Take a journey in your imagination to a place you know well, a place out in the natural world where you feel safe and where you are at peace. This place also is a time beyond time when you feel full in your power and at one with yourself. Remember this place well; remember how you feel about this place and how it makes you feel. What does it look like, what can you see and hear? Is there a smell or taste, a gesture, or a few words that bring you here? Remember them when you need to return to this place. (Play drum for a short while).
Now find yourself walking towards the immense vastness of the Great Tree. What does it look like to you? What kind of tree is it? You reach the tree and touch its bark, how does it feel, how does it smell, is it in leaf, flower or fruit?
Place you hand firmly upon the trunk and tell this Great Tree you have come to seek the Wisdom of Snake. In response to your words and touch the bark of the trunk begins to move and form a crevice, which gets bigger and bigger until a hole has formed large enough for you to step into the tree itself. Climb into the trunk and touch the warm wood inside, which to your surprise has been worn quite smooth by many hands before. Just enough light shines into the trunk for you to see carved wooden steps worn by many feet before you. Place your foot on the first step, then slowly and carefully you find yourself climbing down the inside of the tree, down you go under the earth to the Lowerworld. You seem to be steadily moving downwards for a while but eventually you reach another ground level and emerge from a gap between the roots. The roots disappear further still into the deep earth. The light is strange and different down here, but it feels warm like soft muted sunlight upon your skin. Look around you; you stand in a glade of the Lowerworld realm, surrounded by an endless forest.
What do you see, how does it feel, can you hear anything? (short pause)
Upon the Great Tree are many carvings of animals and of a huge man with stag horns who is their protector. Next to him is a large stag that stares straight into his eyes. Close to the base of the tree is a pool of dark and mysterious waters.
Call your power animal to join you if you wish while we wait for Snake to come. (pause)
After a short while you hear the birds singing in the trees and watch their movements in the branches. All around you animals snuffle and rustle in the undergrowth at the edge of this glade. Your awareness increases and you notice colourful flowers and lush foliage of types you have never seen before.
There in the clearing stands a straight staff, it wasn’t there when you arrived and instantly your curiosity takes you to it. The staff is skilfully carved with the sinuous body of a snake with bright red glittering eyes; it is truly a snake staff. And when you take the warm wood in your hands you feel protected. The snake staff twists fluidly beneath your touch then points you in the direction of an unseen avenue of Rowan trees, heavily laden with bright red fruit.
The staff twitches with life force and pulls you along. You sense it must be made of Rowan wood as it divines your path and shows you magic secrets. Walking along this bright procession way you feel extremely strong in yourself. Your eyes catch glimpses of the elusive Fae folk moving between the trees and your ears hear their insightful chatter concerning secrets of the vast Otherworld forest. But strangely they don’t seem to see you, undoubtedly a beneficial effect of the magical Rowan wood. You stop briefly, resting against the nearest Rowan and spend a few moments connecting with the energy of Rowan Tree.
You walk on. The tree lined avenue ends abruptly and you stand at the edge of a great glade of very tall green nettles with no discernable pathway across. The staff twitches again and directs you to walk through this large nettle patch. Understandably you hesitate. The Great Lightning Serpent was said to have imbued the nettle with His sting.
The Rowan wood staff reflects a power of vitality and tenacity, prompting you with a clear message ‘not to give up’. You fear the venomous nettle will sting you badly but behind you the tree-lined avenue has closed up as if it had never been. There is now only one way, one choice.
You face your fear, grasp the nettle with the fierce sting, and ask for the aid of the Lighting Serpent to help you pass. You stride through the tall nettles, at first feeling their feared string but then experiencing a warmth and a healing that brings a relief to any pain felt in your body. In the centre of this stinging field is a large stone upon which you sit and spend a few moments with the energy of Nettle.
Nettle teaches the lesson of transmutation. Those spiritual and life experiences which are the most difficult and testing are those that make us grow most.
When you stand up you find the nettles barely reach your knees and you move to the far side of the nettle patch. It is said in old lore that nettles grow in places where there are subterranean passages to the dwelling places of the Earth-Fairies. There is one such entrance before you now. A foreboding and dark opening of a cave and at the cave entrance is a pile of rubies.
You pick up a handful and study the rough gems. Owing to its hot, flaring colour, Ruby was always considered a stone of recovery, which strengthens heart and expels the fear of darkness. As you turn the stones in your hand Ruby tells you that the wisdom of Snake is near. Heartened you put some stones in your pocket and venture cautiously into the dark.
Deeper into the cave, just at the edge of the light, you come across a human sized snake statue blocking your path. One eye glitters red with the faces of a cut gem the other eye is a dark empty socket. Without a second thought you fumble in your pocket and bring out a ruby. It is no match for the cut gem but you push the dull pink rock into the empty socket. The stone statue trembles, tiny pieces of rock fall away to reveal a female form. She gasps for breath, the rock still falling from her scaly skin. You realise you have woken the ancient Snake Goddess, Her old and wizened hand takes the snake staff from yours as you take a step backwards in awe and a little in fear.
She laughs and the red eyes flash in the snake staff bringing light to the cave. Behind her is a throne fashioned from the roots of deep delving trees upon which she sits and then studies you.
“Long have I waited for a being as brave as you to awaken me. So you have returned my staff” she says. “Tell me traveller what is it you seek?”
“I am in search of the wisdom of Snake” you say!
“Snake knows all my mysteries. My magic is of the earth, of self-responsibility and reincarnation. The Earth tides are turning, full of energy that is protective and strong. Take responsibility, balance your fascination with fear and reward your positive traits”.
“Snake can be your guide; your key in your journey’s to the Underworld. Let snake teach you the power of change, to let go of your old skin and return renewed, the power of regeneration and the cycle of eternal life. The twin energy of the snake rises from the Earth to empower deep healing and self awareness.”
“Come Great Lightning Snake” she says. And as she speaks an enormous snake emerges from the darkness and moves towards you. Slow waves of muscular power flow down the length of the snake as its belly grips the Earth and it powers towards you. It’s great tongue flashes as it smells the air and you. In the dim light, its scales of white and black glisten, and the tell-tale zigzag of lightning flashes along its back. Its eyes are dark and two horns rise from its crown.
It moves close, tasting you in the process, and comes to rest to your side. Its eyes dart from you to its back. You climb on its back and together you glide across the ground out of the cave and into the woods once more. As you travel, you feel Snake beneath you and spend time with the energy of Snake. (pause)
Snake brings you back to the glade of the Great Tree. It is time to return now. You thank Snake spirit and give your thanks your animal companion if you called them. Go to the foot of the tree, slip carefully between the roots and begin the long climb upwards. Up we go, using hands and feet to climb the long stair back to the Middleworld trunk of the Great Tree. Eventually you arrive back at the fissure and step out into your place of power. Spend a short time here to get your bearings and feel the peace and safety inherent in this magical place. Now remember your word or your gesture and come back to this room.
Journeys in Otherworlds 