*
Chapter Twelve:
The Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs
*
Dorothy was awakened by a cold wet nose nuzzling her arm. She heard avoice say, "Move over please, move over." The nose and the voicebelonged to a round, bright yellow furry ball with huge round dark brownliquid eyes.
"Who are you?" inquired Dorothy.
"The name of my species," replied the animal tartly, "is Fuzzy YellowWogglebug. Would you move over please? You're blocking the entrance tomy home."
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Dorothy, sitting up.
"That's quite all right," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "No harmdone." The Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug promptly disappeared into a hole undera large clump of grass. He reappeared a moment later and lookedquizzically at Dorothy. "Would you care to have tea with me? It's nottoo often that I have a guest for tea."
"Why thank you. I'd love to," replied Dorothy. "But I'm afraid I'm too big."
"Oh, dear," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "I hadn't thought of that.Well," he said brightly, "we'll soon take care of that problem. Juststay right where you are." He disappeared again, and this time returnedwith a bright yellow tablecloth and a bright yellow picnic basket. Hethen laid out the tablecloth on the grass, opened up the picnic basket,and handed Dorothy a bright yellow cup and saucer. He then returned tohis hole and reappeared promptly with a bright yellow teapot on a brightyellow tray. "Would you care for milk and sugar?" he asked as he pouredher tea.
"Just a little of each, thank you," replied Dorothy, helping herselffrom a bright yellow milk jug and a bright yellow sugar bowl. "My, youcertainly like yellow," said Dorothy as she sipped her tea.
"Of course," replied the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug without explaining further.
"I'm surprised that you don't make your home in Colorland in the YellowBelt," said Dorothy. "I would think you'd be right at home there."
"Oh, no," answered the little creature emphatically. "That would be toomuch for us Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs, but we do visit there twice eachweek. You see," he explained, "we Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs must absorb agreat deal of yellow if we are to keep our pretty yellow fur. Otherwiseit would fade very quickly to a dirty brown color like the otheranimals. We are very proud of our color; we surround ourselves withyellow so that we constantly absorb it."
"I see," said Dorothy thoughtfully. "Well, I must admit it is a verybright happy cheerful color."
"Yes indeed," replied the little creature. "That is why we Fuzzy YellowWogglebugs have such bright, happy cheerful dispositions -- which is justas well, I might add. You see, some of the other animals don't like us;they are quite jealous of our bright yellow color, and can be quitehurtful at times."
"I'm so sorry," said Dorothy. "But you are so nice, why would anyonewant to be hurtful?"
"Well, unfortunately, they only see our color; they don't see theperson. We are personalities just like them, but they don't choose tosee beyond our color, so they won't have much to do with us. Why, justthe other day, my little girl was playing at school with a little browngirl bear she had become friends with, when the other bigger brown bearstook the little girl brown bear aside and said, 'Why are you playingwith that Yellow Wogglebug?' My little girl's friend said, 'Becauseshe's very nice to me, and we're friends.' 'Well, don't mix with thoseYellow Wogglebugs,' they told her. 'Play with your own kind.' So now thelittle brown girl bear and my little girl are quite sad and, needless tosay, lonely, because they liked each other more than anyone else at school."
"You know," said Dorothy, "the bigger brown bears that told the littlegirl brown bear not to play with your little girl are the ones I feelsorry for."
"Sorry for them?" exclaimed the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug in surprise. "Whywould you be sorry for them?"
"Well, they are the real losers," said Dorothy, "for they must gothrough life with all that hatred and resentment inside them. Not veryconducive to becoming a happy well-adjusted person."
"You show great insight for one so young," said the Fuzzy YellowWogglebug. "What you say is so true. Yet many people fail to see it."
"It seems to me they don't want to," said Dorothy.
"But why not?" asked the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "Do they prefer to bemiserable?"
"It appears that way, doesn't it? I was just discussing this with myfriends. People are often their own worst enemy. They are at the mercyof their thoughts, so to speak. They do not make a concentrated effortto control their thoughts, so their thoughts control them."
"You talk as if thoughts have a mind of their own," said the FuzzyYellow Wogglebug.
