A Journey

I’m inspired by the journey into the Otherworld described by Heron in his Fern Law of Faery blog and encouraged by his comment on here and replies to me on his blog to try a focussed meditation for myself. So I went to the woods today.

It was in two stages. First I walked up along a path that zig-zags across the slope through the trees to a seat with a view along the valley. I sat here and prepared myself. I imagined myself entering the Otherworld and thought of the paths through the trees as spirit paths. When I had tuned into this I left the seat and continued up the slope to a higher seat under some trees which has a view across to the hills on the other side of the valley.

Now I was walking along the narrow path like it was a winding tunnel into the hill. The path was my gateway into the Otherworld. When I got to the higher seat I was ready to sit down and ‘journey’ properly, though I already thought I was half out of this world before getting there.

I wrote up my journey in my ‘Mystic Book’ and I don’t want to record all the details again here but I do want to record that I used the technique mentioned by Heron of looking out for something familiar to find a helper. I’m really pleased with this but I do need to keep it private at least for now.

It’s like there are some bits of the map in place. They could change, but even so I now have something to look for, or is it a key? Neither and both. But I’ve released the lock and taken a step on the path.

Enchanted Woods

I found this cave today, in a narrow valley. I’ve walked here lots of times before, but I  never found the path down the steep slope to this place. It’s too dark to see in very far. All around is earth and trees so this bit of rock sticking out, though covered in moss, looks strange and mysterious as if it doesn’t belong. Although I’m always walking around these woods, I often seem to find things I didn’t know were there. And sometimes I never find them again. No wonder I think the woods are enchanted.

Water Spell

I went up onto the hillside  where a stream runs down just below a spring.

I dreamed i was a water nymph, that I became the stream.

I stood with a foot either side of the silver thread of water and watched it running between my legs..

There had been a shower and my hair was wet and I dreamed it like running water.

I wanted to wee and thought it would be good to wee with the stream, but not there.

I went down to the trees where the stream is wider and there is a trickle from the side running into the stream.

I weed for the stream and all the running water there.

By this I made my dream real. Myself a water nymph, running with the stream.

Solstice

I celebrated the feast day of Epona (18 December) for the first time this year and buried a rose hip in the ground for her.

Now for the Solstice I went to the woods and cut a sprig of holly with berries on it. Just after sunset I took one berry from the sprig and buried it for the sinking sun and this morning (22nd) I pushed the rest of the sprig of holly into the ground for the rising Sun.  When I came back into the house I lit a red candle and guarded it to burn while I was out for the day. I will light another when I go home this evening.

For the Sun to grow strong,

I am learning to live a life of symbolic acts to go with  living close to the natural world. Doing things like this gives me a magical focus. Before I just took it all in like a receiver. Now I’m sending out my own messages. Being a part of it and not just an observer.

Intentions

"Thus Words being spoke with grate reverans and faith has Don wondars" 

(from the Mystic Book of a nineteenth century Cunning Man)

It's the reason we do things, and the intention behind it that is important. So does it matter exactly what we do to work spells, or give offerings, so much a why we do it?  We all have our own way of doing things, the power is in the intention, and doing things that carry 'grate faith and reverans' with them makes them powerful.

Invocation to a Special Place

You are dear to me.
I give you

Hair from my head
Words from my mouth
Blood from within me

You have my essences, my life force; I am one with you.

These emanations of my body and of my soul are one with the leaf mould and the waters and the mosses of this place. The soul of this place. We mingle. I am one with you.

The Winter Lady

I joined in the Wintersnights observance by Brython over the weekend. Each doing in in their own place.

I spoke the appointed words and looked up at the stars in the clear sky. There were no clouds or anything but after I had spoken about  a shadow passing through the veil it was not long before it went a lot darker and I couldn't work out how this had happened. I sat in the dark for a while feeling spooked. The words definitely got a response.

I intended to do a meditation under the stars. But I didn't need to. The Winter Lady walked past me and I felt her presence. Or was it her absence?