Collective Consciousness 2: Visionquest

Have you stopped to consider the gifts of the 'lockdown'?

I am highly aware that everyone's experience of restricted living is different. Some of you, like me, may find that life isn't much different. I work for myself from home so am used to being at home a lot, used to structuring my own time, and perhaps most importantly, used to living on my own.

I consider myself extremely fortunate.

Yes, I have had to pivot my healing practice online, but this is a space that I feel very comfortable in too.

Again, I feel very lucky.

So I know that this article won't resonate with you so much if you're now juggling working full time with home schooling children and checking in on older relatives who are now isolated, or perhaps now have them living with you.

But, hopefully, it will speak to those of who need to read it just now.

I have been pondering the gifts of this virus for a few weeks now.... as I'm sure many of you have too.

And the really big one, to me, is the chance to allow yourself to be in stillness. To be in quietness. To, perhaps, be in solitude. To, hopefully, be with nature.

And these are the traits of the classic ancestral visionquest where, often as a right of passage, or initiation, you typically spend 3-4 days alone in nature, usually without food and other stimulants.

Most native cultures have some sort of visionquest ritual as a way to gain clarity and insight, often on their purpose and future direction. It's one of the most common ancestral ways of gaining spiritual guidance. 

Chief Crazy Horse said in 1850 'A very good vision is needed for life, and the man who has it must follow it - as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.'

Spending time alone, in nature, with no distractions allows you to connect deep within to the seat of your soul. It enables your 'stuff' to surface for facing and releasing and it facilitates a deep connection with 'the all that is', with the realms beyond the physical senses, with the divine, or whatever term is your preference.

Oftentimes they were conducted by teenagers as a rite of passage into adulthood.

Most modern day cultures have lost this tradition, so we have lost the need for the 'quest' and as a result many people are really children walking around in adult bodies, reliant on others to act as the parent, e.g. government, police etc.

And so, what if, covid-19 has come along to put us all through a rite of passage? 

I'm sure we've all had a really good wake up call!

Many of us feel called to take more self-responsibility in the form of growing our own food again.... which is a good thing!

Many are re-evaluating their lives, the endless rushing around and valuing time spent with family.

Perhaps many will gain insights into their true calling in life and change their jobs, whether voluntarily or forcibly through losing their old one.

As I write this on the eve of Beltane, the Celtic/Pagan celebration of Spring and new beginnings, it feels like a good time for a  new vision - don't you think?

A perfect time to conduct your own vision quest, if you haven't had the chance yet.

Maybe you've got a tent and could even do this in your garden?

If not, you can still complete one indoors. Ideally, take a day to do this but even half a day will be of benefit.

Prepare your space, e.g. clean and tidy and free of clutter. Turn off all devices such as phones, laptops, radio, music etc. and ensure that you won't have any visitors(!).  Have a journal to hand to capture insights.

In many traditions you would sit inside a circle made from stones, twigs etc so you may want to re-create this indoors in a thoughtful way. 

Imagine that you are taking part in a tradition that goes spans all space and time and cultures.

In silence, call in your spiritual allies, animal spirit guides, angels, and the creator, however that is meaningful for you.

A quest is a powerful time for inward reflection so you may want to ask some of the following questions: Who am I? What am I? What gives meaning to my life? What are my priorities? Am I happy with the way my life is going?

Face any fears that arise head on. They often aren't as big and scary as you think!

Let go of all expectations and be open to receiving any and all guidance you receive in whatever form it arrives for you. 

Finally, be gentle with yourself as you return back into the 'ordinary world', you may feel like a different person :)  Take time to choose what you will implement in your 'real' world.

And so I am choosing to view our Covid-10 lockdown experience as a time to go within, to reflect, to commune with spirit and to receive intuitive guidance on the way forward as we emerge.

As I shared recently with the members of the Soulfull Living Sanctuary, I feel that living in alignment with our soul/spirit and intuition will be even more important as we emerge into a world that is forever changed, and so what better time to start doing that now?

Dawn x