This year we need the spaciousness of a returning Light that offers Hope and Healing. To bathe in the light the Solstice is to step into a mantle of power and illumination that pulls you from the stasis of longing into the temples of what can be.
Join me, once again, in our fourth annual count down to the Winter Solstice and 19 Days of Illuminated Darkness. What was begun as the veils of Samhain parted and the New Year turned another cycle of the Great Wheel, continues as we welcome the Winter Solstice and the burgeoning of the Solar Light!
Topics for this year will be specifically focused on using this energy to catalyze what lays inert within, strengthen your resolve as we move into 2021 and step into a place of power and honoring our unique and potent way of Being. Video and audio will be integrated in the offerings, making the experience one of palpable exchange.
The countdown begins on Thursday, December 3rd as the Moon wanes in astrological Cancer and the call to home and family affirms the release of the old as we welcome the new. Uranus remains retrograde adding an extra amplification of Light and potential for transformation. And, all the while the Sun bathes us in the increasing light and astrological mantle of fiery Sagittarius. Let the journey begin...
Timeline for 2020:
The Winter Solstice occurs on December 21st @ 5:02 a.m. (EST) Day One begins on December 3rd
Astrological Samhain November 7.2020 5:56p.m. (EST)
What Have You Left Behind?
Waning Moon in Astrological Leo
Today is the last post of this series, 30 Days of Samhain and with this ending comes the call to retrace our steps and see what we have left behind from when we started this countdown. Today the fires of Leo course through the waters of our heart and emotions in the astrological sign of Leo. This seems fitting given the tensions we have faced these past several months nationally. Use this pulsing of energetic fire to move you forward towards the light of Yule(Litha)/Solstice and the opportunity to build something of more strength and durability.
Throughout these days we have stood in the power of the Dark Goddess, called to the Crone of the Crossroads, Hecate and sought the comfort and wisdom of our beloved ancestors. Now, on this blessed day of astrological Samhain’s potency the wisdom of the cosmos awaits our calling. We, the seeds of cosmic light and our Ancestors, those who stand in the darkened light beyond the veils, weave our magic collaboratively and the wisdom we have retrieved in this awakening will seed the new paths we trod as we move towards the Solstice light.
Take time today to sit quietly and simply reflect on your journey. All that has brought you to this moment. Not just in these past 30 days, but in the course of a year, a lifetime. Think on your beloved ancestors and what part of them has inspired and contributed to who you are. Think on what lessons have been learned and what you have shared in reciprocity. Allow yourself to be open in receiving the visions and power of what will come to be if these gifts are used to their fullest.
And, think on what lay discarded on the paths behind you. What has served as compost for new growth and what has gratefully been given for transformation. This is the over-arching work of Samhain. Claiming what is yours, remembering what you laid down in offering and finding your way as you embark on a new journey. Be mindful that what you have left behind has not always been abandoned from a place of over burden, fear and sorrow. We must also allow ourselves to leave as the compost those pieces and spaces of ourselves that we have outgrown and are no longer in alignment with who we have become.
For those of you who follows Hecate’s Path: These posts were in the first year’s offering of 30-Days. I pulled them this year, since they had been aligned with the lunar timings of New, Full and Waxing moons. This year’s schedule did not align. However, you may use them at any time:
Final Thoughts: I hope you have enjoyed these 30 Days and found some things of value for your practice. Aways be mindful that these Sabbats are not isolated events. Each flows one into the other and each becomes a stepping stone of revol(ve)utionary change if we hold their lessons near and dear to our hearts all throughout the year. As the veils close, may the blessings of this season and your ancestors be with you always.
Many blessings on your path…. Robin
Hope you will join me in the countdown to the Winter Solstice beginning in December:
We stand at the eve before astrological Samhain. And, as we ride the cresting of this Sabbat’s energies, take note that the days following Samhain are those that will carry you through the darkening and time of deeper introspection culminating with the Winter Solstice.
These are the days of revelation and diving deeply into the veils of mystery and if there is courage enough, choosing a less trod path awakening a sense of curiosity and desire for what “could be”. There is no right or wrong in the path of your choosing because ultimately all paths lead to the Goddess, in all of Her forms and all of her iterations both as archetypal energy and mantle of transformation.
You may feel that this is a “new” process, and indeed it is to some degree, as we are always evolving and changing, even in the moment. But, it is also the work that has been percolating at times overtly and boiling over needing attention and at other times a slow rising simmer, extracting the most flavor before coming to its fullness.
