Chapter 3: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Mirror, mirror on the wall show me what I fear most of all.  One of the greatest barriers in spiritual practices comes from fear.  Do not get me wrong, a good since of healthy fear can protect you.  Healthy fear is to understand your limits as well as know what you do not wish to partake.  An unhealthy form of fear is an individual fear of the unknown, and the individual avoids living due to these fears.  This chapter will cover more on the subject and provide exercises to overcome fears and to begin to understand the inners-self. 

One of the greatest quotes on the fear topic is the “litany of fear” from the movie, Dune.

“I must not fear.  Fear is the mind-killer.  Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.  I will face my fear.  I will permit it to pass over me and through me.  When it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.  Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.  Only I will remain.”
- Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear

In this parable is great wisdom, as most things fearful is from our own conjuring.  With that said, if you are out in the woods and see a bear charging, that is opposite from traditional fears and without a doubt, run.  In spiritual practices such as shamanism, an adept will come across entities that might come across frightening and malicious with purpose to gain power over them by way of fear.  This is how important understanding your own fears and triggers of fears.  On the spiritual level all is energy, and due to that those spirits only can harm you if you if give them the power to do so.  There is a saying amongst modern healers that most malicious spirits are unhealed souls that need balance.  Having a firm grounding over personal fears will aid in confronting or communicating with these spirits.  Most of the time, these spirits are trying to communicate and/or pass on messages. Our own fears stem from our inner shadow and ego as most fear comes from the unknown.  Shadow-work can take time if not years to master and overcome, as the root of the work is to bring our fears into the light so that we can see them for what they truly are.  Shadow work begins with the foundations in this book and can evolve over time into a lifetime of learning.  

1. Guardian Allies

            Understanding the concept of individual fears often disrupts an individual from continuing his or her spiritual path.  One solution to countering this fear is to engage and bring forth animal allies and guardians.  These beings do exist in many forms and will aid the individual on his or her journey.  The animal allies often reflect properties of our spirit as well as our past life beings and connections.  One of the safest methods of meeting the animal allies is through a guided meditation.  The guided meditation provided is a basic but effective method of meeting your animal allies.  If you can have someone read the part for you, make sure the reader pauses for two minutes during specific parts to ensure the full experience. 

 

Guided Meditation: Meeting the Animal Allies Prep

1. Unplug or turn off your phone and make sure you will not be disturbed. Take time to ground and center. 
2. Cast a sacred space or circle around you. (See visualization exercises)
3. Cleanse the circle with earth, air, fire and water….and smudge stick (white sage or copal)
4. Have the speaker guide sit outside of the circle while you are safely within it.
5. Light a candle for ambience and it tends to set a mood

 

 

 

The Meditation (scroll to bottom for link to audio)

 

Close your eyes, you are safe within your space.  With your eyes closed, you see a light before you in a shape of a door.  Slowly step through.  As you pass through the door your feet lands on warm summer grass.  As you look around you see blue skies and forest in the distance.  (Pause) As you look to the right you will see a big wishing well.  Walk over to the well.  Cast all thoughts of the day into the well and if you feel the need toss a coin for luck.  (Pause) When you are ready to move forward face the forest and start walking.  Time and speed does not exist here so within a second you are at the foot of the forest.  A wide trail weaves through the forest edge.  When ready enter and continue walking on the trail.  You notice the lush greenery all around you as you walk on the dirt path.  The fair breeze blowing through the trees.  You see a clearing ahead.  As you step into the clearing, you notice it is a grove in the woods where stands an Oak, Ash, and Hawthorn tree within a small pond.  As you walk by the pond, do you see any animals coming out to greet you?  (Pause) Here Dragons, Angels, Fairies and animals gather to rest.  A log appears on your right, go, and rest on the log.  Do any animals or entities walk over to you?  (Pause) When you are ready say your farewells to the clearing and continue onto a path that leads to the outskirts of the forest.  As you walk on the grassy dirt trail the trail looks different, you see a bridge appear with a small stream flowing underneath.  Walk to the middle of the bridge and peer over the side to see yourself in the stream.  This stream is not your normal stream, it is a mirror to the soul.  What images do you see when you look at it?  (Pause) When ready proceed on the trail forward to what appears to be a dead end.  As you look at the end of the trail, a door of solid light appears before you.  Walk towards the doorway and step through.  As you pass through the doorway, see yourself sitting in meditation and visualize yourself sitting back into yourself.  When ready open your eyes. 

