Ponderings on Time

"When as a child I laughed and wept, Time crept.
When as a youth I waxed more bold, Time strolled.
When I became a full-grown man, Time RAN.
When older still I daily grew, Time FLEW.
Soon I shall find, in passing on, Time gone."
Poem from the front of the clock case in the North Transept of Chester Cathedral, attributed to H. Twells (1823-1900).

To perform a personal examination of time, please document a single minute of time. Using a watch with a second hand, observe this one minute as carefully as possible. Then write as many details as possible: the location you are in, the sounds and sights available to you, and the 'feeling' of the time you are observing. Have you proved that time is relative?
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Proving whether time is relative or not is something that I cannot do. As with many people who have a brain injury, I have lost my sense of time. I live in the Eternal Now, with the past, present, and future merging into a singular whole. Not only that, but now I see time as colors – blue days, purple months, green hours. (It is a form of synesthesia.) If I focus on time, it becomes a kaleidoscope of colors merging, fracturing, and flowing. Time, as I experience it, runs counter to most people’s sense of time. Therefore documenting a single minute of time is impossible.

 Because my sense of time is gone, I decided to research how others see time. What I uncovered was that there is not agreement on how time is perceived. One thought is “presentism” in which “time is experienced but does not pass.” The other is “flowism” in which time flows whether people perceive it or not. “Flowism” says that people perceive the passage of time by reflecting on their experiences. The philosopher Immanuel Kant agreed with this. He wrote that “the phenomenology of passage of time is a necessary condition for any experience.” For him, time existed and was “true” whether we experienced it or not (A priori reasoning).

 Before Kant, western philosophers traditionally defined time to be a construction of the self, starting with St. Augustine. (“I measure my self, as I measure time.”) Therefore perceived time is the “mental state of the beholder.” According to this philosophy, we perceive time as we feel. For example, depressed people usually see time as slowing down. However with a brain injury, my perception of my self is detached from how I feel. Therefore time is nonexistent to me, and is only an artificial construct. What exists for me is the illusion of time.

 From a psychological point of view, people may experience time in one of two ways. “Polychrons” experience time as one continuous current much like a river flowing from the past through the present, and on to the future. Meanwhile, “monochrons” perceive time as discrete intervals, which are divided into fixed elements such as hours. Furthermore, societies tend to organize themselves on either of these perceptions of time. Since western industrial society is monochromic, the notion that time can be proven to be relative is plausible. (Of course a polychromatic society would not even consider the idea.)

To gain an understanding of how time could perceived in relative terms, I compared watching a football game to a hockey one. Fifteen minutes of watching players skating frantically trying to score seemed like an instant. Watching the last few seconds of a football game with the losing team trying to score seemed endless. I suppose that in relation to me and the action of the game, time could be seen as relative. However, sports games are usually measured in “sports” minutes, which differs from “standard” minutes. A fifteen minute quarter in football may result in thirty minutes of “standard” time. Therefore, proving how time is relative in sports can be problematic.

 Since I live in a monchronic society, I have to accept the idea that time exists in measured units. To be in sync with others, I have to develop methods of “timekeeping.” Otherwise, I would simply follow the rhythms of my body in sleeping and eating. Monchronic time divorces many people from natural rhythms, and forces them to see time differently.

 Works Used.
 Hahn, Harley, “Time Sense: Polychronicity and Monochronicity.” Web. http://www.harley.com/writing/time-sense.html. 
Janiak, Andrew, “Kant’s View on Space and Time.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 14, September, 2009. Web. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-spacetime/.
Le Poidevin, Robin, “The Experience and Perception of Time.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2009. Web. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/time-experience/.
Musser, George, “Time on the Brain.” Scientific American. 15 September 2011. Web. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2011/09/15/time-on-the-brain-how-you-are-always-living-in-the-past-and-other-quirks-of-perception/.
 Prosser, Simon, “Passage and Perception.” Paper. Web. http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~sjp7/passage_and_perception.pdf.
 Wittmann, Marc, “The Inner Experience of Time.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. 31, May, 2009. Web. http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/364/1525/1955.full.pdf.

