The Dreams Keeper

by Paola Elena Ferri

  Dawn is nearing.

  It's time to start a new day.

  Awake, and contemplate the future. You're almost there.

  Bon voyage, Wanderers. Bon voyage, Dream keeper.

  THE LADY OF THE LAKE

  Good morning, Dream keeper. Good morning, Wanderers.

  Have no fear. I know that, before falling asleep, you had not seen any form of life, here, whereas, now you see me.

  Let me thank you. I am the Lady of the Lake, and exist since the beginning of time, but the dimming of human imagination made me vanish, and with me, also the Little People who stay by my side.

  Others of you abandoned the journey, last night, but that doesn’t matter. You have kept your courage, until now. And you have endured the severest tests, and the humiliation of purification. Do you believe you have committed an act that should procure you shame? No, not at all! Thanks to the life that you have succumbed to the lake, we were able to return here to the Land of Dreams!

  Do you know the exploits of King Arthur, the tradition of the Triple Goddess? I am part of that ancient tradition, too often manipulated and commercialized. We have been trampled, warped, and have been used as sacrificial victims for abominable rituals... but we are not what many might think! We do not want to desecrate your religion, nor lead you to witchcraft, or mystify what you are. This is what human beings have did us, but, we, stemming from ancient creatures, are unable defend ourselves. We were unable to bear the disapproval of the many who accused us of wanting to sow evil in your real world. Being simple People, despite the knowledge that was handed down for centuries, we never considered it appropriate to intervene to manipulate the human mind. We cannot. It is not permitted us. It is the human mind that can manipulate what we were and that we became again.

  Thus, do not be afraid, of us, of me. I am but a woman advanced in years, with silver hair that I still wear loose over my worn white robe. My scarlet cloak is, perhaps, the only garment that has remained intact, of the ones I used to wear. Perhaps because it was woven by the Little People and the Virgins who live in the Kingdom. I no longer wear jewelry, if not this bracelet, given to me by the Guardian of the Land of Dreams, before I came back to you.

  Yes, you are wondering if I've seen and recognized him. Yes, the answer is always the same: I recognized him, just as he recognized me, by simply looking at the full moon, under the guise of a white wolf.

  Yes, Dream keeper I know what you are thinking. It was real. But I am not allowed to say more. As for you, Wanderers, don’t ask me anything else, to this regard. In due time, you will know, if you have the perseverance to continue the journey.

  I have come to you, to take you to the other side of the Lake, to the Kingdom.

  This trip will be very important, for all of you. Spark of the Way, Listening from Heaven, Warrior… you have resisted till now, without ever losing hope, despite the most diverse and exhausting situations. Now I can tell you already: you will find the way to the Eternal Present. Your hearts have spoken, and your actions have never contradicted you. It does not matter how much you have done: you have just done it. There will be other stories for you, to try out what you have learned and become, once you end this journey. You will begin another one, where each one of you will be the key player of his adventure.

  The traitor has been cancelled from the memory of this long journey. It's up to him now to prove to himself what he really believes in, and strive constantly to defend his values. It probably was not his time, yet. For the conspirators there will be another fate. The Daughters of Light have seen the darkness in their hearts, and it is likely that they may be guided by many different winds, just to get an ephemeral and immediate goal, often harmful to themselves and to others.

  The Wanderers who surrendered or fled must first of all deal with what they did not want to deal with so far: themselves. The earlier they do it, the earlier they will untie the knots of their lives. The longer they postpone it, the more the knots will tighten, and they will not be able to untie them easily.

  For all the others: destiny is still in your hands. You have the opportunity to choose to continue your journey or not. But you must do it now, because, later on, you cannot turn back, whatever happens. Whatever. Thus, decide now, if you want to get to the other side of the lake or end the journey here. You have no more time left. I need to know who of you will still be upfront, and prove it by taking a step forward. When each one of you, one by one, will have made his choice, you will see the mist rise to blur your sight, until, in front of you, floating on the surface of the water, there will be a boat large enough to take you all, or only the predestined. Choose now.

  Be pleased, Dream keeper: all the Wanderers who have stayed with you, until now, will continue until the end. All of them have taken a step forward. All nine of them.

  Now, the mist will cover the landscape, and, for a moment, the sun will disappear before your eyes. Don’t be afraid. Soon the light will return, and your eyes will open.

  I feel that your hearts are stronger now. Your will is invigorated. The determination that led you to undertake the journey gives new life to your hopes.

  There, now the mist is clearing. You can see me, on this boat, standing in front of you. Next to me, there is a Holder who will row to the other side. Come on board, without delay, because the time has come.

  You are still unable to see though, because the mist has not dissolved completely. You can see the surface of the lake, and perhaps an indefinite shape on the horizon, but nothing else. That’s how it must be. This road should not be traveled by lost or excessively daring Wanderers, but only by those who have distinguished themselves for particular merits. It is a road that you will not remember once you return to your real world. You will only remember the place where you arrived, but not the means, nor the way. Only you, Dream keeper, will remember, because you have pronounced the ancient words that we know too. You will remember this passage from one land to the other, and you will also remember how to get there. Make good use of this gift, as it can give hope to other Wanderers. And you, who do not remember, do not feel penalized for this. Everyone has his own task, and that is all he needs to recognize and remember.

