Parting the Mists

It looks like my one week off became a bit extended, didn’t it? Well, to those in the United States, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Today I’d like to discuss what is for me another major component of the Avalonian tradition: healing. As discussed here in August, this path is clearly a mystery tradition. But it is a mystery tradition that has always been focused on healing.

Many other Avalonian groups do focus on this. Jhenah Telyndru’s book Avalon Within is an indepth plan for self-healing and self-awareness. Many other books and groups also incorporate healing the self as preparation for the work of a priest or priestess. However, not much is talked about healing beyond that.

Going back to that August 9 post, let’s look again at the words of teacher and author Mara Freeman:

“The goal of the Mysteries is the conscious realization of the self as connected with all beings, visible and invisible, on the great Tree of Life, and ultimately with the Divine Source. From this realization comes the power to mediate spiritual energies into the physical world for healing, both personal and planetary.”

The stories of Arthur and Avalon make it clear that healing is an important aspect of the Isle. First, Arthur is taken to Avalon to be healed. It is up to the individual reader to determine whether the wounds being healed are physical or spiritual (though I lean toward the latter since Arthur is mortally wounded. Further, Morgan is described as skilled in healing arts. And a key quest to many of the Arthurian romances is the healing of the Wasteland by healing the wounds of the Fisher King.

Based on all of this, I believe there are three key categories of healing:

• Healing the self
• Healing others
• Healing the Wasteland

I truly believe this is best done as a progression. Healing the self is key to having the strength of mind, body, and spirit to accomplish the other two. And healing other people in your community — whether helping them become physically fit, spiritually grounded, or aware and educated about important issues — makes the quest of healing the Wasteland much more attainable.

Healing is an extensive subject, so we will spending the next several weeks focusing on this progression of healing and a few techniques for doing each.

Bright blessings!

Thistle

© 2011 PJ Graham