Welcome the growing stillness of this waning moon. With January’s first New Moon just ahead of us on the 26th, this is the time to go inward and honor a sacred pause. Give yourself the gift of retreat as we ceremoniously bring this lunar cycle to a close in gratitude for all we’ve shared, all we’ve received, all we’ve dreamed, and all we’ve worked towards throughout this powerful start to 2017. You are invited to surrender, breathe and just be.
We ended 2016 honoring December’s New Moon on the 28th, diving into the topic of “Love as a Force of Nature” exploring the five ways you can open your heart and keep it open to be a conduit of Love and “a force of nature” yourself. By Full Moon we journeyed out into the world, with the solid intention to begin our Sacred conversation with Nature as an intelligent awareness capable of communicating with us in infinitely creative ways. Now, with the waning of the Moon, we journey inward.
Life is a constant balance of outward expression and inward reflection, wax and wane, give and take, ups and downs, open and close, stop and go, fast and slow……. It is on these inward journeys that we integrate, balance and discover ourselves anew. It is on these inward journeys we discover our own limitless depth, wild intelligence, and creative expansion. It is on these inner journeys we cultivate our own sixth sense, our intuitive guidance, and the powers of the imaginal realm. As above so below. As within so without.
Now, we venture inward to explore the wildness within. Are you ready? Let’s do it!
Here are the five steps towards taking your unique inner journey. Notice, the 5 steps posted here are also a reflection of the outer journey steps we went through in our last post. Only this time, the voice of Nature is within you….
1. Prepare Yourself.
Create a personal ritual of preparation. This could be as simple as taking three conscious deep breaths, setting up an altar space, honoring the elements and invoking the directions. Whatever helps you relax, ground and center. Make it personal. Write in your journal to clear some space. Light a candle and smudge, or anoint yourself with a soothing essential oil. Intentionally pour, bless and drink a tall glass of water!
Prepare for your inner journey with the same reverence and receptivity as you would an outer journey. Cleanse your body, mind, and spirit in preparation for communion with your inner divinity. Cultivate a sense of honor and reverence towards yourself as an aspect of Nature, capable of the extraordinary. Be grateful for the blessings within your inner world. The spirit within is waiting, sometimes we just need to clear the space in our hearts and heads to be receptive to what is already there.
2. Set an intention.
Get clear on your intention for this journey inward. Your intention could be to journey for guidance with a current issue, connect with and receive wisdom from your higher self, take lessons from your ancestors, receive blessings for healing, meet your spirit guides, discover your inner wild, release past hurts and resentments, or what have you. Be creative and purposeful with your intention. The stronger your intention, the more potent your experience. Setting your intention is like setting your inner compass towards that which you seek, wish to experience, know, or cultivate within.
3. Create Space
Choose a time and space where you won’t be interrupted. Turn off any potential distractions. Put on some relaxing music, or even use a shamanic drum journey soundtrack. Grab a blanket and pillow if it helps you feel supported into going deeper. Treat this experience as a sacred pilgrimage into your inner realms. Whether you are journeying for five minutes, or an hour, honor this time and space as sacred in an of itself.
4. Crossover the threshold.
With your journey just before you, repeat your intention three times. Close your eyes. Deepen your breathing. Relax your body. Still your mind. Use your breath to deepen into your experience. Use your focus to ignite your intention. Use your imagination as the doorway into your unfolding self. Go inward. Journey through your heart. Discover the world waiting for you there. You may find yourself journeying to your own magical place, high above the Mountains, deep below the Sea, or lying in stillness along a sunny seashore. You may find yourself walking through your own enchanted forest, or flowery meadow. You might fly with an eagle, swim with a great whale, or ride a wild stallion. You might rest in the arms of the Great Mother, or float down a winding river in the velvety bloom of a lotus. Let your journey take you where it will. Surrender to the unknown within and experience the power of your divinity on this inner journey through your wild realms.
5. Honor your experience.
Give thanks to yourself and what you experienced on your inner journey. Journal about your discovery, write down any nuggets of truth and wisdom received, or simply bask in the bliss of your own relaxed state. Know that we hold the capacity to seek and answer our own questions, create our own healing, and journey far into the wild realms of our spirit and beyond. Honor your inner space as you would a Nature reserve full of wildlife, beauty, and mystical surprises. The sanctuary of the wild exists within us. We are one!
Enjoy the stillness. Take the pause. Experience the Journey.
Wild and Free, Natural Mystic