Jellia stepped back to observe the Witch. She gasped with amazement.
"Why, you look exactly like that Princess who has been visiting! Look — look in the mirror."
The Witch turned to look in the full-length mirror. "Oh, my," she said, holding her hand to mouth. "I can't believe it." For standing in the mirror appeared to be Princess Gayelette herself. She was stunningly beautiful.
The Witch was visibly shocked. "I can't believe it," she kept saying. "I've come from being an ugly old hag to a beautiful princess." She shook her head in amazement. "I could very easily be mistaken for Gayelette herself."
"Come," said the little girl. "Let us join the others in the garden. I can't wait to see their faces."
A few moments later, they arrived at the Gazebo. “I think we are a little early," said Jellia. "No one is here yet. Come." She took the Witch's hand. "Let us sit down and chat."
A few minutes later, Dorothy arrived. "Oh," she said, as she saw Jellia and the Witch. "Princess Gayelette. What a beautiful gown!"
"And allow me to introduce Jellia Jamb, one of the children of the Emerald City. She and I are old friends," the Witch said, with a wink at Jellia.
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Dorothy," said Jellia. "I've heard so much about you. Our Ruler, the Scarecrow, talks about you all the time. And you are even mentioned in our history books at school."
"Really? I'm most honored," said Dorothy. "Perhaps we could get together after the meeting," said Dorothy. "I would like to find out more about your schools here in Oz."
"I'd like that," said Jelia Jamb. "Oh, here's Princess Gayelette now."
"I beg your pardon," said Dorothy. "I thought this was...?" Her voice trailed away as Gayelette approached. "But, but ... then ... who is ... Oh!" It suddenly dawned on Dorothy. "Then this must be...."
"The Witch," said the Witch. "Yes, indeed, it is I. We could not resist playing a little trick on you, Dorothy. I hope you didn't mind."
"Not at all," replied Dorothy. "I'm just amazed."
Princess Gayelette and Quelala were no less amazed. Gayelette just kept shaking her head as she stared at the Witch. As the others arrived, they did double-takes when they saw the Witch and Princess Gayelette together. "Please sit down, everyone," motioned Gayelette. "This is no less amazing to me than it is to all of you. As you can see, we could be twin sisters. But the pieces of the puzzle are all falling into place. I'd like to tell you a little story which may help to explain the remarkable resemblance.
"The story begins in a tiny village in Oz. At that time, it was known as Ozcott. My father had a country home there.
"One day, the Wicked Witch Mombi captured me. She was afraid that my magic would become more powerful than her own, and planned to nip that in the bud so that she could become the most powerful person in Oz. However, unknown to Mombi, my baby sister was about to arrive. When Mombi found out, she was furious. She went to our house in the dead of night and stole Ozetta from her crib. She then contactedhersister, the Witch who ruled the Deep South, and asked her to take Ozetta. The sister was very happy to take the little baby, as she was quite old and wanted to pass on all her Witch's secrets.
"I managed to escape, but my dear baby sister was never seen again. We'd all thought she'd died. However, unknown to us, she'd been raised by that wicked old witch and later took her place, so no one ever knew the difference. So this lady, dear friends," said Gayelette, with tears in her eyes, "is, I believe, my long-lost sister, Ozetta."
With that, Ozetta and Gayelette ran to each other and hugged one another tightly. Tears were rolling down their cheeks as they hugged and kissed. "The fact that we look so much alike leaves no room for doubt," said Gayelette to Dorothy. "And, to mark this joyous occasion, I declare this day a national holiday."
A little Gillikin, who was standing by, scurried off to spread the good news.
"Well," said Gayelette, with her arms around her sister's shoulders, "this is a very beautiful day for all of us. I'm so very grateful to you, Dorothy, and to all of you, for the part you played in releasing my sister from her bondage, and bringing her back to me."