"In a way they do," replied Dorothy. "Of course, people's thoughtsrevolve around themselves a great deal, since our main concerns are todo with our own physical comfort. After all, everyone wants to be warmand dry, and to be well fed and secure. So our thoughts, quitenaturally, center on our own feelings. But as a consequence, we canbecome self-centered, even selfish. Some people can take selfishness tothe point of depriving others of their basic needs so they can acquiremore for themselves. A good example of this is a Dictator of a countryamassing for himself a fortune, while the majority of his people arestarving to death. Or a business which is not satisfied with areasonable rate of return, but extracts an exorbitantly high profit atthe expense of people who are struggling to make ends meet. Now, thereis nothing wrong with using one's own talents to make a pleasant lifefor one's self; to acquire a nice home, and to have an abundant life,for we are meant to enjoy life. But this abundant and joyous life cannotcome by taking from others what is not rightfully ours to take; but canonly come by maintaining a fair exchange of each other's goods andservices, and by leaving the element of greed out of all transactions.Thoughts that are greedy thoughts are our mortal enemy."
"Do you know," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, "that thoughts have shapes?"
"They do?" said Dorothy in surprise. "That I didn't know."
"Oh yes, as a matter of fact, the area around the Wicked Witch's castleis called /'Negativethoughtland./' Negative thoughts are, as you know,the worst kind of thoughts there are; so you can imagine what monstrousthoughts must dwell around that castle, just laying in wait forunsuspecting travelers."
"You mean you can see them?" asked Dorothy, her eyes getting big.
"Oh, yes," answered the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "You see, every thoughtyou think is a new creation, so it has to go somewhere and do something.Now, if it is a good thought, like, say...."
"Like I'm thinking right now," said Dorothy. "That I love my Aunt Em,and that I wish I was with her."
"Yes," said the Wogglebug. "That thought is a thought of love and willgo right to your Aunt Em and help to make her feel good."
"What does that thought look like?" asked Dorothy.
"It looks like a soft crimson projectile like a comet. When it hits yourAunt Em, it will burst and shower her with little explosions of pure love."
"That sounds beautiful," said Dorothy. "Can you tell me the shapes ofsome other thoughts and what their effects are?"
"When you go to Negativethoughtland, you will see some awful shapes;they are visible to everyone there."
"Can they hurt me?" asked Dorothy anxiously.
"They cannot come near light," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "Infact, light dissolves them. But if you have a lot of negative thoughtsyourself, you will attract them to you and they will make you morenegative; so you must think positive thoughts. Be happy, optimistic andcheerful; loving and kind. And as long as you do that, these negativethoughts will never come near you -- for they cannot stand the light thatpositive thoughts are made of. So when you go throughNegativethoughtland, visualize light all around you -- this will protectyou. Learn to do that every day as you walk to school. Put light aroundyour house in Kansas every night. Be enthusiastic. Face each day withdetermination and know that you can master any problem that the day maybring. As you go through life you will face many difficulties ... buteverything's not going to happen to you all at once. So just take oneday at a time a
nd do the best you can with that day -- that's all that isexpected of you. Each day that you live, you can be earning your way toa better place -- a better life. But you must do the earning yourself;you must do the work. No one else can do it for you."
"What you are saying makes a lot of sense," said Dorothy. "When I getback to Kansas, they're going to see a new me."
"Well," said the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, "that's very commendable; butdon't set too high a standard for yourself. Don't say, 'I'm going to beperfect,' or 'I'll never lose my temper again,' or 'I'll never do thisor that again.' Just say 'I'm going to do my best; but if I make amistake, I'll try to do better next time.' At least you will be tryingto control your thoughts and emotions, and that's half the battle rightthere."
"You know, Mr. Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug," smiled Dorothy, "you may nothave much of an education, but you have a great deal of wisdom andunderstanding. Some educated people don't have that."
"Why thank you, Dorothy," replied the Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug. "I supposeI do try to compensate for my lack of education by thinking aboutthings. It's good to think, don't you agree?"
