The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘incense’

I’m always banging on about using incense. If you’ve read my previous posts recently then at almost any opportunity I’m lighting up and zooming off into trance. Now, as a Hedge Druid, why would I need these props? Surely, if I’m true to my cause I shouldn’t need anything except the sweet scent of Nature’s own aromas to send me thoughts skyward? Well, our friend Gwydion over at Sparrowhawk’s Haven would agree with you too – keep props to a minimum. In fact, don’t use any props at all!

I used to agree with this position. I started out from that position and for years I withstood the urge to use props of any kind. Yet, in recent years I have relented slightly. Am I going soft? Probably. There’s a bit more to it than that though. I have learned that incense and crystals do help me to do meditation. Incense offers me protection and brings me to trance faster, and crystals can do almost anything I need – protection, focus, re-direction – they’re very useful tools.

Tools such as incense and crystals free my mind to concentrate on the matter at hand, and they mean that I don’t have to expend my energy on setting up protection or connection, and I can focus quickly on the task I need to do. Also, I feel that incense invites spirit forms to come closer. It’s like a smoke signal to them that something interesting is about to occur, and they seem to gather and be around when incense is lit outdoors.

So there are a couple of reason why I use these tools. True, you don’t NEED anything. True, again, you shouldn’t come to rely upon having these tools available. I agree. Yet, if they are available, and you like working with them, then why get snooty about it? So, in my travels I have worked out a handy guide to how many incense sticks you can use for what purpose. It’s my own list, but if it proves useful for you too, then that’s all good too, right?

1. One for a quick connection – preparing the ground
2. Two for meditation – one either side – you in the middle (between the worlds)
3. Three for protection – in a triangle around you
4. Four for marking the quarters – calling in the elemental forces
5. Five for a combination of three and two – a deep protected meditation
6. Six for a change – six sticks will usually need to be placed into a formation of some sort – a sigil – to connect to a source of change
7. Seven or more – for a total clearance of all blockages or existing energy patterns

As Bruce Lee said of learning martial arts – take what is useful for you and discard the rest. My dowsing shows me that this table of information is useful if you wish to adopt it as your own, but worthless otherwise, because you can create your own associations if you want to. Seems to be the way of many magical practises!

Gwas.

Despite the previous night being a great night for star-watchers, I felt a ‘pull’ to go to Llandrillo’s stone circle on Tuesday 15th March. The day was cloudy and murky, but relatively warm, and the evening was the same. There would be no star-gazing this evening!

I was going to Moel-Ty-Uchaf for many reasons:

1. To confirm a recent warning received via Kal from the Llangernyw Yew tree and to see what mitigating action I might need to take
2. To pay my respects to the people who have died in the Asian Pacific region recently, and to send calming thoughts to the earth in that region
3. To test my fitness – it’s the steepest longest climb I know to any sacred place except Snowdon
4. To create an energetic shield to fight off infection and heal myself

I better explain that last point. It wasn’t that I was ill as such, just that there were at least two people who I worked close to who were coughing and sneezing and, as seems to be the case these days, making no attempts or efforts to block those coughs from being spread all around the air-conditioned room. I felt like it was a matter of time before I came down with something – and in fact that evening I had felt my stomach being a little bit upset. Was this the sign that I was about to get ill? I didn’t want that – let’s see if I could modify my energy field at a stone circle to prevent it.

Moel Ty Uchaf evening shot

The evening was misty but the roads were dry and the mist was a welcome addition to the atmosphere of this extraordinary place. As I walked up – without my staff for once, I wanted to do this work unaided entirely – I began to work my way through the various chakra points, five in all, and I used my recently-acquired knowledge of the correct vocal sounds to activate them in sequence. By the time I reached the top of the hill I was aware that I was energetically ‘ready for action’ as it were, and I put up some protection too in order to retain this energy, to stop it from dissipating or being taken by anything that I wasn’t expecting to be on this hill. Best to be safe than sorry, eh?

I made it to the top of the hill in record time, with no stops on the way to catch my breath, and with my calf muscles tight but not burned out. This was a major improvement over the last time I visited when I stopped at least three times, was covered in sweat despite it being the middle of Winter, and I had to take a 10 minute rest on the top. Tonight, no rest was required at all! Progress.

I sat on the King Stone for a moment to decide what I should do first. My first decision was that tonight I would not use my dowsing rods. I would have a dowse-less experience and see what happened. It was a long way to climb to get it wrong, but sometimes you have to test yourself to the limits to make headway and break barriers.

