In the early 80s my husband and I, plus our five kids, lived on beautiful Magnetic Island. We were in the process of finishing the building of our pole house (we were owner builders) when a blonde-haired young man walked through our huge two front 'doors' and called out to see if we wanted some help. He said he wanted no pay and no food and that he would just sleep on the floor. He was a vegetarian, but mainly ate fruit and his name was Michael. Beautiful looking with a very gentle compassionate personality. He stayed for two or three weeks.
An unassuming young man who played the flute, read, and told, stories to the children and helped them with their homework. Michael altogether blended in easily with our family. I thought it was odd that he had wandered into our lives, little did I know that he was to be the first of many spiritual beings/elders to walk through those two front doors. By the way we actually didn`t have doors - just open spaces where doors would one day manifest in the third dimension!
Now to the reason why I am sharing this story.
We were in the middle of saying bon voyage when Michael extended his arm, thrusting a small box into my hand and at the same time asking me
"I was wondering if you would be so kind as to look after this box for me? It houses my only possessions"
" Sure" I replied, " I will put it in my pottery for safe keeping".
With a smile on his face, and a twinkle in his eye, he waved goodbye and disappeared into the sunset.
We never did hear from him again.
Africa calling
To me from afar
Like a distant star
Drumbeat Drumbeat
Back to the earth ..........
Well, seven years passed. Somehow when seven years pass an inner bell lets me know that it`s time for change. I was now a full-blown potter and decided to clean out the pottery. I also decided to open the little cardboard box to see if an address might be in it. If so, I could post the box to the address.
To my astonishment all the box contained was a little book on spirituality and healing and a huge amount of butterflies that were all carefully packaged in individual pieces of grease-proof paper! How weird. The butterflies were magnificent. Irridescent green, orange, with black and white frilly edging on the wings. They were as big as the Birdwing Butterfly - Magnificent to say the least.
It happened that in those days we had the only house, and garden filled all year round with Birdwing Butterflies. I knew, and loved, all the butterflies and birds in the area.
I raced to my Australian Butterfly chart to see what the packaged butterflies were called but they weren`t listed. Odd.
At this stage of my life I was not only potting, but painting, teaching meditation, setting up the SES welfare for the Island and also doing quite a bit of 'hands on' healing as well as counselling ( all as a free service). Healing was in my family history even though it was never discussed openly. Life was busy.
More years passed. Now I was doing 'hands on' healing anything up to 6 hours a day, doing absent healing for 2-3 hours a day and also designing clothing, and painting large works to sell. I had loads of energy and psychically was very active with all the senses. People would keep appearing at those two front doors!
I took spirituality very seriously (even though I laughed and joked a lot) and meditated regularly.
When I had a patient who was depressed, or had lost 'their way', just as they were leaving I would present them with a beautiful little carefully packed present. "This is to remind you of who you really are". I would announce, "Don`t ever forget it!"
Of course a beautiful multi-coloured irridescent butterfly was inside each package!
We often forget our potential and how beautiful we are.
It was whilst working in the Cook Islands that the subject of 'strange' unexpected visitors came up. I was conversing and exchanging oddities with John Ray (the founder of Body Electronics) and his then wife Anita when they asked me if I had had any strange visitors on Magnetic Island. By this time I had had many strange
happenings on Magnetic, including many visitors from all over the world. Funnily though I mentioned Michael.
"What did he look like?" asked Anita.
I quickly started to describe him but before I had finished Anita yelled out excitedly,
"That`s Archangel Michael! He manifests in the flesh".
Goosebumps were all over me.
Anita quickly ran out of the room. In a couple of seconds she flew back in holding a photo in her hand.
" It`s him, isn`t it. I know it`s him".
I nearly passed out when I saw the photo. It most certainly looked like the Michael that had visited, and stayed with us, a few years before!
More years passed. I now was divorced and living in the Tablelands in Far North Australia. This is where the plot thickens.
Africa calling
To me from afar
Like a distant star
Drumbeat Drumbeat
Back to the earth ...........