Bardic Perspective: Awen Charted: Old Age

To reflect on Old Age, I went to a swampy area where three streams converge. On two sides of this area are woods, several houses on one side, and a road on another side. Crossing over the swamp was a bridge spanning the road and the houses on the hill. This is a liminal place for me for several reasons, such as the swamp is neither earth nor water. Moreover, the wild area lies between a road and houses, with the bridge connecting the two.

For me, noon represents mid-life followed by old age. After the noon hour comes the afternoon, the decline of the day. Since noon, for me, is a liminal time, I chose this time to start my meditation on Old Age.  

The day I went was a blustery winter day. The strong wind blew the dried leaves, which swirled around me, in small eddies. Meanwhile, the sparkling stream water, as it rippled over the tangled roots, reflected the weak winter sun. Seeing the dead leaves strewn about the bottoms of bare trees, I was reminded of Old Age. As the sharp wind knifed through me, it called to mind my own mortality. Moreover, I was off the beaten path, in a place of ancient decay, symbolic of Old Age. The active life, represented by the road and houses, was separated from me by this swamp.

 As I stared out at the swampy overgrown area, an ancient being of hoary old age popped out of the bog. This male being had an unkempt appearance with unruly white hair sticking out of his brows and ears. Sailing about on the wind, he played with the whirling leaves. Laughing, the being said to me, “Never be neat, clean, or civilized. Always be wild and unruly. Never be staid or docile.” As I listened, the being twinkled at me and danced off.

 As I was leaving, I felt the wildness of the swamp bubble up inside of me. Being old was a time to not to live up to anyone’s expectations, instead it was a time to be content with myself. The being’s advice had resided inside of me, and made me rethink growing old. I think I should go and play in the gusting wind with wild abandonment.

Tarot and Dragons: The Dragon Tarot Cards (1 of 2)

My Dragon Guide (Peesey) and I decided that we would meditate on “The Dragon Tarot” by Terry Donaldson and Peter Pracownik.  We both had bonded with this deck, which my Guide thought depicted the many aspects of his home.  Together, we meditated with the cards and began to understand what the various dragons were teaching us.

Our favorite card of this deck was the “Knight of Coins” of the Minor Arcana.  The dragon of this card stands at attention, holding his shield and lance, to guard against intruders to the forest.  My Guide saw this dragon as someone to aspire to become someday.  In this card, the sun rises over the leafless trees of the forest, indicating the need to remain alert for possible danger.  Meanwhile the mushrooms scattered about the dragon’s feet invites more maturity and wisdom.  (According to Donaldson, mushrooms indicate “needed discrimination”.)  Examining the card further, I found a small dragon sitting on the Knight’s back.  (I regarded this dragon to be me, in the role of Peesey’s friend and guide.)  Thus the “Knight of Coins” represents our partnership.

For the “Knight of Coins”, Donaldson in the guidebook writes, “a young Knight stands on duty”.  Then he adds, “A male who wishes to develop the work side of his life.”  This is what my Guide and I thought that the meaning was.  Peesey wants me to guide Him as He matures, while under his guidance, I learn how to protect myself.

In searching for what the small dragon symbolizes, I had to guess at the author’s intent.  Donaldson does not present a large and small dragon as equals.  The smaller dragons are usually younger ones, who are under the direction of the older and larger ones.  This does not seem to be the case in the “Knight of Coins” for the smaller dragon.  I decided the smaller dragon, in this case, was an equal partner of the larger one.  I see Peesey as the larger dragon who protects me, while I give Him guidance as the smaller one. 

Adventures in Meditation: Handwriting, Part 2

After practicing various forms of meditation, I decided that the active meditation was my favourite, and one that I would continue doing. This particular meditation suits my needs and temperament. For me, it is easy to do, and is something that I can do daily.

In contrast, the non-mind, yantra, and mantra forms of meditation were either too difficult for me or too boring. They were hard because I could not sit still long enough to gain the benefits from any of them. Furthermore, these meditations were boring to do, since I kept falling asleep whenever I did them.

I did enjoy the sleep meditation, but it seemed to me to be a way to have a good night’s sleep. I prefer something more active that I can feel a part of. The cord meditation did engage me, but it was too difficult to do one handedly. Perhaps when my brain heals, I will be able to do it more smoothly.

