Emy
October 6th, 2001, 01:03 PM
This meditation is written by Rosie Björkman, it may appear a bit weird to some of you as it is based on something called "sötmedicin" in swedish, I haven't got a clue to what it might be called in english. Anyways here the elements are associated differently to the four cardinal points. For me it does not bother me too much, I sometimes go with the elements this way when I do this meditation although I associate them differently otherwise, but I guess if you think it is too weird, just go with what you are used to, and what feels right for you. Just swap them around so that you have whatever element you feel is most fitting with your tradition at each cardinal point. The most common way I guess is to see earth in north, air in east, fire in south and water in west.
Start with sorting out the minor arcana and make four little piles of them, swords, coins, wands and cups.
Make a circle around you, in the south you place a symbol of the water, a seashell, a bowl of water, or whatever feels good to you. Call in all the powers of the south, this is where the innocent little magickal child inside you lives. This is where you find the element of water, and every plant. Place the pile of cups in this direction.
In the west you place a symbol for the earth, for example bones, a plate with soil or sand, a stone or a crystal. Call in all the powers of the west, this is where the grown up man/woman lives, the element of earth, the stones and the holy stone people. Place the pile with coins in this direction.
In the north place a symbol for air, like a feather, or a crystal, incense etc. Call in the powers of the north, the old wise man/woman, the element of air, all the animals. Place the pile of swords here in this direction.
In the east place a symbol for fire, perhaps a lamp, a candle, some incense etc. After that call in all the powers of the east, the ancestors, the element of fire, and humankind. Place the wands here.
Now speak out, (with a loud voice) that the circle is closed, that this is a sacred area, filled with loving and healing energies from all over the universe.
Sit down in the middle of the circle, face towards the south (as the tradition of sötmedicinen proclaims, they also place their altar in the south). Get rooted, feel yourself getting rooted to the earth, feel yourself getting grounded. Now take the pile with the cups in your hand, feel the water in your body, feel all your emotions, everyone of them, positive as negative feelings, feel how they tumble around inside you like seahorses, fish, wales... feel how you become one with the cups. You can feel, you can understand, you can be compassionate. Put the pile back in the south again.
Turn west, take the pile with coins in your hands. Feel the earth underneath you, feel your heartbeat, feel your spine. Breathe in the earths power up through your spine, feel your own presence. Lie down, and push your spine to the ground, then sit up again. Feel the collective memories that is inside ourselves, that we have got in our backs, in our spine... Put the coins back...
Turn north, take the swords up. feel how your mind flies like birds in the sky. Feel all your thoughts. Feel how they run like an antilope, how they swim in the ocean like fish... feel them crawling on the ground like a snake, feel how crowded it is in there... open your dreameye, the chakra on top of your head, open it and breath in the space above, breathe it in like crystallight, let the starry sky above you fill your head. Feel everything out there, feel every thought, shape, just everything. The swords contains thoughts of different kinds, of every kind. They are with you now. Put them back again.
Turn east, take the wands in your hand, feel your inner fire, your inner sun, the sparkle, your strength. Feel your decisiveness, your willpower, your abilities to set bounderies and to open boudenderies. Allow yourself to become a member of the wands family. You too are a soul of fire. Put them back again.
Tur south again. Sit still for awhile allowing the elements to mix inside yourself, to get you in balance.
If you like you may now draw a card from each pile to find out what relation you have to each element right now, and also ask for what you can look forward to and ask for advice on how to remain balanced.
When you feel balanced and calm pick the cards up, and close the circle (anticlockwise, starting in the south if you follow the sötmedicinska traditions. Thank everyone involved, the powers you called upon, and also yourself, that too is important.
It is done!
Start with sorting out the minor arcana and make four little piles of them, swords, coins, wands and cups.
Make a circle around you, in the south you place a symbol of the water, a seashell, a bowl of water, or whatever feels good to you. Call in all the powers of the south, this is where the innocent little magickal child inside you lives. This is where you find the element of water, and every plant. Place the pile of cups in this direction.
In the west you place a symbol for the earth, for example bones, a plate with soil or sand, a stone or a crystal. Call in all the powers of the west, this is where the grown up man/woman lives, the element of earth, the stones and the holy stone people. Place the pile with coins in this direction.
In the north place a symbol for air, like a feather, or a crystal, incense etc. Call in the powers of the north, the old wise man/woman, the element of air, all the animals. Place the pile of swords here in this direction.
In the east place a symbol for fire, perhaps a lamp, a candle, some incense etc. After that call in all the powers of the east, the ancestors, the element of fire, and humankind. Place the wands here.
Now speak out, (with a loud voice) that the circle is closed, that this is a sacred area, filled with loving and healing energies from all over the universe.
Sit down in the middle of the circle, face towards the south (as the tradition of sötmedicinen proclaims, they also place their altar in the south). Get rooted, feel yourself getting rooted to the earth, feel yourself getting grounded. Now take the pile with the cups in your hand, feel the water in your body, feel all your emotions, everyone of them, positive as negative feelings, feel how they tumble around inside you like seahorses, fish, wales... feel how you become one with the cups. You can feel, you can understand, you can be compassionate. Put the pile back in the south again.
Turn west, take the pile with coins in your hands. Feel the earth underneath you, feel your heartbeat, feel your spine. Breathe in the earths power up through your spine, feel your own presence. Lie down, and push your spine to the ground, then sit up again. Feel the collective memories that is inside ourselves, that we have got in our backs, in our spine... Put the coins back...
Turn north, take the swords up. feel how your mind flies like birds in the sky. Feel all your thoughts. Feel how they run like an antilope, how they swim in the ocean like fish... feel them crawling on the ground like a snake, feel how crowded it is in there... open your dreameye, the chakra on top of your head, open it and breath in the space above, breathe it in like crystallight, let the starry sky above you fill your head. Feel everything out there, feel every thought, shape, just everything. The swords contains thoughts of different kinds, of every kind. They are with you now. Put them back again.
Turn east, take the wands in your hand, feel your inner fire, your inner sun, the sparkle, your strength. Feel your decisiveness, your willpower, your abilities to set bounderies and to open boudenderies. Allow yourself to become a member of the wands family. You too are a soul of fire. Put them back again.
Tur south again. Sit still for awhile allowing the elements to mix inside yourself, to get you in balance.
If you like you may now draw a card from each pile to find out what relation you have to each element right now, and also ask for what you can look forward to and ask for advice on how to remain balanced.
When you feel balanced and calm pick the cards up, and close the circle (anticlockwise, starting in the south if you follow the sötmedicinska traditions. Thank everyone involved, the powers you called upon, and also yourself, that too is important.
It is done!