"Oh, yes," answered Dorothy. "One should always take the time to quietlythink about things. By the way, may I ask you a question?"
"You may indeed," replied the Wogglebug.
"Well, this is sort of a personal question," said Dorothy.
"That's quite all right," replied the Wogglebug. "What is it?"
"Well, it's about your name," answered Dorothy.
"What about my name? Don't you like it?" asked the Wogglebug kindly.
"Oh, yes I do," replied Dorothy. "I love your name. But I just wonderedwhat /Woggle/ meant. And you are not a bug, exactly."
"Oh, that's easy to explain," said the Wogglebug. "You see, in ancienttimes, the Oz word for work was woggle; and in those days, we were theworkhorses of Oz, so to speak. We worked mainly in the fields. Weharvested the wheat and the corn, the rye, et cetera. Our daily pay wassix pennies and a pocket full of rye or wheat -- whatever we wereharvesting at the time (of course, money is no longer necessary in Oz,as you know) and you're right, we're not bugs at all. We're animals;anyway, we came to be known as Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs and that name isnow our official title. Also, we are on good terms with thecommonly-known Wogglebug insects, and consider it an honor to share thename with those industrious creatures. Would you like to hear the famousWogglebug song? We used to sing it in the fields while we worked, andit's still very popular today."
"Oh, I'd love to hear it," replied Dorothy enthusiastically.
The Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug cleared his throat and said, "It goes likethis." He began to sing in a beautiful, rich baritone voice:
"I'm a Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, I woggle all day long, I woggle in the morning, at night I sing my song. I sing a song of sixpence, with a pocket full of rye, I'm a Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, I'll woggle 'til I die. I'm a Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebug, I'll woggle 'til I die -- hey!"
As he finished the last line, about fifty Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs came out oftheir little mounds and started to sing and dance:
"We're Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs, we woggle all day long, We woggle in the morning, at night we sing our song. We sing a song of sixpence with a pocket full of rye, We're Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs, we'll woggle 'til we die. We're Fuzzy Yellow Wogglebugs, we'll woggle 'til we die -- Hey!"
When the other yellow Wogglebugs finished singing, they all turned toDorothy, and said shyly, "Nice to have met you, Dorothy." Then they alldisappeared back into their little mounds. Dorothy turned to her littleWogglebug friend, but he had disappeared, too. She bent down and tappedat his little door. The door opened, and the yellow wogglebug's faceappeared.
"I didn't mean to be rude, Dorothy. But I must get recharged. My yellowis beginning to fade, and I wouldn't want you to see me without myyellow. I'd just be plain old ordinary brown."
"Oh, that's all right," said Dorothy. "I'd love you just as much -- nomatter what your color. It's you I love, you know."
"I know," said the Wogglebug. "But I wouldn't feel myself without myyellow color."
"I understand," sighed Dorothy. "Well, it's been a great pleasuremeeting you. I hope to see you again very soon."
"Thank you, Dorothy," said the little creature. "I hope so, too. Verymuch." He reached up and kissed Dorothy on the nose; then disappearedinside his house.
*
Chapter Thirteen:
Princess Saari's Colorland and the Conciencez
*
"Dorothy! Dorothy! Where are you?" It was the Lion. "We must be on ourway!" he said.
"I'm ready," replied Dorothy. "I've just had the most delightfulexperience with a Wogglebug."
"Oh, yes," said the Lion. "Aren't they just the most adorable creatures?"
"Yes indeed," said Dorothy. "I wish I could take one home with me toKansas."
"I wonder what your Aunt Em would think," said the Lion. "To see a fuzzyyellow animal that talks."
Dorothy laughed. "That would be quite a sight. I'd love to see Aunt Em'sface if that happened."
"What if you brought us all home?" said the Lion. "She would really besurprised then!"
Dorothy smiled at the thought of it. She could just see the expressionon Uncle Henry's face as she introduced her friends to him. And if shetook them all to school, how exciting that would be. Her school friendswould really be surprised to see a scarecrow, a tin man and a lionwalking around and talking. As it was, she knew no one would believe herwhen she did return. She knew that she really would not be able to tellanyone about her adventures. They just would say she had been dreaminglike the last time.
