Remove the 4 aces from a tarot deck. Mix them and select one, but do not look at it yet. Hold it in your hand as you go into your meditative state.
Close your eyes and begin to notice your breath. Inhale. Feel the air moving into your nose and down your throat and into your lungs. Feel its life-giving energy moving through your body. Exhale. Feel the air colleting the toxins from your body and moving them up out of your lungs and out your nose. Feel the breath draining away and tension you are carrying. Feel the it pulling out any lingering mental chatter or negativity. Feel the breath rejuvenating and energizing you. It's just you and your breath.
You are standing in a snowy field, and the air is sharp with cold. The snow is bright with the light of the full moon. The moon provides light but not warmth. As the cold tries to settle into your very bones, you know that it is the depth of winter. It is Imbolc. The days are getting longer, but it is still bitterly cold, and all is covered with snow. Yet, beneath your feet, beneath the snow, you get the barest sense that the Earth is stirring. It is the tiniest feeling of movement, like a butterfly's wing against your cheek. If things were not so still, you would not even be able to sense it at all. But it is still, and you dare to feel the energy and hope.
For all that the Earth is beginning to awaken, there is no warmth to be found in this snowy field. Your body cries out for warmth, and you long to obey, but where do you go in this place? You look around and notice a faint trail of footsteps through the snow. Surely these seekers were headed someplace warm. You follow the trail, trudging through the snow, intent on keeping your footing.
Suddenly, you notice the sound of running water. How can that be in this frozen place? You look up to see a small grove of evergreens with a silver fountain in front. At last, here is some sign of civilization and your pace quickens. You reach the fountain to find that there is a young girl standing beside it. Her clothes are as white as the snow. Her face is young, but there is a wisdom in her eyes that belies her apparent youth.
"Welcome, traveler," she says. "Blessed Imbolc to you. Come, be purified from the long sleep of winter. She is stirring." You remember the faint electricity from the earth that you felt earlier, and excitement begins to build within you. The young girl takes from water from the fountain in cupped hands and splashes it over you. The water is cold and shocking as it runs over you. You can feel it cleansing your body and making your nerves tingle. Once again, she gathers water in her cupped hands, and you brace for anotehr cold splash. Instead, she brings her hands up to your lips. "Drink," she says with a smile. You drink and this water is also shockingly cold as it slides down your throat. You can feel it cleansing and re-invigorating you from the inside. Your whole body is tingling, echoing the tingling of the Earth.
The young girl then takes you by the hand and leads you through the grove of snow-covered evergreens. Past the edge of the grove, there is a small but magnificent temple. It glows among the white snow in the moonlight. The girl leads you right up to the doorway and releases your hand.
"She is inside, waiting for you," she tells you. She kisses you on the cheek and gestures for you to continue into the temple.
Inside the temple, the air is filled with reverence and love and peace. Beautiful sights and smells and sounds surround you. You look around a bit before noticing the statue of a seated woman in the center of the temple. The lower half of her face is veiled and she holds a glowing white orb in her hands. It illuminates her, and you are struck by her beauty although you cannot see her whole face. After more careful study, you realize that her eyes are upon you and that she is no statue. Her eyes are warm and full of love, and you approach her chair.
"Hello, my daughter," she greets you. "Welcome to this place of peace and renewal. The winter has been long and is not over yet, but the seeds of life begin to quicken deep in the womb of the earth. Seeds are also beginning to grow in your own life. Would you like to know what seed is beginning to stir for you?"
Answer Her.
She gestures toward your hand and you feel the card you are holding in it. Look at the tarot Ace that you have drawn. This is the seed that you will be starting to grow in your life in the coming months. Think about what it might mean to you. If you have any questions, ask the Lady.
*pause*
The Lady speaks again, "During the winter that remains, you will need a vision to sustain you and to help you nurture your seed. Gaze into my light and see how your seed will grow and what it may become." She extends her hand with the glowing orb in it so that you may gaze into it if you wish. Once again, if you have any questions, ask the Lady.
*pause*
"Although you have seen what your seed can become," she says, "do not forget that it must be nurtured and care for right now. What you hold is precious but very small and not yet a certainty. It is your task to seek out opportunities for growth. And, remember, dear one, you are never alone."
With that, the Lady holds out her orb, which sinks into your body, filling you with its light. Then, She is gone. You leave an offering for Her and walk out of the temple.
The young girl is waiting for you just outside. She holds a silver chalice, which she offers to you. "Be nourished," she says. You lift the chalice to your lips and drink. It is cool rich milk, but this milk has an ethereal sweetness to it. It leaves you feeling content and well-loved. After kissing you on the cheek, she vanishes with her silver chalice.
You begin to make your way back toward the evergreen grove and the snowy field beyond...
Become aware of your breath, moving in and out of your body. Begin to feel your fingers and toes. Become aware of your limbs and the rest of your body. Slowly come back when you are ready.
All material is copyright K. Mayberry.