I decided firstly to pay my respects and try to do some remote earth healing. It seemed a bit like I was spitting into a forest fire by doing such a thing, but maybe the intention was worthy in and of itself? I took out three sticks of incense and lit them. I approached the stone circle, feeling for the energies and was taken off to one side, around the edge of the circle at a distance of eight feet or so from the stones. I walked around until I came to the southern entrance and waited for permission to enter, which was duly granted. Now the fun was about to start…

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At the end of our Yorkshire outing [two-part posts coming soon about that visit] I discovered that I had forgotten (possibly deliberately) to discover the quest that I had to undertake in the first eighth part of the year. Luckily I had a few spare days before the official Imbolc date of 1st February. We are never too hard-lined about getting the cross-quarter dates perfect. These dates are more about a feeling than a rigid division of the year. They are about being ready for transition, not for clock-setting. I used my dowsing rods to determine that the best day would be Monday 31st January this year. On that day, a still and clear night, and very cold, it would be the perfect conditions for discovering this quest.

The druid stage signified by the oak

I chose an oak tree that I was becoming quite familiar with at the end of last year. I had come to feel that I had reached the third stage of druidic development, one that was signified by the symbol of the oak tree. I realise now that one never stops learning from the birch or yew stages either, one simply passed beyond them, taking their legacy and teachings with you as you progress. Both birches and yews will always have special memories for me about how I started out on this path, and then how I deepened that search through the portals of life and death itself, but I felt that now I was comfortable with the mantle of teaching, and thus I was at the oak stage.

The oak that I had in mind stood proudly at the heart of a small wood near to my home (only a few miles away). I drove up to the wood all togged up ready for a long stay in the cold and that’s exactly what I got. Although I was welcomed into the forest and could see quite easily to find my place beneath the great oak, the cold weather made it hard to keep still. It took me over half an hour to get into the right mindset to be able to meditate deeply enough to make contact with the oak. There is also the problem that at this time of year these great trees are barely coming back to life, so their voice is weak too.

I must admit that I really struggled to get any contact made with the tree, but eventually we were talking. Just as I got some words out of it – a large animal, probably a fox, barged into the clearing and smelt my incense burning, running away in a mad scramble that startled me out of my trance. I spent another ten minutes getting back to the point where I was calm enough to connect again.

Spiritual happenings beneath the oak

I gave out love, gratitude and feelings of peacefulness. I wished the forest a fruitful year, and offered my physical protection as much as I would be able. In return I got an image, and an instruction. I saw the line of chakras all along my spine. Each one was a different colour from red at the base to violet at the crown. My attention was drawn up each of the chakras in turn. As my eyes moved upwards, each chakra “chimed” and sparkled. I knew that it was being “opened” by a sound. By the time I got to the top of the spine I was in a very excited state. I felt amazing, and I knew what the quest was. I had to learn to make the sound that would be capable of opening each of my chakras.

Wow. Something amazing to spend the next few weeks doing before Beltane on 1st May. Perhaps then I can put my “singing” into practice and see what happens?

Gwas. Singing for his spiritual supper.

It seems sort of fitting that this post is the 400th post on this blog. We have come a long way since we started in late 2008. All of that seems so long ago now, because so much has happened since then. We have grown. So I present the 400th post – a summary of the year’s work for 2010.

Like Kal I intend to do this summary in a single post. Last year it spread across about seven posts. I have learned to be more disciplined in this last year, and I will keep it to one. So, having sifted through all the millions of posts this year here are the absolute best bits. I didn’t believe that 2009 could be bettered, but I was wrong – 2010 was a vintage year that will live long in my memory, and below you will find out some of the reasons why.

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT

Meeting and integrating with the spirit of Merlin

Things had been progressing towards this all year. Firstly I had met Arthur’s shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). at Tintagel, and he tasked me with keeping Merlin’s legacy alive by connecting up and re-energising sacred sites. Then shades that I interacted with began to call me “Son of Merlin”, which I took to mean “follower” rather than literal progeny, or “spiritual inheritor” perhaps. Finally, at Dinas Emrys, it all came together and I descended into the Underworld to meet with Merlin’s shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life)., and as we emerged onto earth we merged in a kind of Rosicrucian marriage of male and female energies.

