Rowan
By Blayze

Sink your awareness down into the earth. Become aware of your breathing. Enter a trance state (using usual breathing techniques…)

You find yourself standing at the foot of a large hill - all around you is darkness pierced only by the brilliant light of the stars… twinkling like jewels embroidered into the velvet cloak of the night sky above you.

By the light of the stars you can see that a path winds in a spiral about the hill. You move to the left and begin to walk along the path - ever twisting and spiralling to the left. You begin to feel the ground slope beneath your feet as you slowly walk the spiral path. Your awareness shifts with each turn as you sink deeper and deeper into trance.

You are aware moonlight growing brighter as you near the summit of the hill and you realise that the moon is rising to hang just above the hill itself. 

Bathed in the moonlight is a tall, ancient stone that stands in the centre of a flat plateau. The spiral path winds ever towards the stone in the centre, one half of which is in shadow, the other illuminated by the silver light of the moon.

Gradually you find yourself walking in a ever tightening spiral as you move closer and closer to the stone… always and ever moving to the left. At last you come face to face to with the towering and ancient weathered rock. By the light of the moon you see that there is an image carved upon its surface… A straight line runs from an inverted V at the base to the top of the stone. Halfway up the line you see two horizontal lines extending to the right. This is the Ogham Luis - the Rowan carved into the single upthrust spur of living rock.

You feel the power awakening in the stone and sigil as the moon continues to rise. The Ogham stave glows and you run your hand along its length. You feel the energy tingle through you from the tips of your fingers to your feet upon the earth. Suddenly everything shifts and you find that you have passed through the stone into another realm. Mist envelopes you and you experience a moment of disorientation, but you can now feel the stone standing at your back. 

The mist begins to shred away and you find yourself standing on the side of a mountain track in the early dawn. Crags and cliffs tower above you and you can make out the the track as it spirals around the mountain to the left. The standing stone behind you marks the beginning of the trail. In the weak dawn light you can just make out trees that sparsely dot the mountainside… flashes of green and clumps of firey red amongst the foliage. You look down at the path itself and you see that is made of loose stones and flint. These are in many different shapes and sizes. As you begin to walk up the mountain, look for a piece of flint upon the ground… one that would make a good spearhead. A piece that is strong and that you’ll be able to shape into a leaf point.

When you find your piece of flint pick it up and take it with you as you continue to walk along the mountain path. As you move around the other side of the mountain you come to a flat area as the path widens out. Basically you are on a very large ledge which forms a lookout. The sun is rising now but the view in the distance is obscured by mist. Sit down upon the ground and begin to shape your spearhead using as tools, the small rocks and outcroppings that you find surrounding you. 

Make the spearhead as sharp, and as polished as you can. When you are done, stand up and continue to walk up the mountain path. You see that the path is now bordered by tall trees. The bark is dark gray shading to brown… pitted with pockmarks. The leaves grow in pairs from a central stem. They have forward pointing serrations and become smaller as they reach the tip of the stem. The leaves mirror the shape of your spear point. Bunches of Red and Orange berries hang from the branches. As you walk between the trees… still climbing up the mountain, you feel the energies of the trees around you. You feel the magic radiating from them and you feel incredibly protected.

With your sharpened spear head, begin to cut small branches and twigs laden with berries from the trees as you pass, thanking them as you do so. Bundle them in your arms to carry. Be on the lookout for one long straight branch to use as the haft of your spear. 

Still carrying your Rowan twigs, branches and berries, you reach the summit of the mountain.

The sun is higher in the sky now but still appears to be below the mountain peak.

You see that on the summit of the mountain there are three low rocks aranged in a triangle. A little way away from them is an old fire pit surrounded by ancient soot blackened stones. With some of the twigs lay a sacred fire using the rowan leaves as tinder and your spear head to create the sparks. Keep the remaining branches to use later. You can always cut more from the surrounding trees.

When the fire has caught use the spear tip to shape the haft of your spear from the long branch that you have selected. Feel the smoke and warmth of the fire lulling and protecting you. Look into the fire and smoke for images of sigils to be placed upon your spear.

Crush the berries and use them to paint the designs upon the haft and upon the spear head. 

Cut some of your hair with the spear tip and use it to weave a cord. 

Use the cord to attach the spear head to the haft.

Now with the remaining branches weave yourself a mat of Rowan. Big enough and strong enough for you to stand upon. Place this woven platform atop the three rocks near the fire pit.

Take off your clothes if you are wearing any. 

Mark yourself with any remaining rowan berries. Feel the magic radiating within you and around you…

Holding your spear, climb upon the Rowan platform and bask in the light of the Sun which is now overhead. Touch the speartip to each eyelid and then draw in the sky the ogham of Luis - The Rowan. See the sigil glow in the sunlight and thrust the spear up above your head.

You see a figure walk out of the Sun and come to stand before your platform.

Lugh Samildinach, Shining One… 
Master of Warriors, Master of Magic, Master of All Crafts… 
Lugh of The Long Hand… weilder of the mighty Spear Gae Assail …
I welcome thee from the mountain where the rowan grows high. 

The Lord Lugh stands before you.

Present him with your spear and ask Him for his blessing.

Lugh touches your third eye with the tip of the spear… You receive an insight into your magical nature as you stand naked before the Shining Presence of Lugh.

Gradually the images and feelings fade…. But the insight remains.

Thank Lugh for his gift and for his presence.

He may or may not return the spear to you.

Farewell Lugh.

Climb down from the platform and put on your clothes.
Make sure the area is clean and tidy, but the platform can remain.

Begin to walk down the mountain path moving ever towards the right. As you walk the sun begins to sink lower in the sky. 

You see ahead of you on the path the standing stone. As the last rays of the sun fade into the west you see that a spiral is carved into its surface.

Move to the stone and begin to trace the spiral as it twists to the right. You become aware of mist forming around you once more and again a feeling of disorientation. 

As the mist begins to clear you find that you are once again standing upon the hillside under the fading light of the setting moon. By the light of the stars you begin to walk the spiral path out from the centre, ever moving to the right. You begin to feel the path sloping downwards as you tread the spiral path around the hill. As you walk you feel yourself becoming heavier and heavier, you begin to be aware of other sounds…. Slowly you reach the bottom of the hill and sit at its base. You become aware of the feel of your body, the shape of your skin and your breath. You feel the blood flowing through your veins . You become aware of the sounds around you… 

When you are back… open your eyes.