It was time for me to make my decision. The Rishi had shown me what I needed to see in that pool of his that seemed to mesmerize and enchant me every time I gazed into it. How captivating and beautiful to see the Earth from such a vantage. The image in the water clouded over, and the Rishi turned to me, his deep eyes questioning.
“Is this acceptable to you?” he asked.
“Let me make sure I’ve got this straight,” I replied. “I work out my karma with that particular individual spirit, and then I can come home?”
“Yes, you may” he replied.
“That family you’ve selected for me… they seem really nice, but how will they help me with the karma I need to work out?”
The Rishi said, “You will need to find the inner strength to stand up for yourself. You won’t be able to rely on your family to do it for you.”
“That seems easy enough. I mean, what this individual is going to do to me is pretty awful. I can’t imagine tolerating it for very long. Should be a nice, easy task for me.”
The Rishi looked at me with great compassion. “One would think.”
“Sure, no problem. I’ll just deal with the situation compassionately. I’m sure that will be enough.”
The Rishi said, “Unfortunately, it’s your great compassion that will trap you in this situation. What you will need instead is some courage.”
That put a damper on my happiness. Although I liked to think I had courage, I had spent many lifetimes running from persecution instead of standing up for my beliefs. If I was honest with myself, I was a little concerned about finding that courage.
“Well,” I said hesitatingly, “I can see that this is an important lesson for me, and I know it’s important for me to work out my karma with this soul once and for all. Have you discussed it with him as well?”
“Yes, he will be coming from a place of great fear and feelings of abandonment. Your compassion will draw you to him, and then your karma will play out. Do not fear. Even while you are experiencing great physical and emotional pain, remember that you are loved and that the pain is temporary.”
What I saw in the pool concerned me a little. The violence, the fear, the sadness … I worried it would overwhelm me. In my weakness I had ended several of my lives too soon. Lack of courage had crippled me before, and I didn’t want that to happen again.
“From what I could see in the pool, there will be no one around to help me. Am I to be alone in dealing with this?” I asked.
The Rishi replied, “Of course not. There will be people in your life who will lend you courage if you can recognize them. And your connection to your spirit will guide you considerably. The more you remember where you came from, the faster your karma will work itself out. He will not remember his choice to incarnate, but you will. That might be enough for you.”
I looked at the Rishi and wavered for a moment. I had to admit that I was afraid of the life I was about to accept. The Rishi saw my energy recede and reached out his hands to me. I gratefully drew some of his energy into my spirit and felt his love for me.
“Remember where you come from and do not fear. You cannot be truly harmed. You have the opportunity to transform him, to help him learn acceptance and love. You are up to the task, or I would not let you incarnate.”
“I know,” I whispered softly. “I just like being here at home so much. But I know this is important, and it’s something I want to do. Please make the arrangements.”
The Rishi nodded. Then he said, “There is one more arrangement we need to discuss. As you know, Earth is reaching a critical juncture in its spiritual evolution. We would like you to stay and help people remember where they come from. People have become disconnected with their spirits, and the energy of the planet is turning towards fear. That must change and soon.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that. It pains me to see so many people living in fear. I’ve spent nearly two dozen lifetimes trying to remind people where they come from. Being burned at the stake and hung until my neck snaps kind of soured me on the whole experience. They’ll just have to find their way like everyone else. I have no idea how to help them anymore.”
The Rishi smiled kindly, “I know that you have been unsuccessful in the past, but this time it will be different. This time you and your soul mate will be able to work together to achieve what alone you could not. But you cannot meet him until you are done working through your karma with the other soul first. At that time you will be given a choice of whether to stay on Earth and help with its evolution or come home. I can tell you that at the time you are given this choice you will be anxious to return home for healing. But if you stay, your reward will be greater than any you could imagine.”
My soul mate. In every life I’d ever lived he was there with me. Sometimes as a lover, sometimes as friend, and sometimes as merely an acquaintance. It was rare that our individual spiritual journeys allowed us to spend an entire life together.
“What is it that we can do together that we can’t do alone? And what will happen to his mission if I choose to come home instead?” I asked.
“If you agree to stay on Earth, he will teach you courage, and you will teach him love and compassion. You will awaken his spirit and pull aside the veil for him. He will remember where he comes from and be able to draw upon our spiritual energy to help raise the energy of the planet. Without you, however, his success will be largely material instead of spiritual.”
Hmm. I knew I was in desperate need of courage, and I knew the planet needed to move towards love energy instead of fear energy. The thought of being able to help people appealed to me so much, but I had been burned (literally) so many times before.
“I know what you’re thinking,” the Rishi said, interrupting my thoughts, “but let me reassure you that you can succeed in your mission with him at your side. We believe that with our help the two of you could successfully raise the energy of the planet to a state of love, peace, and harmony. You will be given many spiritual gifts to keep the lines of energy open, and you may draw upon our knowledge and wisdom as needed. He will raise the energy of the people he meets by shaking them awake because that is what many of them need at this time. We are running out of options, and it’s time for a warrior’s compassion. The combination of courage and compassion are what this planet needs now.”
I was moved by what he said, and my hope for the people of our planet welled up inside me again. Could it be possible? Could one lifetime be enough?
The Rishi said, “With the two of you working together, yes. We believe you will have a profound impact on the planet. But remember, it is a choice you will need to make after you have been ‘burned’ as you like to put it. As I said, you will want to come home. You have that option, and we will embrace your spirit when you arrive. We are asking you to have faith in the union we will arrange for you. We are asking you to have faith in yourself.”
Something stirred inside me. I hadn’t dared hope it was possible to help people anymore. I just wanted to deal with my karma and get back home as soon as possible. The Rishi waved his hand over the pool and said, “Let me give you a glimpse of what you and he could accomplish.” I peered intently into the water as cloudy vapor swirled over the surface and finally cleared. What I saw caused my energy to swell. I felt excitement, hope, and joy.
“Yes! I want this! Please, I want this more than anything!” I gushed.
The Rishi smiled, “Remember, it is entirely up to you. When the time comes you will need faith and a little courage. The road will be long and there will be missteps along the way. But if you two stay the course, the benefit to the planet will be enormous. And know this … we have faith in you two.”
I hugged the Rishi and said, “We won’t let you down! You can count on us. Thank you for this opportunity. You have restored my faith.”
The Rishi said, “We wouldn’t be sending you on this mission if you didn’t have the faith you needed. You just had to be reminded of it.”
I said, “I’m ready to go. Let’s do it!”
The Rishi smiled. “Very well.” He waved his hand over my eyes and I could feel the veil being drawn. It was perhaps the saddest part of incarnating; that loss of memory that occurs so that we can move our spirits into a body that vibrates at a much lower frequency than when we are in the ether. The disconnect with Source is necessary, so it is accepted. I took some solace in knowing that I would retain some of that knowledge while growing up as a physical being. Others weren’t as lucky. But it was a right I had earned from years of working on my spiritual growth.
***
I touched the life of the woman who would give my body birth and entered her womb. I was surprised to find I was not alone. A twin? How interesting. Perhaps it was the Rishi’s way of reminding me that I would never be truly alone. I couldn’t wait to see my soul mate again. I knew there would be pain before that, but I clung to the knowledge of what lay beyond it. I held on tight to the final vision the Rishi had given me as the veil was drawn around me … once again.