 

Meditation Closing:

1. Cleanse the space with a Smudge stick
2. If needed complete the Tree of Life exercise to ground and center
3. Close the Circle
4. Write down in the following journal notes section your experience

 

 

After questions

1. What did you see at the well? When you tossed in the coin?  (optional)
2. Did you see any animals come out of the forest to greet you at the first curve?

• Did you see any entities or animal allies at the clearing?

1. What did you see in the stream at the bridge?
2. Do you have anything you wish to share regarding the experience

 

Notate in Journal

 

 

1. The Inner Temple Meditation

            Fear is not the only path of understanding the self and the inner shadow.  A practice I learned from Lady Adriana of the South Shire tradition in New Orleans is “The Chair, The Mirror and the Table initiation”.  Through a guided meditation and partial initiation, an individual can awaken the inner temple and his or her seat of power.  It is from this room that the individual can consciously explore the rest of his or her spiritual body and form a visual connection to the collective consciousness.  Several cases have turned up where the individual will find some entity residing in his or her chair absorbing his or her personal power/will.  Through constant maintenance of the space and conscious intention, the individual can reclaim his or her spiritual and emotional balance. 

            The Chair symbolizes the seat of power, the personal throne.  The Mirror’s shape, style, and quality are the inner un-conscious reflections of self-image.  The Table is the foundation of present and future work.  The layout of the table and quality signifies the spiritual personal foundation.  If the table is solid, then a firm foundation is set in place.  If the table is crumbling, then the individual has an unbalance in his or her life or elemental unbalance.  The three objects are key elements inside the inner temple.  The windows, wall coverings and lighting all reflect the individual’s connection to the inner divine consciousness.  The room will be an inner sanctuary as well as a place to bridge a visual connection to the divine.

1. The Chair, Mirror and Table Initiation Prep
   1. Unplug phone or turn off your phone and make sure you will not be disturbed.
   2. Cast a sacred space or circle around you. (See ritual basics in appendix A)
   3. Cleanse the circle with earth, air, fire and water….and smudge stick (white sage or copal)
   4. Have the speaker guide sit outside of the circle while you are safely within it. Make sure speaker pauses two minutes at specific moments.
   5. Light a candle for ambience and it tends to set a mood

 

Guided Meditation and Initiation (click on meditation link at bottom)

Close your eyes.  You see a door in front of you all white with a silver handle, when you are ready open the door and step in.  You are in a well-lit room with windows and wall lighting.  What does the room look like?  What do the windows look like?  What do the light fixtures on the wall look like?  (Pause) Located on the wall to your left is a 7-foot tall mirror.  What does the mirror look like?  (Pause) Turn to face the rest of the room.  Towards the middle of the room, there is a large chair and a large table.  What is the material of the chair and table?  What do they look like?  (Pause) Is there anyone sitting on your chair?  If yes challenge the entity, this is your space, your sacred temple.  If the entity will not leave, call to your animal allies.  Ask them for protection.  (Pause) Is the table solid or crumbling?  If crumbling, see all the pieces slowly remolding before your eye.  The table first turns silver, then gold and returns to the original form and color.  (pause) Glance once more around this room.  This is your inner temple or inner sanctuary connected to your spiritual nature.  Turn to your right, you see the door you entered through. Open the door, a bright light shines through, and step through the door.  You see yourself sitting, when ready sit back into your body and when ready, open your eyes.  You have just established and awakened your inner temple.

 Meditation Closing:

1. Cleanse the space with Smudge stick
2. If needed do Tree of Life exercise to ground and center
3. Close the Circle
4. Write in the following journal notes your experience
5. Questions: What did the room, the chair, the mirror and table look

 

 

Journal Notes: