Chapter Fifty Four. We're going to Disneyland!

We're going to Disneyland!

"Yes, I hear you fine my boy," said Fred from inside somewhere (Derby  wasn't sure where). "I told you, if you didn't hear me, it wouldn't be because I wasn't here, but because you were choosing to occupy your mind with other things."

"That was intense!," said Derby, speaking outloud as if he was sitting with a friend.

As he walked along talking, a few people in the park cast glances and wondered to whom he was talking.

"I'm here with Shrinegold Derby," said the internal voice. "And some other friends. I'm in your head. Shrinegold is in your lungs."

"That's weird," said Derby as he walked along, going to...he knew not where.

"Yes, I knew you'd think so," said Fred. "There's also Phylochlor, Aqua, Gronjohn and Moola. Say hello."

"Hello everyone!," Derby greeted the invisible beings inside his body.

There was a tug in his chest and he felt as if he would have to cough, when he recognized the familiar voice of Shrinegold. "Greetings Master Ripley!," said Shrinegold from inside his lungs. "Can you taste me?"

Smacking his tongue and lips, Derby noticed a metalic flavor. "Yes!," he said. "Tastes like tin or copper!"

"We have some work to do," said Shrinegold. "When we're done with you, you'll know my flavor as pure gold!"

"Hello my precious love," said a cool sweet voice from his back. "I'm Aqua. Jeninqua sprung from me. I'm also water, pure Yin and am in your kidneys. I'm married to Gronjohn, who lives in your heart. Say hello husband."

A deep voice, which sounded so familiar it scared Derby. The voice bellowed from the center of Derby's chest, and his whole body reverberated, as if a ripple rolled out through his body, as if a rock had been thrown into a lake.

"Derby, I am your heart center," said the deep, mellow voice.  "My name is Gronjohn. I'm fire and burn as the sun to all your body organs. I'm pure Yang. When you learn to follow the figure eight of the universe, you'll discover that I begin where the tips of the universe ends."

"Woe," said Derby as he tried to wrap his mind around that thought. As Derby went into his own head (using his intellect to visually imagine the concept Gronjohn had described), he found himself imagining a peaceful park-like setting.  In his mind, he bumped into Fred, who was leaning against a tree in Derby's mental picture of the peaceful setting.

"This is where you'll rest, after you work with each of your internal organs," said Fred, who was chewing on a piece of grass.

"What do you mean working with my internal organs?," asked Derby to Fred in his mind.

"Sit down," said Fred. "Now lie down and relax. Close your eyes and do as I say."

Derby found some soft grass and did as Fred had said.

"Relax, and continue to rest here with me," spoke Fred's hypnotic voice, which seemed to send Derby into a deep trance like state. "Notice the sun is shining and there is a crystal clear lake nearby. It is Springtime, and all the foiliage is in bloom and all is green and bright. Beneath your feet, worms are busy in the rich layers of humus. The bright sun glistens from the reflection of the nearby outcropping of the minerals, like you've seen in Umpa's lair."

"Yes," said Shrinegold from Derby's lung area. As Shrinegold spoke, Derby flinched a little, from the urge to cough, but he was reminded by Fred to rest and continue to relax in the peaceful setting. As he did so, he now was able to see Shrinegold from the mineral outcropping he pictured inside his head.

 "You're acquainted with me," continued Shrinegold. But less familiar with the others. Fred, please take Derby on the rounds!"

"OK, my boy," said Fred from the tree. "I'm leaning here on one of Phylochlor's fibrous outgrowths. Trees are ancient and deep spirits. Phylochlor has deep roots and all the living plants are connected to him. He is wood and lives in your liver. Come with me down into this region in your upper right abdominal area."

Derby let his mind accomodate the vision that allowed him to wander down, deep into his own body to his liver area.

"Phylochlor," continued Fred. "What can you do to help our boy be more at peace?"

"You've met my nephew, Tim Tum," said Phylochlor. "The grumpy tree spirit in Umpa's lair."

"Yes, I remember him. I accidentally spit on him," said Derby in his trance like state. "But it is hard for me to see you Phylochlor. I am searching for you in my liver. But there is a blank. I feel as if I'm in a hollow space."

"It will be easier for you to know me by seeing the green of me," spoke Phylochlor. "So let yourself be surrounded by the color green, in your mind's eye, my boy."

As Derby did so, he was able to recognize a life force from his liver area.

"You have a great deal of anger my lad," spoke Phylochlor. "I can help you with that. It is understandable that you're angry. Many things have happened. Bad things as well as many inconvenient hardships have befallen you. But you must let go of this anger. It causes you great illness!"

Derby choked back tears as he let himself face the anger he had been carrying at things and circumstances, people and tensions in his body. He felt a great relief as these burdens seemed to be lifted from him. He imagined them breaking into thousands of little fragments, dividing once, then again, and again, until they were too small to be felt. Tears ran from his eyes, but he found himself laughing uncontrollably.

