Minnesota Pagan News & Resources » Jenny Green

Faery Seers in Minneapolis

Jenny Green — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:18:10 +0000

This past weekend here in Minneapolis, several people filed out of their driveways through the snow canyons the streets have become to converge in Uptown to learn to be Faery Seers. One associates faeries with green and growing things, not with the white mounds that mark one of the snowiest winters on record. But like my companions, I was excited to learn about these teachings offered by Orion Foxwood.

I signed myself and my husband up for the course as soon as it was announced last fall. We had just begun the process of forming our first coven after years of working with other groups. With his intensive studies of the Stone Ring peoples and my intuitive work with the Faery, we dedicated the Coven of the Hollow Hills at Mabon. Learning the Faery Teachings was simply acting in accord for us as we began our journey.

As a two day workshop, I expected a certain level of intensity as I immersed myself in the experience. I was not disappointed, as Orion is a charming and informative speaker, he began by telling us a bit about the Faery Seer work as he was taught it. I filled page after page with notes, and we learned some wonderful exercises. His teachings are less about connecting with the little spirits in nature than about the Shining Ones or the Gentry. Tall and majestic they are the faeries of light and enchantment who work with humankind to maintain a balance on earth.

This is considered the first of many Modules to come which would work with the system of the Tree of Enchantment which is in second book. It has been compared to a western kabala with nine keys. I wasn't expecting a Cosmology with this, which is what I get for not reading the book ahead of time. By the end of the first day, I had so much information that I could not process it all.

There were a few points during the day that Orion played some music for us. For me the worst one was the song You Are Loved by Josh Grobin, who really is just a glorified choir boy, and I found the song to be a gross interruption in the teaching. My heart belongs to folk music, both ancient and modern, and it was sad to see this as part of what was supposed to be a folk tradition class. He totally missed the mark with this.

There was some energy work we did, with movements that were kind of like Tai Chi. Working with breath, movement, and intention in a group like that was a quiet blessing, and I wished that the first day had had more of that. We were all very tired by the end of the day.

Sleep came easily and heavily, and the morning found us stopping for some Gatorade and other snacks to keep our juices flowing for Day 2 of the workshop. During the first day we were introduced to working with and seeing ourselves as co walkers. As in the Feri tradition founded by Victor and Cora Anderson, and the Huna tradition by Max Freedom Long, the Faery Seer Tradition has three aspects to their souls called walkers. I won't get into the details of it all, as it is all in the books by Orion Foxwood, this was strange for me work in this way, as I never had a problem slipping into Faery during meditation.

On the way to class the second day I felt a little bit wary, because while I did learn some useful things the first day, it was not at all what I expected. But the second day proved to be delightful, and things were starting to click. Again pages of notes were taken, and an understanding of what a Faery Seer was started to become more clear. It is less about seeing the realm of faery, than about working with it.

At one point we went out into the store and Orion pointed out some books that he recommended. R.J. Stewart is his teacher, mentor, and publisher so naturally all of his books were recommended. For folklore he recommended The Fairy Faith by W.B. Evans-Wentz and Meeting the Other Crowd edited by Eddie Lennihan. No mention of anything by Brian Froud, who is so clearly the greatest Faery Seer of our time. He missed the mark with this as well.

Still, two misses during two full days of workshop is not a bad track record. He works with his Faery Wife which is Brigh, a faery queen, who made her presence known there and bestowed on all of us a blessing at the end. There are some wonderful aspects to the workings we learned. Overall it just didn't feel like the Faery that I know and love, but the techniques will be very useful to me and the Faery Folk that I already work with. Maybe someday I will meet the Queen of my faery troupe, it will be good to do so.

Walking the Labyrinth

Jenny Green — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:01:03 +0000

"The labyrinth is an archetype of transformation. Its transcendant nature knows no boundaries, crossing time and cultures with ease. The labyrinth serves as a bridge from the mundane to the divine. It serves us well." – Kimberly Lowelle Saward, Ph.D., The Labyrinth Society President

Walking a labyrinth takes us on a spiritual journey where we experience release, increase our receptivity and return in the healing presence of our Higher Power. Standing at the entrance of a labyrinth, our eyes trace the path before us, turning back and forth, ever taking us inward to the center.

It is the journey, not the destination, that is the ultimate goal of walking a labyrinth.

With your first step, you begin to leave the world you know behind, seeking to travel through layers of self-exploration. Breath joins with movement as your awareness of the NOW increases, leaving past and future behind. The first turn commits you to shedding your ego, and listening to Spirit as you pause and contemplate your surroundings. What sounds do you hear? How does the earth feel beneath your feet?

