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The Shedding Rite...
“ For one to even possibly see clearly, one must clear the fog before his eyes! “
“ A journey awaits all who seek. “
“ To ponder this life, seek the next life. “
“ Reality is not all that it seems. Not all is visible to thine eyes! “
-Dragon's Eye
It can be said that one often does not see THE reality, until he wishes to see it! An age-old proverb that still bears meaning today. We go on with our daily lives perceiving only the reality that we were “taught” from cradle to grave. When we are young, we are told, authoritatively, what is real and what is not. Even during our times as children, we are told over and over again what is reality and was is factual. Those who refuse to accept that answer are often labeled as “crazy” or delusional. Ours is a world that emphatically defines reality based on what we can see, hear, touch, smell, and is “proven” by science and academia. We are told that this is reality, so deal with it as such. It is at these young times, where we as children, have the natural urge to explore and seek that which comes to our minds, barring established “norms”. It is at these formative years, that we are told to live “reality” and that our pursuits are in vain attempts at “idealism” and “fantasy”. We are forced to bind ourselves to the “reality” and ignore the other Reality. This is the realm of the “imprisoned mind”, where we create, for ourselves, our OWN prison or “slavery”. A man's mind is the least-understood prison in any human-society. We become prisoners of our own “conscience”, our feelings ( good and bad ), and especially our past experiences!
For those who are beginning to feel the mental prison become weak, unstable, or just plain wrong, you want to find answers as to what is right! There are folks who are beginning, if not already happened, to awaken to a new sense of reality. Some may even call it a “spiritual awakening”. If you have already read my “Echoes of the Past” essay, you will understand what I am saying, and where I am going with this page. I have spent a great deal of energy and mental effort in coming to terms of where my experience has taken me so far. The only problem, beforehand, was that I needed to start somewhere in my life by making some much-needed changes. Things I needed to change were things like how I thought, what I thought about, what was most important to me, and what my perception of reality was. Before I could go anywhere towards my spiritual journey and self-discovery, I needed to change!
The best way, and probably the only way I found for myself, to begin to prepare yourself for the beginnings of your spiritual journey, or quest if you will, is that you will need to free yourself from the emotional baggage of the past. This “baggage”, as I think is appropriate to call it, is what “weighs” you down and keeps you from truly freeing your spiritual mind. Your mind can be become cluttered with the “debris” of past unpleasantries and pain. We all have memories that we are not too fond of. We all carry a certain amount of hard feelings for those things and events that happened to us, or even those that we created or acted upon not in our own best interests. There is nothing wrong with innocently making mistakes in life that didn't seriously hurt, maim, or kill someone if they were to provide a valuable lesson to us about how to do things better next time. Experience is the best life-teacher for those who are willing to learn from their mistakes and errors in judgment. At some time, though, you will need to just let go of the emotional pangs and pains. This is why I call this process the “shedding” of one's baggage. Reminds me of a young dragon shedding his old skin and having a new “coat” of scales ready to be seen by the world, and enjoy the new feel of being a maturing dragon!
The first thing is always to get yourself comfortable, whether it is a change of scenery ( like I went to the nearby foothills to be closer to nature, away from “civilization” ), or with whatever supportive friends or companions you would like to have present. This may also depend on if you feel that your situation can be safely done around trusted folks or you need to isolate yourself temporarily. I chose to go it alone and away from any people because I wasn't sure if my release would become of a violent nature or a peaceful transistion.
Once you have found the right place and the right circumstances, you will want to relax and begin the process of meditation. If you are trying to explore your “otherkin” spirit, you may or may not have a particular image of a deity or “spirit guide” to contemplate on. If this is the case, go ahead and call out to him/her/them ( by name if you know it/them ). Do so as much as you need to until you feel that they are listening to you ( as always, be polite and respectful and honest ).
It is then that you begin to declare your affinity, allegiance, or whatever of similar fashion, to he/she/them and that you wish to re-dedicate yourself to learning about them and your connection to them. Here is where you “give” them your desire to free yourself from the emotional distresses and hard feelings of the past. If it is religious doctrine that you feel is holding you back, disavow, denounce, and forever discharge any bindings to that doctrine.
Once you feel the waves of emotion begin to cease and your mind beginning to clear, here is where you can declare your absolute freedom of conscience, mind, body, and soul. You will want to make your declarations as serious and truthful as you can. You can not fool any of the spirits as they can see through any facade you may be putting up. The spirit worlds are very transparent and the spirits themselves at those levels also! You have to WANT to be free in order to BE free!
An example of my rite is as follows:
“ Oh mighty Dragons of the East, of the South, of the West, and of the North,
Oh mighty God and Goddess of Dragons past, present, and future,
Please hear my call, please grant me peace, please grant me happiness,
Please show me your love, your wisdom, your compassion,
Please lend me your strength, heal my wounds, heal my soul,
I beseech thee, please accept me to the Family of Dragons,
Please accept me as a Child of the Dragons and guide me to become,
The most beautiful Dragon that I can be!
Please receive my love and devotion upon all of you,
As one of your own, I wish to become, once again,
A fine member and accepted by: the Family of Dragons! ”
This was what I used as I am a Child of the Dragons, a Dragon in a former life.
Your experience during the transformation process may vary from mine. I received so much energy and so much love only moments later that I enjoyed the greatest spiritual uplifting “high” that I will never, ever forget! All of this happened without any chemical “drugs”, substances, or any exhausting workouts and what have you. My experience was so total that I felt the very energies coursing through my veins and throughout my entire body. I felt so alive and at peace, a feeling I NEVER had like this before! The Great Dragons came into my life and literally “bathed” me in their loving light! I will always treasure that experience and seek more like it. So much for the stories of how evil and malevolent Dragons are. Phooey! The REAL Dragons are kind, compassionate, and loving as if from their own families. They have most definitely proven this to me, even though the “churches” of today will always say differently!
As always, once you are done with the main part of your ritual ( and any ritual for that fact ), thank and bless the spirits that were there to help you! They would appreciate you showing your appreciation to them. They are now your family ( or you have reunited with, anyway ). They deserve the respect due them. You may have even opened the door to friendships and companionships along the way. If you are lucky enough to meet a companion or guardian this early in the process, you are very lucky to say the least. Some don't get to meet their companion(s) until much later in their spiritual development. Take good care of these relationships as they will become very important as you progress on your spiritual journey!
When you are done and ready to return to “civilization”, always remember that your dedication ritual was only a first step! You still have to work at it for it become something beautiful! No effort = no results. Believe in yourself and come to know that your “new” self can become a rewarding experience on which to build from. You may even feel totally different from your “old” self. If others recognize the positive changes, it is a sign that your are on your way to a “new” life because you have taken the first steps to freeing your mind to explore what is REALLY out there. If your associates like the changes they see, always thank them for their encouragement. If they ask, just tell them you have found a new way at looking at life. ( It's not a lie because you HAVE found a new way at looking at life! ) You don't have to share your experience with anyone you are not comfortable with, or even with anyone at all! You will know that you are happier with your choice and that you are now spiritually and mentally free to pursue your journey!
Dragon's Eye
( Athauliz "FireStorm" )
" Ni sa Drooge, ta'kayel! "
( I am Dragon, for moons unending! )
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