Caer Abred

I suppose this will be a musing sort of post, feel free to help me explore.

For many years I've been a pantheist, though agnostic with regards to individual gods/goddesses - to me, they may very well be out there, but I just haven't met them yet!

Strangely (well, for me!) since coming to this board I've started having experiences that I'd describe as the start of a relationship with a god.

I went to a tree meditation a couple of months ago, based on the works of Sue and Simon Lily, who are well respected in the field of training on gem and flower essences. The chosen tree this particular month was the Lime and a group of us met at the gates of the Quarry Park in Shrewsbury to go and experience the Limes there.

Quarry Park is absolutely full of the the most beautiful mature lime trees and has about three avenues of them. A small group of us walked through the limes, taking in their energy and being respectful to them. I found myself slowing down and relaxing for starters, a good sign!

A little later on in the experience, we needed to have a brief meditation with an indivdual tree, to connect with it. I chose a lime after a few tries and put my head against it. In my mind's eye, I saw a park with avenues of lime trees though not the one I was in. There was a fork in the path. At the V of the fork stood a man, in a long dark overcoat with a hat on his head and a long grey beard, squared off at the end. He was just standing there, staring straight at me and into my head popped the name Odin.

Also in this experience I saw another man sat on a bench to the left with casual linen trousers and shirt on. He was reading a paper and had grey hair sticking straight out from the sides of his head - into my head popped the information that he was the Lime Tree dryad.

For me, these experiences were very unusual. Whenver I've been on pathworkings where I am supposed to meet a God or Goddess, it just doesn't happen, or I see the back of their head, or know someone is around but don't catch a glimpse, or get there and get the virtual answerphone! So this was very very weird.

In the meantime, in the time surrounding this event it started with seeing Nigel Pennick speak about runes and do a Woden call, other mentions of Odin, ravens, blackbirds, all sorts of things going on. In the meantime I also carried out my Bardic initiation which led me to feel that what is important is this time and this place, this moment.

So ... I've now shared this experience with you and actually would like to thank you for enabling me to have this experience! Through having my perceptions challenging it seems that I've opened up to other possibilities. So far I haven't directly repeated this experience, but I'm very open to see what happens next.

Warm blessings

Elaine x

Thank you for sharing that Elaine.

Spooky. Did you take away any other new knowledge or wisdom from the experience Elaine? (mind you I'm not expecting you to share any such, as its the kind of thing that can be very personal)

P.S are you having anything to do with the TDN Mistletoe Ritual in Tenbury Wells this year?

Well I'm still a bit what the?? about the whole experience because it's not something that happens very often. Generally what I'm getting at the moment is about being in the here and now which is no great surprise. Mundane life is very much taking over at the moment!

I am very much hoping to be part of the Mistletoe Ritual this year though it's too far off to say so for definitely. My friends Suzanne and Jake Thomas have had the reins handed to them, so they are co-ordinating it now. Will post up a link to the new website once I've found it again!

Warm blessings

Elaine x

ps - I still keep getting little things going on which are possibly co-incidences or echoes of this experience, such as seeings lots of crows (but that could be the time of the year!) and the name Odin/Woden popping up on quite regular basis and suchlike. I'm sure I'll sort it out in time But it's fun! Makes life more interesting

I'm going through what I'd call a spooky period too...either the veil of the worlds is very thin or my unconscious is really acting up.

I've made the Mistletoe rite in previous years...its a bit soon after the impending birth of another little Whitehorse to be sure if I will make it this year. Probably not all things considered. I was around at the formation of the 'Mistletoe Foundation'. i guess Stefan Seniuk gave up responsibility for that too...what has happened to him (and the Albion Conclave) since he left 'druidry'? Any gos?

I don't really know what's happening with Stefan! I think he formally handed over the Mistletoe Foundation last year and has possibly quite literally retreated into the woods. I personally haven't heard anything of him lately and so don't really know anything much. I think I went along to the second of the Mistletoe Festivals and the one after that, but didn't go last year because I still wasn't too well - I have a feeling we may well have brushed past each other without realising??

I'm making a banner for it!

Otherwise, the goddess who always seems to be "around" with me at the moment is Rhiannon.

There was one fabulous moment when I went for a walk on "my" beach at Llansteffan. The wind was blowing rivers of fine sand like smoke trails, and, suddenly, a young girl on a huge and somewhat cobby white horse came cantering by.

A voice called, words almost carried away by the force of the wind, "Rhiannon! Are you alright?"

An ordinary girl, her mother, and a friend's horse ....... or something else entirely? As a place, "my" beach is very much a location between the worlds.

Fabulous Chris! And yes, I know you're making the banner and I'm looking forward to seeing it

I'm afraid I rather like gods and goddesses, and Other worlds, and shamanic journeying, and homeopathy, and telepathy and all sorts of woo-woo stuff.

That's one of the reasons I'm not on here so much these days - I couldn't reconcile the part of me that interacts with and passionately loves all the above into some kind of logical, scientifically proven thought form. I couldn't even merely attribute my pink fluffy rainbow woo-woo nature with the idea that it was all just to do with my imagination ....... because some of the things that happen when I paint drums for people clearly are nothing to do with just that.

The other reason I've not been around much is work. Lots. Thankfully.

I am totally with you there Chris.I sometimes feel really divided between a deep connection to spirit and a love of science.I just feel open to all of it.I think its really important to have that beauty and inspiration that comes from the deep mystery/great spirit.