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As a Third Degree Dedicant and Second Degree Initiated Priestess of the Sacred Mists Coven, I have spent many years studying, writing about, and thinking about the polar opposites that are Goddess and God, and of the manifestations of energy patterns in my world that correspond with the purest and highest of energies that are the Sacred Feminine and the Sacred Masculine. I see these patterns everywhere in the workings of man and of Nature, sometimes a combination of the Two, and other times a preference for One or the Other. No matter how polarized these energies may manifest in an individual situation, when I look at the overall picture I always see the dynamic balance that can happen when “different” is combined with “equal.”

A state of balance (or the lack thereof) has been a periodically intense part of my evolution and growth; when I have it, life itself seems effortless, and when I don’t have it, I seem to be surrounded by a brick wall stretching upward into the clouds, with footings deep in the earth below me. Why is it so easy for us to sense when we have balance, and why is it so difficult to attain if we don’t have it? My typical “language” for answering tough questions is the Tarot, and since this is a tough question, I pulled out several of my decks; here is what my cards told me about the concept of balance.

Both The Hanging Man and the Temperance card of the Major Arcana came to mind almost immediately; after all, the word “balance” is found in my keyword for each of these cards. But although both cards are a symbol or manifestation of balance, The Hanging Man is not Temperance; each card has a different feel to it. Could there be two versions of balance?

First, The Hanging Man. Besides balance, The Hanging Man is about voluntary and involuntary surrender; it is the archetype of sacrifice and initiation. The Hanging Man also corresponds to the element of Water, the planet Neptune, and the Hebrew letter Mem (which corresponds to Water, and stability and balance). It represents the Path between Hod (analysis, science and teaching) and Geburah (challenges, sacrifice and destruction, all of which release energy back into the system) on the Tree of Life.

The crossed legs of The Hanging Man represent the Cross of Hermes and this pose shows up on another Major Arcana card, The Emperor. This commonality reminds us that The Hanging Man, who has learned that surrender and sacrifice are the best tools, is in many ways the polar opposite of The Emperor. The Hanging Man also corresponds with The Fool, who seems to be surrendering to both the sun in the sky and the cliff beneath his feet as he commences his journey. The Hanging Man is also linked to the Death card, which is seen to be the next step after the voluntary surrender that brings his change of perspective, and The Moon card and illusion, another change of perspective.

The Hanging Man certainly values polar opposites, however it does not ask me to do anything with opposing forces but rather, to allow them to wash over me with the understanding that both comfort and discomfort have important places in my life. Many spiritual traditions teach us how to act, how to use intentions as a catalyst, and how to use our Will to manifest our goals; that is one side of the coin. A more difficult lesson to learn is that which shows us that those instances we most feel we want to control are the instances where we will be better served by surrendering. The cool thing about The Hanging Man is that he is not really hanging, he is balanced. By surrendering, he is in “suspension,” a state that can only be achieved by balancing opposing forces.

The Legacy of the Divine Hanging Man contains a symbol that illustrates this concept: an hourglass balanced on its side (the balance could not happen unless the hourglass was suspended with equal amounts of sand on each side). This is the kind of balance taught to us by our efforts to grow and evolve, for in order to practice our Craft well, we need to balance our focus between the inner world and the outer world, between receiving knowledge and sharing knowledge, between actively experiencing life and receiving glimpses of the workings of the Machinery of the Universe.

The Pearls of Wisdom Hanging Man represents cheerful sacrifice and surrender to the inevitable. It also refers to the deep emotional content buried in the subconscious mind that is made available to the conscious mind by the shock of altering perceptions. We are being told that despite feeling bound and restricted (or maybe because of those binds that restrict us), we are able to surrender to the entire event. We are emancipated from restrictions by surrendering to them, and we are freed from the fear of loss because we cannot act to prevent loss!

The Thoth Hanging Man seems to tell of waiting for something to happen, perhaps with a sense of fatalism arising from within (rather than from without, as portrayed by The Wheel of Fortune). It tells of the descent of Spirit into matter.

