as to join with the silence within my mind. In this state of consciousness, I closed my eyes and listened only to the birds singing outside my office window. I also realized a not-so-silent inner-ego, which I found I had to tame to make sure I did not change any of David’s channeled words. Here is where I met my beloved—between the worlds. I released all form of doubt, all fear of failing to hear David’s words stream through my mind. When I had allowed myself to be in this frame of silence… David’s words tumbled into my senses. His words came like a flood, targeting their own destination of my waiting fingertips posed gently, but firmly, against the letters of my keyboard.

As you read through The Pact, keep your own spiritual mind open. Search your inner self for answers to the many questions your mind will no doubt put before you. As each story touches your heart, allow your own lifetime review to surface. Tap into your inner consciousness as you unfold and search your dreams, visions, and meditations, which may visit you more vividly while reading this book. The Pact is a gift from me to share with those who decide to take a journey to explore the reality of reincarnation.

Barbara Sinor, Ph.D.

March 1, 2014

Channeling

We will always be with you… always near you, just ask and we are here beside you. Your book will be a great comfort to many. You can use your lifetimes to share with others and show how our free choices direct our growth. It will be read by many who will use the information for their own guidance. Weave a tale of love, Barbara… for your lifetimes have been evolving in grace and love.

Tell me more about our lifetime together in Atlantis.

Our lives during Atlantis were of two women cave-dwellers who had reached the highest regard as healers. We lived during the era of the Trine Crystal named for the huge three-sided pyramid crystal discovered in one of the largest caverns. We were sisters, and as one unit, we healed those from the caves who needed us. During our lifetime, the Trine Crystal began generating an abundance of power; the lands began to shake, causing enormous water tidals, which surrounded the island. The entire continent was destroyed, sinking into the oceans. Our lives were filled with love for each other and the sharing of our healing powers. We did not live long; our lives were cut short in the destruction of the island of Atlantis.

What were our names?

Your name was Athena and ours was Meratta.

One

When the deep meaning of things is not understood the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.

Chien-chih Seng-ts’an Zen Patriarch, 606 AD

“Athena? Meratta? Where are you girls?” the old woman called into the evening air. Shaking her head she thought, Those girls! They are always running off together!

“Athena? Meratta? It’s time to come home!” she shouted out again. When will they ever learn it is not safe to be outside after the sun falls? she thought to herself as she turned to walk back down the stone steps into the cave-dwelling.

Athena and Meratta were very busy, unaware of anything except their search. They had not noticed the sun dipping below the tip of the great pyramid, for they were gathering more herbs to use as teas to help heal the families living in the caves.

“Here’s a new one!” Meratta exclaimed as she held up a tiny clump of greenery. “I think it is the one Amma told us would heal the hot sweats of the elderly women. I will take it with us and ask her tomorrow.”

“Oh, that is definitely a new one, Meratta!” replied Athena, inspecting the leafy green shoot.

“Oh no!” shouted Meratta as she pointed to the sun rays falling in an array of colors. “We have been outside too long, Athena; we must gather our things and return home quickly.”

Athena and Meratta watched one last time the setting of the sun and its glowing rays of yellow, pink, and red. They packed their baskets tight with the day’s findings. They were not far from their cave-dwelling and had faintly heard the calls from their mother, but as usual, they ignored them to pursue their passion. They loved their mother, but they knew she did not understand their strong desire to learn the ways of Amma, and how to heal those who were not well in the caves.

Once safely up the hill and in front of the stones leading to the opening of their home, Athena whispered as she pointed to the valley below, “It is so beautiful. Do you think we will ever be able to visit?”

“I hope so,” Meratta replied as she swept a finger across her forehead to remove the blonde strand of untrained hair obstructing her view. “Even if we never get to see the lighted valley, I will be happy here learning more from our dear Amma.”

“Yes, I agree with your words,” Athena said softly as she gazed lovingly into Meratta’s blue eyes. Slowly descending the stairway, the pair of blossoming young women vanished into the darkness.

Athena and Meratta were sisters who lived with their mother in one of the caves surrounding the impressive community of Atlantis with its shining lights, water canals, and huge gardens filled with fruit trees and all variety of foods. When they were younger, their mother would tell them stories about the times long ago when the love beings came from the sky to offer instructions to their people about the ways of bringing-into-view with their minds. Many learned how to bring-into-view the needed instruments to make the large domed dwellings and how to light the night sky. Each person who wished to learn the new lessons would be given these abilities. The people learned to develop the wonders of illuminating the night sky and the magical ways to use stone and marble to form their pyramids in which to learn other mysterious ways. As their mother told these stories over and over, the sisters would sit quietly at her feet, absorbing all the visions of the strange land.

