AJNA WORKING BULGARIA:DAY 1 -New Moon 19th June 2012:
View from our base-camp near KhurdzhaliMost of us arrived at our Bulgarian base-camp on the 18th, but we didn't begin our work until the 19th. However personally I had an interesting lead-in when retiring to sleep on the 18th|
Those who knew each other had been catching up (it had been a year or two between non-virtual connections for most) and those who didn't getting to know each other -a relaxing informal grounding into the space and the group.
When I eventually went to bed, although tired I didn't fall asleep for quite some time. Instead I found my mind awash with strange imagery, in some kind of in-between state of lucid dreaming. This seemed a fantastic omen for the working, as if the land itself was consolidated as a potent Ajna portal before our pineal-activating work had even begun; also perhaps a backwards-ripple in time thereof. The imagery was quite abstract (thus difficult to describe) yet also very clear and vibrant. Much of it was architecture of a kind, but quite amorphous and sublime in a way I have not seen in the physical world. Tall curvaceous semi-organic structures were bejewelled with eye-like orbs, like some kind of architectural cyclopes.
There was also some astral synaesthesia, where I heard sounds -especially a long piping sound, quite Dionysian or satyric, which unravelled in a long very narrow undulating scroll visually.
This lucid dreaming state continued -quite unexpected and uncalled- for a while until I eventually fell into a deep sleep. The experience was accompanied by a profound sense of joy.
On the 19th we weren't going to any sacred sites yet -this was our day was establishing group rapport at our base camp -a simple small house surrounded by grape vines and olive trees up on a hill overlooking the nearby town of Kurdzhali, the neighbouring gypsy village and the surrounding countryside.
Escaping the blazing sun in the small patch of shade in front of the house, we performed our first group work early afternoon, though Tristram was yet to arrive. We chanted the chakra tones together as an initial uniting and energising harmonic. It was not yet very strong but I knew would improve rapidly with repeated chanting sessions each day.
We did a series of basic yogic stretches/physical asanas together to make sure our spines were supple and open for the work to come, then performed some Bastrika (firebreath)Pranayama to raise energy and clear our channels.Then we performed Trataka -first the outwards variety where each person chooses a single small point (eg. speck of dirt on wall, fleck on tree leaf, etc.) to focus on and stares at it unflinchingly for 15 mins, focusing on nothing else either mentally or visually. As usual the surrounding landscape blurred into abstraction.
This one-pointed focus was then turned inwards as we closed our eyes and for another 15 mins we focused on a single tiny spark of light in the very centre of our heads from every direction- vertically front to back and left to right, and horizontally up to down- the location of the pineal gland, responsible for inner vision and thus the physiological analogue of the third eye or Ajna Chakra.
All seemed to find this an effective start to our work.
Now focused, we talked for a while about the Working we were embarking upon, made some plans about what to do when -in terms of sacred sites to be visited- and clarified our intentions for the coming days.
We set up an altar inside with our various talismans and magical tools, transforming the simple space from lounge to temple headquarters.
We then relaxed for a few hours -although this also included some magical communications between various individuals who were learning about each others' diverse paths and traditions. There was already a great feeling of magical camaraderie.
Just when we were ready to begin our second session a call came in from Tristram who had finally arrived at the bus station, so I went off with our helpful neighbour Ismet to meet him. When he returned with us an hour or so later, we decided to go straight into the delayed work before it got too late, then catch up properly afterwards|
The second session was more powerful, the group now complete and Tris' voice and energy added to the rest for the chakra tones up spine and octave. Then the Sufi drumbreath- a powerful energetic exercise especially in a group, as it attunes everyone's heartbeats as well as breath. On the third round I chanted my Dionysos chant rhythmically over the top while the others continued the base breath with mantra Om-Ah-HUM:
Feel the throb
Of blood in your heart
It is the drum of Dionysos
Feel the pulse
Of blood in your veins
It is the drum of Dionysos
Feel the flesh quiver and tense
Dionysos!
Feel the skin shiver and clench
Dionysos!
Feel the river's sliver in its cleft
Dionysos!
Feel the snake slither in its nest
Dionysos!
Feel it rise from betwixt your thighs
To your chest
Dionysos!
Feel the buzzz of bees in your skull
Of reason be bereft
For Dionysos!
More Trataka at dusk was fantastic. As the light receded our focus adjusted gradually, creating a wash of background colours which blurred and shifted progressively as we peered ever more intently at our darkening points of focus. Then turned inwards as the colours of the day disappeared, I experienced a sense of bliss and peace, the bright pineal point shining bright within, the spark of consciousness.