The Llewellyn Welsh Hanging Man tells of being detached and isolated, and reminds us that the silence of constraint brings deeper self-knowledge.

Out of the entire Tarot deck, The Hanging Man is the one card that represents true paradox. Think about it . . . who surrenders in order to win a battle? The Hanging Man does, and very effectively!

Next, the Temperance card. Temperance represents synergy, which is also a form of balance; it is the archetype of the union of opposites. Temperance corresponds with Fire, the mutable Fire sign of Sagittarius, and the Hebrew letter Samekh (the tent post or support). On the Tree of Life, Temperance is the Path between Yesod (the home of the self and the life force; the bridge between the physical and the non-physical) and Tiphareth (the hub of the creation process, where energies harmonize and focus in order to illuminate and clarify). Unlike The Hanging Man, which is not about accomplishments, the Temperance card teaches us to cope with many different projects at the same time; the energies of this card offer a sort of freedom from stress, rather than from ties that bind.

Temperance has a connection to The Tower, which is also a card of extremes, however the energies of The Tower are a direct result of an imbalance rather than the balance to be found in Temperance. The World/Universe is about the unity and synergy that can result from the balance of opposites that Temperance brings us, and The Sun is about the personal vitality, enlightenment and confidence that can be achieved through a disciplined application of that balance.

The cool thing about Temperance is that it promotes both balance and equilibrium, but it also tells us that in order to attain and understand balance, we need to experience and understand extremes. We need to not only learn about the insight, illumination and expansion of The Sun, but we must also contrive to experience these extremes in our own lives. Likewise, the sudden upheaval, chaos, humility and blow to the ego of The Tower must be both understood and personally experienced in order to receive the insights offered by its devastation. Most importantly, we need to learn by trial and error, or by experiencing both failure and success, for it is only through knowing and understanding both that we are able to refine our perceptions of our world, and reconcile and unite extremes together in order to form balance.

The Legacy of the Divine Temperance card tells us that balance is fond by making continual adjustments and by getting the mixture right. It also reminds us that our hardships make us stronger and more refined.

The Pearls of Wisdom Temperance card reminds us that the process of tempering is connected to alchemic processes, of science combining with mysticism, of the irreconcilable being reconciled, in order to offer a vision of a future transformation. The image on this version of Temperance is partially blurred, reminding us that the union of opposites presented by Temperance is a temporary state.

The Thoth Temperance card, named “Art” by Aleister Crowley, tells us to “transmute all wholly into the Image of thy Will, bringing each to its true token of Perfection.” Crowley sees this card as representing the arts of magick and alchemy, and actions that are based on accurate calculations.

The Llewellyn Welsh Temperance card tells of both moderation and adaptation, and grace under pressure; and it tells of being a survivor. Now, that is interesting.

Temperance is indeed quite different from The Hanging Man, even though they both profess to manifest balance. It appears that I have found my two sides of balance, an outer and active version, and an inner and receptive version.

You can experience the two sides to balance, too. Try balancing on one foot; you will experience the kind of balance to be found in the Temperance card. This is active balance, and it can only be achieved by the imposition of equal yet opposite forces (gravity, and the efforts of your muscles to counteract that gravity). Then remember the last time you put on a life vest and floated in the deep end of a pool or lake, allowing the breeze and the currents to gently carry you here and there. In surrendering to the effects of the elements, you just may have experienced a moment of serene balance that never would have come to you if you tried to actively paddle to your own intended destination.

Perhaps by understanding the two sides of balance, we will be better able to manifest balance within our lives. What kind of balance are you looking for today?

Sources:
Sacred Mists Degree Training
Sacred Mists Tarot Class
The LWB’s that come with the Gateway to the Divine Tarot, the Llewellyn Welsh Tarot, the Pearls of Wisdom Tarot, and the Thoth Tarot.

Who are those Watchers, anyway? We’ve all asked that question at one point, at least those of us who regularly cast sacred circles or work with correspondence lists and the effects of the elements or the cardinal directions generally associated with many Pagan traditions, Wicca among them. Just what exactly are the Watchers who watch us from within those Watchtowers?

