RETREAT

The Rune Othilia

Original Writing and Art by Kathryn Ravenwood

I enjoy making collages. Several months ago the art group I participate in was given an assignment of creating with shapes. I thought of the Runes and drew four of them, at random, to use as inspiration. Othilia was one of them and is especially pertinent at this time of isolating in a pandemic. It speaks to us about retreat; a snake that must shed its old skin. Drawing the Rune advises us to expect a radical departure from the old ways. (Rune wisdom from Ralph Blum.) 

We are all on retreat to some extent. Old ways are coming apart. We are finding out not all growth is immediately rewarding and can be very painful indeed. The quote on the collage is from Joseph Campbell: “We must let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.”  Could it be more clear than this?  Many of us are dealing with our Shadow self - our fears. The monsters have come out from under the bed and are rampaging through the house. Will we continue to be afraid or face them and make peace with them?  I am not immune to this process and was in a deep place of grief. Old buttons got pushed that put me into a funk of fear. I was walking down my hallway and I clearly heard a voice say, “you know, if you would just stop gripping onto the way you think you have to do this, we could give you something better...”

  

I was pretty stunned. I had to start looking at the basics of how I do my life in a whole new way. Othilia tells us that retreat and separation - shedding that old skin - gives freedom to become more truly who we are. That what it is we must give up is really not working anymore and is keeping us too confined in our soul’s journey. So I cried for a couple of days and then started to see that there really are better ways than what I have perpetuated for so much of my life. Spirit has been very generous and reminded me that  “if you want to have a new way of being you have to start acting like it is already here.” It is about understanding that inheritance can only come from giving up something else.

We are in a time of enormous change. Cosmic law and order are overriding many of our systems. We see this in ecosystems, the weather, politics, economics, schools, personal relationships and in every part of life. Old skins are being shed. We are all having to give something up. Some people want to get the old ways back and running as as soon as possible and others are trying to vision a “new normal” that can support us in better ways. There is a sense of impatience - and much of that is based on economics which are very real and painful for many people - but also a sense of just wanting to do what is familiar again. Go shopping. Get a haircut. Meet friends for dinner. Othilia has an answer for this, too: “Wait for the Universe to act. Do without doing and everything gets done.” 

We have gone deeper into the Age of Aquarius; the new energy is beaming down from the Universe. The old Age of Pisces is creating a last ditch effort to exert its influence even as it wanes away. Part of our new lesson is about supporting group efforts rather than individual achievement. Othilia reminds us it is a time to learn to benefit the self and others.  The news is full of examples of this from community service to people coming up with ingenious ideas to support urban agriculture. We are learning how to connect in new ways even as our collective snake sheds it skin.

How can you benefit from retreat? Are you willing to accept radical departure from the known to embrace the unknown? Are you ready to become a new and better version of your self? Is your Soul trying to guide you along an unfamiliar path? Are you creating busy work to distract you from the process or have you been willing to embrace the monsters and wriggle out of your skin?  Yes, some of this is really hard. People are dying. Bank accounts are empty and people are trying to pay the rent and feed their families. And, there are efforts to assist and give aid underway even they are not totally efficient. In the broad sense, the focus is shifting on how to create new systems of support.

There is so little we can actually control but we can definitely make our own choices. I encourage you to take this time of retreat as a gift and explore it - like a child opening a mysteriously wrapped birthday present and then curiously playing with it - finding out what can be done with it.  

And remember, when the snake sheds its skin it does not try to carry it around with it; it leaves it behind and moves on.

....Kathryn Ravenwood  4/25/2020

A Message from  the Sun in the Time of Pandemic: A Guided Mediation

3.5.20

Kathryn Ravenwood

The other night after prayer and meditation I was sitting in my altar room trying to sort out my own feelings around this pandemic. In asking for guidance I received a very clear message from The Sun.  The message was,  “I have a corona too, you know.”  

I invite you to join in a guided Spirit Journey with me to explore the Sun’s message.  A little background info first. The outermost part of the Sun is surrounded by an atmosphere of gasses called its corona, that is usually hidden by the bright light of the Sun's surface. Unless using special equipment we can’t see it. However, it IS visible during a total solar eclipse. Then, if conditions are right and, with  the aid of protective eye wear or excellent photography, we can see the amazing dark orb of the sun surrounded by a brilliant light. It is pretty spectacular. Our Sun knows how to put on a show!

What causes a Solar Eclipse?  Sometimes during the orbit of the Moon it gets between the Earth and the Sun causing the eclipse. The Moon blocks the light of the Sun by casting its shadow over the Earth. So we experience a darkness. The Sun’s light goes out and day becomes night.