The form of active meditation I like the most is hand-writing since it engages and relaxes me. After reading “Soul Development through Handwriting” by Jennifer Grebbin, I became amazed that there were so many benefits in practicing individual letters. Writing for Waldorf students, the author explains that, “Because when we write we not only express through the forms of the letters how we see ourselves and the world, but we also reinforce it. The Palmer method most often used by teachers, which was first developed in 1895, reflects all the values of that materialistic time. However, when we teach children the Vimala Alphabet, we help them preserve their connection to their inner spiritual wisdom.” I have found this to be true in my life, when I practice the Vimala Alphabet.

For regular meditation, practicing the Vimala “Z” enhances the benefits gained from the mantra style of meditation. While a page of writing “Z’s”, I am put into a receptive peaceful state. Ms. Grebbin writes, “This is the letter of being at peace with the world and ourselves. The letter ‘Z’ can help us stop worrying and realize the perfection in everything all unfolding perfectly in its own time.” Rudolph Steiner writes in “Eurythmy as Visible Speech”, “There is a certain lightness in the experience of the Z.” The physical act of writing “Z” releases my worry and puts me into a more receptive and quiet mood.

I am reminded of the old method that teachers used in disciplining students, which is having them write five hundred times, “I will not disrupt the class.” I now see this as a method to physically imprint the mental message. Of course, writing a page of “I embrace grace and beauty in my life” is more uplifting and useful. For me, the physical aspects of writing transfer my mental energy into a form of wonderful meditation.

Writing “Z” or another letter over and over frees my mind and calms it. It gives my mind a gentle focus, and allows for quiet pondering. This to me is the goal of meditation to expel worry and replace it with wholesome serenity. To that end, I will continue writing the Vimala letters and their affirmations.

Works Used

Grebbin, Jennifer, “Soul Development Through Handwriting”, SteinerBooks, Great Barrington MA, 2007.

Rogers, Vimala, “The International Institute of Handwriting Studies”, 2008, <http://www.iihs.com/>, (17 July 2010).

------, “Transform Your Life through Handwriting”, Sounds True, Boulder CO, 2009.

Steiner, Rudolf, “Eurythmy as Visible Speech”, Anastasi, UK, 2005.

Cord Meditation

To do this meditation, I first had to make a small “rosary” of twenty-seven large quartz beads. Stringing these beads was a meditation in itself. Because of my brain injury, I could only use one hand at a time. The knotting took me a long time, which made the “rosary” more precious to me. (When I did do the meditation, I had to pass the beads from one hand to the other to keep it flowing.)

Choosing the affirmation to chant took time and care as well. I wanted to say something positive that would encompass all of my life. After much thought, I came up with “I embrace grace and beauty in areas of my life.”

I did the meditation when I went to bed, during the night, and when I got up in the morning. Because it helped to calm me down, this meditation was helpful when I went to bed. Usually when I got up at night, I would remain awake since the light would set my brain to racing. This meditation helped me to calm it and settle quickly back to sleep. Getting up and chanting set the tone for the day, and relaxed me as well.

What happened next was odd even by my standards. At first, I kept dreaming of spinning wheels. They were circles of colours spinning forming mandalas which flowed into flowers. Strangely enough, I did not get motion sickness during my dreaming.

Then I had a series of dreams that consisted of roads and railroad tracks. These lines were filled with coloured lights winking on and off. These twinkling lights moved up, down, and about on the roads and tracks. When I viewed these dancing colours, I felt more relaxed whilst I basked in their glow.

Again I believed that this helped to heal my brain. I assumed that the lights were healing the neural pathways of my brain. Also during the day, I became less reactive and more thoughtful. I had a sense of mindfulness throughout the day.

Sleep Meditation: Pillow Pets (TM)

To do the sleep meditation, I formulated a mental slide show of various “Pillow Pets”™. As their commercial states “Pillow Pets ™ is a sweet soft lovable pet that is also a pillow!” As I centered myself, images of cute animals like "Buzzy Bumble Bee", "Squeaky Dolphin", "Ms Lady Bug", and so forth would move slowly across my mind. As they paraded through my conscious, I would chant “Sleep is calling. Sleep is calling.” As the slide show continued, I would drift off to sleep.

As I softened off to sleep, my mind would become quiet. While I chanted, I would become safe and warm. Now relaxed, I moved out of space and time, and floated away in my bed. The more I practiced, the more I was able to fall asleep almost at once.

