The Desert

This journey expands your geographic knowledge of the Otherworld.  Travel south and east, away from the ocean, over the mountains that cradle the lowlands between them and the sea.  These are the desert lands, a place where you can learn to spot hope and life in seeming desolation.  Notice the light here is bright, harsh and strong; it heats the rocks and backs the earth.

Unlike many of the other places you have been led in these journeys, this is a place of austerity and unique adaptation.  The plants, animals and beings that inhabit the desert are important teachers; their power is in their ability to adapt, to persevere, to thrive in a harsh, demanding world.  Here, more than any other place you have been to, requires balance.

Look around at the faded desert shrubbery.  It looks nearly dead, doesn't it? The leaves look dry and brittle, but touch them.  They are surprisingly soft and supple.  The wood of these bushes is cracked and splintery, but they harbor a secret: these fibers have the amazing ability to hold what water comes their way and save it for when it's really needed.  Keep looking.  Do you see how many different animals are here?  From tiny mice, to families of quail, snakes, hares, coyotes, and many others make their home in this land.

The inhabitants here respect one another.  They understand that their lives, and deaths, are part of the great cycle of being.  A snake may eat the mouse, and in turn become food to an eagle, who dies and feeds the land itself.  If one species becomes overpopulated, they all feel the effects of that imbalance, sooner or later.  It doesn't matter whether the species is a grass or predator.  They are equally important.  They have all developed amazing adaptations to survive the heat of the day, the cold of the night, and the lack of regular rainfall.  They blend with their environment so carefully, as to be invisible.

Spend some time observing the careful, subtle balance and beauty of this place.  Do you see how dependent each species is on the others?  Do you identify with a particular animal or plant?  Do you see yourself reflected int his environment?  Watch as the day changes to night.  Do you see a new world here?  Enjoy the exploration of this desert.  It's secrets and lessons are many, and it will take time to learn them.  You may also find traces of other travelers, of peoples who have lived there.  They may be hidden or careful preserved.  Take your time, embrace your bravery and explore.

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.