Hatching the egg

Several weeks ago, I went down to the river to cleanse some new stones.  While I was walking around and talking to the river and the trees and thanking them for their gifts, I saw a stone sitting in the middle of a small pool, just rising above the water.  It was a plain stone, in shades of brown, but shaped just like an egg.  I got the feeling that it was a gift to me, to help us in forging our new future together back in OK.

A few days ago, at Athena's suggestion, I took apart my abundance/success spell (which has not been doing much).  I sat down with all my stones and talked to each one, holding it between my hands, asking it what it wanted and how I could work with it to get what we needed: me back to OK, with a good job, relief from money worries, and all the family together.

It was very revealing!  Two of the large citrine points said "Yes! We love to do this, we will help bring abundance to you."  One said that it brought things quickly, while the other said that it worked more slowly but with more lasting effects.  I set these two aside to use, the complement each other.  The third large citrine point just said "Meh", and didn't want do anything.  I thanked it and put it away, I will let it tell me when it is ready to do something.

The clear quartz point said that it would bring in energy and channel it for me, but it was up to me to direct it. The tormalated quartz point showed me that it would take in energy and channel it into a ring or cycle; I felt this like a warm hug that flowed around me, up one arm and down the other. The girasol quartz took in energy and released it in a warm cloud that spread out over a small area.

The rose quartz heart said that it would work with the spell to insure that anything that happened would be for the best of me and my family.  The rhodonite heart said nothing, and was not interested in being part of the work; the same for the malachite piece.

Finally I talked to the egg stone.  I got a very clear image that it was an egg, holding my future, and that it was getting close to hatching: I could see cracks running all over it, with light shining out.  It wasn't ready to hatch, but it would be very soon.  It told me that I needed to make it a nest and to nurture and encourage it to help it to hatch.

So after trying some things and getting feedback from all the stones, I ended up with this, laid out on my green velvet cloth:

The egg is in the center, on a nest of dried lavender flowers.  The two citrines are on either side, to encourage the future to be bountiful and prosperous when it hatches.  At the top, below the oak leaf, is the clear quartz point, to bring the energy into the circle.  The girosol below it takes the beam of energy and spreads it into a warm blanket over the egg and the other stones.  At the bottom, the tormalated quartz forms the energy into a circle that encloses the egg and encourages the energy to flow around the circle clockwise, feeding all the crystals.  The rose quartz heart is nestled close to the egg, to sweeten the energy and insure the future that hatches is full of love for my family.

Once this was arranged, I fed it energy and worked with each stone, bringing it into harmony with each other stone and with the whole.  As I worked, I could feel the energy as a warm current flowing clockwise, bringing life and intention to all the parts.  I have gone back every day since, charging it and rejoicing in the energy.  The egg feels like it is getting closer to hatching!

I have never gotten so much response from stone workings before.  The stones scintillate and vibrate, and I can feel the intention and focus of it every time I approach!

Double Rainbow!

Ice Aftermath

The moon
Seen through ice-glazed branches
Multiplies herself
In a thousand crystal reflectiions

Water Drake's message

I have been thinking and talking with Athena about what Water Drake means and it's message for me.  I have come to some conclusions.  The Water Drake is a dragon, a predator, and unites and balances fire and water.  Although strength, growth, adaptability, communication, and the other gifts of Oak, Spider, and Swallow have served me well, I am moving into a time when I need to add more assertiveness to my repertoire.

With Water Drake comes movement, aggression, being a predator, fighting, and taking charge.  Not in a negative way but in a positive way: I will need to actively seek out what I want and need, and take positive action to make it my own.  I think this applies to many parts of my life:

In work, it means being more assertive and showing greater leadership.  I need to demand more responsibility, and fight for the projects and directions that I think are important.

Spiritually, it means trying new things and being more adventurous.  Embracing the aspects of manhood and predator that I tend to shy away from: power, sexuality, and the warrior archetype.  And at the same time to explore the obverse: to learn more about the eternal feminine and what it means.

In my relationship it means being less passive.  It is a call to work harder to enhance and enrich our relationship, and again to embrace and express the energies of the lover, the warrior, the master, to enliven and enhance our relationship.  Likewise the obverse, to get more in touch with my inner feminine aspect and gain greater understanding of it, and the "dark, dumb, belly attention" that stirs the sparks to fire.

Feather work

Last weekend I went into the hospital for a colon blockage.  While I was there Athena brought me a turkey feather which she had purified and smoked.  She is working on bird magic, and I have helped her with some rituals.  She suggested that I work with the feather and try bird magic to assist the work the doctors were doing.  Alternative healing is not a substitute for standard medicine - but it can support and assist standard medicine.

