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Author Topic: TWS: Inner Path - Chapter 1  (Read 3652 times)

Waldhexe

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TWS: Inner Path - Chapter 1
« on: December 11, 2011, 03:36:30 pm »
At the moment I seem to be the only one working with the inner path, but maybe some people will join me later or join me for some aspects in the discussion... Some of the following questions might help to start talking about this chapter:

1. The inner path focuses mostly on personal healing, to become 'whole, unique, powerful, aware, fulfilled'.
- Are there any aspects of yourself or your life you want to explore, nurture or heal? Do you see any connection between those aspects and your surroundings, your culture?

2. Working with fairy stories: This chapter states that analyzing a story, image, symbol or dream breaks the appeal to Younger Self. Instead the book suggests to engage younger self by getting more involved with the story, image, dream or symbol through ritual, meditation, art, spells etc.
- How do you think about this? Which activities to involve yourself with the story do appeal most to you? Is there anything you're doing already to align yourself to stories, images and Younger Self like painting, making music, storytelling, writing....? Which other fairy tales, stories, heroes (or television characters) etc. appeal very much to your Younger Self?

3. Asking Questions:
- Which are your questions for your work with the inner path?

4. Finding your questions: The book suggests exploring dreams, using divination, exploring sensations, gestures and symptoms.
- Which of this works for you? Is there anything you want to share?

5. Regular Practice of self-study:
- Do you have a regular practice of self-study? Is there something you would like to do regularly for a while?

6. Walking out the Doorway
- Is there any blame and shame which impedes your walk out of the castle? How did you experience the meditation on the old nurse? How did you rearange your altar? How does your altar (or something else) reflect your inner landscape?


I'll answer them myself step by step as I work through the exercises - not necessarily in the order I posted them, and I'll need more than one post. I might also skip some and concentrate more on those I feel more important.

Juni

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Re: TWS: Inner Path - Chapter 1
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2011, 08:08:27 pm »
Quote from: Waldhexe;34355
At the moment I seem to be the only one working with the inner path, but maybe some people will join me later or join me for some aspects in the discussion... Some of the following questions might help to start talking about this chapter:


I've settled on the Inner Path as well. :)

Quote from: Waldhexe;34355
1. The inner path focuses mostly on personal healing, to become 'whole, unique, powerful, aware, fulfilled'.
- Are there any aspects of yourself or your life you want to explore, nurture or heal? Do you see any connection between those aspects and your surroundings, your culture?


I want to be kinder, friendlier, outgoing. I want to learn how to enjoy being productive even if the task is unpleasant or boring. There was definitely a connection between my surroundings/friends and my growing cynicism and nastiness, which is why I cut them out of my life. And my family is entirely comprised of enablers of my laziness.

Quote from: Waldhexe;34355
2. Working with fairy stories: This chapter states that analyzing a story, image, symbol or dream breaks the appeal to Younger Self. Instead the book suggests to engage younger self by getting more involved with the story, image, dream or symbol through ritual, meditation, art, spells etc.
- How do you think about this? Which activities to involve yourself with the story do appeal most to you? Is there anything you're doing already to align yourself to stories, images and Younger Self like painting, making music, storytelling, writing....? Which other fairy tales, stories, heroes (or television characters) etc. appeal very much to your Younger Self?


I have always loved stories involving people who find themselves in unfamiliar worlds but manage to adapt- Peter Pan and Wendy, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Phantom Tollbooth, Sabriel. The tv show Once Upon a Time has echos of that as well. And I love writing. I think immersing myself in my own stories- really letting the ideas take me away- is the main way I can accomplish this alignment.

Quote from: Waldhexe;34355
3. Asking Questions:
- Which are your questions for your work with the inner path?


How do I regain my sense of self worth?

Quote from: Waldhexe;34355
4. Finding your questions: The book suggests exploring dreams, using divination, exploring sensations, gestures and symptoms.
- Which of this works for you? Is there anything you want to share?


I tried the dream exercise, which seemed to be enough.

Quote from: Waldhexe;34355
5. Regular Practice of self-study:
- Do you have a regular practice of self-study? Is there something you would like to do regularly for a while?


I don't at the moment. I may try a weekly tarot reading, though?

Quote from: Waldhexe;34355
6. Walking out the Doorway
- Is there any blame and shame which impedes your walk out of the castle? How did you experience the meditation on the old nurse? How did you rearange your altar? How does your altar (or something else) reflect your inner landscape?


There was some blame, but I think I've succeeded in burying it. I'm a grown woman- there is no reason for me to be blaming my behavior on the way my parents raised me. I am old enough and smart enough to evaluate my instincts and make intelligent decisions.

The shame... that's harder to let go of. I do feel a sense of worthlessness- I'm 25 years old, living in my parents' basement, supported by my father. No job, still in school, no real-life friends to spend time with... I've let my depression and laziness get the better of me for too long, and it's embarrassing.

