Crone Meditation

Sit in a comfortable position with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in your lap. Close your eyes and visualize a white light coming into position over the top of your head. See it coming down over you until you are completely surrounded by the light. Breathe it in with slow, even breaths. Feel your body relaxing, beginning with your toes and working up to your jaw and head muscles. It may take more time to relax the muscles of the shoulders, neck, and head than the rest of the body.

Now see yourself standing beside a well. The stone walls of the well are moss-covered and worn. Take all the problems in your life that are bothering you (that includes people) and drop them into the well. Then turn and walk away down a little path that leads through a grove of trees.

In a short time you come to a very high cliff at the end of the path. Set into the wall is an iron-bound oak door. The door is narrow and tall with a peak at the top. A huge brass ring hands near one edge of the door. You pull on the ring, and the door slowly comes open.

Inside is a wide tunnel winding away into the darkness, its curved rood illuminated for a space by two torches which hand in iron holders on either side of the door. As you step inside and take down one of the torches, the door slowly closes behind you.

The light of your torch illuminates the path before you, although the tunnel ahead is dark. You remember that you are protected; nothing can harm you. You set off down the tunnel which begins to gently curve, first one way, then the other. The small side tunnels do not interest you. Your goal is the Mother’s chamber beyond the Maiden’s fountain, somewhere ahead in the labyrinth.

Before long you turn a corner and find yourself in the torch-lit white-walled room with the Maiden’s fountain bubbling in its shallow bowl in the center. The Maiden stands near the entrance to another dark tunnel, Her hounds gathering at Her feet. She beckons to you, then turns and leads the way into the tunnel, the hounds running before you. You follow, your torch casting a circle of light around you.

You recognize the intricate twists and turns, the increase of side-tunnels, as the way to the Mother’s chamber. If you see any “ghosts” from your past lives here, you may stop and communicate with them. If, however, you feel any threat coming from these apparitions, call to the Maiden and She will protect you.

The Maiden leads you deeper still into the twisting labyrinth. Soon you find yourself in the lighted, red-walled chamber with its crystal benches. The central fountain sounds like tiny bells as it falls into its bowl. The Maiden goes straight to the carnelian throne, where the Mother waits. On the back of the throne perches a white owl, its dark eyes staring at you.

In a soft voice, the Mother tells you to follow the owl. She gestures to the wall behind the throne. As you step past Her, you see a narrow opening outlined in crystal and amethyst points. She smiles encouragingly as you move toward the black tunnel. The owl leaves its perch and flies ahead of you, its white plumage glowing in the darkness.

You squeeze through the narrow opening. The tunnel is so narrow you can reach to each side and touch the crystal-studded walls. Without warning, your torch goes out, and you stand in complete darkness. Then you see the delicate flicker of light across the crystal walls. You squeeze around a corner and find yourself in a black-walled cave. The walls and ceiling are cloaked in deep shadows. The only light comes from an ornate lamp set on the low stone wall around a central pool. Just beyond the pool is a huge cauldron. The owl perches on the cauldron rim and looks at you.

You walk to the pool and lay your extinguished torch on the rocky floor. Gazing down into the still black waters of the pool, you may see scenes in the water – scenes from the past, the present, or the future. Do not be discouraged if nothing is revealed during this visit. Sometimes it takes more than one journey to this pool before one can see backward and forward through time.

Beyond the cauldron, you see a movement, and a black-robed figure steps forward. A hood covers the head and shadows the face. Two long gray braids hang down across the breast. You stand silent for a few moments, gazing at this powerful figure. You feel no menace coming from the figure, only concern and deep love.

Then leathery hands are raised and the hood dropped back to reveal an older woman, the Crone, the Dark Mother. Although She is aged, She is very beautiful. Her eyes are filled with timeless wisdom. She holds out Her hands and you go to stand directly before Her, gazing into those wise eyes.

The Crone gestures for you to sit beside Her at the edge of the pool. She asks if you have any questions about karmic patterns in your life. You may ask Her about any present event or person and how they fit in from other lifetimes. You may also ask about the future and how it is tied to the past. Confirmation and revelation of past lives is also within the realm of the Dark Mother. The Crone will give you the information She knows you will use in a positive way. She may, at times, refuse to answer until a later time. You can hide nothing from the all-seeing, all-knowing Dark Mother.

When you finished your conversation, the Crone asks if you are ready for rebirth. This can bring drastic changes, so think carefully before you decide. If you answer yes, She takes your arm and leads you to the far side of the huge cauldron where there are steps leading up to it. You climb the steps and stand looking down into its black interior. An inky, bubbling liquid fills the cauldron. The Crone speaks encouraging words in Her soft voice as you stand there. Finally, you leap into the cauldron and fall down into its blackness.

The cauldron experience is intensely personal. There is no single experience, therefore no way to describe it. You will, however, feel healing and strengthening taking place within your body, mind, and soul. You may even see or experience past lives. At last you feel the Crone’s hands touch you, and you are lifted up again to stand at the top of the steps. Although you have been immersed in liquid, you are completely dry. The Dark Mother helps you down the steps and guides you to a black marble bench at the shadowed back of the cave. Both of you sit there while the Crone continues to instruct you and answer questions.

The Dark Mother takes a silver chalice from the floor near Her feet and holds it while you drink. The liquid is such a dark purple that it is almost black. It fills you with warmth, with hope, with renewal. The Crone gently touches the center of your forehead, your heart, and your belly. Where She has touched, there is a deep, intense feeling of warmth and energy. She presses into your hand a special symbol. This symbol may be entirely spiritual or may actually come to you in the physical at a later date.

The Dark Mother leans forward and kisses your cheek. Instantly, you are whirled away in a vortex of bright lights and melodic sounds. When the whirling stops, you find yourself once again at the exit door of the labyrinth. You push against it and go outside.

You take three deep, slow breaths and find yourself again in your chair in your present life surroundings. Sit quietly for a few moments to absorb what you experienced. If you life, make notes of your journey.

Be aware for the next few weeks, for messages and answers to questions may come from very unlikely places and people. Look at everything logically, though. Never take extreme answers at face value. Spirit never demands extreme or unethical action.

Comments

comments

This entry was posted in Pagan. Bookmark the permalink.