Swimming into Solstice

12.9.17 Yellow Overtone Sun

Softened edges, entering a mythic landscape with Cat Caracelo, down into a place of mystery, shifting into a place of stillness. Where are you, where is the beginning of your path? What time of day is it? What is the tone? What are you wearing? Step on the path and allow yourself to wander, in a new direction . . .

walking at night in silence and snow, a soft glow, moving paint to set the scene, letting it flow and swish, dash, curve, lines whisper . . . the heartbeat of the earth moving toward the darkest night . . . what’s waiting in the glowing light? Go forward to find the gift waiting here, allowing moments to rest and breathe and be in the glow, wrapped in its warmth until ready to pull back gently and carry on . . .

12.10.17 Red Rythmic Dragon and 12.11.17 White Resonant Wind

Relaxing back into the journey and adding to the landscape, breathing, breath guiding back in. Back on the path though it’s different, a bit of the glow is carried, and a cloak is worn . . . moving quietly, seeking something specific, what is it? Picking through old images collected:: curved tunnel of color glued to the path in this direction I’m headed on where a crocodile is waiting. What is this crocodile doing here? Reptilian, ancient, down at the bottom, ready, open eyed in the glow below the surface world . . . in the element of water . . . is there a specific gift found? What meets to be greeted here? Submerged branch in the bottom, earth, with crocodile . . . creating with this imagery . . .

12.12.17 Blue Galactic Night GAP and 12.13.17 Yellow Solar Seed

 

Hand on heart space, winding into heartspace, opening to the journey again listening to the third night with Cat Caracelo . . . expanding now, in paint, traveling in color and spreading the veil around the page to enter the water element again. Just playing with the color, listening to the reflection, watching the reflection play around crocodile in repeating patterns . . . how do I travel? In repeating patterns! Is the water frozen or flowing? Is it inviting to change its nature? Are there any journey objects here? What’s with you that’ll shift this flowing element? Who’s with you? . . . crocodile is here under the patterns, deep below the patterns . . . Headed in a new direction, a sound comes . . . what’s calling? Who’s calling? Chimes, celebration, what’s calling forward? Energy shifting here as heart opens to a place of connecting, drawn toward a sacred circle gathered . . . a sacred fire, others are entering from their directions, a convergence, notice how you enter into this space. Somebody comes forward to welcome you into the circle . . . release tension, heart open in trust and belonging, a gift is offered, put down the travelling cloak and tools, move toward the fire to warm, drink, nourish and notice the glow emanating from inside . . . a reflection in the flame, similar to the one in the water that shows something new about the journey . . . bells tinkle, sparks fly, a symbol waits in the flame, reach and pick it up, what is it that has claimed you? Step back on the path with it, breathing back into the present, trusting that what was found in the journey that’s needed returned with you . . .

12.16.17 Blue Crystal Hand

Rounding out the three nights of listening with a few sheets of paper and paint, just moving into body and out the hand, whirling swirling thoughts. Played witches with Anousheh and Jasper, had a fairy tea party and used the magic wand to dowse the stollen crumbed plate with.

Imagery popped up dreaming::an arrow, reaching for the arrow, awareness of the crocodile as being an ally and also dangerous, simultaneously evoking fear, respect, trust, and caution . . . what to do with an arrow? Where is the bow? I turn into the bow? Where is the archer? I knock the self-bow and aim::I am arrow, bow, archer. I turn into a ship from bow. Now I’m a ship. Where is the captain? I am the captain. I am the ship. I’m also the wheel. Body. Mind. Heart. Soul. When they’re all engaged and doing their parts, then the journey, the sailing of the ship of self, is on course and aligned . . . same with the arrow, the bow, the archer; they act as one entity guided by soul, archer/captain, the body, arrow/ship goes forth, steered with mind and heart as one, the wheel/bow doing the sending as directed by captain/archer . . . saw Viking ship, with dead chief body and all his worldly voyaging gatherings and trinkets and tokens and tools laid upon him on his ship, set to flame, and sent out on the water for one final journey after the soul had left . . .saw the cracks and tears of wounding, and saw they’re not to be filled::they’re for looking through at what’s behind them, for sending light through, illuminating inside them what needs to be lit, so regeneration and restoration and mending happen from within, behind, inside the cracks that must be open for light to be poured in . . . .sealing them up, filling them, only obscures and covers from the outside what then may fester from within, leave the cracks be, simply send light to the vessel that’s cracked and then see where illumination flows, warms, brightens, and healing happens this way on its own, no fixing sealants or anything required or needed . . .

12.17.17 Yellow Cosmic Star

Last day of this Yellow Castle, tomorrow Green opens, today is a New Moon . . . painted without any journey audios. Added the arrow to my landscape, and found myself swimming toward it, from over the crocodile . . .