We have talked a lot during these Samhain musings about standing at the crossroads, which by its very nature infers that there is more than one path of choosing. We have called to the Dark Goddess as Hecate to guide our journey, always mindful that SHE will not chose for us,even when it appears that She is casting us upon a path not of our own choice. What I do wish to impart to you is a practical way of exploring these many paths.
These are just a few of the ways that you can move onto a path of your choosing and take it as far as is fruitful for you:
Organically, aligning them with the lunar phases of New, Full and Dark (to clarify, anytime after the 4th Qrt. Moon and just prior to the New Moon). I wold recommend using all three phases for one specific path at a time. There is benefit in seeing to its conclusion, the unfolding of catalytic new energy, ripeness of full energy and the withering away of what is not viable through the dark.
Using a Monthly cycle; beginning at the start of the month-Day One- and moving through each day, incrementally working your way further along the path chosen.
Using the anti-polar energies of a solar month. Beginning when the Sun transits into the next astrological sign and following through the entirety of the cycle until the next solar transit into the following sign. The approach allows both the Light and Dark to interweave their energies. Each serves its own purpose in holding the space of energy for your explorations.
Be creative and intuitive in your approach. Be mindful that you are the Divine and that all roads ultimately lead back to YOU.
To get you started, I am sharing a live recorded pathworking that was part of the experiential work of the series I just finished teaching-The Labyrinth of the Dark Goddess. It is a brief opportunity to ease into stepping onto a path that leads into the deeper recesses of your being and cultivate the necessary understanding to inform what you desire to reveal and have unfold. The directive with this pathworking is to enter into and cross the threshold with no expectation. To allow what will present to do so and to stand in the presence of the Dark Goddess, knowing your true worth and without hesitation entering the unknown.
Samhain calls us to seek the wisdom of the Ancestors and to forge new ways of being from that information. This is also a space of affirmation that we who walk the path are life-long learners. Matters of spirit and magick are constantly evolving because we are the driving force and we are constantly changing, growing and transforming.
As we approach astrological Samhain’s gate, spend some time thinking about what areas of the craft you would like to be more versed in. What calls to you to explore? What feeds your soul that could be expanded and deepened? Then dive in and keep learning.
These two courses may be of interest to you at this Samhain season: Awakening the Inner Sun (Fire of the Elemental Series) and The Magickal Persona. Click below to access the pdf and audio files.
Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation by Mat Auryn
Llewellyn, 978-0738760841, 312 pp., 2019
Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation by Mat Auryn sets the tone for its intention with a beautiful dedication and quote in memory of Raven Grimassi
… “ If the art of Witchcraft can be reduced to one aspect, it would be the achieving of altered states of consciousness…On a deeper level, we can add trance (induced by whatever means)and psychic development. Such states of consciousness allow the Witch not only to perceive things behind their veneer but also to reshape reality in an experiential sense.”... Raven Grimassi, The Witch’s Craft: The Roots of Witchcraft & Magickal Transformation
The book is formatted into fifteen (15) Chapters, which may seem to be quite a lot, bt the subject matter alone and the very thorough way in which Mat Auryn approaches the subject matter warrants the number. Each chapter methodically takes the reader through the process of beginning to adjust perception, break down the limitations we place on ourselves and provide concrete instruction. There is a wonderful balance between solid research and magickal studies that give the information the right amount of scientific credit and mystical wonderment.
Each chapter is chockfull of practical application exercises and illustrations to fuel the visual, kinesthetic and theoretical. All of this is offered through the very articulate and relatable style that Mat brings to what is a massive amount of information. The “Foreword” begins…
…Embracing your power and path as a psychic being can be the most rewarding experience a witch can have in their lifetime. When we finally suspend our disbelief long enough to hold close the simple truth that to be a witch is to be psychic incredible things start to happen…
In this very simple opening we have a sense that that we are part of the revealing of a truth that has been cloaked behind mystery for too long. And, that to acknowledge the validity of that statement also implies that there is work to be done.
Each of the exercises flow beautifully from chapter to chapter and each build upon the other, often using the simple ones given at the start as the basis for expanding upon. Exercise 23 in Chapter Four was one of my favorites, entitled: Spell to Awaken Psychic Abilities. This spell makes use of the moon’s energy, your personal receptivity, water as a conduit and breath and tuning in from previous exercises. I don’t want to give away the particulars, but the overlay of a runic spell coalesces and integrates the work being done with invitation to repeat monthly to “recharge” your battery.
