Welcome to this meditation on the Baba Yaga,
A wise old witch of the forest from the Slavic region.
She is the quintessential old crone,
Incredibly ugly,
Endlessly old,
Holding a broom and a mortar with no pestle.
She lives in a sentient hut held up on giant chicken legs that can travel wherever it likes within the forest.
She's generally featured in stories about children.
She will give the children gifts and help them with their quests when they are wise and good and willing to work with her.
If not,
Though,
She does likely shove them in her oven,
Maybe eat them later.
She's a bit of a boogeyman,
Even to this day,
A warning story to tell little children to behave.
The Baba Yaga is probably much older than the stories that are written down that feature her.
She could be the goddess of the forest,
The benevolence or terror of nature itself.
She teaches us to pay attention,
Listen to the old wisdom,
Follow the rhythms of nature,
Or we could get in trouble.
Are you ready for her lessons?
If you are,
Let's settle in for our meditation.
Feel free to sit or lie down if you're not already.
You can light a candle and have a journal nearby to write down any reflections.
Acknowledge the land that you're on.
Consider how long you've been here,
Where your ancestors are from.
Consider the Baba Yaga's land,
The forests of Russia,
The Ukraine,
And other places in that region.
Set an intention for your journey to the forest.
This is a quest.
What do you want to learn from the Baba Yaga?
Are you willing to listen and learn her way?
Are you willing to listen and learn her way?
Are you ready to humble yourself to all you don't know?
If the answer to all those questions is yes,
Then you're ready.
We'll set out on your quest with your question in mind.
Imagine entering the wild,
Dark forest.
Travel across the roots and branches.
Listen for the birds and the crunch of your shoes on the ground.
Notice the smell of pine and maple,
The thick dirt,
The wild feel of the place.
Ask for the Baba Yaga to appear to you to help you with your question.
Or your intention.
Follow your heart and intuition through the forest.
At last,
You see it.
A strange little hut on giant chicken legs.
It's back to you.
You know,
You must speak the magic words to meet the Baba Yaga.
Hut,
Hut,
Turn your back to the forest and your front toward me.
Sure enough,
The hut turns to you and settles on the ground,
Opening its door mouth to you.
There stands the Baba Yaga,
An intimidating old woman who looks ancient but impossibly strong.
She puffs her pipe with amusement and asks you about your quest.
Speak to her with respect and a willingness to learn her lessons her way.
Listen closely to what she tells you.
She may have a task for you.
Do it with your heart and intuition.
I'm going to give you some time to be in conversation with the Baba Yaga.
When you finish listening,
Finish receiving the Baba Yaga's lessons,
Say only,
Thank you,
Grandmother.
Bow deeply to her wisdom and her ancientness.
Receive her gifts,
Whatever they may have been,
And make your way back out of the forest.
Then gently return to yourself in this moment with the land underneath your body,
The air around your skin,
The quality of the light behind your eyes.
You may want to wiggle your hands and feet to come back into your body.
And take a moment to notice how you feel and to reflect on your experience with the mistress of the forest,
The Baba Yaga.
When this feels complete for you,
Gently awaken yourself from your meditation.
If you'd like to write some reflections down,
Feel free to do that.
Thank you for meditating with me and honoring the wise old Baba Yaga.
Good luck with the wisdom she offered you.
