Autumn Equinox, 2009

This is several days late – so sorry but I was away for the new moon, then thought I’d combine them – then it got away from me! Obviously I could use some autumnal balance!!!

Calling the circle
As we contemplate equinox, we summon the fresh breath of the spirits of the East, spirits of springtime, new beginnings, new starts. The promise of the sunrise, the strength and energy of youth – the cool air, blowing away doubt and stagnation. The power of life. We call the spirits of the East and ask them to join our circle.

We call now to the spirits of the South, spirits of summer – the power of the sun at midday as it creates passion, motivation, energy, movement. strength, power, warmth, clarity, motivation, energy, movement. The power of light, illuminating us. The fire that is our passion, burning deeply within is always. We call the spirits of the South and ask them to join our circle.

And we call to the spirits of the West. The power and truth of our deepest intuition – our love, our emotions. A sunset over a calm ocean, a still lake reflecting back the sky, the still waters that run deep, deep within. Element of water, emanating the power of love. We call to the spirits of the West and ask them to join our circle.

Now we call the spirits of the North. Spirits of midnight, dark moonless skies in winter, places where truths are told. Element of earth, grounding us. Power of law, karma, ancestral wisdom, we call to the spirits of the North and we ask them to join our circle.

And we call to those spirits above us, the moon in her many faces, angels, stars, heavens, light beings everywhere, those souls not yet incarnate. Children of our children. We call the spirits above and ask them to join us.

And we call to the spirits below us, to the earth that grounds us and keeps us steady, the green kingdom with its deep roots and to the lava beneath the crust that impassions us. We call the spirits below and ask them to join us.

Finally, we call to the spirits of the center, where all the directions meet and merge and where they meet and merge in each one of us. The central flame. The sacred spirit. This circle is closed, a safe and sacred circle where everyone is welcome and free to express themselves.

Equinox thoughts/Talking stick
Some of you know this – but I’ve felt for a while now that perhaps it is time for me to let go of writing this blog, at least on a committed regular basis, writing it in a more free-flowing way. I have been trying to commit through Samhain, which feels a good time to let the structure go – but then at this new moon and equinox, it became logistically difficult to write this in time – so maybe that new, more freely flowing state has already begun.

I have decided to make a few new commitments in the next few months, some of which I’ll write about as they happen, but that is a lot of it – but much of this decision revolves around my inability to be as open and honest with my writing as I used to be. So much of my life is about Gary and Owen, and their growth right now is very vivid and many times intense, and, as such, quite personal, and I just can’t violate their privacy by sharing it here. So, I am left writing in generalities in a way that doesn’t feel authentic.

So, I believe the next phase begins on its own accord, and this phase comes to a natural end. I’ve said this before, but I am very open to the meditation and sharing of others for this blog – feel free to send along anything you’d like posted. And in the meantime, I will post as the Goddess moves me – which may be at every moon – and may not. As the flow goes!

Thank you all for your ongoing love, support and tremendous feedback over these 5+ years. It continues to be the most rewarding part of doing this.

Meditation
Imagine yourself lying on the ground beneath a beautiful but leafless old oak tree, in the middle of a field, under a starry, windless sky. The ground feels warm but the breeze is cool, whispering in the breath of autumn. As you breathe in and out feel that you are breathing in time with the stars, that you are a part of the setting that surrounds you. Then allow yourself to imagine that you are getting smaller – smaller and smaller until you are so small that you can stand up and walk into the tree that you were lying underneath. Walking into the tree, looking up, note the vast branch system, how tall and high it is, looking down, note the vast root system, reaching down into the earth farther than you can see. Then, notice that one of the roots is larger than the others, and resembles a spiral staircase. Imagine then stepping onto the 13th step, the step of transformation, then spiraling down and around and inward to the 12th step, then down and around to the 11th and the 10th, spiraling down and around and inward to the 9th, then the 8th, then around and inward to the 7th and the 6th step. Then, pausing on the sixth step, note that as you look up you can no longer see the top, and looking down, that you can no longer see the bottom. You are standing in the middle of the spiral, in a moment of infinite perfection. If there is anything that you are carrying that you don’t want to take with you on your journey, you can leave it on this step. Continuing then to the 5th step and the 4th, spiraling around to the 3rd and the 2nd and then finally the 1st step, then stepping into a clearing with four doorways, each pointing in one of the four directions. Imagine yourself walking down the pathway that heads west.

It is sunset, and it is magnificent. The sky is muted palette of colour; gold, blue, purple, pink, orange, lit by the final moments of the setting sun, disappearing beneath a tall hill, behind a lake. You begin to walk the pathway around the lake, a soft, winding path that leads to the lake’s source, a stream where a natural pool has formed. The light is reflecting off of the pool, shining gold and pink. Around the pool a circle is gathering, preparing for a ceremony. You step into the circle, finding your place within it, as do the others – friends, ancestors, guides who have come to this place to share this moment with you. The last one to enter the circle is your wise woman, who comes to stand beside you.

You stand in the power of the setting sun, feeling it fill you with peace. The air is still, but full of the power of change – the change of light, the change of seasons. You are aware of the passing of summer – the time of manifestation as your wise woman asks you to step forward to the center of the circle, toward the pool. You step into the pool, which is deep enough for you to be fully immersed. Letting go completely, you feel your body relaxing into the water – floating gently and feeling the beautiful gold and pink light completely fill you. Then, you go deeper into the water, finding that you can breathe quite easily. You find your way all the way to the bottom. It is hard to see there, but as you reach the bottom, you feel that you have also reached the core of yourself. All the truth that you need to know about yourself, your life, those around you is revealed to you here at the bottom of the lake. Anything that you no longer need, that no longer serves you, can be let go of here as well. When you are ready, you return to the surface to rest in the light of the sunset, filling with deep love as you contemplate your new knowledge. When you are ready, you return to the circle. Others in the circle go into the pool as well and return lit by the light of sunset and their own truth. Finally, when everyone is ready, your wise woman steps forward and the energy of love and light becomes so powerful that you find you can direct it wherever it needs to go – to all the people and places that need that light.

When you feel that your time in the circle is complete, your wise woman leads you to a beautiful stone table that has appeared, filled with all kinds of food and drink, and those in your circle join you at the table for a beautiful celebration. You can converse freely with them here.

When the meal is finished and it is time to go, you step back into the circle with the others. The love is powerfully emanating from the pool and you are able to take that energy once again and direct it wherever it needs to go, knowing that love heals everything. When you are ready, you say your goodbyes to your guides, friends, ancestors. Finally, you say goodbye to your wise woman, and head away from the circle, back along the soft path to the beach. When you get back to the doorway, you give one last look then walk through the door.

Stepping back up onto the first step, spiraling upward and outward to the second step and the third, and upward and outward to the third step and the fourth. Then spiraling around to the fifth and the sixth step, and pausing now on the sixth step, retrieving anything that you left behind before, or just leaving it behind in that perfect moment in infinity. Climbing now to the seventh and upward to the eighth, upward and outward to the ninth, then the tenth, and around to the eleventh and the twelfth and then finally to the thirteenth step, the step of transformation, then back into to the tree. Stepping out of the tree, you find your place beneath it, again enjoying the sweet night air. Then feeling your consciousness return to the space you are in, and, when ready opening your eyes.

Prayers for our circle

Love to all of you – this whole circle. I am so lucky to have you.

Love and many blessings,

Tara