Category: Meditation

Meditation to Meet Your Air Guide

Meditation to Meet Your Air Guide

Create a simple altar with a yellow cloth, a blue candle, and an air type of incense. (Lavender, or  mint work very well.) You may wish to place feathers or a bell on the altar. Cast your personal circle. Take several deep, cleansing breaths. Close your  eyes. Visualize the elemental gateway to the realm of air. Make the gate as elaborate as you wish. How does the gate open? Relax and focus on your breath.  See the gate open, and walk through it. Before you is a pathway woven together out of fluffy white clouds. Begin to walk down the path. Take a few moments to  observe the world around you. You can see clear skies to your right; they are a beautiful crystal blue. To your left you can see rumbling storm clouds in the  distance, and lightning flashes inside of them. Continue on your way. In the distance you see a figure inside of them. Continue on your way. In the distance  you see a figure. It is your guide for the elemental realm of air. Walk to him. Focus on your breath. Greet your guide and listen to what he has to say. When  you have heard all you wish, thank your guide. Begin to walk back to the gateway. Focus on your breath. Walk through the gateway and see it close. Take a few  deep breaths and then open your eyes. Write down what you learned in your journal, and close your personal circle.

TO GET THE SIGHT

TO GET THE SIGHT
by: Janet and Stewart Farrar

Sight cometh to different people in divers ways; ’tis seldom it cometh
naturally, but it can be induced in many ways. Deep and prolonged meditation may
do it, but only if you are a natural, and usually prolonged fasting is
necessary. Of old the monks and nuns obtained visions by long vigils, combined
with fasting and flagellation til blood came; other mortifications of the flesh
were practiced which resulted in visions.

In the East ’tis tried with various tortures whilst sitting in a cramped
position, which retarded the flow of blood; these tortures, long and continued,
gave good results.

In the Art, we are taught an easier way, that is, to intensify the imagination,
at the same time controlling the blood supply, and this may best be done by
using the ritual.

Incense is good to propitiate the spirits, also to induce relaxation to the
aspirant and to help build up the atmosphere which is necessary for
suggestibility. Myrrh, Gum Mastic, Aromatic Rush Roots, Cinnamon Bark, Musk,
Juniper, Sandalwood and Ambergris, in combination, are all good, but the best of
all is Patchouli.

The circle being formed, and everything properly prepared, the aspirant should
first bind and take his tutor into the circle, invoke suitable spirits for the
operation, dance round till giddy, meanwhile invoking and announcing the object
of the work, then he should use the flagellum. Then the tutor should in turn
bind the aspirant – but very lightly, so as not to cause discomfort – but enough
to retard the blood slightly. Again they should dance round, then at the Altar
the tutor should use the flagellum with light, steady, slow and monotonous
strokes. It is very important that the pupil should see the strokes coming, as
this has the effect of passing, and helps greatly to stimulate the imagination.
It is important that the strokes be not hard, the object being to do no more
than draw the blood to that part and away from the brain; this, with the light
binding, slowing down the circulation of the blood, and the passes, soon induce
a drowsy stupor. The tutor should watch for this, and as soon as the aspirant
speaks or sleeps the flagellum should cease. The tutor should also watch that
the pupil becomes not cold, and if the pupil struggles or seems distressed he
should at once be awakened.

Be not discouraged if no results come at the first experiment – results usually
occur after two or three attempts. It will be found that after two or three
attempts or experiments results will come, and soon more quickly; also soon much
of the ritual may be shortened, but never forget to invoke the Goddess or to
form the circle, and for good results ’tis ever better to do too much ritual
rather than do too little at first.

It has been found that this practice doth often cause a fondness between
aspirant and tutor, and it is a cause of better results if this be so. If for
any reason it is undesirable there be any great fondness between aspirant and
tutor this may easily be avoided by both parties from the onset, by firmly
resolving in their minds that if any fondness ensues it shall be that of a
brother and sister, or parent and child, and it is for this reason that a man
may only be taught by a woman and a woman by a man, and that man and man or
woman and woman should never attempt these practices together, and may all
the curses of the Mighty Ones be on any who make such an attempt.

Remember, the circle properly constructed is ever necessary to prevent the power
released being dissipated; it is also a barrier against any disturbing or
mischievous forces; for to obtain good results you must be free from all
disturbances.

Remember, darkness, points of light gleaming amid the surrounding dark, incense
and the steady passes by a white arm, are not as stage effects but rather they
are mechanical instruments which serve to start the suggestion which later
unlocks the knowledge that it is possible to obtain the divine ecstasy, and so
attain to knowledge and communication with the Divine Goddess. When once you
have attained this, ritual is needless, as you may attain the state of ecstasy
at will, but ’til then or, if having obtained or attained it yourself, you wish
to bring a companion to that state of joy, ritual is best.

The Emerald Rose Meditation (Hare Moon)

The Emerald Rose Meditation

(Hare Moon)

Before you go to sleep, turn on meditative music and recline. Take a few deep and complete breaths to center your awareness. Quiet your thoughts and let go of any tension you may be feeling, in your mind’s eye, imagine a beautiful emerald colored rosebud. It is a dream rose, a flower bud more incredible and exquisite than you have ever imagine before. Instantly, a magickal doorway appears as the emerald rosebud opens slowly. You step through the door with your imagination and find yourself in a world of plenty. In this magickal world, you live like a God or Goddess with a carefree heart and immortal spirit. You are free from fear and pain. There is no trouble, problems, heartaches or old age. Your energy is always vital, and you feel wonderful, inspired, and uplifted. You are strong, vital and sensual and you play with the delight of a young child. So many good things are yours. Your life is prosperous and your ideas are fertile and productive. Everything is abundant and unforced, willing and effortless. As you experience this world, a renewed sense of abundance and prosperity fills you. The loving spirit of the divine embraces, guides and illuminates your path to plenty.

Now take another deep, complete breath, and imagine stepping out of the emerald rose in your mind’s eye. Continue relaxing and drift to sleep. As you do, imagine being in the magickal world of plenty.