Let me first explain that I am not referring to the thoughtforms we call “watchers” (although in a sense all astral entities can be defined as either being, or originating in part, from thoughtforms). I am speaking of those entities we call upon for protection and assistance during rituals of worship and magickal workings. And since my M.O. lately seems to be to revisit a basic concept learned in my First or Second Degree Training at Sacred Mists, and then rip it apart to its quantum level so I can understand what it is and why we use it, it is not surprising that I decided to do the same with Watchers.

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The integration of movement and dance into spiritual practices and religious rituals is not a new concept. Since before recorded time, man has been using gestures and movements and dance, both choreographed and improvised, to raise energy, heal the sick, connect with Deity, and foster a sense of community connection. One useful purpose for sacred movement is as a tool to facilitate and enhance the achievement of the altered state known as “trance.” Once again, modern man is not inventing this concept, but rather reviving it, for the “trance dance,” like all other sacred movement, has its roots in antiquity. Many trance dance traditional rituals have survived intact and are still being used in religious ceremonies and healings to this day.

Sufis perform a trance dance called “whirling” (mostly associated with Dervishes of Turkey) as a part of a formal religious ceremony known as the Sema, which is performed in order to reach religious ecstasy and a connection to Deity.

The Anastenaria is a traditional celebration found in Northern Greece and Southern Bulgaria, in honor of Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. At the end of the celebration, participants carry icons of the Saints and dance around a large fire for hours, until they enter a trance and are called by the Saints to walk barefoot over the glowing-red coals, unharmed by the fire.

Zar Cults of the Middle East are groups with specific members who perform their healing trance dance in order to contact and communicate with the spirit(s) causing particular illnesses or afflictions, not to exorcise them, but rather to work out a mutually agreeable symbiotic accommodation or “living arrangement.”

The Guedra, part of the culture of Morocco’s Tuareg Berbers, or Blue People (the dye from their deep blue robes impregnates their skin), is a moving meditation performed as a ritual of blessing and celebration of life, usually performed by one or a few dancers, supported by a drummer, hand clappers, and chanters; all come together to build powerful energy and bring blessings, spiritual ecstasy and connection to Deity.

The pizzica is a folk dance from Italy that comes in three highly symbolic variations. In the first, the pizzica de core, a man and woman circle each other suggestively but are never allowed to actually touch. The second, the danza della scherma, is a mock sword battle performed by two men. The third dance, the pizzica tarantata, is a strange ritual with an almost primitive history, dating from a time in which women suffering from a variety of mental or emotional disorders of the sort that used to be labeled “hysteria” were believed to have been bitten by a poisonous spider. The Tarantella Dance music is probably the most recognized song of all the Italian folklore music.

Liturgical dance is a modern form of religious trance dance that is made a part of worship services, usually as an expression of prayer or worship through movement of the body. Liturgical dancing can be spontaneous or can be choreographed in advance in order to fit into the lyrics of a particular hymn or song, or the focus of a religious service. It is relatively new in the West, but its roots go back to accounts of religious dance in the Bible’s Old Testament.

But not all trance dancing is related to healing or banishing or exorcism. Anyone who has spent some time on a dance floor at a modern night club can attest to the power of dancing and the “group consciousness” that can be created through rhythm, music, lights and movement. Electronic trance dance and all of its alternate forms (such as Rave, Euro, Techno and House) are characterized by music with rhythms that fall within the 130 to 155 beats per minute range, a tempo that, combined with a dancing style of repetitive movement, is perfect for inducing a trance or altered state of consciousness.

Modern trance dancing uses rhythmic sounds, sights such as pulsing lights, and repetitive movements as activators to influence the brain and bring brain wave vibrations into alignment with the rhythm, and thus to the trance level. This use of outside influences such as rhythm and repetitive body movements to help achieve a trance state is known as “entrainment.” The more senses that are involved in this process, the easier it is to attain and maintain a trance state. Transformative breathing, pulsing lights or flames, and incense, when combined with music and rhythms and repetitive body movements, can allow the dancer to slip into a powerful trance.