I, and my new partner, had been offered a job as a designer/artist/builder in a remote part of Tanzania. I had always been fascinated with Africa but had never travelled there. My Uncle was, and still is, as black as the blackest night. He is Nigerian and is a very beautiful person. My Aunt had married him and had continued to live in Nigeria with him and their children until fairly recently. When I was growing up they would send me my still most treasured gifts - brightly coloured beaded jewellery, wooden carvings and fabulous batiks. So my fascination for Africa had been fuelled. Now I had the opportunity to go.
At the time I ate raw foods and was a vegetarian. I meditated every day for a couple of hours. I was a yoga freak and very fit. I did a lot of community work and also was giving 'Hands on' healing daily - for people and animals as well as the Earth. I was seeing and experiencing miracles every day to do with many areas of life. I felt very expansive, as if my wings, and consciousness, had opened wide. I truly loved the dance of creation.
It wasn`t long before we were on the plane to Dar-Es-Salam.
A couple of days later we were on a train heading straight for the outskirts of the great Selous Game Park. We were to work at Stieglers Gorge and were to employ local boys. It actually was over a couple of hours drive, through wilderness, to the nearest settlement and much further to the nearest village where we found our workers! We were privileged to say the least. It is very difficult for anyone to get permission to go anywhere in the Selous unless you are going to a tented tourist resort.
The sense of adventure was in the air.
Well, this is the best part of my story.
We were met by a mad Indian who had taught himself to drive in camp. No roads, an old bomb of a Landrover with no brakes, no first gear and no third gear and driven by a mad Indian who spoke no English. We also quickly found out that the Landrover also had hardly any steering! You had to turn the steering wheel a few times before the car would turn at all!!
We finally arrived at our camp at dark. Everything that we had been promised was non-existent. No tools, a little bit of smelly water in the bottom of a rusty 44 gallon drum, no cooking equipment, billions of cockroaches eating a lone bag of SUGAR and crawling all over a rotting buffalo carcass ( meat ready for us for eating - how thoughtful ). We did have a bed though.
I was on a high. We were in Africa, in the wild, with only our connection to the universe to guide and protect us.
That first night I went outside and squatted for a pee. My eyes slowly adjusted only to find another pair of eyes at my height looking straight at me! I never did get to pee!!
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| Close up of Sunset Moth wing - photo by Charles Krebs |
The next morning we woke to bright sunshine, drongos singing and peaceful doves cooooing.
I threw on a sarong and walked outside ready for my early morning meditation.
WOW
WHAT AN AMAZING SIGHT
ALL AROUND ME WERE THE BRIGHTLY COLOURED IRRIDESCENT BUTTERFLIES.
Millions of them everywhere!
They stayed for about half an hour and then left. I never ever saw any again!
My time in Africa was the best time in my life. I felt totally connected to Spirit. My heels hardly touched the ground. All my sixth senses were operating and every day we were faced with a life or death situation. We lived in the now. I have never ever felt so alive and so much a part of everything. It was a truly spiritual experience that opened doorways to the mind and to other levels of consciousness.
Stepping through
The Looking Glass
I saw another world
Starlit Infinity
Caressing my inner being
Unfurled
Naked
On a Starlit Path
Of Recognition
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| Close up of Sunset Moth wing - Photo by Charles Krebs |
A couple of years ago I happened to be at the Brisbane Museum which was presenting an exhibition of Butterflies and Moths. Sitting in a glass box all by itself was the irridescent multi-coloured butterfly in all its brilliance! It actually wasn`t a butterfly but a moth!
The Madagascar Sunset Moth.
It behaves like a butterfly - wings in prayer position and flies during the day. It is extremeley rare and is sought after by collectors. Interestingly the colours on the wings appear because of the scaley ridges that reflect light and scatter it outwards.
No wonder I had the time of my life!
Another remarkable story is recalled in a newer post:
Post 22/08/11 Extraordinary Raffle Winnings
http://cmwreflections.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/extraordinary-raffle-winnings.html
and also
The Purple Jacket
http://cmwreflections.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/purple-jacket.html
Remember to look up the 'Supernatural' miraculous healings also! These Divine Interventions strengthen faith and commitment
Hope you enjoy,
Until next week
Cheers CMW