Of course, all of this can and perhaps should be seen symbolically, rather than literally. It works from any point of view – psychologically as the culmination of some form of inner desire, or as a desire to perpetuate a myth symbolically because it serves some psychological purpose. I’m sure it could be read many ways. For me, it was the fulfilment of my magical self. It was the integration of the intention with the delivery. It was the satisfaction of the edict “Make magick manifest”.

Meeting Brian Conquer and Feeling The Goddess in Glastonbury

Man, I almost forgot this. I was thinking about something completely unrelated and suddenly the whole experience came back to me and I had to add this bit into the post on 14th January 2011.

I remember being at the Chalice Well Gardens this year and meeting Brian Conquer, “Just a silly little Hedge Druid” as he described himself to some American tourists in search of free wisdom. I was intrigued by him - his eyes told me he knew many things and together we scolded those who leave Nature in a mess and praised those who make their own tools with love and care. That made me think of Oonagh.

Later, as I walked around the grounds he caught up with me and gave me a precious gift – a rugged clear quartz crystal. “Take that and go stand between the yew trees.” he instructed with a twinkle in his eye. “Call for the goddess.” I did what he said and minutes later she responded by visiting me – getting right inside me - expanding my aura to an incredible size and strength. So much so that a lady who was standing behind me went nuts, “Oh my God!” she kept screaming, “That’s AMAZING!“. I knew. I was feeling it. A stunning unforgettable moment for which I will repay Mr Conquer one day. 2011 is my year of service, after all.

WHAT I LEARNED

Here is a list of the twenty most valuable lessons that I learned from this year’s tasks, quests, encounters and experiences….

The Bull sigil

1. Sacred sites have an energetic imprint that can be dowsed. This imprint or sigil can reveal information about significant dates associated with the site. For example, the date when the site is most energetic, or the date when the site was created. Some reveal a sigil specific to the resident Genius LociGenius Loci means 'spirit of the place' and refers to the geological/gaian spirit of place. It is transfixed to a place – being an embodiment of the collective intelligence of the place..

2. Most sacred sites have some form of astrological alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. – either they are oriented towards the Sun, Moon (as calendars), or they may be designed upon a sacred number that is associated with a particular planet, or they are imbued with (or resonate to) the frequency of energetic emanations from particular stars. Often particular entrances can be found that align to celestial bodies, or significant stones are aligned to these heavenly objects are particular times of the year. These then act as guides to the types and timings of subtle energies within that sacred space.

3. There is a fourth kind of subtle energyA form of energy that has so far eluded scientific definition. It is neither electric, magenetic, nor electro-magnetic, so far as our current technical equipment can measure. It does, however, exhibit many of the characteristics of magnetism and electricity in terms of its effects and properties. It may be a form of either or both of those energies that we have not yet identified. beyond the male, female and neutral forms – Primal Energy. This is energy without gender association, and which has yet to be shaped or transformed by any agency such as the sun, moon or human. We recognised it first in crop circles, but then realised that we had been dealing with it energetically for some time without knowing what it was. I do nto have a clear distinction in my mind between primal and neutral energy forms and this is something I will endeavour to clear up in next year’s work.

4. It is possible to imbue objects with energy such that they can retain that energy and it can be drawn out from the object at a later date by those who are aware of it. The energy imbued is in a primal energy form – neither male nor female until shaped after extraction. One one occasion I absorbed the remaining spirit energy from an ancient dying oak tree before it was lost completely.

5. It is important to have a purpose when visiting sacred spaces. Having a purpose means that the rewards from the visit are less random, and the information can be chained together over a period of time leading to pools of new insights, rather than just patches of new knowledge.

6. Spirits are real. Whether these be further sub-divided into spirit, shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). or ghost I have come to learn that they have a real existence beyond my imagination. This has seen a complete reversal in my belief system on these subjects. Previously I imagined them to be something created by humans, or were simply an expression of Nature in her many forms. Now I know that they are sentient and purposeful in their own right, and only an expression of Nature insomuch as we are all an expression of Nature.

7. I have developed trust and lost a fear of the dark. By walking barefoot at sacred sites for much of the year, even at night, I have learned to overcome my fear of being hurt, and to place my trust in those spirits who are concerned with my welfare.

