Soul Dancing with the Brass Band (The Brass Band Series) (29 page)

HEARING THE bell, I left Will’s room to take my place in line behind our young guide. After knocking softly on a large door, the boy stepped aside and motioned for us to enter.

The room was elegantly furnished with old world charm. The walls were dark wood paneling, which gave the room an authoritative feel, but the beautiful antique tapestries kept it warm and inviting. McCollum was watching the blazing flames in a large stone fireplace and turned as we entered the room.

There were four chairs arranged in a semi circle and four plush pillows on the floor in front of them. Will was already seated on one of the pillows and to my enormous relief came to take my arm and sat me next to him. Ruth and George took the other two pillows to our left and Dr. Edwards, Gilbert, Dad and Mom took the four chairs. The room remained dead silent.

As McCollum took the massive chair in front of us, he warmly welcomed us. Don’t ask me what he said, I watched his mouth moving, but I was so enchanted by his face that I didn’t hear a word he said. It was the first chance I’d had to truly study him.

He was not old, probably around sixty, but at the same time he looked as if he’d been alive forever. He had a full head of very thick, grey hair, combed back and gathered at his neck by a finely engraved silver barrette. His face was lined, but not by age alone, every wrinkle seemed to relate to his emotions, which were vast and expressive.

His build was strong, as was everyone’s
who lived in the house. Even though he wore robes, which were a little medieval and outdated for my taste, he moved with grace and intention. His eyes were a piercing slate blue and it made me marvel at the fact that everyone in this house seemed to have blue eyes.

I looked over at Will, his dark hair was now tumbling over his collar and a few strands had escaped from behind his ears. Although his eyes were a shade darker than McCollum’s, they had the same piercing effect. His perfect nose and beautiful complexion flickered in the reflection of the fire. Suddenly, aware of the reality of where I was, I tried to re
focus on what was going on. McCollum was finishing up his welcome and had started the introductions.

Thank God, we didn’t have to say something about ourselves. McCollum was only interested in knowing what he should call us.

When it was my turn to speak, I merely said, “Hillary.” It kind of squeaked out and Will immediately took my hand in his. I felt Will’s familiar hum, but there was something else in the room that came along with it. There was a different kind of energy in this chamber and I felt that sensation deep within my body. I remembered Gilbert talking about it, but until I actually felt the tug on my soul, I hadn’t believed it truly possible. He had called it
Shaktipat
, the power of a
true master
to elevate your life force and it was emanating from McCollum. I could actually feel a soft electric current circling around in my body.

Trying harder to concentrate on what was being said, I looked up into McCollum’s face. Blinking to focus my eyes, I could swear there was a slight glow around
his body. Never having seen an aura before, I decided that must be what I was seeing. The colors were muted, but the golden glow around his head looked like a halo.

“Let me tell you a few stories,” McCollum began. He arranged himself comfortably in his chair, as if this was going to take a while. “Once upon a time there was a group of beings. They were what I call
Companions in Time
, always incarnating into their new lives at the same place, at the same time.”

“In the time of Ramses the Great Pharaoh, these souls filled the temples of Egypt. They were the highest of spiritual advisors, priests and priestesses who kept the energies perfectly balanced. The result of this powerful manifestation was enormous prosperity and Egypt flourished. But just as moths are drawn to the light, so the dark side of humanity is also drawn to beings of light. The thing you must remember is that darkness always lies at the edge of light, and if the light goes out, darkness will take its place.”

Feeling goose bumps rise on my arms, I could hardly keep my eyes open, so I let them close and tried to concentrate even more on what McCollum was saying.

“Unfortunately, that was the case in the story I now tell you. Darkness found its foothold in the weakest of the priests and eventually infiltrated the temples and the balance shifted. The rains came, the Nile flooded and the land flourished for another season. But sadly, when the water receded, the Great Pharaoh was dead and the
light beings that served him had once again melted into the ethers. As the light was extinguished, so was the peace and abundance. Happiness and wealth slowly deteriorated into poverty, drought and sadness, as invaders from the north found passage into the once impenetrable kingdom. The cycle of life continued until one day the paradigm swung in the opposite direction and a new light appeared, but the light was never again as bright.”

Will gently laid his hand on mine and I opened my eyes to meet his gaze.

