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sexta-feira, 25 de novembro de 2016

The Peace Prayer of St. Francis - Oração de São Francisco

"Paz e Bem".
Author: Dirceu Francisco Villa Verde Filho - Brazil



The Peace Prayer of St. Francis
Oração de São Francisco de Assis
20/09/2016


A Powerfull Prayer For Personal Life and Even Companies



Sometimes I comment about St. Francis.

I see him as a great Shaman.
More than learning to talk with plants and animals, he was a master of the Elementals of Nature.

He became my St. patron when I received from His hands the initiation over the four elements in the 90s.

One night I was awakened to go to the meditation room and there were all that spirits and he was the one who presented Himself to guide the ceremony.
He was not a beggar as churches present. He was a very rich guy and able to deal with all the natural powers.


Just remember, before choosing the simple life, like the Gautama Buddha, St. Francis came from one of the richest families of the town and had all pleasures in life before. I say, all the pleasures. And he was a warrior for some time too, fights in battles, fun, sex, all that. He had everything before find he already had all the needed. 


I was already deep in meditation and shamanic practices.

So all previous workings joined and I learned to work with the Peace Prayer.


In practice, this prayer is very recent and was just inspired by His work. 




 
Some Uses To This Prayer:

I found it to be used as a kind of personal Alchemy practice

A simple idea for Alchemy is to change your dark aspects into gold. Spiritual gold. Or just what is bad into something better.

My first suggestion is to study each phrase, and observe how it is related to the many life's areas. 
It's not to repeat it. I strongly suggest you get all the meanings each verse has. 


You can use it daily, or even as a mantra to change your mood and opens up to the natural powers around you. 

This will change your point of view about what's happening in your life and to understand better other's points of view. And you will learn to feed on Nature.


How to use it:

The best is to be alone, but if not possible, keep quiet as possible.
But do the prayer using your voice.
Forgot telepathy. You must use your voice at any prayer as possible.  (or learn to shout in your mind).
Even if you are in public, even so, you can use a clear as possible low voice.

This is something a lot of people and magicians didn't get: spirits (angels, demons, saints, etc) do not divine what's inside your head. Yes, forget any dreams experiences you had. Here you are the one putting energy into your intent. So, use your voice, even at low volume.

The best way for any prayer is when you do it with a sound. No scandals need for sure. Even if you have to talk with a low voice do it.




Working for a more formal ritual:

Like any other spirit, bring a candle and talk with your voice "I"m offering this to St. Francis".
Put a cup of clean water aside.
You can use standard size to seven days size candles with the cup of water aside.
Then do your prayer. Repeat it three to seven times as you feel.
As I told, this is like a personal Alchemy, so I wish maybe you get a different mood just while you are reciting the prayer. As most works, this is natural, so let's it happens and enjoy that time.
Prayer is a communion time, so have your time.
With time, such practices become a time to be silent. This is just meditation. Let it happens!
Then follow your daily activities.

After a time, at minimum, one day, throw the water in a natural place, better it is like the grass of wood area on the need for water. Just feed the nature! St. Francis fed the nature ones, remember this, so your ritual must help those ones too.


Doing offerings:

You can do offering to St Francis too. But never before an asking except for the cup of water you give and return to nature after.

Your need must be on His area of work, to improve life, feed the needed, change darkness into light.


A good offering to St. Francis, in my opinion, is always giving a sincere thanks and doing hidden charity!
When you feel you got your life changed the way you needed, no matter the size of the results (as this always have taught), you can do an offering to His work in this way:

Fist be sure He is not the one to receive it. He needs nothing. St. Francis works to the humble ones and nature. He works with others. So your offering is to the ones He cares. 
Do an anonymous offering to the humble ones or the natural ones.
Do it as you can, and be sure nobody knows you are the one behind that. Charity always must be done anonymously


There are two main ways for that. To do by yourself or pay for what you are unable to do. 
I don't know how to sew, so I buy ready for clothes. And as I'm getting older, plus all I don't know how to do, some works I'm really unable to do, so I pay someone to do it. Then I choose people and pay well as these ones deserve and feel happy as they got a job. 
Remember, some people, even skilled and humble, maybe under difficult times. So please, do the right thing. As an example, (sorry, I don't like to cite, but work here), someone asked a shameless cheap value for a work I was sure to cost three times more. So by myself, I paid three times more and refused the original price. One of many. 


Please read this: to all people and anyone at magic/spiritual areas: Spiritual results it's not what you get. It's HOW you get it. The spiritual area is never, but never for opportunists!

Stick this: To be respectful of the spirits and the same way to get respect from them is the main aspect to get.

 
To people at the leadership at companies, this is something that will even save your business. Valuate who works for you!
At any of such events, that has to be like a sincere thanks. 

If you want to know about offerings, learn to evaluate what you receive and how people and spirits work. 

This is the idea, Uhm? 


So for some offerings for St. Francis.:

First, working: have a real care of your garden, help to clean up your local park, a riverside, make your place a better and nice place to anyone's life. 

Second, pay for what you can't do. Some people can't do the work due to a lot of reasons. So they use their money, and this means they had a serious effort to gain that money. 
Starting with very simple examples, like make water supply with bows to street dogs, help feed poor families, water the nature plants at a public garden or even do a needed cleanup at such places, help someone who deserve to pay the college, give some wheelchairs (and be sure nobody knows who are you), etc. 
Just make nature and other's lives beautiful without expecting a return! 

This is why for companies, public works when they promote it, really add nothing at the spiritual levels, as that is just self-promotion while their owner's life keeps bad. 
Charity always has to be in an anonymous way. Dot.  
The moment you promote such acts, even with photos of your "charity", that became the opposite. For sure, not Karma, just you are showing to be an opportunist.