What happened next was surprising to me. I could remember what went on in my brain whilst asleep. Usually when I went to bed I would blackout as if in a coma, and wake up the next day, with no memory of the day before. After doing the meditation, I instead would have the same dream every night. It was of lights blinking and moving along in several lines. These coloured lights would glow in the dark as they moved in their rows. I believe that the neuro-pathways of my brain were clearing themselves. When I woke up, I would feel as if that part of the brain was being healed. This sleep meditation seemed to help my brain to recover.
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The Official TV Site of the Original Pillow Pets ™! http://www.pillowpets.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1

Active Meditation: Better Living through Handwriting

My favorite form of meditation is handwriting. I do it daily. As I move my pen across the page, my mind is freed to ponder the attributes of each letter. I am practicing graphotherapy, which changes the neuropathways of my brain by adopting new letter shapes.

According to Vimala Rogers, the author of “Your Handwriting Can Change Your Life”, by changing the shapes of your letters, you can train your mind to think differently. She states that by altering specific letter strokes, you can change certain aspects of your personality. To that end, she developed an affirmative alphabet to practice.

For example, the letter “A” that is often taught in schools emphasizes the ego instead of the soul. The attribute of Ms. Rogers “A” is “spiritual stardom, transforming ego into spirit.” The affirmation for “A” is “Today I will notice how my personality affects others and grow from that knowledge.” Writing her “A” repeatedly has helped me to internalize those things.

Ms. Rogers has set up a letter writing program to accomplish these ends. She instructs people to fill two sketch book pages, positioned in the landscape position. First, you write the letter across in one line, and then in the next line you write the attribute. After that, the following next three lines are filled with the letter, then the affirmation, and then finally the letter again. You do this over and over until both pages are filled.

Doing repetitive writing frees my mind to absorb the qualities of the letter I am writing. The meditation focuses my mind on one thing. As I write I can feel the junk leave my brain. When I am done, I feel refreshed. I do this daily meditation because it fills my mind through activity and thought. I am actively doing something instead of sitting passively chanting. The active meditation engages more of me, and is one that I enjoy.

NOTE: Vimala Rogers’ Alphabet can be seen at
http://www.iihs.com/vimala-alphabet.html

WORKS USED:

Rogers, Vimala, “The International Institute of Handwriting Studies”, 2008, http://www.iihs.com/vimala-alphabet.html , (17 July 2010).

------, “Transform Your Life Through Handwriting”, Sounds True, Boulder CO, 2009.

------, “Your Handwriting Can Change Your Life”, Fireside, New York, 2000

Mantra Meditation: We are related in the Sacred Circle of Life

My first task in doing this meditation was to choose a mantra to chant. I wanted something that was meaningful to me but not boring. Also, I did not want to chant the usual “ohmmm”. The chant, I finally decided upon, was “We are all related in the Sacred Circle of Life.”

My next task was to differentiate between the “mantra” meditation and the “no-mind” one. Instead of breathing and counting to four, I had to focus on chanting the mantra. Sometimes in the beginning, I would doze off, but then I would remember to chant, and remain awake.

As I practiced this mediation, it did get easier to meditate whilst chanting. Each session, I usually started feeling jittery, but once into the chanting, I would calm down. The longer I chanted, the more the tension left my body, and the more relaxed I became.

I now understand why people chant mantras for relaxation. The more you do it, the more refreshed you are. As I did the meditation, I could feel the junk leave my brain. Afterwards, I became more lucid, which surprised me.

Although I was reasonably successful in this meditation, I would not use it in regular practice. I prefer visual meditations to aural ones. I relate to the world through sight and not sound. However it was a good learning experience for me.

Yantra Meditation: Tree of Life

To do the yantra meditation, I chose to focus on the Tree of Life mandala. This Tree symbolizes the uniting of Heaven with Earth. The Tree in the mandala is in full fruit and leaf, with clouds encircling the roots. The fruits on the Tree symbolize fertility from the union of the two worlds.

While practicing this meditation, I became less jittery. As I settled into doing the meditation, I focused on the Tree, letting it fill my mind. However, to avoid falling into a seizure trance, I had to keep my eyes moving over the Tree. First I followed the twisty roots, and then the swirling clouds. Then I took in the shades of greens, browns, yellows, and blues. Afterwards, I moved up the tree trunk to the branches which curved around and around ending round fruit.

