Unconventional exploration

As I promised [Threatened?- Ed.], so I shall deliver.

Shamanic journeys. Now, it turns out, from reading the Paul Francis book, that I have essentially been doing shamanic journeys when I have been sitting with trees. I have hollowed out - got rid of the "selfish shit", as Boreas dictated, and used my right brain and imagination to access the collective unconscious, or the shamanic lower-world realm, or my own inner wisdom, or whatever. I have known when it felt real and when it felt forced or made up.

So, I followed the exercises in the book and have so far had three successful journeys.

In one, I was in a meadow and there was a huge tree. The meadow was in midsummer flower, but the tree had no leaves. It was not dead, it was waiting. It was an elm tree, apparently, and was waiting for the time when elms could safely grow. Afterwards, I researched elm (this is when the left brain gets involved. Now, I recalled that I had once taken the Bach elm remedy... that was about feeling overwhelmed and needing strength and support. I have also taken slippery elm to aid digestion. Elm is also good for sore throats... synchronistically, I got a cold with a sore throat the day after this. And, there is a saying about elm: "Elm hateth man and waiteth." The trees are associated with death, maybe as branches fall unexpectedly and maybe because they used elm for coffins. This tree in my journey didn't hate me, but it hated the state of the world.

Then I went to explore the flowers and I came across something that looked like a red buttercup but with less shiny petals. Heartsease came into my mind - but they are nothing like the flowers I saw. The flower smelt and tasted of wild strawberry. There are red buttercups... but, I'm not sure... though strangely, in the meadow there was a frog and the name for buttercup, Rununculus, means little frog.

In the second one, I was to go to a place where I feel safe and see a hole and enter it. I'd been thinking of Aeolus, but that very day, Bobbit went into the rat hole. So that was my hole. I went through a tunnel and came out into a bluebell wood with a stream in the middle where I met a water vole and we went swimming together. I ate reeds and followed in the slipstream of an otter. I felt the safety and warmth of the hole. No idea why a water vole. I suppose it's like a rat... Nor am a really sure what it means. But the vole's name was Valerian, which is a calming herb used to ease insomnia.

My third journey took me back through the tunnel and this time I was on the steep slopes of a wooded gorge. Like the Pyrenees, maybe. A stag came over. He was very kind. I was to ask for healing and he gave me love. He said that love comes in many colours, like eating and being eaten, being born and dying. He said that love is everything in the animal world and he knows it's hard to understand. He gave me love but said I would not be healed until I could forgive myself.

Apparently, this is the significance of the stag:

The majestic stag is a powerful symbol of strength, courage and power. It is a messenger from the spiritual realm, bringing ancient wisdom and healing energy to those who seek it. With its connection to magical places, the stag totem animal can help unlock your spiritual power and provide guidance on your journey. By exploring its symbolic meaning, you will find new strength, clarity and guidance on life’s path. - https://thespiritualcentre.co.uk/stag

Mine was a red deer. Don't know if that makes any difference.

Right. So. Next quest is meeting my Power Animal.