By Land, Sky & Sea (15 page)

You dare to, and you will it; you take the proffered hand and feel the swift but sure strength of your guide as you are lifted into the boat. Now you come face to face with the being who would aid you. Allow time now to become acquainted with one another, although there is a great chance you already know each other.

The boat sails through the mist, navigating itself intuitively upon the waves and through the veils of time and space, as you have come to know the mists. You feel as if you are being transported to another place, another time, outside of space and time. Your guide assures you that all will be well and that a purpose underlies this voyage. In your heart, you are deeply aware of the purpose that has inspired this journey.

There is a faint red glow in the distance, on what your guide tells you is the western horizon. You suddenly realise that somehow you didn’t notice the light of the sun travelling the arc of the sky to finally set in the west, but your guide whispers to you that the sun never rises over this sea and neither does it set, for you are sailing the sunless sea to the great beyond. The sun’s red glow is a constant of the western horizon in this realm—it is a continuing symbol of everlasting life, of certain rebirth, for nothing ever truly dies. Death is but a door.

Further and further the boat sails until the veils of time and space—the mists—become all-encompassing and take on a deep indigo hue. You have arrived at the fated Gate of Death—the threshold into the otherworld. The bow of the boat is halted by the power of he who guards the gate—the wolf god of the ancients. You bow, as does your guide, and the wolf god smiles, bearing his gleaming, sharp canine teeth. Your guide whispers a farewell to you, smiles, and disappears; this is a journey only you can make.

You stand alone at the prow of the boat and stare evenly into the dark, endless eyes of the primal wolf god before you. You see a demand in his eyes, and you feel ready and willing to meet this demand. You breathe in deeply, and all the courage of the world flows through you. You say,

I, (state your name), upon the waves of the sunless sea that I have journeyed across to meet with you, acknowledge you, Wolf God, as the king of rest that grants rejuvenation, death granting new life, and the wisdom of these ancient transitions, which have been and will be forever. Blessed be.

The wolf god’s eyes gleam wildly with a lusty excitement, and your gut is hit with a wave of anticipation; in the shortness of a moment, in the timelessness of this no-place, all becomes dark, and you feel and know that you are no longer in the realm of the living or upon the sunless sea. You have crossed through the indigo veil and arrived in the place of death. You expect fear, and yet you are filled with a sense of boundlessness and freedom. The darkness becomes lighter as the spirit within you quivers and relaxes itself into the great unknown. The mystery has alighted!

Retrieving Visions from
the Well of Memory

It is terrible how much has been forgotten, which is why, I suppose, remembering seems a holy thing…I will pour out everything inside me so you may leave this table satisfied and fortified.

—Anita Diamant,
The Red Tent
(Dinah’s words)

In ancient Greek myth, a detailed description of Hades (the underworld) can be found in many literary and visual sources. A common factor in almost every detailing of Hade’s realm is the River of Lethe—the river of forgetfulness. According to one Orphic myth, beside the spring/river of Lethe is a white cypress; the Orphics warned against drinking from this spring, as they held an implicit belief in reincarnation and were conscious mystics pursuing an ecstasy-driven path of pious worship for the Divine within all things, including each other. By the Lake of Memory is another spring which is guarded. The ritual instructions to allow passage to the bank of the Lake of Memory to drink are given as follows (and must be spoken to the beings guarding the lake):

I am child of earth and of starry heaven, but my race is of heaven alone. This ye know yourselves. And lo, I am parched with thirst and I perish. Give me quickly the cool water flowing from the Lake of Memory.
[2]

Upon such ceremonial utterance, the guards are said to submit to one’s will to drink and allow passage through to the lake.

