Diadem Day 6: Inner vision

I dwell in Possibility—
A fairer House than Prose—
More numerous of Windows—
Superior—for Doors—
Of Chambers as the Cedars—
Impregnable of Eye—
And for an Everlasting Roof—
The Gambrels of the Sky—
Of Visitors—the fairest—
For Occupation—This—
The spreading wide of narrow Hands
To gather Paradise—

Emily Dickinson

Poets like Emily Dickinson have entered the world of possibility and imagination. And you can, too, by exploring the 6th chakra, located between your brows. This is thought to be the center of illumination, the gateway to wisdom, the homeland of intuition, dreams, and visions. Even if you hadn’t heard of the chakra system before, you may have heard about the “third eye” or seen it in depictions of Buddhist and Hindu deities.

The name for this chakra, ajna, means both “to perceive” and “to command.” By learning how to focus the light of consciousness, you can see into the subtler realms of energy and spirit. By tuning into imagination, dreams, and intuition, you can explore your life purpose and goals and shape your future.

As a physical practice today, try palming your eyes. Rub your palms together briskly until you feel your hands become warm. When the heat feels sufficient, place your warmed palms over your eyelids, press gently, and let your eyes bask in the warmth and darkness. After the heat dissipates, you can repeat this, or give your temples and forehead a mini massage.

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For today:

1. Dharana: Concentration with your mind’s eye. This exercise is from Om: A Guide to Meditation and Inner Tranquility by Frank MacHovec (Peter Pauper Press, 1975). You become better at this visualization with practice, as with any meditative method.
   
   “Dharana is knowing, fully knowing. Dharana is one-pointed concentration. It is undistracted, intense involvement with something, putting it in extremely fine focus, being totally occupied with it….”
   
   “The ancients used flowers or fruits to develop dharana. It’s interesting to note that the world’s artists do much the same thing trying to bring to life flowers and fruits in a still-life painting. You can do the same with the oils and canvas of your mind. An apple, orange, banana, or pear will do nicely. Concentrate on it. Touch it, study it closely. Use your sharpened senses. Then close your eyes and duplicate the fruit in your mind as clearly as if your eyes were open and you were looking at it. Make it equally real with or without your eyes being focused on it. As a close to this part of the meditation, experience the fruit by eating it. But eat slowly, savoring it. ”
2. Color. This is the chakra where you get to play with color! Dress colorfully to stimulate your seeing. Take yourself to places that are visually stimulating, pleasing to the eye, or inspiring. Go to your LYS for a color-play day. *Anodea Judith says, “The seven colors associated with the rainbow have become associated with the seven chakras. This is a modern association, as the ancient texts didn't match these colors, yet it's a logical sequence of matching the seven colors in accordance with the natural spectrum, with the reds, oranges, and yellows vibrating at a slower frequency than the greens, blues, and violets of the higher chakras.” The color for the 6th chakra is deep indigo blue-violet. *Here's a website that's fun to explore, with a color for every day of the year. Look up your own color horoscope. Does the color assigned to your day feel right to you?
3. Dreams and imagination. People have been mentioning in the common room lately the vivid and unusual dreams they’ve been having. A journal comes in handy when trying to remember and interpret dreams. Write down as much of your dream as you can as soon as you awaken.You’ll find dream-interpretation resources at the library and online. Here’s one site; I found that many of them were full of intrusive ads. *Imaginative play and daydreaming are, I think, survival skills. Here’s a website that is colorful and fun. Be sure to investigate the menu at the top to explore all the areas.
4. Goals: Vision for the future. Through the power of imagination, you can envision what your life could be in the future. Even though you may have been discouraged from daydreaming, don't let anyone underestimate its importantance. To get what you want, you have to know what you want; you try out ideas in your daydreams and then plan. “Day planner” systems or books about life coaching can guide you through the process of exploring your values and goal setting. Here are some questions to think about: *Do you have a guiding vision for your life?
   *What do you want to have achieved within the next six months? One year? Five years?
   *What is “the larger good” that you are working for?
   *What possibilities do you see that do not yet exist?
   *What changes will need to happen to manifest your dreams?
5. Mandalas. Some of you said you enjoyed the coloring pages from several days ago, so here are some mandalas to color. They originally were used in Hindu and Buddhist art as a meditation device and tool for establishing sacred space. Wikipedia says, “In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, a microcosm of the universe from the human perspective.” Working with mandalas is a very “6th-chakra” activity.

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Today’s prize is especially suited to Ravenclaws: it’s a three-strand bracelet of deep blue sodalite chips and blue crystal beads, made by an artist in Wisconsin. Sodalite is supposed to help one “cultivate detachment from the concerns and worries of everyday life. It can reduce stress and anxiety by allowing one to see one’s reality from a higher, more serene perspective.”

Hope you have a great day, Ravenclaws. Fondoo party tonight, merry beasts!