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The golden thread pulses faintly in the spirit’s hand, the beats beginning to feel further apart, as it weaves its way through the undergrowth. There is a sacred timing to all things, and each thing has its sacred place in time. The spirit knows this, but still it hurries forward; knowing also that time itself is sacred, and is slipping away.
When it reaches the clearing, the process has already begun. The wisp of the hummingbird’s life is curling as smoke above its beak, beginning to flow back in to the thread, as the spirit moves forward to take the creature gently in its hands. The last beat of the little bird’s heart sounds as loudly as a drum, echoing through the forest; a summoning…
…and here you enter, an honoured guest at the forest funeral, come to pay your respects, and perhaps to heal your own wounds.
LISTEN: INVOCATION
A formula for conjuring; an incantation. A prayer for the presence of the divine.
This opening piece isn't on the ‘streaming version’ of Cycles - you are the first & only to hear it.
The voices toward the end belong to Matty and I. It’s the only recording of him I have, and I couldn’t hit ‘play’ on it until a few weeks ago… and now it is here, part of a prayer.
1. Breathe deeply, and use this listening time to call in your own sense of spirit. Perhaps invite a loving ancestor, or departed loved ones. See them with you in your mind’s eye, and feel their presence.
2. Set an intention for this journey. What would you like to call in, or perhaps let go of?
Feel your inherent connection to the world you can’t see; the living world of the spirit, both bodied & formless, an unbroken line stretching in all directions. A history, a ‘now’, and a future that touches all timelines.
You are held, thought of, and loved. You are remembered, dreamed of, and still dreaming…
RITUAL: GRIEF SIGIL
sigil: a symbol of intention & transformation, imbued with magical power
I created this sigil with the intention that it serves the collective: “I alchemise the pain of the past into joy”, while also holding space for each of your personal intentions.
Redraw the sigil above. On to paper, your skin, a journal… It doesn’t need to be exact. (You can also save it to your device if you prefer).
As you draw, or look at the sigil, focus on the intention you set while listening to Invocation.
Place the sigil somewhere you will see it often. Allow it to work its magic.
The sigil will be charged throughout the 10 days of this experience, as we all focus our intention together to deepen & alchemise both our personal relationship with grief, and the wider collective's.
We will work with the sigil again in Part 5...
RITUAL: ALTAR BUILDING
altar: a ritual space where the divine & human worlds can interact
10 days after my brother passed, I visited with a lineage shaman. She helped me begin the process of mourning, and guide my brother’s spirit to his next journey. Much of what I journeyed with her can’t be shared here… but one of the tasks she gave me was to create an altar for my brother.
In the creation of your altar, I encourage you to draw from your own cultural, spiritual, or religious backgrounds.
Choose a space. A shelf works well, but an altar can be anything - a tray, a table, a potted plant, even a space on the floor.
Lovingly clear & clean the space. Think of what, or who, you would like to dedicate your altar to, in line with your intention for this experience.
Collect items that you feel represent the themes of 'grief', 'hope', 'transformation', and the life cycle. These could even be items that belonged to a loved one. Some examples include flowers, candles, water, letters, toys, favourite foods, drawings... and the sigil shared in the first ritual.
As you reflect on your intention, place the items on the altar. This space will grow in meaning & power throughout this experience, and you can keep adding to it. If you have a candle on your altar, it can be powerful to light it for a time each day, while you reflect on your intention, and listen for the voice of spirit.
CONNECT
I invite you to join the secret Dream Army Discord server HERE, to connect with me & the other people attending the Forest Funeral. Introduce yourself, share a photo of your altar if you’d like, and share your intention if you feel to. If you’d prefer to share them just with me - you can do that via email!
I’m sure there are kindred spirits among us waiting to make friends, and to be companions in the Forest.
Need a primer on Discord? I get it - I was confused at first, too! Click HERE for a simple rundown.
I also encourage you to reply to my emails at any time throughout this experience if you’d like to have a 1:1 conversation and share anything with me. I created this experience to connect with you… so don’t be a stranger. PS - if you don’t know what to email me about or feel shy, I’d love to know what brought you here as a start! xx
INTERMISSION
…and here we take a short pause together, and rest after the Gathering.
Take your time with the Rituals over the next 2 days, in preparation for Part Two. I’ve given you a day’s intermission between each Part, to immerse, reflect, pause, and connect with me if you’d like to.
Be gentle with yourself.
I’ll send you a ‘Reflections’ email tomorrow to check in with you, offer some thoughts on Part One, and tell you what you’ll need for Part Two - but you can email me any time.
I’ll see you in the forest for Part Two - Eulogy.
Softly,
Heirloome