"Thank you," Derby heard himself saying. He was't sure who he was thanking, but he felt as if he was hugging Fred, or someone inside himself.

"Thank you Derby," said Phylochlor. "We are so pleased to serve you. This is what we do. But most of the time, those we serve haven't learned to see us. We are the source of all your vitality. We have the power to heal you. There is a great deal of work to do. Illness builds up. Bit by bit we can irradicate disease from within your organs and tissue."

"Come back up here," said Fred, from his resting place against the tree in Derby's mind. "Rest with me now. You've been working harder than you know to remove that anger and to visualize Phylochlor in your liver. Rest now my boy."

Derby smiled to himself and in the place in his mind. He felt so utterly relaxed and happy. "Yes. Thank you Fred. Beautiful here isn't it?"

"Yes. Remember you can always come here to rest," said Fred joyfully. "By the way," he continued. "What we're doing as we rest here is keeping to the female. You're familiar with the expression aren't you?"

"Yes. It is how I mustered the ability to flee the firestorm and save the children," replied Derby, still in a trance.

"It is how a cat can leap high," said Fred. "When I explained that until you learned to relax, you would be at war with your muscles, you weren't able to do as I told you at the time. But when you found small children, your gentle spirit guided you and you found a deeper voice than my own within yourself."

"It is wonderful," Derby said, from a deep recess within himself, all his body tingling as if it were lit up and sparking within an electrical field.

"Now we'll continue," said Fred. Derby imagined taking Fred's hand, who then led him back down into his body. "From Phylochlor, we go to fire. You see, wood feeds fire doesn't it?"

Derby felt heat as he imagined putting logs on a fire. "We're going to the solar plexus of your body. This bright red center of the sun, your heart!"

Derby's eyes within his mind were blinded for a moment as he let himself go into his heart. It scared him for he was afraid he may be burned.

"No," warned Fred, who was standing next to Derby in his mind's eye. "You must relax and smile into your heart center. There is nothing but wellness waiting for you there."

Though the heat was intense and the redness was nearly blinding, Derby let himself relax and smiled into his heart.

"Welcome," said the deep voice of Gronjohn. "I rule all the organs and tissue of your body. But you are my employer. I'm totally at your service!"

"Oh thank you great spirit," said Derby, as he realized how much he appreciated all that his heart did for him. "I love you for what you do for me."

"You'll never know how much it means to me," said the bright red heat of Derby's heart, "to know you care about me. I can burn away things you do not know you harbor here," he said in a deep voice.

"Gronjohn can help you with some troubling emotions," said Fredalnte, who stood next to Derby's smiling self, within his heart center. "Let him help you do away with negativity and judgement. You have no need of these harmful emotions."

As Fred said those things, Derby felt the flame burn bright and he imagined all negative feelings and judgement burn up. Derby had especially been hard on himself. He had carried guilt and feelings of not being good enough. He also had judged others and was often sour and negative.

Again, he felt himself renewed with a lightness as these things disappeared from him.

"Thank you," he heard himself say again, as the tingle of a laugh tickled him from his heart center.

"Now come," said Fred, who took Derby by the hand again and led him back to the tree in his mind. "Put your fingers in the cool lake," said Fred. "You've worked very hard by the fire. Splash some water on your face and rest again with me here."

Derby felt himself fall deeply back into a perfect relaxing state. He was light and happy. "Yes, thank you Fred," he said as he put his hands behind his neck, laying back on the grass near the tree, in his mind. "Wow, this is fun!"

"Yes. Take it in," said Fred. "Rest deeply and soon we'll continue the work!"

After a few minutes leaning back and allowing himself the treat of basking in the shade of the tree, as if he were floating freely without a care, Fred said softly, "OK, back into your body we go!"

"Now the fire makes ashes," said the peaceful guide. "This is the Earth. Soil and all things that are matter. Money is related to what the fire makes. So we'll go meet Moola. He lives down in the spleen area, which leads to your digestive system. See how it works?"

Derby was getting the swing of things and allowing himself to see more freely within the tissue and organs of his body. "Yes, my digestive system will make waste, which is also matter and soil, correct?"

"Yes indeed my boy. Organic matter, fertilizer, all of it replenishes the Earth," explained Fredalnte. "So say hello to Moola. Moola, this is Derby...master Ripley, your employer."

"How great to meet you sir," said Moola from Derby's spleen area. "I know that when you're here, it is a region that it is difficult for you to smile into, because these regions are dark. People associate waste and elimination with ugliness. But actually, every bit of the inside of you is clean and flawless, except for disease."

"I see," said Derby, looking around in his spleen area, trying to smile, while holding his nose.

