deborah fay

Ramblings of a Wild Magician

musings + adventures along the path…..

Hello Friends!

My stars, riding on wings of change, hope, liberation, creative inspiration, spirit murmurings, nature messages…. and so much on and in my mind that wants a home. Feels like it needs a dedicated space to nest- right here. 

For you who have read my creative writings, or personal sharings that have been sent to you over the years, they will continue on now under this Ramblings page. They may also include poetry, videos, photography….whatever is coming down from the muse. So many of the experiences lately seem to be not just for me, but for all of us and I’d like to put them out for you.

And so, on we go, soul kin + kith!

On Rhamanta: A Sin Eaters Guide to Signs + Messages

Today begins the adventure with a technique I came across in a book I’m devouring, Walking with the Sin Eater: A Celtic Pilgrimage on the Dragon Path by Ross Heaven. I ran across this chronicle online and got chills when I read the title, and that was enough for me to know to order it. I’d not heard of the author before and didn’t think I needed yet another shaman book, but there you have it. To listen to the deeper voice is an ongoing practice.

He speaks of the practice of Rhamanta, the “ancient Celtic practice of taking guidance from nature”:

“..relies on our surrender to chance and destiny. It in its simplest form, it means holding a question in mind and walking out into the fields and forests with a desire only to be led by the whispers of spirit. The flight of birds across a valley, the play of sunlight on leaves, or even a gust of wind might then become significant and provide the answers we are looking for, since …’nature is the visible face of spirit: a way of connecting with intelligent forces who know far more than we do’.”

He suggests, as his mentor in the book, Adam, did, to do a moving meditation with deep, slow breathing, slow steps and letting the eyes go soft and on the ground, with awareness in the belly, like you are being pulled by the land, so as to not feel as if you are guiding yourself.

He further suggests looking for three signs, or “allowing them to find us”. We can then check the information each against the other and then bring them all together to reveal a final answer.

I’ve done many kinds of divination over the years, but the idea of weaving the signs together this way was new and I wanted to give it a try. So on my walk around the town greene I did a modified version. I was walking alert and asking my question when almost immediately nature began to nudge me. You know how it feels when someone is reaching out to you to get your attention? Like that. A sound makes you stop to listen more carefully, or an object stands out in stark relief, or like it is glowing or willing you to notice it. 

I had this happen three times during the course of my walk and then as if to underscore it all, a fourth that catches my attention and breath, causing me to stop in my tracks and listen with joy. In the words of my dear friend and Irish author, Grace Clunie:

“The wild Goose was a symbol of ‘Spirit presence’ for Celtic Christians. The symbol is about the strange cry of the Goose as it flies- usually ‘appearing out of the blue’ and startling the hearer- it’s an eerie unearthly sound. In the same way Spirit comes to us often unexpectedly, startling us, waking us up our to our mediocrity. Helping us to see the miracles in the mundane. “

So while I won’t go into my question itself, I did feel that 2 of the signs were meant to give you today:

Sign #1

The images above of the heart shaped impression on the sidewalk is one that instructs us to “walk a path of heart to be fulfilled and on course.” Whatever that means to you. For me, it is to be true to oneself, yes, and to come from a deeper place in these days, of the heart, rather than merely the intellect or mind. It is about living more deeply and taking our challenges to that place for guidance, which can be difficult when we don’t necessarily want to be in that gracious space….but yet it is the one we are all being invited to center ourselves in and from….I also think it relates to how “the heart of America is getting a chance to grow with the new President.”

Sign # 2

The Canada Hemlock

The two of them photographed felt like a gateway, portal to another awareness for sure. But there is also some lovely magic I learned about them while researching:

https://druidgarden.wordpress.com/tag/hemlock-tree-meaning/

“Hemlocks as a means of warmth and heat
Hemlock as an aid to magical transformation
Hemlock magically growing from a needle and offering aid”

https://treespiritwisdom.com/tree-spirit-wisdom/hemlock-tree-symbolism/

“Message: This is a time of change and movement. By approaching change with grace, we allow life to unfold before us without fear or anxiety. This may indicate that moving or travel is necessary to help gain a new perspective on a current situation. This is also a time to focus on long-term planning and visioning as you go with the flow in the present.

Challenge: Rigidity and inability to relax. Trying to control what is happening now and feeling ineffectual. Work with hemlock to loosen up and flow with more grace and ease.”

How spot on is this?

When I gathered all the messages / signs together, I did find they came together in a way I could pull from and not only was it reassuring, but meaningful. I had not encountered Hemlock on this level before, in fact how many times had I looped around the greene not having paid these two any mind?! Today when I saw them I greeted them and went over to visit for a bit. 

So there you have it. If you have yet to open to this dimension of relationship with nature I encourage you to give it a try, even if you ask a more general question like, “Do you have a message for me today?” And see what happens.

See you soon for another Rambling….

To our wild magic lives,
Deborah Fay

www.deborah-fay.com
deborahfay6@gmail.com