10. The Graal of Wisdom
Take three sips of the charged and blessed herbal infusion directly from the cauldron, asking that the gifts of Awen and the Triple Illumination of Wisdom be granted you as you embark upon the work of the coming moon cycle. Take the time to feel this sacred liquid enter your body, making note of any energy shifts that may occur. It is indeed a sacrament, recalling the three drops of wisdom culled from the Cauldron of Ceridwen. As it did for Gwion, may it catalyze our own transformation. Pour the remaining liquid as an offering to the plant representing the Tree of Life, asking that it nourish and empower the intentions represented by the focus ribbon tied into its branches.
11. Taking Down the Stones
With intention, ground out the circle by breathing all remaining energies down into the Earth, envisioning as you do the nine standing stones retreating back into the Mother’s womb. Visualize the energies rejuvenating the landscape, cleansing and empowering the land. Breathe the circle down until you feel it has been completely grounded and released. Shake the Silver Branch three times to clear any remaining energies, and to mark your return from the ritual journey. In your own words, thank the Goddess, your guide, our Avalonian ancestors, and the energies of the land for their support of your work.
12. Leaving the Offering
Having absorbed the energies and intentions of your ritual, leave your offering dish on your outdoor altar, or bring it outdoors, even if only to place it outside your windowsill. Leave your offering dish overnight or place its contents beneath a tree or bush as a gift of thanks to the local spirits of the land you live on.
13. Journaling
As with all workings, keep a journal of your ritual work, including questions you asked and the answers that came to you. Make note of the kind of information you received, making sure to draw any symbols or describe any images or memories your work brought up. Record the date, time of day, moon phase, weather, where you are in your menstrual cycle, and your emotional state both before and after the ritual. Through journal keeping, patterns will emerge concerning your experience and your personal process. These patterns will provide you with clues that can lead to greater self-understanding and issue resolution, even if the component pieces may not make sense immediately.
It is always inspiring to read through your journal entries every few months to acknowledge your progress and gain new perspective. The ancients adjure us to “Know Thyself.” Keeping a journal of your thoughts and insights as you walk the path of your spiritual unfolding is a powerful and empowering way to come into this self-knowledge, and through it, your knowledge of the Goddess and Avalon.
Performing the solitary Avalonian ritual every month at the full and dark moons is a powerful means to connect with the Goddess and receive Her guidance in our work. Acknowledging patterns, gaining insight into the root causes of destructive behaviors, and receiving a plan for manifesting an aspect of the person we wish to become are critical milestones on our journey. However, we can only truly move forward along the path to wholeness by actively participating in our personal process and actively effecting changes in our lives—that is, making choices based on the information we have received, and living in right action.
Establishing a daily discipline of inner work is a powerful support to help you reset the personal energy you have reclaimed and keep the channels of your perceptions clear, so you will begin to see yourself and the world with new eyes. Make a commitment to yourself to spend at least fifteen minutes a day in sacred space, performing the Middle Pillar exercise and the Three Realms working. Practice your Power Breath whenever and wherever you can. Journey to the Island of Avalon at least three times a week, continuing to explore the landscape area associated with the Goddess or Station you are working with, especially through the use of the Avalonian landscape postures. Alternatively, perform Immrama to all the landscape areas each month at their corresponding moon phases, moving around the Cycle from Descent to Integration, to examine the issue you are working on from all sides.
Bring the changes you have made and the further insights you have obtained with you before the Goddess at your next moon ritual. Build the work of the upcoming cycle on the foundation you laid during the last turn of the lunar tide. The more time and energy you put into your soul growth and desire to build a strong relationship with each Lady of the Holy Island, the wider will swing the doorway to the Realms of Avalon. As always, journal everything. It will serve both as a record of your process and progress, and as a way to honor your sacred nature.
Conclusion
Avalon Within
She lives! She lives within us still!
The Holy Well and Spiraled Hill
The Lake, the Barge and mist-hid swans—
Come sing, with joy, of Avalon
—From Lament, Jhenah Telyndru
Choosing to voyage across the inner lake to the reach the shores of the Island of Avalon is not a decision to be made lightly. Undertaking this Wonder Journey into the heart of the self signals our willingness to cease being a passenger and take our place in the prow of the Barge—parting the mists of illusion and seeking the truth of all that we are.
For there, at the core of our very being, can be found the key to unlocking the treasure of women’s wisdom which is both our birthright and our sacred trust. Traveling this inner pathway catalyzes the unfolding of the map that charts our lives’ patterns even as we are weaving them, bringing with it the power for us to change our soul’s course. The more conscious we become of our inner landscape, the greater becomes our ability to steer the ship of our soul to a place of empowered Sovereignty.
As above, so below. As within, so without. That which we discover on our quest for the Holy Island is intimately entwined with the process of our own souls. There is much to learn about the sacred nature of Avalon and the path of her priestesses in service to the Goddess. Yet, the higher purpose of the journey is to discover the essence of the Lady Within, and come to an initiation into the heart into the Mysteries of Avalon, dwelling only in the souls of those who seek Her. In understanding the one, we gain understanding of the All.
