"Oracle of the Lake"
a guided visualisation by Gillie Whitewolf & Blackhawk

Relax....

Feel the ground as earth beneath you. Warm earth. The air around you is humid. You are in a small cave and as you sit up you realise you are naked, warm and comfortable.

Through the cave opening you can see the night sky, the full moon is streaming in upon your face. She is round and heavy, lazing in a sky full of stars.

As you move to the cave opening you become aware of the sights and sounds of a fire festival, with dancing, leaping figures silhouetted against crackling flames, naked and free, moving to the rhythm of drums pulsating through the air.
The fires spread out in front of your cave, and lead down past some trees to a large, still lake, at the centre of which sits a small island. The dark mirrored surface of the lake reflecting the full moon and the flickering flames of torches at its edge.

As you step out of your cave the warmth of the night washes over you, caressing your skin. You are drawn to the flames, to the drums, to the leaping, dancing, twisting figures. The drums pulsate through your body, their rhythm infectious, and as you are drawn closer to the fires you begin to move with the beat, swaying, letting the rhythm pulse through your body. You move and dance amongst the figures, twisting and turning, their naked limbs glistening with sweat and reflecting the flames.

****

As your gaze travels across the faces in the crowds you eye is caught by a figure standing at the water’s edge. His eyes are staring right back at you. He is calmly, patiently, waiting for you.
He is the boatman. His purpose is to take you to the Oracle of the lake. But before he does he will ask you a question and you must answer that question truthfully. You make your way through the crowds towards the boatman. The sounds of the festival die down and the crowd thins out and suddenly you are stood before him. He ask you his question. “What is your greatest fear?” You look into his eyes and feel a familiarity. You know that you can trust him. And you confess to the boatman your greatest fear.
Taking your hand he helps you into the boat and you set off from the shore, moving across the still, dark waters of the lake towards the island at its centre. The island is surrounded by trees and as the boat draws closer you can see a small path leading from the shoreline.
You reach the island and the boatman helps you ashore. Leaving him behind you set off along the path, making your way through the trees until you reach a clearing. Set in the middle of the clearing is a small fire. Over the flames you can see the figure of a woman sat in silence. She is looking right back at you, the flames dancing in her eyes. She is waiting for you. This is the Oracle.
You step closer to the fire, and then sit, taking your place opposite the Oracle. All the time your eyes are locked to hers. Sinking into them, deep, dark eyes. Open. You lose yourself in her eyes. You see truth in her eyes, and you know that she knows and understands the fear you confessed to the boatman.

She begins to speak with words you do not recognise. In a language you do not understand. Her words flow quicker and louder, their rhythm pulsing through the air, reaching deep down inside of you, pulsating and throbbing in your belly, taking hold of your fear and dissolving it before pushing down to the ground beneath you, and spiralling up your spine to the sky above. Her words vibrating through every cell in your body, the rhythm pulsing through you, beating inside of you, filling your head. The energy of her words coursing through your veins, in your blood, vibrating through your bones and muscles, spiralling up and down, stretching out through your limbs. her words echoing inside your head. Until suddenly, you understand her words. You feel yourself connected to everything above and below. You feel her words filling you with strength, courage and power. You understand her words. Listen to what she has to say.

****

The flames of the fire are dying down, and you notice that the sky is lighter. The night is almost over. as is your time with the Oracle. She reaches across the fire, her finger tracing a symbol on your skin just below your navel. As she withdraws her hand, you notice that the symbol remains. It vibrates with power, radiating her energy. This symbol is your strength. Hold this symbol in your mind’s eye. Remember it. Keep it with you.

It is time to leave the Oracle. You stand, thanking her for her words and for the strength she’s given you. You turn and make your way back through the trees, along the path and to the waiting boatman at the shore.
Without a word, the boatman helps you aboard and you set off across the lake. Your journey home is swift, and soon you are at the water’s edge and are being helped out of the boat.

You are dazed and drowsy, and you make your way slowly towards the fires, which have all but died down. There are fewer figures left dancing, slowly swaying to the music. The mood is softer, the night is ending, and everybody is tired.
You make your way through the fires and dancers, towards your cave. It is warm and inviting. You step inside and lay down. Relaxing into the earth. Letting the words and feelings of the Oracle remain with you, along with the symbol she gave to you. This is your symbol.

Keeping hold of your experience, slowly begin to feel the cave leaving you, the earth becoming floor beneath you, as you come back to this time and space. Become aware of your body, start to stretch your limbs, take a few deep breaths and when you feel ready open your eyes...

This guided visualisation is best read aloud by someone - or you could record yourself and play it back. The  ****  breaks indicate longer pauses to allow for further interaction with the visualisation, such as dancing by the fires and communicating with the Oracle.

[This visualisation was originally written with accompanying tribal drumming soundtrack to enhance the fire dancing scenes. A red light with blacked-out windows was used to create an appropriate setting and a healthy dose of loose incense was used - a mix of mugwort, sage, colstsfoot, frankincense and a little dragonsblood - to really set the mood - our "Vision Quest" loose incense blend is now available to purchase from the Gaia's Garden online shop].

Oracle of the Lake - Blackhawk and Whitewolf © 2004

Related Articles [Visualisations] :

Visualising Visualisation - an article by Gillie Whitewolf - exercises for learning and improving your visualisation skills. Read

The Tree on the Hill - Taking a Walk - a guided visualisation by Gillie Whitewolf . Read

The Wood beside the Lake - Animal Guide Visualisation - A visualisation by Gillie Whitewolf guiding you through a lake to a wood where you will meet one of your animal guides. Read

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