Experience each breath as you continue on, open and receptive as you shed another layer of misconceptions, softening your heart to fill with self-love.

Each gentle arch in the path carries you like a river, flowing easily at it's own pace. There is no beginning, no end, only the placement of your feet one in front of the other. With every turn, every pause, every segment of the labyrinth, we discover the unity of the universe. For our life path is that of the labyrinth, ever folding and unfolding, repeating the pattern each time a little differently. It is familiar, and we learn our lessons through the repetition.

By constantly changing directions, we look at our challenges with a new light. Sometimes we walk towards our own shadows, sometimes we walk towards the sun.

Adjusting our orientation as we walk, our breath moves in and out, bringing in new energies and releasing all that does not serve our highest good. Deep into the labyrinth now, our intention becomes experience as this initiation takes place on every level. Body, mind, and spirit unite as we turn towards the center which has appeared before us. Giving thanks for clarity, the sense of wonder increases as we become the center of the labyrinth itself. The curving folds of our whole selves surround us, as we are enfolded in the arms of the joy of life.

Beginning again from the center outward, you may be inspired to leave a trail of joy-crumbs on your return journey.

Sharing the healing and love with your fellow travelers, you know that you’re in the presence of those who have gone before in the NOW. Folding and unfolding, your steps deepen your memory of the moment. Every turn is a new beginning, every entrance becomes an adventure in the discovery of the god/dess within. There are no wrong turns on the path to the center. As you leave the physical presence of the labyrinth, you take the center with you and all its layers.

Focal Point Meditation

Jenny Green — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:49:37 +0000

In a work of art, the center of visual attention is called the focal point, and is often different from the physical center of the work. As an artist, I create my composition to guide your eye to that focal point, as it is the subject or most important aspect of the art piece. One of the most daunting things a painter has to face is a blank canvas. There are so many possibilities that it’s hard to know where to start.

When I decided to begin a daily meditation practice, I was intimidated at the thought of clearing my mind. Being an artist has gifted me with an active imagination, which made the idea of shutting it down completely a seemingly impossible task. If the thought of emptying your mind intimidates you – learn to focus your thoughts on a single subject – your focal point.

Many people find this approach to meditation easy to learn, and the possibilities for personal transformation are endless. By pointing your mind in a single direction, you are practicing mindfulness, which with practice, flows into your daily life. It becomes a habit with repetition, an oasis you can call upon in the midst of a storm.

When I was learning to paint, a mentor of mine told me that nobody gets it right the first time, it’s just a matter of being willing to redo it until it works for you. I applied that knowledge to my goal. Over the past year, I have learned to harness that overactive imagination and channel it into a meditation practice.

Finding Your Focus
Finding your subject can be as easy as lighting a candle, holding a crystal, or writing a word on a slip of paper. Chanting a mantra is a type of focal point meditation. The important thing is to begin with a purpose, and explore that purpose for the best focal point for you. That means narrowing down all the possible focal points to the one that is most meaningful to you personally, for this particular purpose.

They key is to simplify. Maybe what you want from your daily meditation is to feel grounded, so you could use a heavy stone, a bowl of sand, a picture of the earth, or even a houseplant as your focus.

Compose Your Environment
Find a comfortable chair with back support and place your focal object in front of you. Allow all your senses to get involved, play music that reminds you of your subject, or use incense or a scented candle that helps you to relax. These are extra tools to keep your mind on your subject, so make sure that they don’t distract.

Before you Begin the Focal Point Meditation
If there is something in your environment distracting you, get rid of it and return your attention to your focal point. Go ahead and turn off your phone, and close the cats out of the room.

Let Your Subject Speak to You
Once your environment matches your intention, it’s time to start exploring your subject for its importance to you. This how your meditation is like a work of art. Ask yourself how it makes you feel, experience that feeling for as long as you like. If your mind wanders off, use your focal point to bring you back to the present. If it is an object, touch or hold it and allow your inner eye to inspire you again. Allow yourself to just be present with it for as long as you like. You are done whenever you say you are done, this isn't a competition.

Keeping a journal can help you explore what you learn from your meditations, as you record the insights you gain from focusing all your attention on one thing. Just as it takes time and practice to create art, meditation takes the same amount of care and attention. I think of meditation as finding my focal point for the day, and I compose everything else to work along with that, supporting and directing my intention.