Felt like painting on one of the sheets from yesterday. Tore them in half and worked on one in a limited palette . . . spring source trickling out from a spring house? A structure of some sort with water coming out, naked woman holding a branch stepping into the stream with the orb of glow up on her branch . . .

Then set the tone for another scene unfolding on the path . . .

12.18.17 Red Magnetic Moon

Green Castle opens . . . added around the fire, a snake circle forming::bear, sitting turtle, deer, in the flames, the symbol:: it’s the cracked plate from dreaming, waited for the paint to dry . . .

felt like the swimming lady is the same as the one from Ignition, in ignition she is the bow, the arc, aiming toward the landscape held there. In this she’s diving deep to claim the arrow, added details from the other, brought them into this scene . . . preparing to listen to the fourth night journey . . .

. . . started on another big sheet halfsie, let’s find out if pages come out that tell an integrated story, excited!

Breathing back into body, re-entering the landscape with breath out and into the depths, where a spiral staircase leads below the earth, into it, living cavern deep down. There’s a reason for entering here, crossing over the threshold, relaxing, knowing that everything needed is here as well as any companions. The stones feel familiar, speaking stones in a language ancient come agan, written on the walls to lit pathways . . . what are the stones singing? What’s written? Ask the stones what they have for you . . . head toward the cavern of remembrance. There is an altar here. There is something in the pocket, in your cloak or basket that wants to be left here with the guardian stones as an honoring of the ancestors, what wants to be given to be left behind? Listen for the sound of guides, showing the way. Who comes here in this place to show the way back up to the starlit sky? Feel the warmth, feel the moonbeams lighting you up. Caress the wayshower and look around. Where are you? Where have you been brought? Something catches your eye crossing the sky that you least expect, what is it? Find a spot to sit and watch the constellations move, be comfortable and observe . . .

the stones have etchings, prayers in arabic, mandalas, mosaics, archaic female goddess shapes, vulvas and bellies and boobs, winged horses, two headed birds back to back

citrine, candlelight, poppy flower, feather, tooth, magnifying glass, fat buddha figurine, acorn, coal::saw myself placing all these at the ancestral altar as offerings to leave behind::abundance and joy shared, light, slumber and drownsiness left behind with seeds of awakening, flights of fancy, cutting the teeth of youth, constant urge to over analyze and scrutizine things to death, weight of wisdom . . ..

Listening to the fifth guide, entering and descending the place of rest you’ve been in under the stars, now there’s a lavender glow surrounding you in a soft light where you are held in the arms of another . . . feel how restful it is to be cared for and held, slip back into skin, the others here are stirring and getting onto their own paths again, as do you travel on awake in the lavender dawn . . .notice where you are, stretch your limbs and move in your skin in ways long forgotten . . . muscles responding, unfurling, notice you are changing, becoming something other, in a new form . . . move to the path with different eyes, different abilities, stretch this self, rising and explore in new ways to discover who you are . . . climb to the heights and see all the way to the illuminated path and where you are going . . . notice the edges and boundaries to recognize where this journey takes you, sacred sites are seen waiting, and you understand something you didn’t before . . . return to your skin and find your way to your cloak and tools and everything left by the path, move back to the path as the lavender sky mists and the golden light fills the horizon . . forward into body . . .

12.19.17 White Lunar Dog GAP

the waiting fire gathering with shadows behind the people present . . . just painted into the scene, gatherings feel this way to me from the threshold, circular and somewhat ‘closed’ . . . barely room to enter from, a small crack all the way around from the entrance, climb over a boundary to enter, squeeze by . . .

12.20.17 Blue Electric Monkey GAP

Entering the sixth layer of spiral . . . spirit animals move through this place, some present, some behind them amongst the sacred stones and trees. What is the sacred medicine here? Up in the boughs, down low, neccessary, gather, who comes to help you gather what you need? Feel the pull, feel being guided, the gathering is happening almost without you to create a bundle, hands and feet know the way . . .. yea! partridgeberry dream from a few nights ago, yea! there is partridgeberry for solstice calling, awaiting in the woods for me to come to them, this is my way, my path, how I am called from in dreaming into being, dreaming myself awake, into being, the dreamer and the dreamed, what else is waiting? Birch bark bundle, sacred space is out and in, joined through me to me, potent medicine . . .. what is my purpose in this gathering?? What happens when I bring with me to the gathering everything in my basket of gathered gatherings? Ground into this and bring it back, to center . . . . and into seventh spiral . . . travelling to meet self on the path . . . ebb and flow of tide . . .path leading to the edge of great water . . . what is this water to you? Recognize it, look up at the night sky, notice where is Moon, ask her why you’ve been brought here? Be pulled to the waters edge . . . what does it take to move you there? Notice you’ve brought something with you, to leave with this water, in this place, what is your gift to this sacred place? As you release, someone comes to accept this gift, they are offering something to you in turn, asking to be remembered . . . as you return to shore there is more than one direction calling, answer the call . . . to move back to water or back to shore . . . feel the ebb and flow of the tides pulled by Moon, by the cosmos, feel yourself moving up and out into the cosmos, lightening and rising up to join siStars in the milky way, taking flight into the other ocean, the great ebb and flow, the great waters . . .explore and travel through and into finding new perspective, gathering stardust to return with . . . easily returning to your path . . . where there is a perfect dwelling to rest . . . .