“This group of companions incarnated in Pompeii, once again bringing great consciousness and compassion. They studied at the great Temple of Isis near a sea, which was so blue it was like heaven mirrored here on Earth. The Dark Ages had not yet overtaken mankind and there were many who were still aware of their divinity. Don’t misunderstand me, there were also the denser aspects of mankind who lived in Pompeii. They have always been among us to mirror the light and the dark, the yin and yang that exist around us and also inside of us. Do not ever be so foolish as to think it is your job to destroy all darkness. Your job is to be such a great light that the darkness is encompassed in your brilliance.”

“The level of civilization in Pompeii far
exceeded any other of its time.” McCollum leaned forward in his chair, drawing us deeper into the story by the intensity of his face, “and as the volcano blew and the ashes rained down, there were to be no survivors. But it’s a very narrow view, don’t you think, to believe that light can be extinguished by death. Light can no more be stopped by death than evil can because the evolutionary path of a soul can only be changed here on Earth in a human existence, on this plane of Demonstration … but I get ahead of myself.”

“This group of companions last stood together during a time I feare
d I might lose my most precious Time Travelers forever.” McCollum said, looking kindly at the group sitting before him. “I feared the damage caused to their souls by the violence of this experience might be so great that they would remain merged, floating in the love of God, never to be reincarnated into human form again.”

“The life I speak of is the one as Druids... reborn into a remote area of a land now known as the United Kingdom. I thought we would be innocuous enough to live our lives unnoticed. We had incarnated because the Dark Ages, brought on by man’s
loss of knowledge of his own divinity, had continued far too long. During this time the Roman Empire had gained immeasurable power. Julius Caesar had appointed himself Emperor for life and was destroying all people who resisted his authority. The lines between politics and clergy were so blurred that it was difficult to distinguish between the lambs and the lions.”

Enthralled by McCollum’s tale, everyone in our group sat motionless, even Gilbert stopped his constant fidgeting.

“Living on a tiny island in a primitive country, no one in our small enclave of mystics, could have guessed that we’d be seen as a threat to Rome.”

A sharp chill shuddered through me from head to toe and I became ice cold. Feeling a numbness creeping into me, I pulled my shawl tight
ly around my shoulders. Wild emotions began to ebb and flow inside of me with such violence that it was hard to hear McCollum’s account of the Druids. I felt a ripping in my chest as my heart broke and my suffering became so great that the screaming in my mind now poured from my lips.

Instantly, Will’s arms were around me, but my body was already convulsing and it wouldn’t stop. Sweat ran down my face and the beating of my heart was pounding through every inch of my body, pulsing, striking with such force that I feared my vessels might rupture! I heard the rushing of blood through my ears and the vile taste of metal in my mouth.

“What is happening?” I yelled inside my echoing mind, but knew no one could hear me.

I was becoming less aware of Will’s arms holding me and could barely hear Mom and Dad pleading for me to stay with them. I was now seeking peace, a place to rest, needing to escape from the pain. I wanted to float back to my resting place in the hands of the Universe because I could not bear the retelling of the Druid story, knowing it was a bloody massacre of everyone I held dear. My soul, overwhelmed by sorrow, refused to relive it.

My body was swelling. No, this was my life force moving away from my body, back into the ethers. As I watched from above, my body went limp and I could tell by the unnatural bow in my back that Will was holding a lifeless shell.

Suddenly, the loud ringing of bells pierced my deep longing for peace. The bells were screaming in dissident tones as McCollum barked instructions. The room became thick with incense and I watched all of the people I loved most in this lifetime gather around me. I felt like Dorothy as she lay unconscious in her farmhouse bed surrounded by the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion… then ‘there was the Wizard’ and McCollum’s eyes looked up to where my spirit was adrift.

Gazing down at the people around me, I knew they were my Druids. Many others overlaid their faces and I recognized each of them from other lifetimes and I was undone by the intensity of the love I had for each of them. Emotion so filled my heart that it ached with immutable pain, and within moments I was not sure what was real and what was a dream.

“Let’s get her to your room
, Will and gather the boys in the temple to chant for her soul,” a voice said softly.

I knew the voice as McCollum’s as my mind let go of all consciousness.

FLOATING SOMEWHERE
between here and there, I heard deep powerful chanting, mixed with the soft muffled prayers and countless seductive voices calling to me to join them in the beyond. It became clear that what happened to me next would be my
choice
, a decision I alone would make.

It was then that I felt a hum enter my hand and it was filled with a tangible sorrow...
Will
… the idea of him filled me, “
I want to be with Will
.” A basic human need to love and to be loved infused me with such an intense desire to live that it sent me flying back to my body as if I was on a zip line.

