Meditation: Feeling Ireland

Start by visualizing Ireland as a flat plain with no rivers, lakes, or mountains on its surface. Despite this, it is teaming with wildlife and many different types of trees and plants. There is a feeling of tranquility and stability about the place and you instinctively know that everything is in perfect harmony.

Once you have a good mental picture of this virgin Ireland, visualize the arrival of Cessair with her original ships and crew. See her vessels in the form that feels most suitable to you. Visualize her and her companions as clearly as possible. Hear them speak in whatever voice or language feels appropriate. Most important, while you are visualizing all of this, see and feel how the land of Ireland itself reacts to this incoming of people where there were no people before. See and feel new rivers, lakes, and mountains erupt forth from the smooth plains. Feel how the island joyously becomes aware of its growing potential. Realize that the coming of Cessair has awakened the energies of Ireland and helped it start to progress and mature from the influences and energies the people bring with them, just as human beings, as infants, learn from the influence and energies of others around them, and start to become individuals in their own right.

Eventually Cessair and her companions die, but the changes made to the land remain. A period of inactivity now follows, and the consciousness of Ireland, which has been so stimulated, starts to slip back into a sleep like state. See now the arrival of Partholon and his followers. Again, see and feel how the land reacts to these newcomers. More rivers, lakes, and mountains appear, and the consciousness of Ireland advances a bit more. Like Cessair’s people, though, Partholon’s also eventually die, and Ireland falls back into its state of inactivity. This is interrupted by the arrival of Neimheadh, and the whole process starts again, with the outer face of Ireland changing once more, and with its mental and spiritual self progressing and learning from these new shapers of its appearance.

Feel these changes taking place, not only on the surface of the island, with the four Elemental building blocks of the physical world - Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. Carry on this visual and emotional exercise by studying the various invaders and their effects on Ireland, right up until the arrival of the Tuatha De Danann. Remember to include the arrival of the Fir Bolg, even though they did not change the land, and, to a certain extent, had a negative influence on it.

Once you reach the stage of the arrival of the Tuatha De Danann, stop your mental advance through the centuries and see how Ireland looks and feels at the time of her most influential invaders. Realize that the Tuatha De Danann were the first invaders who recognized, understood, and Worked with the creative forces of the physical level, and who were aware of, and Worked with the creative forces of the mental and spiritual levels as well. It is this state of total awareness and harmony which these exercises are designed to help you achieve.