Everything and anything you wish to know or have heard used regarding psychic abilities is to be found somewhere in Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation (no pun intended. LOL!) What makes this book unique however is that it is not simply an exercise in theoretical verbosity, leaving you as confused and unsatisfied as when you embarked on this journey. Mat has made the unusual, become usual business that can be accomplished by hard work and practice, but more importantly by understanding and clarity of the mechanics of psychic practice.
There are several chapters devoted to the understanding and alignment of the triune nature of the s(Selves), subtly bringing home the importance of the statement “Know Thyself”, especially in magickal practice. Taking the time to explore our nature(s) brings us closer to revealing the gifts inherent in all parts of our being in all of the worlds.
… It’s my firm belief that magick can be utilized at almost any time if performedthrough one’s psychic faculties and willpower, as long as one has a firmunderstanding of the elements necessary… (chapter 15)
This statement that opens Chapter 15 sums up very nicely the intention ofPsychic Witch:A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation. As a conclusion to a thorough read, the emphasis is that psychism, magick and the s(S)elf are not independent of one another. Rather, they are co-creators of a wholeness that is at the very heart of a witch’s practice, philosophies and work. If you do the work outlined in the book and if you embrace a power that is part of everyone’s ability (in varying degrees) you are well on your way to becoming not only a self-empowered with, but more wholly the person you are meant to be as a Divine Being having a manifest experience.
Would I recommend?
Whole-heartedly, YES! Mat’s style is readable, accessible and encourages you to be your best self. The formatting of studies has clarity and offers time to digest through exercise and contemplative work. I would recommend this title to both the novice(as example of what can be achieved on the Path) as well as the adept and experienced Witch (reaffirming and offering a deeper perspective to enhance the steps already achieved). The Bibliography is filled with resources that will make any practitioner of magickal studies and workings better informed and diverse in newfound perspective.
From the Publisher’s Page:
Praise for Psychic Witch:
“A rare jewel that radiates clarity of spirit that is genuinely manifest therein.”—Maxine Sanders, co-founder of the Alexandrian Tradition of Witchcraft
“An ambitious work that stands at the crossroads where witchcraft, energy work, and psychic development intersect.”—Michelle Belanger, author of The Psychic Energy Codex
“Mat is magickally and energetically connected, well read, and well researched.”—Laurie Cabot, official witch of Salem and author of Power of the Witch
About Mat:
Mat Auryn (New England) is a witch, writer, psychic, and occult teacher. He is an initiate of Black Rose Witchcraft and a priest in the Sacred Fires Tradition of Witchcraft. He is also a devotee of the Covenant of Hekate founded by Sorita D’Este. Mat has been featured in various magazines, radio shows, books, and other periodicals, such as The Witch’s Almanac, DisInfo, The Wild Hunt, Raise the Horns podcast, and Magick magazine. He also writes a blog for Patheos Pagan called For Puck’s Sake.
Memories grow from the Seeds that have been From a heart filled With experience.
Memories flow like water Caressing new growth in A vessel of flesh and bone Breathing slowly towards the sun.
Memories stretch and reach From a pillar of mind and Heart having become one In a memory’s making.
Memories grow strong and beautiful Trees of past and future rising From the pages of each present Day’s journaling of the Soul.
These 30 days of countdown have been filled with memories. Samhain brings the power of memory to the forefront at all levels of being. Memories of loved ones no longer in this physical plane. Memories of Samhain celebrations long past. Memories of what called you to this path to begin with. Newly made memories of this year’s promises and inspirations. And, memories of the daily reminder that you are truly Divine in all of your parts.
This is a good time to call forth the memories of those things that called you to your spiritual path. The second part of today’s post offers musings on the excitement and anticipation of “what could be” that arise organically with every new endeavor and exploration….
Reaching Back to Stand Fully Present in the Future
We’ve past the usually celebrated marker of Samhain on October 31st. and in these last few days of this series we are reaching towards the astrological date of Samhain on November 7th @ 5:56pm (EST).
On the Witch’s Wheel of the Year, the quarter Sabbats are marked by the dates of the Equinoxes and Solstices. These are the fixed astronomical dates and on the dates at the mid-point between each Equinox to Solstice, Solstice to Equinox the cross-quarter Sabbats of Samhain-Imbolc-Beltane and Lammas are celebrated. As it sounds, the true date of these events is the calculation of exact mid-point of days between those quarter dates.
