ceremony

Ceremony of Renewal

smudgeLast night I went to bed and heard a little nudge from Spirit telling me to get back up and smudge, and so I did. I made sure and smudged really well with sage and palo santo wood and then made my way back to bed. I knew instantly I would be gifted with a ceremonial vision.

The vision that came to me: I was painted all white with some sort of powder, from head to toe and laid out on a slab of pine. There was a bowl of smudge burning just beneath my head and the smoke billowed down my entire body. Grandmother Spirit was the one doing everything is this particular ceremony. As I lay there covered in this white powder, she prayed and used a large bunch of leaves to move the smudge smoke over my body. She would use a sweeping motion from head to toe as she chanted her prayers. She then took a large pail of ceremonial water (this is water that has been brewing with herbs for a certain amount of time) and started pouring it over me, starting at my head and going down my body. The water washed away the white powder which she called “the ghost of my past”. She washed away all of the powder and then rubbed me down with an herbal salve that she told me was for protection. Another Grandmother Spirit worked on my feet as the other continued with the herbal salve. The Grandmother working on my feet, looks up and tells me that what she is doing is for a good journey ahead, preparing me for what’s to come. Once the two of them are done they started working on a special breast plate for me. They told me that I needed a little extra protection for my heart. It had been weakened too much in the past year and needed guarding more than usual. So they crafted this special breast plate and slipped it over me and continued with their chants and prayers. I looked down and watched as the breast plate faded away and asked what happened. They smiled at me and said it is still there, not to worry. The two of them then continued on with the sweeping motion, brushing the smudge smoke over my body until I fell into a deep sleep.

I woke up feeling fresh and renewed, looking forward to the journey ahead.

I am thankful for such an honored vision and the gift of ceremony preparing me for my new journey.

Thank you always to the Grandmothers who watch over me.

Many Blessings for safe journeys ahead,

ravensig

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Ringing in the New Year

2014This New Year is even more special than most that have passed in that this year on the New Year we also have a New Moon.

The New Moon is a time of New Beginnings, a fresh start to take on new projects, new journeys and start new lives, traditions, new ways, new everything!

Cleanse yourself of the past and prepare for the days to come.

Here’s something you can do to help you bring things into focus at this time of a New YOU!

On two sheets of parchment paper you will make 2 lists:

The first list will be of all things you don’t want or no longer need in your life. Be specific!

The second list will be of things you want to keep in your life and things you would like to see coming into your life. Again, be specific. While writing these things out on your list be sure to visualize each of them coming into reality.

You will take the “Keep” list, roll it up, tie it with a ribbon, bless it and thank Spirit for being with you and place it in a safe place for the year.

You will then take the “Get Rid of” list and burn it in a fire. Watch that list burn and imagine all the things on that list burning out of your life with it. Be sure while you do these acts that you do them with love in your heart. You don’t want bad karma, mojo or intentions intertwined with your ceremony. Do all things with love. You don’t wish for bad to come to anyone or anything in your lists … you just no longer want or need them in your life so you should wish them away with love and kindness so that the parting be an easier transition for all who may be involved.

And as with all ceremonies you should take time to yourself to reflect, prepare and ground yourself before beginning. Cleanse the space, yourself, your mind and body before the ceremony. Close the ceremony with an offer of blessings to Spirit and all who may have been watching over you during the ceremony and for the year ahead.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Samhain – Celtic New Year
click to enlarge

click to enlarge

I thought I would share with you first a bit of history and then a ceremony you can do to welcome in the Celtic New Year.

First, here’s a bit of history:

Samhain (pronounced Sow-en), dates back to the ancient Celts who lived 2,000 years ago. Contrary to what some believe, is not a celebration of a Celtic god of the dead. Instead, it is a Celtic word meaning “summer’s end.” The Celts believed that summer came to an end on October 31st and the New Year began on November 1st with the start of winter.

At sunset on October 31, clans or local villages begin the formal ceremonies of Samhain by lighting a giant bonfire. During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, and danced around the fire. Many of these dances told stories or played out the cycles of life and death or commemorated the cycle of Wheel of Life. These costumes were adorned for three primary reasons.

The first was to honor the dead who were allowed to rise from the Otherworld. The Celts believed that souls were set free from the land of the dead during the eve of Samhain. Those that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations. The wearing of these costumes signified the release of these souls into the physical world. Not all of these souls were honored and respected. Some were also feared as they would return to the physical world and destroy crops, hide livestock or ‘haunt’ the living who may have done them wrong.

The second reason for these traditional costumes was to hide from these malevolent spirits to escape their trickery.

The final representation was a method to honor the Celtic Gods and Goddesses of the harvest, fields and flocks. Giving thanks and homage to those deities who assisted the village or clan through the trials and tribulations of the previous year. And to ask for their favor during the coming year and the harsh winter months that were approaching.

Now that you have a little bit of history… here’s something you can do yourself to celebrate the Celtic New Year and cleanse yourself of the past and prepare for the days to come.

