Avalon Within

by Jhenah Telyndru

  You turn back towards the center of the circle, and the great assemblage begins to move once more, this time circling moonwise—moving the energies towards the center. It comes to you as you encircle the fire that you too must pass along the blessings of Awen. Take some time to reflect on all that you have to give to others. In what ways can you inspire? How will your life and the way you live it serve as an example to others? How can you cause the light of the Goddess to shine more brightly into the world?

  With these thoughts in your mind, focus on the fire in the center as you circle around it. Envision each tongue of flame … each spark … each glowing ember … as the women to whom you will pass the sacred inheritance that you yourself have received. These are your students, your daughters, those unknown women who will be touched by your work or whose lives will be changed because of the impact you will have upon them. Breathe the energy of the Awen that burns in your breast into the bonfire, sending it to all women who will come after you seeking the way of women’s wisdom, the way of the Goddess—the way of Avalon.

  Just as you are able to stand in this company because of the work and sacrifice of the women who have come before you, so too will the path of those who come after be made easier because of the work you do now. You are an important link in the process of reclaiming the wisdom of the Mothers. The more you can connect with the energy of this sacred lineage, the more you can birth change and wholeness into the world.

  See the faces of the women in the circles to come, dancing in the flame, just as those who joined circles before you dance on the roundness of the hill and beyond. All women who seek the way of Avalon with clarity are inheritors of this wisdom; they need but claim it through the workings of the Cycle.

  Bless these women on their path, and send them a part of the divine flame within you, drawing back through the circles of the women, through the Morgens and past them to the Great Mother Creatrix, the Modron Revealed. Breathe that energy into the flame, feeling yourself joined by the intentions of all the women in the circle. The bonfire of the sacred woods arcs higher into the sky, burning with an intensity fueled by the collective spirit of sisterhood. The small fire has become a large and living flame encircling the entire hillside.

  The sun shines high above, and Modron’s Mound is alight with a turning, flaming wheel … a wheel that has grown so large it cannot be contained on the top of this one hill. The circles of women begin to move down the slopes of the mound, less a circle than an ever-expanding spiral. You descend the hill with the other women, and like them, you carry a blazing brand of Awen in your heart. The Morgens lift their hands in blessing as you pass, and like the touch of the sun on the morning mist, they disappear. Reaching the base of the hill, the circles open and the Ancestresses begin to fade. All that remains are the countless tongues of flame that expand outward over the landscape, blessing Avalon with abundance (for it is also named the Fortunate Isle). The orchards and vineyards are burst forth with ripened fruits; the crops ripple golden and sway heavily in the gentle breeze. The lake is alive with fish and waterfowl. The summer herbs are fragrant and plentiful. The beehives are filled with dark, sweet honey. Reflect upon the nature of your inner abundance. What is the harvest of your soul?

  Take some time to reflect on your experiences.

  When you are ready, your guide leads you back through the orchard and to the shores of the lake, where the Barge of Avalon awaits you. Turn once more to face the island, and thank the Lady and all the guardians of this sacred space for supporting your work and allowing you to visit. Bid your guide farewell and climb aboard the Barge to complete your journey to the other side of the lake, bringing with you the memory of all that has come before.

  Revisiting the Self

  As you continue making your connection to Modron’s Mound and the revelation of your priestess self, go back and reread the self-reflective questions in this chapter. How have your answers changed? What catalyzed this change? What underlying energies are you now aware of which were previously unconscious? What patterns have become visible? How can you put your insights and connections to work in order to bring change into your life?

  Tool for the Station:

  The Glamour—The Mantle of Sovereignty

  Spin, Spun, Spinning

  Weave, woven, weaving

  Let me reweave tapestries of light

  Let me shine like moonbeams pierce the night

  Through my darkness to that place inside

  Where I can free all I once denied

  Spin, spun, spinning

  Weave, woven, weaving

  —Tapestries of Light, Jhenah Telyndru

  The Avalonian Glamour is a positive exercise to facilitate the manifestation of priestess-self energies in our lives, and as such, is a powerful tool for the work of the Station of Resolution. When using the Glamour, we are not seeking to change how we look or are perceived; instead, we are drawing upon the potential within us with the intention that it be reflected without. Connecting with and projecting an image of our actualized self as an energetic overlay helps to draw corresponding energies to us. This energy will reinforce our intention and support our goals of growth and personal attainment. Using the Hermetic Principle of Correspondence (oftentimes expressed as the esoteric axiom “as above, so below; as below, so above”), the Glamour facilitates our ability to tap into our greatest potentials and allows us to act as if they have already been fully manifested in our lives.

