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oakwindWell at least for now. I am working through the Deepening Program, Sweetwood Temenos' training program and I am going to try and follow my progress or lack there of here. The pilot program began with the last new moon and is intended to move to a new section every new moon. We are looking at our 5 values through the 7 perspectives of earth, air, fire, water, ancestors, descendants, and community. This gives 35 sections and 3 years to finish the program. The order of the 7 perspectives was determined during the Freedom Fest main ritual, in which the Lady of Fate draws runes to select the order that they are called. Fire was the first element drawn and so we begin with the value of Self-Knowledge. The program has books to read, meditations, and actions to perform, journal entries to write, and discussions to have.
The August New Moon falls in Leo most often, which seemed to me an appropriate astrological sign for beginning with Self-Knowledge through the lens of fire. I drew a full circle, calling on the elements and asking for their aid in my endeavor and particularly that of fire. As it was a new moon I invited both the God and Goddess, and the Lady of the Dark Moon to my circle. I lit a red candle to enhance my connection with fire and to aid my fire meditation.
As I watched the candle words floated up to my awareness.
Fire dance, incense snaking through the air,
curling over the lip of the candle and down,
drawn to the flame.
Flickering in response to the caress of sweet smelling tendril.
Energy
Passion consumes as it passes through
leaving ash in the form of a painting,
a poem...a love...a life.
Form, fire condensed into matter.
We know ourselves through our creations, projecting ourselves outward. Mirroring self in the writhing dance between energy and matter. A flickering flame joins with air and accepts earth's sweet sacrifice to create beauty, however fleeting. One of the lessons of fire -- that it changes what it touches and is changed itself. Everything ends and dies, a bright flame dims and goes out.
What can reawaken passion? How can enthusiasm be coaxed to burn again? Where is the dance of light and heat and smoke and ash?
It is my wont to draw a tarot card during a new moon meditation to illumine something about the coming month, and in this case, in regard to this section of the program. The two of wands came to my hand. The deck I use has a person holding a globe of light in the right hand and a rod in the left. There is another hand with a rod implying another person though they are not shown. In the bottom right corner is a shield with a fully open rose and rosebud crossed with a white lily which also has both a fully opened flower and a bud. It seemed appropriate that it be rods, symbolizing fire, and include a globe of light. I will think about it this month and draw out my sense of its voice speaking upon this matter.
The August New Moon falls in Leo most often, which seemed to me an appropriate astrological sign for beginning with Self-Knowledge through the lens of fire. I drew a full circle, calling on the elements and asking for their aid in my endeavor and particularly that of fire. As it was a new moon I invited both the God and Goddess, and the Lady of the Dark Moon to my circle. I lit a red candle to enhance my connection with fire and to aid my fire meditation.
As I watched the candle words floated up to my awareness.
Fire dance, incense snaking through the air,
curling over the lip of the candle and down,
drawn to the flame.
Flickering in response to the caress of sweet smelling tendril.
Energy
Passion consumes as it passes through
leaving ash in the form of a painting,
a poem...a love...a life.
Form, fire condensed into matter.
We know ourselves through our creations, projecting ourselves outward. Mirroring self in the writhing dance between energy and matter. A flickering flame joins with air and accepts earth's sweet sacrifice to create beauty, however fleeting. One of the lessons of fire -- that it changes what it touches and is changed itself. Everything ends and dies, a bright flame dims and goes out.
What can reawaken passion? How can enthusiasm be coaxed to burn again? Where is the dance of light and heat and smoke and ash?
It is my wont to draw a tarot card during a new moon meditation to illumine something about the coming month, and in this case, in regard to this section of the program. The two of wands came to my hand. The deck I use has a person holding a globe of light in the right hand and a rod in the left. There is another hand with a rod implying another person though they are not shown. In the bottom right corner is a shield with a fully open rose and rosebud crossed with a white lily which also has both a fully opened flower and a bud. It seemed appropriate that it be rods, symbolizing fire, and include a globe of light. I will think about it this month and draw out my sense of its voice speaking upon this matter.