Beyond all our strivings, Immrama, and quests, the true nature of Avalon reveals itself as the Island of Glass—the universal mirror reflecting the truth of our soul’s potential and unveiling the beauty of the blossoming forth of the priestess within—our Sovereignty attained and our wholeness in the Goddess realized.
Appendix 1
Awakening the
Inner Landscape
In the same way that the sacred landscape of Avalon holds a vibratory resonance to the transformations of Ceridwen’s Cauldron and the inner process represented by the Avalonian Cycle of Healing, our personal energy reflects an innate correspondence to this powerful archetypal system. Making positive use of the potential for growth inherent in these interrelated paradigms empowers our ability to effect lasting change in our lives, as well as to form an enduring connection to the Otherworldly realm of Avalon.
Each landscape feature of the Island of Apples has an associated energy center. Western tradition uses a system of five energy centers in the body, rather than the seven-chakra system favored by Eastern spiritual pathways. This pentatonic structure derives from Hermetic science and Kabalistic philosophy and is reflected in the five-element system that lies at the foundation of Western thought.
While three and nine are numbers of prime importance in any Celtic pathway, the number five holds great significance in the Avalonian Tradition as well. We see it manifest in the Five Seeds at the heart of the Apple of Wisdom, the five goddesses honored on Avalon, the five transformations of Ceridwen’s Cauldron, and in the five Stations of the Avalonian Cycle of Healing. We honor the pattern as it reveals itself, both in the landscape without and in that which lies within.
As we work through the Holy Sites of Cycle made manifest in the landscape of Avalon, we wi
ll also consider their corresponding elemental energies as they exist within us. Accompanying the description of each of the five energy centers is a list of constructive and destructive expressions of personality traits and attributes related to their elemental qualities. Identifying areas of imbalance can provide important clues that will assist us in understanding where we are in our process, and will guide us in determining where to focus our Immram work in order to bring these energy centers back into balance.
Root Center
landscape correspondence: The Tor
avalonian cycle of healing: Station of Confrontation
The Root Center, located at the base of the spine, is the fertile garden of our souls and keeps us anchored to the physical plane. It is the vehicle of our bodies, and the stable foundation from which all things manifest. Source of abundance and the primal instincts that connect us to this planet and all its living things, the Root Center provides us with the means for survival and the basis for our growth.
Elementally, the Root Center is aligned with the energy of Earth, and corresponds with the sephirah Malkuth on the Kabalistic Tree of Life. It is symbolized in the Western tattwas system by a green square, and holds the vibration of the number ten. The Root Center is ruled by Terra, and in the Avalonian Tradition is seen as the gateway to Physical Manifestation.
Earth-Aligned Aspects of Personality
Balanced Earth Attributes: Grounded, dedicated, loyal, steadfast, persevering, practical, abundant, methodical, dependable, stable, focused, secure, deliberate, patient
Imbalanced Earth Attributes: Stubborn, immovable, materialistic, possessive, envious, greedy, miserly, stuck, limited, literal, short-sighted, narrow-minded, critical
Womb Center
landscape correspondence: The Red Spring
avalonian cycle of healing: Station of Descent
The Womb Center is the seat of emotion and the portal into the Otherworldly realms. It is the deep well of our memories and the font of our inner wisdom. Ripples of intuition radiate out from this center, a receptive pool that is highly sensitive to even the subtlest energetic shifts, all the while reflecting that which is just below the surface of the Unconscious.
Energetically, the Womb Center is aligned with the element of water, and corresponds with the sephirah Yesod on the Kabalistic Tree of Life. It is symbolized in the Western tattwas system by a blue crescent with its points facing up, and holds the vibration of the number nine. The Womb Center is ruled by the moon, and in the Avalonian Tradition is seen as the Gateway to Women’s Mysteries.
Water-Aligned Aspects of Personality
Balanced Water Attributes: Empathetic, intuitive, sensitive, healing, nurturing, protective, emotional, compassionate, receptive, immersive, adaptable, flowing
Imbalanced Water Attributes: Co-dependent, caretaking, overprotective, needy, insecure, hypersensitive, overemotional, irresolute, frequently overwhelmed, martyred, fearful, disorderly, dishonest, secretive, covert
Heart Center
landscape correspondence: Modron’s Mound
avalonian cycle of healing: Station of Resolution
The Heart Center is the seat of the will and its inner flame radiates vital energies. The illuminating hearth fire of Divine inspiration, the Heart Center empowers growth and catalyzes change. The transformational essence of this center grants the courage to enter into the unknown, and bestows the determination to see the process of creation through to its conclusion.