Want to give it a try?

The wonderful thing about trance dancing is that anyone can do it. You don’t need to be a certain age, you don’t need any dance training or ability, and you can even do it from a chair if you are unable to stand. What you look like when you dance is not even an issue; the most important part is what you feel while you are dancing. Actually, too much worry about your outer form will distract you from the trance.

Trance dance is essentially a meditation, with movement as the tool used to bring your awareness to a place where meditation, trance and communion with Deity can happen. By allowing your body to freely express the rhythms and movements created by the catalyst of sound, you are brought to a meditative state and enter into a deeper mythic reality.

Repetitive movements can act as a focus for your mind similar to that of a mantra or chant; when repeated long enough the movement will fade from your awareness and shift your attention from your physical surroundings to a state of dreaming. While any repeated motion can be used to attain and maintain a trance; the ideal movement would be one that is strenuous enough to get the endorphin effect of exercise, but simple enough to be easily repeated without the worry of getting it wrong.

To set up a trance dance session, you will need to find a block of time when you won’t be disturbed, at least 45 minutes. You will need to arrange your furniture so you won’t injure yourself, and you will need some music, any kind of music as long as it truly inspires you. You might want to also dim the lights or burn some pleasing incense, but be careful of any open flames.

Begin by following the rhythm with your breathing; then consciously relax and invite the music into your body. Begin swaying back and forth with the rhythm. As you put your body into motion, be aware of what feels good in a sensual or physical way; don’t worry about what you look like, for no one is watching. Allow your mind’s chattering and preoccupation with your physical world to fade, along with awareness of conscious movement.

Your aim is to reach a purity of experience that is just the rhythm and the motion and you and the sound; this is the moment of your entry into a trance state. Try not to stop dancing; continue moving without conscious choice until you feel the trance is completed. Slowly begin to decrease your movements and lessen their intensity until you are once again back to swaying to the music. Then bring even that to an end and stand still; experience the absence of motion with as much sensual awareness as you experienced motion.

Through trance dance our physical bodies and our physical world “disappear,” and we become more like spirit, and less attached to life’s ordinary difficulties, making it possible at these moments to let these problems go, and sometimes to become aware of viable solutions to these problems. Trance dancing is also a wonderful way to cleanse the cobwebs from your mind and rejuvenate your body.

Sources:

Wikipedia – Trance
Sacred Mists Sacred Movement Extension Class

“Reiki” is the name of a spiritual practice from Japan that offers techniques for relaxation, stress reduction and healing.  The name itself is a compound word that joins “rei,” which can be translated to mean “spirit,” “divine,” and “etheric body,” and “ki,” which can be translated to mean “breath,” energy,” “life force,” “emotion” and “intention.”  Some direct Japanese translations for Reiki are “feeling or atmosphere of mystery,” “an ethereal atmosphere (that prevails in a sacred place),” and “to feel or sense a spiritual or divine presence.”  In English, Reiki is used both as a noun, representing the spiritual life force energy in the form of ki and the therapeutic methods related to its application, and as a verb, representing the actual use of the therapy and application of the ki into and onto the recipient.

Reiki is considered a holistic therapy which helps to bring awareness, balance and healing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels of existence.  Reiki is offered through a technique commonly called “palm healing” or “hands-on healing,” where the ki is transferred through the palms of the practitioner and into the body and personal energy field of the recipient.  Reiki operates through the belief that our emotions, our mental state and our level of spiritual fulfillment are directly connected to and interact with our physical body and its health and vitality, and thus healing and balance brought to one level of existence will transfer to the other three in order to help heal the entire “self.”

It is a simple method to learn, and much of the techniques and focuses are not taught in the usual manner, but rather are transferred during a Reiki class through an “attunement” given by a Reiki Master/Teacher which allows the student to tap into and access the unlimited supply of ki in order to improve health and enhance the quality of life.  The ability to become a Reiki practitioner is not dependent on intellectual capacity or spiritual development, and is available without restrictions of age or background.

