By Land, Sky & Sea (7 page)

Correspondences

6

I am a child of earth and starry heaven, of this I know…

—Orphic tablet

The sky is the realm of transcendence, at least from the land-dwelling perspective. It is above and beyond, and therefore it is a symbol of the mystery of the gods. In shamanic journeying, the road through and to the worlds is, of course, the world tree (the cosmic highway). To ascend to the sky realm, one must scale the tree and find wings of one’s own or persuade the great bird perching in the topmost branches to act as an astral mount. This great bird is described variously as an eagle, the magickal
Muan
bird of the Mayans, or the Garuda of Hindu mythology.

The star-strung indigo nations are the home of ageless wisdom, and indeed there are many theories as to whether we ourselves descend from a race of super beings who came from a faraway planet or galaxy. Other ideas are based on the belief in alien visitation or that we are the workers of gods, who oversee their paradise. I personally attach no particular value or belief to any of these theories, though I have a few intuitions regarding similar things. What I would like to illustrate here, however, is the ancient teaching of cosmic “out there” origins. One of the unearthed Orphic
[1]
tablets was translated to reveal a statement or magickal/initiatory response that expresses the belief that we as humans, and perhaps all of life on earth, are children of this planet and the heavens. We contain within our beings the same “stuff” that was there with the Big Bang. Therefore, it is in our nature to seek out the solace of the sky, just as we are nourished and supported by the land, our earth.

In this chapter, I will outline magickal methods to aid in transcendence and expansion. They will largely consist of mental work, with an aim of becoming all-encompassing. The techniques below will require a sound psychological state, a peaceful being, and a receptive mind. This magick of transcendence and expansion will take you out of your head and into the celestial realms of ether and light. You have celebrated your body, and now you will explore the limitless potential of your mind’s ability to soar.

To Receive Gnosis

Thou art Goddess; Thou art God.

—Church of All Worlds saying

In my book
Spirited,
I offer the reader a Gnostic exercise on page 149.
Gnosis
is ancient Greek for “knowledge” and refers here to the attainment of divine knowledge and understanding.

The early Gnostic Christian sects had an implicit belief in duality. They believed that matter was a product of the Demiurge (the fallen spirit descended from Sophia, the Divine Feminine), and that if one could ascend through the spheres, one could be rid of matter, the earth, and the physical, and be at home once more with the true God (from whom we originated). The core of any Gnostic tradition, however, is not the duality of flesh versus spirit but the idea that we each contain a spark of the Divine within that is eternally connected to its source, which many identify as “God.”

In the Pagan traditions, we are taught to be aware of our divine natures. This is reflected once more through the Orphic teachings and the modern Church of All Worlds affirmation of divinity quoted on the facing page. The depth of connectivity between all things forms the basis of the practice of magick and the experience of immanent divinity. The Divine is both here and there; it is the land, and it is the mystery of the heavens. To transcend the linearity and routine of mundane life is to cease to be an automaton and to awaken true consciousness—to seek the knowledge of the cosmos. When we expand our awareness to encompass more than what we are offered by society, we become vessels for gnosis.

This gnosis has been expressed in many ways in the diverse cultures of the earth throughout history:

In Lak’ech
(Mayan)
—
I am another you.

Namaste
(modern Hindi and Sanskrit)
—
I bow to the Divine in you.

Thou art God/dess
(Church of All Worlds)—You are the Divine, wholly in yourself.

Ultimately, it is about becoming aware of the bigger picture that we ourselves are unique embodiments of; each and every one of us is a perfect expression of the great mystery of life. I am the microcosm to the macrocosm. Much of my work in this life so far has been to delve deeply into my being and ignite and bring blazing passion to the fire that burns at the core of me and of us all. This incandescent flame is what connects us with the great ring of fire that is creation, destruction, purification, and making anew. This is the ring of fire I have seen Shiva and Dionysos dance in and through. It is the transformation of reality—its eternal mutability. Change is the law. To attain gnosis is to surrender, release ego, and be free. In freedom we discover rhythm, and therein lies the magick of the world. For Pagans, this is a powerful pathway to true enlightenment. Once we learn to let go and let the gods, we have learnt the art of life, and not just the joy of it. The art cultivates the joy, bringing finer enrichment. Knowledge is also power, and power leads to greater potency in experience, circumstance, and truth. It is through the power of knowing that we become all-encompassing, transcendent beings of the sky. This realm of sky imbues us with the gifts of foresight, intuition, clarity, understanding, and wisdom. The following techniques will aid in developing gnosis in your life.