  The Cloak of the Priestess

  The written record provides us with an account of the garb worn by Celtic priestesses. We find a description from the Roman commander Suetonius Paulinus who in 61 ce successfully lay siege to the Druid isle of Ynys Mon, known today as Anglesey. There, the Roman legions savagely slaughtered everyone they could find and burnt down sacred groves in retaliation for Druidic encouragement of resistance to Roman rule. Paulinus’ account included a description of long-haired, dark-cloaked women carrying torches and shrieking at the Roman invaders, simultaneously trying to frighten them and summon Otherworldly aid. The historian Tacitus relays the scene thus:

  On the beach stood the adverse array, a serried mass of arms and men, with women flitting between the ranks. In the style of Furies, in robes of deathly black and with disheveled hair, they brandished their torches; while a circle of Druids, lifting their hands to heaven and showering imprecations, struck the troops with such an awe at the extraordinary spectacle that, as though their limbs were paralyzed, they exposed their bodies to wounds without an attempt at movement.

  —Annals, Book XIV, Chapter 30—Tacitus

  The priestess cloak is of particular significance to the women of Avalon. It is the mantle of authority earned though self-transformation and progression on the path. The deeper one becomes immersed into the Mysteries of the Goddess, the darker the color of the cloak one wears. As the Druids wore white cloaks, which reflected the brilliance of light out into the universe, so the clositered priestesses wore black—the primal magnetic power that concentrates and absorbs all things unto itself. The color black corresponds with the energetic paradigm of Feminine Spirituality as a path of growth that spirals inward, always pulling the seeker towards the center.

  Weaving the Mantle of Sovereignty

  Creating a Glamour is an effective way to redirect the energies freed from the illusion of shadow during the Dark Half of the Cycle in support of the manifestation of higher self potential. When we first weave the mantle of Sovereignty, it is an empty vessel—a form to hold and focus our magickal purpose. With work and in time, the cloak becomes empowered with intention—an astral repository of refined and directed energy committed to our growth and transformation.

  Like dressing for the job position we would like to have rather than the one we are currently in, enrobing ourselves in the completed mantle infuses us with an influence that both raises the vibratory level of our personal energy and dra
ws a like energy to us. In this way, as we work to manifest our sovereign selves—whole, complete, and centered in the Goddess—we have the assistance of our mantle to support and generate the energy of all we wish to become.

  step one: To create your mantle of Sovereignty, begin by reviewing your personal process since first beginning to ride the wheel of the Avalonian Cycle of Healing. Meditate upon the growth resulting from the seeds you have planted at the Station of Emergence. What shape is this energy beginning to take?

  step two: Connect with your guide to help clarify your goals and recognize the form of the Sovereign Woman within you. As you explore, release your connection to the ways in which you have not already externally manifested your priestess self. When self-recriminating thoughts come up during this work, seek the ways in which you can work to bridge the gap between what is and what can be, rather than dwelling on the fact that disparity exists in the first place. Remember, the goal of this work is to move you into a place of actualizing your potential; focus your intentions there. If you find it challenging to visualize your Sovereign self, it can be helpful to ask your guide for a symbol that represents the woman you are working to become. This symbol can then be used in doorway work with the intention of seeking a vision of the priestess within so that you may begin to create your cloak.

  step three: Once you can clearly see the woman you are meant to be, fully actualized and connected with the Goddess, open a dialogue with her. Ask for her story and about the path she has had to walk down in order to become who she is today. What will help you arrive at the place where she stands now? What insights into your process can she bring? How will your life be different once you have manifested the changes she represents? What can you do to facilitate these changes?

  step four: Perform an Immram to Avalon and when you arrive on the shore, ask your guide to take you to the Weaving House. There, at the center of this round house, next to the hearth, sit down at the wood-framed weighted loom awaiting your touch. You instantly know how to use the loom and it comes to life beneath your fingers. Take several breaths to calm and connect and bring forth the image of your sovereign self. Visualize a connection between your hands and this image in the form of a silver strand of energy; this will serve as the thread from which you will weave the material of your cloak. Take as much time as you need at the loom; it may take more than one session to complete the material. Should you need to return, ask that your work remain in Avalon’s keeping until you can complete it. Do not take more than three days to weave your cloak; otherwise the energy will begin to dissipate and you will need to start over again. It is important that you remain focused in your weaving, taking care to exclude self-doubt or limiting thoughts from the matrix. A good way to imbue your cloth with intention and keep your mind clear as your weave is to repeat a chant or affirmation connected to your work. When you have completed your weaving, be sure to tie it off before removing it from the loom.

  step five: When you have completed the material, sit with it for a while and connect with what you have woven. When ready, visualize yourself placing this energetic cloak around your shoulders with great intention. As you do so, the material immediately takes the form of a hooded cloak. Fasten it and feel the energy of the mantle of Sovereignty envelop you. Take note of all you feel and experience. Visualize a mirror in front of you. How do you look in your cloak? What do you see? What color is it? What form is the clasp? What changes do you notice on all levels?

  step six: Take some time to ground and center this energy, integrating it into your own. You have effectively brought energy of a higher vibratory state into your aura structure, and you may experience some light-headedness, giddiness, or euphoria upon donning your mantle. Make sure you are comfortable with the shift before moving out of a ritual space.