On two sheets of parchment paper you will make 2 lists: 

The first list will be of all things you don’t want or no longer need in your life. Be specific!

The second list will be of things you want to keep in your life and things you would like to see coming into your life. Again, be specific. 

You will take the “Keep” list, roll it up, tie it with a ribbon and place it in a safe place for the year. You will then take the “Get Rid of” list and burn it in a fire. Watch that list burn and imagine all the things on that list burning out of your life with it. Be sure while you do these acts that you do them with love in your heart. You don’t want bad karma, mojo or intentions intertwined with your ceremony. Do all things with love. You don’t wish for bad to come to anyone or anything in your lists … you just no longer want or need them in your life so you should wish them away with love and kindness so that the parting be an easier transition for all who may be involved.

And as with all ceremonies you should take time to yourself to reflect, prepare and ground yourself before beginning. Cleanse the space, yourself, your mind and body before the ceremony. 

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

A New Journey

I love it when I go into meditation and a ceremony takes place that I get to experience.  This morning as I began my meditation I felt the presence of my grandmother right away. Quickly I was thrust into a ceremony with a group of elder women. I’ll share with you my experience now:

I found myself in my traditional natural fiber ceremonial clothing, a lightweight linen in natural color. I will refer to the elder women from here on out as “grandmothers”. One grandmother was brushing my hair, while another two were rubbing down my arms, hands, legs and feet with an ointment or oil. A fourth grandmother was speaking, telling me what was going on and doing energy work as the other 3 grandmothers continued their physical work on me. They were preparing me for the ceremony. One does not just go into ceremony without first being cleansed and prepared.

I was full of questions and they told me to be quiet. They told me I must quiet my mind and body as they continue their work. So I did my best to let them do what they needed to do, however curious my mind was and no matter how badly I wanted to question everything that was happening.

One grandmother was working on my feet and it reminded me of Peter Pan, when Wendy was trying to sew his shadow to the bottom of his feet. The grandmother that was working on my feet must have known my thoughts, for she spoke and told me that she was preparing me for a new journey. It looked and felt as if she was spiritually sewing new soles onto the bottom of my feet. It seemed like this took her forever to do.

Once they were done rubbing my legs and arms with the oil, I was layed down on a solid surface. One grandmother worked on my hands while the other continued working on my feet. The grandmother that had been brushing my hair is now working on my head and has layed a couple of coin looking medallions over my eyes. They were cold like coins but not made of metal. I’m not sure what they were made of, but they were hand carved and made for the sole purpose of giving one new vision. The fourth grandmother continued to talk to me as she did energy work over my entire body.

Suddenly I am transported to many places. It looks like the world keeps shifting around me as I visit various places. The first was the base of a mountain, then to a waterfall. I wanted to get up and explore but they knocked me back down. The grandmother at my feet said to the others, you are right this one is very impatient. Relax child, this journey is not like the many you have had before. You must lay still to experience this one. Oh, how hard it was to lay there with all of this going on around me. I found it so hard to focus as everything continued to change. Just as I would see clearly the world around me, it would change into something else.  From the waterfall, I was transported to the seaside. It was cloudy and cold as if I were somewhere in Europe, very rocky and the waves were crashing into the beach and onto the rocks. I was then sent to a hillside where I could see over the ocean and the grandmothers continued their work.

Then I was shown the standing stones. I felt the energy from each. All similar but different. I was shown one place that was grand. Very tall stone structure that symbolized a city. It was a  very large, massive scaled version of a city or meeting place. I then saw as the structure fell and the stones scattered. I saw people taking stones away and placing them all over the Earth. I questioned about the stones not being ridged, since they had fallen it seemed like they should have had sharp edges, but they all seemed far too smooth to have just fallen. I was then shown that they were once underwater after they had fallen. They were under that water for a long time before they were then moved. The water flowing over  them for so many years was what gave them their new shapes. I was shown the stone people.. they were the guardians of the city and they wrapped around it in protection. I was shown people over the years gathering at the different stone areas of the world. Only a few really felt the true energy of the stones. Many gathered, but most were unaware of their true purpose or energy. These were seekers that were not ready for that kind of understanding. Those that are ready will soak up the energy like a sponge but say nothing or at least very little of their experiences for  the experience alone were too intricate to describe with words. The experience for those were also so very personal, many not fully understanding it themselves. Left not knowing how to begin to tell their own stories.

This is how my meditation, my experience this morning ended. I am full of questions, but also an understanding and a knowing of something new to me. I feel there will be more to this journey… but for now I must be patient and wait until it is time for the next chapter to be revealed.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Clearing The Air

There’s nothing quite like clearing the air. It’s something that has been done for many thousands of years by many cultures. Herbal concoctions of preference mixed together and then set on fire and and allowed to smolder.. releasing the herbal incense into the air.

This practice is most commonly known as smudging. Any herb can be added to the mix, some use specific herbs for their healing properties and others are chosen by the scent that they release.  The purpose is to cleanse. Cleanse the air, cleanse objects and tools and to cleanse the soul.