It had been a good start, I felt ready for our next few days of continuing and developing our work together at the various sacred sites in the area.
That evening after dinner at Ismet's Tristram and I played some music. It was good to feel that our rapport was still there despite several years of not playing together and a shift in instrumentation (now mandolin, violin and two voices).
DAY II -Solstice (20th) at the Perperikon
The second day of our working -falling on the Solstice itself- we visited a primary sacred site in the area -the ancient Perperikon, the ruins of a Thracian Temple of Dionysos that is probably an epic 8000 years old, predating the God's presence in Classical Hellenism by many millennia and even probably the Egyptian pyramids!
It was a day of powerful ritual and strong global links.
Climbing up the steep hillside track in blazing hot midsummer sun, we were relieved when after clambering over great pale angular boulders that seemed like an entrance designed for giants or Nephilim, we diverted into the cooler shade of a light forest grove on the edge of the first part of the sprawling site.
This was our first point of ritual activity, for nestled in these woods is a stone altar -old rock that has been hollowed and carved by human artifice to create a small organic-looking vessel the size and approximate shape of a human lying down, with a small hole placed quite deliberately near where the head would rest.
This was probably an altar for human sacrifice, as the passing tour-guide confirmed, extracts of his explanations to the group he led translated by our own local Bulgarian participant, Zhoro from Sophia. After being told we were apparently preparing for ritual -we were chanting the chakra tones next to the altar with joined hands- the tour group were led away and we continued in peace.
The chakra tones had already grown considerably in power and harmony after doing them a few times in the preceding days, especially the extended lingering upon the humming 'mmmmm' tone of the Ajna.
Zhoro (above) tested out lying in the stone chamber while we speculated on what to do there. He felt the strong energies within immediately, though wished for a deeper trance when he arose.
I remembered a recently-learnt trance technique designed to release body armour and potentially throw the physical form into spasms of release -a healing technique knowing as TRE or Tension Release Exercises, which consists of a series of horizontal postures designed to exhaust the hip muscles and thus send the pelvis area into convulsions which release kundalini energy. I had found the techniques effective when learnt, and now magically applied in a powerful place and context, with the added gnosis of invocation and mantra, they proved even more effective.We lay one at a time in the stone altar, in the progressive postures of TRE, while the others chanted around the chamber's periphery, drumming on the ancient stone as the rhythmic gnosis built in volume and fervour.
The primary chant was one learnt with 'The Portland Bacchantes' during a grape-crushing ceremony I attended the year before, apt as the other theory on the purpose of such altars was as a part of wine-creating rituals, the hole being a run-off for liquid from the grapes crushed. But even as the body of Dionysos is symbolic of such processes in its dismemberment (and rebirth in the subsequent season as a finely-fermented wine), the stone basin could have quite possibly been used for sacrifice of both fruits and humans:
COME on Thy BULL'S foot!
COME on Thy PANther's paws!
COME on Thy SNAKE'S belly!
DIOnysos, COME!COME Dithyrhambos (Dith-ee-HRAHM-bohs)!
COME to us, Lysios (LYS-ee-ohs)!
COME to us, Bakcheios (BAH-kay-ohs)!
DIOnysos, COME!
While some of us focused on repetition of this rolling chant -cycling though it with different accentuation and sssibilance according to the nature of each zoomorph called- others underpinned it with the simpler repetitive 'Come Sabazius!' using the Ancient Thracian name of day-time Dionysos, as the blazing and virile Sun. This proved a most effective mantric layering, and our collective tone and passion rose with the convulsions of each initiate in the central stone altar.
Personally when I lay upon that ancient rock, I was astounded by the power which coursed through it and my body thereon, fuelled by the rising chant and the fever of the God borne upon its ecstatic currents! Violent tremors engulfed my form and my pelvis thrust and jerked involuntarily up as Sabazius moved through me. To my surprise with no stimulation on even an imaginal level I found myself suddenly and inexplicably tumescent. Energy coursed through my body in spasms, and when I eventually arose from the wombtomb it was only through great force of will and willed return to individuation. IO EVOE SABAZIUS!
Everyone involved seemed to experience a similar possession and catharsis within that ancient stone altar in the woods.
After one of the sessions there was a sudden rustling in the trees on the hill just behind us. Being a snake-hunter (he catches deadly vipers by hand in spring, keeps them for a season then releases them to go underground for winter) Zhoro went into full alert, staring where the noise had come from with eyes wide. There was nothing further, but we all suspected a local zoomorphic manifestation had taken interest.