"I would like to thank all of you, too," said Ozetta, "for all you have done for me, and especially for this present moment. I have never experienced such joy, such happiness. I didn't know such feelings of ecstasy could exist. I grew up feeling only the emotion of hate. The person I called my mother was not good to me. She screamed at me all the time — her eyes constantly filled with hate. She verbally abused me. She even hit me when she was just in a bad mood — which was most of the time. She acted as if she felt ashamed of me. When she taught me Black Magic, I directed the hate I felt for her to others, weaving it into the magic spells I cast on them. Now I see that the hatred and resentment I wove into those spells only came right back to me. I reaped exactly what I sowed. I could say I didn't know any better, but I did. I just refused to listen to that inner voice — my conscience. As far as I was concerned, I had no conscience, felt no remorse for what I was doing. My conscience was buried, with no chance of seeing the light of day. Yet, I knew something was wrong, for I was not a happy person. How could I be? But I would not allow myself to think about such things — to try to analyze why I was not happy. That is, until you came along, Dorothy. It took you, with your deep understanding, to bring me to a new realization — a new beginning. I was a lonely, ugly old witch, and now I am a beautiful princess with a beautiful sister and lots of wonderful friends. I will be eternally grateful to you, Dorothy. All of you."
Ozetta then hugged them all in turn. "I know you miss your family, Dorothy," she said. "And that you must return to Kansas. But I want you to know I will visit you often. And I know you will visit us here."
Thank you, Ozetta," said Dorothy. "I beg your pardon, your Highness. For your are really a princess now, and should be addressed as such. It gives me great pleasure, your Majesty, to see you so happy, and to know that you and Princess Gayelette have found each other. I look forward to seeing you again very soon. I have a feeling that there are other missions planned for me in Oz, and I suspect that I shall be needing some help when that time comes."
"Me! A princess! I know now it's true, but I can't believe it. Yesterday I was a mean ugly old witch, and today a young and beautiful princess. I'm sure it's all a dream, and I shall wake up to reality at any moment. But I will be waiting with great anticipation for your return, Dorothy. And I'll practice my magic every day."
"And I'll keep my ax razor-sharp," said the Tin Woodman. "And I'll find ways to use my heart. I'll help people whenever I can."
"And I'll read a lot of different books," said the Scarecrow, "to keep my brain nice and sharp."
"I'll find ways to test my courage," said the Lion, "so I'll be brave enough to tackle any situation we may encounter."
Everyone crowded around Dorothy to bid her goodbye. There were tears and laughter as they all hugged and kissed her.
The Scarecrow then took Dorothy by the hand. "Come," he said. "I have been asked to bring you to see someone prior to your return to Kansas. This someone is a very special person. After your discussion, he will escort you home."
Dorothy turned to wave a final goodbye to the others. There were tears in her eyes.
"We'll all see you in our dreams," said the Tin Woodman, "so be sure to think about us before you go to sleep at night."
"Oh, I'll always be thinking about you," said Dorothy. "But especially I'll be thinking about you when I'm falling asleep."
"Good," said the Lion. "And don't be too surprised if you hear a couple of lions roar just as you fall asleep. "
"Oh my goodness, that might wake up Aunt Em," smiled Dorothy.
"Won't that be a surprise for her?" said the lady Lion, mischievously. Everyone laughed.
Princess Ozetta blew her a kiss. "Call on me, now, if you ever have a problem."
"I will," said Dorothy, her voice beginning to break. "I will. Oh, I will. Thank you again, all of you.... I'll see you soon."
"Now you take good care of yourself!" said the Gayelette. Dorothy nodded, afraid to speak lest she break down.
Chapter Twenty-five:
A Mystical Encounter
"Where does this mysterious stranger live?" Dorothy asked the straw man, as they entered the house.
"Well, he doesn't exactly live in Oz," replied the Scarecrow. "As a matter of fact, he resides in a different dimension altogether."
"How can I meet him, then?" asked Dorothy.
"Well, since he is on a different dimension than us, he has to change his vibration to enter our dimension. You see, his dimension operates on a higher frequency than ours. We will have to become very quiet and still so that we can tune into his vibration. Then he will become visible to us. He will be lowering his vibration slightly while we are raising ours. We will do this in my meditation room, where we will not be disturbed."
He took Dorothy's hand as they went upstairs to his quarters. They entered his study. Before closing the door, he turned over a card which has hanging on the doorknob. It read, DO NOT DISTURB — IN MEDITATION.
The meditation room itself was not large. Purple drapes covered the walls. The window opened to a little balcony overlooking the garden.
"I enjoy sitting here in meditation," said the Scarecrow. "It is wonderful to feel the early morning sun on my face and to smell the scent of the garden while the birds sing their morning song.
"I read something once that I've never forgotten. It's very meaningful to me. It goes like this:
The Secret
I met God in the morning,
When my day was at its best.
And His presence came like sunrise
Like a glory in my breast.
All day long His presence lingered
All day long He stayed with me.
