Wind

In meditation and the inner landscapes, you are not bound by the laws of physics or even to a body.  The only impossibilities are the ones you impose.

When you are ready, become part of the winds and go where you are taken. This can be done as a bird, a leaf, or even a breeze.  Flying on the wind is a wonderful carefree feeling that requires no thought, only sensation, if you'd like. It is also a way to learn more about the Otherworld from a different perspective.

Just remember that you can stop the experience if it get's too intense and that you are always perfectly safe.  Going where you are taken can improve your confidence and acquaint you with many parts of the Otherworld that we haven't explored together.

Canyon Lands

There is a great and swift river that flows across a green valley.  It gathers clear, cold water from the snow melt of the high mountains to the north and carries it southwards, rambling through valleys, down hills and across plains into the mysterious land of the canyons.

Follow the river as enters the hills leading to the canyons.  The rocks here are banded in soft, beautiful colors: greys, blues, yellows, rust, cream, tan, even a soft violet.  As you enter the deep, narrow canyon, look up.  Around you is time laid out for your enjoyment and study.  Each layer represents a time period, each change of color and texture is the end one thing and the beginning of something else.  Some of these changes have been gradual, you cannot tell for certain where one layer ends and the next begins, though you see a slow progression to a new stone.  Other changes are sudden, sharp lines and violent juxtaposition.

Beside you the river patient cuts through the rocks, exposing new truths about the past.  The sun does not reach you where you stand, but ahead, it lights the scene like a spotlight.  Vegetation is sparse and the animals that inhabit this landscape are quiet, secretive, subtle.

Step into the harsh, bright light shining down from above and let your sight adjust.  Do you see anything differently?  Are there petroglyphs or fossils? Mine shafts, ruins?  Can you read your past in the layers before you or do you identify with the river, slowly making it's way to its destination and shaping the world as it passes?

The void

I've been trying to write posts for you, but nothing was happening. Silly me, I had missed the message, several times.  I was being shown the Void.  It is a emptiness.  The "abyss of the unformed", as Patricia Kenneally Morrison poetically called it.  In fact, it's not actually a place, more an idea. It has many names; for me Void, Abyss or Annwn work.  You may find other names or descriptors that suit your worldview better.  The name has no meaning other than what you give it, much like these journeys.

My recent journeys to the Otherworlds have been in the Abyss.  For me it is devoid of light, sound, taste, sensation and scent.  I am there and occasionally, guides have sought me out.  Some of them family members who I knew in this life, but who have passed into their next existence, others teachers who wish to impart of a bit of wisdom.  Since there is nothing there, there is literally nothing to fear.  It is a place of creation and destruction, the source of change.  It defines the idea of existence.  Annwn, the abyss, is easy to overlook, but it can be an ideal place to face fears or hear truths that maybe uncomfortable.  it is a place to practice your own creative powers, or simply to be alone.

If, during your Otherworldly travel, you find yourself lost in a space that has no markers or form, you are probably in the Void.  Don't panic.  If you are afraid, you can leave and go back to someplace that makes you feel safe, or you can try to understand what the Abyss means to you.  If you stay, try creating images or objects.  Ask for guidance or simply enjoy the quiet.

Blessings!

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Celebrations in the Otherworld

There are many things you have now learned in the Otherworld.  Your journey has been unique and filled with meaning.  Congratulations!

The Otherworld(s) are also a place where you can celebrate, perform rituals or create.  Take some time from your journey to rejoice with your guides over how far you've come.  Dance, sing, soar in happiness.  Give thanks or offer a plea for help.  Cast spells or create great art.  The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination.

Magic in the Otherworld does transfer over into this one.  Embrace your own power and create the life you want.

May this Equinox bring your balance and blessings!

The Orbs and other beings you may encounter

Before you return to land, there are a few other experiences that may come to you.  There are many more islands than I have written about.  You are free to explore these, or you can enjoy the open waters.  There are beings that we sometimes come in contact with who are not bound to land or island.

The mermaids are one group of these.  It has been a very long time since I encountered them, and I have never had occasion to speak to them, but I have seen them and heard their music as I sail.  I don't know where to direct you if you are interested in meeting them, but I imagine they will turn up if they have a message or lesson for you.