In the various Pagan shamanic traditions, the “well/lake of memory” is noted clearly in the associated cosmologies. For example, at the base of the Nordic world tree Yggdrasil lies the Well of Memory, which nourishes the roots that coil around the Wyrd waters. In
Exploring the Northern Tradition
by Galina Krasskova, the author gives an insight into the interconnectivity of the mighty tree Yggdrasil:

Yggdrasil supports the web of fate, woven by the Nornir, three wise women that oversee the Well and use its sacred waters to nourish the Tree…Yggdrasil has three mighty tap roots, each extending into one manifestation of the sacred well: one terminates in Niflheim, into the well Hvergelmir; one in Jotunheim, into the well of Memory, the well of the Jotun Mimir; and one into Urdabrunnr, the well of fate.
[3]

The author goes on to explain how the dragon Nidhoggr is constantly gnawing at the roots of the tree, which would eventually destroy all the worlds and plunge all into the abyss. However, the three Norns tend to the inflicted wounds on the tree’s roots by nourishing them with the sacred waters of Urda’s well and restoring the cosmic balance. This cultural insight into the ancient Pagan cosmology—and way of thinking (and of life)—reflects the significance of the symbolism of memory in the magickal traditions.

When we as Witches journey and quest for visions, we enter the fabric by which is spun the stuff of the worlds, and thus we are swallowed into the unconscious realms of archetypes, symbols, raw forces, and mighty beings. The ancient realms are only sleeping, awaiting our keen interest to awaken and claim sovereignty of spirit once more. Knock on the door, and if you are of pure intent and trust burns brightly at the crest of your heart, you will be admitted into the otherworlds. Seek out the Well of Memory and drink from the cool waters of vitality, for these will sustain your soul and invigorate your mind.

Re-membering is a very powerful act. It means to sew together what once were many disparate pieces scattered to the cruel and bitter winds of disconnection and disharmony. Invoke harmony and weave with the inherent connections, and you will be gifted with the ability to holistically heal what many people today experience as trauma, discomfort, loss, confusion, and apathy. These things are the products of a life lived separated from the vital flow that sustains our dreaming—what the Norse call “wyrd”—memory being remembered.

Many modern-day shamans are resurrecting the ancient practice of soul retrieval, which aims to help wounded beings restore the vital balance of wholeness—our birthright. Briefly, soul loss is said to happen when an individual is deeply affected by a sudden and traumatic incident (e.g., the death or loss of a loved one, or a personal near-death experience). A piece of soul is said to break away from the whole, and this fragment, in a very childlike manner, flees to what it deems a safe place. There it will remain until someone skilled in the area (a Witch, a shaman, a psychotherapist, etc.) is able to correctly diagnose this psychic circumstance and take the right steps towards retrieving the soul fragment and restoring the patient’s wholeness. I witnessed soul loss rather strongly when a good friend of mine experienced the death of his brother.

My friend received the call on the day of the summer solstice. Our household was busily getting ready for the open ritual our coven was holding that day to celebrate Litha. My friend quietly explained to us that his brother had passed away the night before in a car accident, but he insisted that we continue with the ritual and that he would be present; he was to draw in our god of the waning year, the wolf god, who would battle and triumph over our lord of the waxing year, the stag king. The following two months we watched as our friend sunk into a deeper and deeper haze; I observed many times the fluttering of a frightened, shocked, and bruised soul within him. I was at a loss at what to do. My friend was in mourning and despair, but there were no avenues of expression and no context in which to place the loss of his beloved brother. Life and death—these things make up our wheel. It is a hard lesson to learn.

One evening as I showered and entered into the WildWood (the astral realm/counterpart of the original WildWood, which is by nature all that was/is wild and free on this planet), as I am sometimes prone to do as part of cleansing, I saw that my friend’s various totems were moving around, looking lost and dull. Everything slid neatly into place in that moment, and I realised then that this was a case of soul loss. I explained this to my friend one afternoon, and we embraced as he cried and nodded and expressed that he was unsure of what to do. I told him that I would help, and we organised a time for a ritual I hoped would facilitate the necessary soul retrieval.

