Aug 7 Daily Entry -- The Counsel

I close my eyes and turn inward. I listen to my breathing, and turn my attention to the center of my body. I may have to address my cells first, to quiet their chattering demands for attention, but when all of my cells have been acknowledged and thanked, I turn inward.

I stand on a moor, cloudy and windy. I stand at the mouth of a hole in the ground, and see the stone staircase leading deeper into myself. I descend the staircase.

At the bottom is a dark beach. The waves may lap or crash, the salt air may soothe me, and the sand may be soft and cool beneath my feet. Or I may look upward and see the outer world through a hole in the sky--thoughts passing like clouds.

On the beach there is a tree. It represents my self. I will check it daily and tend to its needs. There may be others on the beach. These people are me and they are not me. They represent different aspects of myself I may not be in contact with, and they will help me care for the tree.

Out to sea is the counsel. They are all the spirits in the world. They are the oneness that I came from. The trees are out there, inner aspects of other people's souls, and the greater spirits that tie us all together (spirits like music, art, beauty, time, pain, joy, luck). I can call out to them, and they will call back to me. They will guide me when I am unsure