Forest Of Shadows - The Dark Goddesses

Close your eyes,

Breathe deeply,

And as you settle into this journey,

You suddenly find yourself in a rustic cabin nestled deep within a dark,

Mysterious forest.

The atmosphere is heavy with the murmur of trees bending and the harrowing winds that seem to carry whispers of ancient secrets.

And seeking comfort,

You light a crackling fire in the hearth,

Its warmth perhaps guaranteeing you comfort amidst this ominous night.

Feel the heat of the flames as they grow bigger and warmer,

Filling the cabin with its warmth.

In a futile attempt to drown out the eerie winds outside,

You turn on an old radio,

Letting the static-filled melodies fill the room.

And you head to the kitchen to make yourself a nice,

Hot cup of tea.

The cabin has a scent of aged wood,

You can feel the wind coming through the cracks of the walls,

But even with the fire and the radio,

The sounds of the wind still howl outside.

And in many ways,

You feel yourself preparing for something,

Although not quite sure what yet.

And no sooner than you have sat down to get comfortable in front of the fire,

A loud,

Jolting knock at the door shatters your peace.

Hesitant but curious,

You open the old weathered door,

Unsure of what you will find on the other side.

The ominous sounds of the forest fill the cabin,

And perched on the porch railing is a large,

Jet-black crow with its penetrating gaze fixated on you,

Beckoning you to follow.

And compelled by an indescribable urge,

You put on your coat and step into the night.

And you follow the crow's flight as she glides through the air above you,

Leading you deeper into the forest and into this inky blackness of this night.

And as you step into the forest of shadows,

The crow shapeshifts into the dark goddess Morrigan.

The wind grows stronger,

Its howls almost blending with distant rumbles of thunder,

Nearly tangible,

As if you could reach out and touch the essence of your hidden fears.

The gnarled trees loom like silent judges,

Their twisted forms casting eerie,

Elongated shadows that dance and flicker under the light of a silver,

Obscured moon.

Your feet sink into the loamy earth with each step and you feel as though the forest itself is absorbing your energy,

Pulling you deeper into your own psyche.

It is here,

In the hidden depths of this forest,

Where you confront your shadow self.

A misty veil of fog snakes around your ankles as the chaos of distant,

Otherworldly cries pierces the air,

Sending shivers down your spine.

In a moment of intense revelation,

You find an obsidian mirror,

And the Morrigan encourages you to look into the mirror,

And as you do,

Your reflection is fragmented,

Each shard revealing a different shadow aspect.

And the Morrigan whispers in your ear,

Urging you to look closer to see what each shadow form represents.

Gazing into its darkened reflection,

You acknowledge the fragmented pieces of your soul.

The shadows start to take shape,

Each one a manifestation of your deepest insecurities,

Unresolved anger,

Or suppressed desires.

They feel both alien and intimately familiar.

Parts of you that you have locked away,

Perhaps,

For years.

And you feel a rush of emotions.

Guilt,

Sorrow,

But also a strange sense of relief and empowerment.

Face these parts of yourself,

And in doing so,

You will gain the key to transforming them,

And one by one,

One shard at a time,

Examine these shadow pieces of you.

And with a nod from Morrigan,

You pick up the obsidian mirror.

It's surprisingly cold,

And its weight feels grounding,

As if anchoring you into this pivotal moment of self-discovery.

This mirror becomes your token,

A symbol of your willingness to delve into your own darkness,

To find the hidden light.

And holding it tightly,

Morrigan leads you to a sacred grove of trees,

Where the dark goddesses await to guide you in your initiation and your rite of passage.

And as you step into the sacred grove,

The sky opens up,

And the long-promised storm finally arrives.

Thunder cracks in the heavens like the sound of an ancient drum,

And rain begins to pour down in torrents.

And unlike the oppressive atmosphere of the forest,

This rain feels liberating,

As if each drop is washing away layers of your old self,

Transmuting shadow into light.

And the dark goddesses stand in a circle,

Flanked by the sacred tenderness of the ancient trees and under the illuminating full moon.

They have been waiting here to lead you through your rite of passage.

And you first approach Kaliak,

Who takes your hands and leads you in a circular dance,

Your eyes old yet timeless.

And as you move,

Rain turns to hail around you,

But you remain untouched.

The hail represents the challenges of life,

And in her company,

You are safe.

You are resilient,

She whispers,

Placing a crystal in the palm of your hand.

Your trials are your wisdom.

And next you find Anya,

Standing by a blooming rowan tree.

Her energy is magnetic,

And as you approach her,

The rain water around her feet forms into little whirlpools.

She leans forward,

Whispering that true courage is in embracing both shadow and light.

And she hands you a small blooming flower,

Miraculously unfazed by the storm,

Representing the balance of your duality.

And finally,

You arrive before Brigid.

The storm seems to bow to her,

Raindrops dancing around her like flickering flames.

She smiles warmly,

Extending her hand to reveal a small flame that glows intensely,

But is cool to the touch.

This is your inner light,

Always yours to command,

She says,

Placing the flame into your heart.

And at the center of the grove,

A chalice has been filling with rainwater throughout your initiations.

The more again reappears and urges you to drink from it.

This is your cleansing,

Your rebirth,

She intones.

And as you sip the water,

It tastes unlike anything you've ever experienced.

Cool,

Yet invigorating,

As if you're drinking the pure essence of life and transformation.

And you feel a new sense of clarity and purpose flooding through you,

Nourishing you,

Enlightening your being.

And the storm gradually eases,

Leaving the atmosphere lighter,

The ground beneath your feet refreshed and reborn,

Just like you.

And holding your tokens from each goddess,

You realize that you have been forever changed,

Your shadow transmuted into radiant,

Beautiful light.

And with a heart full of gratitude,

You're prepared to leave the grove,

Stepping back into the world,

But carrying its transformative energies within you,

Ready to face whatever lies ahead.

And you now find yourself back at the cabin,

As if no time has passed.

Opening up the door,

You find that the fire is still burning in the hearth,

Filling the room with its warm glow.

Your tea,

Miraculously,

Is still hot.

But the noticeable change is outside.

The winds have calmed,

The sun is rising,

And the air is filled with the song of morning birds.

It's a new day,

Bright and full of promise.

You open a window,

Allowing the fresh air and the chirps to flow in,

Their energy mingling with your renewed spirit.

And turning down the radio once more,

Not to drown out the sound,

But to add to it,

The song now playing is upbeat,

A melodious contrast to the darker tones that filled the cabin earlier.

And as you listen,

You can't help but to feel a profound sense of transformation.

You've journeyed through the darkness into light,

Led by ancient dark goddesses and the wisdom of your own soul.

And as the new day dawns,

So too does a new chapter in your life.

One filled with newfound clarity,

Resilience,

And radiant light.

Come in,

Open my heart,

To this world,

To this world.

Sunlight,

Dearest sunlight,

I am calling across the old road.

Sunlight,

Dearest sunlight,

I can find my way out of the road.

Something in me,

Feels like all of me,

And dance all alone.

Come on in,

To this world,

To this world.

I see,

Isn't life,

I see,

Isn't life,

Something in me,

Feels like all of me,

I see,

Isn't life,

Something in me,

Feels like all of me,

To this world.

I'm Dakota Earthcloud Walker.

Thank you for joining me in today's journey.

Aho.

Aho Mataguayasin.