The afternoon came, and we set up our circle. We had spoken during the week of the ritual, and in that time I had several powerful experiences with the goddesses Isis (Auset) and Persephone (my soul goddess). I thought it would be a great idea if we could invoke a different goddess of healing and shamanic transformative magick at every quarter and for the centre as well. In the east we called upon Isis (the air), in the north we called upon Tara (the fire), in the west we called upon Persephone (the water), and in the south we called upon Freya (the earth). In the centre we called upon our beloved Crescent-Crowned Goddess of the WildWood, who represents the journey for and of love into the realm of darkness and once more into the bright realm of the living—the deity many Witches call simply “the Goddess.”

I had intended the goddesses’ presences to be a helpful facilitation for my own revitalising and holistic healing work on my friend; however, as should be expected, they had something else in mind. After we had formed and consecrated our space in the name of our work and in the presence of the goddesses, I felt the impulse to go to each quarter and channel wisdom from each of them; instead, each goddess decided to entirely possess me (hand in glove) and share communion with my friend in this way. As per usual, the memories of this drawing-down experience are vague and, if thought about, slip away like water in cupped hands; my friend relayed much of what was said and imparted to him. Each goddess, in their divine wisdom, helped to break down the emotional barriers and walls that had developed since his brother’s death. Each one had aided him in a self-transformation that culminated in our beloved Lady of the Moon bringing him to the sword of initiation once more and demanding that he, without fear, take up the charge and live! I came out of my reverie to see bright eyes and a wide smile on an old friend’s revivified face.

I saw clearly the enormous change that had taken place in him during that circle. Also, during this sacred communion, a storm had appeared out of nowhere in the east and travelled deosil as each goddess in turn spoke around the circle and whirled around our house, only to clear as the goddesses withdrew their power and presence and the circle was opened. The goddesses’ message was this:

Nothing true and essential can ever be lost. You are always whole—you must always remember this holy truth, in every day, in every moment. Hold true to truth, and wholeness will be a gift of the gods. Happiness will ever follow those who walk the path of the Divine. You and your soul’s dancing fragments are but the endless waves of the sea who is the over-flowing grail of that mysterious force we call love. Be well and wise, our blessed child.

13

If you step into the Beyond, the full force of Nature shall pivot in your being.

—Michael J. Roads,
Journey into Nature

Mediumship:
On Being an Oracle

I have decided, as Witches tend to do (with zest, fervour, and smiling faces), to channel advice, wisdom, and truth regarding channeling for this chapter. As I started to write this chapter, it came upon me that the universe should have a say. I hope you, the reader, enjoy this diversion.

The Channeling

[1] Like waves upon the sea, the foamy crest of the heaving ocean we call Mother are we. Each of us aligned according to our inner rhythm and innate sense of wonder and being, and thus we are perfected upon the shores of the timeless ones. Like a cell within a larger body, a wave is unto the greater ocean—the sameness and oneness that pervades the entirety dwells within the consciousness of the wave. The wave holds within itself the miraculous, all-encompassing infinity that is the ocean.

[2] A human channel, or vessel, is much the same. Within each of us resides the endless sanctuaries of collected knowledge and wisdom, and thus by our innate interconnection and divine unity, we are able to access this powerhouse of insight and cosmic knowing. When we channel, we open ourselves to the undivided awareness of the illumined whole and we ourselves become privy to the subtlest of mysteries.

[3] As I type this, I have ignited within myself the capacity of “channel.” I have become a vessel and a conduit through which the blessed beauty of the words of the immortals may resonate and flow. My audience in no way compares to the intimate gatherings of Witches or lay-folk who approach the oracle of the gods with reverence and, without knowing why, intrinsic fear. However, there is no need to fear what is true—and what is true is simply what is. Ultimately it is up to the perceiver of truth to know it and align with it, or to cast it aside and wish for blind insanity instead. I am of you, as you are of me. Truth is one, though it sings in the veins of a diverse creativity—the truth you know, though it is my truth also, will appear differently to you. Understanding this, we honour the sacred and its desire and yearning to know itself and hold the communion of love.

