©1997 Celtic Traditionalist Order of Druids
Relax, and permit your eyelids to close. Breathe in, taking into yourself the pure and healing colors of the realms of Land, Sea, and Sky.
Permit yourself to become a physical centerpoint, a connection between these three realms. Relax, and find a peaceful space within, where you feel totally safe, protected from all harm.
Within this safe place, begin to feel your concious self arise apart from your physical body. You know that your physical self will be safe here until you return to it.
Walk outside this room through the doorway, and into a deep, old forest which you now find just outside the door. You enter this old forest by way of a path you discover at your feet. This path you see clearly, yet it seems to be otherwise completely hidden from view.
You continue along this path, through the deep forest which surrounds you. You notice the shadows of immensely old trees: Oaks, some heavy-laden with golden mistletoe; Rowans, with their red berries hanging ripe on the bough; Willows and Yew-trees, vines of ivy trailing amongst them; Hazels loaded with heavy nuts; dark, twisted Blackthorn, and a thick undergrowth of spiny Holly beneath. The air itself lies heavy and moist.
You notice faint fingers of mist creeping through the underbrush along the sides of the path as you proceed deeper through the forest. Slowly, the mist thickens little by litte, until it surrounds you so completely that you are barely able to proceed - yet you feel no fear. In fact, the mist wraps you and caresses you - you feel safe, at home. Your senses are stimulated - you feel as if you are a part of the mist, and it is a part of you.
You slowly continue anwards, along a path that is not seen, but felt.
You step out of the forest undergrowth, and the mists receed until you can see most everything around you except the ground. The mists still swirl around your ankles. The vast expanse in front of you undulates like a great gray ocean.
An object moves toward you through the ocean of mist. You realize you must be on the shoreline of a body of water, as what appears before you clears: it is a small, leather boat; a coracle. The mist thins somewhat more, and you can now plainly see this small, sturdy craft gently bobs on the surface of azure-blue water.
You enter the coracle - it feels comfortable and safe. Once you've settled into the coracle, you turn back to look at the forest - and see it as deeper and far more ancient appearing than you had imagined. The mists have parted enough that you can see the area at the edge of the waves is lush and green, with tall marsh grasses waving gently along the shore.
You feel the coracle ease away from the shore, seemingly guided by an unseen hand. The journey takes you gliding swiftly through the mists, until you feel a gentle bump as the coracle comes to rest on another shore.
The mists now part completely, permitting you to fully view the place where you now find yourself.
You emerge from your womb-like coracle, and stand on the shore.
Before you, the land streches pure and vibrant with color. Ahead, your eyes are drawn upwards to the place that appears to dominate the landscape; an immense, terraced hill, crowned by mist-shrouded stones.
Below the hill lay gardens of fragrant herbs, and orchards of lush trees heavy laden with ripening fruit. You notice a cluster of small buildings at the foot of the hill, and begin to make you way to them.
From the buildings, robed figures aproach you. As they draw near, you see their faces glow with smiles as they hold their arms outstreched in welcome. One of these figures, a woman robed in pale sky blue, draws closer to you. Her hair is long, and red-gold. Upon her brow she wears a blue crescent of the moon. She takes your hand, and bids you welcome to the holy isle.
Avalon.
She guides you forward towards the buildings you had seen at the foot of the hill. As you draw near, you see that these are simple structures, their walls whitened with lime. Some have tiled roofs, but most are thatched. Simple structures, yes, but they seem to nearly glow with an inner light - far beyond normal perception.
She guides you to the doorway of one of the smallest of these buildings.
Candle light shines from within. The door is open, and she gestures that you enter.
You enter, and find yourself in a comfortable, but not luxurious chamber. Shatding near the hearth is a woman clothed in a flowing robe of near sparkling white. Her features are fine and delicate - she is certainly of the Old People - of the Fey. Around her neck rests a fine gold torque, and upon her brow rests a thin circlet of pale gold - set off by her luminous dark hair. She extends her hand to you in welcome, and introduces herself to you: she is Niane, the Lady of Avalon, and she has been expecting you.
She beccons you to sit with her at the fire, for she has something to give you. This gift will be unique and personal for each of you.
Share this moment with her now.
After a space of time, you realize it is time to return to your world. The woman leads you out of the building, and down once again to the shores of the lake. There, your coracle awaits you. She smiles, and tells you that you are always welcome on these shores.
You step into your coracle, and it gently starts towards the opposite shore.
You return to the marshy edge of the old forest, and step out of your coracle. Silently, it retreats into the mists on its way back to the Holy Isle.
You return down the path through the forest. The journey seems to take less time than before, as now you are more certain of your steps.
You emerge from the forest, and find yourself once again at the doorway of this room.
You re-enter the room, and once again find your physical self, safe and secure. You re-enter your physical body, and once more enter its relaxed state.
After a moment's readjustment, you are able to open your eyes and rejoin this time and place, with you gift intact, rested and refreshed.