Opening to Your Soul’s Inner Vision

Inspired by Power of the Soul, by John Holland (Hay House, 2007).

Clairvoyance is the inner sense of seeing. It’s when you receive information in the form of images, symbols and colors. The soul never speaks without a picture, according to psychic medium John Holland. This exercise of his trains your clairvoyant eye, so you will better see your soul’s messages to you, in pictures.

You’ll need a beeswax candle and a comfortable place to sit.

Sit comfortably with the burning candle in front of you. Relax your eyes and stare into the flame.

Once your eyes start to water, close them and put the palms of your hands over your eyes to create a total blackout. You should soon start seeing the flame, flickering slightly above and between your brows.

Keep your “eye” on the flame until it disappears. Repeat for another 10-15 minutes.

The exercise teaches you where you will see the vision in your third eye.

The next time you want a vision of what to do, focus on this area of your third eye. Ask your question and wait until you get a response, whether it was a symbol, a word, a color, a person, or even an object.

A Meditation on Magick

A Meditation on Magick

by Bestia Mortale

 

I’d like to examine three levels of magick, the world, the will and the spirit, from a particular perspective I shall describe.

Like most things, magick looks different from different sides. The word “magick” normally conjures up spells, unseen forces, strange worlds and mysterious beings. This is the “supernatural” point of view. This is the vantage from which we see sorcerers pursuing arcane knowledge to gain amazing power.

Take the skeptical version of this point of view, and magick signifies self-delusion, wish-fulfillment fantasy, unconscious deception and intentional fraud.

But then stroll around to another viewpoint, where you assume knowledge rather than ignorance. Assume for a moment that you can understand everything (not that anyone can). From this perspective, much of what we think of as magick vanishes, becoming just another technology, just another way to get what you want.

When you want something, you use your understanding of the world combined with your intelligence to identify a course of action that might achieve it. Then you use your will and determination to follow that course of action. As you go, you use intermediate results to modify your course of action. Are you a sorcerer or an engineer?

Both historians of science and historians of magick are well aware that until relatively recently, the two were more or less indistinguishable. In the last several centuries, the techniques of modern science and engineering have emerged as by far the most powerful and effective means of doing magick in the world. The spells of physics almost always work reliably, and when they don’t, physicists are delighted – there are always reputations to be made in perfecting them.

The magick of getting what we want in the world is fascinating and impressive but not necessarily deeply moving. Take doing the dishes, for example. Some people still eat with their hands from food that lies in their laps. Others have pursued centuries of dogged experimentation to produce specialized eating surfaces and utensils. Some people clean such surfaces and utensils in streambeds, while others have devoted amazing ingenuity to channeling and heating water and devising special chemicals that make cleaning these surfaces and utensils easier. Some people wash their own dishes, while others have devised complex social transactions that result in “servants” of various sorts doing the cleanup. There are even electric dishwashing machines, and if that’s not supernatural, nothing is.

At the same time, who cares? We eat. If we do it right, we are nourished, we don’t get sick, and we don’t have to devote too much of our energy to doing it. Fine china, beautiful silverware, exotic spices, gourmet recipes, all these are lovely if they don’t cost us too much.

From a perspective of understanding, the magick of getting what we want tends to merge disappointingly into what we like to call “technology,” our ancillary crafts, and its appeal seems less bright, if no less useful, from this point of view.

There is also magick of the will – the art of being able to decide cleanly. Each of us is full of ambivalence. We want a thousand contradictory things, consciously, semi-consciously, entirely unconsciously. Magick of the will aligns and balances all those conflicting desires so that you can choose consistently and effectively to achieve a given end.

Will is an elusive magick that varies radically from person to person. Like music, painting or writing, it can be taught, but like any art, it is based on talent and taste. It is practiced by every successful person in the world, although few would regard it as magick. The ability to choose consistently and well, at least within a narrow focus, is essential to success in almost every undertaking.

There are easy ways to achieve will. Some of the peskiest and most disruptive of our desires are ethical and emotional. Simply by suppressing these, you can become much more effectively decisive. Fortunately, few people want to pay that price. Indeed, it may be that no one has the resources to pay that price, except by foolish borrowing.

Will is like health. Many of us are blessed with it initially, but to keep it takes luck, attention and good habits. Many of the disciplines of what we narrowly refer to these days as “magick” can be helpful, but plenty of people who have never used the word are masters of will magick.

Finally, there is magick of the spirit, the magick of listening to the quiet voices. This is a magick that is easy to lose in modern life. Plenty of atheist engineers and salesmen may be better sorcerers or better at will magick than you or I, but few of them have found a way to meet their spiritual needs.

Following Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, many of us have come to see the roots of our spiritual yearnings sinking deep into our unconscious minds, down among primal cultural artifacts and almost universal archetypes. Whether they re-emerge on the other side of the unconscious into an astral reality is a philosophical question, not a practical one. After all, satisfying the deep yearnings of your unconscious mind is important whether or not you want to believe that the spiritual world is “real.” Lots of people know that it is, and lots of other people know it isn’t, but I don’t like the question.

I’m very clear that something really happens when I give myself over to magick of the spirit. It happens often, particularly if I make the effort to let it. It happens in loving sex just about every time. It happens at the oddest moments. It happens in meditation, speaking with a goddess or a god. But particularly, it happens when I connect to the spirits of place, of the earth.

Sitting on the ragged stones at the edge of the sea watching patterns in the water, crouched with my back to a rock high in the mountains, listening to the songs of the wind, standing among the old trees in a forest glade feeling rain on my face, I find myself lost in wonder. Minutes pass when I am far, far away. I come back changed. My yearning is answered and affirmed. These are moments of pure magick for me. I don’t know what happens, but I know it’s important. It doesn’t have to do with getting some specific thing I want or honing my will; it has to do with receiving some kind of deep sustenance.

This magick of spirit goes well beyond our wisdom.

