Magenta Pixie (conversations with the White, Winged, Collective, Consciousness of Nine.)

I placed the eagle feather atop the snakeskin next to the tail of a salmon.

I call upon the creatures of the land to help me stay grounded.
I call upon the creatures of the sea to help me see.
I call upon the creatures of the air to help me understand.

I lit the red candle and put the brass tumbler to my lips. The warm liquid tasted bitter and unpleasant but I drank it in one go.

Naked, I climbed into the fur covered bed. The tent was cosy and everything seemed tinged with a red glow. I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me.

I was walking down a long cream coloured path. I was barefooted yet the ground seemed warm and cosy. The trees and flowers glowed a brighter colour than any I'd seen before. The silence rang loudly in my ears and I breathed deeply of the flowery scent in the air.

Be careful...

nagged witch Marria's warning words in my mind...

don't allow the sensations of the dreamworld to overpower you. You may never return to the real world if you do.

I fought against the intoxicating smells and headed for the huge golden pyramid in front of me. It was breathtaking. As I approached I could see an open doorway.

Beware if the place welcomes you too quickly.

A nagging feeling grew in the pit of my stomach.

No one will know the answers more than you. It is your dream. Focus your instincts, remember, you are from a long line of seers. The sight will not fail you Karren, not if you trust it.

Could I trust it? I focused with all my might but the doubts remained small and intangible.

Relax when you focus Karren. Don't try too hard.
I relaxed. Instantly the feelings grew from nagging doubts to overwhelming anxiety and foreboding. I knew then, with all that I possessed that this was not the right place.

'Begone illusion. I search only for truth.'

Stay calm at all times girl, else you will awaken before you discover anything of import.
The majestic pyramid disappeared, leaving in it's place a tumbledown shack of old logs, not unlike the treehouse my elder brother made us all those years ago. Yet the treehouse held so many wonderful, childhood memories for me. The feeling of happiness started deep in my belly and grew quickly into euphoria. This was the place! This tumbledown shack had about as much grandeur as a pigsty yet love beamed from it's very core. I understood what Marria meant now when she warned me of the false paradise.

Never take anything on face value in the dreamworld. Listen to your inner feelings over the physical senses . Only the pure of heart will find their way.

The pyramid had been amazing in it's richness and grandeur, yet the simplicity of the shack was far more magical.

Suddenly an eagle swooped down from no-where. I gasped when it spoke to me.

'I am Kreutzet. I am the guardian of paradise. I have three questions to ask of you and only if you answer all three correctly will you be permitted entry.'

Here it was. The test.

The test will only ever contain answers you already know. The questions cannot go beyond your own subconscious.
'Who is Inari?' he asked. This one was easy. Witch Marria and Father Drayne had taught me well.

'He is the rice god of Japan' I answered boldly.

'Correct,' squawked Kreutzet.

'Which type of vampire has the head of an animal, the claws of a bird and the horns of a goat?'

Vampire studies was one of my least enjoyable subjects yet I had learned their folklore well. I pictured the horned, animal headed vampire he spoke of.

'The Utukku.' I replied.

'Again correct.'

I beamed. I was doing well.

'How many dimensions can humans access?'

I groaned inwardly. Science was never my best subject. There were twelve dimensions in all but as we lived in a three dimensional world most humans could only access three of them. Of course there were the seers like myself and my grandmother who could access the fourth dimension. I opened my mouth to say four, then stopped suddenly and remembered witch Marria's words once again.

Most seers communicate with the fourth dimension. But there are a few humans who are permitted access to the dimension above that one. In this dimension resides the guides of spirit. Humans need to access the key of light before they are granted access to this dimension.

I had my answer.

'Five,' I replied, 'Humans can access five dimensions even whilst in a three dimensional body.'

' Well done. All three correct answers. You are therefore granted access to paradise. The answers to every question you could ever ask await you and you will be able to create your own reality. There are clues everywhere. Use your time in paradise well, for it is short. Your mission is to uncover the truth to existence and to have fun along the way. Much luck to you Karren.'

The door to the little shack opened before me, excitedly I walked through. I had waited so long for this moment. As I walked through the door I no longer felt the floor beneath my feet and I felt as though I was floating. I was warm and cosy. Horror crept into my heart as I took in my surroundings, the red glow, the almost burned out candle, the walls of the tent around me. I was back in the waking world! I had been cheated! Where were the answers now? What did this mean? Slowly the truth dawned upon me. I now realised. I knew. I looked up to see witch Marria smiling at me from the doorway of my tent.