Saturday, January 16, 2010

Journeying Meditation from my First book

Journeying Meditation

(as printed in Under an Expanse of Oaks, A Druid's Journey by me.. Rev. David P. Smith)



Close your eyes. Now become aware of your breathing, in and out, in and out. Begin to notice of your body, starting with your feet and working your way up to your head as you become aware of each muscle and muscle group feel them loosen and become completely relaxed. (Pause here and give time to relax yourself.)
Now in your mind open your eyes – not your physical eyes but your mind’s eye. Envision yourself in a lush green field with a stream running through it. In the center of the field there is a large tree reaching up to the skies, its roots running deep within the earth itself. You approach the tree feeling its aura and power. This is the legendary world tree and it connects all worlds. The upper most branches of this giant tree reach into the upper world, the roots deep into the underworld, and its trunk in our realm the middle world. When you arrive at the tree, you see a crack in the trunk that opens into the tree itself and seems to lead down a long and winding passage way.
Take a moment to pause and think about this passage and how it looks to you. If you believe you are ready and you feel invited, enter the passage. If not just sit at the base of the tree and ask for guidance. A guide may come forth and meet you here if needed or you may find your guide once you have completed your walk through the passage. If you feel you are not ready end the meditation here and come back to it when you think you are ready, if you are ready proceed into the passage and continue on.
As you enter this long and winding passage you slowly move through the tree in a spiral. You are finding yourself spiraling down farther until you have reached the end of the path and come to another opening within the very roots of the world tree. Here again you see a lush green field, similar but more bright, more intense than the one you left when your downward spiral first began. Here at this field you must wait, you are awaiting a guide who will reveal themselves to you. There may be one or more than one, the guide may be human or humanoid, or even an animal or shimmering being of light. (Pause here and allow your guide to reveal themselves.)
Once your guide has arrived and has revealed themselves to you, greet them, tell them who you are and what you seek. Do you seek to speak with your ancestors or inner guides; do you seek to seek the divine inspiration and what wisdom may be granted by the gods or the faeries? Once you have told your guide what you seek wait for him or her to answer you in some way and lead you on. Here is where your path will diverge. You will continue through this underworld field to your destination, be it the land of the Faery or the land of the Ancestors, or you will reenter the world tree and climb the spiral upward and upward beyond our middle realm, to the upper branches of the tree and the land of the gods. You may ask your questions or wait and see what wisdom is imparted to you, your guide will aid you and tell you how you should ask, but remember to always show respect and be thankful for any knowledge or wisdom given to you. (At this point you will pause and wait until you believe you have learned what you seek to learn or that the guides and teachers have taught you all you are supposed to learn for this journey. You may want to leave space in your recording or pause it, or ask your friend to take a little break for 15-20 minutes or even hours whatever you see fit.)

When the lessons are finished and you have learned this entire particular journey can teach you, your guide will bring you back to the world tree and you can begin your walk back to the field in our middle world. When you arrive back where you started give thanks to the guides and teachers who have taught you and give thanks to the great world tree for allowing you passage through the realms. When you feel you have given thanks in your own way and it has been accepted, close your eyes again, in this world, and become aware of your breathing. When you are ready, become aware again of your physical surroundings, of its particular feelings and smells and open your eyes returned to this physical realm. Take some time to ponder what you have learned and/or possibly write down your experiences in your journal or notebook for later review as well.

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