'Come on your snake's belly'We had no grapes but squeezed plump cherries over the altar in offering, its ripe red juice spattering over the ancient lichen-encrusted stone.
The next few hours we spent exploring the large Perperikon site, wandering about looking at all the ancient remnants (including the graves of Thracian kings, above).
A local began to talk to Zhoro in Bulgarian and show us around. He seemed like an official guard and guide at first but soon revealed himself as something of a treasure-hunter (though perhaps still at least semi-officially involved with the site), showing us some human bones he had unearthed which he uncovered again from their hiding-place especially for us, and later trying to interest us in buying ancient coins. We were concerned for a while that his presence might prevent us camping out there (with a late-night ritual) as intended, but when he asked for some money for what he had showed us we gave him some and he left us alone, pointing out the path out but not staying around to check we took it.
This was in the brilliance of one of the more spectacular sunsets I have witnessed anywhere, the sky's crimson effulgence giving a warm glow to the vast area of flat rocks at the highest point of the site.
After saluting the summer Solstice sun's vivid departure with final prayers to Sabazius (the daytime form of the Thracian Dionysos), we retreated in the deepening dusk to a wooded area to eat before beginning preparations for the nighttime phase of our ritual.
It soon became apparent that we would need more water, as the 6 litres or so we'd brought up had been consumed quickly in the heat of the afternoon. We made our way down to the winefire altar area, but I diverted at the crossing with the empty bottles to continue down to the base of the mountain and refill them.
It was quite a mission, taking almost an hour there and back though I moved swiftly. The huge rocks forming the main entryway were more difficult to clamber over at night, though their whitish hue made them glow ghostly in the night.
When I reached the bottom a dog near a guardhouse began to bark and I hoped I wouldn't have a problem with that, but when I came closer (I had to pass so just got on with it) it actually became strangely quiet. So I walked past, filled the bottles from the running water near the carpark then returned back up the mountainside, again clambering over the huge angular white stones.
We began our main solstice ritual an hour or two before midnight. Tristram and I cast circle with Nema's six-fold banishing to tune in with her and other members of the Horus-Maat Lodge who were operating in synch with us that day from the Serpent Mound in Ohio USA. Then Kazim performed another layer of syncretic circle-casting -most of it in French with some Hebrew and Chumbley's Sabbatic evocations- to link up with his friends in France who were also tuning in that night. The energy was rising. Precisely as he finished Andrea suddenly vomited over the edge of the circle!
She had been feeling nauseous for a while and trying to hold it back. Interestingly Tristram had had a similar experience with our Vissudha Working in Egypt a few years ago. The work we do is intense physiologically as well as energetically and so purging is sometimes a natural part of the process, especially combined with some probably sunstroke after mountain-climbing in an unfamiliar climate. But better out than in!
Andrea climbed up to the upper level of the flat stones above us and lay down, falling into a delirious trance where from she was able to still hear some of our working -particularly the astral inductions- and semi-participate from a lucid feverdream space.
We performed Bhastrika pranayama, energising and stimulating our kundalini fireserpents within.
We then chanted the chakra tones together -resonant harmonic waves rippling out into the surrounding valleys. Once reaching it we lingered long on the humming 'mmmm' tone of the Ajna, feeling its vibrations through our skulls. When eventually we lapsed into silence we performed outer Trataka, focusing intently on a central candleflame in our circle. After 15 mins or so I extinguished the flame and closing our eyes we turned this one-pointed focus inwards, to the intensely bright tiny spark of consciousness in the centre (from every direction) of our skulls -the physical locale of the vision-inducing pineal gland.
After 20 mins or so of concentrated awareness only of this point in the void, I began to speak a guided visualisation aligned with the one offered as part of the ritual framework for participants worldwide:
We let the light in the centre of the head grow brighter, then to gradually expand. We felt our Ajna chakra on our brows, its two white petals slowly unfurling to Open the Third Eye and allow this light to extend outwards. The light expanded and burst forth as a beam, connecting with those of the other local participants in the centre of the circle. Our collective point of light grew brighter there until we extended it outwards, reaching out to connect with the rays of astral light from other groups and individuals participating in the working worldwide. We saw the lines of light linking up through space and also time, forming a fine lattice over the planet.
At this stage of the journey, as I was silent for a while I tuned into specific groups linking with us around that time, those on the Serpent Mound in Ohio, at Avebury stone circle and Glastonbury Tor in the UK, Anahata (Heart Chakra) centres of our planet.
