As the night wore on I found myself sitting cross-legged staring down the hillside, feeling the chill creep in to my body. I was wrapped in my big purple furry blanket, with a poncho and an insulated waterproof jacket, thick jeans and walking boots. I began to feel restless and bored. I wanted to get up and walk about, but I was confined to my sacred space of 6 feet square until dawn. I was determined to finish my vision quest.

I focused again on the oak tree and the plants around me, conversing silently with each of them. Their voices returned, as they told me about their place in the world. I was struck by the importance of simply ‘being’ as opposed to ‘doing’ all the time. We humans have become arrogant, self-centred creatures. We create these games in which we must always strive to better ourselves in some way. But that’s all they are; games. Ultimately, we return to the land from where we came, and we continue the cycle of life.

I conversed with the Mother oak tree at my side, and the tall, proud thistle standing in front of me. I spoke to the animals that were hidden in the undergrowth. We were all connected, and I could feel the energy like a shimmering web of silver threads, joining each and every one of us in an elaborate family tree. The plants and animals reaffirmed my place among them, and my feeling of peace and contentment grew stronger.

I became aware of a spirit person sitting beside me. I felt a comforting hand on my left shoulder, as I sat with my knees drawn up under my chin and my arms clasped around them. I knew the spirit person was a man but I didn’t turn my head to see. He was my guardian, my great-grandfather. I will know more about him when I am ready to search.

Earlier in the evening I had been aware of my animal guides joining me in my sacred space. There are lots of dogs in my family, pets from our childhood who have returned as guides from spirit. My two closest ones are an Alsatian crossbreed called Lucky and a Yorkshire terrier called Toby. Lucky was my grandparents’ dog when my sister was a baby, and the two were inseparable as Emily grew up. Toby was our family dog, and he came to us as a puppy when I was thirteen. Subsequently he became my baby, and eventually lived with my husband and me shortly before he died.

Lucky arrived with Toby, left him with me and then trotted down the hillside to sit with Emily as she experienced her own vision quest. My horse spirit guides, Drummerboy and Star, lay quietly beside me, as did Bobby, my little blue-skinned chupucabra spirit. He is a cute little creature, vaguely resembling a gargoyle, and he is always cheerful and playful. He makes me giggle with his antics. They stayed with me all night, as I sat for six long hours beneath the stars on a hillside in Derbyshire. It was beautiful, intense, exciting and peaceful all at the same time.