Breathing gently in.
And out.
Let's see if you can take that breath right into the center of your chest,
Breathing in.
I know I'm breathing in.
And breathing out.
I know,
I am breathing out.
Allow yourself to be right here.
Maybe the exhales.
Begin to allow you to release yourself from the past,
Everything that came before this moment.
Just an inhale here.
And exhale,
Let go.
Inhale I'm here.
And exhale,
Let go.
And then breathing into your heart center,
In and out.
Allowing the exhales to let go of anything that is oriented toward the future.
Any part of you that's maybe reaching forward into what comes next.
Breathing in,
I'm right here.
Breathing out,
Letting go,
Letting go of future connections.
Just here for now.
And then again,
Just breathing into the heart center,
Soft and gentle breaths.
Sometimes we call this subtle breathing,
Just gentle.
Now we're going to let go of any need for this moment to be different than exactly how it is.
It doesn't need to be better.
It doesn't need to be different.
It doesn't need to have a certain feeling or vibe.
It's just where it is,
How it is.
So as you breathe,
Let the exhales help you let go of a need for this moment to be anything different than exactly how it is.
Consider that for now,
There's nowhere else to be.
No better time to be.
And that this moment is exactly as it needs to be.
Now,
Begin to notice the places where your body is touching the ground.
Maybe the chair,
Your sitting cushion.
The floor.
And have a notion of the earth beneath you.
Allow yourself to imagine that you are deeply connected to the earth in a way that's rooted,
That from the very core of you,
Through the sitting bones and through the legs,
You have a root system that can connect you right into the earth.
They grow downward,
And not just one root,
But many.
A living root system.
Some of those roots may be thick and strong.
Some may be delicate,
Fine.
Some reach straight down and others spread wide.
What does this root system look like for you today?
Not judging,
Just how is that system?
And then we're going to give it permission to grow and deepen.
Allow your root system to grow down through the floor,
Through the soil,
Through layers of earth,
Stone,
Water,
All the way till you feel so extraordinarily connected to the earth.
Now really feeling the possibility of connection.
To being held.
You are here rooted,
Supported.
Now bring your awareness.
Your rooted and supported awareness.
Above and around you.
And half cents of the sun.
This beautiful glowing sphere of energy and light.
Of warmth.
It may be the energy of the universe.
It may be God as you understand God.
It may be the sacred light that fills your soul.
It may be simply loving kindness itself.
Let this golden light shine.
Begin to pour gently down through the crown of your head.
Let it move into your face,
Your throat.
Your shoulders,
Your chest,
Your belly,
Your hips,
Your legs,
All the way to your feet.
As this slate moves through you,
Imagine it softening anything that has become too tight,
Too clenching,
Too gripping.
Allow it to warm anything that has become cold.
Allow it to touch anything that has felt tired or forgotten or overused,
Overextended.
Now we're going to ask the light for help.
If there is any thought,
Feeling,
Or burden that's not serving you in this moment,
Offer it to the light.
And you're not forcing it away.
You're not rejecting it.
You're not fighting it.
You're just surrounding this burden.
This thought or feeling that's not serving you.
You're surrounding it with warmth and light,
Like honey or a healing oil,
Like sunlight,
Like compassion.
And the light slowly surrounds your burden.
And then as you see the light holding it,
You reach out your hands and you can hold this smaller sphere.
And take it,
Take it close to your heart.
And offer a wish of well-being and then gently set it down on the earth next to you.
You're going to let the earth hold this for a while while you take your journey.
Scan your body,
Scan your thoughts,
Scan your emotions.
Is there anything else that you'd like to wrap with light and set it down?
If so,
Do that now.
The Light is very,
Very happy to help,
As is the Earth.
So now here with the things you no longer need to carry.
Well tended.
By the Earth and the Sun.
It's time to.
.
.
Go find.
The horse spirit.
The human-like spirits.
The good medicine.
The kind of medicine that restores.
The kind of medicine that remembers you.
The kind of medicine that nourishes the one who so often nourishes others.
Pause here for a few breaths.
As you begin to commence your journey.
As you're breathing and pausing.
Imagine the light from the sphere above is creating now a sphere all around you,
Around your whole body.
A healing,
Beautiful sphere of light.
It is surrounding your whole body and it's gently and slowly beginning to fill the whole space you're in.
Almost like it's creating a whole nother world of just loving kindness within which you are in the very center.
Allowing your spirit self to stand up and take its place in the center of this sphere while you and your embodied self rest.
As you rise,
The spirit self rises into this golden light.
You look ahead.
And you see that the light yields an opening.
You're feeling maybe lighter and softer.
A sensation of walking into and towards spirit.
