More than 20 years ago I had a dream that demonstrated to me the power of ritual. I will never forget it. It is one of my life dreams. In it, I was next to a lake and felt the sudden inspiration to perform a ritual there, next to a tree. I did so; it was a simple, domestic kind of prayer to the gods in this symbolic way.

Shortly after that an enormous piece of substance flew through the air like a comet, an island about the size of Manhattan. It landed in the lake next to where I stood. I watched, and saw it suddenly turn upside-down in the lake. I was alarmed as I knew that if it floated upside-down for more than a few minutes the water would destroy its value to earth and the gift of it would be lost. Suddenly an enormous hand rose up out of the lake, the size of a multi-storied building. It turned the piece of land right-side up so that it’s value would be saved. In the dream I thought this hand was coming from “the lady of the lake.” I watched in awe. She saved it. Then, the piece of land turned upside-down again. The gift might not survive. The hand came out and righted it again. This happened three times, and then the property was stabilized and its value was now available to earth. I knew in the dream that the little, simple ritual that I had done on the side of the lake had been inspired, and that if I hadn’t done it the situation would not have turned out the same way.

This dream has spoken to me for these decades in a visual way, and I have observed the truth of this “fairy tale,” as dreams can be explained; psychological and spiritual truths for the collective psyche. Our tiny, simple, sincere, domestic petitions to the gods are heard and they harness the forces of the universe to respond to our prayers.

Simple rituals performed with faith and sincerity create the world. Galaxies of energies respond. We are co-creators with divinity. She responds to simplicity and purity of heart.