To Let Go

To let go is the first step in achieving gnosis. Firstly, we must release our human attachment to the persona and identity that we create to stabilise and comfort the wilder aspects of our deeper mysteries. In letting go, we allow peace to reign completely in our lives, for in releasing the ego and the socially propounded idea that the external and foreign is chaotic in the destructive, self-erasing sense, we learn to accept the being that, in truth, flows with the continuum that is harmony within and of itself.

Harmony, equilibrium, and balance underlie the life force that is the current of the world. The pure will of nature—of the Divine, of the gods—knows itself wholly and seeks only to flow in harmony with itself. This does not produce a stasis in which change is denied, it is merely an observation of nature’s tendency to perpetuate itself, and through death and transformation to enliven and empower its unique and diverse expressions.

If we let go, we too realise the pure will that we are so much a part of, and we are initiated—we become vessels for the power that is generated by the flow of the continuum!

Relax into yourself and centre through deep rhythmic breathing. Release the tension in your body, and allow your body and spirit to move as they choose to, or be still. If you begin to sway, embrace the sway and let it be until it plays out of its own accord. Consciously ignite every cell within your body. Feel each cell flare and then dim once more. Breathe with every pore of your skin and soak in the power of the world. At the same time, give back what you take in, and let it cycle over and over in this way. Now, in this moment, release…let it all go… simply be.

To Be Free

Once we attain being (because we have let go), we begin to flow with the currents of awakening. We awaken to the truth of freedom—that we
are
free! The Charge of the Goddess, that most famous Wiccan declaration, states explicitly that freedom is a principle of life that should be held in high esteem. In fact, it should be practised actively, and being skyclad in ritual is suggested as a sign of freedom. I would have to agree that nudity is something that does make me feel free, as it is a state that I am only ever in for about an hour each day. In the summer months, however, I enjoy sleeping naked, and when opportunity knocks and I find myself in the wilderness near a body of water (or under the cloak of night), I enjoy throwing myself clothes-free into the cool embrace of the liquid realms.

Being free should go hand in hand with knowing we are free. In fact, the knowledge of personal freedom should then lead to one’s embracing of it. The journey to freedom begins with the self. The self, the you that is you, needs to accept this primal truth wholeheartedly—that we are already free—before true freedom is felt. True freedom is knowing that you are here, now, breathing and alive and divine because of it! What more could someone need to realise freedom?

You are now flowing with, and as the pure will of, nature. You are the continuum. You are peace and balance between all things. Oneness pervades you. You are liberated from isolation, and yet you feel the you that is you; you also know the you that is you is the we that is we, and the whole that is whole. Colourful lights of Faerie spin seductively around you as you flow through All! You taste, you smell, you touch, you hear and see. Every sense is beyond itself, and you spiral into implosion, only to ricochet back and forth in mirthful abandon from one corner of the universe to the next. You are delight and ecstasy, and you are truly free!

To Know

Freedom leads to the will and desire to know. The knowledge I am speaking of does not seek to condense or constrain a reality or a truth with conceptualisation or symbology. This gnosis, or knowledge, grants the seeker a further gift of freedom and letting go. It is as if a tyrannical oppressor suddenly became a saint and released his slaves. They leave the stronghold of grey timelessness and journey out into the world with relief because they have been freed, and through journeying and dancing, they truly realise it. Then the former “master” invites the ex-slaves back for a revel! With suspense and hearts titillated by apprehension, the people come and smile at the radiant saint, who they could never compare with the cruel tyrant that had once robbed them of all liberty. The saint holds up a mirror, and you see yourself in the reflection. You too are a shining saint, and you had never truly lost anything; you only thought you had!

Then the words that soothe all wounds are spoken. If spoken with meaning and true understanding, they are the mightiest healer and the sovereignty of all. Together, holding hands, breathing the same breath, hearts beating as one: “I love you.” The reverberations of this intonation of divinity sets forth wave after wave of more love, for love begets more love, and through freedom we accept in our hearts what we have always known—that love is creator, continuum, and created. Love is knowing that the Divine birthed us, and we will birth the Divine. We are walking not in the shadows of the gods but in their footsteps. Gnosis has ignited upon the brow of the seeker! Gnosis has initiated again!

Breathe, release, be free, know—heart beating, body sighing—feel truth; let it be—in this moment, in all moments—you are Divine…forever.