Higher Ground

ל' כסלו תשס"ט
Grael 1

In response to one of my dreams last night, the thirty-first shaman stone in my Temple Collection corresponds to the spirit of The Kindred. The Kindred are spiritual allies and coworkers, guides to the inner mysteries, teachers of ancient ways, ancestors of both blood and soul, and guardians of the way. Kindred beings aid the witch in shamanic work, to help maintain balance between the spiritual and the physical, and act as supports toward spiritual evolution.

Designated as the shaman stone for The Kindred is the Stone of Truth, a rich royal blue marbled, deeply veined natural specimen of sodalite, a gemstone formed in the heart of the earth. Nearly as old as the earth itself, sodalite is associated with fellowship, secrets of the ancestors, truth and wisdom, communication, balance between rational and intuitive modes of thinking, objectivity and detachment, peace and harmony, the planet Mercury, endurance, and healing. Sodalite also enhances creativity and self-expression, calms emotion, eliminates confusion to create clarity, and facilitates spiritual progression.

The white calcite veins which run through sodalite enhances the ability to meditatively center. The quality of double refraction found in calcite 'doubles the power' of any rite, ritual or spell. Kabbalistically, the white calcite vein corresponds to 'double portions' and to the rectified mystical power of the gid hanasheh.

The Kindred divination card of Witchcraft depicts the forms of four faerie beings (two by two) who come as spirit guides. Following connections, the ancient text of Ireland Annals of the Four Masters is linked through the Elder tree [see Elder Staff, Faerie Door and Gate 9 3/4] with the ogham letter tinne whose celestial current pertains to the concept of Mastery.