8. The earth’s energy grid is in need of healing. I have been led to this conclusion by many different experiences over the year. At the start of the year I was told to go and re-awaken some sites. Later I would re-energise and link sites up. After that I would create my own neutral energy bridge between sites after pledging to take this role on, in the spirit of Merlin. I suspect that we have simply demolished, destroyed, desecrated and saturated too many of our “earth acupuncture” points on the earth grid upon which our islands lay. I feel it is my task to make what efforts I can to re-energise these points, especially after the death of Hamish Miller this year.

9. Arbor Low is a hub for neutral energy lines. This finding sparked a deep investigation into the nature of neutral energy. We later found that this sacred site was particularly beneficial for learning. I spent a time tracing where these neutral radial lines went to and found some amazing correlations which all need further investigation.

10. Stimulating, cleansing and closing the Chakras are a means to controlling the flow of subtle energyA form of energy that has so far eluded scientific definition. It is neither electric, magenetic, nor electro-magnetic, so far as our current technical equipment can measure. It does, however, exhibit many of the characteristics of magnetism and electricity in terms of its effects and properties. It may be a form of either or both of those energies that we have not yet identified. between the human energy form and other energy repositories. I spent a long time this year working through these processes at various sites and found the whole process very mystical and beneficial to my understanding of how the human energy system can be controlled.

11. The sacred geometrical numbers five, six, seven, eleven and twelve kept cropping up this year. Particularly, ’5+7=12′ and ’5+6=11′ were important equations. The 12 equation represented the current order of things: five being man, seven being spirituality and twelve being civilisation. The 11 equation seemed to represent an alternative or older way of thinking: five being man again, six being magick, and eleven being a bridge between worlds. It was like I was being shown that there was an alternate route to a higher consciousness through other numbers than those which society currently enshrined.

12. My spirit guide can be communicated with via symbols of crosses, particularly ancient Celtic crosses. It took a visit to Ireland to discover this, but I have since found it useful in this country too. I haven’t found out why this is so yet.

13. Wounds from the past can be healed by acts of redemption in the present. I found this out when I was encouraged to clean up a local pond. I took a day off work to do it. No-one saw it, no-one helped me, but when I had finished I had healed a deep distant scar from yesteryear.

14. The Arthurian metaphor works best for me. The symbols of the dragonDragons are spirit or energetic beings that reside in sacred sites and have a particular location in them and also move throughout the day (and or season). They also leave the sacred site on occasion, which again differentiates them from Genius Loci which don’t. (spiritual energy), Merlin (celestial energyThis is a term that I use to collectively describe any energetic influences that reach us from celestial sources. As with its companion term ‘Telluric EnergyA general term encompassing all forms of earth-bound or earth-generated energy. This is in differentiation to forms of celestial energy. Telluric energy can be both subtle energy and what we may call “gross” energy – in other words, energy that can be measured by current scientific instrumentation and which is electro-magnetic in nature.’ the energies of the celestial sphere are many and varied, ranging from cosmic rays (which can be scientifically measured), the sun’s various energy frequencies, the reflected energies of the Sun which arrive via the Moon, and those of the stars and planets within and beyond our solar system.), Arthur (earth energy) and all those associated medieval concepts – these are the images that I work best to interpret and bring through into my magickal learning. There is no value in my spending time learning any other symbol system or lore.

15. The star Sirius has emerged as an important energetic influenceon many things – it affects fertility, offers protection from harmful radiation, is a facilitator of the enlightenment process, radiates a blue light that resonates with our throat chakra, and it provides a strong motivational energy.

16. Weather systems are very complex and shouldn’t be toyed with. It almost didn’t need saying, yet I learned a valuable lesson when I tried it.

17. Crystals and incense are valuable tools for creating the right atmosphere, and for taking the burden when performing magickal rituals. I am now well stocked with both and appreciate their value after extensive use this year.

18. Giving promotes the right state to receive. This year I have done a lot of energy healing on humans and sacred sites. I have also done more charitable work than ever. All of this has been done unbidden and I in return I feel that I have been offered more gifts than I can possibly take on board. I hope to continue with this form of work.

19. Using the proper respect when dealing with sentient entities has led to easier access to their knowledge and beneficence.

20. Coloured energy lines can be used to reveal a picture of the energy status of a site. For example, black lines indicate an unhealthy influence on the site, whereas white, gold and purple lines are very positive and healthy. This is an area that deserves a more detailed examination next year.

THE HARDEST LESSON

In amongst all of the good things that happened there were some hard lessons. If I were to resolve all of those lessons down to the one important factors that is going to change the way I view life then it would be this…

Warning signs should be heeded.