  You will be come to understand everything, once the trip is over. You will understand, because you will give a meaning to what happened. You will forget the humiliation that you had to endure, to let me come to you. You will forget the purification, how it was carried out and what happened there. When the mist will be dissolved, this memory will be erased from your minds and your hearts, but the value of innocence will not be forgotten. Only you, Dream keeper, will remember. Along with the gift, you will also have this burden, which will help to keep the Balance of Laws. You cannot be overly proud, because you will remember the shame with which you got the gift. I'm sorry, my dear ... But it is your task, and is implies great responsibilities that cannot be dispersed in vanity...

  To help you forget, while the mist is lifting, your physical discomforts shall disappear: you women will no longer bleed. And you men will return to a normal state. Thus let it happen, now.

  There, the mist is lifting, as we are nearing the coast.

  Can you see? Someone is already waiting for you, to prepare you for the encounter.

  They are the Virgins, ancient priestesses of a land you can identify with a memory of yours, or with names such as Avalon or Atlantis. It doesn’t matter. You might be thinking this is the land of your dreams, and it is. From all of your imagination, from the past will return what has long been buried by the oblivion of bitterness and disbelief. The hope of the human being will be stronger, and other Wanderers will decide to embark on your journey.

  We have arrived.

  Go ashore my dears. Follow the Virgins: they are here for you.

  I will go ashore for last and go back to the Temple from which, many centuries ago, I arrived.

  Thank you for returning my existence to me.

  You are most welcome, to the Kingdom.

  TH
E SONG OF THE VIRGINS

  Come here, Wanderers. Follow me. I am the Mother, named so because my task is to be a reference to the Virgins.

  Before me, there was another Mother, and there will be another one after me.

  But we don’t have daughters of our own. We do not couple with men, nor give birth to children. We are a family, though not of blood. We follow the way of Purity, in every sense, and instill it in the Wanderers at the end of the journey, to prepare them for the encounter.

  Come with me, and you, Daughters, go closer to the Wanderers and to The Dream keeper, to bring them peace and comfort. Take them to the Spring of Lilies, so called, because white lilies bloom every day, so abundant and sheer, on the shores of the little pool made of stone.

  One at a time, all of you will be immersed in the spring, to wash away any stains from your bodies and your souls. You will be sprinkled with scented oils and dressed as befits those who have come this far and has given us the opportunity to exist, once again.

  Be dressed as thus, Spark of the Way: a long yellow tunic, with sleeves of velvet, golden jewels at your ears, wrists, ankles, and around your neck, a pendant studded with amber. Her hair pulled up in a bun, and her face painted with light but intense colors.

  Be dressed as thus Listening from Heaven: a long light blue tunic, sleeveless, tightened at the waist by a white silk band. Her hair tied up only in part, and curled. Her jewels studded with lapis lazuli, and her face painted with the colors of the sky.

  Be dressed as thus the Warrior: a silver colored tunic, short, just like the sleeves. At his feet, the boots of a soldier in time of peace, and a short cloak over his shoulders, black, with silver edges. A bracelet of ancient workmanship at each wrist.

  Be dressed as thus the Dream keeper: a red velvet dress, with long sleeves, flared at the ends. A black velvet band for a belt, and her knife, accurately cleaned, hooked to it. At her feet, black ebony sandals, and gold jewels. May the Dream keeper’s make-up respect tradition and her hair be let loose.

  Be dressed as thus the other Wanderers: a long white tunic, for the women; a short grey one, for the men. May each one of them be given the ring of the Land of the Dreams that will allow them to accomplish their journey.

  You, however, sister Wanderer, will be dressed like the Virgins, because your heart is pure and your soul is stainless. After the encounter, you will return here, to help your sisters. Yes, they are human creatures. Only I am part of the Land of Dreams. Me, and the Little People, with its priestesses and its fairies. The Virgins, instead, are girls and women who live your reality who, for their own merits and pure hearts, receive other Virgins to help them preserve the highest values of femininity.

  So, dear sister, when you will have finished your journey, we will wait here for you, to begin to teach to you what we know. You shall be called The Living One, because you are the first human Wanderer, after many, many years, to give us back an identity, and because you will have the task to remind other women, who belong to your same kind, how life is generated in its highest meaning. Do not elevate yourself to Goddess, keep your humility and the values ​​you believe in, and always remember where you come from, your limitations, your weaknesses, and everything that makes you vulnerable, because this type of vulnerability is the one with which children grow up, before being molded, for convenience of the world.

  Now... while you are all purified of the dust that you have collected along the way staining your clothes and your souls, the Virgins will sing a song for you. Follow the words of the song, as they are the mirror of what awaits you after your preparation.

  My sisters, gather yourselves, around me. Hold hands with each other and form a circle.