One day while I was meditating, I felt sad. In the midst of this meditation, the Tree reached out to me and I felt better. I think that the Tree was working her magic with me. Perhaps this is one of the benefits of the yantra meditation: to unite with the symbol. Once that happens, the symbol can be used to calm your mind.

I was more successful with this meditation than with the non-mind one. Since I had an object to focus on, I could sit still longer. However, I doubt I would use it for my main meditation since I had problems in zoning out, while staring at the mandala. But it was an interesting exercise and I got to know the Tree of Life better.

Meditation: No-mind

To quiet my racing mind, I decided to try different types of meditation. After my brain injury, there are times when my brain is “on fire”. This means that my brain will zip around and become an electric current, zapping me. After an episode, I usually pass out.

For one week, I did the “no-mind” meditation for ten minutes a session. Like a child, I cannot sit still for a long time. Unfortunately for me, this meditation was sheer torture. I began to hate this meditation with a purple passion.

At first, it just hurt to sit still for ten minutes, and not do anything. However, as I practiced the meditation, I was able to sit still longer. But it was simply too difficult to sit and think of nothing. Often I would fall asleep.

I did count to four and watch my breathing. That alone would put me to sleep. Then I counted 1001, 1002, 1003, and 1004, which kept me awake. But the “no-mind” meditation then became one of counting instead.

When I did have an incident of brain fire, I used the “no-mind” meditation. It helped to calm my brain, so I did not pass out. However as meditations go, I will not be doing this one on a regular basis. It is simply too hard for me.

Meditation (3)

In midmorning, I did this meditation after I fixed a pot of tea. I find that drinking tea relaxes me. Taking tea encourages me to go into a trance. Sitting at the kitchen table, I did the meditation.

The cool light of the moon filled up the sky. Big, round, and softly glowing, the moon sent out a shaft of light. Wrapping me around itself, the shaft became me. Together, we slid down the Tree of Life.

At the base of the Tree, I grew roots. As the roots reached deep into the earth, I felt heat traveling up my legs. Then, the earth leapt up and embraced me. As the boiling magma surrounded me, I became very warm.

The cool light of the moon mixed with the hot magma to make steam. A fairy mist surrounded and transported me, outside of time and space. I found myself at the Nexus of Life.

Then I anchored at the Axis of the Tree. The fairy mist crystallized as silver dew drops on the tree branches. Like glittering diamonds, the drops became stars. The white-yellow moon reappeared. The red earth was below smiling at me.

I felt that I was a part of the Axis of the World. I was the Tree, the meeting place of the Two Powers – the Earth and Sky. At that moment, I realized that what I do matters. It had impact in ways I would never know. As the intermediary between Earth and Sky, I felt the need to be a moral being.

The moon put out a silver beam for me to travel back home. The earth embraced the beam with a red lava burst. Entwined, they dissolved into the Tree guiding me home. The smell of my tea woke me out of the dream. I drank my tea and felt refreshed.

Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008
animalteachers @ gmail.com

Grounding and Centering

Grounding and centering has always been a problem for me. I have problems sensing energy, and then following it. For this class, I carefully read the various methods on how to do it. I decided on the simplest, which is taking a deep breath and following the energy inside.

I chose the morning time after my tea. Sitting upright in a chair, I took deep breaths to relax. Then I went inside following my breath stream. At the pit of my stomach, the energy centered itself.

Sitting still, I focused on the earth below. I could feel this energy come up my legs. The energy was warm and red-orange in color. Then, I reached for the sky with my left palm. I chose lifting my palm to balance the energy coming up my right leg. I felt the cool blue energy come down my arm into my stomach. There the circle of energy formed a galaxy of stars. Afterwards the energy strands separated, and I felt refreshed.

The next day, I sat up and only extended my right hand to the sky. I let the earth flow up my left leg. My leg was able to distill the energy’s intensity. Now, a yellow ribbon of energy went inside my stomach.

This time, I felt the mingling of Two Powers. The yellow ribbon became purple from the red energy of the earth and the blue energy of the sky. Raising one arm helped me to direct the energy without making me nauseous. For me, my stomach seems to be the centering and grounding place of energies.