continuing to move the painting::stepping into circle from the East, hummingbird woman, melting lit heart, partidgeberry brought in with footsteps to share in the glow, a child cherub greets me with a globe of light . . . there are hands in the honeycomb, circle of the heart, nazar utaarneh vaalah hand, back and front, three arrows pointing North, . . . here is honey in the heart . . .

deepen into body with breath and unwind and unravel any tension . . . eight night journey . . . slip down into your own roots (wow, synchronicity with earlier writings!!), move forward comfortably, it is a known place this dwelling, and now you get to really look and be in a place of ease and welcome. Enter the doorway, remove cloak, empty pockets, put down basket, get it all off and strip down near the warm glowing fireplace, where a big tub is filled with hot water, get in get in! Let those muscles be easy and warm, you are cradled by water and cared for. Soak it in. Absorb and be absorbed. Enjoy it. When ready slip out of the tub, there are candles and food, water, a place to curl up after eating with a companion . . .. look out the windows at the atmosphere of this place and what it holds, how is it to be here and rest in this place? Go out and explore if called, enjoy and delight in this sacred space, it’s yours, your time. Notice what has been prepared outside, everything is provided, and one thing, a talisman has been left for you as a gift, pick it up and bring it inside and be with it where within the walls and windows the glow is held, and you are glowing too . . . revel in it!

12.22.17

“We enter the belly of the night.
We come to the portal that separates darkness from light. Standing in this arch of time where Earth takes a breath before facing us back towards the sun, we too, take a breath, turn inward, pause in this pregnant moment and let darkness reveal its gifts”.

~ Judith Rich

12.23.17

Ninth night a night climbing, a feather on the path . . . look for the nest of this feather, who has left it for you? Keep climbing higher, until you find what waits this night, remove your coat, and go to the seat of the sage with a question for this night, what question do you ask? Offer a gift to this wise one, gifting back what you’ve been gifted with gifts from the season gathered. Things harder to find up on the mountain. Get your feather and ask how this feather guides tonight. Take your answers to the edge and watch them fly. Watch the spiral descending path wrapping around the mountain down to teh winter garden, that calls.

Tenth night . . . move into the river, floating in a little boat feeling at ease on the great mother river. Here anything can be released to the water, lightning your load. Notice where you are and where you travel to. Feel the energy of the mountain above, the valley above. You come to a place where you recognize at the edge of the river, out of the boat onto the ground. Pick up the pattern of the spiral path, feel yourself moving, your feet know the way to the key leading to the winter garden through a gate. Who is the keeper of the key? What is the keeper of the key? Why is the garden locked? Be drawn to the place of hiding, listen for the key . . . understand that it is waiting for you. The spiral path is growing ever smaller. In the center is a stone. Look deep inside the stone, what do you see? Enter the center of the center and find your way into the winter garden, this is the way, the shortcut is through this hidden passage. Now you see what was not visible from the outside, there are others here gathering, this is the moon garden, the place of the circle. Holly and plants and berries are being gathered, sacred plants. This is a place of releasing, fire, love, creativity, joy. There are baskets of seeds warming themselves at the base of the fire, you feel compelled to plant and gather, what is it you plant under moonlight? What do you leave behind in this moongarden? What do you create now?

Eleventh night journey . . . the adventures of the last few nights have filled your bags, changed you from inside out . . . notice where you glow tonight, what part of you is glowing and filled up. What part of you is depleted and emptied out, be in relationship with yourself as you walk through the hollowed hills, to where the ancestors wait. There is a room you never noticed here before, explore the treasures while you’re here, they wait for you. Altar spaces and rugs are laid out and set up, there are rugs and cushions and furs, for sitting and kneeling, used well, visitors come, come and visit too. There are glowing runes here, you are drawn to one, a rebirthing rune, a reflection of the sun renewing at the solstice. There is one object here left for you by somebody who came before, what is it that you need now for your own celebration and honoring? Find the one thing you need and then find your way back out . . . see who comes to meet and welcome you home. All your things are here in this place of comfort and rest, relax and release . ..