  I put down, in the midst of you, this sphere of white quartz and a crystal bowl, full of water. Let your hearts be inspired by the power of the four elements and sing what you see in these ancient symbols. Sing as only you know how to do and accompany the travelers to the Eternal Present, while I pass by each one of you, touching your forehead and awakening the eye of the soul, that everything sees and feels...

  “Virgins of the Kingdom of the Land of Dreams

  Be you the voice to guide the Wanderer

  Arrived here, amidst us, after stars and dust

  Be you his humble and serving maids.”

  “Virgins we are, of descent and in the heart

  We see the liveliest fire fall

  There is life in every spark

  Go now, chosen one, find the way out.”

  Spark of the Way, they are referring to you. One of them will take you to the border of this pure place, and you will arrive at the Mirror that brought you here. From there on, you will proceed alone, towards the Eternal Present. Go, my dear. Go, towards your destiny.

  “Virgins reborn from the heart of man

  Who, with his courage, paved the way

  We foresee peace, for the chosen one

  Go to the castle forever silent.”

  Warriors, they are referring to you. One of them will take you to the Castle of the Sword, where you will discover the meaning of these words. Do not ask me how it will happen and just let it occur: courage resides in your noble heart. Once you arrive there, you will begin to understand which is your Eternal Present. Go, my dear. Go, towards your destiny.

  “Virgins of Dreams, let us hold hands

  With the ancient gestures of faraway times

  Fly, chosen one, to the border of the sky

  Be the speaker of his parallel.”

  Listening from Heaven, they are referring to you. When they talk about your parallel, they mean the world you come from. One of them will take you to your Power Animal, the Wedge Tailed Eagle that once belonged to The Dream keeper. The Eagle will take you to your Eternal Present. Go, my dear, towards your destiny.

  “Virgins, we alone, but others with us

  Simple values, but so precious

  Return, The Living One, to the real world

  Resolute she must be, in the Ego as a virgin.”

  Dear sister, called “The Living One”, before returning here, with the other Virgins, you must spend some time in your world, to strengthen the pureness of your soul, against temptations. One of the Virgins will pronounce the ancient words for you, to let you go there and find the Eternal Present. Go, my dear, towards your destiny.

  “Remain here the Wanderers, who still don’t know

  If this is a song of faith or trick

  Thus, be The Dream keeper the pledge

  To give sense to them may she enter the Kingdom.”

  Wanderers, they are referring to you. They saw some doubts in your hearts. You were amazed because the chosen ones seem to have taken a step back ... but that is not so. For you, because of your little faith, the Guide who brought you this far will be sacrificed: The Dream keeper. She will be conducted within the Kingdom of Dreams, where its Guardian lives, and she will offer herself up, for you, and your destiny in the Eternal Present.

  Dream keeper, my friend, go, now. Go, with the help of your intuition, towards your destiny. Leave here all the gifts you have been given. Even yours. Show yourself to the Guardian of the Kingdom of Dreams.

  This is your Eternal Present.

  ADMISSION TO THE KINGDOM

  Here I am, thus. Standing up, with a steady gaze, I await your words. The ones, which, perhaps, you will never say, or you will tell your Messengers to say.

  This is a strange room. It should be a sort of Throne Room, but there are no thrones. I see many objects of all shapes, kinds and colors... but I cannot go near anything, because your Fauns are keeping their eyes on them, perhaps, for fear that I might do who knows what. How strange that there is mistrust here. You should understand how your heart is, inside, to understand why, in this Kingdom, there is so much silence.

  There, now you are arriving. The Fauns bow down and you turn around to me.

  Half of your face is hidden by a mask. The mask covers your eyes so I cannot see your gaze. I can see your dark long
wavy hair that falls onto your black velvet cloak, bordered with gold. You are dressed in Full Uniform. The uniform is black as well, and also of velvet, with precious designs on the chest and on the cuffs. I cannot see the hem of the pants, because you are wearing golden boots. Golden, like your gloves.

  Everything about you makes one think of royalty. That is fit for a Dream keeper, of course. Not the one we can compare to our idea of human beings.

  I should bow, but I feel inhibited. To avoid mistakes, I only bow my head slightly, looking down for a moment. And then, unexpectedly, you talk to me.

  “Welcome, Dream keeper. You have completed your journey. Thus, this is your Eternal Present.”

  “It is a mystery also for me, Guardian of the Land of Dreams. But I surely did desire to see you.”

  I get upset to see you pour some clear water from a jug. It is undoubtedly pure water, as only Virgins could have contributed to purifying. But, you have it. What’s the point?

  “I know that you hate me. You do nothing to deny it.”

  “I do not hate you, sir.”

  “Don’t lie. You are not allowed to, here.”

  As you sip a drop of water, memories of these last days come back, and…

  “Yes, I do hate you.” I admit- “I hate you because your heart is made of stone. You still want to test that little girl who challenged the laws. You still want to check how much you can trust her. Won’t you ever have enough, right? "

  “You are wrong, Dream keeper. I have never doubted, not even for a moment, the goodness in your heart. And I have demonstrated it in so many ways, challenging myself the Laws that regulate the Balance of this Land. And, in all honesty, I never dreamt of seeing you as I see you now. Just as I saw you the first time you discovered me ...”