flames,’ he instructed, ‘and empty your mind of everything but this glorious sensation of sound.’
Leveret looked into the crackling heart of the fire, mesmeric in its continuous flickering dance, and let the beautiful dome of resonance and reverberation engulf her. Thoughts came rushing in but she gently pushed them away; they sneaked up again but she sent them back, and slowly she found her mind full of cloudy greyness that absorbed the dancing flames and the heartbeat of the shimmering gongs. Her breathing slowed right down and became as soft as the ebb and flow of gentle waves over shingle.
The quivering music slowed, quietened and stopped, the final shred chasing around the circular room until the air was free from vibration. Clip came over and took her hand, helping her up. He fastened a thick woollen cloak around her, an embroidered Stonewylde felt hat on her head, and a pair of warm mittens on her hands. Leveret felt calm and dreamy, her spirit awakened by the voices of the magical gongs, though perfectly conscious of everything around her. Clip wrapped himself in a dark cloak and led her out through the oak door onto the roof. The cold air hit her skin like an icy flannel and she was pleased for the warm clothing.
They stood looking to the south-west where the pale blue sky was striped with golden shreds as the sun disappeared. Leveret breathed deeply and felt so very peaceful. A flock of birds flew overhead and she heard a cow lowing in the distance. She stood perfectly still as gradually the light dissolved from the skies and the first star began to twinkle, faintly at first, then getting brighter and brighter as more stars appeared. They turned towards the north-east and the darker horizon and watched silently, in deep reverie, until eventually a deep gold moon started to rise. It was streaked with low cloud that wisped around its perfect beauty; slowly it emerged from its place of slumber, slowly it rose in the sky as a great golden orb.
Leveret thought then of wolves, of black pointed noses and silver eyes, the streaking of grey and silver in the thick coat of fur. She felt wolf all around her as the moon rose, losing its golden glitter and becoming yellow and then more subtly white. There were soft grey shadows on its face and she thought again of wolf, a nose pointed up to the sky, a throat opening and the mouth letting out a long note of celebration. She breathed in the Wolf Moon magic, feeling the cold prickling around her just as the stars prickled the velvet sky.
Clip’s hand slipped into her mittened one and he led her back into the warm, glowing solar, where they removed their outer clothing and sat once again on cushions on the woven rug. He picked up a handful of the herbs and tossed them into the flames – they released a powerful aromatic scent and the fire crackled blue and green. Leveret breathed deeply of the heady smoke, feeling her head become lighter. Her cheeks and fingers tingled with the heat, throbbed with it, and she felt strange. Clip began to drum very softly an insistent, summoning rhythm.
‘Remove the cloth,’ he said, ‘and take up the ball. Feel it and look deep into its heart.’
The ball was of smooth polished crystal and danced with firelight under her hands.
‘We’re emptying our minds once more and seeing only the brightness within. Everything is touched with soft radiance and we see only brightness and light.’
She felt the light inside her head softly glowing and the smoothness of the crystal ball under her palms was soothing. Clip continued to drum for some time until her breathing slowed right down and the drum beat entered her soul, became part of her being.
‘We’re waiting now in this place of limbo, in this liminal space, for our guides to appear. Our guides are our friends and they’ll look after us as we journey, always bringing us back safely. If we feel frightened or threatened they’ll bring us back to this place of brightness. They’ll always be by our sides as we travel and they’ll protect us.’
It was peaceful waiting patiently for the guides, who were coming but from a distance and couldn’t yet be seen.
‘Now I see my guide. The silver wolf slinks into the brightness and his eyes are all-knowing as he stands and waits. Maybe your guide will appear, but probably not this time