The leprechaun energies of Ireland taught me that. Now I pay special attention. Signs generally are more worthy of our attention, especially if we are following the ‘flow of the universeTo join with the flow of the universe is to follow a natural progression in tune with Nature’s own direction of development. Religion has called this concept “following the divine will”, but then has proceeded to make it a law, rather than a useful option for personal and communal progress.’ through the ‘wheel of the year’ (see glossary). The more in attunement with Nature, the more we should pay attention to her signs.

The consequences of ignoring signs deliberately can be dire and dramatic.

NEW PATHS STARTED

When the Wheel of the Year turns around to a new year it is very difficult to see where the rotation of the wheel will take you on that journey, or what wonder you will pass on the way. This year here are some of the new paths that I have ventured down, or threads that I have picked up from previous years’ work.

Spirits (including Siddha). Specifically I have become attuned to and aware of a spirit guide. Beyond that I have extended my awareness to include a spirit helper for healing, and have acknowledged a spirit guardian. Up until this year I would say that I was one of the last people who would have acknowledged these forces, yet they have graciously made their presence known when requested to do so, and I have received nothing but help and kindness from them.

Shades. I had no dealings at all with death energies of energy forms until Kal relinquished his dealings with them part way through this year. Then, from that moment on, I seemed to get requests to learn about and deal with shades. Shades, as we denote them, are the remnant energy forms of spirits that once inhabited human bodies. Having moved on they can leave a form behind unless this energy is grounded properly (as it was in earthen mounds in ancient times through ritual and right attitudes to death).

Ash staff. I have found and restored an ash staff this year. It is now one of the most treasured objects that I take with me to sacred sites. My interactions with the staff have been crucial this year, and it has become a powerful druidical tool for me to wield out in Nature.

OLD PATHS DISCARDED

Of course, no path is ever completely discarded – it is only passed by on this journey. Later in the journey the path may re-appear. However, these are the aspects of my spiritual journey that I have chosen not to pursue further unless I need to.

Crop circles. After finding that they were created by extra-terrestrial forces and then filtered through Siddha, we gave up trying to understand their relevance to us on our spiritual quest. They remain an interesting quirk that I predict will end by 2013.

Tarot. Although I have found a talent for using the cards I have found little use for them despite believing that I would. I am not discarding them completely, and I encourage anyone to use them if they would be of value, but for me they have little use compared to the inter-relationship with spirit forces. I think the cards are just a means to access this same information anyway, and I now prefer a direct spiritual connection rather than a symbolic one. Again, I re-iterate, they have their uses, but I don’t see much use for them myself. Watch next year be totally dominated by tarot now!!

THE UNEXPECTED

There always seems to be something unexpected arising on my journey. This year I have been surprised by getting involved in the following things….

1. Shades and spirits – thought they we a bit of nonsense, actually, but found I was very very wrong. Might all still be in my mind, but if that’s the case then my mind is very very wrong!
2. Charity work – I wasn’t one for doing “good deeds” until this year. Then gradually I have been finding myself saying ‘yes’ to more and more events, and going off doing things just for the sake of it and without recognition or reward. Most unlike me! But I like the new me.
3. Psychics – I met a psychic and listened to him rather than laughed at him. Well, I could hardly laugh at him now that I was talking to spirits myself! Anyway – turns out he made a great deal of sense, and has been very insightful. I am pleased that I was led along this path to meet him.

WHERE THIS LEADS ME

Looking back I think that all of this leads me to begin the next year by turning my attentions to the following areas:-

Colour dowsing – I need to know what the colours mean (for me) and what colours can be found in Nature and specifically at sacred sites.

Sacred geometry – I kind of left this one hanging, but I mean to dowse for the sacred structure of stone circles and see if this has an astrological correspondence.

Earth energy grid – I want to determine why certain sacred sites seem to be linked together energetically, and if those links are damaged I want to set about repairing them, to restore the sites to their full working capacity where possible.

Book – yes, folks, I have been ‘advised’ that I should write a book. Never one to question the muses I will be putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) almost as soon as this post goes live. I don’t even know what it’s about yet, but I’m hoping ‘unseen forces’ can help there. I hope to post status updates through next year.

SUMMARY

Of course next year I will continue to follow the seasons and the Wheel of the Year, but I suspect I will not be as keen to mark every full moon. Yet the full moon is definitely an indicator for me that the energies around that time can be put to good magickal use and I will continue to preference dates close to full moons as opposed to their strict calendrical dates.

