Hello and welcome to session four of Betrayal Alchemy.
Today we enter the first stage of the traditional alchemical process known as calcination and aligned with the element of fire.
This is already recorded in premium content with some additional sound but for this one it is just my voice guiding you through the experience.
This session draws upon imagery inspired by ancestral and earth-based traditions including elements reminiscent of Native American sweat lodges and fire ceremonies.
I want to acknowledge before we begin with deep respect and gratitude that this is not a recreation of any specific indigenous practice but rather what you will experience is symbolic and a visionary journey informed by my own ancestral lineage,
Personal research,
And shamanic path work.
As we move through the stages of traditional alchemy through this series,
One will grow upon the next and I invite you to revisit them in any order that you feel you need to and replay them until you feel complete in one process.
For some that may be once,
For others that may take numerous times,
Or you may want to revisit a specific recording along this path.
So let's begin.
Come into a comfortable seat or lie down and close your eyes.
Take a slow deep breath in through your nose and let it out through your mouth.
I'm going to count down from five to one and as I do,
Allow your body to relax and sink deeply into the surface that you are sitting or lying on.
Four.
Three.
Two.
Cast yourself out into a field at night.
You find yourself standing in a wide open field beneath a sky filled with stars.
The air is cool and alive on your skin.
Somewhere in the distance,
You hear the steady beat of drums,
Slow,
Rhythmic,
Ancient.
The sound calls to you when you begin to walk towards it,
Each step drawing you deeper into the unknown.
As you move closer,
Golden embers rise into the night.
The glowing sparks mix with the stars.
You pause for a moment,
Watching the way they dance in the dark.
Listening to the rhythm that vibrates in your chest.
You take one conscious breath and then you move forward.
You step through a final cluster of trees and find yourself in a clearing.
Before you,
Burns a great fire and around it are teepees and tents and people gathered in sacred circle.
You look around at their faces,
Recognizing some.
All of them greet you with warmth and knowing.
An elder steps forward,
Extending their hand to you.
You feel welcome.
They guide you to the fire and invite you to sit,
To take your place among them.
And as you settle,
You notice that everyone is working with their hands,
Shaping,
Crafting,
Creating.
Each making their own physical offering,
Something that represents what they're ready to release.
The elder turns to you now and places something in your hands.
Something unformed,
Waiting for your touch.
You begin to work with it.
And as your hands move,
You imagine placing into it everything that no longer serves.
Old pain,
Betrayal,
Illusions,
Expectations,
False stories.
Breathe it all into this object.
The firelight flickers over your hands as you shape and carve,
Fold and mold.
Once completed,
You rise and carry your offering over to an altar near the fire.
You place it gently down among the others.
Take a quiet breath of release.
The group begins to move.
You follow them.
You move into one of the lodges.
A dim,
Warm space.
The scent of wood smoke hangs in the air.
You take your seat inside the circle.
In the center,
A small fire burns,
Glowing red and alive.
The door closes,
Sealing off the space.
Drumming begins again,
But deeper now.
The group begins chanting softly in low tones,
Echoing off the walls.
You let the sound move through you,
Vibrating through your bones,
Stirring your heart.
This vibration begins to loosen what has been stuck,
Breaking open what has been hardened.
You let your breath find the rhythm of the drum.
As a motion rises,
You allow it.
Your body begins to move rhythmically.
You allow it to move.
Any sounds that come up into your throat,
Ready to be released,
Allow them to be released.
You're aware that in this moment,
It is not about restraint or holding back,
But letting go,
Feeling fully,
Allowing.
Allowing what rises and is created beneath the surface to find its way out.
This is your body remembering its own fire.
The music begins to fade and you find yourself coming back into stillness,
Feeling your breath and your heartbeat,
Your body heavy and safe on the ground.
The group begins to stir again and you move towards the open door,
Stepping back out into the cool night air.
The sky is vast and full of stars overhead.
You follow the group towards another fire.
This one is lower to the ground,
Glowing along a spiral path of bare earth.
You begin to walk the spiral mindfully.
Three times around you go,
Each step closer to the flame at the center.
This is your sacred walk of release.
When you reach the heart of the spiral,
You stand before the fire,
Toe to toe with transformation.
You take a deep breath in.
Look around at the faces and then step forward into the heat.
The flames rise around you,
But they do not burn,
They purify.
You feel the fire moving through you,
Burning away all illusion,
All pretense,
All that no longer belongs.
You see it dissolve into light,
Smoke and freedom.
When you are ready,
You step out onto the other side and you begin to walk the spiral in the opposite direction.
Three times around again,
Sealing the energy,
Integrating what is new.
With each step,
It is done.
I am free.
I am whole.
As you complete the spiral,
The night begins to shift.
You look up.
The horizon glows with the soft light of dawn.
The sky begins to blush with color,
A promise of renewal.
You make your way back to the original fire and on the altar where your offering awaits you,
You pick it up.
You notice it,
Its shape,
Its weight.
It feels different now.
You hold it to your heart.
Then with gratitude and one final breath,
You place it into the flames.
You watch it as it burns.
This final act of calcination.
Everything that is not truth turned into ash.
You stand there for a moment,
Feeling the heat on your skin,
Feeling the weight lift from your chest.
You turn and see the elder in the circle watching you with quiet pride.
You bow your head in gratitude to them,
To the fire,
And to yourself.
Take a deep breath.
Allow yourself to return to your body.
You feel your feet,
Your hands,
And the rhythm of your heart.
Take a deep breath in and sigh it out,
Wiggling your fingers and your toes,
Bringing yourself back to this space.
And when you're ready,
You open your eyes.
Allow yourself to pause as long as you need here and allow the silence to hold you.
And when you are ready,
I'll see you in the next session.