8-2-2009: day
At the Ceremony, the Priestess moves through me, using the Sword of Truth, to sever my friend's umbilical cord.
8-2-2009: night
I ask the Priestess to show me the 9-stone Circle. She acquiesces to my request, and meets me by the Hawthorne tree outside of the Circle. She has me take hold of her hand, and we step into it.
I freak pretty good when I realize I am standing on nothing but starry, starry night... space... freefalling... except for her holding my hand. She smiles, and has me look at the slender golden energy lines that reach from each stone to the center. She has me step onto the Thread, and center myself.
It is then that I realize that it is more than a spoke, but part of a Web, and I hear her whisper next to me, "Remember to stay on the straight-center-to-stone Threads... the others are sticky and bring prey that are crunchy and good to eat." I didn't ask the question that came to mind; I just let the thought go hide somewhere.
She walked with me to the center core, which is a circle in and of itself... and a reflection (if not the actual quantum truth) of the center core of the Milky Way galaxy that I had journeyed to last month or so. I did not want to look too closely at the Priestess, in case I actually saw a Black Widow Spider instead. What I saw in the center was the whirling "waters" of the Maelstrom... again. She said, "You've seen what I wanted you to see. Go on home now." And she disappeared.
I walked back along the Thread and ended up staring at a Standing Stone, trying to figure out how to get through it. I heard her whisper in my mind, "Use the key, Wyrd-adept." And so, I thought about it, and it came to me that I knew a key that opened up to the Lifeforce of All. I drew it upon the rock face, and was able to walk into the stone. As I stood within it, I looked around in awe, for I was surrounded by golden sparklies twinkling as if stars, and clustered somewhat, as if in constellations, but certainly none that I had ever seen before. Then I considered how to step out of the stone, knowing I needed to use the key again, in some way. After pondering for a while, I came upon a possibility, drew it upon the inner stone, and suddenly found myself outside underneath the Hawthorne tree. And then back to my home.
8-3-2009:
During the day, in Dreamtime, I am shown how the Sisterhood is situated with the 9 stones on the Scottish Isle. First, I am told that all 9 Sisters are Healers of various "knacks": similar to these: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Spirit/Energy, Plant, Animal, Song, and Faery. Each of the outside Stones reflect a direction: N,NE,E,SE,S,SW,W,NW... the ninth stone on the ring is for the Cat.
At each moon ceremony, one of the Sisters is in the middle of the circle and shares her learning, changes, blessings, etc., over the last month. They take turns in a deosil manner each moon... and they move to the next direction deosil, to discover their "knack" as it is influenced by that specific direction, and then share that when it is their turn.
8-3-2009: night
I learned that the Hawthorne tree symbolizes the Chalice and Brigid's Flame, in a Healing sense, naturally... as this Circle was for the Sisterhood of Healers.
I requested healing from the Priestess, as my physical body was in great pain, from a variety of many things, and I found myself outside the circle underneath the Hawthorne tree. The Priestess was there. She said, "You cannot manifest into the Circle without me. Only out here."
She laid her hand upon mine in sending energy to me. I was fearful because of the stories I have heard concernng her. She chuckled and said, "They are Illusions. Some of which I myself have spread. It does protect me. And, still, you came; and so, the Illusion proves its worth, for the worthy still seek me out. And, yes, I will be your Teacher."
I do not remember anymore. I fell asleep and woke this morning in my own home and bed, with considerably less pain.
8-4-2009: night: Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse Ceremony:
I don't know how to describe having my Teacher feel more present than other Teachers before, or other sentient Energies with whom I've interacted before. It is as if She is right next to me, and I just can't see Her.But I feel Her; I sense Her; I can see Her fingers upon mine... and they are long, slender, pale, beautiful, with red painted fingernails... and they are never still... as if She is in a constant state of Weaving: something, somewhere, for some piece of Creation in the whole of Creation, beyond my meager imagination. She speaks to me: "Illusions that no longer serve you - illusions that are fear-based and no longer authentic - must be released into this Fire. Illusions that you persist in, for safety's sake, no longer serve you - for you are now safe. You cannot come into your own Power with them. You must release them into the Fire. You are afraid of your own beauty and Beauty, and create Illusions to refract and distract away from this Truth. You must throw this into the Fire. You are afraid of your own sensuality (and She stepped in front of me to shatter whatever Illusions I had held around that...) and you create (or attempt, Wyrd-adept; it doesn't work for me) Illusions, again, to refract and distract and deny. You must throw this into the Fire. I am no threat to you; you are threatened by your own response to me. It amuses me. But I am not unkind. I will not take away what you are not willing to give away. You are still a Child in this. Illusions are important in protecting ourselves and those we serve to protect; they are important in healing; they are important in interacting with those not like you, who would misunderstand you or mistrust you, or not believe all that you are without the Illusions. So, learn these. The rest... toss in the Fire."
And She swept Her hands across the Center of the Circle of Stones, where we simultaneously stood, and a crystal white Fire blazed there - not consuming, not giving off heat, but alchemizing the very parts of me that I threw into the Fire, as She asked. And then, it disappeared. And again, I was near the Hawthorne in one sense, and near Grandmother Willow in the other.