I blew over the feather and played it, to stimulate the energy, and then brushed it down over my body, repeatedly over my abdomen and down my legs, trying to encourage the energy to flow through my body.  I felt the energy tingle and move a bit.  I could feel the wind the feather raised; it is amazing how easily the feather moves air, with almost no effort!

I worked the feather clockwise over my abdomen, urging things to move normally.  I tried to bring in bird magic, and direct it towards healing and health.  I could really feel things reacting inside; subtle but noticeable.   I continued this for 5 or 10 minutes, and repeated it several times over the next couple of days.

My blockage cleared after a couple of days, without surgery.  I am recovering nicely at home now.  I really think that the energy work helped speed things, along with some of the other work Athena did.

I will continue to do the feather work daily, until everything is running smooth inside :)

Trees - The Alder

To deepen my understanding of trees and my Green Man oracle cards, I will periodically be drawing one card and spending a few weeks learning and studying the tree, both in natural science and in spiritual meanings.

The Alder

Associated with Fire and Water (significant, given my recent connection with Water Drake), the alder grows in wet areas and reclaims ravaged or swampy land.  Foresters call it a "pioneer" species, because it is often the first tree to establish itself after a fire or flood.  Alders fix nitrogen in the soil, naturally fertilizing poor soil and preparing it for other plants.  The alder is said to represent the power of Fire to free Earth from Water.

Alder wood is oily and waterproof, and was often used for foundations and pilings, for bridges, and for making pails (one of the names for alder is "milk-guard").  Alder wood burns poorly, but makes excellent charcoal, much favored by metal smiths and weapon makers.  This, together with the red sap that drips when the wood is cut, may be why alder is called the "The very battle-witch of all woods, tree that is the hottest in a fight".

Alder is associated with Ravens and Crows.  It is the tree of the god Bran, and is linked to resurrection.  According to Irish legend, the first man was created from an alder tree.  Three dyes are made from alder: red from the bark, green from the flowers, and brown from the twigs.  The red dye was used by the ancient Welsh "crimson-stained heroes", sacred kings connected with Bran.

Young alder stems make excellent whistles, so the tree is also called the "whistle-tree".  This may be associated with the legend that after Bran's death his "singing head" was cut off and preserved, and provided good advice and prophesy to his followers for 87 years before being buried at the present site of the Tower of London.  Bran's sacred ravens remain at the Tower to this day, and are said to keep Britain safe from invasion still.  If they ever leave, disaster will follow.  (nowadays, the practical British keep their wing feathers clipped so that they will not fly away).

Alder trees provide shelter to many small woodland creatures. It is said that no harm will come to a traveler who sleeps beneath an alder, and carrying some alder wood in your pocket will bring good luck. The alder tree is especially favored by the Fairies, and acts as a gateway to their realm as well as repelling bad Fairies.  The association with Fairies and with Bran make this an especially sacred tree, and felling an alder brings a terrible curse.

Meaning in divination:
According to the Green Man Oracle - "Defense keeps clear the territory".  Watch your boundaries, and protect yourself against invaders.  According to other sources, alder shows that you will win a battle.  It is a powerful protection in battles and conflicts.  It also is a reminder to balance strength and courage with compassion and generosity.  Its role in the wild also suggests the need to nurture and provide care for those that come after.

Resources:
http://www.thegoddesstree.com/trees/Alder.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder
http://www.thornr.demon.co.uk/bran/alderims.html
http://www.merciangathering.com/alder.htm

Riding Water Drake

I took a spirit journey, to get to know Water Drake better.  I started on the beach and walked up the path through the woods; it was dark and the stars were bright.

When I got to the clearing and looked in the entrance, instead of a wide meadow of green grass was a wide sea of sunny green water, with small waves splashing.  As I looked, it shifted back and forth; from sea to water over green grass to dry land and back.  I stepped in it, and splashed ankle deep in the bright water.  I could see Oak a little ways ahead, seeming unconcerned that he was growing in the sea now.  Water Drake raised its head up out of the water above me; it was HUGE, shining blue and silver.  His head was large and elegant, like a Chinese dragon.

I asked if it would let me ride him; to wherever it chose to take me.  Water Drake assented, and sank down in the water, then his head rose up below me and I was astride his neck.  I expected it to dive down and swim into the depths of the sea, but instead it kept rising and swam up into the sky above.  We quickly left the earth behind and swam among the bright stars, in the black night of the sea of stars.  It was glorious to feel Water Drake's strength and confidence.

After a bit I suggested we return.  Instead of diving back down to earth, Water Drake gave a shiver and dash up and we broke through the surface of the sea and were in my meadow again.  I wondered where we had been - in the sky?  Below the sea?  And then I understood that to Water Drake all these were the same.  The sea, the sky, the earth, near, far, all were united and only our limited perceptions separated them.  By just changing our perspective we can shift from one place to another - but really only our perception shifts.