Meditation (part 2)

What I have discovered in my meditation practices is that an engrossing one is as good as sitting and chanting. Doing needlepoint is a reflective activity. I am lulled by the rhythm of the push and pull of the needle through the cloth. When I am finished, I have created something of beauty. Another form of meditation for me is cooking in a mindful way. As I choose the food for myself and my family and prepare it, I connect to the Gods. Cooking and needlework focuses me to the task at hand and takes me out of myself. When I am engaged in these activities, my mind and body become joined in a meaningful way.

I take walks. Walking the same route daily, I set my mind free to where it wants to go. The rhythm of walking stills the chatter of my mind and helps me to focus inward. As I walk, I notice the trees, squirrels, buildings, and focus on one at a time. By doing this, I commune directly with nature. The walk transports me away from the here and now, and propels me into the world beyond. When I return home, I feel uplifted.

Also, I keep a daily journal. Writing down everything that occurs to me is a way of clearing my mind. With free association, I write down all sorts of things that are on my mind. Afterwards, I sort through and discover what is going on inside.

When I keep a drawing diary, I move deeper into the world of color, shape, and form. I focus on my subjects and see things that I have never known. I learned that ferrets have purple highlights in their fur, and that rainbow trout really do reflect the rainbow. Every moment is a polished jewel in my mind.

As I worked through my problems, I arrived at these methods for mediation. I prefer switching around, rather than using one method only. This works best for me.

"The Song of Amergin" - My Meditation (part 2)

“I am Salmon in Pool”
I am the wisdom of ages. Navigate the currents of life with me. Go into the world; swim the oceans and rivers. Return home to quiet pools. I am the circle of life.



“I am Lake on Plain”
Dive into me, discover the Otherworld. Look up my still waters and seek wisdom. I am the mirror to the soul.



“I am a Mountain in a Man.”
I am the giant of the earth. I am father to the sky. I am mother to the earth. Raise your eyes to the skies and see me.



“I am a Word of Skill,”
I am knowledge. I am tradition, culture, wisdom. Come with me, down the pathways of knowing and understand.



“I am the Point of a Weapon....A weapon fierce in battle.”
I sing the song of bloodlust. Join me in victory. Join me in battle. Like steel in fire, I make all stronger.



“I am One who fills the Head with Fire.”
I inspire the poet and warrior. Feel the fire in the blood of the spirit, of the mind. Burn brightly in me.



“Who makes smooth the rugged mountain?”
Who set the stars in the sky? Who put the fire into men’s souls. Who is the One?



“Who knows the ages of the moon?”
Who knows the age? The Salmon in the pool. The Boar of Boldness. The land, and the sea. The stars and sun know.



“Who knows the place of sunset?”
Who knows where goes the sun? “I do,” says the sky. “I do,” says the earth. Hear us.





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(Picture copyright by Maryann Sterling)


I offer mythic journeys and more at my site "Inner Journeys"


http://funkman.org/innerjourney/

"The Song of Amergin" - My Meditation (part 1)

According to legend, Amergin was one of the leaders of the “Men of Mil”, who battled the Tuatha De’ Danann for possession of Ireland. Amergin invokes the power of the land before stepping on the shore. He claims the elements and displays his power of them. Amergin joins himself with the Spirit of the Cosmos. After reciting his song, the wind died down and the Men of Mil won the day.

“I am wind on sea.”
I am the wild wind blowing over the sea. The sea calls the wind. Together, we move the waves and tides.

“I am ocean wave.”
I am wind on sea, ocean wave.I am who I am – the wave that covers the land; the wave that is the border of the between places. I am the tide that goes in and goes out.

“I am roar of sea.”
I am the mother of all life. I am the lifer giver and the life taker. I am the roar of the sea in a storm, the wind lapping the shore, the mighty wave cascading on the shore.

“I am Bull of Seven Fights.”
I am the primal strength and ferocity I invite you to the battle, to the fight, to stand your ground.

“I am Hawk on the Cliff.”
I swoop and deliver death in my murderous talons. I am the primal life force. Join me in the skies.

“I am Dewdrop.”
I am a force of nature, of life giving water. In the loudest roar is the softest dewdrop. I am gentle power.

“I am Fairest of Flowers.”
I am beauty amid death. I am the respite between the primal forces of life and death. I am the blossom of beauty from earth and water.

“I am Boar for Boldness”
I am the ruler of the forest; the dread animal that hunters fear. Embrace my fierceness and ferociousness. Enter into my fearlessness.