Another group of beings that I have not had personal contact with are the sea serpents.  Other a glimpse or two, they have not factored into my journeys thus far.  Like many beings of the Otherworlds, they have their own business to attend to.  

The orbs are among my favorite beings in the Otherworld.  These sentient balls of light dance and play, often in groups, over the waters and in the forests and meadows.  They are joyful and peaceful. They communicate in their own fashion, and if you are lucky enough to encounter them , savor the experience.

The Singing Trees

A final island, before I return you to the shore.  This is the island of the singing trees.  It is a high island, ringed with rock cliffs, but the interior is a lush grove of tall trees.  Climb the cliffs to enter this grove.

The trees here sing the songs of the past.  They do not produce words, but the music coming from them and the wind tells the stories of many other travelers who have journeyed in the the Otherworlds.  If you try, you may hear familiar tales of voyages.  Listen to these songs, do you learn anything?  Are you included in this music?  Travel through the trees, learning about the different sounds and melodies each individual tree adds to the music. Each voice is unique, but together, they form a whole that would be incomplete without each individual's contribution.

When you have absorbed as much of the song as you can or wish to, return to your boat and sail towards the shore you departed from.  New lessons on land await you, but you are welcome to visit the islands (and there are many we have not explored together that you can experience) anytime you wish.

The Wise One

The Wise Elder can help you solve problems in your life.  This being, who often appears as old man or woman dressed in a hooded cloak, can be found in a cave.  He or she will listen to your problems and ask you questions but will not "fix" things for you.  Patience, kindness and a wealth of experience make this guide a powerful ally in the journey of self discovery.

Start out from your home and look towards the mountains.  Where a stream and the trees meet, you will find an opening in a rock face, camouflaged by vines.  This is the doorway to the Wise Elder's home.  Sweet, welcoming smoke drifts softly out to you, beckoning you to enter. Announce yourself and enter.

Inside, the walls are covered in paintings of animals and people or seasons and celestial events.  Bottles and jars full of unknown substances sit quietly on shelves and tables.  Fire light dances and warms the space.  On the far side of the fire sits the Elder.  A hood shadows this being's face and gnarled hands hold a staff.  The Elder points to a seat near the fire, positioned to encourage conversation.  Sit here and be welcome. Explain why you are here and ask for advice.

The Wise Elder make answer directly or may tell you a story.  Listen carefully to the words you here; you can choose to ignore the advice you are given, but think carefully before you do.  The Wise Elder gives no easy answers.  Work is always required, but the advice is coming from a being who has done and seen a great deal.  If you don't understand what you've been told, ask for clarification.  Willful ignorance is of no use to anyone, especially in the Otherworld.

After you have spent the time you need with the Wise Elder, thank them for their help.  Offer them yours.  Once the transaction is complete, talk your leave and return to your spiritual home to begin thinking about and/or implementing the advice you received.

The Island of Apples

One of my first journeys was sailing to the Island of Apples.  Here I met one of the most mysterious and interesting teachers I have met so far.  The experience, even years later, remains fresh in my mind.  It was beautiful and symbolic and uplifting.  This is one of the journeys that I am most keen to share, but it is also one that has been difficult to write about (it has literally taken months to complete this post). How do I put into word the beauty and power of this journey?

Sailing through the fog, a dark shape begins to take form.  As you draw closer, a steep island rises from the see. It is covered with trees and a steep winding pathway of stairs leads from a small dock to a temple on the summit.  As your boat lands, a figure in a bright red cloak steps forward.

This guide, the woman in red, is tall, slim and brilliant.  Her red hair and red cloak swirl around her.  Her skin glows with a subtle shifting light, making it difficult to see her properly.  She looks young and feel old at the same time.  She is a powerful being who has been part of this island for millenia.  She welcomes you and guides you up those, steep stair cut into the very rock of this island.  She may or may not have a message for you.  Respectfully ask your questions about his place, but do not be surprised if all she does is smile at them.

