pressure

I was sitting toward the back of an auditorium, waiting for a show to begin. The huge room was filled with people and it seemed that there would be speakers and performances of various kinds. The old man next to me began speaking with me and, where at first I didn't mind, he became increasingly confronting, making me extremely uncomfortable. First he said that he could sense when people had too much caffeine pumping though their system, that they were tense and charged. I confessed that I had earlier had two small cups of coffee, but felt fine. He then went on to say that he had lived at the time of Jesus, that he remembered his life and that he remembered me. He said I was Elizabeth. I did not believe him but felt curious nonetheless. He then asked me to sing a particular religious song that I vaguely recall from my youth. I declined but he insisted. Again I declined. Instead of accepting that I did not want to sing, he amplified the pressure. He called the main speaker over from the stage to support him. The man, his voice booming over the sound system, walked up the aisle to the back of the auditorium where we were sitting, stood over me and told me to sing. There was no way now that I would sing, none at all, and my anger and embarrassment was too much. I walked out of the auditorium, turning my back on all that the crowd stood for. Outside, I found my friend, S. She was looking for me, walking through a maze of tents and stalls. We were obviously on the grounds of a big festival, probably religious.

lost camera & manifesting thoughts

I was sitting at a bus stop, somewhere in another city. I had a few items of luggage with me, including my camera. I placed the camera on the footpath while I rummaged through my bag, head down, looking for my ticket. When I looked up again, my camera was gone. I panicked. I searched around the bus stop and stopped anybody around, asking for my camera. No one had it nor had they seen anyone take it. It had simply disappeared. I was desperate to find my camera as I had photographed a friend's wedding the day before and all of the photos were stored on the memory card in the camera. I was terrified of losing the photographs and ruining the occasion, plus I value the camera greatly.
Later, I was inside a house with the friends whose wedding I had photographed. I was still searching for my camera, checking inside cupboards and suitcases, under lounges and other furniture, anywhere I thought it could be hidden. Finally the bride's mother, another dear friend, told me to remember the last time I was anxious about losing photographs: I greatly feared something going wrong with the camera and then the memory card malfunctioned. Though I was able to retrieve the images, she said that I had manifested the near disaster. This again, she said, was a manifestation of my thoughts. Be careful what you think, she warned me.

pink monkey

I drew a pink monkey called Sphiros, to put up on the door. She - for it was a very pretty monkey with long eyelashes around blue almond eyes - was going to help us become all that we could be. Her image contained her spirit and she would act as our familiar.

camping out

I was with hundreds of other people, camped on a green in the middle of a city. It was late in the afternoon and we were all setting up tents and preparing for an evening out at a special event. People were walking around in their best clothes, having already visited the communal bathrooms, showered and dressed up. I realised that I had a lot to do: I was yet to erect my tent, unpack my belongings, queue to visit the bathroom and get dressed for this special occasion. I gathered my things, a heavy suitcase and my handbag, and went to where I had earlier left my tent and sleeping bag. I found that a couple that I knew well had erected their tent on my site but had left a small patch of green for me to use, only big enough for one person. Instead of unpacking and putting up a tent, I proceeded to build and make up a bed, complete with sheets, pillows, a white quilt and beautiful cushions. Once finished, I wondered if it would rain whilst I was out at the event or during the night, and worried about sleeping under the stars. I noticed that someone had put up a tarpaulin that could be stretched over the entire sleeping area, so unless there was driving rain, I would be dry.

laundry

I was in the home of a close friend's parents, attempting to do a load of washing. Their laundry was a step down from the rest of the house, adjoining the main living space where the parents were sitting, watching television. They appeared to be either drunk or in a bad mood; they were somewhat cranky and careless with their words and actions. I closed the laundry door and loaded the clothes into the front loader washing machine. Instead of a simple door, the washing machine had three separate doors to shut: the first a rubber flap, the second a plastic sliding door, and the third a lockable swing door. I closed all three and started the machine. Regardless of the care taken to close all of the doors, water poured out of the machine and flooded the laundry, ankle-deep in no time at all. I rushed to the the far end of the room and could see two drain pipes built into the cement floor. I stopped the machine and waded through the water, creating a drag toward the drains so the water would empty quickly. I was grateful that the laundry was lower than the rest of the house so that the water would not flood the living room as well. Once the water was gone, I opened the laundry door and called to my friend's mother, asking for her help with the washing machine. She simply grunted and continued to watch the television. My friend came into the room and offered his help. I could not help but notice the remarkable difference in their attitudes: he was open and warm, they were cold and indifferent.

festival

I travelled by train up the coast to attend a festival, much like the Woodford Folk Festival. The train was old with wood panelling and open windows, just like the trains I caught as a child. I stayed in hotel-style accommodation; again, the building was quite old with wood panelling on the walls. After settling in, I wandered around the grounds of the festival. I was early and the crew was still setting up, erecting tents, stalls and stages. I found a place to have a drink and a bite to eat, and then continued walking the festival site. I looked in a few shops - temporary buildings - where treasures and books were for sale. I turned the pages of an antique book, the illustrations changing shape before my eyes. Before long, I found a few friends who were due to perform. I sat on a fold-up chair in front of a low stage and watched as my friends did an acrobatic yoga show. They were extremely impressive and very strong, balancing their bodies, standing atop one another. Suddenly, my chair lifted into the sky. I circled above the festival grounds, flying through the air, until I came back to land close to where I had taken off, and stopped by bumping into a wall. The festival site now teamed with people. I saw various women with whom I have shared house over the years, all attending the festival. I searched the crowds, looking for my friend.

floating

I was on a bus with B. She sat toward the front on the left-hand side, while I wandered up to where the old driver was sitting and watched him drive. I suddenly floated up to the ceiling and I realised I was naked from the waist up. Hovering below the bus roof, I covered myself with my hands and looked down to B who reassured me with a smile. The driver looked up at me and said, "A dwarf naked angel! Just what I've always wanted while I drive." The bus stopped and I floated out the front door, B joining me. She changed into a close friend I had throughout my teenage years who died when he was only seventeen. He wanted to float too so he ran up the hill, holding my hand, while I floated beside him, anchored by his weight.