You have a sense that it is important to move toward this opening.
And as you do,
You find yourself stepping out into a forest clearing.
Your feet touch the earth,
And the air is cool and alive.
And around you,
There are trees.
They're tall and steady.
You smell the forest floor.
You smell the trees,
The scent of ferns,
And small flowers that are scattered upon the forest floor.
The leaves and the trees.
Pine needles,
The ferns and flowers,
They are all gently being moved by a breeze.
The clearing is quiet,
Not empty,
It's full of life.
You can hear soft sounds of the forest,
Birds calling,
The breath of the land.
And as you look ahead,
You notice that this clearing opens up into a large pasture.
Beautiful,
Wide,
Pasture that seems to be held by the forest.
And in this pasture,
Ah,
There are horses.
Some are grazing.
Some are standing quietly.
Some are moving together.
Some lift their heads and notice you.
Take a moment to simply be in the presence of the herd.
There's a sense of the herd happy to see you.
There's a sense of inclusion.
Of being included.
Notice the colors of the horses,
The shapes,
Their movements,
Their stillness.
The way the horses belong to themselves and to each other.
And now from the herd,
One horse begins to connect with you.
You do not need to call it.
You do not need to choose it.
It simply notices you.
And you notice it.
Let yourself see this horse clearly.
What does it look like?
What is its?
Coat.
It's color.
Is it a baby?
A foal?
Is it a large horse,
A small horse?
Is it old?
Is it a mother,
A stallion,
A father?
Is it a horse that.
.
.
Is exactly what you needed to be.
What does it look like?
Is it coming close or does it invite you to come close to it?
Notice its eyes,
Its breath,
Its presence.
Notice how you feel it,
How you feel in its presence.
Scan your body from your feet to your belly,
Your chest.
Allow the horse to resonate with your body,
Their heart and your heart,
Their breath and your breath.
This horse is your spirit guide for this journey.
A horse guide who knows the land.
A horse guide who knows how to move between worlds.
A horse guide who understands strength without force and gentleness without weakness.
The horse begins to walk and you know it's important that you follow.
Together,
You move through the pasture and toward the edge of the forest.
With every step,
The trees begin to shift.
It's changing.
You're moving upward.
The forest is opening.
And the higher you go,
The trees become younger,
Thinner,
Lighter in color.
The ferns give way to sage,
Bush,
And rock.
You're riding higher up toward a mountain to head.
And the mountain seemingly is held by this beautiful forest strong ancient quiet Steady.
As you and your horse guide begin to climb,
The trees clear just enough to show the path.
Your horse steps around sage growing along the trail,
Soft silver green leaves,
Fragrant,
Protective,
Cleansing.
The higher you climb,
The more the air changes.
You feel the mountain beneath your feet.
You feel your horse guide just in front of you.
You are not alone.
And then partway up the mountain you see a cabin.
It's built into the rock of the mountain itself.
Part wood,
Part stone,
Part mountain.
There's a golden light that glows from its windows and from the doorway.
You notice that outside the cabin stands a human spirit guide.
Who is this guide to you?
Is it an ancestor?
Is it an angel?
Is it a presence from beyond?
Is it a wise one who lives with the horses?
Is it a guide?
That comes from exactly where you need it to come from and who is exactly who you need it to be.
This guide was sent to help nurture and protect your wishes,
To help them begin to coalesce and manifest.
Take a moment to let this guide take form to appear.
You don't have to force the image,
Just allow what comes.
Allow it to change if it needs.
Allow for the wrong thing to come and the right thing to then arise.
Notice your heart,
Your breath,
Your belly.
You'll know what's right.
Notice their face,
Their hands,
Their clothing,
Their energy.
Notice how you feel in their presence.
This guide knows why you have come.
You have not come for magic.
You have come for medicine.
Good medicine.
The kind that restores a tired heart.
The kind that helps a person remember their own life.
The guide steps toward the cabin and invites you in.
Your horse guide waits nearby,
Steady and calm,
And you know from the center of your heart that it will be there when you are finished.
Inside the cabin.
There is the golden light that's emanating from this beautiful stone fireplace.
Fire burning there.
A pot hangs over the fire,
Slowly warming.
And your guide shows you into the pantry.
And shelves line the walls.
And on the shelves are jars and bottles and bundles of dried herbs.
These are not ordinary herbs.
Each one carries a value,
A quality,
A feeling,
A form of nourishment.
You look around and you notice what calls to you.
Perhaps there is lavender for softness and soothing,
Rosemary for remembering who you are,
Sage for clearing what is not yours to carry.
Cinnamon for warmth,
Courage,
And a toasty glow of love.