We expanded our vision further, feeling and seeing the subtle web of connectivity -conscious or unconscious- with other humans also, then with all life, whether flora, fauna or fungi, across our planet, the intricate delicate web of the biosphere.
It was truly awe-inspiring when as this visualisation strengthened and culminated, we opened again our outer eyes with senses now refreshed, and took in the magnificence of our physical environment. We were on a great wide platform of ancient stone -like a stage before the very Gods- up high, and above us stretched a vast panorama of stars, so clear out here in the wilderness, vast, both dark and bright with ineffable detail. Several present expressed later never having seen stars quite like that before, so many thousands of varied brightness stretching off into infinite space. There was a great awareness of the rippling web of connectivity between these points of light, and it was a potent physical reflection of the inner vision we had just shared before opening our outer eyes, the web of light -bright points of light of ajna brilliance shimmering on its surface, a great net of jewels cast over the earth. As Above, So Below!
For the final part of this ritual we climbed up to the high altar of Dionysos, where thousands of years ago oracular wine fires were lit in His name. We chanted Zagreus, His nighttime name in this land which once was Ancient Thrace. A small fire was begun with paper and some dry grasses, and then as our chanting rose in pitch and intensity, I cast from its bottle a swish of Rakia into the flames.
Now when I had attempted such a ritual the year before during my scouting mission to this site, it had only put out the fire as I'd used regular wine. Having learnt now of the local Rakia which is more the potency of a strong spirit than a wine though made of grapes, I expected more success. However I was not expecting the sudden violent conflagration which occurred, though luckily was alert enough from the invigoration of our ritual activities to pull my face back very fast.
For the fire leapt not just up but up and out sideways towards me, a brilliant blue like a Quetzal bird and with the speed and arcing grace of a striking Cobra.
Indeed, this is just what it felt and looked like to me, apt as not only are all snakes sacred to Dionysos but the cobra is a symbol also of the Ajna in both India and Ancient Egypt where it leapt forth from the brow as the Uraeus Serpent.Days later I read the report from the Horus-Maat Lodge members at the Serpent Mound in Ohio, divulging they had used copper serpents as talismans and sent the serpent energy of the place from head to tail and then on to Bulgaria. Venusian copper -an excellent conductor of psychic and magical energy- develops a patina from the elements exactly the bright turquoise hue of the rakia-dowsed flames which leapt forth as a cobra from our oracular winefire.
Subsequent more deliberated scrying in the fleeting green-blue flames yielded little results -though I did have a flash of a rearing horse- as we each drank to Zagreus then spat Rakia into the fire. This first striking cobra seemed more than enough though, and the small amount we ritually imbibed had quite an effect on top of the rising intoxication from our other ritual activities.
We concluded by returning to the Mmmm tone of the Ajna, up to the Sahasrara tone via the Bindu then back down to the low 'Oh' of the Muladhara (base chakra) to earth the energy and the ritual.
That night Zhoro had a visitation from a creature which seemed almost like a manifestation of the synchronous working of several members of the Horus-Maat Lodge that day at the Serpent Mound in Ohio. He stirred when he heard something approaching and looked up to see red eyes glowing near the foot of his sleeping-bag. The unmistakeable vertical-eared silhouette of a jackal snuffled around for a while then left. I didn't even know there were jackals in Bulgaria, but Zhoro assured me there were some.
In Ancient Egyptian culture jackal-headed Anubis often weighed the Ab or heart against the Feather of Maat, the Neter/Principle of Truth. It also seemed pertinent that His zoomorph should appear on the day others were tuning in from the Heart Chakra of the planet Avebury and Glastonbury Tor (also with rituals involving Maat), where we performed the 13th-Tribe Weaving (Global Anahata Working) in 2003, also on the Summer Solstice.Before going to sleep we had also seen a large Scarab beetle, symbol of the midnight sun (cf.Zagreus) in Ancient Egypt.
It seemed only natural that as the group *earthing* the global rite in a specific locale we should experience physical manifestations of astral symbols pertinent to groups operating elsewhere on the planet in alliance with us.
After a long night's ritual at the Perperikon for Solstice, we arose earlier than preferred, having slept quite near a path where there were already tourists beginning to stroll around the ruins. The morning sun already shone bright though dappled through the trees surrounding us. We knew it would soon be devastatingly hot for the walk down the hillside over the stones, so decided to set out right away.
