Greetings, and welcome! I go by Andros, and I'd like to thank you for joining me in this meditation. I came up with the idea for this meditation at Othercon last year, and I offered it for the first time at the Shining Hearth gather at the end of February 2021, The intent of this meditation, as it was then, is to bring your truest self to the forefront. In this hectic, mundane world, it's easy to get caught up in things and lose sight of ourselves and how we truly are. As such, I'd recommend going through this meditation whenever you feel the need to reconnect with your magical self.

Before we begin, I'd like you to take some time and clear your space of distractions and things needing your immediate attention. If you need to take a bio break, hydrate, kick pets or toddlers out of the room, silence your phones, turn off noise-making devices, or anything else, pause this recording and attend to them. I'll be here when you get back.

[Pause]

Now, if you're not already there, I'd like for you to assume a comfortable position. You can sit in a chair or on a cushion or yoga mat, you can lie in bed or on the floor, or do whatever you feel most comfortable doing.

Pay attention to your body as you settle into this position. As you release the tension in your body, notice any areas which are holding tension or discomfort. Are any present? If so, what are they telling you? Is there anything you can do to help them relax more? If not, then just take notice of them, put that task aside for now, and focus on the rest of your body, releasing tension and stress in your body as you become aware of it.

Now take a moment to observe your breath. You don't have to force it into a specific cadence or rhythm. Just notice how your body breathes in the life-giving air around you, and how it breathes out the air your body no longer needs. If it changes pace, if it slows down as you notice, that's OK. Let it happen. You may notice that as your body breathes out the air it doesn't need, it may breathe out other things it doesn't need right now. Whatever tension and stress remains in your body. Whatever thoughts bubble up that may distract you. This time is for you, and for the journey you have chosen to take. You have come here to connect with your truest self. Anything that is not needed for that purpose can flow away with your breath. If it's important, you can always return to it later. For this moment, just breathe.

[Wait three breaths]

Good. Now, I'd like for you to imagine yourself walking down a wooded path. You're walking at a steady, even pace. You're in no rush. You can see the path in front of you. It's mostly straight, with a slight curve to the left. It is well-worn earth, free of rocks or roots or other debris, and flanked by green vegetation. As you take each step, you feel the earth under your feet, firm, but not hard as it gives way slightly to support you. As you walk, slowly, unhurriedly down the path, you feel the energies of the earth beneath you. It seems to reach up from the ground, a kind of gentle warmth under your feet, as if to say, "you are welcome here". 

You are welcome here. 
You are welcome here.
You are welcome here.

You feel this welcoming earth energy open up to you. And as it does, you can feel whatever anxiety or fear that lingers within you be drawn down to the earth as you walk down the forest path.

You can see the vegetation around the path, moss and lichen and ferns. You can see mushrooms growing on trees, on the ground, on a dead trunk in the distance. The forest looks lush and vibrant, with an aura of possibility, as if anything could happen. The trees stand tall and majestic, stretching to the sky as if they've been there forever. Their upper branches shade you from the sun, but some of the sunlight filters down, shining as warmly below as it does above. You hold out one of your arms, and you can see the fascinating interplay of light and darkness, like long-time lovers in an endless dance.

A gentle breeze blows through the forest, brushing against your face and the exposed parts of your skin. The temperature of the wind is just about perfect, not too hot or too cold. You take a deep breath in. The air feels fresh and full of oxygen, and your body responds, taking in more. You can smell the forest on the wind, moist earth and petrichor and other, subtler fragrances.

You can hear sounds in the air around you. A bird sings out, calling out to others in the forest. Muffled rustles belie the presence of some animal in the underbrush. Up above, the wind whispers gentle nothings through the leaves and branches.

As you take in the sights of the trees, the feel of the earth beneath your feet, the wind rustling lazily through the branches, you begin to notice the path curving to the left a bit more than it used to. You find your feet moving to follow almost without thinking about it. It's almost as if you're being drawn to the path...or perhaps that some part of you knows where you're going. The curve becomes sharper, and as you follow it, you realize that this path is leading to something, and you start to wonder -- what awaits you at the end of this path?

