I have started a new routine, where I sit and meditate immediately after I get up at 4:45, rather than brewing the coffee first. I was finding that the coffee was taking my attention away from the meditation.  This way I am also quite close to my sleep state when I change my focus, which seems to help (based on one day of practice). So today I followed the process closely, taking the time to relax and settle in, and once I set my intention to ask for a helper and to do a retrieval, I saw a small furry animal at my feet, that I identified as a hedgehog. Not one to be prejudiced in my choice of helpers, I followed the little guy as he waddled off into the woods. I was just wondering where this would take me, when I caught a glimpse of an older man, bald, with a white mustache and goatee, whom I immediately identified as Brian Jaques, the author of the "Redwall" series of fantasy books for kids (and grown-ups like me who enjoy them). Jaques died a couple of months ago at about 70 y/o if I recall correctly. Anyway, Redwall Abbey is an enchanted monestary (okay, Abbey) which is populated by small forest creatures who anthropomorphize into monks, warriors and horrid villains. Jaques wrote over twenty of these engrossing novels, so it made immediate sense that my helper would take the form of a small woodland creature. As we walked throught the woods, I began to feel that maybe this was going to be a Belief System Territory retrieval, as I was getting guidance to assume an animal form myself. I chose an otter, who normally assumes a heroic and helpful role in Redwall books as my form, and me and the hedghog coninued on our way. Eventually, we came to the outskirts of a medieval village, which I somehow pegged as being French (Jaques was English). We made our way into the village and came upun the market square, which was bustling with activity, and all of it by other happy woodland creatures, buying, selling and carting goods around the town. This further cemented my conviction that we were in a BST of Jaques making. We wandered down some winding alleys, and eventually knocked on a large wood door, with heavy iron hardware, and I heard Jaques call from inside. I can't remember what we said to get him to let us in, but after some back and forth he did. He was inside, in human form, and dressed casually and in normal human garb. He was pacing around and clearly agitated. It seemed that he was trapped. He made no comment about our forms, and I assumed that this was the world in which he was living. I asked him why he was trapped in here, and he said "Because they are out there". I pursued the question and asked him who "they" were.  "the booksellers", he said, with obvious disdain. So somehow I got the sense that he was hiding from the booksellers, because they held some sway over him. I got the message, whether spoken or otherwise, that he was disturbed because he wanted his books to be free, and the booksellers forbade this. Back story, Jaques had initially written the Redwall books as a gift for children in a home of some sort, in England (or Scotland, I can't remember). So a plan occurred to me, and I asked him, "would you like to go to a place where all of the books are free?". It was an obvious plan, but he liked the idea. And after a bit more discussion, which I have lost, he agreed to accompany the hedgehog (another perrennially good character in his books), and of course he took him to the library in Focus 27.  I followed them, and we appeared in the park ,and the library appeared, but not in the palatial white form I have heard of, but as a broad, inviting stone building with natural wood trim and a slate roof.  We went in and  he was enchanted with the place, and I clicked out before he recognized anyone. A couple of firsts for me on this retrieval: For the first time I experienced the entire event in color, and not just color, but high Def, wide screen color. It was amazing. Also new to me was retrieving a known personality. Don't know what to make of it, but it was a very vivid experience. I then asked the helper for another retrieval opportunity, but was dissapointed when all of the "character" that I encountered were being played by celebrities. I remember Kathy Bates, and one or two others, but at that point I thought I was just creating an elaborate amusement for myself, starring some big names, and I came out of it. Still, it was amusing.

Very cool.

You write it is a BST world and not F 23. Is that because you felt there were other discarnates in the town?

Bardo,

Yeah, very cool read. :) Have you browsed the books/info in the library @F27?

Paulieffect,
You are right, I should have referred to  it as an F23 experience.  Unless the furry creatures were similarly ensnared by the booksellers.

Volu,
No, not yet. This was actually the first time I was inside. Intriguing thought though.  How do you decide what to peruse when you have literally all knowledge to choose from?

Bardo,
Ok. Maybe that which you burn for, that which interests you to have more knowledge about? Anyways, clever retrival.

Bardo wrote on Apr 19^th, 2011 at 10:25am:

A couple of firsts for me on this retrieval: For the first time I experienced the entire event in color, and not just color, but high Def, wide screen color. It was amazing.

Hey Bardo,

This really is amazing.  I know this isn't supposed to make it more real, but it definitely makes it feel that way doesn't it? 

Great detail on this retrieval.  And I agree it's not a BST. 

Vicky

:)

Hi Bardo

Like everyone has said - great detail and a wonderful retrieval.  I like the fact that they chose you because you knew Jacques and knew all the characters he had written.  Just think if I was called to do this retrieval i'd have no idea what the hedgehog was all about.  It seems that we are chosen for particular retrievals based on our knowledge of the person to be retrieved so that we can create (or recreate) scenarios which are valid to the retrievee and thus grab their attention. 

Irene

Also, it may be to do with growth opprtunity for the retriever? the reason I mention this is surely the helpers would already have access to all the information about the author and what they wrote.