The White Goddess Meditation (Seed Moon)

The White Goddess Meditation

(Seed Moon)

People have a hard time forgiving their own mistakes, as well as other people’s mistakes and abuses. This meditation is a way for you to forgive yourself and other people, thus helping you to leave it in the past and start experiencing and enjoying every aspect of your life.

After getting comfortable and taking a few deep breaths, begin focusing on the problem that troubles you and that you want to forgive. For about five minutes, go over in your mind every aspect of the hurt and pain from the initial incident to everything you have felt, thought and done since that time.

Now, imagine the image of the White Goddess as She comes to stand before you. She reaches out Her and touches your spirit. You sense all that pain and hurt being released, floating off lighter than air, like bubbles steadily moving upward until they pop. The White Goddess smiles and you sense a white light that fills every cell of your being with an ecstatic, but calming joy that makes you want to laugh and smile. Take a deep breath and hold it for a moment, then release it. Smile as wide as you can and let the love of the White Goddess fill you with wonder.

As the White Goddess bids you good-bye, She tells you that you can always call on Her whenever you need to forgive something or need divine love. Take a few deep breaths and come back to your body, to the present time and place.

 

Elemental Meditation

Elemental Meditation

 
This meditation serves multiple purposes. It clears your mind so that you are better able to focus. It also gives you a more visceral understanding of the natures of each element. It can be a grounding tool to ground excess energy if done correctly. And finally, it is fun! This is a movement-based meditation, so it is best to find a place where you will not be disturbed, because if others are around you might experience self-consciousness or embarrassment, neither of which are helpful. This place should be quiet and free of outside distractions, and it should also allow for a relatively free range of movement.
 
Sit on the floor in a comfortable position and spend a few moments feeling your heartbeat and clearing your mind. You can also choose to stand, but most people do not find this as comfortable. Then, begin to meditate upon the element Earth. Feel what it is like to be Earth, the sensations, the emotions, all that encompasses Earth. Allow the expression of these feelings to join your mind and body as one, so that all of you experiences these sensations. Most likely, during this part your body will remain still, embodying the patience that is Earth, but if the desire to move takes you, go ahead, since Earth can move, whether slowly (as in tectonic plate shifting) or quickly and violently (as in earthquake).
 
When the moment feels right, shift your consciousness from Earth into Water. Let this be a smooth transition, as this meditation should flow easily from one element to the next. Call up all the sensations, thoughts, emotions, and movement that is Water. Again let this awareness infuse your body and mind. At this point, it is likely that your body will begin to move, whether in small movements while you remain seated, or in larger movements that require you to stand. This should be near-instinctive; do not worry whether the movement is appropriate or “right”. “Go with the flow”, let your body move as it will to show its connection with the elements. Water movement will most likely be smooth, flowing, graceful movements that are full of emotion. Keep in mind however, that Water, like all the elements, has a wide range of movements, so something different than the “standards” that are listed here is not wrong.
 
When appropriate, shift your awareness gradually from Water into Air. Let the concept of Air resonate throughout your mind and body. At this point, you will most likely begin to move more energetically and erratically about the space. You may try to express specific concepts through your movements. You are also encouraged to make this a vocal as well as a kinetic meditation if that feels right.
 
Again when you are ready, shift once more from Air into Fire. At this point, as you resonate the concept of Fire, your movements will most likely be extremely energetic and random. You may find yourself bumping into walls or other objects. You might pause for a moment in an odd position, only to careen off again the next moment with the dancing energy that is Fire.
 
Depending on your purpose in this meditation, you can choose to end it one of two ways.
 
1. If your intent is to clear your mind and provide energy for focus, then when the moment is right, stop your emulation of Fire and return to a seated position, breathing deeply and fully aware of your body, mind, and the elements all around (and within) you.
 
2. If instead you are more concerned with understanding the elements or with using this meditation as a technique for grounding, then from Fire, reverse your movements, going back through Air and Water (spending as much time as needed on each) until you are back at Earth. End the meditation in a restful position, whether sitting or lying down, allowing your excess energy to flow smoothly into the Earth.
 
And remember – no matter which purpose you use this meditation for, it is supposed to be fun, so relax and enjoy yourself.

The Circulation of the Body of Light

The Circulation of the Body of Light

The energy used in the Circulation of the Body of Light is very powerful and
best used for self-healing.

Start by doing the Relaxation Ritual, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the
Pentagram, and the Middle Pillar Ritual, but do not visualize the Middle Pillar
vanishing.

STEP ONE: While keeping the visualization of the Middle Pillar, refocus your
attention on the white brilliance just above your head. Visualize this
brilliance in a state of extreme strength, needing to radiate out even more
energy. Visualize it sending a current of energy down into the head and to the
left shoulder. Let this energy pass down the left side of your body to your left
foot. Feel it move to your right foot, up the right side of your body, to your
head, and back up into the brilliance.

This motion should be synchronized with your breath. When you exhale, feel the
energy go down your left side. When you inhale, feel the energy go up your
right side. You should have the sensation of a circle of energy swirling around
you. Move the energy, with your breath, in six to ten cycles. Feel free to
extend the energy out further to the sides (the most common is about three feet
away from your body).

STEP TWO: This is similar to the first method, but instead of directing the
energy down one side and up the other, here you should direct the energy down
the front of your body and up the back. be sure to synchronize your breathing
so that as you exhale the energy goes down the front of your body and as you
inhale, it goes up the back, up to your head and into the brilliance. Do this
six to ten times.

STEP THREE: Re-visualize the entire Middle Pillar. This time, focus your
attention on the brilliance at your feet. From the upper right side of this
power center visualize the energy curling up in a tight spiral to the front of
the left leg. from here it continues around the back and continues moving
upward in a counter-clockwise spiral. It is as if you are being wrapped like an
Egyptian mummy, from the feet to the head. Instead of cloth, however, you are
being wrapped in energy.

