I hope there is enough room here for everybody to work comfortably. Please take off your shoes and leave them by the door then find a comfortable spot to sit. I notice that some of you have brought along your small drums, rattles, washboard and thimbles, spoons and stuff. That's great, we'll have some really nice sounds that will add to our experiences, I'm not sure quite how we're going to use them for tonight's circle, but we will be using them soon! See, it really doesn't take a lot of expense, just a little imagination! A pasteboard box can work just fine as a drum, and a few grains of un-popped popcorn in an empty pint water bottle makes a nice rattle!

Those of you who are new here will notice that I'm pretty informal. I find that we get the best spiritual experiences that way -- being relaxed and informal.

Okay now, last call. The loo is down the hall to the left. Once we get started you won't want to be interrupted by that kind of nature's call!

Okay now, lets get started. Lets stand in a circle here and do a simple purification. Normally I'd drum while we do these next parts, but this time I'm going to play the drumming CD. Listen now as the music starts with rattling saluting the directions, front, back, both sides, up and down, and the steady thump of the drum begins. Just allow it to sound in the background.

Now everybody hold hands, and Dee, would you please read the purification rite for us? As she reads it, it's good if we visualize what is being said so we can see it happening. Don't try too hard, just let it flow, and let her words guide us

"May the fires of the sun purify us, "
"The waters of the earth cleanse us, "
"The winds of the heavens freshen us, "
"And may the rich earth feed and strengthen us. "
"Being cleansed and nourished may we realize our connection with all of nature, "
"So that with our spirits awakened we may live in harmony with all of creation. "

Continuing to hold hands and listening to the drumming, now Peter, would you please lead us in the invocation?

"Mother Earth, Father Sky, come into us now, "
"that we may realize our unity with you, "
"Knowing that as we are your children "
"Your spirit resides in us all. "
"May we realize our divine nature, "
"And witnessing your connection in all things, "
"Share all with you, as you share all with us. "

Okay now, each one of us, one at a time, should make a little offering.You'll see on the altar some sticks of cyber incense (the only kind I can use any more!), some small candles, and a bottle of grape juice. Choose one of them, and recite the offering prayer either aloud, or silently. When you're finished, pick up one of the dried dandelion roots that are there on the altar and bring it with you as you go back to your place in the circle and sit down and take the percussion instrument you brought and begin playing it gently in time with the CD drumming. I'll go first to show you how it's done. (Lighting a stick of incense and setting it upright in the bowl of sand, I recite)

"Mother Earth and Father Sky, "
"You from whom all things come and to whom all things return, "
"We thank you for your many blessings. "
"Receive now this token of the blessings you have given us, "
"Returned with our gratitude and love. "

(I then go to my place in the circle and pick up my rattle and begin shaking it in time with the druming CD. Dee goes next, and comes back and sits beside me adding castanettes to the sound, then Peter adds the triangle, and Lucy adding her tambourine, Barb adds the cowbell, Joel the drum, etc. untill all have made their offering.)

I signal with four loud sharp shakes of my rattle and everybody stops playing their instruments.

Okay folks, I'm going to keep the drumming CD going. Now I'd like you to hold hands again, and continue to listen to the drumming and the memory of our own contributions to this music -- feel the vibrations flowing through your bodies, and just relax and flow with the music. Don't strain, just sit, listen to me, and allow yourself to be guided by my words in this meditation. Breathe normally, listening to the sound of the drum as you inhale and exhale allowing your breath to naturally fall in sync with the beat of the drum. As you allow this to happen you may notice that the room is filled with a very pleasant feeling, swirling and coming into the center of the circle in front of you. Notice how as you breath, inhaling gently and naturally, exhaling gently and naturally, that your breath draws this energy into you through your nose, filling your lungs with each thump of the drum, centering and accumulating in your lungs and heart, continuing filling it to overflowing, as though your heart is a cup being filled with a very pleasant liquid, an energy which overflows, coming in through your nose, centering in your heart, overflowing and flowing filling your entire body from the tips of your toes, working up through your ankles, and calves, and knees, and thighs, and trunk, and hands, and wrists, and elbows, and arms, slowly filling you centering and concentrating in your heart until you can hold no more and the energy flows through your heart, up and into your left shoulder, out through your left shoulder down through your upper arm, elbow, wrist, and hand and from your left hand into the right hand of the person sitting beside of you, flowing into their right hand, up their arm through their rist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder, down into their heart filling their entire body and flowing up and out again through their left shoulder, down their upper arm, elbow, forearm, through their wrist and into the right hand of the person next to them. Allow the energy to flow again into the next person, feeling it go round and round the circle filling each person inturn until it flows back to you, the energy flowing in the circle, making us a complete circle of connected power and energy.

Okay now, take the dandelion root you brought back with you from the altar. in your hands and lay down, either holding the root in your hands, or laying it on your chest. Maintaining your relaxation, focus your attention on the dandelion root, gently daydream, allowing yourself to mentally go with it to an area of other reality. Listen to the beat of the drum as it takes you along a journey. Ask your guiding spirits to lead you to the Spirit of Dandelion and to introduce you so that you may communicate with that spirit. You may *see* this very clearly in your minds eye, or you may not see anything at all, or it may just be a feeling that you have. Whatever experience you have is okay. Just allow it to happen, allow yourself to be guided into presence of the spirit.

I'm going to remain silent for a few minutes. During this silence, follow the Spirit and experience all that is offered to you. When you feel that you have experienced all that is appropriate for this session, sit up, but remain silent.

(A few minutes later, after the last person has sat up -- or calling it short if one is taking so much more time that it's unfair to the rest of the group).

*shaking my rattle 4 times, sharply.* Okay now. Relax, and come back to ordinary consciousness, remembering what you experienced.

I'm going to turn on the tape recorder and pass around the microphone. I'd like each person to describe what they experienced during the journey. Be as detailed as you want, and don't edit anything out thinking that it's insignificant or unimportant. Everything is important, as has been shown many many times.

Okay, now that everybody has shared their experience, it's time to formally close this circle.

Joel, would you make the closing prayer for us?

"All wise, gracious Mother of Us All, "
"All powerful lord, Our Father, "
"Supernal Parents, "
"Sustain us, your children, this day. "
"Give us the wisdom to see your path, "
"And the strength to prevail in the darkest hour. "
"We thank you for the joys we have "
"And for the chances you have give us to prove ourselves "
"In adversity as well as in happiness. "
"May we thrive. "

Refreshments anyone?