This year has been the most remarkable year of my life so far. Thanks, as ever, to my faithful sidekick Kal for his courage, inspiration and motivation - he truly does make this all worth the effort. Thanks, too, to those who have helped me. That includes you. dear readers, who have have witnessed my remarkable year on these pages, and I hope that you too have been inspired to go out and make your life’s quest as meaningful and magickal as you can. I am looking forward to what next year will bring if only to see if it could possibly match the wonders of this year.

Happy New Year, folks.

Gwas.

Related posts:-

• My Eight-Fold Year – The First Four Folds
• My Eight-Fold Year – The Final Four Folds

Bakewell, Derbyshire – Saturday, 20th November

The air was charged with a sense of the impending arrival of Winter and the festive season. I could smell ice – a talent I have developed since I broke into the world of druidry. Bakewell town was alive with well-wrapped people jostling to see potential presents in the rows of unique shops that the town’s inner sanctum exhibits. Kal and I had just finished our lunch at one of the local cafés, and stopped to admire a tree in the town centre that we had somehow never noticed before – it was a bare ash tree adorned with coloured lights, and making many people stop to admire it.

I wanted to do some work with spirits and decided that Bakewell Church, with its ancient Celtic cross, seemed like an appropriate place. We walked away from the throng and up towards the hill upon which the church was perched like a gothic gargoyle overseeing the business of the town below.

Bakewell Church at a jaunty angle

Overlooked by several tall townhouses we nevertheless had the place almost to ourselves. By now we were used to working in the glare of the public spotlight, so we were unfazed by curious onlookers as they passed through the churchyard starting at us and our obvious tourism. How times have changed! Only a year ago this would have been very uncomfortable, and we would have had to do this work in the late evening or even at night. Now, we were unabashed.

We investigated the cross with our trusty copper L-rods, but it had been enclosed in iron and now had no energy left at all. It had once been strongly energetic, we reckoned, but this had been completely banished by the imprisoning iron cage. All that was left was inert decorated stone, but pleasingly decorated with swirls and animal carvings that we knew to be symbolic in many instances of the subtle earth energy flows. In this instance, however, it felt out of time and place, and I longed to have seen it in its original position, uncaged, possibly acting as an acupuncture point to mark and manipulate the earth energy beneath it.

A cross that looks strangely out of place

Releasing the Old Lady

We turned our attentions to other work. Kal identified a shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). which he found to be at one end of a bench near to the stone cross. He then wandered off to find other work to do (kicking his feet out at the spot where he had found the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). in mock repugnance to ward off its clinging draining tendencies). Ah, the simple life of a sidekick – in every sense!

When I asked which shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). I should work with the rods led me to that same shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life).. (For a definition of a shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life)., please see our Glossary page). I prepared to do some work along the lines of what I had been reading by various spirit rescue workers. Firstly I put up a lot of protection and lit some incense surreptitiously underneath the bench. The gentle aroma of Nag Champa drifted lazily up into the cool afternoon air making some passers-by sniff curiously as they wandered past.

Despite the cold chill in the air I found it relatively easy to slip into a light trance after a few minutes of quiet meditation. I have mentioned my meditation technique in previous posts (also available in audio format as the first podcast ‘Natural MagickThis is a system of belief that is often defined as being the appropriation and re-use of naturally occurring forces for the purposes of healing, transformation, communication, or a host of other subtle effects. The natural elements of the magick can also be seen by the under-pinning concept that the use of these forces should be co-operative rather than coercive. Ritual‘ – see Podcast page). It has varied slightly since I first developed it, but whichever element feels most important I try that, and then see what works 0n any given day. Today I connected to The Sun and The Moon, and with The Earth. A stalwart visualisation that usually works in all situations. Once grounded in the earth and centred in a bubble around myself I set up some hardened protection for my ‘shell of light’. I brought in some light blue energy because I felt that was most protective in this instance. My energetic sphere reacted accordingly, solidifying against unwanted energies permeating my space.

I turned my attention to the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). beside me on the bench. I tried to let the image of whoever it was appear in my mind and soon I was seeing an old lady with short white hair, kind of trendy looking, in a long knitted dress with grey and black hoops stretching all the way down to her black boots. She looked thoroughly modern, and a little vacant, distant, unattentive – world-weary, almost.