You should feel a whirling of spiritual power as the pure spiritual light and
energy rises up in spirals to the brilliance above your head. When it reaches
this brilliance, you should visualize the energy exploding out like a water
fountain in all directions. This energy lands at your feet and begins to rise in
the spiral again. As you inhale, feel the energy rise towards the top, as you
exhale, feel it explode out towards your feet. Do this for six to ten cycles.
Then, take a very deep breath, and as you exhale, see the energy disappear
visually, but know that it is still there invisibly.

STEP FOUR: Finish by doing the Tarot Contemplation Ritual.

“Meet your spirit Guide”

“Meet your spirit Guide”

Start with the total relaxing meditation to fully relax your body and mind.

Feel all the tension leaving your body, if out side thoughts or noises enter you mind put it in a bubble and let it go.

Focus on your breathing normally so that with each breath you relax more and deeper.

Now visualize in your minds eye a stair case with 10 steps. as you begin to descend the steps see each step, feel the step under your feet. Starting at 10, than 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, getting deeper into a relaxed state with each step, 3, 2, 1.

When you reach the bottom you’ll see a door that leads to a special room that only you can enter into. It can be any scene that you want, when your ready open the door and walk in, look around and sense your surroundings. What’s in the room? What does it smell like? or feel like to you?

If you want you can sit down or walk around and change anything you want (remember it’s your room) do what you like.

When you ready you will see a person coming towards you, you are not scared, you feel love and are comfortable,( this is your spirit guide) As he or she walks closer to you they will offer you a gift, take it, open it. What is the gift? what does the gift represent to you? Thank them for the gift.

Now you may ask any questions that you may have for them. eg: name, age, or maybe any special messages they may have for you. Take you time!

When your ready to leave say good bye. You may go back at any time you wish.

Go out the door and begin to start up the stairs.. with each step you will begin to feel more energized, more awake. when you reach the top you will feel better and more energized than before.

Open your eye’s and stretch and drink some water.

“Total Relaxing Meditation”

“Total Relaxing Meditation”

Ask spirit to protect you before and after you meditate

Sit in a comfortable position, clear your mind of all thoughts, close your eyes

Take 3 deep cleansing breaths (in through your nose for the count of 7, and out through your mouth for the count of 7) Now focus on your toes, feel them and than relax them.

Move up to each part of your body, calves, knees, thighs, hips, stomach, back, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, face and head.

Focusing on your breathing, still feeling very relaxed and calm. If you feel a part of your body tensing up again, go back to it and relax it again.

When you wish to finish, take 3 deep breaths and visualize the universal energy going into your body with each breath.

You may now go into another meditation while you are relaxed or begin to bring your self out of it with the 3 deep breaths.

Open your eyes and stretch your arms and legs. Drink a little water to refresh your self.

Meditation to Meet Your Water Guide

Meditation to Meet Your Water Guide 

Create a simple altar with a bowl of water and floating blue candles. Use a rain-scented incense. You may keep a chalice filled with wine or a favorite herbal tea on the altar. Take several deep, cleansing breaths. Cast your personal circle. Close your eyes. Visualize the gateway to the elemental realm of water. What does it look like? How does it open? Focus on your breath. Keep your breathing deep, slow and steady. See the gate open, and walk through it. Amazingly, you find yourself walking across the bottom of the sea, yet you can still breathe easily, encased in your own personal bubble. The sand is firm under your feet. Around you are bright coral shells, starfish, sea horses, and dolphins. Schools of brightly colored fish swim by. Walk slowly toward the figure you see in the distance. Focus on your breath. You are calm, relaxed and happy. Greet your elemental guide for the realm of water, and listen to what he has to say. When you have heard all you wish, thank him. Begin to walk back toward the gateway. Stay focused on your breath as you take on last look at the beautiful world beneath the waves. Walk through the gateway and see it close. Take several deep breaths and then open your eyes slowly. Write down what you learned in your journal. Close your circle.

Opening the Gateways Simultaneously

Opening the Gateways Simultaneously

 

After a suitable meditation time with the tattwas, when you feel you are ready, stand and face the north. Visualize the northern gate with the tattwa of earth carved upon it. The entry can be a golden gateway or a monolithic stone structure, or even a simple wooden gate. Stare into the tattwa until its aura begins to become visible, then shift your focus to the gateway. You should begin to see the fog lift, and the portal will be clear. It may look like a swirling vortex at first, but it will eventually take on a form that represents that element. Turn east and repeat the process. Continue with all four of the elements if you wish, or you may choose to open only one gateway at a time. If you wish, you may protect yourself with a personal bubble and enter into the realm of the elements. Be sure to ask that the gate remain open. Explore and commune as long as you like. When you are done, make sure to close each gateway by allowing your vision to blur as you look at it. The vortex should become active again, and the fog will settle.

Vision Questing

Vision Questing

 

 

A vision quest is no easy task to accomplish, but it will open your eyes to many things in this world that you had not noticed before. A vision quest pushes the body, mind, and soul to the extreme, where they all meet and come together. It is essential for all parts of ourselves to be in harmony with each other and with nature.

It is not necessary to do a full eight-day vision quest to discover your elemental affinity, but if you wish to you certainly can do so. The following vision quest is recommended, it is simpler and more harmonious to our roles in daily life. At this point, you should have some idea of which element you prefer.

1. Fast on juice and water for one day while you meditate and focus on your person elemental characteristics.

2. Early the next morning, set out for a long walk. Plan to spend the whole day communing with nature. Take only water with you. If you can arrange to camp out for the night, so much the better. If not, spend at least an hour focusing on the Earth itself. Notice the differences in grass blades, dirt types, and tree barks.

3. Open up a dialog in your head with one of the elements, asking it all you wish to know. Do the same with the other three elements in turn.

4. Do not allow yourself to sleep that night, if possible. Spend it communing with the elements instead.

5. Keep an eye out for a sign, be it a hawk flying that catches your attention or a special star twinkling. Your personal element will reveal itself in a unique way.
6. When you return home, honor yourself and the element that came to you with a ritual. You do not have to dedicate yourself to a particular element in order to learn more about it. Simply ask that element to show you more, and remember to say thank you. Courtesy and respect go along way.