"Well, let's be on our way," repeated the Lion. "Do you see that redhaze, Dorothy?"
"Yes," said Dorothy. "I do. I see some of the other colors, too. Itlooks like a big rainbow on the ground." As they walked towardColorland, Dorothy began to think about her adventures so far. She washaving a really exhilarating time. She felt somehow she was undergoing alearning experience, and felt good about it. She realized, thinking backon her life, that it was all a learning experience. That she waslearning and growing and expanding in awareness and understanding. Shesensed that somehow there was a guiding force behind her life, gentlynudging her into different directions and into different experiences.She felt that it was important to somehow try to get in tune with thisforce and not to get upset when things did not go exactly her way, butto accept gracefully the bad with the good and to try to learn from eachexperience. She sensed that if she did this, and especially if she askedfor guidance each day, that perhaps some of the bad experiences that shewas yet to go through in her life might not be as harsh as theyotherwise would have been. She realized that her own attitude duringeach experience was the key to the whole thing. If she allowed herselfto become agitated and upset over every little thing that happened, orover the way other people behaved or talked, her life would be one ofconstant turmoil. But if she maintained a positive, optimistic attitudeand did not allow the negativity of others to affect her, and if shetried to understand the motivation behind others' actions and words andtried to help them where she could, her own life would be happier andmore meaningful. She knew that a great deal of what others said or didwas through lack of understanding. She vaguely remembered a sayingsomewhere: "/Forgive them, for they know not what they do/."
"Well, here we are." The Lion's voice awoke her from her thoughts. Asthey approached the Red Belt, Dorothy could sense a strange vibration.It was not at all unpleasant; in fact, as they got closer, she felt awarm glow all over. As they were about to enter, a young lady appearedin front of them. She was tall and beautiful, with long black hair, andwore a robe of pure white. As she spoke, her dark eyes flashed withmerriment.
"Welcome," she said. "My name is Princess Saari. It is a pleasure to seeyou all. I am to be your guide through Colorland. Please feel free toask questions; I know y
ou will find this to be a most pleasant andenjoyable experience." Princess Saari turned. "Come," she said,beckoning them to follow.
As they all walked into the Red Belt, the feeling of heat becamestronger. It was not a hot heat, but more of an intense glow. The soundof the musical note "/Do/" could be heard faintly in the background.
"How do you feel, Dorothy?" asked Saari.
"Oh, glorious," replied Dorothy. "I feel full of energy."
"When you return home to Kansas," went on Saari, "should you feel low onenergy, take a few moments to imagine yourself bathed in a deep rosered, just as you are right now. Breathe the red deeply, relax and seeevery cell of your body and mind bathed in the red. As you breathe thered out again slowly, let your consciousness become one with the red,and visualize every cell of your body renewed and vibrant and full ofenergy. Do this two or three times, and I'm sure you will feel muchbetter. If you wish to help a friend or relative who is tired orrundown, visualize them bathed in the red and see them as vibrant,energetic and happy; be sure to feel a lot of love toward them as you dothis, and I'm sure they will be helped. Now, we mustn't stay too long inany one color; you can get too much of a good thing; we must keep abalance. Before we go into the Orange Belt let me explain the negativeaspects of the red. Since it is an energy color, a person who is angryor very upset creates a great deal of it around himself for as long ashe allows himself to be in that discordant state of mind. This would notbe a good time to visualize the red around that person. By the sametoken, an excitable person who is easily upset should not wear clothingthat is red in color. Now, you may quiet emotionally disturbed people bysurrounding them with the color blue. If someone becomes angry with you,don't be angry back, but see that person bathed in a cool blue light.Now, if you are all ready, we will enter the Orange Belt."
As they all walked into the golden orange color, Dorothy felt thechanging vibration and hear the continuous tone of the musical note"/Re/." Princess Saari said, "Breathe in the orange deeply; it's likeoxygen to your lungs. Do you feel the power as you breathe in? See thisgolden orange color in your lungs sending its vital energy into yourbloodstream and carrying that energy to every cell of your body. Feelyourself filled with vitality and enthusiasm. How do you feel?" askedSaari, turning to Dorothy.
