The following are some of the experiences I had at the Sacred Space
Conference this past weekend. Each of
them was lead by a Woman who identifies as a Crone. Each of these women are respected, admired
and esteemed by their Community and each has had a part in teaching me how to
walk into my future and how to connect with others. I give thanks for them and for the lessons
and visions they bestowed upon me.
Chakras
Diving into the earth, into the depths beneath me, I find
the place the Mystic Woman is speaking of, the Ancestral chakra, the place
where we all connect to all that is and has ever been. I know this place, I have touched it before.
It is the source of the golden, glowing honey that feeds my soul, my cauldron
of warming. It rises at my bidding, into my root, into my womb, into my center
to warm me, to open me, to give me strength and power to seek the visions I
need. It continues to rise into my
heart, my voice, my eye, my crown. It
fills my being until I am fully open, fully engaged, fully alive.
Cauldrons
The Witch is child-like in her joy and enthusiasm. She reminds me of a pre-school teacher
encouraging us to play, to seek adventure, and praising us for our beauty as we
dance together. Her silver curls bounce about
her shoulders as she in turn bounces on the balls of her feet, so full of her
joy at sharing this dance that she loves.
She leads us to the Cauldron and to the woman stirring and we look and
see what the brew with reveal, then to another and yet another vision. Visions of what we were, and who we are, and
where we are going. Visions of our place
in our own lives, and of our place in our community.
The Cosmos
I step through the dark veil and into the Temple. It is
dark inside like the night sky and the smoke of incense greets me. I touch the blessed
water and the shift begins. The candles
all around remind me of stars and I breathe deeply to make myself ready. The Priestess is robed in night and crowned
with stars. She casts the circle,
opening the gates and connecting them to the Chrystal at the center. She calls to the Consort and then to the
Goddess and opens the Star-gate. She
leads us and carries us with her singing of spells, with her magick and her
songs she carries us upward and into the stellar realm, up among the stars we
dance and sing along with her. We each approach
the gate in turn and are granted a vision of our place in the cosmos. The visions are captured in the small crystals
we take into our hands and then again we approach for there is more to
know. Then the Priestess comes to stand
before each of us and one by one she grants us a gift, or names it, I am not
sure which. And then we are again dancing and singing to the Goddess of the
cosmos, dancing and singing among the stars that made us, until it is time to
return. The Priestess returns us gently
back to our places within the Temple. We
thank the Goddess and her Consort and the Priestess closes the gates and the circle. It is done.
The Conjure Dance
We are dressed in white, waiting to enter the place where
the Dance will happen. When we do, the first
thing I notice is the tables around the room that are set with images of
Deities from every place that humans live upon the planet. There are tables also of food and drink and trinkets.
And at one end of the room rows of chairs sit empty and waiting. Everyone files past the tables as we enter and
I make note in my mind of the places set for the Gods with whom I have
relationships. Announcements are made and
finally the chairs are filled with drummers and the Shaman begins to sing.
Her rattle sets a rhythm that settles into my mind and
relaxes my body and her voice calls to the spirits and draws them to this
space. I know when she is done that I am
as open as I will get this night and it is not enough to allow anyone in. But I am relaxed and aware of the magick and
I am here to honor my Gods and to experience the Dance and that will be enough. When the Shaman is finished the Drums begin
and the younger woman begins to sing with a cadence that is unfamiliar but
intriguing. I dance within the limits of
a relaxed body but fully present mind and take up offerings and place them with
prayers at the places set for my Gods.
The drumming and the chanting of the younger woman are
engaging and I enjoy watching those who are more able to be open move with the
freedom provided by the trance. My
High-Priestess and sister is one of those dancing and when I make eye contact
with her I can see that she is not completely present. This is when I understand why I am here. I am here to watch over her while she dances
with the spirits.
Our Elder and another High-Priestess whom we both trust and
admire respond to my need for reassurance that she is safe. I need not interfere. She needs to do this work and she is strong
enough to do it without danger to herself and so, I simply watch over her. Our Elder and the High-Priestess as well as
one of the Guardians from our Tradition remain close by and within my clear
line of sight should I panic and need them to step in but they understand that
She is precious to me they know that I need to stay close to her and to care
for her.
I am present should she need me and they are close should I
need them. And for both of those things,
I give thanks. After, the High-Priestess
sits with my sister to be sure she is well and so that I can relax enough to
leave her side and get a breath of air before I escort her to our room and she
is safely in her bed for the night.
Each of these experiences has taught me something of who I am and of
the work that I am here to do. The Dance
in particular reminded me that while my High-Priestess takes care of me in many
ways, I need to care for her at times (regardless of whether she needs me to or
not).Caring for others is a role that I take joy in but that I also need to fulfill
in order to fulfill my purpose.
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