Suddenly, she saw the spirits in the cave. There was an elder Ojibway man with long gray hair, chanting. Beside him was a younger man, his son, with war paint and strong arms. Nearby a Medicine Man shook his rattles. All the time she could hear the soft pounding of a drum.
“Help me,” she asked them. They nodded silently.
They circled around Rebekah and danced, chanting and singing, while the drums and rattles echoed throughout the cave. At the entrance a large black bear appeared. It stood on its hind legs and stared into the cave. Rebekah shrieked. But the men kept going around in a circle, ignoring the bear. Rebekah cowered in a corner, not sure what to do, or where to hide.
Then the Medicine Man stopped rattling and reached out for Rebekah’s hand. She took it timidly, eager for some comfort. He led her towards the bear.
“Oh, no!” she cried.
But the bear went down on his four paws and the Medicine Man put Rebekah on top. He told her not to be afraid.
“Trust the bear,” he said. “It will carry you. It is your protection now.”
Rebekah clung to the bear’s fur and it took off in a gallop. It crossed the hills and through the forest with huge strides, while Rebekah clung to it for dear life.
Finally, it stopped on top of a ridge. Rebekah slid down beside it. The bear nuzzled her, and began to speak.
“Rebekah,” the bear said.
Rebekah jumped. This bear could speak! What a strange world this was!
“Whenever you need me, I am here,” the bear said. “I am your spirit animal. I am strong and fierce. I will protect you.”
Rebekah thanked the bear and petted his thick, coarse fur. Then she closed her eyes and within seconds she was back home in her own bed. She looked out the window at the stars and felt safe for the first time in her life. “Thank you,” she said, and a star fell out of the sky.
For the rest of her life, Rebekah would call on her spirit guide the Bear whenever she was afraid. Even when she felt attacked on a psychic level, she called on him, because she knew he could protect her at all levels. He was a great friend to have.
“I am going to dedicate myself to being a better person,” she thought. “I have everything I need.”
She was on the path to Magnificence, the one her husband Joshua had tried so hard to find and given up everything for. But she had been given insight that was rare. She knew who she was and why she was here.
“I am part of the Universe,” she smiled. “I am here to connect with the Universe and all its Magnificence. That is my real Home.”
Rebekah knew there was no cost that was not worth the prize. And the rewards were already given. She was was on the path of the Power of Magnificence.