BEFORE

When I dreamt this, Wayan and I were both working in a large university library. We were taking a class in tai chi together, a practice I've kept up ever since.

THE DREAM

Wayan and I are walking back from tai chi class. In a tree by the library, I see a large blue eagle watching us. When our eyes meet, it speaks: "Don't worry, nothing's wrong with you. But I'm not here for you either. I have other business to take care of!" And it turns its eyes to the library door and waits. I pause to watch, but can't figure out what it's up to. Finally I get my nerve up and ask. The blue eagle says "I'm waiting for someone to leave the library door ajar so I can get in and hunt cats!" I must have looked shocked, for it adds drily "Not necessarily to eat." Necessarily? Not very reassuring!

But if it's not hunting library cats to eat, what does it plan to do with them? What can you do with library cats?

Should I open the door, and let the eagle in?

NOTES

• Library cats: though all the bookstores in the Bay Area have resident cats, our university library did not have library cats, and would have ejected any cat applying for the job. It was that sort of campus.
• Open the door, let the eagle in: that's the question, isn't it? Would I be letting in magic and power, or ferocity and mayhem?

EDITOR'S NOTES

• I transcribed this from Xanthe's verbal account the next day at work, so it's not word for word.
• Her original pencil drawing of the blue eagle was much more beautiful, but it burned in a house fire; this is a scan of a xerox copy she'd given me, tinted a little in Photoshop.
• What I found most interesting here was the eagle's announcement "I'm not here for you." We do tend to assume that all shamanic beasties are there for US, don't we! It's our dream, isn't it? Well, isn't it?
• I don't find the dream mysterious at all, but then, I was in that tai chi class, so I saw that eagle. When Xanthe did tai chi, she changed--turned as fluid as a wild thing on the prowl. I think what was asking for a door into her life was natural grace and power. Fierce or not, welcome or not. And if she didn't welcome it, it planned to wait as long as it took... and pounce.

--Chris Wayan

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