The seasonal Blood Moon on this cool, crisp night is more likely to inspire personal and spiritual endeavors than discussions about the usual farming issues.

  One family prepares to mine their child's past, looking for events and actions that contributed to society's cultural, scientific, and social enlightenment.

  "It's almost twilight. When is Terif going to join us?” said Nickod.

  He was the circle leader for tonight’s gathering, leading his brother Terif, a youngling, through his first past-life regression. A common rite-of-passage ceremony for families getting ready to introduce their children to the clan’s society and governance.

  Nickod was well known for starting the movement that replaced the handshake greeting with the hug in one such regression. He was a powerful man and frequently was complimented for giving exceptionally good hugs.

  As he often said to new dinner guests, “This is the best way to give a greeting hug. You grasp the other with both hands and pull them close. Then warmly tighten your arms around them. If they are taller than you, lean the side of your head against their chest and hold it there until you can hear their heart beating. Nickod continued, “If you are taller than the other person, you can lift your head so the crook of your neck and lower chin rest on the top of their head.”

  Eventually, this greeting famously replaced the handshake and became part of the cultural norms. Making Nickod the most sought-after circle leader of all the clans. He always adds, “You know you’ve done it right when you still feel the person’s warmth minutes after breaking the embrace.”

  Terif added, after arriving late as usual, “And if you touch heart-to-heart, you make a forever connection.”

  “With everyone here and ready,” Nickod said. “Let’s begin the ceremony!”

  The rest of the onlookers walked in, followed by their personal cats. While the family lay down on their mats, each of their cats sat beside them.

  Here, cats choose humans for life.

  Aman, the father of the family, was next to his wife, Iscca, on his right.

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  Their other children, Stem, Wave, and Genia, rounded out the circle, wearing white robes. Terif was sitting cross-legged in the middle. He was not wearing a white robe to match his black cat.

  Nickod began the process of releasing the family's spirits, who would guide Terif's past life regression.

  He began chanting,

  “Sat Nam”

  “Sat Nam”

  He chanted it slowly, over and over, to relax everyone on their mats. The chanting created a steady stream of sound entering the family's bodies. They knew this was their prompt, to progressively relax from their heads to their toes and reach full relaxation.

  Nickod changed the chant, releasing their spirits.

  “Ek Ong Kar Sat Gur Prasad”

  “Sat Gur Prasad Ek Ong Kar”

  Until a vortex of energy and brightly colored lights swirled around Terif as he entered a trance in his meditative state.

  Nickod spoke to the spirit-lights, ““We are here to travel in time and place to witness Terif's spirit journey. Events which uniquely contributed to and grew our culture and society, as well as adding to Terif's aura.”

  He spoke softly to Terif, “Where have the spirits taken you, Terif, in this past-life regression?”

  “I am swimming in an ocean with many fish, and I feel one with them,” he whispered.

  Nickod’s intuition suggested that it was not quite the correct time or place. “We'll try again, Terif,” he said, shifting on his mat. The vortex swirled faster, and the lights grew brighter. “

  "Where are you now, " Terif?

  “The location is correct, but not the right epoch,” said Nickod.

  “Try again.”

  Terif felt warmth from the lights and energy from the spirits and said, “I am in a region of cold, ice, and snow.”

  Nickod’s intuition peaked, and he asked, “What do they call it there?”

  Terif paused and replied, “I don't know how to say it.”

  “Then spell it for us, Terif.”

  “A l a s k a”

  “Aye, aye, aye, aye, yes! Where do we go? Who are you called there?” said Nickod.

  “I am Cynthia Austen,” replied Terif. “It is Earth, USA, in the year 1999 of the 20th century.”

  "We have found it,” Nickod announced to the family and onlookers as they all clapped together.

  “Speak, Terif. Tell us of your wonderful sights, sounds, feelings, and actions as together we watch your journey unfold with our third eye!”