Hello and welcome to today's guided meditation.
As we gather here together in this circle,
In this community,
Know that we are surrounded by the love of spirit and the universe that is with us,
Guiding us.
I want you to begin imagine preparing yourself for a long journey.
What do you need to take with you?
Do you gather snacks,
Water,
A flashlight,
Matches,
A pocket knife,
Extra clothes?
Now imagine collecting these things and placing them in the pack that you will be bringing with you on this journey.
Now I would like you to think about what spiritually do you need to take with you?
Is it strength,
Flexibility,
Patience,
Alertness,
Endurance,
Determination?
Imagine gathering these things as well.
As we are ready to head out for our journey,
There appears in front of us a guide,
A beautiful spirit person from the Hopi Nation.
This guide has graciously offered to take us on this journey.
Our guide asks us to do three things.
Inside your pack,
I would like you to add three more items.
First,
In your imagination,
Find a gift to bring to grandfather and place this gift inside your pack.
Second,
Add a prayer to bring with you on the journey to offer to Mother Earth.
And third,
Add a prayer which you would like to bring for yourself.
Please place these last three things into your pack.
Our guide begins to lead us on a hike through the desert,
Through the forest valley of Prescott,
Taking us up hills and down lush,
Green,
Water-soaked tracks,
Up curves and around bends covered with stones of granite.
Deer tracks appear in front of us,
Lying pushed into the moist earth for us to see and to follow.
Our guide leads us to the left,
Off the main trail,
To a small grove where there are pine trees,
Manzanita,
Cacti all growing together.
Making our way through this valley,
We approach a beautiful juniper tree.
He stands three stories high,
With branches spanning more than 40 feet wide.
This is grandfather juniper,
And he is 2,
000 years old.
Our guide says,
Please form a circle around the trunk of grandfather juniper.
Raise your hand to the left and the other to the right,
Holding on to one another.
As we circle in a community of like-minded people,
We gather around grandfather juniper,
Who greets us as we return the greeting,
Breathing in and exhaling.
Next,
Our guide asks,
Please take out from your pack the gift which you brought for grandfather juniper.
When you are ready,
Walk to the trunk and place your gift at the base of him.
Extend a thank you to grandfather and return to the circle when you are ready.
Our guide now shares.
Now go into your pack and pull out the prayer you wrote to speak to mother earth.
When you are ready,
Read this prayer to yourself.
Next,
Our guide instructs us.
Lastly reach into your pack and bring out the prayer that you wrote for yourself.
Please read it to yourself and to grandfather juniper.
When you are ready,
Please be seated where you are standing as you find comfort.
Please place your hands in prayer position at your heart.
Bow your head gently and hear the words that grandfather juniper speaks to you.
Many days more than I can say,
I have heard the wind through my needle like leaves lifting prayers into the air.
Seven hundred and thirty thousand days I have lived rooted into the ground.
It is no surprise why I'm known as grandfather juniper.
I have weathered times of war and times of peace.
I have weathered rain and fire.
I have lost limbs and still I'm able to stand tall.
My bark like rough scales of an alligator covers me a shield from the outside in.
I have no secrets hidden within me,
But if you gather around me,
There are some things I would like to share.
I have lived long by growing my roots in one place.
I have stood strong because my branches are willing to be flexible and bend when forced upon.
I sit upon granite,
A strong,
Reliable foundation that holds me up even when I would rather fall down.
My truth is on the inside where I can always remember it well.
I give of myself to others when asked.
My gifts are food from my berries,
Medicine from my bark and tea from my leaves.
All of these things you may experience as well.
In the end,
Remember it is the earth on and in which we all dwell together.
None of us shall come out alive,
But what if our journey together helps make the journeys of those who come after us lead more spiritually rich and joyful lives together?
Our guide asks us to please stand when we are ready and to thank Grandfather Juniper for sharing with us.
We are welcome to return here anytime that we wish.
When we are ready,
We begin our journey back home to where our bodies are safe.
We say thank you to Grandfather Juniper for joining us.
We extend an offer of thanks to our guide of love and generosity for guiding us on this journey.
When you are ready,
Please take a breath in and exhale slowly.
AIIu.
.
