The Magic of the Winter Solstice (Yule)

December has brought snow and freezing temperatures to the UK this year. Although we are experiencing the usual chaos, as I look in my garden I can see a wonderful robin sitting on the hat of my statue, Rosie Lee, who stands in the pond and the Oak tree looks lovely with the snow on its boughs. Other birds are coming and going feasting on the food we have put out for them.

My thoughts are turning to the Winter Solstice, a Pagan festival also known as Yule and one of the most sacred and magical of the festivals. The Winter Solstice falls on the 21st December, the shortest day of the year and the longest night, and was celebrated in Britain long before Christianity. It is the turning point of the year when the sun starts to grow stronger and traditionally in Celtic Shamanic practices the Druids would cut the Mistletoe from the Oak tree and give it as a blessing as it stands for fertility and birth. Pagans are known as “people of the land” or “country dwellers” and celebrating these Pagan Festivals is now more common with many of us turning to Shamanic practices as we become more aware of the effect we have on the earth and our environment.

Pagans celebrate the rebirth of the Sun at Yule and bring holly and ivy into their homes to symbolise the masculine and feminine elements and as they are evergreen this signifies that the earth never dies but just sleeps during the winter months. The Winter Solstice is a solar festival as the sun enters Capricorn and the Oak King challenges and triumphs over the Holly King and the Sun God is born.

This year the Yule festival is also a Full Moon so it is a time to make plans for the future and set goals as this is a time of hope, love and joy when creative energies are awakened. Holly, representing the Holly King, ivy, the Goddess, and mistletoe, fertility, should decorate your home and a piece of holly should be on the main entrance to your home to invite good fortune all year.

Many of these old traditional practices are still around; the holly wreath on our front doors; oranges used to be given in Christmas stockings symbolising the Sun; food is flavoured with cloves and spices which would have hidden the taste of stale and rancid food and of course the chocolate Yule log is still very much in evidence at this time of year.

Our Yule fire will have an oak log on it and a piece will be saved for next year representing the never ending cycle. Any candles burnt should be white with a main candle for the festival and smaller ones for all those present. This is time to spend with family and friends to celebrate this magical time of the Pagan Year and to look forward to 2011 using our creative energy for the year ahead.

Full moon and the web of light

There was a lot in the press after the last Pagan festival, Samhain, with comments about the amount of time devoted to this Pagan festival. The word Pagan comes from the Latin paganus, country dweller and "people of the land". With more of us interested in the earth and connecting to nature it is no wonder we are participating in these festivals.

We used to recognise the cycles of the moon and how it affects our mood and the mood of those around us. Today, 21st November, we have a full moon, a time to get in touch with our true nature which is light. So with some relaxing music centre yourself and experience a state of peace, harmony and love. Hold your intention to experience the light that shines within you, allow your imagination to see this light and feel it emanating through you - the light is limitless and imagine it filling your body and then flowing from you to a web of light that spans the world and join the rest of us who will connect to tonight. Flow this light and experience inner harmony.

You can do this on a day to day basis as you move through your life.

Celebrating Samhain (Halloween)

On Sunday 31st October we have the Celtic fire festival, the Feast of the Dead when the veils between this world and the spiritual realms are at their thinnest to allow the living to commune with the spirits of the dead. Our psychic abilities are heightened and we can become aware of other energies around us.

Some Pagans celebrate this festival as the Celtic New Year as a time of death and rebirth. Pumpkin lanterns are lit, food is prepared, candles lit and photos used to honour those we want to remember. We can light a candle and say what we are remembering about that person who was dear to us. We ask them to be with us on this night and welcome them with love and joy.

I find this Festival very peaceful and a time to remember those dear to me, just a simple lighting of a candle and eating gives this focus. You can use flowers, chrysanthemums are the flowers of the dead and divination tools.Be prepared though for "things" to happen! My cat, a brown Burmese always sits with me on this night and watches events unfold, maybe he is remembering his sister as pets also travel to visit us.

Enjoy Samhain honouring and remembering the dead.

Creating a Sacred Place

Creating a sacred place in your home or garden is a way of having a focus on what is important to you at that time. In your home you would create it at the centre or heart of your home. This used to be the fireplace where people gathered and maybe for you it is now somewhere else.

You can decorate your place very simply with a candle and a special crystal. Shamans often add something for each of the elements - earth, fire, water and air - and whatever is appropriate for the time of year with flowers, herbs, leaves and twigs. It is Harvest Festival time and so pagans remember this season and give thanks for the harvest we have which will keep us through the long winter months.

Objects in your Sacred place often take on a deeper meaning and relate to the story of your spiritual life. You can also have a "shamans" bag with you to carry significant things.

Your Sacred Place is somewhere to be still and meditate and especially important with the approach of Samhain at the end of October.

