When starting out in the oath if spiritual discovery? Whether alone or with friends, it is good to have speedo all companion on the journey to guide and direct you in the way. The object of this exercise is to introduce you to your guiding Goddess. This is a goddess who will remain with you throughout your early days on the path , and to whom you can turn for advice and guidance. She is a Goddess who is also *the* goddess, and this is part of you. Try to keep an open mind about who will come to you - the more fiery among you will expect a Boudicca-like figure may well be attended by a water deity, while gentle souls expecting a quieter aspect of the Goddess may get a thundery storm-goddess. Be prepared to accept whoever, and whatever comes to you. She is also part of you, so trust your own inner wisdom. ~ for this exercise, you will need a safe place where you will it be disturbed for about 30 minutes and a notebook and pen.
1) sit or lie on a comfortable position. Relax and slow your breathing. When you are relaxed and ready to begin, close your eyes.
2) Concentrate on your breathing, and with each breath in, draw in strength and energy. With each breath out, breathe out stress, fatigue, and anxiety. Keep exchanging wholesome energy for harmful feelings until you feel recharged.
3) Keeping your breathing regular, listen now to your heartbeat. It should be slow and regular after your relaxation exercise. Listen to the pulse that pumps life-giving blood around your body. It is telling you to "listen, listen, listen......"
4) imagine you are deep beneath the ground, under a great tree, whose roots spread around to for the rafters that hold up the roof of the hollow where you are sitting . The heartbeat you are hearing comes from around, and below, as well as within you. This is the pulse of nature. Touch the ground to feel it's beat, and the roots that tap into the water and minerals in the earth to nourish the living tree above you. With each beat, your heartbeat will slow to match this much larger, deeper pulse.
5) Above you, the earth begins to crack and daylight appears. The roots are breaking through the surface soul as they grow and the pulse running through them grows stronger. The earth below you heavens upwards, and you are delivered through the crack in the earth, to the world of daylight above you.
6) You are standing in a green forest clearing. The clearing is in the shape of a circle, and around it are oaks, hawthorns and ash trees. These are a particularly magical combination of trees, so you know that you are standing somewhere special - somewhere between the everyday world and the Otherworld. This is the threshold of the realm of the Goddess Consciousness - a pale that you will one day visit. Go to the centre of the space and seat yourself on the floor.
7) On the ground, and to the side of you, you find a think stick or club. Take it in both hands and bang it on the earth in front of you three times to summon your guiding goddess.
8) Before you, in the clearing, a figure of a woman will appear. Take careful note if her appearance, any symbols, totems, animals that accompany her, and if anything happens to the clearing for the surroundings, for example, a sudden nightfall, or the appearance of particular flowers. This is your guiding goddess.
9) you may ask the goddess her name. Do not be disheartened if she does not offer it at first - she may offer you clues instead. Make careful note of these - try not to forget in your excitement at finding your personal guardian.
10) Tell the Goddess that you accept her as your guide and teacher, and wait to see if she wishes to offer you any advice
11) The figure will quickly fade one she has spoken, but se may leave a trace of her identity, or purpose in your life behind her.
12) When you are ready, return to the lace on which you are sitting or lying. Before you eat or drink something ground yourself, quickly write down some notes in her appearance, anything you noticed.
13) if the goddess offered her name, and it is one that you either recognise, or find in a reference book, you can research her history, what she represents and learn about her totems and symbols. Otherwise, you may need to research her identity in a more roundabout way. Meditating often to recall the figure and try to build a working relationship with her.
Text: Way of the Goddess
Witting, M 1985 quoted in Harvey 1997 pg 85
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