A Guided Visualisation from Weathering the Storm

Here is a guided visualisation I wrote for a new book called Weathering the Storm, which is released today. The book was written by the Moon Books Collective of authors, and is available for free as an ebook in the US, or for 99p in the UK. We all wanted the book to be totally free of charge, but sadly Amazon UK would only accept it with a price tag. You can find out more about the book here, and you can enjoy the visualisation, which has the same name as the book, for free wherever you are.

Guided Visualisation: Weathering the Storm
Make sure you are somewhere safe. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Relax. Take three deep breaths in and out, and visualise the following:

Visualise that you are out in nature, in a place with greenery: grass, trees and flowers. It is a lovely, sunny, warm day and this is somewhere you feel perfectly safe and at ease wandering on your own. Perhaps it is a large city park, perhaps it is open countryside, perhaps it is an immense garden or any other place where trees and flowers and grasses grow, and you can move about and explore with no other human being in sight. The sky is blue, a gentle breeze carries the scent of blossom. You can hear the gentle rustling of leaves in the air.

In your mind’s eye, look around you, what do you see? Listen, what natural sounds do you hear? Take in a deep breath and smell the scents of green things growing and flowers blooming. In your own time, start to explore this area. Move as fast or as slowly as you like. Perhaps there is a path to follow, perhaps there is soft grass underfoot, or perhaps the soft mulch of loam and fallen leaves from bygone years cover the ground. What does it feel like?

Spend some time exploring this beautiful place in nature. Enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the moment.

After you have spent some time enjoying this beautiful place, you start to notice the breeze has freshened and grown stronger. The leaves on the trees are moving noticeably in the breeze. Clouds are appearing in the sky – slight at first, but you see a big grey cloud rolling in. Then you feel a drop of rain on your skin. Then another. Just a few at first, but increasing. You realise that a storm is coming.

You look around and see a large, old tree with wide branches and a canopy of leaves that you can shelter under.

Quickly make your way to it. Take the shortest route, feeling the ground beneath you as you go, the wind against your face and the droplets of water touching your skin in increasing numbers.
As you get to the tree, the sky is dark and stormy, and the rain is falling heavily. You take shelter under the protective branches and leaves of the tree, hearing the patter of the rain on them and the wind whistling through the upper branches. But you are safe here, protected and dry. Move close to the wide trunk of the old tree. You can see the patterns in its bark. You can see the leaves and branches above you and stretching out around you. You can see the top of its roots as they stretch down into the soil, keeping the tree anchored and drawing in nourishment and water. You can feel the soft, brown soil, soft with fallen leaves beneath you, knowing it lies on top of many layers of earth underground that you can’t see, but the tree roots reach into. You can smell the scents of the tree, and the soil and the sharp, fresh rain falling beyond and above your safe, dry haven.

You realise you might have to stay here, under the tree, for some time if you are to stay safe and dry out of the storm. Study the trunk of the tree, the branches and leaves. Reach out and touch them with your hand. What do they feel like?

Do you sense a connection with the spirit of the tree? Do you receive any message? Spend some time communing with the tree or just examining it and learning more about it.

Suddenly, from outside the safe haven of the shelter of the tree, you see a flash of bright lightning in the sky, followed by loud peel of thunder. The rain is falling even more heavily. It is torrential; falling like a thick curtain on the open green spaces beyond the edge of the leaves of the tree. Huge puddles are forming. A little water, a tiny amount, snakes its way under the tree. A few drops of rain fall through the shelter of the leaves and splosh beside you. One lands on you. You feel it cold on your face at first, but warming as it runs down your skin. Yet you are still safe. The tree is still protecting you. This small amount of water will not harm you.

With your back to the trunk of the tree, looking out at the deluge falling, lightning streaking against the dark sky and thunder booming overhead, you contemplate the majesty of the elements. You are safe and protected from what is happening around you, even if not completely untouched by the powers of nature.

After a while you realise the rain is slowly easing, the lightning and thunder are becoming more distant, with longer gaps between them, then ceasing. The sky is getting lighter; the dark grey clouds give way to whiter clouds. Then you see patches of blue between them, and the sun shines through. Rays of sunlight catch on the droplets of water, making the world sparkle and shine. The rain is now nothing more than a light shower, its patter on the leaves is like soft music. The wind eases to a gentle breeze once more and the world looks beautiful and full of hope.

You remain under the shelter of the tree for a while longer, watching the scene and delighting in it. At last the rain stops completely, the sky is blue once more, the sun is shining, and everything around you seems cheerful and bright. It is time to leave the sanctuary of the tree. Before you do, turn and thank the tree for sheltering you from the storm. Perhaps you hear some words of wisdom in reply.
When you are ready, leave the tree and retrace your path through this beautiful place in nature to where you began, knowing that you weathered the storm, and have gained wisdom and knowledge from the experience.

Return to your normal consciousness. Take three deep breaths in and out. Wiggle your fingers and toes and open your eyes.

Make notes about what you experienced, then ground properly to bring yourself fully back to the everyday world, because guided visualisations – like any psychic work – can leave you feeling a bit spacey. Ideally, have something to eat and drink, but if that isn’t possible, press your feet firmly into the ground or grip a solid surface to connect with physical reality.

You can view Weathering the Storm on Amazon and on publisher Moon Books' website. I have also written a book called Pagan Portals: Guided Visualisations, which is due out later in the year and contains a wide range of other meditations and visualisations to do throughout the year.