After rolling up sleeping-bags and doing some yogic stretches together to awaken and smooth out the crinks from adjusting to sleeping on the earth, we began the descent. On the way we decided we would go straight to Tatul, our next ritual site, to do our magic there while it was open before returning to base camp for a deep rest that night.
We stopped in the town of Kurdzhali for food and coffee, then got a local car onwards. According to the signs there and information online, Tatul was the grave of the original Orpheus, a Thracian king and thus avatar of Dionysos. This was one of the reasons I had gone there the year before (2011) -as well as a scouting mission for the Ajna Working- as I have been working with both Orpheus and Dionysos in my ritual theatre 'Solve et Coagula'. Powerful omens in my experience there had now been thrown into a new light as Georgi Mishev of the local Thracian magic group Threskeia had told me there was no real evidence of it being Orpheus' grave, the only dubious link being a small stone figure playing a lyre found there, which could have been Apollo. The 'grave' he said was more likely an altar. So I was curious how this new information would effect my perspective of the site.
(Although given the ancient Thracian's penchant for ritual sacrifice -especially of their Kings so that the spirit of Dionysos could incarnate in His next avatar- perhaps there was little difference between an altar and a grave for them anyway?)
Tatul is a small but spectacular place. A swirl of boulders atop a mountainside overlooking vast forested valleys, with ancient steps and alcoves carved into their lichen-encrusted surface. These all lead towards the highest point, where atop the largest rock is the 'grave' or altar itself.
We avoided this for a while as the early-afternoon summer sun had been beating down on us as we walked in to the site, and we needed to retreat to the shade of an area to the side where reconstructions have necessitated a temporary tin roof. Ugly, but a welcome respite in such merciless weather.
We sat in its shade and did some bastrika pranayama. Hot and tired before, we felt immediately recharged. Continuing on with the drum-breath, a gnostic invigoration ensued. Standing after its thumping stomping rhythm, we noticed a bull in a field in the valley below -another symbol of Dionysos.
We ventured out from the shade and explored the site. An ancient well seemed the perfect place to chant the chakra tones. Not only did it also have some shade in its alcove, but its acoustics were good. There was only just enough room for the five of us, so we sang them standing, with the growing resonance of daily practise further enhanced by the reverberations of the ancient stone around us.
Standing together cramped into this small shaded space the only way to then perform Trataka (single-pointed vision meditation) seemed to be by focusing our vision on a point on another person. So we had the idea to create an energetic pentagram between the five of us by staring at the Ajna of each other along the lines of this shape. This worked wonderfully, as the exercising of the vision seemed enhanced by the focus of another on this point in a reciprocal circle of energetic linking.
Eventually climbing up to the main altar/grave in the sun, we poured in some honey in offering to Dionysos and Orpheus, singing Their names. I noticed as I did so a wonderful thing -the honey I had bought in Kurdhzali a few days earlier was called 'Orpheu' ie. Orpheus!
I lay in the grave -which I fit in perfectly with not a cm to spare- for 20 mins or so singing, entranced. The others also had a go of lying in it, meditating and/or singing. When Tristram was in there we had a wonderful jam, I singing harmonies from the side grave/altar in the same rock with his vocals and mandolin in the one above.
So maybe its not the grave of Orpheus? The idea is apparently quite speculative, but most Thracian archeology is as this ancient culture left no written records. We only have scant remains and the feelings of places to go on, and this place certainly has a powerful magic for me whatever it may be.
The first time I was there (scouting mission 2011) my friend Ismet told me there was a butterfly hovering over my head while I was singing (eyes closed) and re-membering in the grave. Finding images of the 'Mnemosyne Parnassus' species of Bulgarian butterfly while later searching online for the elusive Spring of Mnemosyne (Memory), I asked him if that was the one he had seen. Indeed it was, even as I was singing about this Goddess of Memory and Mother of the Muses.
Now again (a year later) as I re-membered and related this tale to the others at the working, the Mnemosyne butterfly appeared and flitted about our heads for a while|
Returning to our base-camp at dusk, I discovered Justin Patrick Moore's wonderful Mnemosyne Transmissions were on air live that evening, though I didn't have facilities to listen at the time.That evening at Ismet's we feasted, grounding from our work, then Tristram and I played more music (mandolin, violin and voices), the honey of Orpheu still dripping from our tongues. If the automatic sound-start of this page is functioning on your particular system and browser you can probably already hear an extract of this. There are more extracts from these jams HERE.
Womb Cave rituals and Culmination at Starosel