In the case of Samhain and Beltane, what we call “the veils” between the worlds parting moves up and through these astro(nom)logical dates. So, today I would like to offer a perspective of using the energy of the Autumnal Equinox that catalyzed Samhain’s potential and the carrying forward of its energy towards the Winter Solstice.
The Autumnal Equinox held the balance of light and dark in a paused equilibrium. This was an opportunity for synthesis and reset in the scales filling with the energy of the increasing night and the gift of introspective refining. This was considered the second harvest; the culling of what is not viable and the reaping and gathering of what will sustain throughout the Winter months ahead.
As we moved from that day of balance, the night crowded in and the final and last harvest of Samhain became the place of goal. All that is cut down and dies will be reborn again and with the harvest and the reset that occurred at the Equinox, the veils between life and death opened. We celebrate and honor our beloveds who passed beyond the veils and we reap within ourselves what will carry us forward in our efforts of inner reflection and seeking the wisdom that is hidden in the shadows.
As we move from the transformative power of Samhain and begin a journey anew, having in many ways been reborn, we nurture the place of light within feeding and fueling it with our hope and new found wisdom. The Winter Solstice marks the transition from longer nights to longer days; soon to offer the gift of standing in the light and enjoying more of it for our mundane pursuits.
Having sought the wisdom of the ancestors and acknowledging the ever continuing cycles of life and death that although giving the appearance of separation are just different forms of each other’s state of being. This is the potential of our future and more importantly, the blessing of our immortal Spirit that continues well beyond the corporeal form.
So, as we near the astrological date of Samhain, remember to reach back marveling at what you have reaped from an abundant harvest as you stand fully awakened in the power and beauty of your physical presence knowing that the burgeoning light tat will be the brilliance of the winter solstice will guide you towards a divinely created future.
Today’s post is about a very special celebration of the Dead, Dia de Los Muertos. As a culture, we tend to have a very somber and to some degree separated view of death. Of course there is sadness in the loss of a loved one and grief can be overwhelming; but celebrating as an act of joy and reverence honoring that death is another phase in a continuing cycle of life can heal in a way that truly integrates the life that was lived and the life that is left in legacy that is being lived. And, Dia de Los Muertos does that and more….
Linda Stone, co-owner of the restaurant, positions photos on the alter at the Day of the Dead celebration held Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, at Casa Borrega. (Dinah Rogers Photo)
…At midnight on Nov. 1, Dia de Los Muertos begins. It is a significant day on the Mexican calendar, and a holiday that is widely misunderstood in the United States.
First things first: It has nothing to do with Halloween. It’s a family time, joyful and uplifting, its own celebration. It’s probably too late to put this skull-faced genie back in the bottle, but some Mexican Americans feel it’s disrespectful to wear or celebrate anything to do with Day of the Dead on Halloween, or to incorporate the two. (The upcoming Disney/Pixar movie, “Coco,” which includes a young boy’s journey in the “Land of the Dead,” is set for Oct. 27 release in Mexico but has a deliberately delayed release date of Nov. 22 in the United States for this reason, according to bloggers invited to press events.)
Dia de Los Muertos runs through Nov. 2. It is when the souls of the dead are invited back to reunite with their loved ones in the land of the living. The first night, Nov. 1, is for children who have died, and Nov. 2 is for adults. The holiday affirms that death is part of the cycle of life; it is not to be feared. It is not sad or scary.
Dia de Los Muertos dates back 3,000 years and began with Aztecs honoring of the dead, then evolved after Catholicism arrived in the region. It coincides with the Catholic feast days of All Souls Day and All Saints Day. Families celebrate by visiting ancestors in cemeteries, cleaning tombs, building decorations and picnicking as mariachis stroll around. The magic of the candle-lit, flower-bedecked cemeteries, particularly in Oaxaca, draws tourists from all over the world….
Marigolds, the flower of the dead, decorate many Dia de Los Muertos altars. The marigold’s scent helps guide the spirits home and represents the fragility of life. (Photo by Judy Walker)
The Voices of Dia de los Muertes
In San Francisco, California, Martha Rodríguez-Salazar has been working with the San Francisco Symphony for the past 10 years in their annual Día de los Muertos community celebration, which includes music and altars commissioned from different artists.
