Monday 3 May 2010

DEVELOPMENT CIRCLE - 13TH APRIL

No A again this week but everyone else turned up. I was able to tell everyone that G had had a hit the previous week: my DSis thought that Ted was an old neighbour of our parents, who lived in the house whose garden backed onto theirs. He was a keen gardener and grew lots of beautiful climbing roses on the fence between their gardens. Our Uncle W, when she asked him, also thought that was his name. I can remember the roses but not the neighbour, unfortunately. It's always good to report back on successes. :0)

G then told us that she had something she felt she needed to share with us, as she was feeling a bit emotional and wanted us to know in case she got a bit upset at any point during the evening. Her DH had been having treatment for prostate cancer.... they had just been given the news that day that he was now terminal, as it had gone into his bones. I put my hand on her shoulder, for comfort and support, and quickly sent a plea to Archangel's Rafael and Michael for help for them both - having seen what my Dad, SIL and cousin's wife went through it was awful to think of what they'll both face in the coming months. Life can be so bloody cruel sometimes...... and cancer one of the cruellest damned things of all. Aureen made sure that G and her DH were both in the Healing Book and the prayer was even more heartfelt than usual.

Having checked that G felt OK to go on (she said she felt it would help her) we all took it in turns to read out the pieces we had done on our Power Animals. S1, S2 and G had written poems or poem style pieces on theirs and Sh had written a great piece on her PA's characteristics, turning those negative aspects you associate with a fox (laziness, craftiness etc) into positives in such a good way it had us all laughing. If ever I need a speech doing I shall ask her to write it for me! LOL Aureen also read out a poem she had written some time ago about her first PA, the deer. There is absolutely no way I can remember all of these pieces... though they are personal to each person, so I wouldn't put any details here anyway, as I feel that wouldn't be right. I don't mind sharing my piece though. :0)

I'm no poet and the thought of writing one didn't appeal much. What I did was to keep a piece of paper by my armchair and headed it with the title of: Power Animal - Elephant and, as I pottered around during the day my thoughts were occasionally drawn to my PA and a word would pop into my head... so I'd jot it down on the paper. I also Googled and found an interesting piece about elephants that brought a few more ideas and thoughts to the surface. The words I came up with and the thoughts I subsequently jotted down were:

Matriarch - they live in matriarchal groups, my own family is dotted with strong female characters, to say nothing of my beliefs;
patient; stoical - they make slow and steady progress in all that they do, stoically accepting it all - often plodding on through some horrendous drought conditions to get to another watering hole or better feeding grounds... my old school reports often contained the words: Karan has made slow but steady progress this term... and patience is something I know I need to work on;
defender - usually when threatened, or feel their young are. I would rarely defend myself, even though bullied in every school I ever attended... but if anyone ever hurt my DBro or DSis I wouldn't think twice about wading in;
compassionate; loving - when one of their own dies elephants will often stay around the body for a long time, gently stroking the body with their trunks and actually grieve. It fits. And I've said for some time that I think one of my life lessons to learn this time around is compassion;
long lived; intelligent; gentle; strong; wanderer;
long suffering - they have always been, and continue to be, poached for their ivory tusks;
revered: as the elephant headed Ganesh or Ganesha, a Hindu deity known as the Remover of Obstacles, Deva of Intellect and Wisdom, Patron of Letters. He is associated with the first or base/root chakra and the Aum - the base supports and guides all other Chakras. Aureen, after Reiki sessions, often says that I am firmly grounded in Mother Earth.

It'll be interesting to do further meditations, as I am sure there is much more to be learnt from all of this and more yet to discover.... and it will be lovely to get to know my Power Animal much better. The more I think of it the more I realise that an elephant as a Power Animal is perfect for me. :0)