Athena and Meratta also met Amma when they were young. Amma was a wise elder with white-gray hair, dark penetrating eyes, and a soft deep voice. Her presence silently commanded respect as she seemed to float across the ground with a soft glow emanating around her body. Amma came one day with a few others to the sisters’ cave, crossing the perimeter of the Atlantis community from a larger cave that went deep inside the earth. Their mother was ailing and Amma instinctively knew she was needed. Her trip was an arduous one for the old woman, but her mission was of healing all cave-dwellers surrounding Atlantis, so a bit of walking and hiking did not deter her ambition.

“Where are you distressed, my dear?” Amma asked their mother as she searched for a small bowl shaped from knottelwood tucked at the bottom of her basket.

“My head is spinning, and when I try to stand, I fall back down,” replied the girls’ mother.

“My, my… not to worry, my dear. Amma knows what will heal you.” She spoke in deep comforting tones, soft, like the tender grasses outside the caves.

Amma reached a second time into the large mysterious basket packed tightly to the top. When her hand emerged, in it was the most beautiful flower Athena and Meratta had ever seen. Amma instructed Meratta to render a gourd of water heated by the center fire. Then she poured the water into the wooden bowl, gently placing the flower at the bottom. She stirred it with her fingers while talking softly to their mother. The girls could not hear all that was spoken, but the words seemed to settle the lines in their mother’s face.

The next day, Amma said it was time for her journey home. She told the girls to tend to their mother with the warm water and flowers she had left them. After placing the flowers in a smaller basket, she handed it to Meratta and said, “You and Athena will one day be healers as I. I will come when the moon is full each cycle to teach you the ways,” and with that said, Amma left with her companions.

“Athena, do you think Amma will come tomorrow at the full moon?” Meratta asked as they walked the pathway trod so many times by the cave-dwellers. She held her basket close to her, not wanting to lose the unknown treasure she had found that day.

“I know she will, Meratta; she always comes to teach us the healing ways on the full moon,” Athena said as she led the way on the winding stones.

“I can’t wait to show her our new finding! She will be so pleased with us, I just know it!” Meratta shrieked as she touched the moist stone wall near her head to steady her way.

Arriving at the crossway, they turned to the left toward their home to find their mother busy cooking over the center fire. “Guess what we found today, Mother?” Meratta exclaimed.

“Well, whatever it is, I hope it was worth your staying out to the sun’s passing!” their mother admonished.

“Oh it is, Mother… it is!” beamed Meratta with excitement as she reached into her basket to bring forth the prize of the day’s search.

“Look, it is so pretty even without a flower!” Meratta said, holding the leaf toward the fire’s light for her mother to see.

“We were well within our time to arrive at our cave before the lights would shine in the valley, Mother. Do not worry; we will be careful always,” assured Athena.

“Well, let me see your leaf,” said their mother as she came closer. “Ah, yes, it is a lovely one indeed! I am sure Amma will be happy with your finding.”

“Will Amma be here for sure tomorrow, Mother?” inquired Meratta with a tenuous voice.

“Oh, yes, I am sure she will, my dear Meratta. She has much more to teach you and Athena… she will be here,” she said affectionately.

The three ate supper and soon settled down for the night’s sleep with excitement in their hearts to meet with Amma once again the following day.

Athena, with her long black hair loose down her back, turned on her side, facing the dark stones she knew so well. Many times when she went to bed and the center fire was still bright, she would count the cracks in the stones and trace them with her fingers to other small breaks that formed the pieces that took the appearance of faces, animals, and flowers. Once when she could not sleep, Athena recounted the many designs she could find, savoring the fact that only she knew of all the stories hidden in the stones.

Meratta slept close to her mother with her hand resting gently upon her breast. Just knowing her mother was near was a comfort for Meratta. She was younger than Athena and fair-skinned like the water lily petals found near the canals of Atlantis. Of course, being the younger sister had its benefits and rewards. Meratta was always allowed her say, no matter what the topic or how wrong she might be in understanding or discussing it. Her light blue eyes would sparkle at the slightest excitement, and she possessed a gentle smile, which she shared with everyone. Meratta was shorter than Athena, who was taller than most women, but a sturdy girl with a laugh that echoed through the caves.

