WINTER SOLSTICE PATHWORKING

 Make yourself comfortable and gently close your eyes…take a few deep, cleansing breaths, slowly allowing yourself to slip out of the day and into a space of relaxation. Pay attention to your breathing…slowly inhale, slowly exhale. Be conscious of the tensions in your body and let them slip away into the floor…

 …Visualize in your mind now a foggy haze….you are standing in the middle of this fog and it is difficult to see, but you are not afraid…an invisible presence gives you comfort & a feeling of protection. As the fog recedes, you begin to smell the rich, wet scent of the earth after an April rain and as the fog lifts, you find yourself standing on a path in the center of a forest in the early Spring, just as the ground awakens from its long winter sleep. The time is a few moments after sunrise, and as you look around, You notice that the trees are just beginning to bud. Off to your right, following alongside the path, is a stream, its banks almost overflowing with the water of a recent Spring downpour. You start out on the path and as you walk, you realize that the ground is damp under your feet. All around you are the sounds of the forest, it is alive with the activity of birds & animals scurrying here and there, preparing safe havens for their new families.

You’ve been following the newly greening path for some time now when you begin to notice that the landscape is slowly changing and that the air is becoming warmer. As if by magick, one by one, the trees are growing leaves, right before your eyes. Suddenly, you can feel the intense heat of the noonday sun above the treetops and all around you the ground is becoming lush with ferns & forest plants, wildflowers and stones heavy with thick moss appear with each new step you take. The once bubbling stream has now slowed to a steady trickle and offers you a cool drink as you bend down to take a handful of the clear, clean water. The scent of Summer is all around you, and dragonflies buzz about your head as you continue to follow the thickly carpeted path before you.

As you walk, you become more and more relaxed, feeling as though you are a part of this magickal place and have somehow been here before, though you know of no other place that exists like this. An owl’s sudden hoot brings your eyes up and into the trees where you gaze upon the vivid golds, the brilliant reds, the soft browns & the vibrant orange hues that only the Autumn time of year can bring to the leaves of the mighty oaks, birches, maples & ashes that have been guiding you along this journey. You begin to feel a chill in the air, but you are not cold, instead you are warmed by the late afternoon sun as it slowly sinks beyond the forest walls. All throughout the forest you hear the scampering of tiny feet and the rustle of leaves as the animals make use of what little daylight is left, preparing their nests & dens for the long nights ahead.

As you admire the dancing rays of the distant setting sun on the colorful leaves, you feel a cool light touch against your cheek and as you look up, you see that it is beginning to snow…perfectly formed crystal flakes fall all around, landing on the forest floor which is now a carpet of silent white….the trees that surround you are bare and the stream, which has been along side you during your journey, is now beginning to freeze over…it is growing darker and where the sun once was, the full moon now rises to light your way to the edge of the forest. As you reach the end of the path you find yourself in a clearing and there ahead of you, in the distance is a house decorated for the season of Christmas…

As your eyes adjust to the moonlight and you venture forward, you realize as it gets closer that this house is your house, your childhood home. Look around the outside, the yard or the street and see the things that you remember…as you turn now to the door & approach it, you realize that it is ajar and you go inside….

Everything is exactly as it was when you were a child at Christmastime….you smell familiar smells…hear sounds of holiday music and family….perhaps of pets and friends…as you walk into familiar rooms you recognize your surroundings and see the holiday decorations of a Christmas long ago….in the living room….see the furniture, the pictures on the wall….walk to the kitchen…what is cooking for the holiday meal?  Find your bedroom…take a moment to recall its details….Now leave your old room and wander thru the house until you come to a door that you may or may not remember being there and open it….in front of you is a set of stairs and, without hesitation, you follow them down….down…down….it is totally dark and you’ll need to use your senses and the walls as your guide….when you reach the last step at the bottom, you realize that the light of the moon outside is illuminating this room thru small windows in the walls and to your right, you can faintly see another door, which you go to and open. It is a closet, and is empty except for a brightly wrapped box on the floor in the far corner…..you hesitate at first, but then you crouch down and reach into the dimly lit space and pull the heavy box out into the moonlight.

 As you sit on the floor to get a closer look, you see now that this box is quite old and dusty…with a deep breath you blow off the years and begin to untie the bow that keeps its contents from your view. You wipe the dirt from your hands onto your pants and then you lift the cover….

