Path-working - How to Utilise The Power of Meditation

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When you relax your body, it is easier to relax your mind ,to slow down the rapid fire of surface thoughts and contact your inner self. In this state you can unearth your buried feelings and break any unhelpful thought structures that you have created, learn to reject your destructive habit patterns and free yourself to become what you wish to be.

There are many varieties of meditation. Perhaps one of the most accessible types is path-working or creative visualisation. During a path-working, you sit or lie in a relaxed state, while you are taken on a journey in your imagination: a scene is set and, in your mind's eye, you enter-it.

You might walk along a beach, for example, where you can interact with the landscape; feel the wind on your face, wiggle your toes in the sand and experience the cold splash of the waves. You can respond to any characters or animals you meet; a fisherman might speak to you, a dog might want to be patted, a horse might canter along the beach and allow you to mount it, taking you off for a ride These characters could point out useful plants or objects, show you a hidden place or give you gifts. Some would say this is your subconscious speaking to you.

When Andrea joined my group, she was very depressed. I took the members on a path-working through a garden and, while most people imagined pretty gardens in the summer, Andrea's garden was frozen in the depths of winter, lifeless and dead. After several months of personal power work, her garden was starting to blossom in the spring and new life was beginning. People are always shown what they need to see at present. Many occultists would argue that path-working can be a real method of connection with guides, animal powers and spirits. Sometimes such connections will occur spontaneously, but specific visualisations may be used in order to recover past-life experiences. Many people find path-working difficult at the start. Make sure that your body is relaxed and allow yourself to drift into it; don't try too hard. Once you have experienced the pleasant feeling of deep relaxation you will find it easier to achieve it a second time. The next time will be even easier. I have taught path-working meditation for more than 20 years and have never found anyone who was incapable of using the method. The technique the secret garden is the one I always use with people, counting them down into relaxation and walking them down five imaginary steps into the path-working. Some teachers will ask their students to imagine going down an escalator, crossing a rainbow and so on. It doesn't matter, as long as the meditators can relate to the imagery, but I find that it helps if the same method is used every time. The words and images act as an instant mental trigger, so my students know what is coming. After many sessions with someone, all I have to say is 'lie down and relax' and he/she is already in a meditative state. A good path-working is not too detailed. It will take the meditator into a place and situation, then leave them plenty of time to look around and experience what they need at that point in their life. Any path-working that charts each step and image is merely showing you what the author imagines, not what is true for you; this is not meditation.

Write down as much detail as you can remember after a path-working. You will find that some of it fades like a dream. As you progress and continue to record your experiences, you may find that small details which appeared insignificant were, with hindsight, very important. Perhaps a crow appeared in several of your path-working’s and you later identify the crow as your spiritual animal helper.

You might be able to join a local path-working group or a development circle that uses visualisation techniques. Another option is to obtain path-working’s on tape, but you can also choose to make your own recordings of visualisations found in books and magazines. If so, remember to speak very slowly and leave plenty of pauses. If you find creative visualisation difficult (and most of us do at first), another source of inspiration might be Tarot cards with their rich imagery, or perhaps a favourite painting or photograph that holds some significance, might trigger your imagination. Eventually, you'll be able to simply read a path-working, put yourself into a meditative state and take yourself through the experience. Enjoy the journey!

Getting Pampered

Remember, during a path-working a narrator helps you to enter a state of relaxation, then relates an imaginary scene. Afterwards, the guide helps you bring yourself back to waking consciousness. You are not hypnotised ,just deeply relaxed and you can return to waking consciousness at any time. Find a comfortable, warm, quiet space where you won't be disturbed. You might like to lie down on the floor or a bed with a cushion under your head or sit upright in a chair. Lie or sit comfortably, arms and legs uncrossed, and allow all your muscles to relax. Concentrate on your breathing; with each breath you become more and more relaxed. With each outward breath you let go of tensions and problems. Centre your attention on your toes, be fully aware of them and let them relax. Focus on the soles of your feet, feel the tension drain away. Move slowly up your body in the same way: through the tops of your feet to your ankles, shins and calves, knees, thighs, bottom, stomach, spine (feel each separate vertebrae and relax), chest (be aware that your breathing has become slow and rhythmical), shoulders, arms, elbows, hands and fingers, your neck, scalp, face, feel the muscles of your forehead relax, then those around your eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, jaw. Concentrate again on your breathing, with each breath you become more relaxed and go deeper into a warm, pleasant state of relaxation.