Shamanic Journey to the Middle World

So on my previous two blogs I looked at the Upper World and Lower World, two shamanic journeys that most people talk about and there is another world, the Middle World. This is the one we physically inhabit although we are mostly oblivious of anything else here in the more subtle reality of this Middle World! We journey to the Middle World to deal with present issues we are facing now; we can increase our expertise with a skill or learn a new one by mentally rehearsing it without moving and we can travel backwards and forwards in time. This is the world of faeries, elves and the spirits of the elements. When we are very young many of us have the experience of 'seeing' these creatures. Did you ever have a 'friend' that no one else could see? I certainly did, but once I went to school he faded away.

So to your journey to the Middle World; again set your Intention; is there a current problem you want to solve or have you lost something you need to find? In the Middle World you can travel backwards for forwards in time. Use the drumming music, relax and find yourself at a familiar place (real not imaginary). It may be that tree and will be a place with happy memories. Here you will meet your Guardian Animal who will help you with your shamanic work. Notice what you see, hear and feel. Be aware of the difference between physical reality and subtle reality. Your Middle World place may look very different. You can now call out to your Guardian Animal and if the animal that appears is your Guardian Animal then you may experience this encounter with excitement. As before it is now time to come back to physical reality bringing your Guardian Animal with you and spend time getting to know this animal. Record your experience and ground yourself.

These are the Shamanic Journeys to the Lower, Upper and Middle Worlds. There are many other ways to access these worlds which are largely dependent on which ever culture/tradition you are following. For me I follow a more Celtic Shamanic way, using my favourite tree which enables me to have a point from which to journey.

For more information on journeying or help with guided meditation then please do email me colleen@spiritmystique.com and join me on my workshop "Bringing Shamanic Practices into Everyday Life" on 23rd and 24th September. Click here to view.

In the spirit of love, peace, joy and freedom.

Colleen

The Shamanic Journey to the Upper World

Following on from my previous Blog to the Lower World, I am now going to explore the Upper World Shamanic Journey. Here the landscape looks very different, more ethereal with clouds and crystals and can be like walking on marshmallow!

Again after relaxing and putting on your drumming music find that favourite tree and notice how the branches stretch way up to the sky. Climb the branches to the Upper World with your intention to explore this world and perhaps meet your spiritual teacher and mentor. Notice what you see, hear and feel. Is there anyone there? It is likely to be in human form and if this is your spiritual teacher then they are likely to have a gift for you.

On my first journey to the Upper World I met my Spiritual Teacher and had an awareness of the gift she gave me. I journey now when I have a question and find it is here that I get inspiration, knowledge and wisdom.

I usually record my experiences so I can track my Journeys and often find further insights happen when I do. It is important that after any journeying you "ground" yourself and the easiest way is to eat or drink something.

On my next Blog I'll explore the Middle World.

The Shamanic Journey

I thought I would share my thoughts and experiences about journeying and over my next few blogs and look at the 3 worlds, the Upper, Middle and Lower starting with the Lower World or Under World as it is known in Celtic Shamanism.

The benefits of meditation are now quite well known and journeying is a form of visual meditation a bit like lucid dreaming where you are part of the dream rather than just watching yourself in it and without a script. You need to be relaxed and physically comfortable and start by breathing out all your tiredness and tension and breathe in energy, power and love. You also need an eye mask to cut out any daylight and some drumming music designed for journeying to help you achieve the altered state of consciousness.

I remember my first journey quite clearly where I found a favourite tree and like Alice in Wonderland shrank and went through the roots to the Lower World. The landscape is what I would call "a world of nature" and it is here I met my Power Animal and Spirit Guides. You can also connect with your ancestors, as it is the world of our memories and traditions where we can ask for healing and regain our personal power. I personally have gained insights into many issues I have faced and I always journey with an Intention even when I journey for others. After journeying I usually feel refreshed and inspired.

My workshop "Bringing Shamanic Practices into Everyday Life"on 23rd and 24th September will enable you to journey to all 3 worlds and more information is under workshops.

Honouring our Heritage

More and more I am drawn to looking at the influence my heritage and lineage has on me. I know that as a child I didn't really want to listen to Grandma and Grandad although I did love their stories. Now I am researching my family tree and am drawn more and more to find my "roots".

I have also 'journeyed' to meet my ancestors and received some powerful messages and gifts. What I have realised is that it is not just a 'Find my Past' exercise but the most powerful way is to go inside and discover a whole host of ancestors waiting to help me.

Who will I meet on my next journey?

Celebrating the Summer Solstice

June 21st marks the Summer Solstice, a solar festival and important to all pagans and part of the Celtic wheel, and one that is celebrated traditionally at Stonehenge and other significant sites. The sun is at the height of his power and moves into the astrological sign of Cancer which is ruled by the moon. So it is the joining of the masculine and feminine , the God and the Goddess and the longest day of the year.