I woke against Will’s chest as he rocked slowly. I felt his cheek against the top of my head and his breath chanting softly into my hair. I shrugged to move my tight muscles and squeezed my fingers into fists, releasing them before trying to wiggle my toes.

“Will, my mouth is so dry. Can I have a drink of water?” I asked, testing my voice.

“You bet you can,” Will said
, emotion caught in his voice. Lifting me off of his lap, he placed a pillow beneath my head. When he moved away from me, I became aware he wasn’t the only one in the room; a young boy sat just inside the door and I heard Will whisper to him. “Tell them she has made her decision and her soul has come back to us!” The boy stood and ran from the room, as I listened to his footfalls all the way down the hall.

Will turned toward me with a glass of water. “Here, let me help you,” he said, lifting me to a sitting position. I began to slowly drink the water. It felt like my throat was learning to swallow for the first time.

“Come in,” Will said in reply to a soft knocking at the door.

It was Mom and Dad, eyes filled with tears. Kneeling at my bedside, no words were necessary. They just took my hands and said, “Welcome back.”

Ruth, George, Gilbert and Lee took turns at my side. All had been desperately chanting for my safe return, lighting the path so I could find my way back to them.

I left the New Year’s celebration in the company of my family and friends. Actually it wasn’t quite that dignified. I was leaving held up between Will and Dad with everyone else lugging my bags along with their own.

We drove in a caravan back to our apartments, with McCollum’s firm instructions for us to remain together until we got word from him. No one was given any further information, so we spent the afternoon gathered around Will’s fireplace, watching Buddy fly in and out of the window. Mom found comfort in returning to her routine, cooking a wide assortment of food until the kitchen overflowed. No one talked with me about what had happened, or recounted any of the stories McCollum told.

Shortly before sunset, Ruth set my computer on the kitchen table in front of me. I wanted to ask what she was doing, but before I had a chance to get the words out, McCollum appeared on the screen.

“Good evening, Dear one. Are you recovering?” he asked with deep concern on his face. “You should feel much more grounded since you’ve left the presence of my boys. The energies here can sometimes disconnect the body and soul.”

I nodded and tried to smile, still finding it hard to talk to him. I was in awe of his mystical powers, but still a little confused by some of my feelings. I flashed back to the first time I met him a year and a half ago when he asked Ruth and me to leave his house and I hoped that he didn’t want me to leave again!

Will laid his hands softly on my shoulders as I watched his reflection in my computer screen. I knew he had moved closer to give me support.

“Your friend, Ruth, was kind enough to loan me her computer, so we can communicate face to face,” he continued. “She is a wise woman and a true friend to realize what was necessary and to have the courage to introduce me to this technology. I had no idea this was possible until she showed me.”

McCollum’s face filled the whole screen and I found myself looking only at his eyes. The blue of his iris looked almost grey, but the interesting part was the way the other colors mixed in. There were darker bits of blue and gold that created a beautiful random pattern. An iridologist would say each was a scar within the body, but I wondered if the scars were from this lifetime or if he carried them forward from life to life.

Everyone grabbed a chair from the kitchen table and moved into place behind me. Will also sat down, but without letting go of me. It felt like he was trying with all his might to make sure I didn’t leave him again.

“The time of Earth’s imminent destruction, foretold by many, has passed,” McCollum gently began. “Many people across this great planet have worked tirelessly for centuries to elevate the
light
to a point where love is manifesting in the mind of man more often than hatred. The yearning for peace in humanity’s heart is tipping the balance for the first time in history.”

“The men sitting with you today, my dear Hillary, spent lifetimes high in the Himalayas in constant prayer and meditation, awaiting this day… manifesting this point in time, when the tipping
toward the light would begin and the reunion of the Druids would come to be.”

“The other women in this group took a different path. Since
that
lifetime, they have incarnated as mothers and home-makers, simply because they have an innate need to nurture.”

“For me, I have lived incarnation after incarnation wandering this planet in search of elevated souls who would enter an agreement with me. Those souls are my boys and each of you. Now that you have fulfilled your previous promise to me by finding me in this lifetime, we wait at the gate of the Twilight of Kali Yuga… for the next moment to unfold.”

McCollum looked at the faces behind me. I watched his expression at each encounter and saw each nod with an acknowledgment of their understanding. Then he looked at me and saw my
deer in the headlight
response. He smiled slightly and continued with a more in-depth explanation.