[4] Let the words of the gods flow through me. Let these lips become a sacrament to the breath-propelled key to the mysteries. Let these fingers become the wands of a thousand wizards as they cast their sorcery into the frozen night. Know this, my friends: it is not within you that you shall find the answer to what lies beyond…beyond is more than ego. Beyond is the illustrious counterpart that destroys the illusion of separation. When you discover what is beyond, you are brought to the knees of salvation, and through it we are initiated into selfhood. We become what we are, and we realise we are one with the holy of holies and we are wholly divine.

[5] It is not without merit to seek what is beyond within, for the truth lies in the heart of all things. As “I” exist, so do “you.” The “I” seems permeable, in a sense, for what is I can also be what is the I that is you. If identity is sacrosanct in the universal sense, then all who proclaim in zealous, wild abandon that “I am I” will feel the underlying profundity of what is “I.” Many centuries ago, before a burning bush and on a holy mountain, did a young tribal god proclaim to his prophet, “I am that I am.” I am, and without the I, the am is an empty mirror. The I beholds the mirror and the reflection, and thus creation is born in the guise of what was not there before the I was perceived. All flow, one from the next, in simple and starving yearning, both together and both apart, like two serpents entwining upon the rod carved from the tree of life, which grows in paradise. These images may seem to you whatever they instill; however, the point of the images is to unite across the breadth of culture and nation. I am the Spirit who says that beside the nation and the identity is the Am. I AM.

[6] In this wild state of arousal, so is the Spirit said to move from base to crown and awaken the mighty power of what is within—what lies beyond. When the Spirit ignites at the crown, let the flame burn brightly, for it is a beacon to all those which flow with the tide of nature. I am (you are, we are) the rhythm that inspires the tides and allows it to continue in its cycle of ways. In the morning I am the dawn, at the high noon of day I am the sun at its peak, and in the time of sunset I am the merging of colours long forgotten as the paints of the heavenly artists are spilled and the ego is obliterated beyond the horizon. I am midnight—the stillness of darkness and the womb of the earth that generates all life upon this the green planet of blue.

[7] Hold within the seat of your awareness the oneness that is all-pervasive and that joins the hearts of the many nations to beat as one. I am the light of the world, and I am the darkness of the moist and sweet earth, the crucible of creation. You cannot have one without the other, and it is through the two united that the third is engendered, and so the cycle is sewn into the very fabric of being. And so it was, and so it is, and so it shall forever be. The third is eternal. Take upon yourself the mantle of the third, and wear over your crown the veil of the most holy.

[8] My wings are the wings of the heavenly messengers, the angels who bear the voices of the manifold winds. Let the peace of those who serve bring surrender to the souls who yearn for the “I am.” In the stillness that is oneness and the movement that is celebration, may all be joined in the song of reverence that causes the knee to bend and the hand to upturn. Let our cups be full of the wine of life, and let the merriment of the day lead to the mystery of the night. One from the next, ever-turning and seeking to inspire.

[9] This is the message of what kneels at the foot of the immortal chamber and sings sweetly within the blood-rivers that wind through the body of God. Gnosis—awaken! I am what is slumbering, and what is rising, and what is eternally so. Let it be—as the Mother honours the silence, so you shall, to honour the Mother.

[10] Upon the ancient seat, upon the litter of the spirits, place yourself, and open your mouth to the breath of the Divine. Let the ancients know through you and tell the story that is already a part of your understanding. Let life continue as you sing the songs and declare the secrets of the hidden ones to those who would have ears to listen and eyes to witness. But more than this, touch the hearts of those who yearn to be touched, for they are humble in their ways and in their desire to please. Let them not prostrate unless they do so in the spirit of complete and total surrender—that is the spirit which causes the rain to fall and the earth to bring forth the bounty of summer. Speak with lips anointed by the sacred words that are yours to speak. The torch that is yours to bear will ignite before you and inspire the wind as it flows through your mouth and brings sound to the assemblies—the children of earth and of heaven.