What the Sun is offering us to look at is that humanity is in a time of shadow. A pandemic has been declared. People are sick and dying. It is happening fast and there is chaos. For many people normal life has stopped and will not be back to “business as usual” anytime soon - if ever. The Moon represents our emotional body, the subconscious, the unknown, fears, delusions, instincts, and cycles. Right now we are in a metaphorical eclipse and are experiencing our Shadow side. All that is hidden is coming out and being exposed in the shadowy realm of fear and uncertainty. The degree of how this time is affecting people of course differs according to their circumstances but everyone is feeling it at some level.

Our Journey today is to experience the shadow of the Moon that blocks our Sun.  The Shadows hold information to help us at this time. Our intention for the Journey is to embrace our Shadows and bring what is ready to be healed back into the light of the Sun.  

CAVEATS

In this journey I have you look up at the Sun....  of course you cannot do that in actual life but with Spirit all is possible so you can look up and not be afraid to damage your eyes.  Also a solar eclipse takes longer than the time we spend in this Journey but again, time is not the same in a Journey as in “real life.”  Allow your conscious mind to accept these anomalies so the Journey can bring you its greatest gifts.

PREPARE TO JOURNEY:  

Get comfy

feet on ground  

uncross legs

 close eyes

BREATHE

You are walking outside on a beautiful sunny day.  It is warm and you are filled with the feeling of well being, of happiness.   Notice the warmth of the Sun on your skin....  notice how you are feeling..... 

As you walk along you begin to notice that it is less sunny and even a little cooler...  you look up to the sky expecting to see a cloud over the sun but instead you see a dark shadow begin to move across it..... you are surprised to see the darkness..... you were not expecting it........you experience a change in how you feel.....  notice how the shadow on the Sun makes you feel......

The shadow continues to move across the Sun and the darkness deepens.....it is as if the darkness has moved inside of you as well....  notice how the darkness moving within you makes you feel.... is it a surprising feeling .....  or is it an old, and well known experience..........

 Now the shadow has fully engulfed the Sun....  it has become dark as night without the Light of the Sun.  The shadow has fully moved inside of you as well.........  as you experience this shadow, this darkness,  you notice there are messages for you in the shadow........  maybe you hear voices or perhaps you see images or scenes, but the Shadow is revealing things to you...............

perhaps you are remembering old fears you thought you had resolved but have hung on deep in the shadow.........  

or perhaps there are new fears you have not faced yet............  

maybe other emotions emerge from the shadow for you to notice and acknowledge........... explore this shadow land within yourself..................................

what does it look like?........................

what do you find?........................

what do you feel?......................

what is coming out of the darkness for you to notice?...............

What understandings are being revealed to you at this time?..................

What is it you come to know about yourself that was hidden?.......

The fully darkened Sun now reveals it corona.......  a bright circle of light that surrounds its darkened orb.....  look at the sun’s corona..........  how it shines like a crown..........

You realize that you, too, have a corona that shines around your darkness.........  

you can see your corona .......  it helps to illuminate your shadow land and reminds you that all your fears, emotions, and challenges have helped to make you the person you are today...........  

embrace your corona as a crown...........  

what does your crown look like?...................  

what is made from?.............................. 

Now, take your crown into your hands ..........

what does your crown feel like?  Notice all you can about it...............

Now, place your crown upon your head...........  

notice how wearing your crown makes you feel...........

notice any changes that come over you............  

notice any changes that come over your shadow land.....................

As you fully feel the power of your crown, you notice the darkness is less intense....... the light is returning...........  it is time to tell your shadow land goodbye and to offer thanks for all that it has shown your today.................  

notice any last messages your shadow land has for you at this time.................

you find you have a gift to offer to the shadow land.......  what is it you offer at this time? ................................ 

what happens as the shadow land accepts your gift?......................

Now you notice  it is becoming lighter and lighter..........   you feel a warming on your skin again............ you look up and see the dark shadow across the sun is leaving now, allowing the Sun’s brilliance to shine fully.............. its corona is no longer visible but you know it is still there.......  like the sun, you still have your crown,  and even if it is not always visible to you its strength and power will always be there.................

You raise your arms to the Sun in gratitude for this experience and find you have a gift for the Sun.  Offer your gift to the Sun now.....  

what is it you offer?..........................  

The Sun accepts your gift.......................  and, the Sun has a special gift just for you at this time.......what is it the Sun gives to you?.................

It is time to move on now......  equipped with the healings from the shadow land, the gift of the Sun, and with your crown you stand fully in the Light of your own Being.......  strong and renewed from this journey.

You find yourself aware of your breath.........  breathing in.....  breathing out........

and you are returning back to this time and place..........

when you are ready, open your eyes.

take time to journal.  get a drink of water.   allow yourself time to incorporate this journey and its wisdom.