"Just wonderful," she replied. "I can't wait to see what the yellowfeels like."
The little group walked on in silence until the Yellow Belt began. Asthey walked into the yellow, they could feel a cheerful mood coming on.Dorothy could feel her skin tingling. She could hear in the backgroundthe musical note, "/Mi/."
Princess Saari said, "This ray promotes optimism and cheerfulness. Italso has a cleansing effect on the skin. It has a quieting effect on thenerves and stimulates the mental faculties."
Dorothy said, "I always thought that color was just plain color, plainand simple. I didn't know that each color had a different effect on you."
"There is a great deal that is not known," said Princess Saari. "Atleast, not known to the general public; you see, throughout history,there are those who have been knowledgeable on certain subjects:subjects which are generally not taught. Not too long ago these peoplewere burned at the stake by those who feared them. One always fears whatone doesn't understand. Even today these people do not say too much, asthey know that much of what they might say would not be accepted.However, for one such as yourself who has an open and curious mind,books are available on these subjects and can be found."
The Scarecrow interceded, "We discussed this recently, didn't we, Dorothy?"
"Yes, we did," said Dorothy. "We all had quite a discussion on thesubject of knowledge and truth and books?"
"What was the general consensus?" asked the princess.
"Well, that we should not accept blindly that which adults teach us, butthat we should sift and question and think for ourselves. And if we'renot happy with the answer to something, we should find out more about it."
"And if we should become confused by conflicting ideas," said the TinWoodman, "we should meditate on the subject and ask the Great Wizard togive us the truth or to guide us in the right direction."
"Do you know who the Great Wizard is?" asked Princess Saari.
"I was telling Dorothy something about Him," said the Tin Woodman, "butcouldn't quite explain how it is that He loves everyone -- even theWicked Witch...."
"Well, I'll be happy to explain a little more about Him," said Princess
Saari.
"Couldn't you also cover meditation?" said the Tin Woodman. "I was goingto explain this to Dorothy, but I would prefer that you teach us."
"I'll be glad to," said the princess. "We'll discuss the Great Wizard aswe go into our meditation. Any further questions can be answered beforeyou leave Colorland. All right, let's begin," said the princess. As shespoke, a chair appeared behind each of them. "Please be seated," shesaid. "Sit upright with your back straight and your legs together. Placeyour hands upon your knees and turn the palms of your hands upwards.Now, close your eyes and think of the sun; feel its light and warmth onyour face; now think of the Great Wizard standing in the middle of thesun. You can't see Him, but you know He's there. Feel his warmth andlove pouring down on you. Breathe in that light. As you breathe in thelight, visualize a little bright light inside you, like a tiny sun. Seethat little light inside you grow brighter and brighter until you arefilled with this great light. Within this light are all the colors ofthe rainbow. You may send this great light within you to anyone you knowwho is sad, or not feeling well, or perhaps you have a pet cat or dog,or even a horse you want to help -- this light can be used for anypurpose, to help anyone, even to make your plants and flowers growbeautifully. Remember, as you send this light, feel that beautiful lovein your heart. Become one with the light.
"Now let us go into deeper meditation. There are many ways to do this,but I think you will especially like this one. Imagine a little door inthe middle of the light inside you. As you look at the door, you seesome words on it. As you get closer, you see that the words say/'secret/ /place/' and above these words is your name. For example,/'Dorothy's secret place/.' Around your neck is a beautiful gold chainwith a tiny gold key attached. You take the chain off over your head andplace the key in the lock, turn it, and open the door. You walk insideand close the door behind you; then you place the key back in the lockand lock the door from the inside. You then put the chain back aroundyour neck. As you turn to observe your secret place, you hear the mostbeautiful music and feel an outpouring of love showering down upon you.You are filled with a joy and peace that you have never known before.This is your secret place; no one can enter without your permission.
"As you look around you, you see your favorite scene. Perhaps abeautiful sandy seashore. The surf gently tumbles over the rocks andsends a fine spray of salty mist into your face -- you can even taste thesalt in the spray. Everything smells so fresh and clean. The soft sandunder your feet is pure white, and as you walk into the wet sand, thesurf gently laps over your feet.