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O'er a very troubled sea.
So I think I know the secret
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day.
"This was written by a man named Ralph Cushman."
"That is just beautiful," said Dorothy.
"Yes," replied the Scarecrow, "and so true. Well, would you like to begin?"
"Oh, yes," said Dorothy. "I can"t wait to meet your mysterious friend."
The Scarecrow smiled knowingly as he placed three chairs in the middle of the room. "Please be seated, Dorothy," he motioned, as he sat down himself, "You should sit upright with your back straight; feet flat on the floor with your knees together. Rest your hands on your knees with your palms up. Now, close your eyes and relax completely.
"With your eyes closed look straight ahead but concentrate your mind in the center of your forehead.
"Just relax. Don"t worry about trying to control your thoughts. They will gradually subside.
"You may become aware of a light. perhaps several colors.
The Scarecrow fell silent for a while.
"Are you aware of the light?" he asked.
"Yes," said Dorothy. "Now it's changing. Oh, how beautiful. I see all the colors of the rainbow. Mmm, I feel so relaxed and peaceful."
"Now," said the Scarecrow, "open your mind to the greater power; feel within you the urge to know the Highest! Seek to understand all humanity without condemnation.
"One by one, the teachers from the highest realms are arriving to assist us in our quest for higher knowledge and understanding.
"The one we discussed has joined us. You may open your eyes now, Dorothy. He is fully manifested and sits with us."
As Dorothy opened her eyes, she could feel a tremendously strong vibration emanating from what had been the empty chair. Sitting in the chair was a man. There appeared to be a glow around him which gradually subsided, although little flecks of light appeared from time to time around him. He was dressed in a long robe of the purest white. His beautiful golden hair, which was shoulder-length, had a very slight reddish tint to it. Around his neck he wore a medallion with three pyramids on it, and an inscription in strange hieroglyphics.
The stranger smiled at Dorothy; his beautiful, yet intense, blue eyes twinkling.
Touching the medallion, he said in a most gentle voice, "I see you are curious regarding this inscription."
Dorothy nodded slightly.
"Translated into English, it reads: MENTAL-PHYSICAL-SPIRITUAL.
"If all mortals were to maintain a balance between these three, Heaven on earth would indeed be established.
"My sandals trod the dust of the Holy Lands nearly two thousand years ago. My mission; to instill into the minds of the people that the meaning of life was not as complicated as they were led to believe. I traveled about the lands seeking to inspire the people and momentarily they were inspired; but unfortunately, they became entangled with material conditions and lost sight of the finer things that were being given unto them. So, I had to step aside and allow them to follow the path of their choosing. Following my brief stay, other teachers would go into the various lands to try to reach the masses of struggling humanity. But the same conditions were encountered, generation after generation. We all tried to touch those who we felt were sufficiently sensitive to become teachers, to become messengers of light unto the people. Now, almost two thousand years later, I bring my Word to the people in the hope it will be understood. Much of what I said in the past has been misinterpreted. I had come to serve humanity, like so many others before me. Many of these same teachers suffered as I did. Yes, tears of compassion flowed often, as they observed the domination of mankind and all the manifestation of evil which prevailed. I often found the same conditions and as a mortal I sought to instill the simple truths unto them. I felt that if I could explain to them these truths in the simple manner in which I received them there would be no danger of misinterpretation down through the ages. But unfortunately I was wrong.
"At one time, the main topic of my conversation with people was that they must be born again, and again and again; that the lessons to be learned could not possibly be learned in one lifetime. Even this basic fact was misinterpreted. And even today, although great emphasis is placed on the idea of a spiritual rebirth — or being born again in a spiritual way — the teaching ends there: my original meaning long forgotten and, I fear, deliberately distorted by the many whom I encountered. And I feel, as I speak today, that much of what I say will not be accepted. Why the stubbornness? Why the refusal to accept? Certain beliefs can be so ingrained in human thought that, when an honest attempt is made to correct the situation, great anger arises within the heart of those who are being given the opportunity to learn the truth. And so they must remain ignorant of the great majestic truths of creation and the grand plan for mankind.
"Let me recite to you a little story, which, although well known, it will be seen that the true version is quite different from the story handed down through the ages. This concerns my last moments on earth.
"I said unto those who were persecuting me and who had persecuted me in the past,'All who have come to me to cast their stone, in time shall become wise and be set free upon the earth.'
