Sit comfortably, ideally cross-legged on the floor. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a forest glade. Feel the slightly damp grass, smell the mushrooms and pine needles, notice a slight breeze. It feels warmer than it should in a forest, and as you look around, you see a small fire with a bubbling cauldron suspended over it.
You stand up to walk toward it, and as you do so, you see a magnificent stag. Your movement makes him notice you and he turns his head toward you, looking directly into your eyes. This is the god of the forest. He is strong and wise, and the guardian of all who live within the forest. You spend a long time looking into each other’s eyes. Listen to your mind and your body; he may give you a message this way.
After a while, the stag lowers his head slightly as if nodding and moves off. You walk to the cauldron and as you come closer, you notice many people sitting around it. Once you get close enough to see their faces lit up by the fire’s flames, you see that these are all the people in your life, past and present, who have given you wise counsel.
There may be some companion animals, too, that have passed away. Sit with them and rest. Maybe one of them will approach you and give you something, or talk to you briefly. Think about what they say, but do not reply. They are here to talk to you, and for you to listen, not to chat.
An old woman, a figure you recognize as a wise crone, comes out from the darkness. She has an owl perched on her shoulder and wears a triple moon crown. The crone goddess goes to the cauldron and plunges a chalice into the hot, bubbling liquid, but it does not hurt her. She blows on the chalice to cool it, and as she does so, the owl flies from her shoulder and a feather from his wing drifts into the chalice. The goddess smiles and nods in approval of this omen. She then hands the chalice to you, motioning you to drink.
As you drink, the fog of uncertainty about your issue lifts, and answers come to you as if on the wings of an owl. You close your eyes and think upon the answers. When you open your eyes, the goddess and your companions are gone, and you are back in the room where you started.
Wiccan Tip: If you find a feather within a day or two of doing this meditation, especially one still drifting in the wind, be sure to keep it and place it on your altar or bedside table. It will bring you even more inspiration and answers to your problem.
For more spells, potions, meditations and vision quests, check out Silja’s The Green Wiccan Spell Book.