"You may prefer that your secret place be a garden filled with flowers,by a lake, or in the mountains. Wherever your favorite place is, takethe time to enjoy your surroundings -- the colors of the flowers, theshapes and textures of different objects and materials. And be still --listen to sounds, such as the surf, a waterfall or a fountain splashing.Smell the aroma of a thousand flowers, of freshly cut grass. Just drinkeverything in and enjoy it.
"Your favorite place may be a book-lined study, with a thick, luxuriouscarpet and a large, comfortable easy chair. You may keep the same secretplace or change as you wish. But wherever you are, visualize yourself aslaying down or sitting down and closing your eyes and relaxing. Don'ttry to control or stop your random thoughts - let them gradually settledown and become very still. Think of the feeling of love inside you, ofthe 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 bluelight appearing in front of you, and ever so slowly the blue light takesthe f
orm of a majestic being in a beautiful white robe. As the faceforms, you observe the kindest eyes you have ever seen. You feel wavesof pure love radiating toward you. These waves of love are so strongthat tears fill your eyes and roll down your cheeks.
"The being speaks to you in a most serene and gentle voice. 'My child, Iam so happy that we could meet at long last. I have known you from thebeginning, but you would not take the time to become ever so still inorder to seek me; for you had forgotten me. Now that we are togetheragain, we must maintain contact. This is your sanctuary. You can bealone here. It is good for you to come here each day, and when you wishto speak with me, know that I always hear you. In time, as you becomeever so still, you may see images, which as you learn to interpret them,will bring answers to your questions. These images and symbols are myway of communicating with you. Of course, you might at times also hearmy voice.'"
After a moment of silence, Princess Saari continued, "The Great Wizardis a doer of good, but the work He wishes to do can only be done throughyou. He needs you very much. But He says if your mind is full of worryor fear, He cannot work through you. You must bring your worries andfears to Him. When you have problems, great or small, wrap them in apackage and bring the package to Him. He will open the package and studyeach 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 apicture, just as when you dream, or, you may not receive anything atthat time. But, be assured, everything is known.
"Now, this work that He has for you to do is to bring light to others. Akind word here, a smile there; people will be drawn to you. He has otherwork for you to do as your life unfolds. There is much darkness andignorance in your mortal world. He wants you to learn that you mayinspire and uplift and be an example for others to follow. The ignorantwill be cruel to you. They sneer at goodness. But forgive them, for theyknow not where their true happiness lies. Send them love and light tohelp them. Picture them in your mind as perfect expressions of kindnessand love. Do this often, and I think you will begin to see a change intheir manner. If you were to just hate them back, you would feel as badas they do.
"Ah, if you could but catch a glimpse of what is in store for each andevery one, you would be amazed. You see, it is the "I" within you thatgoes before you to prepare a place for you, and it is the good that youdo, and think, and feel, that is building that place. So be strong, havecourage, feel love in your heart, and nothing shall overcome you.
"Remember, there is someone who is with you always. Together, you can doanything; 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 wonderfultalk," she said. "Thank you very much."
"You mustn't thank me," replied Princess Saari. "You are being taughtthese things because of your desire to learn and to grow, and to expandin consciousness. As you now know, the Great Wizard wishes to bringlight into your realm as so many there live in darkness. And when youreturn from Oz, you will take this light with you and be an inspirationto those around you. Then, as each person in your personal sphere ofinfluence allows the light of love to shine brightly, so shall yourcountry be transformed to a world of light. You will truly have Oz inAmerica.
"We do have some minor problems in Oz, as you know. But we have a greatlove for one another. Many emotions and problems that you have in Kansasare 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 saidwith a twinkle in her eye. "If we're bad, it's in a good way, if youknow what I mean."
Everyone smiled.
"I just love Oz," said Dorothy. "When I get back to Kansas, I'm going todo everything I can to make it just like Oz."
