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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Free form journeys

It is sometimes difficult to meditate in a world filled with technology and noise.  I live in an apartment and a neighbor slamming a door can startle me out of a light trance very easily.  One of the things I have found very helpful is a mp3 player and some inexpensive binaural and shamanic recordings.  The ear buds muffle some outside noise and the music covers the rest.  It leaves me more relaxed and more able to follow my mind where it goes.  It's also a good tool for timing your meditation sessions.  Good luck and happy travels!

Travelers and other lessons

As you journey in the Otherworld, you will meet other beings.  Some of them will be projections of yourself, others will be guides, and some will be other travelers.  Every being, great or small, has a lesson to impart in the Otherworld.  It is up to you to decides if and when and how to engage some of these teachers.  The ones I met, will not necessarily be the ones you do.  If at any point a being makes you feel unsafe or scared, feel free to break off that contact and leave.  Things in the Otherworld can only hurt you if you let them.

With this in mind, I will share an experience I had.  In my travels, I often perform mundane tasks such as cleaning my home or cooking food.  Once, while sitting beside a campfire, I was approached by another.  Hooded and hidden, I never the less, invited the being to sit.  he or she, never spoke, only watched the stars and enjoyed the warmth of the fire.  Did I learn something?  Probably.  It was a strange experience.  Silence, for many of us is uncomfortable.  Sharing a meal or fire with a stranger is not a common experience for us.  Our own personal bubbles protect us the waking world from many interactions with strangers, we all bump along, against each other's bubbles with out actually interacting.  I am still processing the experience.

May journeys be blessed with experiences and lessons that strengthen and enlighten you.

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 Feast

Through the fog and the dark of evening, a warm glow beckons you towards it.  As your craft draws near to this new island, you see that the light is coming from the windows of a great hall made of stone.  Every window blazes with light and the scent of woodsmoke welcomes you.  You drift to the dock and find a clearly marked path to the hall.  Distantly, you can hear laughter and music, the sounds of celebration.  Follow this path, allow the welcome and joy to seep into you.

The door to the hall has been thrown open to welcome you.  The scent of delicious food and and incredible warmth make this silent invitation impossible to resist.  Golden light from torches and fireplaces wraps around you. This celebration is for you.

Inside, you will meet friends and ancestors and guides who are eager to see you.  Go inside and join them.  Celebration is good for the soul.  Rest here, enjoy good food and music and friends.  Ask for advice.  Join in the dancing.  No one here will judge you, and they all want your happiness. Stay for as long as you need to.  This feast nourishes your soul, just as a feast in the waking reality nourishes your body.

When the feast concludes, you will be walked back to your ship and given blessings for your journey.  Take the gifts from this feast with you as you continue your travels.  

The ever changing island

The curtain of fog parts and ahead of you is a conical island of ice and fire.  It is a glacier covered volcano rising majestically out of the water.  The glacier is slowly smoothing the rocks of the island as it ebbs and flows.  The volcano, not only erupts land building lava, it also melts the ice and rocks, as it travels to the sea.  The air is full of the burning, melting smell of the lava along with the salt of the seawater.

This island, one that I do not recommend you venture onto, is the Everchanging island.  It is constantly growing and changing, being born and dying, all at once.  The processes shaping it are destructive and creative at the same time.  All of the elements coexist here, sculpting and eroding.  It is a land where very little can live because it is never static.

You are like this island.  Always changing never complete.  You are creative and destructive.  What processes of change do you see acting upon yourself?  Do you see a balance between the elements, or are you always in danger of being overwhelmed by one or two?  From the safety of your ship, you can contemplate the cycles of creation and destruction in your life.  Here is not the place to focus on the ideas of good or bad.  It is often necessary to destroy the old before something new can be created.  The process is all that matters here.  Yours is unique.