..The tradition [in Mexico] is you invite people to your house for pan de muerto and then you go to the cemetery. You eat food there, drink tequila or mezcal, and that’s the celebration. You want to leave your door open because a stranger can bring a spirit of your loved one. You never know…
“I am a Mexican-American born in the border city in El Paso, Texas. My identity is both Mexican and American. Growing up, I knew about Día de Muertos, but it’s not something my family really did, since it came more from southern Mexico,” he said. “When we moved to New York, I met people from Puebla, and I started learning more.”
When his father passed away, Castaño wanted to do something special, so he decided to make his first altar.
“It was really a beautiful experience…It’s a very personal thing,” he said. “I remember looking at the altar and putting coffee there, because my dad loved coffee. My mom said, ‘No, he would never like it like that — and she took it away and made it piping hot with a little sugar, and the experience created a conversation between us,” said Castaño. Dia de Muertos is very powerful, because you feel peace and a beautiful experience remembering someone and celebrating what they did and who they were.”
“The Day of the Dead, remembering loved ones, goes back to Aztec times, los Aztecas, los Toltecs, los Zapotecs,” says Ramírez in his characteristic way of weaving both English and Spanish in his conversations.
The eve of Día de los Muertos, on November 1st, is when the “angelitos” (little angels) or the spirits of children who have passed, descend. November 2nd is when the spirit of the adults follow.
“Los cielos se abren, (the heavens open) and the spirits come down from heaven to be with us and we receive them,” says Ramirez.
The altar “receives” those who have passed with their favorite foods, drinks and even some of their personal belongings.
The construction of an altar starts with a table covered with a white cloth, representing purity. Once that is in place, explains Ramirez, the creation of an altar requires the elements that constitute the universe.
“It is the wind, the water, fire and earth. That is almost the whole universe. That is what it is composed of,” Ramirez says.
The wind is represented with the paper ornaments called “papel picado” since it moves with the wind. The water, according to Ramirez, has a dual meaning.
“Water can be included with a glass of water because the spirits are thirsty when they are coming down. The water can also be seen as cleansing, as a ‘limpia.”
The fire is represented by candles, which also symbolize the lighting of the path for the souls and the burning of copal, a natural resin used as incense.
Other crucial elements in the altar are the marigold flower, or cemasuchil – a bright orange blossom similar to a chrysanthemum symbolizing the sun – and the placement of bread of the dead, or “pan de muerto,” a round baked good with cross bones as decorations. The fruits can either be part of the favorite foods of the deceased though they also symbolize a harvest.
“Sometimes,” says Magdalena Cervantes, “I think you focus on the mourning and the loss and you forget the little things, like the molcajete (a stone mortar and pestle). To me, when you think of grandma, you think of the molcajete.”
Expressing love to long departed loved ones, says Ramirez, is exactly the emotion that makes each altar unique. “So, this connects you better with the memories and the spirits and if you really get into it, you can almost feel the presence of your ancestors.”
Reaching Back to Stand Fully Present in the Future
We’ve past the usually celebrated marker of Samhain on October 31st. and in these last few days of this series we are reaching towards the astrological date of Samhain on November 7th @ 5:56pm(EST).
On the Witch’s Wheel of the Year, the quarter Sabbats are marked by the dates of the Equinoxes and Solstices. These are the fixed astronomical dates and on the dates at the mid-point between each Equinox to Solstice, Solstice to Equinox the cross-quarter Sabbats of Samhain-Imbolc-Beltane and Lammas are celebrated. As it sounds, the true date of these events is the calculation of exact mid-point of days between those quarter dates.
In the case of Samhain and Beltane, what we call “the veils” between the worlds parting moves up and through these astro(nom)logical dates. So, today I would like to offer a perspective of using the energy of the Autumnal Equinox that catalyzed Samhain’s potential and the carrying forward of its energy towards the Winter Solstice.
The Autumnal Equinox held the balance of light and dark in a paused equilibrium. This was an opportunity for synthesis and reset in the scales filling with the energy of the increasing night and the gift of introspective refining. This was considered the second harvest; the culling of what is not viable and the reaping and gathering of what will sustain throughout the Winter months ahead.
As we moved from that day of balance, the night crowded in and the final and last harvest of Samhain became the place of goal. All that is cut down and dies will be reborn again and with the harvest and the reset that occurred at the Equinox, the veils between life and death opened. We celebrate and honor our beloveds who passed beyond the veils and we reap within ourselves what will carry us forward in our efforts of inner reflection and seeking the wisdom that is hidden in the shadows.