Mint leaves for freshness and renewal.
Chamomile for rest and gentleness,
Cedar for protection and steadiness,
Rose petals for tenderness and compassion.
There may be other herbs there too.
You're looking around.
And some you know,
And some you do not.
You don't recognize them at all.
It's okay.
Because each bottle has a label that conveys its promise.
Caring,
Compassion,
Joy,
Ease,
Creativity,
Boundaries,
Rest,
Trust,
Pleasure,
Patience,
Self-forgiveness,
Enoughness,
Worthiness.
The guide invites you to choose the herbs,
The values,
And feelings that would nourish you now.
Especially the ones that would nourish the part of you that gets tired from caring and thinking ahead and holding space or placing others first.
Take your time.
Let your body choose.
Let your heart choose.
Remember you need not know the name of the ur,
What matters is the promise you seek.
You can choose 1 or 2 or 10.
It doesn't matter.
There's no wrong choice.
Sometimes we need ten.
Sometimes we need one.
Your guide gathers the dried herbs and places them gently into a small bowl.
Parts from each.
And adds a few drops of oil.
And then together you bring them to the pot hanging over the fire.
The guide tells you that this is where the good medicine is made,
Not by force,
Not by pretending,
Not by wishing away.
But by warming what is true.
By combining what is needed,
By letting intention meet care.
The herbs are added to the pot with a few drops of even more oil,
Meant to blend them and help them warm.
Ah,
You notice the scent as the warmth of the fire releases them.
Softness,
Strength,
Courage,
Rest,
Protection,
Love,
They all have their own scent.
The guide stirs slowly,
Almost like a moving of a crucible.
The room fills with a scent of restoration and you breathe it in.
And something in you begins to remember,
I'm allowed to receive.
I am allowed to rest.
I'm allowed to be cared for.
I'm allowed to belong to myself.
When the medicine is ready,
The guide moves your mixture from the pot to a large wood board to cool.
When it's time,
The guide gathers a collection of the dried herbs into a small cloth satchel.
Collected,
Warm,
Fragrant.
The satchel is tied with a leather strap so you can wear it around your neck.
And your human spirit guide brings the satchel,
Helping you place it.
Then they lead you back outside to your horse spirit guide.
It's been some time.
The forest is darker now.
While you are inside the cabin,
Day has become night.
The sun has passed below the horizon.
The moon has risen.
Silver light touches the mountain.
The horse guide is waiting,
Calm and patient and present.
Together you follow the moonlit trail up the mountain path.
The first guide remains near the cabin.
You turn and wave,
A wave full of gratitude and love.
You ride for a long time.
Your horse carefully planting each foot as they carry you toward the top of the mountain,
Following the moonlit trail.
As you near the top,
Ahead of you,
You see a small notch in the mountain.
There is a fire waiting with a ring of stones all around it.
Beside it is a second human spirit guide.
This guide may be another ancestor,
An angel,
A protector,
Someone who you love who has passed and has now taken a form.
The form of their fullest expression of self.
One,
Maybe they could not access when they were among us here on earth.
This is someone sent to help nurture and guide your wishes.
Take time and allow the spirit to manifest,
To shapeshift if it's needed.
And present themselves to you.
You notice that logs have been arranged around the fire so you can rest.
A pail of fresh water has been set out for your horse.
The horse lowers its head and drinks.
Soft grass has been left for the horse to eat.
Your horse guide is cared for here too.
You sit by the fire with your second spirit guide.
The moon shines above you.
The satchel now rests in your hands.
The guide gives you parchment and an inkwell and a feather pen.
They invite you now to pause and center on a wish,
A hope,
Or an intention that would be served by the herbs you have chosen.
This does not need to be grand.
It does not need to be perfect.
It only needs to be true.
Maybe your wish is for rest.
Maybe it's for clarity.
Maybe it's for courage.
Maybe it's for softness.
Maybe it's for boundaries.
Maybe it is for joy.
Maybe it is for permission to receive.
Maybe it's to remember your own worthiness.
Maybe it's simple.
Let me remember myself.
Let me be restored.
Let me carry what is mine and release what is not.
Take a moment to allow your intention to become clear.
And when you are ready,
Imagine writing it on the parchment.
You may see the words,
Or sense them,
Or simply feel them.
When the writing is complete,
Your second human spirit guide hands you a bowl carved from a long ago fallen oak.
You tear the parchment into small pieces.
And then taking your satchel,
You mix your dried herbs into the pieces of parchment.
Now you place everything into the satchel.
The herbs may shift as they receive your words.
They may change color.
They may become warmer,
Lighter,
More fragrant.
They become exactly what you need.