"There are no smells down here," said Fred, who recognized Derby's familiar reaction. Be at peace and let yourself smile here. See it as a yellow area. This is Earth. Tell Derby what he should be free of here Moola," he finished.

"What you hold in this area is worry," said Moola. "Sound familiar? Like ulcers or worrying about income? Makes sense doesn't it. You see, here is the place where matter is manufactured. But stop worrying. Smile here while you see yellow and release worry!"

Again, as was becoming the habit when Derby would follow the instructions of the other organs, he felt tears build up and a release as he let go of worry.

"Thank you," he said again, feeling himself even lighter than before.

"Oh thank you," said the yellow spirit. "It is such an honor to serve you sir. We live for you, so that you may live."

Derby felt his own spirit soar. He felt so thankful to get to know his own working system. He was slightly ashamed to have never stopped to take note of his very own parts of himself.

"Now come with me back to our lair," offered Fredalnte. Derby smiled with the thought, after enjoying Umpa's lair so much and now understanding that he had one of his own, always available to himself, simply by "keeping to the female."

"Rest here," said Fred, settling them both in the grass next to the tree.

Derby felt himself falling asleep. In fact he dreamed that he was home in Tiny Town and all was arranged peacefully and happily there. All were safe and contended. His ancestors seemed to celebrate his return. His father, who had died long ago was there. His grandparents and their parents and for generations back. Also great Indian spirits who Derby seemed to recognize from other dreams were celebrating with all this extended family. Derby's children, starting with Barbie, and grand children were grown and gathered about him. Derby was so happy and at peace.

"OK," came Fred's voice. "We go! Now Earth makes minerals. Compression and internal heat. All this is refinement. These are metals. You are well acquainted with Shrinegold. And you've already learned to find him in your lungs. Shrinegold, continue your teaching!"

"Hello my lad. You know me well already, don't you?," asked the great metal spirit.

"Yes," replied Derby easily. He was already smiling widely in the presence of the old familiar Spirit of the Vein.

"But you didn't know that I've already been helping you with sadness," spoke the voice from inside Derby's lungs. "Now breathe in and allow grief to escape. It is natural, especially in times of hardship and tragedy, to feel sad. Humans should easily allow their sadness to rise. To look at sadness is beautiful and necessary. But to hold on to it is very harmful and debilitating."

Derby felt himself fall to his knees. Not only in his mind's eye but physically he crumbled on the ground and curled up into a ball. He surprised himself when he heard himself sobbing. His cheeks were wet and the anguish poured out of him.

"Let it out my son," said Shrinegold. "Let it all go and be clean!"

As he did so Derby felt the urge to laugh again. He picked himself up and dried his cheeks. His spirit soared.

"Thank you. Thank you. I love you so Shrinegold," Derby said to the spirit in his lungs.

"It is I who love you sir," spoke the glowing golden vein. "I live to turn your base metal to gold. Very seldom am I able to take a human to the farthest extreme with this alchemy. But it is always the goal of my existence. I live to refine my employer to his ultimate potential!"

Derby shivered at the implications of this teaching. He knew what Fredalnte wanted him to do, so he automatically returned to the resting place and fell back deeply into the state of relaxation. This time he couldn't even remember what the dream was, but he knew that he escaped to another realm when he let himself fall far into the chasm of his relaxed mind.

"Our last visit is with the beautiful Aqua," spoke Fredalnte, of the queen of Derby's body. "As she explained, she is the wife and lover of  Gronjohn. She lives in your kidneys, at your back. Once again, say hello to Aqua."

"You know me more than you can imagine," said the sweet female voice. "Jeninqua is connected to me in ways you'll learn later. That is why you feel the pull of attraction to me my son. See blue, when you look at me, for I am water."

"Minerals make water and we've come full circle because water makes wood," explained Fredalnte. "You see how these five elements are related and cycle?"

"Yes!" Derby felt exhilirated and totally understood. "I see and it is wonderful!"

"Now tell him what to do Aqua," Fred prompted the queen of Derby's body.

"You hold fear in me," said Aqua. "Fear is the root to much illness and the cause of much suffering. It is also crippling and can nearly freeze you in the progress of your development. Now look at what you're afraid of and say goodbye to it!"

As he saw a beautiful color of blue, and felt the presence of the nurturing yin spirit of his kidneys, Derby released fear and watched it fly out of himself. He felt so confident and uplifted and light!

"Thank you. You are beautiful. I feel Jeninqua in you. I love you," Derby said to the rose of his body.

"My husband is my true love," said Aqua. "But linked to him, it is you we serve. You are the empire in which we dwell!"

"We've taken the tour of your five primary organs," said Fredalnte. Where would you like to go now?"

Derby thought about it. Then he smiled.

"Disneyland," said our athletic hero.