"It may take a little time," said Princess Saari. "People don't changequickly. One day Oz and the mortal realms will be as one. When peoplefinally come to the realization that most of their unhappiness isbrought about by their own attitudes and negativity, then change willbegin to take place. For example, when love is substituted foranimosity, and generosity for greediness; and patience for temper, andas jealousy, envy and hatefulness are eliminated, then you shall see atrue peace on earth. In your dealings with others, you must remember tobe kind and courteous. Do not speak or think negatively or allowyourself to be placed in a negative state by them. Never speak ill ofothers or speak harshly against them. If you do listen to people who mayinfluence you in the wrong direction, stop and think of the consequencesbefore you are won over into their darkness. You will grow in the lightand walk in that beautiful illumination. You will know that you havecreated that light through your own desire, and you will keep it aglowby working in harmony with others and by your daily meditation. You arenot 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 toolong in the Yellow."
Everyone arose and followed Princess Saari into the Green Belt. At onceit felt cool and serene. The musical note "/Fa/" could be heard clearly.Princess Saari turned and motioned them all to sit. They did so, andquickly absorbed the green light. The feeling of serenity and peacealmost made Dorothy fall asleep. Princess Saari explained, "The green isidentified with growing things: grass, trees, flowers and so on. It is astrong healing color. Doctors and nurses often have green around them,along with other healing tones. Green also has a calming effect on themind and nerves. So, relax everyone, and soak up the green. Breathe itdeeply and hold it for a few seconds. See it flow to every cell of yourbody. Now breathe it out slowly, hold; breathe it in again. Doesn't thatfeel good? It is good to feel the quiet and calm. The outer noise andturmoil is far removed from us. The more light we allow into our lives,the less the outer restlessness, discord and confusion affects us. Wecan remain calm and peaceful in all circumstances. It makes us feel goodabout life; about ourselves, and nothing can come to us of an inferiornature."
Just then, Dorothy noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. Sheturned to Princess Saari anxiously. "Excuse me, but did you seesomething?" she said, rather worriedly.
Saari placed her arms around Dorothy, saying, "You know there's nothingto 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 ifthey 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 outthe forms of several creatures. When the creatures saw that they wererecognized, they tilted their heads to one side; they cupped their headsin 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 mustlike plants."
"Why yes," replied Dorothy. "I'm very fond of growing things. I have myown little garden back in Kansas."
"Well, the Conciencez know that," said Saari. "That's why they came tosee 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 plantswould not be so beautiful and would hardly grow at all."
"My goodness," said Dorothy. "I thought that if plants had light andwater and food in the soil, they just grew."
"That's what most people think," said the Princess. "But if they couldsee the Conciencez at work, they would be very surprised.
"Plants to the Conciencez are as important as people are to us
. Theyprotect them and care for them. Each Conciencez has many plants underhis charge. They start work at dawn with a great joy and happiness. Theydraw their feelings of joy from the flowers and other plants which arethemselves filled with happiness at the coming of each new dawn.
"The Conciencez hover near the plants they are in charge of and try tofind out if anything is wrong -- sort of like a doctor making the roundsof his patients. They often stay with a flower if it's not doing toowell; petting it and loving it like a baby until it feels better. Theywill work also with people who love plants and will help them, althoughthey don't like to be seen unless they know that you will understand andnot be frightened. As you can see, they have a resemblance to humans,but their facial features can barely be made out. Their eyes are almostnonexistent, with no eyelids or lashes. They have a slight suggestion ofa nose and of ears and just barely a slit for a mouth, although if youlook 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 wedo, but they feel the radiation of light and sound with their entirebody. They don't eat food; but they gain their nourishment from theperfume of the flowers by bathing in the various fragrances daily. Theydon't have inner organs as we do, but where the ear would be is aglowing pulsating golden light. They tune the pulsation's to the pulsingvibrations 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'sgoing 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'stotally unaware of the world above the surface or deep below. What heperceives with his senses in his own world is to him all there is."Princess Saari stood and beckoned everyone to follow as she walked intothe 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 atemperature, the blue will have a soothing effect on you; it is a serenecolor and quiets the nervous system. It's good to visualize the bluearound 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 acolor 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 ofyour 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 severaltimes during the day using a small glass. Experiment with differentcolors 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 violettreated water, as these colors have a soothing effect on the nerves. Atnight, 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 andsee yourself in a deep peaceful sleep and tell yourself that uponawakening the next morning you will be fully rested, vibrant, full ofenthusiasm, and ready to be up and at 'em.