I reached out my energy to mentally tap her on the shoulder. I asked her if she knew she was dead and she said she did, but that she was staying because she thought her family still needed her. I understand that asking such a question is bad form, now, so I won’t do that again. Lessons learned every day, and I’m new to this work.

I asked her if she was really needed here, and whether she ought not to move on now. She agreed that things had changed since she first decided to stay, and now she would be happy to go. I offered to help and she shrugged, which I took to be a non-committal sign that she would be prepared to leave if I assisted. I intended to, if only because I needed the practise with a mild-mannered shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). such as this before I would even contemplate anything more intense. I realise this was a semi-selfish act, in that I was primarily practising my art, with her release as a secondary effect of this. Such is life and death – I will atempt to rectify this in future, because I am essentially good at heart.

A gloom-laden Bakewell Church

I tried to imagine a light for her, and to generate some love and compassion but it wasn’t my day – neither felt like they were being generated. Something wasn’t right – I was doing something wrong. I snapped out of trance and picked up my dowsing rods – I needed some help here! (Serves me right for being selfish, huh?) I dowsed if some crystals would help me, and the rods swung quickly to say ‘yes’. The dowsing rods indicated my single rose coral crystal would be the most useful. Of course! This was the crystal that the lady in the folly tower crystal shop in Ryde on the Isle of Wight had said would be the most useful for my work when I needed my heart. And here was just such a need.

I placed the coral crystal against my heart, filled it with love, and then placed the crystal on the seat where the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). was hovering. This time when I imagined light there was a huge phosphorescence in one corner of my eyes towards which I could feel the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). moving. I implored my spirit guide to assist with the release. In a blinding flash and dissolution of the light I knew that the sending had been completed. The dowsing rods confirmed this.

I was pleased to have possibly been of some help, but I was more pleased that I had found a good method for doing this work involving the coral crystal – this seemed to fulfill the prophecy that the crystal shop lady had made, and that closed off at least one long loop of coincidence. Now I felt ready for more of this work, and more confident about having a method to do it.

Gwas.

Harthill Moor, Derbyshire – Saturday 20th November

We picked our way carefully down the slope towards Doll Tor. “Give me more details!” I hear you say, “How do I find Doll Tor?” You find it when you’re ready, and if you’re committed enough. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy this tale instead. Where was I? Oh yes, we picked our way through the cow-rutted clods and across swamps of mud until our feet hit solid ground on the small path that takes you down to the circle, tucked away out of sight in a clump of trees. Kal, as usual, had taken an alternate route that didn’t endanger his trainer-shod feet, whereas I was sensibly attired and ploughed through the middle. Always taking the middle way, eh? It was a good job I had good balance.

I had been warned by our friendly druid at the Nine Stones that there were some ‘decorations’ (known colloquially as ‘clouties’) left at Doll Tor from the Samhain celebrations. Little did I realise quite how intrusive those decorations were until we arrived at the circle. May I just take a moment here to say this to all those who go celebrating at sacred sites – I was always told that the mark of a respectful pagan is that when they have finished you would hardly know they had been there. This has stuck with me, but some, it seems, never got the message. All the trees around the circle were covered in coloured ribbons, either tied around their trunks or wrapped around branches. Several mobiles hung from the trees too. Pretty, but as we were about to discover, not always beneficial.

Pretty ribbons strangling the trees

We began dowsing to assess the the character of the site – always useful to have an impression of how the site is feeling and how it is reacting on any particular visit so that you can tune in to do your best work. This day we found that the energy was not very good there and it was because the good energy associated with the ribbons at the time of their placement had worn off. In fact, some of the people who had tied the ribbons were still energetically linked to them, and because they were not giving off good energies, so that was feeding into the site’s energy field too, by some form of quantum mechanical linkage (in the sense of action at a distance).

There was also a bunch of white flowers laid in the centre of the circle. This had been good, but now was allowing harmful energies to come into the site like some kind of conduit. There was an important lesson being learnt here: objects retain links to their donators unless those links are deliberately severed.

Gifts with links

We worked out fairly quickly from discovering this that out purpose here today would be to break the links between the people and their ribbons, mobiles and flowers. Whilst we found that they had been drawing in good energies at the time they were given, some of the objects were not attracting bad energies through those links. Maybe the people who had donated them were giving off bad vibes, or having bad luck? Either way, the links had to be neutralised, and so we set about doing that.

