Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz
by Robert J. Evans
Cover painting by Doré Meers
This book is not your average Oz story. It certainly captures the whimsical style of L.
Frank Baum and faithfully retains his main characters, however, while the author
introduces many new characters he also weaves into the story a most interesting but
perhaps controversial philosophy. We feel that Baum might have said some of these things
in his time had he dared. (After all, he was a Theosophist), but because of the times he
lived in he had to bring his beliefs through in a very subtle way. Having said that, we do
think that the spiritual lessons given by this author, although much more obvious in their
intent, could be very helpful to a young person just beginning to formulate his or her
values. In fact, we venture to say that if children everywhere were to adopt just a few
these principles, they would find themselves, as adults, in a vastly improved world, one
that would be relatively free of violence (both in the media, and in reality), and perhaps
more importantly, free of intolerance. A world where a new sense of honesty would exist
-- not only in individual citizens, but in corporate America, and in politics. (An Oz-like
reality on earth?) "...You see, beloved friends, it is much easier for you to doubt your abilities, your
powers, than it is to try to realize the potentials that lie within you. Accept your challenges
of today. Cope with them and be not concerned for the future ... Each of you has tasks
before you that you will perform and, if you will allow yourself to flow with the tide, you
shall find that these things will come to you in proper sequence. There is a constant flow
of energy around your planet. The entire cosmos is energy. We, too, are energy. Swim in
it! Feel yourself as a pulsating, living part of the universal energy; feel yourself to be in
tune with this energy - to be flowing along with it, in harmony with it. If you become
disturbed or distressed, you have stepped out of the flow. If you go against your
conscience, you will go against the flow and be pushed out of it. Keep your thought
harmonious. Do not allow little things to upset you. Check yourself several times a day to
insure that you are still within the flow - you will know by the feeling of inner peace and
tranquillity. Eventually you will not need to check; being in the flow will be the most
natural thing in the world for you. As each one on earth learns these things, the forces of
darkness will perish; they must be banished from your planet for all time. And out of this
must come a new age of love, harmony, and understanding, an age where each shall live to
benefit his brother and not himself - wherein all problems, the answer sought shall not be
'What is best for me?' but rather 'What is best for all concerned?" There is a host of other fascinating characters, including Gayelette, who was first
introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This time, however, the emphasis is on very
open-minded conversations (as mentioned above) that make for fascinating reading. There
are even a couple of delightful songs that would put the Patchwork Girl to shame. As we said before, this is not your average Oz book (The first few chapters are available for viewing. To read, click
The story itself takes place prior to Dorothy's moving to Oz permanently. Still back in
Kansas our heroine is reminiscing on Oz when she begins to feel faint. She is caught up in
a terrible vortex not unlike the original twister that first transported her to Oz when she
suddenly finds back once more in that magical kingdom. Upon being reunited with her
charming old friends the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman, Dorothy
soon learns of yet another Wicked Witch, the Wicked Witch of the Deep South, who
spends a good deal of her time in a fascinating place called Negativethoughtland where
cruel or evil thoughts take on tangible physical form. The Fabulous Four embark on a
quest to stop the evil Witch from filling Oz with these repugnant forms and to bring back
the beauty and happiness that we all associate with Baum's delightful fairyland. Along the
way, we are treated to encounters with various new residents of Oz such as the Fuzzy
Yellow Woggle Bugs, not to mention several strange creatures with names like
Ticklemonsters, Girrephalumps, and Octapong.... During the journey there is a beautiful
sojourn with a community of American Indians, as well as a meeting of the minds with
members of a unique club consisting entirely of United States presidents. (Topics covered
range from George Washington’s economic system to the importance of education, and
of treating one another with respect and dignity.) During the good natured bantering
between themselves some of the presidents provide interesting historical information on
their lives.
Another chapter is devoted to an important meeting with UFO people who represent an
extremely advanced civilization. They make some remarkable revelations and speak with
great wisdom, but since the dialogue is extensive, younger children could safely skip most of
this without losing any of the story.) Following is a brief quotation from this segment to
give you some idea of its content:
A warning to adults who might accidentally read this book: Towards the end of the story a
mysterious stranger is introduced to Dorothy: He doesn't give his name but his identity is
clear. He tells us that we didn't quite get the story of his life and mission quite right. This
could be a shock to some, but a for others a revelation....
You may activate this link to order "Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz" from Xlibris Publishing.