"All right, everyone," said Princess Saari, clapping her hands, "it'stime to be moving along. We will now enter the Indigo Belt. As youenter, you will become aware of the musical note '/La/.' Indigo is thedark blue. In ancient times, this color was associated with intuition,with the seeking of wisdom and truth. It is the color of highlydeveloped sensitivity. You will feel, as you enter the dark blue, astrange awareness. The stirring of memories deep within, remembrance ofother places, other times. You will know that you are, always have been,and always will be. And that you are being molded according to yourinner desire. As you think in your heart, so shall you be. No one elsemakes you as you are, only you. If you are loving and kind, patient andunderstanding, you are allowing that inner and higher self to have anexpression. You are the master of yourself and you will allow nothoughts of an inferior nature into your kingdom, for you are thesupreme ruler. You have power, you have peace, you are all there is. Andso many wonderful things will come unto you that there shall not be roomto contain them. If all the children in the world were to grow up withthis understanding, the world would be heaven on earth, fear would beunknown; guns and locks would be museum curiosities. Those mind-bendingchemicals and the alcohol would no longer be used to bring people intofalse 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 flowfreely, 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; Ihaven't the ability; I won't do it; I hate to do that/.' Every time yousay /'I'/ you are arousing that great fire and power within you -- thatpower can bring you untold misery or unhappiness to others as well asyourself. And generally, if you unleash misery to others, you areautomatically unleashing it to yourself. Just as when you make anotherhappy, you feel good inside. It is impossible to be angry or upset withsomeone and to feel good at the same time. Repeat this to yourself asyou 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 arefortunate to have earned this privilege. Not everyone has reached apoint in their evolution where this teaching can be given to them, forthey are not ready. To give this teaching to some would be like sowingseeds on stony ground; the thoughts given here could not take root intheir 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 consciousnessthat you will one day reach."
As they entered, Dorothy felt the most beautiful sensation pulsatingthrough her being. She felt as light as a feather -- almost as if shewere floating. In fact, as she looked down, she saw that she washovering about twelve inches above the ground. The musical sound of thenote "/Ti/" was vibrating softly throughout. She turned to see that allthe others were floating, too, including Princess Saari. Everyone lookedat each other in great surprise, with the exception of the Princess,whose eyes twinkled. She explained, "It is impossible for the density ofmatter to exist in the purple, due to its high frequency. As you enterthe purple, you leave the atoms of the physical behind you -- only thehigher vibrating counterpart of the atom -- the '/anim/,' can enter.Hence, your lack of weight. As you can see, you appear solid to eachother, as indeed you are; but, were you back in your homes, you couldwalk through the walls of your houses. Incidentally, there's no need tohover above the ground, unless you want to. Your thoughts now controleverything. You can choose to walk to a given destination, or just thinkyourself 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 ofherself in her house than she was there. No one was home and, for amoment, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming. However, as she lookedaround, she saw Prince
ss Saari appear through the wall.
She smiled, as she took Dorothy's hand. Together they walked through theouter wall to Dorothy's little garden. "I see the little flowers youplanted 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. Thepurple is the highest vibration of the spectrum. It is the seventh colorray, and seven is a very mysterious number. The Purple is a blending ofthe 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 youare all there is.
"Well, this is where your journey ends and where we must part," saidSaari. "I hope you have enjoyed your visit to Colorland, and that it hasinspired you to learn more about the nature of color. I will miss youall very much."
"We will miss you, too, Princess Saari," said Dorothy. "Thank you for awonderful experience." Dorothy reached up and gave Saari a big hug andkiss. Saari embraced each of them in turn. As they left, her eyes filledwith tears. She had grown to love them all very much. Dorothy turned towave as Saari disappeared from view.
Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz Page 10