The sisters were very close, mostly because they both had a passion to learn the healing ways. Most days, they could be found together just outside the cave-dwelling up to their knees in green shrubs and thickets of berries. Once they witnessed their mother’s healing by Amma, the two sisters were determined to be healers like their mentor.

Amma did arrive the next day with new herbs and flowers to share. But before she could even take a breath to relax from her hike, Meratta shouted, “Amma, look what I found yesterday!” Meratta took the small bunch of greenery from her cherished basket and placed it on the tall stone in front of them.

“Oh, my… my… this is a wonderful finding, Meratta! It is a rare finding with many healing abilities,” Amma told her softly to calm Meratta’s over-excited state.

As Amma took the greenery into her hand, she touched each leaf as if to impart a magical healing quality to its deep texture. “I will show you how to use this finding tomorrow. Now, let me rest for a little while and talk with your mother,” Amma told Meratta.

Meratta and Athena waited patiently as the two women talked of the stories heard from other cave-dwellers throughout the hills. It sounded to the sisters like there was something happening in the community of Atlantis that was most exciting. When the conversation stopped and Amma came to sit by them, Athena asked, “Can you tell us of the excitement in the community in the valley, Amma?”

Amma began her story. “Many suns and moons have passed since the beginning of the community called Atlantis. Your mother has shared much with you about the great division of people formed between those who now live in the caves and those who live in the community. Before the people of the community had their huge stone dwellings and bright lights, there came large beings from the sky with the highest of knowledge. They had the ability to use their minds to produce everything they desired. They saw a struggling settlement down upon our land where people used twigs and sticks to form huts in which to live. The beings witnessed caring people who lived a physically difficult life and they decided to teach these people the ways of their homeland. The people of the valley had the opportunity of learning from the beings how to use their minds to develop their needs and change their lives. Many people did learn from the visitors how to manipulate with their minds, while others did not. Soon the visiting beings left and the settlers in the valley formed groups. The groups were divided—those who could use their minds to create and those who could not.”

Amma took a long breath and then continued with her story, “You girls only get glimpses of the community of Atlantis when you are out searching for your healing herbs and berries. Those people who did not learn to envision with their minds became cave-dwellers such as you and I. Our people have lived many lives in the caves, learning and teaching each other the ways of healing, growing food, and using the many tools the caves have given us.”

Illustration of Plato’s Atlantis

“What tools?” asked Meratta with twinkling eyes.

“The tools I am going to share with you today. I am sure you must have seen many forms of these tools already,” Amma said. She dug with her gnarled hand into her basket to reveal a cloth folded neatly around items only imagined by Athena and Meratta.

“Oh, do share now, Amma! I am too excited to wait any longer,” Meratta said as she once again pulled her unruly strand of hair from her face.

“Yes, my dear, look here….” Amma removed the cloth to expose the cool smooth crystals lying inside. “When you pass the caverns of your cave, did you notice any of these stones?” asked Amma.

“Oh, yes, Amma. I know of several places in the caverns where this type of stone can be found,” Athena responded with an eager tone. “They are not as shiny or smooth as these, but are the same type of stone I am sure.”

“These stones are called crystals. They can be used to heal others by placing them over, around, or upon one’s body. I will teach you both how to use all these crystals, and you will then know many of the ways of healing that I have learned.”

“Oh, thank you, Amma!” shouted Meratta as she jumped up to share the news with her mother who was sitting by the center fire.

“Athena? Look my way, dear one. I am giving you these crystals to keep and learn to use wisely. They have many powers that I will teach you and you will share with Meratta. Let us begin,” and with that, Amma rewrapped the smooth stones, except for one, into the cloth and handed it to Athena.

As Athena became a young woman, she never forgot the special day when her dear Amma had entrusted the healing crystals to her care. Through the years, she and Meratta learned their powers and soon journeyed together each day to help their fellow cave-dwellers return to wellbeing and strength. They both learned how the crystals could be placed evenly around and across the body in different patterns to direct their healing energy. They intuitively learned to use the correct crystals at just the right time in each healing process. But most importantly, they learned from Amma how to take their crystals to the largest cavern in the far hills to renew them with powerful energy.

After many moons, while Amma was showing the young women how to mash the goji berry with the root of anise, she told them the story of the great Trine Crystal.