[11] Let this be known, and let there be the kneeling, and let there be the standing, and the silence and the sound, and the bridge in between. Thou art the bridge that has been formed and forged and resurrected to serve the purpose of channel. Become the river of that Mighty One who causes the seas to swell and the stars to pierce the veil of the heavens. Be unto yourself in that timelessness of space, and let there be forever peace within thee—let the fire burn bright. And know this simple, humble nature of what is borne by the angels who, as we know, are the servants of those who are the servants of the mystery…to serve is to surrender to the knowing, to the truth. The beyond is the river that winds its way through the body of you and carries the life-blood to the heart, which beats in yearning to meet and marry with what is beyond. Say to yourself “I am,” and you will understand the meaning of my words, and I will say to you, “I am,” and we will have come to that most ancient of places, to that most holy of times: forever.

The Interpretation

Before I attempt to communicate my interpretation of the above channelled message, I would like to say that, in my experience, what I call channeling is always done in a state of self-consciousness. However, the art of channeling also tends to entrance the individual who is performing the part of the conduit, or channel, and thus the state of being one finds oneself in during these sessions can be quite hard to describe, somewhat like lucid dreaming. For instance, as I channelled the above for the purposes of this chapter, I discovered that I was still able to type in my swift speed and yet I was also somewhat transported into a blessed timelessness that carried the quality of forever, just as is described in the channeling. I was also quite delighted in the outcome, as I had never attempted, on such a scale, to channel and record by writing a message from the cosmos. I procrastinated quite a lot in regard to fulfilling the destiny of this chapter, as I was uncertain how my plans would manifest. Fortunately, and I feel quite blessed for it, all unfolded as it should, and voilà! This chapter came fully fleshed into being before my very eyes.

I will deal with the channeling paragraph by paragraph and garner meaning from each in turn. I approached this channeling session with the intent to draw from the cosmos and the immortal gods’ wisdom and counsel on the meaning, purpose, and process of the craft of channeling—the mediumship of the oracle.

In paragraph 1, the message is clear—what is self is synonymous with what is All-Self. This has been a common theme and message throughout this entire book. It is a shamanic truth! It is the wisdom derived from experiences of sacred gnosis. In my book
Spirited,
I lend a whole section in my Divinity chapter to the Upanishadic philosophy of ancient Vedic India, which taught this awareness as atman (soul)-Atman (Spirit)—soul to Spirit, or Brahman. This, then, is the sacred knowledge required for success in channeling.

In paragraph 2, the message of oneness and divine unity is reiterated, except this time with specific association accorded to the art and practice of channeling. The images evoked speak of sanctuaries of knowledge and the like. The message seems to describe channeling as a way of “plugging in” to the dynamic wholeness of the cosmos and therefore acquiring the key to the mysteries—to all the knowledge and wisdom that exists eternally.

Paragraph 3 brings the attention to those who gather to hear the oracles and the messages channelled from the Divine. The channeling brings up what it calls “intrinsic fear,” which I take to mean that child-like fear and rejection of the unknown that permeates all humanity. The message is clear once more: do not deny truth, and do not fear or abhor it. Accept truth, as it is truth, but understand that because we are manifold and diverse (and this is the nature of existence), truth will manifest to each of us differently—in a guise we each will uniquely embrace and yearn for. In this paragraph, the dynamic nature of creation is also mentioned, and many Witches and Pagans will recognise the wisdom contained within the last sentence—the life force (or whatever you call it) chooses to diversify because it wishes for the joy and desire found in the communion of lovers, which can only be inspired by initial separation. See the Feri tradition’s writings (including Starhawk’s) on creation to understand the insight and to engage with the beautiful poetry.