Generally, Reiki is taught in three basic levels or degrees, although there are many equally effective variations to these levels; each level requires at least one attunement.  The first level, sometimes called “Shoden” (Japanese for “elementary/entry teachings”), teaches the basic theories and procedures, and hand placements thought to be the most conductive to offering ki in a whole body treatment.  The second level, sometimes called “Okuden” (Japanese for “inner teachings”), teaches the symbols that act as catalysts and enhance the strength and distance over which Reiki can be applied.  This level allows the practitioner to offer “distance healing,” the ability to apply Reiki without being physically present with the recipient.  The third level, sometimes called “Shinpiden” (Japanese for “mystery teachings”), brings the practitioner to the Reiki Master/Teacher level.  Once reaching this level, the practitioner has the knowledge and experience to teach the three levels, as well as the ability to attune students to Reiki energy.

During a typical full-body treatment, which can last for a half hour to an hour or longer, the recipient is seated or laying down as the practitioner places his or her hands on or near the recipient in various hand positions.  Recipients and practitioners alike often feel warmth, cold, tingling and/or pressure in the area being treated, whether or not the practitioner is touching the physical body of the recipient.  A state of deep relaxation and a general feeling of well-being are the most common effects noted immediately after a treatment, although emotional releases can also occur.  Other positive effects can be felt over the following hours and days as the treatment stimulates and encourages the body’s natural healing processes.

Reiki was developed by Mikao Usui in 1922, while he was performing a 21 day retreat on Mount Kurami which involved fasting, mediation and prayer.  Usui received the information and methods of use that we call Reiki, as well as a series of sigils or symbols to be used by Reiki practitioners as keywords or sacred catalysts, through mystical revelations that came to him toward the end of his retreat.

In the process of documenting the symbols and instructions he received into a system that could be used both as a healing method and as a way to teach the system to others, Usui also incorporated a set of ethical affirmations based on teachings of Buddhism and the writings of Emperor Meiji, now commonly known as the Reiki Principles, which encourage a release of anger and worry, and a cultivation of gratitude, kindness and honesty.

After Usui’s death, his student, Chujiro Hayashi, continued passing on Reiki teachings.  Hayashi also simplified the original teaching and application techniques and added a focus on physical healing.  Hayashi trained Hawayo Takata, who is accredited with bringing Reiki outside of Japan and to the United States.  When she died in 1980, Takata had trained many Reiki Master/Teachers.

There has always been debate as far as scientific proof of the effectiveness of Reiki treatments; however, recently scientific and medical experts have made amazing strides in their ability to create physical measuring devices that are sensitive enough to measure non-physical techniques such as Reiki.  Through documenting and measuring the electro-magnetic field of the human body, researchers have found that both the entire body and each individual physical organ pulses or vibrates with a particular resonance; these vibrations or auras have been show to change if illness occurs.  These same researchers have been able to measure the palms of Reiki practitioners, which have been shown to emit electro-magnetic energy during Reiki treatments that pulses within the healthy range.  The healthy energy being emitted by the Reiki practitioner has been shown to act as a catalyst to bring the resonance or vibrations of the recipient’s aura back into a healthy range, thus promoting healing.  While still being debated by some, more and more scientists and conventional medical experts are recommending the inclusion of Reiki treatments within an all-encompassing health promoting regime.

Although it is mainly spiritual in nature, Reiki is not a religion; it has no dogma, no required adherence to a particular spiritual tradition or path, and is not dependent on any other beliefs.  Reiki does encourage living within ethical ideals which are nearly universal across all cultures.  The techniques for relaxation, balancing and healing associated with Reiki are not meant to replace the advice of a medical professional, but rather are meant to be used in conjunction with the advice of health care professionals who specialize in treating the physical, mental and emotional bodies.

References:
Sacred Mists Sacred Usui Reiki Training Course
Wikipedia
The Molecules of Emotion by Candace Pert, Ph.D
The Intention Experiment by Lynne McTaggart