Kal did one side while I did the other. We lit incense (on a still day for a change) because this seemed to offer a better option for cleansing than crystals. I walked once around the perimeter of the site, widdershins, cleansing its aura. Then I meditated to cleanse, power up and protect myself. I could see Kal doing the same.  When ready we lit more incense and wafted it around the trunks of the trees affected by this bad energy connection (not all were).

The air was pungent and swirling with the wisps of opium incense as it wove its way around each tree , gathering curiously around the coloured ribbons and moving its cleansing air-force through the twirling diagonal mobiles. I imagined that the spirits of the air and fire were assisting with our work. When the last tree was done we planted incense around the decaying bunch of flowers in the centre of the circle and as we did so the air lifted indescribably and subtly as the last bond was released.

When we finished that was all there was to do here so we left, happy that we had done some useful work today. So, beware. If you intend to leave gifts for the goddess, please make the unconditional and unlinked gifts. By all means add your love and gratitude, but please disconnect your self from the act, leaving the gift quantumly untainted!

Gwas.

Nine Ladies stone circle, Stanton Moor, Derbyshire – October 13th 2010

Firstly, apologies for the poor quality of the pictures used in this post. I forgot to bring my camera and had to rely on the camera on my phone to get some contextual images. At least they illustrate the point, even if they wouldn’t make a decent backdrop.

Let’s start the post with a giggle. Raise your hands all of you who expected that Kal would have learned his lesson about approaching the grumpy old oak tree that sits alongside the Nine Ladies stone circle! How many raised their hands? All of you? Well, you’d all be right. We arrived, stood for a moment comtemplating the beauty of the circle from fifty feet away, and then Kal bounded over to the oak tree almost demanding that it communicate positively with him. I laughed at the sheer inevitability of what was to come. A poke in the eye from a low-hanging branch for Kal, yet again!

I approached the tree sedately, feeling its aura close to its canopy of still-green leaves. I skirted the edge, rounding the tree once widdershins, occasionally letting its lower outer branches stroke my face. Then, at the correct entrance point I stopped to ask if I might enter. I felt a slight tug at what I am now calling, in Castenada’s terms, the Assemblage Point, and I knew I was alright to enter. We got on, this tree and I. I knew it demanded a careful respect, and I was amenable to that. After all – I was invading its space, not the other way around. Kal grumbled about its grumpiness and I chuckled, reminding him of what he needed to do in order to pass into the tree’s favour. He grumbled again. He hates deference. I don’t call it deference, I call it mutual respect, and that makes the whole thing work automatically, like automatically saying ‘sorry’ if you bump into someone, no matter who bumped into whom.

The Cleaning Job

As Kal paid his penance at the foot of the oak tree I headed to the circle of small stones that formed the dainty monument that is Nine Ladies. Something felt funny, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was exactly. I decided I needed the help of my dowsing rods. I cleaned them down (a matter of stroking the rods from stem to tip and shaking your hand afterwards – a mere ritual, but it seems to keep the rods free of energetic interference). After cleaning I readied the rods in my usual shoot-from-the-hip stance, elbows in at my side and rods perfectly balanced and level, free to swivel as the energies may direct them.

I asked the rods a question, “Did this circle need re-balancing of the energies?” – in other words, was there too much of one particular type of energy? NO. OK, now for the follow up, “Did this circle need cleansing?” – i.e. was there an influx of unusual energy not native to the circle that could be causing disruption to its function? YES.

Distinguishing these two types of energy work is important, I feel. Re-balancing and cleansing are two very different activities requiring different approaches. For re-balancing I seek to either draw up and create more energy for anything that is required to create a balance between the energy types, or else I dampen down the effect of an over-lively energy form in order to bring it back to the levels of the other energies at the site. Cleansing requires me to eliminate some ‘alien’ energy form (usually human-sourced) and to leave the site with only its natural energies (unless the alien energy is actually benefiting the site).

Which brings me to my final question before I begin the work, “Is the additional energy beneficial to the site?”. NO. Right, then it did need to be dealt with. Could I use incense for this work? YES. How many sticks would be required to cleanse the energy? SIX. Six!” Seriously?? That was more than I had ever needed to use before for such work. Usually it’s two, three, maybe four. Six was something that took this work to new heights for me.

Incensed at having to clean this circle

I lit the incense sticks, placed them where the rods dictated I should, and then dowsed for how long they would take to clear the problem energy – six minutes. Ha, today was all sixes! Strange. Next I noticed another strange coincidence.

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