7. Bless yourself with a simple statement of intent. Say something like, “I am blessed with the eyes of my Lord and Lady.” Throughout this entire process, do not be afraid to cry and laugh. A successful vision quest is a highly charged emotional task and quite an accomplishment.

If it is possible for you to do a full eight-day vision quest, the process is more elaborate as follows:

1. There is a three-day preparation period, during which you spend all of your time searching for your personal element by discussing your personality and viewpoints with the universe or whomever happens to be around. Every topic that pops into your mind is appropriate, so be sure to keep accurate notes. You swim to soak up air energy, lie on the ground to soak up earth energy, and allow the sun to shine on you to soak up fire energy. This time is meant to prepare you for your task.

2. For the next three days, go out into nature alone, with no food, only water. Fast, meditate, commune with the elements, and do a great amount of personal reflection. Stay out in the wild until you see your sign, your vision of your personal element. On the fourth morning you may return home. During this time period, you are allowed nothing that does not come from nature itself and no food. Physical activity is encouraged. If you see your sign before the fourth day, it is a personal choice whether to stay on the journey or to return home. Let your instinct guide your choice.

3. When you return home, hold a ceremony of rebirth, for you have been reborn into your element. Traditional Native American rites call for a sweat lodge cleansing , but this can also be done with smudging. To smudge yourself, light a smudging stick or burn sage on a charcoal tablet. Pass your arms through the smoke, then your legs, and so on, until you have exposed your whole body to the cleansing effect of the sage smoke. After the cleansing, it’s time to write your story.
4. Perform a rite of honor, such as a ritual bath with all the trappings.

If you have performed all of these steps and are still not sure which element is best to work with, study the four Elemental Witch path and continue your meditations. Your element will eventually reveal itself; it just may choose to wait a bit until the time is right.

Driving Meditation

Driving Meditation

  • Annie B. Bond

If you feel as if you have no time to meditate but have a long commute, try this Driving Meditation, by former Zen monk and teacher in the Soto Zen who has worked directly with the Dalai Lama.

To practice Moving Meditation you must fully accept where you now find yourself, here in your car. Divest yourself of all expectations, standards of comparison and technique, take that clear, observing, unobserving, unobstructed state of being, and keep on driving!

Now, instead of sitting erect and attentive in a quiet stationary place like a zendo or meditation hall, you are now sitting erect and attentive in your moving vehicle. You are now meditation as you move along. Do not be ruled by anything inside or outside you.

See and experience without intrusion, but when an intrusion does rear its ugly head in the form of anger, an opinion, some driver cutting you off, simply acknowledge the stray image and return your focus to being aware of everything around you. Now, driving along, be intimately involved in the action and be aware that everything around you is happening for the first time.

Everything is constantly changing, each traffic situation requiring its own set of responses. Nothing is left to rote. Keep your mind, body and senses wide awake, and as you drive along know that all that you see is as new as a baby’s smile, no matter how many times you think you have seen it before.

Try this. Spend an afternoon-walking, driving, eating-all experienced as if for the first time. Fresh, new, open.

Adapted from The Tao of Now, by Josh Baran (Hampton Roads, 2008).

Howling Wolf Tree Dream Meditation (Wolf Moon)

Howling Wolf Tree Dream Meditation

Wolf Moon
 
 
The sound of the wind moving through the trees is reminiscent of the howl of wolves. Other Pagan traditions such as the Druids, and the practices of the American Algonquin tribes, also refer to the time after the Winter Solstice as being the Wolf Moon.A half hour before going to sleep, drink a cup of chamomile tea. While drifting off to sleep, imagine yourself as a seedling that is just beginning to sprout. Sense yourself spreading your roots down in the earth, while at the same time moving your trunk or body toward the light. Feel yourself growing all the time. Plants grow more at night than they do during the day.

 
The popular New Age author and workshop leader Gregg Braden postulates that each cell of our body generates 1.17 volts of energy. When you calculate all the cells together, your body can generate alot of energy, particularly when directed toward a particular focus. You are a conduit or lightning rod of energy, waiting to realize your true potential.

Sense yourself becoming a large tree that has grown for many years. Every part of you emanates with energy as you reach toward the light with every part of your being. You are a connecting point between this world and all worlds. As Lucan said in AD 60 when addressing the Druids: “To you alone it is given to know the truth about the Gods and Deities of the sky. The innermost groves of far-off forests are your abode.”

Imbolc Meditation

Submitted By: Cogar niMhorrighan

Here is an original meditation for the Imbolc festival (can be used at
any time):

It is a lovely spring day. The air is fresh with the fragrance of green
plants preparing to bloom. The sun’s radiance bathes you in comfort,
perhaps the first warmth you have felt in many months. You sense that
you are in Ireland, because it is green and everything feels clean and
alive. The landscape is timeless and magical. In the distance, you
hear birds singing as they welcome the unexpected warmth of the day.
Inside you, happiness begins to bubble and dance, very quietly at first.
It feels almost like anticipation, but it puts a smile on your lips as
well.

You are walking up a slight hill, not steep enough to tire you but just
enough to sense that something wonderful can be seen from the top. As
you walk, the grass is already tall enough to brush against your lower
legs. You know you are in a wild place where Nature flourishes.

Towards the top of the hill, you see a dolmen – two standing stones and
a large stone across the tops of them, like an arch. You wonder why you
didn’t see this dolmen sooner. It is as if it appeared when you were
just twenty feet from it. Does it mean something? Is it real? You do
not pause to wonder, but keep walking towards it.

As you walk between the stones, you notice carvings and symbols on the
sides of the dolmen. Some of them are lines and hash-marks, which you
suspect are an Ogham message. Others are just symbols, which you will
return to look at, another day.