This is a turning point of the year's cycle and just as it is not time to harvest yet, we should charge our goals with the power of the sun so we all prosper.

A salute to the sun is a powerful way of doing this and welcoming in the first rays of the morning, having roses for the Goddess and oak leaves for the God. Celebrate growth and life for this is a time of balance in the world and the seasons start to shift as the sun begins it's decline towards winter.

Shamanism as a way of life

Using some of the shamanic techniques in your everyday life can transform the way you act, think and connect with others and your environment. I like to start my day by setting my intention and invite into my life the spiritual energies for the day ahead. As everything we do on the inside affects our world on the outside welcoming in love, peace, joy and freedom is what you are then putting back into the world.

Living in the present and focusing on what you are doing rather than what you have done in the past, or what you may do in the future sharpens your awareness of the Middle World, the world we inhabit along with many others.

The past does not dictate the future, our only point of power is in the present

I often hear people talking about what happened in the past and then what is going to happen in the future and worrying about both of them. The only thing you can influence is what you are doing now - in the present, so worrying about things you can do nothing about is a real waste of time and energy. It is good to give 100% focus and attention to what you are doing; in shamanism we call this "being present"

As Mark Twain said "I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened"

Balancing the elements

One way I use to start my day is a ritual to achieve balance and I do this by creating my own circle - a sacred space - and then I invoke the spirits of the elements. The circle or wheel is the container which holds all the elements; the east is air, changing and growing as I learn and develop; south is fire for my achievements and goals and also letting go of what no longer fits with my life's purpose; west is water, my relationships with people and responding to their needs; and then the north, the earth, my physical body and grounding.

The centre of the circle is ether, spirit where it all comes together. Just by this simple ritual I start my day with a feeling of well being and balance.

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb

I remember the old saying "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb" and I am seeing more of the "lamb" this month with the power of the sun growing stronger and the light extending.

March the 21st is the pagan festival of Oestara when we celebrate with spring flowers and decorated eggs; I love this time of year, so much promise of things to come, a time to plant seeds and watch them grow.

The snow drops in our garden have been out for sometime braving the cold and snow and now the other bulbs are just beginning.

What if .......?

I subscribe to several newsletter and one I really like is by Sandra Ingerman, her Transmutation News. The February one is a good reminder for me that we are all connected and working together and focusing on a world filled with love, peace, joy and freedom is how we will effect the change we want to see in the world.

I am now working on maintaining my energy even in the face of the news that is all around us by asking myself the question "What if ....." and focusing on the positive.

What if it is possible for the global community to create positive change?

Imbolc Festival

Today is the festival of Imbolc, a Celtic Fire festival and this is celebrated with white candles and snow drops or other white flowers. The light of the sun starts increasing from today and although very cold the first signs of spring are around.

We have snowdrops in our garden and they have braved the snow and cold to put in a welcome appearance. So today I have some lovely white flowers and will light a white candle and use jasmine as an incense.

Brigid, a solar goddess, presides over this festival and energises our goals and wishes.

Have a wonderful Imbolc.

Bring "magic" into your life with Goals

Every year between Christmas and the New Year I review my goals from that year and set my goals for the next year, and I always set them in the following way:-

S = Specific and simple. It is critical to get this right as our unconscious mind works on our goals and likes things to be simple

M = Measurable and meaningful

A = As if now - you need to set it in the present tense e.g. I weigh ......., I live in ........., I
earn .......... Your unconscious mind is always in now
= Set goals in all areas of your life for balance e.g. health and fitness, relationships,
career/business, personal development, money and wealth, fun, spirituality

R = Realistic for you; do you believe you can make this happen? Do you believe this will
happen?
= Responsible and ecological

T = Timed; you need to say the day, month and year
= Towards what you want and stated positively

Finally, you have to take action as success does take work and action. You act as if you have already achieved that goal and it is a foregone conclusion. This also takes your goal from a mental concept to a physical reality - seeing your goals in your mind's eye and getting that 'wow' factor.

Remember your conscious mind is your goal setter and your unconscious mind is your goal getter.

Bring magic into your life with your goals.

Cause and Effect

Every year between Christmas and the New Year I review my goals for the previous year and set new ones. Being at Cause when I set my goals means I have choices and can create the goals I want. Taking responsibility for what happens to me and my reaction the events around me means I take control of my life and go for the results I want.

At the Effect end of the equation I have no choices and blame everyone and everything for what happens to me, which means I have nowhere to go.

Magic for me is thinking about my goals and seeing it in my mind's eye, getting that wow factor when I think about them and really believing I can achieve what I want.

Finally "Acting as if" my goal is a foregone conclusion really seals the result for me.