Next was the meditation to meet our Guides, so we opened the Circle, protected and grounded ourselves, then opened our Chakras and concentrated on our breathing for a while. We then had to pull energy into our heart Chakras by breathing in to it, then imagine a green rose, whose petals were edged with gold, blooming within our heart Chakra and allow it to fill with golden energy. Next was to walk down the country lane to our safe place and, as we walked through it, ensure all our senses were active. From here we had to walk to the far side of the meadow, through the gate (or up and over the wooden stile, in my case), along the path and through the forest to the place we met our Power Animal. When our PA's came to us we were to follow them through to the other side of the forest and out onto a path that took us up the side of a mountain where, after a while, it flattened out to an area that had a natural spring running and we stopped to take a drink and rest a little. Here Aureen told us that if, at any time we were unsure about anything or if we didn't meet our Guides, we were to return to this spot and wait until everyone came back, then journey back with them. From here we carried on up to the top of the mountain, still following our PA. When we reached the top we were to see, off to one side, a mist and in the middle of the mist a bridge - this is where our Guides would walk over from, to meet us.
We had to look down at the ground and notice a pair of feet in front of us, then look up theto the legs, then on up until we could see them. When we could fully see them we had to ask three times: Are you my true Guide? If they left we were to do this bit over again and ask the successive Guide the same question again, three times. If the Guide was still there after the third asking we were to sit down and connect with them and ask any questions we wanted to. If we didn't meet our Guide we were to return to the place where we previously met our Power Animal and there wait until the others returned to that spot, then go back with them.
After a while our Guide would say goodbye and return over the bridge, then we would do the journey back (in reverse order) and slowly come back to ourselves.

Aureen then went around the group, asking each of us what had happened.

S1 had made the journey OK and had seen a Native American but when she asked him was he her true Guide he turned around and went back across the bridge. Unfortunately she didn't see her true Guide and had gone back to wait at the spring. Aureen said not to worry, it obviously wasn't yet time for her to meet hers and suggested that she does more visualisations, working with her Power Animal at home, then try again.

S2 was so happy at finally meeting her Guide, who was called Jacob and was a monk - she could give a vivid description of him. When she sat down with him she received a feeling of overwhelming love. She asked him questions but I can't remember them.

Sh met her Guide too. He was an Egyptian, and said he wasn't a Pharoah or anything like that, an ordinary Egyptian but he looked like he was a guard. She wasn't sure of his name and also received a message (personal) but didn't feel anything.

I met mine! :0) As soon as the feet were mentioned a vivid image of a pair of moccasins appeared immediately in front of me, the legs were clad in buckskin leggings with fringes, the body in a buckskin tunic with fringes and he had the eagle feather bonnet on... though I didn't see his face very clearly. I was also still unsure of his name.... but he was exactly as I had forst seen him during a meditation at home. Aureen asked if I had felt anything and I said it had felt comfortable and right. She then asked if I had asked if he was my true Guide and I replied that I had.

G also met hers: she was a young girl, though she said she seemed an old soul when she looked into her eyes.  She said she looked sort of Asian but she didn't think she was Chinese - we threw a few nationalities out and when someone mentioned Tibetan G immediately said yes, that seemed right. She also felt overwhelming love.

Aureen then said that what we should all have felt was overwhelming love coming from our Guides to us. As Sh and myself hadn't felt that she thought that we were both probably blocking ourselves. I know I have a bit of a block going on at the moment, although am not sure why or what is causing it... and Sh said she felt she probably was too. Aureen again said that we should practice more at home, connecting with and speaking to our Guides, and that this would overcome any blocks and allow the love to come through. It was a nice thought. :0)

I'm afraid I can't remember what else happened after this, though I think we closed the Circle soon after, as this had been a long evening after discussing our Power Animal's and doing the Spirit Guide meditation.


The following day I decided to redo the meditation out of curiosity. I barely visualised my safe place and the forest but it didn't matter, as Spirit obviously decided to dispense with formalities because, almost with a Whoosh!, I was suddenly up at the top of the mountain. Within moments my Guide walked towards me and this time it felt like my heart Chakra opened wide, almost as if it was bursting from my chest.... but not in an unpleasant way. Love radiated to and from us..... it was the most amazing feeling and left me feeling slightly dazed. I know I asked some questions and thanked my Guide but when I came back to myself I couldn't for the life of me remember what was said..... but that doesn't bother me, as I feel that on some level I've taken in what was said and I'll remember what was said when the time is right.

Incidentally: I redid the meditation on the New Moon. Better energies, perhaps?

1 comment:

Julie said...

Fabulous mediatation the second time at home!