I remember when I first began smudging, thinking back…. I was doing what I had been told  by the elders … just following the rules that had been taught to me. I understood the reasons for the smudge but did I feel its effects? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. I’m not quite sure I fully felt it at that time. It was more of a “well this has got to be done first .. so I’m doing it”. I had faith that it was doing what it was suppose to do and thought no further about the process.

Taking a moment to step back into my memories of previous smudge events .. I do recall feeling lifted, more at peace and more capable, if that is the right word, to carry on what I was smudging for to begin with. I also recall attempting particular purpose without smudging first and I would always  stop.. grab some smudge and then carry on with my purpose. It just felt wrong to me if I did not smudge first.

I was smudging just a few minutes ago, which is what brought this blog post into light to begin with. The entire act, from gathering my herbs to lighting them on fire, watching them smolder and taking in that ever so familiar smell, made me feel lighter inside and out. It’s something that is quite hard to explain really. It’s a feeling, like I said that comes from the inside and continues to fully envelope your entire being. A balance or grounding effect takes place and… well…. you just feel more centered.

I have no idea who or where this practice truly began, but what I do know is that it will always be something I do. The feeling it brings is something I am honored to experience.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker

Inside This Circle


Inside this circle the transformation begins
the drums beating out a rhythmic sound
Feel the magic as it vibrates up from this sacred ground

With great intent we enter into a realm of light
Dancing until the day becomes night

From what we once were to what we shall become
The ancient voices begin to hum

Our ancestors gather from far and near
Whispering change upon our ear

Nudging us forward in a positive light
Dancing to and fro with all our might

Our souls begin to sing a new song
Placing us upon our path, right where we belong 

Echos of what we once were released into the fire
Spirit lifts us higher and higher 

Letting go and allowing something new
Over this circle the winged ones flew.

The four legged gathered all around
Keeping the circle safe and sound.

And with the final dance and a chant or two
The transformation has granted us a brand new view.

Many Blessings, 
Raventalker

Stripping it all away

This is a vision I had a couple of years ago and thought now to be a good time to re-share with you my experience…

The Milk Ceremony ~ 

I was laid out in circle completely naked as the clan mothers cleansed me with milk. They carefully poured milk all over my body taking care not to miss any part of me. Once this was done pieces of leather were laid over my more private areas and a medicine man then came into the circle. He carried with him a large shell of smoke to once again cleanse and bless me and the area before he began his medicine.

What happened next was something I would have never imagined.  It was as if I had many layers of myself on me…. Like layers of clothing it was as if I had layers of flesh that had built up over the years. The medicine man stood at my feet and with gestures he pulled off each layer one by one. With each layer he pulled off and threw behind him, I became brighter and more clean looking.  It was just like when one lightens their teeth and with each application they become a tad bit whiter. Behind him as he threw off each layer, there were helpers that would quickly pour special water mixed with milk and herbs onto the ground where his gestures seemed to have thrown the layers. Also there was a bundle of herbs smoking just on the far side of the area that yet another helper would continuously fan so that the smoke filled the entire area behind the medicine man.

These layers of me were… well….. they were ideas, behaviors, thoughts, actions and habits that I had formed over years of living. Things that had attached to me through all my days in this life. I was being stripped away of everything. Stripped down to the bone but the medicine man went far beyond flesh and bone …  he went all the way down to the core of me.

feather It took quite a long while to strip away all my layers .. seems as though I must have collected quite a lot in this  life thus far.  When he was finally done stripping away my layers, I saw something amazing and unexpected. I was made up entirely of light. Laying there still, glowing oh so brightly.. and to my amazement I could see certain parts of me a bit brighter than the rest. We read about and are taught that our bodies have these Chakra points… the points in your body that hold the most energy…. Seeing myself in this way….. confirmed that to be true.

It was as if I had the whole of the universe inside me… made up of every constellation imaginable. Some say were are born of the stars .. after seeing this I would certainly believe that to be a truth. Once I was stripped down to this level the medicine man and his helpers along with the clan mothers, sat down and formed a circle around me…. They sat there for a very long time chanting in a meditative prayer. They did this until the sun came back up.

I was then shaded by some structure that they built and left there in a meditative state until the sun had gone back down. As I began to grow back a new layer of flesh and bone… I was given a token or gift from each person in the circle… they placed these gifts inside me. It will be up to me to find these gifts and use them when the time is right. The medicine man’s gift was a large crystal.. it was square in shape .. not pointed and not entirely clear.. it was a milky color and a bit off white.

This ceremony leaves me in quite a state of reflection. I can certainly see the point of it and feel quite blessed to have been part of such a sacred and healing act. In fact beyond the words describing the ceremony I feel quite speechless.. not knowing exactly what to say… yeah I bet you never imagined that either!! hahahaha.

On that note I will leave you with this one last thought… maybe we should all take a bit of time to look at ourselves and the many layers we have collected over our lifetimes… and do ourselves  the favor of shedding those layers that bring us negativity, pain or those thoughts and behaviors that simply hold us back in life.

Many Blessings,
Waya

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