 What you find inside this box are all your childhood memories… each moment of your early years of life from the time you were born…your first steps, your first day of school…your first friendship…many of the events & memories contained here you remember clearly to this day, and some you don’t because you can’t or your mind may chose not to. Many moments from the past are happy and full of laughter & joy while some bring back feelings of sadness, shame and anger. Take the time now to sit with your box in the safety of the moonlight and look deeply within….sort thru these memories as they appear to you….pay close attention to those you immediately wish to put back….be mindful of the way the painful memories make your body feel….your stomach…your face…your chest…how they affect your heart rate &  breath…

 [long pause]

 It is now time to close this box and to return it to its resting place in the back of the closet. You now know where to find the box, and anytime you wish to come back and open it again, you may, knowing that you will be safe with its contents as you long as you follow the same path which brought you here.

 Before you replace the cover & tie the bow, take a memory or two with you which you no longer wish to keep….a time that you felt unloved, unimportant or invisible. An incident where you were made to feel ashamed, humiliated or deeply hurt by another’s words or actions. Bring with you all that you can bare to carry back. Next, bring  your most treasured & joyful childhood memories…those which always makes you smile and feel loved & special. Carry those with you as well. Now, put the lid on the box, tie the bow and slide it into the back of the closet. Close the closet door and walk to the stairs. Climb back up the steps…up one by one… up until you reach the room you were in when you found the door. Now leave the house the way that you came in and close the door behind you. Turn to take a look at this childhood home and say ‘goodbye’ for now then hurry on your way thru the clearing back into the forest.

 As you move quickly along the snow covered path, the ground beneath you changes from white to vibrant reds & golds……then to rich lush greens….and then to damp, new earth. As you reach the end of the path, a fog begins to form around you and the forest slowly disappears. You now become aware of the room you’re in…Take a few deep breaths and slowly come back to the present when you are ready.

 Using your journal, write down everything you can about the unhappy memory you carried back from your journey. Include All the feelings it brings to you…. use as many or as few words as you wish. No one else will ever see what you write. Be truthful & honest with yourself. There is no guilt in this exercise….be angry if you need to be. Tell the person who brought the pain to you how it made you feel. Nothing you feel or write will be ‘wrong’. Take as long as you need.

When you are finished, rip out the page that you just wrote and burn it. As the paper burns, say the chant below 3 times, and release the memory which no longer serves you, sending those who have hurt you  love and healing energy.

In perfect love & perfect trust

I now release what is unjust

By earth & fire, by air & sea

As I do will, so mote it be!

Now write the happy memories you brought back with you in your journal. Remember this place, your home in the woods, and return there as often as necessary, always going the same way and returning along  the same path. 

Blessings on Your Journey,

Lis 

One of my favorite columns in the Daily Gazette, Practical Psychology, is written by Dr. Lloyd Thomas. Each week the topic seems to be in sync with whatever may be happening in my life and today’s article was no exception…

The topic was about silence & stillness as alternatives for our over-busy lives, both of which I find are so greatly needed to create a space & place of sanity.  The practice of creating a place of stillnesss within can be especially helpful in the coming rush of the next 6 weeks as we experience what can be, for many, an emotional and unnecessarily stressful holiday season.

 By consciously allowing ourselves the ability to turn off our brains and just become ‘one’ with the moment, the need for doing magically disappears. At first it can be a bit uncomfortable & it can take some practice as the anxiety in the body is more obvious once the voices in our heads are quieted. But it’s those false ‘voices’~often the result of conditioning from our upbring, the bombardment of the commercialism which has become our society & our inability to listen to our inner wisdom~ where the feeling of having to ‘give’ to excess comes from. Instead, take time to turn off the ‘monkey mind’ and listen with your Heart and not your head. In the stillness, your Heart will tell you that over-giving of material ‘things’ is only a substitute for the true gift of giving…the giving of yourself to others. This is what is most desired by those whose unique presence you’ve brought into your life. Your time & Love, given simply & unconditionally, to those who need you most, is the true meaning of the message of this Holiday Season.

The 14th century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart said, “nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness”.  Offer yourself & those you love this simple gift during the next month and see how rewarding true giving can be.

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I invoked the energy of the Celtic Goddess Brigit for her associations with Healing & Transformation, as well as her ability to protect in her Mother aspect. Cystals were also used in the form of a set of bracelets & rings for each of them~one set Quartz & one Aquamarine. A white candle was also blessed & charged to be used during the daily prayer which follows…

The Goddess

Brigit or Brigid (pronounced ‘Breed’)

We used this goddess for Her triple guise as patron of healing, smithcraft (transformation) and bardcraft (inspiration for change and movement). We asked that the stones be charged with protection and healing and that truth and clarity be brought to the situation.

The Tool

The Cauldron

The stones were placed within the cauldron at the center of the Circle. In ancient Celtic times the cauldron was considered to be a source of knowledge and sustenance; it was something positive relating to the improvement of life.