The Secret Garden

Relax and walk down the five steps. When you reach the foot of the stairs you find yourself in a beautiful garden. The sun is shining and there's birdsong. A gentle breeze touches your face. Look around, examine the garden. What grows there? Is it a formal garden or wild? Is it summer or winter? Spend a while enjoying your garden. You hear the sound of a stream at the end of the garden and begin to walk towards it. Is the stream fast or slow, clear or muddy? In the stream you find a cup. Pick it up and look at it. Is it large or small? Perhaps it is a teacup or maybe a lovely goblet made of precious metal. Keep the cup, it is a gift to you. You can come to this garden whenever you wish. Beyond it are other places you can go to when you are ready. When ready to return, go to the steps and bring yourself to waking consciousness.

There and back Imagine that you are at the top of a flight of five steps. As you go down one step in turn you will go deeper into relaxation. Notice what the steps are made of, how they feel under your feet.To start, use one of the path-workings given here: with more experience, you may like to create your own.

When you are ready to return, walk back the way you came to the flight of five steps. As you ascend each step you become more awake, more conscious of your body and surroundings, until you are completely awake Slowly open your eyes and stretch. You may be surprised at how long you spent in your meditative state. What seemed like 10 minutes may have turned out to be an hour in real time.During meditation, time and space become irrelevant. As soon as possible, write down what you experienced during your meditation, including as many details as possible.

The Wild Stag

Relax. Go down your five steps. Walk through the garden to its wild edges. You find yourself in a deep, dark forest walking along the animal tracks. You catch sight of a white stag grazing. It is a beautiful beast with branching antlers, each bearing seven points. You watch this magical animal in awe from a distance. Suddenly, the stag seems to sense your presence and with a quick movement lifts its head. Its eyes look straight into yours fora moment before it begins to run from you, deeper into the forest.

You realise that this is a challenge for you to follow it and keep up if you can. As you run through the forest, you see other animals that you know are aspects of yourself. The stag remains a little ahead of you. Eventually, you both reach the centre of a clearing. You are panting and breathless, but the stag seems unaffected. It is waiting for you, and you go forward to meet it. It seems to invite you to touch it, to embrace it and you do. You melt into each other, and you know that the stag is the wild part of yourself that you have been seeking, the part that is free and untamed, connected with the natural world. On your brow are antlers, which branch upwards and connect you with the higher powers. You glow white and pure and realise what you can be. You begin to run through the forest with new power, you have the strength and senses of the stag. You can see and sense much more.

You have energy and a sense of great freedom, you revel in your own strength and swiftness. You can go wherever you will. After a while, you come to a stream and pause to drink. The water is fresh and pure. You see your stag reflection. You walk into the stream to bathe. As you wade back to the bank you find that you are walking on your own two feet and helping yourself up with your own two hands. The horns on your brow have gone, but you can still feel where they have been. The strength and the power of the stag seem to remain with you. Thank the stag. Let the scene fade around you and bring yourself back to waking consciousness.

Building your Astral Temple

Relax. Enter your secret garden. You hear the sound of a stream at the extremity of the garden. Walk towards it. When you reach it, walk along the bank for a while. Eventually you come to a bridge. Note what it is made of and, when ready, cross it. On the other side you are in a meadow. In the centre of this you can see a building that you know to be a temple. Go towards it. There are seven steps leading up to a door in the building. Before you ascend them, examine the building itself.

When you have walked all the way around it, ascend the seven steps. You notice that each is a different colour - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and white. Open the door and go inside. You find yourself in a room, in the centre of which stands an altar. Are there any objects in the room or on the altar? This is your very own special temple, and you can visit it as often as you like. When you are ready to return, walk back down the seven coloured steps. Allow the scene to fade around you and bring yourself back to waking consciousness.

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