At our last Course in Miracles
(ACIM) group a friend loaned me a copy of a small little book called The Obvious Secret Lesson of the Wizard of
Oz, (ISBN 978-0615607504) by Helen Gordon. It is only about 100 pages and
printed with large type, which I am appreciating more and more.
I remember seeing the movie when
I was only about 5 years old. Mother told me how I was so frightened of the
green Wicked Witch. “Every time the witch appeared on the screen, Donnie, you
would drop to the floor and watch the movie through the spaces between the
theater seats.”
Ms Gordon has been a long-time
teacher of the Course in Miracles and her website is [http://helengordon.com ].
In fact, according to information on the internet, she is the first online
teacher of the Course. She has written this book to illustrate the truths of
the story of Dorothy that are consistent with the truths of ACIM. The book is
available through her website.
It was a fascinating read. Here
are some brief highlights:
Dorothy: She is on a quest
to find true meaning in her life and to find her way back home, which she does
when she awakens in her own bed. We are all Dorothy – in fact, we are all each
character in this beautiful fairy tale. As the movie opens Dorothy is terribly
afraid that her dog, Toto, will be impounded because he tramples the flowers in
the garden of Miss Gulch. On her way back to the house she hides from a tornado
and is hit on the head and passes out. The dream begins.
The Scarecrow: He believed he was a victim, bullied by the crows –
“I am a failure because I have no brain.” Victimization was his excuse for
ignorance and he attempted to project his perceived failure onto the crows –
after all it was the crows, not his stupidity and failure in his job, that
caused the destruction to the crops.
The Tin Man: The Tin Man’s muffled cry for help was indicative of
how hard it is for most of us to truly ask for help. We stay stuck for so long
in our old thinking with no flexibility to do things differently that we “rust.”
The Tin Man wanted a heart , but all he could do was sing the “If only” blues.
He was depressed by his situation, deep into self pity, and paralyzed by his
belief that he was simply not enough.
The Lion: The Lion was just an all-talk bully, hiding behind his
façade of bravery. We all can appear to be fearless when hiding our cowardice
with boasts, aggression, intimidation, and put-downs.
The Good Witch: Glinda, the Good Witch, gave Dorothy the Red
Slippers and the advice to find the Emerald City and talk to the Wizard. The slippers represented Dorothy’s intuitive
guidance, protection, and power.
The Evil Witch: The evil witch represents secrets we use to condemn
and imprison ourselves. These secrets are the roots of our guilt that our egos
use to devalue our existence, talents and worthiness.
The Wizard: After such a long treacherous journey Dorothy’s small
group discovered what they were seeking outside of themselves was no more
powerful than they. However, the Wizard recognized the truth about them and
proceeded to reveal their capabilities to them in forms they could recognize
and accept. The Scarecrow – a diploma; the Tin Man – a heart-shaped clock that
ticked; The Lion - a large medal of
courage; Dorothy – hot-air balloon, which she missed getting into. But she
learned, with the assistance of the Good Witch that “If I ever go looking for
my heart’s desire again, I won’t go looking any further than my own backyard
[within me]. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”
(p. 52)
The Awakening: Dorothy awoke to find herself at home surrounded by
love, friends and family. She realized
that each person had played a role in her dream. Only their form had changed.
She recognized their love for her. She could appreciate them just the way they
were, each with their own needs, shortcomings, and ways of living.
I need to remember I am always
wearing my red slippers, determined to find my way back home. The Holy Spirit
is always guiding me when I allow my Self to follow the safe yellow brick road.
I cannot recommend this little book more highly. It is a true gem.
I have also had discussions with
friends in the Course that relate how several movies seem to highlight what the
Course describes. One is Forrest Gump
(1994, starring Tom Hanks) and the other is Being
There. (1979, starring Peter Sellers).
In both of these movies, you witness someone who lives in the Now,
responds with acceptance and gratitude, and is taken care of. Worry,
bitterness, anxiety, and resentments are genuinely absent. Virtually every
encounter with each of these main characters approaches being a holy encounter.
Forrest Gump’s favorite phrase is “Life is like a box of chocolates,” while one
of the closing remarks of the script of Being
There is “Life is a state of mind.”
However, I don’t know about you,
but I’m going to start looking for a copy of the 1939 MGM movie, The Wizard of Oz. It’s been since forever that I’ve seen it.
Although these messages are
mostly for me, thanks for listening. As always – feel free to forward this
message to your friends, family, and those accompanying you on your spiritual
journey.
Don
#4 May 2015
Copyright 2015
PS: I will be unavailable for the next several weeks. I’ll
talk to you later when I return.
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