"There were others near me who were to perish in the same manner as myself, because they had been found associating with one who was supposed to be so wise. I said unto them, 'Be at peace with thyself. You will soon be in a heavenly state. Be not faithless. Know that you shall live again, that you shall arise, and that you shall be born again. And in the other lives that you shall live, you shall have another opportunity to live the life that you are being deprived of at the present time.'
"Yes, there are many stories that I could tell that would be no less than amazing to those who think they know all about my life. And here today, Dorothy, I should like to tell you a little more about my life.
"Before I begin, I must tell you this. As you know, I was born of the Jewish faith, and I love my people dearly. It saddens me to know that many of those who became followers of my teaching, decided that all who did not confess me as the only begotten son of God were excluded from God's grace and were denied eternal life. Sad to say, that belief is alive and well today. Not among Jews, of course, but as an integral part of what became known as Christianity. They have decided amongst themselves that God has somehow excluded all but Christians. Perhaps even more saddening to me is that certain Jews look down on other Jews who do not worship as they do. They don't accept them as fellow Jews because they have chosen, let's say, a less orthodox path to God.... Do you think God cares a jot how people worship Him, as long as in their daily dealings they treat one another with dignity respect and , and live their lives as closely to the divine teachings as possible?
"You see, I am an individual like you. One who came and served and then went on, never having to return or be born again in the physical world. In my last life on earth I came to teach what I knew of God's laws. I represented the masters who came before me and the masters who came after me. We work together now, to continue to try to bring light to a darkened world. Perhaps you would like to hear a little about my early life on earth. How I thought and felt about things as a boy."
"Oh, yes," replied Dorothy. "That would be very interesting to me."
"Now, when you return to Kansas, Dorothy, it might not be wise to say too much of what I tell you to adults, unless they show a depth of understanding, and a certain gentleness of spirituality in their nature. You see, many adults have their beliefs locked up tight within themselves, and will not part with them no matter what is presented to them. They can become very angry if they are told that things are not exactly as they believe. Even though — if they were to stop and think about it objectively — that which is being told them might make very good sense and be quite logical. Unfortunately, those people are convinced beyond a shadow of doubt, that every word in the sacred scriptures came directly from God, and that not only could one word not be wrong; but that nothing is missing from the writings.
"So be careful; share this only with other children who have not yet had their minds closed up and sealed, and only with those adults who are ready. As for the others, they do have a right to their own individual beliefs, of course. And it is really wrong to try to force other beliefs upon them. But unfortunately, their rigidity of thought and lack of flexibility forbids any possibility of real growth of understanding. However, everything is in order. Their short terms on earth are not wasted. They too have to serve and to learn certain lessons which must be learned before they can go forward.
"And now; for the story of my early years:
"Prior to my last expression on earth, I lived during the great peace period in what is now known as Egypt.
"I had come back to earth to bring forth light and to enjoy life. I knew at that time that I would have to return again to the earth to finish my work.
"During the very early years of my last life I was not aware of having had previous lives. There were certain lessons to learn and pinnacles to reach before I would be ready for this to be revealed to me. It is very much the same for the initiates of earth today. Certain things cannot be revealed until the chela, or pupil, is ready. For it to be otherwise would be most confusing.
"A great deal of mystery surrounds my birth. My birth was always a mystery to me until a certain period in my life. Things were held back from me by my soul. The soul will not reveal anything unto you until you are ready.
"I was not born into this life in the manner that has been told. I realize that many people will cling to their perception of my birth so much that they will not want to let go of this illusion. But nevertheless, there must come a time when the truth must be told. The crutch must be taken away. The people must stand on their own two feet. For too long I have been worshipped as a God, whereas I am the same as you worshippers, conceived exactly as they.
"I do not wish to be worshipped. I wish only for the people to worship the principles; the teaching that was brought to them through my instrumentality, and the instrumentality of others who came before me and after me.
For too long these teachings have been ignored. Why? Because it takes a great deal of personal sacrifice to follow the teaching of giving up habits of thought and activity which are held dear. It is much easier to assume that the Blood of the Lamb was shed for all one's sins and as long as one believes this one shall be saved and have eternal life.