  It may be useful to tie your cloak to something physical to help you connect with the essence of your Sovereignty once you are out in the world; a powerful way of doing this is to dedicate a pendant or ring for this purpose. Choose your piece wisely, as it will be a visual cue to connect you to your work. Have it on hand when you first put on your Mantle, visualizing it as a pin on your cloak. Once the connection is made, you can actively draw from your Mantle’s strength as you work to actualize the potential it represents. You can also use the piece to empower your mantle’s essence every month at the full moon; this recharging should be done whether you choose to use a physical tie-in or not.

  Wear this mantle of Sovereignty from the Station of Resolution through to the next Station of Emergence. At the full moon after the portal work of Emergence, begin to explore and weave your new garment, connecting with your renewed and clarified vision of the Inner Sovereign. Every turn of the Cycle brings increased sight of who we are and what we have the potential to become. The work of Avalon is revealed only through the journey; the priestess within is ever unfolding.

  9

  The Station of Integration

  Three things essential for the wise to know: their Gods, themselves, and the deceits of the world.

  Celtic Triad

  Holding the energies of our Divinity and supporting the entire web of our soul’s unfolding, the Station of Integration is the center around which the fabric of our lives is spun. Our internal axis mundi, pointing the way towards the unfailing Pole Star, this fifth Seed of Cycle holds the core truth of who we are—whole and fully connected to the Goddess. The work of the other four Stations is to manifest this complete and authentic self, and to cast aside the veil of illusion that prevents us from living fully from this center. Every consciously ridden turn of the Cycle of Healing allows us to spiral further up the path of our becoming, and further down into the Source of all creation. The more we are able to touch this Divinity, the more our sight will be blessed with a greater discernment of what is truth and what is shadow. The voracious hunger of ego is fed by the bountiful giving of the self; the joy reaped by clarity overwhelms the pain wrought by illusion.

  The Station of Integration in the Cycle of the Sun

  The wise woman who allies herself with the tides of the universe also comes to the understanding that our healing is cyclic as well. A deep-rooted issue does not go away with one turn of the Wheel. The wise woman has learned that the path of growth is spiraled. With each turn, we ascend upward. We may have to face the same painful lessons over and over again, but they change because our position on the spiral has changed. We look at it from a different perspective, and in so doing, reveal a deeper layer of the shadow and a higher level of the self.

  The Station of Integration is found between all Stations and at the heart of the Cycle. Like the Fool card of the tarot, it both begins and ends each round of the Cycle, bridging the space between the works of each Station. Integration is the core around which the Cycle spirals; the work of the Cycle of Healing propels the energy ever upward. It is the path of individuation and transformation, the pulling together of all parts of the self into the wholeness of self-awareness. As the energy spirals up and the soul vibrates at a higher level, this Station’s impact increases. It holds the sum of the reclaimed energy resulting from our process work and is the degree of realization of Divinity within and life’s purpose without.

  When all our soul’s energy is reclaimed, oneness with the Divine is achieved; this is the work of lifetimes. As one successfully effects inner change and healing, the Cycle makes tighter and tighter spirals, gaining energetic momentum until the Stations and the turnings of the Cycle itself become less and less discriminate. Here the work of Integration is achieved. Paradoxically, as the energy freed from shadow increases and obtains a higher vibratory state, it also becomes more and more consolidated—in effect, reflecting the highest manifestation of pure yin energy—Goddess. It is She at our core, and through the Station of Integration we may achieve Divine stillness and unity.

  The work of this Station is to do the work of the Cycle—acting to bring the self into
awareness and full consciousness of the truth of its essence: We are Goddess.

  The Station of Integration in the Cycle of the Moon—

  The Moon

  There is no corresponding moon phase for the Station of Integration. Rather, it is represented by the moon herself, devoid of light or shadow and independent of the perception of external forces being overlain upon it. The phenomenon of lunar phases is simply the result of the angles made between the sun and the Earth and the visual changes these shifts in position create. The moon itself, its very core nature, is unchanged—the constant. Our work is to find and maintain this constant center in ourselves, unchanged in the face of expectation and external circumstance.

  Self-reflective Questions for the Station of Integration

  Take some time to meditate upon these questions while in a clear and receptive space. Use your replies to help form a focus for the work of the Station of Integration. Be sure to record your thoughts in a journal—this will help you chart your process of growth and change as you do the work of the Avalonian Cycle of Healing.

  What contributes to your being in a place of calmness and balance? Are there specific activities, tools, or techniques you use to attain this state of being? How long does this feeling last? What can you do to prolong its effect? In what ways do you see the world differently when you come from a place of serenity and centeredness?

  What makes up the core of who and what you are? What is your ultimate definition of self? In what ways do you express the essence of self in your life and in your world? What prevents you from completely reclaiming what has already been revealed to you? How can you go about rectifying the difference? How do you envision the ultimate expression of self? What can you do to facilitate its conscious manifestation?