As you pass through the dolmen, you feel an invisible curtain brush over
you gently. In the space of a blink, it is a clear, crisp night. The
stars are above you, brilliant and twinkling. You know the moon is
behind you, but you do not notice its light because there is a sparkling
fire just ahead. There is no breeze, but the evening is chilly as you
would expect when Winter is still in the air.

You pull your clothing more closely around you, as you continue up the
hill. You are eager to reach the warmth of the fire, which is bigger
than you thought at first. In fact, it is a bonfire and you realize you
have arrived at Imbolc.

You run the last few steps to stand next to the fire pushing your hands
towards it, to capture the heat from a safe distance. Tall yellow and
white flames seem to warm you inside and out. You pause to look at the
sky again, and savor the moment.

Looking across the flames, you suddenly realize that you are not alone.
You can see the top of someone’s head, and you aren’t certain if you
have intruded on a private ceremony. Slowly, you walk around the fire,
and your companion stands up from the rock she was sitting upon. She is
a tall, strong woman, with long hair so light you cannot tell if it is
blonde or white. She looks like the Queen of Pentacles in a way, with
an ageless sense of knowing and accomplishment. She wears a long gown
and an embroidered cape, yet you can see her bare feet peeking out from
under her skirt. You know she is someone noble yet without artifice.

Without a word, she stretches out her hands to take yours in welcome.
You know, as if you’ve known her all your life, that this is Brighid.
This is a special and sacred moment.

She welcomes you to her fire, which will burn tonight and every night,
for Imbolc is her festival and her fire is never extinguished.

You sit down next to her, on large flat rocks that are warm from the
fire, and very comfortable. She begins to explain to you the meaning of
Imbolc, and its promise of a fresh beginning–not just to the plants and
animals, but also to everyone on Earth who chooses to permit Imbolc into
their lives.

She helps you to remember your past dreams, especially the ones from
your childhood which began, “When I grow up…” And as you recall these
fantasies and goals, you realize how many of them were left behind with
your childhood, yet how many are still alive in what you do each day,
today. This is not a sad realization as much as it is a recognition
that you can start afresh now. Every one of those dreams is still with
you.

Brighid reaches to her side and picks up a fallen twig from a nearby yew
tree. It looks like any other twig, in the firelight. However, when
Brighid places it into the fire, the bark on it sparks and flames like a
sparkler, giving enough heat energy to set the twig burning brightly.
Without saying anything, Brighid is showing you how even a small spark
will set alight your oldest and most neglected dreams.

The lesson was simple, but vital. Now it is time to return to your own
world. As you stand, Brighid offers you a cup of clear water, which you
sip. The sensation in your mouth is unique. There is a kind of
life-giving energy, that is Spring itself. You take a large swallow of
the water, and feel your entire body respond to that water with a
vitality that–like your forgotten dreams–you had almost forgotten from
childhood.

After returning the cup to Brighid, and then a quick embrace, you stride
purposefully around the fire and back to the dolmen. Passing under it,
you emerge back into the daylight and the warm air and clear sunshine of
an early spring day. You know you have not merely learned the meaning
of Imbolc, but actually experienced it in your soul. From now on, every
time you sip fresh water, or see twigs and branches burning in a
bonfire, you will feel Brighid’s presence, and be reminded of the
fire–and dreams–that burn within you, too, and will never be
extinguished.

A Sip of Inspiration

A Sip of Inspiration

by Miriam Harline

Invocation/Meditation

You are in a dark room, empty of furniture, a box of wood rough-hewn. The window looks out on night. You smell woodsmoke, though there is no fire. You are cold, and you huddle on the floor, wrapping your arms around yourself.

The door opens, and standing in the doorway is a woman with long blonde hair. She wears a white dress, hanging in graceful folds, and no shoes. In her hand is a white candle, burning. “Rise,” she tells you; you do, and follow her.

Outside hangs black night, a sky dusted with stars, no moon. The ground is cold, frozen hard, but there is no snow. You follow the woman down a narrow path. To either side rise hills, grass tan when the candle shows it. You walk down; the stones under the hills begin to show to either side. Beside you, slowly, rock walls rise.

The walk down turns steep. You smell salt, hear waves crash. The land flattens, and under your feet is sand; you are on the seashore.

Ocean water pours across the sand, a margin of foam at its edge. The candlelight glows, a yellow globe on the water. You follow the woman still; you turn and walk above the surf. It is low tide.

A cliff rises ahead, to your left, and in the cliff you see a black mouth, a cave. It is so dark, black on black, you feel some fear. But the woman walks right up to it, enters the tall mouth, twice her height. You walk after her into the cave, still on hard-packed wet sand; when the tide is high, the cave floor must be covered in water.

The path of sand narrows between rocks; you continue along it. You turn a bend, and behind you can no longer see the sea, but you hear it still, rushing, sighing.

You walk on. To either side rise black walls of stone, occasionally veined with red. Ahead, as the path curves, you see not darkness, but golden light.

You turn another bend, and the cave ceiling rises; you are in a vast room, lit by candlelight. Before you is a line of eight women robed in white, all holding white candles.

One woman steps forward. She is blonde, like your guide, but taller, older, in the prime of womanhood. Her face is still, not smiling, full of pride. “Greetings,” she says. “What is your name?” You tell her.

“Why have you come here?” she asks. Your eyes go wide, because you have no idea; you were waiting, and were summoned, but you do not know why. But your guide steps up and whispers in your ear, “For inspiration.”

You repeat, “For inspiration.”

The woman who greeted you smiles; you have made the right answer. “Very well,” she says. “Come forward.”

All nine women turn, move further into the cave, form a circle. You see in its center a huge cauldron, waist-high, its legs straddling a fire. The cauldron is boiling, and from it rise rainbow bubbles that pop in the air, leaving a smell of spice and honey. “This is the cauldron of inspiration,” your greeter says.

Two women in the circle loosen their hands and beckon to you. You pass by them, and the circle rejoins around you. You stand before the cauldron. “Drink from the cauldron,” the greeter says.