"We have told you, Dorothy, that all have eternal life. This is a true statement. But the quality of that life is dependent solely on the individual — no one else!As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
"One cannot expect to sow inequality — to inflict a low quality of life upon others; then to reap a high quality of life for oneself. If any measure of quality is reaped in this way it is highly temporal: for death patiently awaits all. And those who bring impoverishment to others — that their own lives might become enriched — now find that they are the impoverished ones.By thy works thou shalt be knownis indeed a true axiom. Whether the works be good or bad is immaterial as far as the Universal Law is concerned; for the rewards meted out by the Law are in direct proportion to the works performed. So the quality of life after death is directly related to the kind of life led before death.
"It does not make much sense to spend one's life in violation of man-made laws or of God's laws, unless, that is, one wishes to exist in misery after death.
"If those that violate the law could see the beauty and glory of God's infinite kingdom they would not waste one second in this sort of selfish pursuit. Real happiness for them will never be found until they return to God, the Father.
"Why do they prolong the agony? Because they wish to cling to suffering? No, because long ago they wandered far from the harmonious happy state they resided in, and are now subconsciously trying to return. So they seek this or that, thinking that the possession of these things, or that person, or the taking of drugs or alcohol will give them the fulfillment they desire. But, of course, nothing does. Yet, they search blindly on, never realizing that that which they seek is within themselves.
"If only they would take the time to become ever so still, so that a beautiful communication could be established. The outer action would change accordingly, thus leading them to a life of harmony and beauty — one which would take them in many creative directions: True fulfillment would then be achieved.
"Alas, Dorothy, it is not to be so for the majority. They will not heed my words any more now than they did before. But the time is not too far distant when life on planet earth — as they know it — will be no more. Evolution will begin all over again for them. They will have to endure endless physical lives — many in deep misery. All because of their stubborn refusal to rejoin their creator. It is difficult to believe this; yet it is true.
"If told the things that I am relating to you now, they would merely laugh and scorn. They strongly doubt even the existence of a life after death.
"Well, Dorothy, I'm afraid I have deviated very far from my story. But my heart is heavy when I think of all the wrongdoing on earth. And all the greed that exists.
"The Father's treasures are available for the asking, and they are of a permanent nature. Yet they are totally ignored in favor of empty material gains which are — to say the least — very temporary.
"I'm afraid, Dorothy, that I and the other masters are relying very heavily on you to bring some measure of what you have seen and heard here back to the children of earth. Remember to keep it all a secret from adults, except in the rarest of cases. We are working in various ways with others of earth to reach each adult on his own particular level of development. Few are ready for as much of the truth as can be given here. The spacebrothers, too, are working in their unique way.
"The children of the earth shall be led into a Golden Age along with those adults who are ready to share in the glorious beginning. My mission was, and still is, to establish a universal consciousness of God upon the earth. A oneness of all mankind. God's kingdom will come, and His Will be done on earth — as it is in Heaven.
"Well, Dorothy, I would like to have told you more of my childhood, but our meeting must come to an end for the moment. Your Aunt Em and Uncle Henry are growing very concerned for you. You must return to Kansas at once. I will visit you again and tell you more of my life. I will visit you very soon.
"Now, take my hands, and close your eyes."
"Goodbye, Dorothy," said the Scarecrow. "God bless you."
"Oh, I shall miss you all so much," said Dorothy. "But I am very excited about going home."
As Dorothy said the words "going home," she opened her eyes to look at her friend. But instead of being in a meditation room in Oz, she found herself in her own room laying on her bed. She looked around to see Aunt Em and Uncle Henry.
Dorothy started to sit up. "Oh, Auntie Em; Uncle Henry!" she said excitedly, "I've got so much to tell you. I've been on an exciting adventure. I've been back to Oz. And you'll never believe who I met there."
"You mean the place you"ve been telling us about?" said Uncle Henry.
"Yes," said Dorothy. "And I've been to see all my wonderful friends again. And, oh, wait 'til I tell you about the Wicked Witch and how she — "
"Now hold on a minute, Dorothy," interrupted Aunt Em. "You've got to slow down. You're getting yourself too excited."
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with me, really," said Dorothy.
"We'll be the judge of that," said Aunt Em. "I want you to rest now, young lady. I'll bring you some chicken soup."
"Well, we"re real glad to have you back, Dorothy," said Uncle Henry with a grin. With that, he followed his wife out of the room.
Toto came bounding in through the open door and jumped up to Dorothy's bed, licking her face all over.
"Oh, Toto!" said Dorothy tearfully. "They're not going to believe me again. I know it. "But we believe Dorothy, don't we?
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