As you take a deep breath in,
Close your eyes,
And as you breathe out,
Let your weight gently settle.
Feel the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
Now,
Imagine it melting away,
Replaced by the cool,
Damp floor of an ancient forest.
With every breath you take,
The scent of moss and cedar wood grows deeper.
With every exhale,
Release a piece of your daily self,
Such as your name,
Your next task,
What to make for dinner tonight.
Let them fall like the autumn leaves.
You're becoming a nameless part of the woods.
You stand up and walk down a narrow trail lined with ancient trees.
The moon is a thin sliver above,
But the path is lit by small,
Floating spheres of soft,
Amber light.
You start following the spheres to an unknown location.
With every step you take,
You feel more connected to the ground and to this magical realm that is inside you.
You are not just a visitor here,
You are the pulse of the forest itself.
Up ahead,
You see a small,
Stone cottage with a purple door that sits nestled in the base of a giant willow tree.
Smoke curls from the chimney in swirling spirals,
Smelling of cedar wood and mystery.
You reach the vibrant door and push it open.
Inside,
The room is warm and alive.
There is a roaring fire in the hearth that has a cauldron filled with a bubbling golden liquid and a wooden spoon stirring it all by itself.
Crystals are scattered on every hard surface of the living room.
Bundles of herbs hang from the rafters in the kitchen.
A table along with comfortable chairs come out of nowhere and move on their own to in front of the comforting fire.
From the back door emerges a woman.
She isn't a stranger,
You know her.
She is your higher self,
Here to show you how powerful you truly are.
You look at her hands and instantly know they are your own,
But older,
Stronger,
Rougher.
Then,
You look into her eyes and see your own with no judgment,
Just a deep understanding of yourself.
She takes off her muddy boots and then throws on a robe made of the cosmos themselves.
The sparkling stars and constellations shift as she moves towards the table and takes a seat.
She beckons you to sit next to her and you follow her command.
With the flick of her wrist,
A tea kettle along with cups and saucers move from their spots from an open cupboard in the kitchen.
The kettle goes to the boiling cauldron and is filled by the wooden spoon,
As the cups and saucers settle onto their places in front of you and your higher self.
The kettle floats to your higher self and she pours you a cup of this magical tea.
You pick it up and as you hold it,
A warmth seeps into your palm.
Sipping from this comforting,
Sweet liquid,
You start to feel lighter and more open to life's possibilities.
Quietly,
Something starts stirring within your chest.
When you are done with your tea,
Your higher self asks you to seek the shadow that dims your light.
Pick a rose to be its vessel and then let the flames consume the both.
After a moment of thought,
You've figured out what ails you.
Then you notice your higher self is holding out a colorful bouquet.
You pick a beautiful,
Luscious,
Lavender colored rose.
You hold it close to your heart for a moment,
Filling it with your intent.
Then you gently toss it into the fire.
Once the rose touches the base of the flames,
You watch as the flames turn into a brilliant indigo and green.
Consuming the weight of your worries and doubts.
Transmuting them into pure light.
Your higher self leans in and whispers a truth.
Enchantment does not dwell in the earth's stones or the scent of dried herbs.
The real magic is within the permission you finally grant yourself.
It is in the turning of the lock within that lets your spirit break its chains and blow,
Unmastered,
Into the wonder that is you.
As she finishes speaking,
You feel the stirring in your chest grow and deepen into a steady,
Glowing,
Golden light.
This is your intuition,
Your resilience,
And your witchcraft.
This is your ability to change your internal world whenever you choose.
As the indigo and green flames in the hearth flicker into a steady,
Glowing dim,
Your higher self offers you a knowing smile as she retreats into the shadows of the cottage.
Do not take this as a departure,
But as a reminder that she is a permanent resident of your inner world.
You walk back towards the heavy oak door,
And once you step back outside,
The cool,
Night air of the forest greets you.
You no longer feel a chill,
But warmth from the heart and the tea remains centered in your chest and spreads all throughout your body.
Once again,
You are following the trail of floating,
Amber spheres.
With each step away from the cottage,
You feel more awake and more present in your physical body.
Yet,
You carry a newfound stillness of and power within.
The scent of cedarwood begins to fade,
Replaced by the familiar scents of the room around you.
The sounds of the wind and the tree becomes a sound of your own steady breathing.
You are now back in your physical body,
But you are changed.
You have reclaimed a piece of your own power that will never again be diminished.