The cauldron is a symbol of the Goddess and corresponds to the element of Water (emotions). Mostly used in ritual as a container in which magical transformations can occur, the Cauldron is often a focal point of a ritual.

The Stones

Aquamarine

This stone is excellent to help enhance your communication skills. Enhances the ability for rapid intellectual response and helps one to learn not only about the physical world but also about one’s self. Helps to create a sense of light-heartedness, creativity, communication, self-awareness, confidence, purpose. Also releases anxiety, fear, restlessness.

The ancients saw this as a stone of courage and felt that carrying it would help them return safe and prosperous from sea voyages. It aids in compassion, and tolerance, and facilitates communication both with others and with the deeper self.

Quartz

A stone of purity which helps to ease the mind and bring clarity to the situation.

When not wearing, place the rings and bracelets in a special place (you could use a plate to hold the stones and candle) and whenever you feel the need, light the candle, hold the stones and say …

 Mother, with your tender care,
Bless Your children everywhere!
–Brigid, send your healing flame,
To burn away our grief and pain!

After the working, I found it helpful to say the chant over & over while going about daily mundane tasks (making the bed, vacuuming, etc) and visualizing her receiving the desire to want to begin the healing process.

CHILD OF LAUGHTER

CHILD OF LIGHT

CHILD OF LOVE

GIVE UP THIS FIGHT.

CHILD OF BEAUTY

CHILD WITHIN

LET THE HEALING

WANT BEGIN.

Artwork: ‘Child Within’, Andrew Burgess~Australia

Back inside, we gave Honor to & Remembered loved ones who have left this world for the next part of their journey…

We Made Besoms…

And, of course, we Feasted!!!

Today at 11:44am, the sun will enter the sign of Libra and Summer, as we have known it, will end.  For me, the Fall is always bittersweet…the flowers in the gardens are fading, the days are growing shorter, the more care-free days of picnics and vacations are over and it’s homework time once again. Not just for my 7-year old son but for me, personally, as well.

Soon after this 2^nd Harvest has been celebrated,                                       

 it will be time to blow the dust off that pile of books under the nightstand and kick this somewhat older & less absorbent brain back into gear. See, from a modern-day pagan& esoteric perspective it could be said that I tend to mix up the Summer & Winter months…normally, summer is the ‘busy’ time spiritually but for me it’s playtime when I ‘blow off’ responsibility and let my commitments to work & self-improvement wane a bit with the dying summer sun. For some reason my creative drive wants to take a much needed slumber during the warmer months, too, which normally happens in the winter (or so they say). I’m not sure what’s going on with my internal Elemental Tides, but once the cool nights appear together with the addition of the down comforter on the bed, it seems to signal the Muses that it’s time to get back to work. Who am I to argue???

So, now I get busy and before the snow flies the cupboards, closets & garage will be cleaned out, the woodwork & windows will be washed, Spring bulbs planted, gardens put to bed for the winter & the grass will get its final cutting (yes, Martha, would be proud). Then it’s time to light the fire, pour a glass of wine and start reading…and writing…finishing up the papers that my spiritual teachers have been so patiently waiting for. During the days & nights of less sun & greater darkness when many feel it’s a time to go within, slow down & rest, I feel the need to be busily creating & cultivating ~if not manifesting things physically then only on the seemingly endless lists of paper and in my mind~ the dreams, ideas & wanted changes for my personal & business growth that I hope to be planting come Spring. I admit, my need to sleep & eat more increase during the Wintertide so I’m not too far off base of where I ‘should’ be. And I guess it could be worse…I could get the urge to plant in the Fall. Life is good. I am blessed. Even if I am a bit mixed up.

Mabon Blessings,

Lis

We gathered together on a stormy June day to re-enact the Battle of the Oak & Holly King. Just before the ritual began, the rain stopped and a beautiful double rainbow appeared to Welcome Summer!!!!

Entering into Battle the Oak King and Holly King Fight

Sparks of Light Flitter & Wane into the Night…

Strength and Beauty ~ Light and Dark

One Cannot Exist without the Other

Neither can Make their Mark.

The Trees Come Alive~Then the Snow Falls

Branches Yield in the Weight of it All…

Pounding, Thrusting the Holly King Fights

The Oak King Strikes with the Feeling of Flight

Knowing That His Time has Now Come

The Oak King Falls…The Holy King Won!

The Brother Who’s Summer, with his Sunlight so Strong

Yields the Throne to the Holly’s Dark Winter Song

One Brother Light, The Other One Dark

One in the Same~Each God, the Same Spark.

A Time Never Passes Where These Lords Don’t Exist

Day & Night ~Light & Dark~ Always in This Tryst.

CPA~Summer Solstice 08