Merrily Meet!
The Witchcraft Dawning Newsletter will be conducting a general education on Witchcraft for the next couple of mailings.
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*Editors Note:
I'd like to give a Special Thanks to a nice person who gave me an idea as to what She was interested in seeing in this newsletter.... That article will completed and delivered to her (and all the other subscribers) in the next edition. I'd tell you all what that topic is, but then it'd ruin the surprise and I'm not about to take all the fun away. In anycase, You know who you are :) Thankyou for your time and input, which is always welcome from anyone.
~Markus
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*Meditation
Our next lesson will address practical meditation techniques and the uses of imagery and visualization as productive aids.
Meditation can be a powerful tool in preparing ourselves for ritual, and in our
daily lives, a powerful centering of our focus and energies. By focusing and centering, the awareness of our inner selves, spirits, and life force energies are drastically improved and heightened. With this comes the ability to improve or benefit our lives and the lives of others with direction, motivation, decision making, and the sharing of love and happiness. By simply paying close attention to your body, mind and spirit, it is truly amazing how much you can learn about yourself and existence. Sages have said through the centuries, "The world is right here, all we have to do is empty our minds and open ourselves to receive it".
Today, the world is flooded by an almost infinite amount of "self help" books and techniques. One of the common elements of these books and techniques is the concept of "changing" ourselves. To "change" ourselves usually takes a fair amount of discipline, manipulation, conflict, confusion, torture, effort and unnatural contraint. In effect, by trying to "change" ourselves in such an unnatural way, we deny a part of ourselves behind the mask of "bettering ourselves", only to realize that we graduate into an even more fragmented existence.
As we become more in tune with our existence and where we are at "right now," we are given the ability to discover and become more aware of ourselves: our strengths, our weaknesses; whatever change that needs to happen usually takes place by itself without our planning or intervention. As our self awareness and our surrounding awareness deepen, we develop the ability to live in balance with our life force instead of frustrating ourselves with trying to be different.
There are many visualization and imagery techniques that are very powerful and we will discuss only a few; to discuss them all would be entirely too long and deprive you of finding your own personalized techniques. These are examples, to be used and altered as you see fit, meant to give you a creative platform.
Any meditation, visualization or imagery tool we use is best used after centering ourselves through a quick and effective breathing exercise.
To begin, take in a deep breath through your mouth, hold it for a second or two (but not to the point that it becomes uncomfortable), then exhale the breath through your nose at the same interval as the inhaling. As you breath in, feel the air passing through your throat, filling your lungs with life giving oxygen. As you hold it, feel your lungs as they expand to receive the life giving oxygen with gratitude. Exhale feeling the air as it passes from your lungs through your throat and out your nose, aware that from this air, the oxygen that once existed in it has been a gift to you in your striving to sustain life.
While doing this, allow all the mundane stresses flow from you with the exhaling. Forget work, school, the kids banging toys around that morning, the dog's yapping... relax body and mind, finding that small point in your head where you define yourself.
Once you are centered, you will be much more in tune with your meditative energies and your imageries and visualizations may be more powerful and significant.
If you are experiencing confusion in your life, a great imagery technique that can help is the "Pink Bubble" technique. In this excercise, you will begin by focusing on your breathing and as you center. At this point, an image of your confusion appears. You see a transparent pink bubble floating to this image and as it approaches, you see the image of your confusion surrounded by the bubble so as to be encased in it. You see the bubble floating off into the sky (you can even use an image of the great spirit or goddess holding the bubble and directing it into the sky), and eventually out of the earth into universe. As it floats into space, you become increasingly aware that your bubble and confusion has been turned over to the safe keeping of the great spirit of the universe, knowing that the answers will come to you through this open channel to the Divine.
Another simple but powerful imagery technique that is useful in deepening your awareness and focus involves a quick walk through the woods.
Note: The wise man involved in this exercise can be substituted with a wise woman, according to your preference.
Begin again by focusing on your breathing as you center. You are walking on a small dirt path in the woods just as dusk is falling. As you travel this path you see the overgrown weeds and grass both on and around it as well as the trees surrounding the path. How does the path feel beneath your feet? You are also aware of the sounds of birds in the distance and the feel of the soft breeze as it brushes your face. In the distance you see a flickering light of a small camp fire. As you approach it, the light grows until you can actually see the dancing flames. You see an old wise man sitting next to the fire and gazing into it. He sees you and he nods his head in acknowledgement of your presence. Notice the lines in his face and the length and color of his beard. You sit down next to him, and you grab a stick and begin poking the wood burning in the fire. You turn to the wise man and ask him a question that you have been pondering or that has been on your mind recently. As he continues to gaze into the light of the fire, he reaches down beside him and grabs a leather pouch. As he answers your question,
he reaches into the leather pouch and pulls out a small object. He reaches out and
grasps your hand as he places the object in it, informing you that he has been waiting for you to visit him, and he has prepared this item as a gift for you. What does it look and feel like? What is it? How do you feel holding it? You spend a couple of more minutes with the wise man and you finally stand up to begin your journey back. You thank the wise man for his time, words and gift as he informs you that you now know where to find him. You see a faint glimpse of a warm smile on his face as he hands you a touch with which to light your path.
You turn around and begin walking back on the path on which you came until you are back, here in the room.
These are just a few of many powerful centering imageries. As you grow in your visualizations and awareness, your energies become focused, purposive and directed. Remember, what is important is your experience in imagery. Whatever comes from your subconscious in the form of imagery is what you are 'supposed' to experience.
Hope this information is useful and productive for you on your path of focusing of energies!
Until next time, Merry Part and Bright Blessings!
Article by,
RalphM
ralphmj@hotmail.com
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Editors:
Markus
Witchcraft Dawning Webmaster
http://www.oocities.com/CollegePark/4885/index.html
witchdawn@hotmail.com
&
RalphM
ralphmj@hotmail.com
(
geocities.com/collegepark)