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I offer "mythic journeys" at my website: Inner Journeys
http://funkman.org/innerjourney/journeys/mythic/mythicjourneys.html

Meditation

Introduction

My meditation begins with divination. Depending on the season, it could be a layout of Tarot, Oracle cards, Runes, stones, or Ogham staves. (In the summer, I go on a nature walk and commune with the animals I encounter.) This helps me to attune to worlds beyond this one. For me it helps to flow with the energies of the season for the purposes of meditating.

I begin by laying out my divination cloth. Then I light a candle and stare at the flame to clear my mind. Once I do the spread, I study the omen. Then, I flow into the world of the spread and listen to the whispers. As that world of the Kindred is laid out before me, I hear their whispers and murmurs.

Winter

Since Yule time is when the Norse Gods are the closest to Midgard, I use the Runes. For me, the laying of the Runes is entering into the world of the Gods. Odin the All-Father, obtained the Runes at a great cost. Before laying out the Runes, I ask the Norns to help with my choosing.

The Runes are an alphabet, forming words that give insights from the Gods. Within each word are layers of meanings that create a sentence. In the depths of the sentences, whisper the voices of the Norse Gods, revealing Their Thoughts.

Also in winter, I use stones. Because this is the season of introspection and quiet, I can hear their voices without distraction. When they sing, “pick me”, I take the stones from a pouch. Then, I “throw” them and watch where they land on a layout of compass directions. (Each direction has a meaning: North-spirit, East-mind, South-body, and West-emotions.) Then I ask each one what they have to say to me. The stones tell me through their colors, shapes, and how they twinkle. I enter their world, and hear their songs. I discover their personalities as well. For example, uptight malachite sings its advice in a clear tenor.

Spring

In spring, life awakens from its slumbers and comes alive. The first to make themselves known are the flowers. Therefore, I use the “Flower Speak” and “Flower Spirit” oracle cards. “Flower Speak” employs pictures, while “Flower Spirit” uses photos to convey their meanings.

In the beautiful photos of “Flower Spirits”, the author has portrayed ‘the essence of each flower. I use these cards in early spring to remind myself of the world that awaits me. Because the deck is divided into annuals, perennials, bulbs, and wild flowers, this adds the dimension of various timelines. When I do a spread, it becomes a riot of color and movement. Each picture melds into the next, as the flowers dance and weave. I join them in their spirited dance.

The Flower Oracle has beautiful drawings of flowers with their representative meanings. The deck also includes the phases of the moon, and the phases of plant growth. This gives a sense of time of what is yet to come and how it arrives. In each spread, I travel from card to card absorbing the energy of each card.

Summer

In the summer, I go outside on a nature walk. On my morning walk, I encounter a wide variety of animals. I generally stop and commune with them. For example, encountering a garden snake, I stop and quietly breathe with the snake. In and out I breathe until I become one with the snake. Seeing life on the snake’s level, we converse about the warm sunshine and the local rat population.

On another morning, I watch the dragonflies at the forest edge. When a dragonfly alit on the fence, I started breathing with the dragonfly. Breathing in unison, I became a dragonfly, glowing bright blue and green. I flew with the other dragonflies eating insects on the wing.

Fall

In the fall, the trees change their leaves. To me, they speak about the passing of summer and the coming of winter. In this moment, time stands still. Therefore, I choose the Ogham staves and “Tree Magick” Cards to meditate with.

As the sacred alphabet of the Celts, the Ogham is related to the trees and plants of Europe. As I lay out the Ogham staves, I hear the voices of the Kindred murmuring through the trees. The Ogham letters form words in tree language. Elms speak of stretching to the sun, while oaks talk of strength. As I meander among the staves, I feel the Divine Ones speak to me.

In “Tree Magick”, the trees of the world are separated into ‘heaven’ and ‘earth’ trees. Also, each card has a tree with an animal about it. In exploring the world of each card, I enter into the being of the tree. Using this deck becomes a way of exploring the Two Powers, especially when the heaven and earth trees come together. Moving from earth to heaven (and back again) helps me to embrace and mingle the Two Powers. The trees merge their energies into a whirlpool. I become a leaf flowing in the pool, going where the trees take me. Finally I release the energy and come back to me.