“Gather near, girls, so my voice does not carry beyond your ears. Soon I will take you on a journey to the cavern near my home in the far hills. There you will witness the mystery of the great Trine Crystal and revel as I once did when seeing it for the first time. The great crystal has enormous powers, enough to fill all your healing tools for the rest of your lives, as well as, to provide the secret energy for the community of Atlantis. It has been told that long ago the sky beings deposited the great crystal into the cavern where it has remained to bring light to the valley. Our people found it by accident while hunting for healing tools. They discovered that by placing each healing crystal tool near the Trine Crystal, it would fill with greater power than before.” Amma adjusted her robe, took a deep breath and continued her tale. “So as my mother shared this with me, and her mother shared with her… I am sharing this with you.”

“When can we leave?” asked Athena bravely.

“Within the next six moons, my dear one,” replied Amma; then turning to Meratta, she whispered, “We will have a great journey together, just the three of us!”

Meratta clapped her hands and gave the old woman a hug. “I just knew there was something special about the great cavern we have heard about from others. I will go tell Mother of our plan.” Meratta then jumped up to go in search of her mother.

“Amma, why is there not a great crystal for our people?” asked Athena with a concerned stare.

“Dear child, our people chose to live in the caves. They knew they would not live fairly beside those in the community and, therefore, chose to make a life away from the stone dwellings. We have had our trials, but our knowledge of the land, sky, water, plants, and animals is all we need to live in peace. One day, I will tell you the story of the strife and discord in the community below and how it hangs heavy on the people who live there. But for now, let us talk of healing! Where did Meratta go? She needs to be near to learn the mashing of the berries!” Amma said more loudly than usual, and then she rose from her sitting position to glance sideways in search of Meratta.

Two

To deny the reality of things is to miss their reality; to assert the emptiness of things is to miss their reality.

Chien-chih Seng-ts’anZen Patriarch, 606 AD

I awoke with a jerk and kept my eyes closed so I would not forget the dream so fresh in my consciousness. As I lay in bed remembering the visions of a lifetime from so long ago, I gently opened my eyes while reaching for the pen and tablet I had purposefully laid out the night before. Eagerly, I began to write. I wrote for hours early that morning and again late into the night. I knew from past experience that if I did not go-with-the-flow of a writer’s vision, it would be tucked in the recesses of my mind to be lost forever. I wrote down all I could remember of the convincing dream I had experienced early that morning.

Again, I questioned whether I was crazy, or at the very least delusional. I gazed in the mirror, disappointed to see the aging woman who lived there. Combing my thinning blonde-white hair, I stopped to study the wrinkles around my eyes. At least the years had not robbed me of my smile; I took a quick second to smile back approvingly at the mirror’s unfamiliar reflection. Was I chasing dreams like they were the magical potion for eternal life? I thought to myself. Was it a lark to believe David could actually send me visions of our lifetimes together? I turned to place the pen down on the night table to organize a new tablet showing a blank page ready to accept another story from my dream world.

That evening before retiring for bed, I took out Tablet #3 to peruse its contents. I began to read out loud the first words handwritten with my favorite black inked pen: “Athena? Meratta? Where are you girls?” the old woman called. After reading through most of the tablet, I edged toward believing the dreams were sent by my departed husband, as proof of our lifetimes together.

David and I met when I was just fifteen years old. At the time, I was not sure I should even be talking to him over the neighbor’s hedge. He came regularly to work in our neighbor’s yard. I could tell he was much too old for me, maybe even out of high school. But, each time I heard his noisy lawnmower’s motor, my heart stopped. Then it would begin beating so fast that I thought it would pop out of my chest! I would quickly go outside to watch my reflection in the large front window while practicing my cheerleading moves. I did my jumps and yelled out all the high school cheers, well knowing I was being watched. I did my best to impress the glances I was receiving from over the hedge. This ritual went on for several weeks through the early summer when I was quite bored. I actually enjoyed going to school, and when summers came with their three-month school break, there seemed to be a sense of limbo to my life—but not in the summer of 1961.

After several weeks of cheerleading displays, David waved over the hedge he was trimming and said, “Hi! What’s your name?”

I stopped my cheerleading yells and came closer, saying, “Hi, what did you say?” I could only see his head and shoulders above the hedge.

“I said, ‘What– is– your– name?’” he asked again.

“Oh, well, I guess it’s okay to tell you, even though I really don’t know who you are… it’s Barbara,” I said very coolly while also trying to smile.