Myths and legends are told over centuries so that the torch of wisdom can be carried from one generation to the next. The stories might be imagined but, although names might change, the archetypes generally remain the same. In most tales we meet the initiate, the hero/heroine, the challenger, the friend, the sorcerer, and hopefully a wizard or wise one. Behind these archetypes there are sources of wisdom that call to us, reminding us to awaken to the creative powers that are inherently ours. We might have made a mess of this planet, but the same forces that have been here since the beginning of time are still amongst us and can assist us. It takes some dedicated work and a lot of inner guidance to weave these ancient strands back together again. The illustration here by Belle Crow duCray is of Brighid, meaning "the exalted one" who appears in the last story of Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses. Brighid is one of the most enduring deities, who continues to hold an eternal flame for humanity.

     It might be that everyone and everything is the product of a greater imagination -- and that is good news. Our egos have a hard time believing that anything is greater than we are, but when we align with our True Nature, then we can enjoy the evolutionary unfoldment. Of course we need to change our ways, but what we really need to do is climb on our flying reindeer - or broomsticks - or flying carpets - and ride the new waves. Every night we dream, and every day we awaken back into this reality. Once we discover the essence of our True Nature, then the shackles of limitation fall away, and the essence of life becomes an exciting adventure. 

Learning to enter the mythic imagination takes practice. We can begin by keeping a journal by our beds and recording our dreams. That is a sign to our psyche that we are taking notes of the dreams and visions that are being sent to us. We can take our shoes off and stand on the Earth, and actually feel the living soil beneath us. We can sit with our backs up against a stone or a tree, recognizing that everything is alive, and -- with great respect -- ask to see the world from their perspective. 

         There is a living language of trees called the Ogham. There is some controversy over the age of the language and its authenticity, but it seems to me intuitively that it is a very ancient language. It makes sense to me that the people who lived in forests and had to survive there would understand the trees. The Birch trees would grow first to prepare the soil for the forest that was arising. Even now when we are beginning a new project it is wise to go sit with our backs against a Birch and seek wisdom. Trees do not usually speak, but they can send us a dream or vision. As we age, we might ask an ancient Yew how one generation feeds the next, and then await a dream of eternal life.

         The illustration here by Belle Crow duCray is of Arianrhod, a Welsh deity who appears in Heroines of Avalon & Other Tales. Arianrhod is pure magic, and when we tap into her we might just remember the songs of the stars and how to step into a culture of life.

        I invite you to turn off your phone and take some time in nature. Allow your inner wild child to come forward and just let yourself play in the leaves that are now beginning to turn as the autumn days approach. If you feel called to the Celtic worlds, my books in the Legends of the Grail series contain many visualizations, practices and poems designed to lead you back in time and find the roots that can sustain you even during a great storm. If ever we needed the wisdom traditions it is now.

      It is grand to know that all we seek is never further away than our own heart and soul. We are never alone, and will always be carried throughout space, time and dimension. All we have to do is remember our many friends and allies, and feel the rhythm of our wings.