I don't keep an altar, and I keep my shrines tidy, so there wasn't much for me to do as far as that exercise. The old nurse exercise- I vaguely recall getting hugged before I fell asleep.
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Waldhexe

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Re: TWS: Inner Path - Chapter 1
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2012, 04:09:44 pm »
Quote from: Waldhexe;34355



I guess I should answer my own questions. Sorry, that it took me so long.

Quote
1. The inner path focuses mostly on personal healing, to become 'whole, unique, powerful, aware, fulfilled'.
- Are there any aspects of yourself or your life you want to explore, nurture or heal? Do you see any connection between those aspects and your surroundings, your culture?

I often have problems to really know what I'm feeling and I often feel divided between what others want from me and what I want. I have often trouble to judge myself adequatly and to know if what others say about me is true. I think the most important thing for me is to tone down my harsh inner critic and to better understand my needs, my feelings and my strengths.

Quote
2. Working with fairy stories: This chapter states that analyzing a story, image, symbol or dream breaks the appeal to Younger Self. Instead the book suggests to engage younger self by getting more involved with the story, image, dream or symbol through ritual, meditation, art, spells etc. - How do you think about this?

For me this methods works very well. I've tried psychoanalysis, but it engages my inner critic too much and it doesn't reduce the distance I already have to my own feelings. Stories help me to work through difficult feelings while having a supportive frame. With my own feelings I can get stuck, but the story goes on to a happy end - this gives me the trust to really open myself to the story and the feelings it will evoke.

Quote
Which activities to involve yourself with the story do appeal most to you? Is there anything you're doing already to align yourself to stories, images and Younger Self like painting, making music, storytelling, writing....? Which other fairy tales, stories, heroes (or television characters) etc. appeal very much to your Younger Self?

I've just started creating my own oracle deck out of my own inner images. I only have the first 7 cards, but I'm very proud of them. It's like telling my own creation story and it makes the inner images which support me more tangible. I can't await to use it. I think it will really help me to point me towards what I need at the moment.

I didn't grow up much with fairy tales, but I grew up with Star Trek and I still love it. At the moment I write my own Star Trek blog and write a few lines for every episode I watch. The interesting thing is that I put up categories for the characters so I can review the development of a character at the end. That's very interesting for me because the characters often represent different personality traits and bits of my own life story for me. (But I know it sounds nerdy ;) )

Quote
3. Asking Questions:
- Which are your questions for your work with the inner path?

4. Finding your questions: The book suggests exploring dreams, using divination, exploring sensations, gestures and symptoms.
- Which of this works for you? Is there anything you want to share?

I asked the questions "Which parts of myself do I need to integrate to become more whole" an ddrew 12 cards from the Goddess Oracle. I choose 12 because it were 12 swans and because the number felt right about the amount of work I think I have in that department. At the moment card 1 of those 12 is sitting on my house altar and I will slowly go through them.

I must say I'm a bit ambivalent about sharing the results here openly, so I'll post a link to them in my blog, if anyone participating in this project is interested:
http://waldhexe.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/12-swans-chap-1-inner-path-asking-questions/

Quote
6. Walking out the Doorway
- Is there any blame and shame which impedes your walk out of the castle?

I think there's still a lot. The problem is rationally I know I'm as free as everyone else, but I feel a lot bitterness about how I was treated as a kid and teen. I don't think I can simply burry it, but it helps me to accept my feelings of bitterness, anger, horror and sadness bit for bit. I also think I have the right to feel what I feel and I'm not obliged to forgive things which hurt me in a horrible way. The healing step for me was (when I did the inner path the first time) to realize that only I can do something about my wounds, I can't wait for the people who did this to me realize what they did and make amends, they'll most likely never do that and I don't deserve to wait till they do.

Quote
How did you experience the meditation on the old nurse?

I haven't made the meditation yet, but I painted an "old nurse" card for my oracle deck. Actually I named it "grandmother" because I always wanted to have a loving grandmother and it represents a personality part of myself which knows me best and is a fair (and not too harsh) judge in conflicts. Painting it really helped me to understand what I need from this part because I had to choose symbols for the card and thought about what they represent for me.

Quote
How did you rearange your altar? How does your altar (or something else) reflect your inner landscape?

It does. I've started a scrap book for 'power images' and symbols from meditations etc., f.ex. at the moment I've popped it open at my symbol for centering, because I feel I need to connect more to my center. I'm a bit lazy when it comes to remove dust, but I try to clean up at least around every of the 8 neopagan holidays and change the altar so it fits to the time of the year and the things I'm currently working on. (F.ex. My self-created oracle deck is there at the moment waiting to be finished.)

I think it sounds like I'm nearly done with this chapter. I'll look through it again and then decide if there's anything left for me or if I go on to chapter 2.

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