Drink? you say to yourself. But the liquid in it is boiling. I will boil my hands. “Drink,” she says. “That is why you are here.”

You look around, in fear. These people are crazy. Then you catch the eye of the woman who guided you, and she smiles very slightly. You sense there is some magick here. Foolishly or wisely, you lower your hands into the cauldron.

The liquid is just cooler than lukewarm, delightful, like a bath on a hot summer day.

You cup liquid in your palms, raise it to your lips. The smell of spice and honey fills your nostrils. The liquid seems to shine upward into your face, rainbow colors. You sip.

An explosion goes off in your head. You fall backward onto the ground. You see stars, moons, suns, rainbows flare; a stream of firework, many-colored, falls from the sky. You hear music, whispers, laughter; someone close is speaking in your ear, you can almost make out the words….

After a long time, you wake on the floor of the wooden house. All is dark, and your head hurts. But now the house is warm.

Meditation Every Day? We Thought Not!

Meditation Every Day? We Thought Not!

An Expert Offers a Brush-Up on Meditation Basics

by Dianus Blackcat

Meditation is the foundation of pagan spiritual practice, and a basic method to improve our mental and physical state in today’s often stressful and chaotic world. For most pagans, the art of meditation is one of the first skills learned in spiritual practice. Yet for many, the value found in daily meditation exercises is sometimes left by the wayside during the course of our busy lives.

Why meditate every day? Because from pressure to complete tasks at work or school, to world politics, we are bombarded with stressful stimuli every day. That stress can negatively affect both our mental and physical health. Simple meditation exercises, practiced routinely, can counter the negative impact of overstimulation on our minds and bodies.

Mental and physical stresses are experienced together, joined like two sides of the same coin. For example, think of something pleasant, such as a loved one or a sunny afternoon. Immediately we experience the pleasant feelings associated with these images. After thinking of something good, we feel good. If we think of something unpleasant, we conversely experience a negative sensation. We grimace at the news. Pressures on the job give us tension headaches. We use this same mind-body connection in ritual when we take an action in the physical plane to activate the astral. By this principle, meditation can be approached as ritual and magick.

Meditation techniques vary from person to person. Often meditation is put into a religious context. It is not necessary to do so to achieve the benefits of reduced stress, but as pagans, we find that a spiritual dimension to life leads to increased happiness and health. Some practitioners burn incense and play New Age music. Others might sit in various yoga positions and fast or otherwise modify their diet as part of their meditation routine. Despite the variations, virtually all meditation practices do have some attributes in common: a state of deep relaxation, a quieting of mental chatter and a keen awareness of either our internal state or external surroundings.

Many people find it challenging to experience all three of these common attributes at the same time. They may try to silence mental chatter with a forceful effort, only to end up negating their attempt to remain relaxed. They may become so relaxed as to fall asleep, countering their attempt to remain aware. Meditation is not always easy, but the methods are quite straightforward and simple. Even if we have mastered the techniques, like any skill, meditation becomes easier and more rewarding with practice.

Stress is experienced in the body as tension. The origin of that tension can be a mental source, such as the memory of an argument, or a physical source, such as bad weather. What many people forget is that the mental-physical link works both directions. That is, just as our body responds to thoughts, our thoughts will respond to our body. Many people become grouchy when hungry or depressed when overtired. When we reduce the physical tension, we experience a relief of mental tension. Knowing this gives us our first step in successful meditation: deep relaxation.

Step 1: Deep Relaxation

Find a quiet place were you can comfortably sit upright and not be disturbed. It is helpful to have a small kitchen timer or other alarm to keep track of the time for you, so that you are not preoccupied with how long you have been meditating. Take a moment to tense up and then release each muscle group in your body, beginning with your feet, then legs, then gradually moving upward. Twist your torso, then lift and stretch your arms. Finish by moving the muscles in your face to make exaggerated facial expressions. Wrinkle your nose; stretch your mouth. Really let go, but do not strain yourself. Remember to continue breathing deeply. When you draw in a breath, push out from your belly to expand your lungs. Doing so will increase the amount of available oxygen in your lungs, aiding your relaxation. Be sure to exhale fully to prevent dizziness.

After you stretch out and relax, you are usually aware of internal thoughts and feelings more than anything else. We might hear a little voice inside our heads or have a constant internal dialogue going on. We rehash old discussions, worry about unpaid bills and criticize our hair or clothes. This is the mental chatter that we need to quiet from time to time, for it is often the most insidious cause of stress in our lives.

We cannot always control the external events that have an impact on us, but we can do something about our reaction to those events. Silencing the mental chatter can give us just the break we need to help us to view external events more objectively. I believe that an underlying motivation for overstimulation in today’s society is the desire to escape relentless self-dialogue. When we process input, we are distracted away from our egos.

Our egos tend to consume a lot of our energy by worrying about superficial, cultural matters. By adjusting our focus away from them, it helps us to connect to that divine part of ourselves that is a great source of spiritual connection and inspiration. Remembering this gives us our second step in successful meditation: silencing the mental chatter.

Step 2: Silencing Mental Chatter

After having stretched, still breathing deeply in a relaxed way, allow your gaze to fall upon some pleasant, yet emotionally neutral, focal point. I recommend you light a candle ahead of time that you can focus on, but anything pleasing to you is fine. It can be a religious object, a flower or some scenic view. Just look at the object. Do not think about it; just watch it. A candle is useful because it will flicker and change, making it easier to observe without boredom because it changes unexpectedly. Do not make mental notes or judgments. As thoughts come into your mind, simply allow them to pass. Do not attempt to force the thoughts out of your head. You are awake and alive, and thoughts will come to you. Rather, continue to pay attention to your focal object. Watch it as if it is about to jump out at you and you don’t want to miss a thing. By focusing your attention on this single object, time will pass and you will realize that the mental chatter has stopped.

