Night fell as the Fool made his way across the desert towards this possible oasis. The sand began to cool, but it did nothing for his undying thirst. He was in an ocean that turned into a desert, so fresh water had been in short supply.
The stars were bright and blinking down on the Fool as he meandered over the dunes. He made it to the small grove of palm trees to find an oasis. A naked woman was there too, pouring water into the pond from earthen pitchers. She was kneeling, and also poured water onto the sand. Poppy flowers bloomed, opening to the night sky.
Welcome, the woman said to the Fool, I am the Star.
You are an inspiration to me, the Star continued. I have been watching you these thousands of years.
The Fool was confused by that. He hadn’t done anything – that is, he couldn’t remember doing anything. This seemed like one of the first positive comments anyone had said to him in this world.
You just need to remember you have a purpose, the Star said, and we are your divine guidance.
There was a peace here, in the desert at night. There was a cool breeze blowing. The Fool put his feet in the water and felt its coolness on his blistered feet. He felt tired. The Star smiled at him and continued to pour water into the pond.
You need to heed my voice, the Star said without talking. The Fool had heard her voice in his head before, but shook it off as crazy. I am very real, the Star continued inside his head, and you should listen.
Dreams are guides, the Star continued, out loud this time. And sometimes when we are so wrapped up in ourselves, we forget to listen to those guides.
They sat there for eternity – or one night – but it never became daytime.
I have two cups for you, the Star said. One will help guide your dreams and subconscious. This is what I am pouring into the water. The other will heighten your senses so that you are more aware in your waking life.
She handed the Fool two small clay cups. The Fool drank hesitantly, since he kept getting in trouble after drinking things. But the Fool just became relaxed and fell into a deep sleep. He had dreams:
He stood before a dead tree in a grassy savannah. An old woman sat at the base of the tree, holding an axe. The Fool felt like he knew the woman, but he couldn’t quite place her. She motioned for him to sit down, and then she started chopping at the tree.
When she was done, there were six faces carved into the tree.
This is the catfish, the woman explained. It uses its skin and hair to feel its way through the dark waters and muck. It can sense the future with its touch, and this is your inspiration when you feel the world around you.
The next face was an owl. This is for your sight, the woman said. The owl can look all around without moving its body and when it flies, it can look down and catch the smallest movement at night. Use this as a guide to look around your world.
A moth was carved beneath the owl. This is your hearing, the woman continued. The moth can hear everything, even beyond our range. It can even hear beyond the bat’s hearing range. So use this to listen to the world around you. Sometimes all you will hear is silence, but that is sometimes a loud message.
The face of a black bear was carved beneath the moth. This is the bear, the woman said. The bear has the strongest sense of smell. A bear can smell food miles away. Use this in the world and be inspired to use smell as a way to be communicated to.
Beneath the bear was a rabbit. The rabbit has a heightened sense of taste, the woman continued. It can taste poison in the air before eating something. Use this sense to taste the world around you. Broaden your range of things you eat and let those things communicate with you so that you can learn.
At the bottom of the tree, an octopus was carved. The Fool thought it seemed very alien compared to the other animals. This is your sixth sense, the woman finished. An octopus can have dreams and can change its skin to meet its reality. An octopus can exist without thinking that it is an octopus. Remember to listen to the little voices that can’t be sensed any other way. Feel the draw, or the push back. There are things that can’t be seen, heard, touched, smelled, or tasted to be real. This is the power to remember that.
Without any prompt from the old lady, the Fool walked into the tree and woke back up in the desert, but he wasn’t by the oasis anymore. Now he was alone. He felt satisfied with his sleep, and stood up.
The tip of the moon appeared on the horizon, so he walked towards it.