“The
Kali Yuga
brought into existence the spiritual degeneration of human civilization: truly the dark age of mankind. It began in 3102 BC and was to last 432,000 years.” McCollum’s eyes twinkled when he saw my devastation as it dawned on me that only a fraction of that time had passed.

“Don’t let this upset you, Hillary, because this is precisely the reason for our gathering tonight. It is now believed that the Kali Yuga has ended and we are now transiti
oning into a period called the ‘
Twilight of the Kali Yuga’
. If all goes as planned, the coming age will correspond with a global shift in consciousness.”

“The end of the Mayan calendar is not a coincidence. It is the end of the thirteenth Baktun, which has spiritual implications in the Mayan culture. We are right on schedule.” McCollum’s eyes looked past me to Will and I felt Will’s nod for him to continue.

“The veils that came with you into this lifetime are many, and they exist for your protection,” McCollum tenderly continued. “They protect you against self-judgment for past deeds, and harm from reliving difficult memories of previous lifetimes. You also came to this incarnation blinded to your great power, but I promise you this power still exists within you.”

When I realized that McCollum was now speaking directly to me, the panic returned. I heard the gentle soothing of Will’s voice in my ears, telling me that I would be okay. As the hum in my body intensified, I knew it was Will sending me his strength, so I might have the willpower to hear what he knew I must.

“The feelings you are having are similar to Post Traumatic Stress or Battle Fatigue. Some warriors suffer wounds, missing limbs or eyes, things that can be seen. Others are left psychologically shattered, broken within. The wounds of the heart and soul are harder to heal, but dear Hillary, I must ask you to face what frightens you most and know that we are here to support you.”

Immediately,
my mind takes me low above the stench of bodies left in the heat of the sun to decay on the battlefield. A flock of crows peck eyes from their sockets as I search for the faces of my fallen comrades. I hear the tear of rotting flesh from bone and try to erase it from my mind. Haunted by the sight, I pause to view the entirety of it all and with a rush of realization; I see that no one is here. All the souls have moved on and found peace…all but mine
.

Then the veil suddenly dropped back into place, leaving my emotions raw. But for the first time, I could feel the essence of who I was in that lifetime and the strength and immense power that once was mine.

“In that lifetime you watched Will die and at that moment you not only lost your mate, but you also lost part of your soul,” McCollum continued. “In your case there was actually a physical rip. It’s very rare, but you are a rare being.”

“Part of you was drawn toward Will as he made his death journey into the light, while the other half of your soul rejoined your body to fight the raging battle you had left here on Earth. It was then that something became broken inside of you
, divided, and it continued even after the Romans terminated that lifetime. For centuries I looked for the pieces of you, but only heard rumors of a ghost trying to reunite with the beloved she had lost.”

“That is when I set our ancient plan into motion, knowing you would not consciously remember the promise you had made two thousand years ago. My hope and expectation was that you would be drawn to this lifetime by the ones destined to be your parents. Terry and Kate honored their agreement by returning when the
Twilight
was imminent, they incarnated totally veiled in the hope that you would follow. You see, Hillary,” McCollum paused to think and then explained, “almost no one can make the journey back into this third dimension without the veils to protect the mind. At the moment of birth, you are totally aware and an instant later you are left with only your karma to lead you to what has been destined. Some make it and others are led astray... I think our plan has gone quite smoothly, considering!” he said with satisfaction.

“This brief history brings us to why we have once again been reunited.” McCollum looked both tired and exhilarated. Everyone’s chair w
as shifting behind me almost as if they were bracing themselves for the impact of McCollum’s next words.

Looking at the people around me, I wondered if this was really happening. I was just a farm girl who had no real accomplishments in life besides going away to college. I could see a glimpse of brilliant light in each of the people surrounding me. How could I possibly fit into this picture? When I was at the height of my self-doubt, I heard McCollum clear his voice and softly begin to speak again.

“Hillary, when I saw you in our Carriage House last year, I was speechless, although I imagine neither you nor Ruth remember it that way,” he added, with a smile. “I never knew if you would actually incarnate as planned. I had hoped … dreamed … prayed that you would join us in this lifetime, but that does not always make it so.”

“I can see the doubt and questions in your eyes and you can rest assured that everything will be answered in time
, give it time my dear one, give it time. Your veils will begin to fall away as you become ready for them to. Don’t worry, everything is perfect and unfolding exactly as it should,” he consoled gently.

McCollum once again met Will’s eyes.