Cast a circle.
Ask for guidance in this journey from the Lady of the Earth and Her consort, the Green Man.
Relax, and get comfortable.
Breathe deeply, and close your eyes.
Imagine that you are walking up a soft, leaf-covered woodland path between tall trees.
It is autumn and the leaves are all the colors of the fall around you, orange, and red and gold.
You can smell wood smoke in the cool, crisp air, but the sun feels warm on your face.
As you continue walking the path, it begins to lead uphill, getting steeper. The trees slowly thin.
You find yourself climbing up a steep hillside. The path is getting bare and rocky.
The path curves around a bend, and you can't see what's on the other side.
Stop a moment. You now know that there is an animal waiting around the corner to meet you and show itself to you. It could be an animal with fur, or feathers, or scales, or hide.
Walk around the corner and meet your special animal. Greet it and thank it for coming to you. Ask (politely!) for its name.
Talk with the animal, and ask it how you can bring it more clearly into your life. It may give you something to carry, or tell you to look for a physical object to carry as a remembrance.
When you feel it is time, thank it once again for showing itself to you.
Turn and begin to walk back down the path.
Walk down the path toward the bright autumn trees. Retracing your steps, walking back down the leafy path.
Return to your room, back to your ordinary way of being.
Stretch, wiggle your toes, take a deep breath, and open your eyes.
~copyright 2005, 2016, Lisa Mc Sherry
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