A Carnelian Fire Meditation

PREPARATION

As preparation - apart from planning a time when you won't be disturbed, it would be lovely if you have:


* a Carnelian (Alternatives are Citrine, Fire Agate or Orange Calcite)


* a comfy place where you'll sit undisturbed and safe for as long as you need (around half an hour would be great)


* a compass/or knowledge of where south is in the place you'll be meditating


* a notebook and pen for making notes of your experience


* a print out of the med to read through before you start

If you wish, start by casting a circle in your usual way around the area you’ll be working in.

Place the Carnelian crystal at the South of your circle. Alternatively, you could hold the crystal/item – try it and see what works for you.

You may also wish to light a candle that can burn safely while you meditate, and have that in the South too. I associate the colour red with Fire and the South – but go with what makes sense to you.

Sit in the middle of your circle facing South (preferably on a cushion or chair if you need back support, to avoid physical distraction from your meditation). Settle yourself into a comfortable position and read through the meditation to familiarise yourself with it.

THE MEDITATION

Sitting comfortably, facing South. Close your eyes and shift into a meditative state in your preferred way.

Imagine that there is a semi-circle on the floor that spans around you from West to East, your right side round behind you to your left. Visualise it as a dark line on the floor. Gradually visualise that arc rising over you, shrouding you in darkness, rising as a dome that covers you in a protective shell. It passes behind you, over you and slowly down in front of you until it gently touches the floor in front of you and you are completely contained within a darken dome.

Settle yourself into this safe stillness. Accept the silence and solitude. Focus again on your breathing, with each breath inhale tranquillity and exhale tension.

Slowly you sense heat building around you and light rising in front of you. The Sun is starting his ascent for a new day in your life. The light starts to fill you with warmth and anticipation.

Beneath you, the Earth responds to the sun’s presence and conducts heat to your body. You sense heat building from the Earth below you – it is a sensual heat that caresses you and awakens you. The heat rises, and suddenly a spark ignites within in you – lighting your inner fire. Visualise it as a glowing coal that sits below your belly that compels you to stare into it.

Your inner fire holds the power of your will; your creative ability and sexual expression. It sparks your anger, your fear and your ability to take action. Enjoy the heat without fear of being burnt. Stay a while, gazing at your inner fire and how it burns. How bright is it? What fuels it?

Your attention moves on as you hear the rhythmical, metallic beat of an anvil and hammer, and you gain vision of a blacksmith at his forge. You approach to watch him at work. It reminds you of your own creative ability.

He’s making a sword of power, and it is a gift for you. Watch as he shapes and forms the metal, seeing it glow red as he takes it from the fire and transforms it from a rod to a powerful tool. What does this sword mean to you? Feel the anticipation of waiting for it to be ready. What power do you wish to weald with it?

When the sword is ready, accept it as a gift to take with you. Study your sword, its texture, shape, decoration and the scabbard that will hold it safe. Know its purpose. How does it feel to hold it? Your sword remains with you as you settle back into your physical being and return your inner gaze to the horizon in front of you and the light that surrounds you.

When you are ready, visualise the dome rising over you, slowly adjusting you to your everyday surroundings. Return to thoughts to your breathing, and slowly come back to normal consciousness.

Preparation for Meditation

Here's what I've been taught/absorbed about preparing for meditation/visualisation. I don't profess to be a guru on this, so please add or question anything.

I think of the meditation as having three stages.
1. You relax, ground, centre yourself and go into the meditation.
2. The meditation takes place.
3. You close yourself down, ground and centre yourself and return to normal consciousness.

Here I'm hoping to share my way for stage 1 and 3. It's a way of looking after yourself and getting in the right 'space' for each time you do a med.

Firstly, work out where you'll be. A quiet place where you can relax and be undisturbed for around half an hour is best. Make sure it's a comfy and safe place to sit or lie, so you can relax your muscles and mind, and open up to the experience with ease. So, here’s a fairly thorough method for stages one and three. I sometimes find I'm in the right place to slip into meditation without being so detailed.

It can also be helpful to have a special crystal that you hold while meditating. It can become a familiar touchstone that energetically connects you to the right state of consciousness. Clear Quartz would be a good starting choice.

Stage One -Get comfortable and settle yourself into a position where you can relax and not be distracted by any physical discomfort or irritation. Take 3 gentle, slow breaths, visualising that you are breathing in calm blue and exhaling darkness – releasing stress, anxiety and worldly cares. For the next 7 breaths, draw energy from the Earth below you. Visualise the energy rising up your central column, going higher with each breath.

With the 1st breath, the energy reaches your hips where it glows red and you feel grounded. The 2nd breath stops below your belly button, where it glows orange and you feel a warm sense of security. The 3rd rises up to your diaphragm, glows yellow and gives you a sense of self-confidence. The 4th reaches your heart area, where it radiates green and pink energy, and fills you with unconditional love. The 5th comes up to your throat, shines turquoise. Swallow/cough, then relax your throat, and feel a sense of creative ease and personal freedom of expression.

With the 6th breath, the energy rises all the way up to your Third Eye, resting above your nose and in between your eyebrows. It places an oval sapphire stone on your Third Eye which you can almost imagine you feel against your skin. Visualise the stone, its deep blue colour and cut facets, then see it open up like a music box, and unfold like an origami flower. You have opened up your inner eye and intuitive ability.

The 7th breath brings the energy all the way up to your crown, bringing a purple cap to your head. It gives you a sense of cohesion and understanding. As you exhale this last breath – imagine pure white light gently hovering over you, offering you healing and protective energy. The light sprinkles down over you in a spiral creating a sacred circle around you. You remain centred and connected to the light through the meditation.

Stage 3 – When the meditation or visualisation is complete, slowly become aware of your breathing again. Close your circle by thanking and bidding farewell to the light, imagining it spiral back around you and recoil back into its source. Draw the energy and your consciousness back into your physical body. Then, starting at your crown and working back down, close down your chakras by imagining each one in turn as an aperture like an old camera lens, with overlapping plates that spiral inward together.

So firstly you’ll imagine the purple ray at the top of your head and visualise the camera lens closing shut as you take the first breath in. Don’t completely or tightly shut it, leave it relaxed and safe. As you exhale, move down to the next chakra, closing it when you inhale again. Here they are in turn:- Third Eye – deep blue Throat – turquoise Heart – pink and green Solar Plexus – yellow Sacral/Navel – orange Base/Root – red After you’ve reached the base, visualise roots slowly reaching down into the Earth below you, and branching out into the soil. Connect back to the place you are resting and slowly bring your consciousness more into the physical world. Wiggle your toes, shift your position a little. When you’re ready, open your eyes.

It’s a good idea to have a small drink and snack.

For more information about the Charkas, click here :)