This is just a little story about following intuition and guidance. It’s an illustration of the way that we can be afforded opportunities to let ourselves follow the flow of the universe, and the results are always “meant to be”. We may not always like them or understand them, but they are meant to be.
The story begins on Friday. I’ve been to London many times before, and I kind of know my way around now. So much so that I finally bought an Oyster Card in order to facilitate travel. First on my list was Treadwell‘s due to having seen it recently associated with some Order Of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) events. I happened to be around Covent Garden at the end of the day and so thought about visiting the bookshop. I looked the place up on Google Maps and felt I knew approximately where it was. In my mind it was near Covent Garden, and so I headed out that way. I spent a long time walking around before I realised that I was actually nowhere near Treadwell’s. I’d made a mistake, and just wasted my time! I gave up.
I had a few hours on Saturday morning in which to find one of the several esoteric bookshops. I planned a visit to Atlantis Books which, when I arrived, turned out not to be the bookshop I was thinking of. Again? What was happening? Was the city confusing me? I know I spend a lot of time in the countryside, and yet…. I had my phone so why couldn’t I follow a simple map?
On Sunday I had all day to find bookshops. I wasn’t heading anywhere in particular, but for some reason I ended up at Goodge Street station as an alternative to the closed Tottenham Court Road. When I did a search for Treadwell’s, wondering how far away it was, I was pleased to discover that I was close! Coincidence, of course.
I set off with a strong intent. Having not found any bookshops so far I was determined to find it. It was just beyond a crescent of buildings….but I couldn’t find it! I re-checked the address and walked back along the road. Nope. Couldn’t see it! I was about to give up when I looked up from the phone – there it was – a few feet away! How could I have missed it? It was almost impossible!
I was welcomed by the girl sitting behind the counter and began browsing. Actually, I wasn’t really paying attention at all. I was just walking around and not really looking at anything! I was in the kind of mind that I use when dowsing and meditating.
I found myself at the Celtic section and my hand moved towards a second-hand book. I hadn’t even read the title. I checked the contents page to see why I had picked this particular book. The content was just what I had been looking for: all about how many of the Druids became the early Christians. It was perfect, but expensive. An original copy of “The Flaming Door” by Eleanor C.Merry. It’s a good job places like Treadwell’s exist!
Now I had an interesting book I wasn’t looking for anything else, and so wandered around aimlessly again, not realising I was back into that dowsing state of mind again. I found myself in sections that I don’t normally browse, and my hand began to move to a book hidden well to the side of the bottom shelf, and far back behind other books. It was about the Voynich Manuscript – fascinating! I grabbed it.
Soon I was loitering around the ‘Rare Books’ section. The shelves were filled with old dusty spines, but one book stood out so much that I lifted it off the shelf: “The Black Alchemist” – Andrew Collins‘ book. I had been after this for some time, but had forgotten about it for ages.
I was beginning to realise that I was being guided to find books. These three books all had elements in common (ha! pun!) Their subject was alchemy, both of the soul and material alchemy. I was being guided to books dealing with an early understanding of the process of transformation, and a modern story about the consequences of such work.
I tried to tune in to see if there were any more books. It’s a funny thing, but once you realise what’s going on the process is often at an end. So it was – I wasn’t feeling guided at all now. No more books to buy. I had to be happy with what I had. I had three books that I knew were right for me now.
What a wonderful thing, but now that I look back what a frustrating process to have been through too! I am worked hard for my gains.
