It is mid-June as I record this visualisation,
And approaching the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.
After a wet spring in Britain,
The sun has suddenly appeared and the days are long,
Bright and hot.
Plant life is thriving,
The countryside is abundant and birds and insects can be heard all day long.
The summer solstice marks the longest day and shortest night.
It's a time during the season of busyness to pause,
Celebrate and give thanks.
This practice is a visualisation inspired by an Irish tradition of whispering your wishes to a pebble and throwing it into the midsummer bonfire.
There's no particular way you need to be for this practice,
Except perhaps that it's always good to make yourself as comfortable as possible and to ensure that the environment that you are listening in is conducive to sinking softly into a visualisation practice.
You are welcome to lie down,
Sit on the floor or a chair,
But whatever you choose,
Take some time to make yourself really comfortable.
Once you're ready,
Close your eyes,
Take a full breath in and a long,
Slow sigh out.
Settle here.
Begin to draw your attention inwards by noticing your breath as it naturally arises.
Just observe the rise and fall of your chest,
The sounds of your breath.
Perhaps if your jaw is a little tense,
Give it a wiggle.
Perhaps if your tongue has made its way to the roof of your mouth,
Encourage it to drop softly.
Allow your whole body to soften and release.
I will invite you to build a picture in your mind's eye,
To visualise yourself walking down a path.
The path leads to fields on the floodplain and a slow flowing river.
It's flanked by hedgerows and you hear birdsong and buzzing insects.
The stones littering the path soften and give way to hardened earth and grass as you approach the riverbank.
As you walk along you notice one particular pebble.
It calls to you.
You look at the pebble on the earth and notice its size and its shape.
You pick it up and feel its texture and temperature and then you slip the pebble into a pocket or a bag and continue on your way.
There's no one else around.
You are free to wander the river path in whatever way feels right.
Maybe you remove your shoes and walk barefoot.
Perhaps you pick up a stick and swipe at the vegetation or pause to dip fingertips or toes in the fresh clear water.
The sun is beginning to set but it has not yet dropped below the horizon.
You look at the colours in the sky.
Perhaps the moon beginning to appear and maybe bot birds flocking towards their roosts before darkness settles.
As you gaze into the distance you spot a spiral of smoke rising from an untended fire on one of the river beaches.
There is no one around.
The air is still warm but conscious that it will cool down as evening settles you welcome the heat from the fire and sit at its edge for a while.
Insects buzz above the river occasionally falling prey to a swooping swallow seeking a snack.
You listen to the sounds around you.
The water flowing,
The birds and insects,
The crackling of the fire.
You reach into your pocket or your bag and pull out that pebble.
You hold it in your hand and feel its weight and as there is no one else around to see you unself consciously lift the pebble to your lips and whisper.
You whisper your dreams,
Your wishes,
Your intentions.
Take a moment now just to feel into what they might be.
To listen to your soul and hear whether there is any heartfelt desire there desperate to be heard,
To be spoken.
And perhaps repeat this desire here knowing that no one hears it but you and your pebble.
You stand up,
Stone in hand and gaze into the flames of the midsummer fire.
You begin slowly and mindfully to walk around it.
Circling once,
Twice,
Three times.
As you walk you look deep into the flickering light and see a picture forming.
A picture of that dream that you just named.
That desire as if it had come true.
You gaze into and upon this vision the light burning a shape of it.
A remembering of it into that space behind your eyelids so that even when you blink you can still see it.
With gratitude and hope you lift the pebble and throw it deep into the belly of the blaze.
It lands with the satisfying thud and a crackle of sparks flies up into the air.
You take a moment to give thanks for this experience.
And then as you do you hear the happy sounds of a group of friends approaching.
These are the people who built the fire,
Who have returned to tend it enabling you to safely leave it in their hands.
You slip away.
The sun has now set and the returning crowd does not notice you in the dusky light as you pass them.
You begin to walk back up from the river beach and away from the river path.
And we begin to approach the time to return from this visualization into the space you presently occupy.
There is no rush and you are welcome to let my waking words wash over you and remain as you are for as long as feels right.
However if you would like to prepare to come back just for now bring a little more presence to your breath.
Perhaps take a couple of sighing breaths,
A full breath in and a long soft sigh out from between the lips.
Perhaps yawn,
Open your mouth and invite that shape and sound and take any movements that seem to follow naturally.
When you are ready and only when you are ready,
Open your eyes gently and pause.
Welcome this pause before you continue with your day.
Solstice Blessings to you.
May you live with peace and love to greet your dreams.