Now hold the satchel to your belly,
The place of instinct,
The place of knowing.
Take a breath.
Hold the satchel to your heart,
The place of love,
The place of grief,
The place of connection,
The place of compassion,
And breathe here.
Hold the satchel to your forehead,
The place of vision,
The place of clarity,
The place of wisdom,
And breathe here.
And when you are ready.
You offer the satchel to the fire.
You're not throwing it away,
You're releasing it.
You let it go into transformation.
And as the satchel meets the flame,
Smoke begins to rise.
It curls upward,
It twists and turns,
It carries the scent of your herbs,
The breath of your wish,
The warmth of your intention.
The smoke rises toward the moon,
And the moon receives it.
The moon holds your wish in silver,
Light.
And then from the moon,
A beautiful ancient heron appears.
Large wings,
Long neck,
Graceful body.
A messenger between water,
Earth,
Moon,
And sky.
The heron takes your wish and carries it toward the sun.
Even though the sun is now beyond the horizon,
Your wish is carried into the great cycle of light.
Moon to heron,
Heron to sun,
Night to morning,
Rest to renewal.
You sit for a while beside the fire.
Your horse grazes nearby.
Your second spirit guide prepares a place for you to rest.
A bed has been laid out near the warmth of the fire.
Soft blankets.
A pillow that seems shaped exactly for you.
A covering that feels heavy enough to comfort you,
But light enough to let you breathe.
There may be furs or quilts or woven cloth.
There may be the scent of cedar,
Lavender,
And smoke.
You lie down.
The mountain is beneath you.
The moon is above you.
The horse is nearby.
The fire is warm.
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to be held.
You are allowed to stop tending everything else for a while.
Pause here for quiet rest.
When it is time,
You begin to wake.
You feel warmth on your face.
The sun has returned.
Golden light touches your skin.
The fire has softened to embers.
The quiet spirit guide is gone,
But their care remains.
Your horse guide is standing nearby,
Waiting.
You sit up slowly.
And as you look down,
You notice something on the skin of your left forearm,
The arm closest to your heart.
Your intention is written there,
Not as a demand,
Not as a task,
But as a remembering,
A mark of good medicine,
A sign of what you are carrying back with you.
Take a moment to notice the word,
Image,
Or feeling written there.
Your horse guide turns toward the path and you follow.
Together,
You walk back down the mountain,
Past the sage.
Past the cabin,
Built into the rocks.
Past the trees that slowly become fuller and greener.
The Golden Light continues to guide you.
Eventually,
You return to the pasture where you first met the horse,
And the herd is there,
Peaceful and grazing,
Moving together.
Your horse guide pauses and turns toward you.
You may thank this horse in any way that feels right,
A touch,
A bow,
A breath,
A look.
The horse turns and walks back to the herd.
It is free to graze.
And you are free to return.
You carry the good medicine with you,
Not in a jar,
Not in a task,
But in your body,
In your breath,
In your intention.
And the skin on your left forearm and the place closest to your heart.
Now begin to feel your roots again,
Your root system reaching down into the earth.
Feel the ground beneath you,
Feel the steadiness below you,
Bring your awareness to the sun above you,
The universe,
God as you understand God,
The light that fills your soul,
Feel that golden light Gently.
Surround you.
Not too much,
Just enough.
Begin to notice your physical body.
Your feet,
Your legs,
Your seat,
Your belly,
Your chest,
Your shoulders,
Your beautiful hands,
Your beautiful face,
Your beautiful heart.
Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.
Let the breath bring you back,
Back to this body,
Back to this room.
Back to the circle.
Back to this present moment.
You may gently move your fingers,
Your toes,
Move your shoulders.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
Returning with your intention,
Returning with the good medicine.
Returning rooted,
Warmed,
And held.
And know that this place remains available to you.
Know that your horse guide,
Your guide from the mountain cabin,
And your guide by the moonlit fire can be called whenever you need steadiness,
Restoration,
Protection,
Or remembering.
You do not need to return to the whole journey each time.
You can simply call them.
Place one hand on your belly,
One hand on your heart,
And take a slow breath.
And then silently say,
Horse guide,
Steady me.
Cabin guide,
Or stormy.
Fire guide,
Protect and remind me.
Help me return to the medicine I already carry.
And your feet.
Feel your breath.
Feel the golden light in your rootedness.
And remember,
The path,
The pasture,
The mountain,
The cabin,
The fire,
And the guides are all within reach.
Whenever you need them.
You may return.
Returning with your intention.
Turning with Good Medicine.
Returning rooted,
Warmed,
And held.
Slowly bringing yourself back to this moment,
To your body and your breath.
You you