The path curves further to the left, almost upon itself, and as you turn the final bend, you find yourself at a large clearing. Above is a canopy of trees, completely shading you from the outside. Below, you can see soft moss and grass on the ground. You see trees all around you, guarding this space. As you cross the threshold of the clearing, there is a slight warping of light, and you see appear before you a circle of standing stones, and, at its center, a stone gateway, glowing with energy.

You pause for a moment at the entrance to the clearing, unsure of what all this is, or where the gateway goes. Your gaze falls to the stones in the circle. They stand a bit taller than you, and are made of many different types of rock. Some look ancient, old as the surrounding forest. Some look like they could have been raised yesterday. Some are dull, some reflect the light, some are iridescent. Some of them have markings that strike some chord deep within you. As your eyes take in the stones, a flash of recognition takes hold, and you realize where the gateway leads.

It leads to a place of refuge, rediscovery, reconnection. Within the gateway is a portal to a space just for you, a place between moments where you are completely safe, completely protected, completely free to be your truest self. It is a realm where your true soul can burst forth and take on its most natural form, shedding all masks and shrouds and protections necessary in the mundane world. Through the gateway, there is no one to scrutinize you or pass judgement. There is no fear, no anxiety, there is nothing but acceptance and love. Nothing but the urge to let your true soul shine and blaze like balefire in the night.

This is the reason for the forest's existence. This is the reason you were drawn here. I'll give you a minute to take all this in.

[Wait a minute]

You find yourself standing before the portal. As you came here for refuge and reconnection, it only makes sense to step through to the other side. You ready yourself, and begin to walk the seven paces toward the gateway.

7....Every journey begins with the first step, and you have just taken it. The truest expression of yourself awaits ahead.
6...
5...
4...You are halfway to the portal now. Deep inside you, you start to feel a sense of excitement, as if you're about to unburden yourself at the end of a long day, and knowing you deserve it. Because you deserve this. You deserve this. You deserve this.
3...
2...You can feel the portal now. Its energy makes your skin tingle, alive with magic just millimeters in front of you. You close your eyes, take a deep breath in, and you let it out as your step across on

ONE. A wave of energy courses through your body as you step through. Your true soul resonates and sings as it moves through you, breaking free as you move between the realms and are transported

Here. You are here in your truest self, your truest form, in a place you call home. Your realm of refuge. I'd like for you to take a moment to fully arrive in this space. There is no one here to bother you. So take some time to let your soul come out fully.

[Wait a minute]

Take in your environment. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? And as you take all this in, what do you feel below you? around you? above you? Is it cold? warm? Is there earth? Wind? Water? Fire? What else exists in this space?

Focus on yourself. What form have you taken? What does your body look like? What sensations do you feel? What emotions go through you? How do you feel in these surroundings? What can you do here? What do you feel called to do here? 

I'll give you a few minutes to explore yourself and this space, and to reacquaint yourself with your truest form.

[Wait 7 minutes]

It is almost time to return to the physical world. Before you do, I want you to take a moment to check in with yourself, and get a sense of how you feel right now. Ask yourself how this feels different than how you felt before you started this meditation. And as you return, keep how you feel now close to you. While we, by necessity, have to function in the mundane world, we are all, in our soul of souls, magical beings, and that part of us ought to be present in our lives, in whatever ways we can.

Remembering that, it is time to return. I will count from 7 to 1, and with each number, you will leave you realm of refuge -- knowing that you can return whenever you wish -- and become more aware of the physical space around you.

7...starting to leave the realm of refuge...
6...
5...allowing whatever protections you need in the mundane world to come back to you now...
4...becoming more aware of your physical body...
3...starting to wiggle your extremities, starting to gain more feeling...
2...giving a *big* stretch as you come back to the physical world on...
One.

Welcome back. Do what you need to do to arrive back in this physical space...stretch, get some water, maybe a small snack, whatever you need. Thank you for joining me on this journey to your truest self. I hope you found it refreshing and worth your time. I wish you a very pleasant rest of your day. Take care.