Energetically, the Heart Center is aligned with the element of fire, and corresponds with the sephirah Tiphereth on the Kabalistic Tree of Life. It is symbolized in the Western tattwas system by a red equilateral triangle with its point facing up, and holds the vibration of the number six. The Heart Center is ruled by the sun, and in the Avalonian Tradition is seen as the gateway to the Illuminated Self.
Fire-Aligned Aspects of Personality
Balanced Fire Attributes: Assertive, self-confident, passionate, inspired, determined, vital, energetic, driven, courageous, creative, individualistic, spontaneous, catalytic
Imbalanced Fire Attributes: Willful, reckless, impatient, aggressive, destructive, controlling, egotistical, obsessive, addictive, fanatical, pushy, uncontrollable
Throat Center
landscape correspondence: The White Spring
avalonian cycle of healing: Station of Emergence
The Throat Center is the seat of intellect and is the portal into the perceptions of the mind. It holds our highest ideals, and is the ultimate source of knowledge. The mechanisms of logic are at work in this center—generating an objective clarity with which to assess all experiences with discernment. The Throat Center holds our awakened consciousness and is dedicated to uncovering the truth wherever it is to be found.
Energetically, the Throat Center is aligned with the element of air, and corresponds with the position of the sephirah Daath on the Kabalistic Tree of Life. It is symbolized in the Western tattwas system by a yellow circle. The Throat Center is ruled by Uranus, and in the Avalonian Tradition is seen as the gateway to the Authentic Self.
Air-Aligned Aspects of Personality
Balanced Air Attributes: Logical, intellectual, idealistic, rational, objective, communicative, social, outgoing, clever, inquisitive, adaptable
Imbalanced Air Attributes: Detached, unaffected, scattered, impractical, verbose, inconsistent, superficial, overly analytical
Third Eye Center
landscape correspondence: The Island of Avalon
avalonian cycle of healing: Station of Integration
The Third Eye Center is our point of connection with the All. Through this center, we are crowned with the blessings of the Goddess and strive to become fully conscious through the gifts of Her unconditional love. The Third Eye allows us to see through the veil of illusion, bringing into focus the sacred image of our fully actualized self.
Energetically, the Third Eye Center is aligned with the fifth element of Spirit or Aether, and corresponds with the sephirah Kether on the Kabalistic Tree of Life. It is symbolized in the Western tattwas system by a purple oval, and holds the vibration of the number one. The Third Eye Center is ruled by the universe, and in the Avalonian Tradition is seen as the gateway to Connection with the Divine.
Spirit-Aligned Aspects of Personality
Balanced Spirit Attributes: Personal Sovereignty, inner peace, fulfillment, contentment, fully actualized, centered, present, conscious
Imbalanced Spirit Attributes: Disempowered, restless, frustrated, longing, unrealized potential, outwardly focused, distracted, unaware
The Middle Pillar Exercise
The Middle Pillar exercise, a powerful ritual working based upon Kabalistic principles, is an important tool in our quest for self-understanding. The consistent use of this exercise will clear the personal energy field, align and connect our five energy centers, and encourage a sense of inner balance, wholeness, and clarity. The exercise as it is presented here has been adapted from its original form as developed by Israel Regardie; it includes an Avalonian-based focus for the exercise to better tie it into our Avalonian archetypal perspective.
A truly empowering exercise, the Middle Pillar is a cornerstone for our daily devotional work and can be performed anytime there is a need to become centered and connected with our priestess self. It may seem long and complicated at first, but with time and practice, it will become second nature; its cumulative effects on our clarity and perspective will more than convince you of its value in your work. Performing the Middle Pillar exercise before undertaking any ritual or inner work will assist in obtaining a place of centered openness and connection to Divinity.
1. To begin, find your Power Breath. Stand comfortably with your legs hip-distance apart, hands at your sides, palms facing forward.
2. Feel yourself standing in a ray of p
ure white light, the positive universal energy of the All. Feel a connection between the top of your head and the Source of this light, almost as if it is the only thing that holds you up and keeps you standing.
3. With your breath, begin to pull this energy down through the top of your head as you inhale. Feel it stop at the Third Eye Center, and exhale it through this energy center. Using your breath to pull it down and breathe it out, visualize with each exhalation, your Third Eye getting larger, clearer and more open. Use the symbols, colors, and element associated with this energy center to help you make it as open and active as you can.
4. When you have cycled the energy enough times to sufficiently activate this center as much as you can, take three more breaths through the top of your head into your Third Eye and, as you inhale, bring the energy down into your Throat Center.
5. Exhale the energy you have pulled from your crown and through the Third Eye into your Throat, and exhale the energy out through this center. Continue bringing the energy down and exhaling it out of the Throat until you have fully expanded, cleared and activated this energy center, again using the colors, symbols and element associated with which it is associated. It is important that your visualization include the energetic connection from the universe (the top of your head), through the Third Eye, and down to the Throat. This will serve not only to activate each energy center, but also to clear channels and reinforce communication between them.
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