I see a woman with a red hooded cloak, walking from the edge of a field into a forest. The trees stand close together and dark shadows fill the space between that swallow the woman whole as she fearlessly walks into them. I am seeing from her eyes now, walking through the shadows into the thick, ancient, mystical forest. I feel free here, weaving in the darkness, with my eyes opened to the nothingness. I do not look around me as I do not need to know what is there. On wards I continue to walk, with a lightness in my step and a knowing to keep moving my feet one foot in front of the other. I know when to step to the side and in which direction. Not from my cranial brain, but from the knowledge of my heart. My heart has walked through this space for eternity. Creating from this space for eternity. Every now and then I walk through a clearing where there are no trees, and sunlight streams in from the vast opening in the canopy over head. As I step into this sun spot, I glow with a Golden mist that surrounds me kissing me, as I kiss it. I twirl in this light, dance in the joy that melts from within me into the external field of this clearing. On wards I continue, stepping out of this lightness and returning back into the shadows of the trees, the tallest trees one ever might see, with darkness that fills the space in between. With my eyes resting open, no need for them to strain to see what is before me as my heart knows where to guide me, I allow the voice of my heart to sing from me. A song with a haunting melody that echoes through the silence of the shadows. For the first time, this space does not feel empty and it is coming to life with the calls of my song. Where before the shadows seemed to be stretching out from the depths of my heart, now the darkness seems to be closing in on me, and yet I feel no fear and continue along my pathway through the shadows. “My song chants out of me, calling out to thee, of all of those who would rather hide, safely hidden from me, it is safe now my little one, come to me, come to me, you needn’t hide now little one, come to me, come to me, for I wish for you to be free now little one, so come to me, come to me.” The song of my heart riveting out into the shadows is met with shadows moving their way closer to me. I stop just before the next clearing of Golden light and for a moment, I stand in stillness and silence as the last verse of my song echoes in a spiral around me. Little shadow hands reaching out to me, holding my dress, or any part of me that they can. “let’s go now my little loves, come now my little loves, we have found each other again my little loves.” I take a step into the golden lit clearing and so too do the shadow children who had answered my call. I move into the center of the clearing and am surrounded by shadow children who fill this circle of golden light. They are dirty, malnourished, fear striken in their eyes as they squint and shield their eyes from the sun that is bathing them in light. I ever so slowly and gracefully, raise my hands from beside me and outstretch them to the heavens in surrender. The little shadows follow my lead and we gaze together at the light of the sun. Slowly, with our arms outstretched, we begin to twirl gently in a circle, smiling at the light that bathes us in love. The heavens crack open even more and through the light beaming down us, warm rain begins to fall down from the skies as we dance and sing on the earth below, the dirt and grime of the shadows washing away and being returned into the earth. When the rain finally stops, I look down at the children who once were but skin and bones and covered in filth. Now standing before me are the glowing faces of boys and girls, beaming at me with the smile of their freedom. We sit in circle together playing games and telling our stories, eating sweets and food that has been delivered by creatures of the forest. We spend time here together as if time has stood still, no need to rush as the world outside has been packed away. When our bellies and hearts are full I begin to rise from the ground and silence falls over the children who each look up at me with their glowing little souls. “It is time now my little loves, for you to return to me, return to me. It is time now my little loves, for you to be set free, be set free. It is time now little loves, return to me return to me. It is time now little loves, be free, be free.” As I sing this song, the children one by one come up to me and stretch out their arms to be held, one last time. I scoop them up, hug them close to my heart, and when they are ready, the dissolve into me. The last child approaches now, a sleepy smile on her face. I take a seat on the ground and invite her into my lap. As I cradle her in my arms with her beautiful eyes beaming straight into mine, we sing one last time together “It is time now little love, return to me, return to me. It is time now little love, you are free, I am free, we are free.” And with ease and grace, she dissolves into me and I am sitting in the center of this golden clearing, arms outstretched in surrender. I am whole again. With a lightness of step, I make my way back through the shadow forest towards the field from which I first entered. The woman in the red hooded cloak steps out of the forest and walks across the field. She is smiling, she is glowing, she is free.