As we move from the transformative power of Samhain and begin a journey anew, having in many ways been reborn, we nurture the place of light within feeding and fueling it with our hope and new found wisdom. The Winter Solstice marks the transition from longer nights to longer days; soon to offer the gift of standing in the light and enjoying more of it for our mundane pursuits.
Having sought the wisdom of the ancestors and acknowledging the ever continuing cycles of life and death that although giving the appearance of separation are just different forms of each other’s state of being. This is the potential of our future and more importantly, the blessing of our immortal Spirit that continues well beyond the corporeal form.
So, as we near the astrological date of Samhain, remember to reach back marveling at what you have reaped from an abundant harvest as you stand fully awakened in the power and beauty of your physical presence knowing that the burgeoning light tat will be the brilliance of the winter solstice will guide you towards a divinely created future.
Finally, the veils have opened and the way is clear to seek the lessons of this season and explore the deeper mysteries of death. I have several options for your work today:
Videos:1. Samhain Ritual performed on Oct. 28th. This ritual used the energies of a Waxing Moon towards today’s Full Blue Moon of astrological Taurus. We coalesced the energies of the Retrograde Planets of Mercury, Mars, Neptune and Pluto. Please note that on this date Mercury was retrograde at 0-degrees Scorpio. Today. with its retrograde motion Mercury stands in the astrological mantle of Libra. A fitting transition of bringing the depths that arose from Scorpio’s mysteries into the harmonious vision of balance and beauty that is Libra. (approx. 45mins)
Please have these items available for use during the ritual. What you will need:
1/dark colored candle1/light colored candle
small cup with spring water
small cup of strongly brewed black coffee- only 1/3-1/2 filled
please print out (download below) and cut in circular fashion around the edges of the attached sigil. We will be using this as part of the ritual….
2. 5-Minute Full Moon. The monthly shortened version of a personal and contemplative honoring of the Moon’s energy. (approx. 5-7min.)
Join me on this auspicious Blue (the second in a singular month) Moon in astrological Taurus. The power and strength of manifest intention for right mind, right action, and right thought fill these bountiful waters of Mother’s fullness.
3. A Personal Ritual of Scrying appropriate to Samhain’s gifts…
For many one of today’s activities will include some form of divination as means of connecting with the energy and potency of today. The Moon is a Blue Moon-the second Full Moon in a given month and in the astrological sign of Taurus. The strength and stability of this Earthy sign will support your efforts in this water scrying offering. It will become the manifest container of Earth that cradles the illumined waters of gnosis and connection. So, settle in and open this Samhain day to receiving answer to your query…
Suggested Audio you may wish to use to accompany your scrying:
Weaving My Ancestor’s Voices by Sheila Chandra Any quiet and contemplative music that soothes
You will need:
Three candles- one for either side of the bowl
A dark-bottomed bowl
Water
A journal and pen
A space where you will not be disturbed for approx. 30 minutes
Place the bowl on a surface that is tall enough for you to peer down into it. If you are sitting, use a low table. You want to be able to look from above down into the water. Place two of the candles on either side of the bowl. Place the third candle directly behind the bowl. Pour enough water into the bowl to rise about 2/3rds of the way.
Dim the lights and reposition the candles if necessary so they are not directly reflected in the bow. They should provide back lighting, but not be a distraction. Take a few deep breaths, acknowledging your physical body in the space of your choosing and the surroundings. Take several more deep breaths, now envisioning that your space is filled with peaceful energy and that only that which is positive and for the highest good for all will be held within.
Take another deep breath- if you have chosen a piece of music to accompany this session begin it now- and quiet your mind and any distracting thoughts. Breathe deeply- and hold the intention of allowing your sight to be opened and whatever visions wish to present themselves to fill the energy of the water.
Adjust your gaze as you peer into the bowl. Soften the lids and allow the impressions to flow.Continue to breathe deeply and fully simply remaining open to the experience. Remain in this state of intention for as long as you wish, but no more than 30 minutes.
When you have engaged for some time, begin to restore your clarity of hard focus on the bowl and candles. Offer the space of gratitude to what you have experienced and breathe deeply feeling lungs expanding against ribs. Return your focus to your surroundings and fully engage your senses in the physical experience. Breathe deeply and extinguish the candles, restore the lights and write down the details of this experience.
As we continue our journey towards astrological Samhain, tomorrow’s post will be a sharing of images and thoughts from tonight’s ritual: Parting the Veils!
A Witch's Sacred Journey 