When we calm down the voice of our ego by focusing our attention, we suddenly become aware of a great deal of information that we were missing due to our focus on internal dialogue. For many, that internal dialogue is of a criticizing nature. With that internal critic out of the way, it becomes much easier to face the challenges we may have been suppressing. Facing any hidden or suppressed emotions is the best way to release them from our lives and improve our mental and physical health. Knowing this gives us our third step in successful meditation: keen awareness of either our internal state or external surroundings.

Step 3: Keen Awareness

When observing the focal object of your meditation, allow yourself to also notice your surroundings. Notice the temperature of the air around you. If you are outside, is it calm or windy? Is it hot or cold? Listen for any sounds. Is there traffic on the road outside? Is there a bird singing somewhere? Do you hear some people having a conversation somewhere else in the house? Allow yourself to simply be the observer. You may begin to feel a deep connection with the world around you. You may also have sudden flashes of images from previous or current challenges in your life. Allow yourself to view any memories as if you were watching the events of a fictional character in a movie. Simply observe. The detachment from these images may be difficult at first, but concentrate on remaining relaxed and remembering to breathe deeply.

Meditation is a skill that improves with practice. Regular meditation practice will reduce stress and lead to a happier and healthier outlook on life. For positive results, meditation should be performed every day for at least 15 minutes. Each of us can afford to take 15 minutes out of our day to do something good for ourselves. After a while, you may find that troubles in the news and in life, although still troubling, can be dealt with. When we are relaxed and energized through these exercises, we are more able to face challenges. There may be times when we are particularly upset and might feel that we cannot meditate during a crisis. When we are most upset is precisely the time when we need meditation the most. It will help.

Meditation helps us to understand ourselves because it requires us to carefully pay attention to our inner thoughts as well as the world around us. When we pay attention to the world, we can more fully interact with it. When we can interact with the world, we can change the world and cease to be helpless and fearful. Often we approach the world by talking out our opinions and thoughts, projecting sometimes false ideas on others. Meditation is a way to stop the talking. Simple meditation exercises, when practiced routinely, can counter the negative impact of daily stress on our minds and bodies. When I stopped talking, I listened. When I listened, I heard. Listen, and you will hear a world within and around you, inviting you and loving you, divinely connected.

Affirmation on Meditation

Affirmation on Meditation

  • Deepak Chopra

The true self contains the light that no darkness can attack. Daily affirmations are steps out of pain toward a higher reality. We can become living memorials to tragedy by restoring the power of life. You are that life, you are that power. Let us see if we can find the spark that will make the spiritual flame spring up.

Meditation is the practice of going inward to access awareness that is deeper than thought. Meditation isn’t just a time for peace and quiet, although both are needed. You are returning to your source. Make it your habit to find time alone, preferably once in the morning and once in the evening, in which you can close your eyes and go inside.

There are many forms of meditation. A simple but effective one is meditation on the heart. Sit quietly for a moment, placing your attention on your heart, at the center of your chest under the breastbone. When you are settled, repeat the word “peace” silently, and see its influence radiating out from your body in all directions. Do this three times, and then say the word “happiness” the same way. Repeat three times, then go on to “harmony,” “laughter” and “love.”

For longer meditations, you can use these words for as long as you like. Start with five minutes a session and work up to half an hour. Sit quietly for a few minutes after each session with eyes closed and simply appreciate the simplicity of quiet awareness.

Adapted from The Deeper Wound: Recovering the Soul from Fear and Suffering by Deepak Chopra (Harmony Books, 2001).

Can Meditation Be Sexy?

Can Meditation Be Sexy?

  • Ed and Deb Shapiro

From Madonna to Christy Turlington, from Sting to Richard Gere, meditation is what’s happening. We use the term “sexy” because meditation is now the IN thing, with more and more people, both young and old, chilling out by doing it. At the same time, cross-legged yogis and monks can be seen in television and magazine ads selling everything from cars to herbal teas.

You do not have to be a hippie or on a spiritual quest to meditate. We have taught housewives, athletes, musicians, and therapists, in yoga centers and town halls, high school gymnasiums, on ski slopes, and on television. We were invited to teach meditation in Thailand to corporate CEO’s, as more businesses are incorporating stress-release and meditation techniques.

But if meditation is so available and as well-known as it appears to be, why is it not already an integral part of everyone’s lives? If health reports are saying how good it is as a way to cope with stress, heart conditions, and psychological issues, why do we ignore it or find excuses not to do it? Why do we think of something as a waste of time when all the research tells us it is of such immense value?

Perhaps it is because meditation just doesn’t seem that sexy! The mind seeks constant entertainment and much prefers being distracted than facing the endless dramas racing around inside it. The idea of sitting still and watching our breath can appear boring, meaningless, even a time-waster, and not at all fun, challenging, or creative.

Yet meditation is all of this and much more. It is about discovering our authenticity and the magic of being alive. It is sexy because it feels great and there is nothing more joyful.

Meditation is simply about being fully present in this moment, no matter what we are doing. If you are washing the dishes, then let any thoughts and distractions dissolve into the soap bubbles; if you are ironing, then become one with the rhythm of the movement; when you are eating, be aware of every bite, the tastes and textures. In this way, everything can be an awakening experience.

Appreciation Meditation

Sit comfortably with a straight back. Spend a few moments watching the natural flow of your breath.

Now begin to feel a deep appreciation and gratitude for the cushion or chair you are sitting on, and for the building around you, appreciating the space they provide in which you can meditate. Silently thank those who made the building, and the work that was put into its construction.

Then extend that appreciation to the world around you, to this earth that sustains all life, for the tress, plants, animals, birds, the oceans and fish, the sun and the rain.

Now extend your gratitude to your body, appreciating how it cares for and nourishes you, how it is connected to the food you eat and the water you drink, how it is within this body that you experience love, joy and happiness.

Now bring your appreciation and gratitude to your breath. Become aware of the flow of your breath entering and leaving your body. Spend a few moments appreciating your breath and the life it brings you. Then take that appreciation with you into your day.