The Oak Elevator -
Regress/Review
There have been situations
in my life when I have reacted instinctually and then later come to wonder
where that particular instinct came from because it seemed either out of
character or not a common way to react. From researching the theories and
philosophies regarding instinct, I discovered the most common spiritual belief
is that instinct is born of lessons learned in previous lives. My curiosity got
the better of me and I took myself into the astral playground on a few meditative
journeys to find out exactly what lessons my former self learnt and how much
those lessons affect my life now physically, emotionally, and mentally as well
as spiritually. There were several ways I journeyed back but only one that I
felt gave me something relevant. I therefore have included it here as it
incorporates the strength and wisdom of oak with the energy and power of Raido.
Preparation and Circle (*optional)
·
I
personally like to meditate in circle and I have a tendency to cast both
physically and spiritually. For this meditation, my spiritual circle is red,
both for the Raido association and to act as a buffer for grounding*;
physically, I create a perimeter of oak leaves and acorns; for a third pass of
the circle, I light a little dried mugwort and waft the smoke deosil as I walk
the boundary.
·
The
second thing I like to do is charge my oak wand and hold it during the
meditation. This is something I do for many meditations but by adding a second
aspect of oak energy I add a powerful boost of strength to the working; a
strength which I have found to be unparalleled. If I feel the need to add a
third aspect of Oak, I will cast the circle and perform the meditation under an
oak tree.
1.
Close your eyes and concentrate on your
breathing: long, slow, deep breaths; as you exhale feel your physical body
shrink and release all the aspects of your daily life… family, friends, jobs, hobbies,
favourite tv shows; allow your spiritual self to be purged of these burdens so
you are pure energy becoming only concentrated energy - more and more
concentrated as your body (or ‘shell’ as it will feel) gets smaller.
2.
Your
decreasing shell will change shape until eventually you are an acorn – a tiny
inconsequential seed but with such dramatic strength and power inside. I brand
my acorn self with a Raido rune at this point to provide the ‘travelling’
aspect of this meditation. This acorn is your core spirit; it is the purest
form of you, that which is nothing but energy and power, your spirit which has lived
many lives and none and has completed it’s cycle of lives and its content in
the Summerland; it is eternal and the immortal and the timeless oak it will
become is a conduit into the past.
3.
Plant
your acorn in the astral plane, bury yourself in the purest form of the element
of earth, that which is ethereal; nourish yourself with the immortal waters
that flow ceaselessly through the Universe; visualise the element of fire as a
strong astral sun shining on you, nurturing you, helping you grow into a mighty
oak (if you like to be particularly dramatic, form this energy into the Sun God
and be touched by the light and heat of His hand). Be as creative as you like –
gnarl your trunk, twist your branches, flourish yourself with rich foliage.
Allow yourself to stretch out into the farthest reaches of the astral and feel
the touch of elemental air in your leaves.
4. This oak is you without the
birth and death element that mortal life inevitably inflicts – each life you
have lived is a cycle of seasons from Spring through to Winter which is
reflected on the oak and its appearance so feel yourself grow leaves, allow
their greenness to ripen before beginning to golden and wither, finally
dropping from you and fading into the ether. Let your oak flourish through a
full seasonal cycle before the next step – this will establish the intention
and your oak’s hold in the astral plane.
5.
Your
core energy and consciousness which is now bubbling away in your oak tree is at
this point potent and charged enough for the journey. Create a door in the
trunk of your tree, elevator style, which will be a means of moving your consciousness into the past – it can be ornate and ancient or shiny and new but it’s function must be clear as you create it.
I have discovered on
creating this meditation that the astral plane and the unconscious mind have the
wonderful ability of showing you what you need, rather than what you want.
Taking this into consideration, I was not surprised to find my control of the
meditation suspended as the fates chose where in my souls history I was to
visit.
6.
When
your core is ready, the seasons will accelerate through their cycle in reverse
from winter to spring. This may take only a few seconds or several minutes
dependant on the strength on your focus and the number of lives you have lived –
if you see dinosaurs, you may have gone too far – lol! Far from being a ‘wait’,
this is a time for your conscious mind to focus on the reasons why you are
delving into the depths of your psyche and intention of the questions you are
asking.
7.
Once
your elevator has ‘landed’ on the correct ‘floor’ or life, the seasons will
stop cycling and be beautifully halted in a state of one particular season,
with a perpetual embodiment of that season and an indication as to what time of
life you are in at the point which you will visit your past self:
·
Spring
– endless blossoming with bright green leaves and an essence of newness; the
indication of viewing this life at a youthful stage.
·
Summer
– rich green leaves that seem to heave abundance; the indication of viewing
your past life between mid 20’s to late 30’s.
·
Autumn
– golden brown leaves and sense of winding down energy; the indication of
viewing a life from the perspective of someone in their 40’s or 50’s.
·
Winter
– barren branches, moving slowly and creaking in the chilled astral breezes;
indications of a person in later life – 60+
8.
You
are now at the destination in time which will give you the answers you seek; the
oak will have moved from your mind to the mind of the person you once were; the
memory of that lifetime being stored unconsciously in your own mind since its
happening. Your consciousness can now move freely through the ‘elevator’ door
and into the memory of your former self. You will see through ‘their’ eyes,
feel what ‘they’ feel and experience ‘their’ life as it was lived and see how
it affects your current life and your thought processes.
9.
Notice
everything you can but do not be in a hurry to see everything… the happenings
you are searching for will unfold in their own time as they did when you
originally experienced them. It is important to remember that you are only a
spectator and this journey should not be hindered by fear of the butterfly
effect. You are not able to affect change to the past; it would be nice to have
that kind of power but I do not. As with dreaming, time may be drastically
altered in this meditation; you may find what you’re looking for straight away
or it may take a while to receive the information which leads to the event
which influences you in your day-to-day life. Either way, remember as much as
you can; not just what you see but what you sense: atmospheres, moods, smells,
sounds, etc..
10. When you are ready to
depart, it is simply a case of visualising yourself once more as the oak tree –
the ‘elevator door’ is a portal only for you as it is a part of you. The scene
around you will fade as you become astral branch and shapely leaves, sturdy
trunk and nourished roots. Once your conciousness is securely focused in your tree
– the seasons will automatically begin to accelerate through their cycle –
forwards unless you are going to view a second life - until once again they abruptly
stop. You are now back in your own time.
11.
To
complete the meditation, fade the carved door back into the tree; slowly reduce
your oak back to the concentrated energy form of your acorn – feeling your
leaves pop out of existence and branches rescind back to your core; shrink that
powerful trunk down and down into that acorn of powerful potential.
12. I have developed a habit in
doing this meditation for the final flourish – I turn the ‘cap’ of the acorn and
visualise my energy springing back to my body similarly to how a spring-action
tent or laundry basket opens up when you untie it.
Another habit I have picked
up from this creating this meditation is to go and collect an acorn from the
park whenever I perform it, which has been a considerable amount whilst I get
it right. I now have a collection of acorns in a little dish under my altar… I
call it my collection of lives.
