Dark Escape

Chapter 5

A week passed with nothing out of the ordinary occurring. Maggie cleansed the house and the surrounding property with herbs and incantations, insisting balance kept negative forces away. The old woman's presence in the house gave Tara a confidence and sense of security. There was something magical about her that was over and above what she demonstrated.

As they completed their daily meditation, Maggie reached for the bag she brought. She pulled out a small book. Its edges showed signs of usage and the binding was barely intact.

"Today we're going to talk about the powers of the mind," Maggie said.

"Do you mean manifesting?" Tara asked.

"Exactly," Maggie smiled, "making things happen by will. Knowing your abilities and making good use of them."

"It's so complicated," Tara said hesitantly. "I struggle so much with what you're teaching me, but I won't give up."

"The gift's inside ya already," Maggie said encouragingly. "Ya just have to pull it out. The day will come. Just keep learning and practicing and respecting what ya do not understand." She moved close, so Tara could see the writing on the pages of the book she held. "You're right about it being complicated. It takes a whole lifetime and then some to understand and then ya still have more to learn."

Maggie began reading from the book, "There is only one mind, and that's the mind of God. Some call it Spirit or Universal Intelligence, but it is God, the power of the mighty one. This mind is in all things on earth. God expresses through us, one and all. Everyone has the power of God running through them and everyone has the power of God to create, but this is only in accordance to what we believe, because we have free will to accept and reject. It's God's way to allow us this right. It's also God's way to allow us to use our powers for what we want." Maggie paused, watching for a sign that Tara was ready to hear more before continuing, "Man uses this power whether he realizes it or not. Learning to use it properly will give desired results." She positioned her body to face Tara. "Now, let's think of an example for a minute. If ya have a long beautiful sharp knife, ya can do good by using it to feed people or bad by killing someone with it but 'tis the same knife. Have ya got the picture in your mind?"

Tara nodded slowly and said, "Our decisions determine what happens?"

Maggie sat back with a satisfied sigh.

"I don't understand why God allows us to do harm with his tools," Tara mused. "He is all powerful so why doesn't he stop those doing harm?"

Maggie scowled for a brief moment and then replied, "If he stopped us from using the tools the way we choose we'd lose our free will. 'Tis a lesson in self-discipline and discernment of right and wrong."

"Does that go for spirits too?" Tara asked. "Do they have free will?"

Tara's mind raced with curiosity.

"They have the advantage of having a better idea of what 'tis all about, this life and thereafter. They do not have to be like us and pick the information through the human brain to boot!" Maggie replied thoughtfully.

"If that's true, then why are there bad spirits?" Tara persisted. "If they have an understanding about God and all the good there is available to them, why are they doing evil things? I don't understand."

"I asked the same thing myself at your age," Maggie said with a chuckle. "I'll give ya the same answer my mum gave to me. 'When ya leave your body in death, ya still have your mind with ya. Because ya still are under the right of free will, ya have the choice of believing ya should move into the light or not. That's why they send loved ones to get ya so you'll relax and believe better. Sometimes there's not a loved one to be found at your time and if ya don't have the faith to begin with, ya get scared, or angry or sometimes jealous that ya don't have your body anymore and ya wander the earth refusing to go on into the light. Sometimes ya meet up with others who are feeling the same way as ya are and ya form something like an army that joins the evil one to get back at those who still have what ya want. Lots of things could happen after ya die. That's why 'tis good to pray for the poor souls who have passed on, to help their energies be balanced and to let them see the truth and go back to God," Maggie paused and looked at Tara questioningly and then asked, "Does it make sense?"