The apple trees on either side of this path are unlike any you have known.  They are bare, in bloom and bearing fruit all at once.  Some of the apples are the colors you are familiar with, red, greens, sot yellows, but other apples are crystalline or metallic.  It is a bizarre sight because it is not natural to us.  Time is not the same here.  That is likely the only answer you will have about why this island is able to show all of the stages of an apple tree's life at once.  Among the trees, women of all ages are tending them.  Old women bent over baskets are sorting apples.  Young girls on ladders are harvesting.  Mothers and daughters are all working here, together.  They complement and support each other.  The atmosphere is busy and joyous.  Their voices fill the air with laughter and song.

Who do you see here?  What are they doing?  Is their a task that draws your attention more than others?  Do any of these women speak to you or smile at you?  What type of apples draw you? If you'd like, you may ask your guide for an apple to take with you.

Continue up the stairway to the peak of the island.  There is a temple here.  You may enter and explore.  Like meeting the Goddess in the garden, you can talk to her here as well.  Or you may simply enjoy the peace of the temple.  Ask for guidance and blessing if you need them.  Leave an offering.  Whatever you feel is perfect.  When you are done here, wander back down the path way to your ship.  The Guide may be there to send you off or she may not be.  Thank the island for it's lessons and be on your way.

The next step of the journey- changing your perspective

During my own journeys last night, I was informed that I needed to write this post.  I had planned it for later, but my spirit guides insisted that now was the time.  This segment of the journey is about discovering your own power.  We are powerful and creative beings; we are all capable of creation, both in the physical world and the Otherworld of Spirit, but there is a catch: you have to accept this power and the responsibility that comes with it. Then you have to get accustomed to using it.  You also must learn to shift your perspective.  Your way of knowing is not the only way.

We'll start gently, just like when you created your safe place.  Start by taking deep, cleansing breaths.  Relax your body and your mind.  Drift to your safe place.  Remember that you are perfectly safe here and that you can control this area.  Life and death are part of the same cycle.  In this exercise you will experience another being's life cycle for yourself. You are still you, don't be afraid.  You are in control and can stp this exercise anytime you wish.  If you need to stop, for any reason, you can try again at a later date, when you feel stronger or safer.

Imagine yourself as a seed, falling from its parent.  How do you begin? Does the wind or water carry you away? Are you helped along in your journey by an insect or an animal? When the time is right, you will join the earth and begin to grow.

Your roots begin a slow, methodical journey into the soil.  Searching, you find nutrients and water, gently pushing aside anything in your way. Just as your roots are reaching down into the earth, you begin to sprout upward, pushing, reaching for the sun and fresh air.  Delicate, green leaves finally break through and the sun begins to warm you. Sun and water and air combine within you to create energy, and you grow, much more quickly than before.

You are strong and healthy and connected to all the life around you. Take moment to determine what type of plant you are.  Are you an herb, fruit, vegetable or tree? What is your role?  Do you provide energy for others or shelter?  What do you need to be healthy?  What other organisms are part of your life cycle? Do you need rich soil or can you survive anywhere?  Is the air cool or warm, moist or dry?  Are you happiest in shade or bright sun?

Focus on moving through the life cycle of this plant.  What do you experience?  Is it many seasons, or just one?  Whatever you are, feel your importance to the rest of the world.  No organism is completely self sufficient.  Everything needs something, sun or water or other beings.  Concentrate on the connections you feel, they are important. Pay attention to how the weather and climate and season affect your health and contentment.  What does time and lifetime mean to this plant?

My own experiences with this exercise have been varied.  The first time, I was surprisingly a tomato in a food garden, accidentally planted by a passing bird.  I could feel ants climbing me to gather food and bees brushing their soft bodies against my flowers.  As a tomato, I had to face my own selfishness, as I choked out other plants for nutrients and water.  I was also vulnerable to being eaten away by insects, birds and animals.  I required a great deal of care from a gardener to produce a bountiful harvest and at the end of the season, I died, rather than patiently waiting for the next spring.  It wasn't a negative experience, in spite of the the seemingly bad things I learned about myself.  I came away from it with awareness about my needs and desires and a lasting connection to the world around me.  I feel more appreciation for the food I eat and the people who grow it.  I worry now about bees and soil pollution.  Whatever you learn, that is part of your journey.  Every time you try this exercise, you may find a new lesson in a new plant, each is as important as the next.