For Personal Work:

The prayer is good to have strength in difficult times. To get inspiration about how to use your current resources to improve your situation. For family harmony. To have more clarity about your own life and to understand yourself more. For support and spiritual strengthening in cases of illness. To improve your mood. For cases of anxiety.


For Personal Work in Nature: 

Use the prayer to get in touch with the forces of nature and become more aware of the beauties of life.


For protection at nature. Please, do not try to hug bears! LOL...

Well, I had a strong spiritual experience in the mountains with a Puma so closer of my head to feed on me. But that was the only one in life experience. Do not try this! Such events happen was a fantastic spiritual gift.



As you recite the prayer to prepare and while you are into it, this is ideal for those who love nature and practice outdoor activities, such as trails in the woods (trekking), mountaineering, climbing, canoeing, exploration of natural areas, caves, etc.  

This prayer will attract into you the Nature Powers. Be sure. 
Regardless of your faith, this prayer works to change your soul and become like an invitation for the spirits and forces of nature to present themselves in all their wonders. 
For sure I can't guarantee you will see fairies, but with time, you will be in the mood. I'm glad for dragonflies, butterflies, and birds coming so close. And some wonderful events even in shining mountains.

For photographers who want to learn how to capture an instant of time. That is, to learn to perceive life in all its aspects and get the beauty of it. This means, to be able to get the beauty in life. For any artistic activity that deals with life. Painting, sculpture, music, dance, etc.

Note for Dark artists and some famous photographers of the sadness: In my point of view, you are not collecting life, you after the dark, sad aspects. You do money with sickness. That is not life. This prayer is one of the many ways to change what you do and get Light the day you wish to change. Won't say names as they don't deserve it. 


For the Work in Companies - Business:


The prayer is also for all who are in a position of command and leadership. Owners, directors, managers, etc. This will harmonize your relationship with people and especially
the environment as you work on it. You will even become a better boss as you bring light into yourself. With constant repetition, this will strengthen your spirit. 

Forget about to suggest this to someone at your business! 
This prayer is ideal to be recited alone, before going to business meetings. And if you drink 3 cups of clean water together, this also adds the aspects of the water elements, about intuition and Light needed to improve meetings and get the needed insights and better results. 

I already cited somewhere about the changes at a business meeting just by drinking 3 cups of water before a business meeting.  Don't be worried about the need to piss. Everyone knows the good part of a business meeting needs only 15 minutes.

For employees, it helps to have a better understanding of their role, to have better relationships with colleagues, and to neutralize negative perception in difficult environments. 

ATTENTION FOR COMPANIES: This is not like those methods some companies use a pay someone to talk about what you want. I'm not here to talk about what you want! This practice has to be totally voluntary, it can never be imposed by the company. That is, do it for yourself and only in positive cases, it can happen that someone became curious to know more, so in this case, only you can comment that you are using this prayer (or spiritual practice). But no miracles! OK? 
This is teaching through examples. Be yourself a good example and over time, the very good energies of nature will work.



For Magicians, Sorcerers, Witches and Shamans Work

St. Francis as a Shaman, became one of those spirits with a powerful Egregore to work with. 
Forget the church aspects of the poor. 
Call Him and you will find a lot more. 
Nature and people have needs. To be poor is not the same as having nothing, BUT that means to live with what one has.

St Francis works great as the previous examples, but He is also a great source to learning, guidance and helps when you have to deal to get Harmony and Healing in the previously cited areas. 

It is very interesting the way he will work to bring such results too. 
So you can evoke Him for help in the needed areas. Not like St. Expedite, but for human evolution as the main aspect.




Some information found on the internet: 


The Origin of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis from: The Origin of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis by Dr. Christian Renoux, Associate Professor of the University of Orleans, France.


Original Text of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis: (French)

Seigneur, faites de moi un instrument de votre paix.
Là où il y a de la haine, que je mette l'amour.
Là où il y a l'offense, que je mette le pardon.
Là où il y a la discorde, que je mette l'union.
Là où il y a l'erreur, que je mette la vérité.
Là où il y a le doute, que je mette la foi.
Là où il y a le désespoir, que je mette l'espérance.
Là où il y a les ténèbres, que je mette votre lumière.
Là où il y a la tristesse, que je mette la joie.
Ô Maître, que je ne cherche pas tant à être consolé qu'à consoler,
à être compris qu'à comprendre,
à être aimé qu'à aimer,
car c'est en donnant qu'on reçoit,
c'est en s'oubliant qu'on trouve,
c'est en pardonnant qu'on est pardonné,
c'est en mourant qu'on ressuscite à l'éternelle vie.

Source: La Clochette, n° 12, déc. 1912, p. 285.
 


The popular English version: 

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.




And this "Oratio Sancti Francisci" from www.preces-latinae.org


Latin: 

Domine, fac me servum pacis tuae,
ubi odium, amorem seram;
ubi iniuria, veniam;
ubi dubium, fidem;
ubi desperatio, spem;
ubi caligo, lucem;
ubi tristitia, laetitiam.
O Domine coelestis, concede mihi ut ne tam petam
consolari quam consolare,
intellegi quam intelligere,
amari quam amare.
Nam in dando recipimus,
in ignoscendo ignoscimur,
et in moriendo ad vitam aeternam nascimur. Amen.




Peace Prayer of St. Francis
Art by Veronica Berglind - USA


Portuguese version:


In portuguese it's named as "Oração de São Francisco de Assis".

Senhor, fazei-me instrumento de vossa paz.
Onde houver ódio, que eu leve o amor;
Onde houver ofensa, que eu leve o perdão;
Onde houver discórdia, que eu leve a união;
Onde houver dúvida, que eu leve a fé;
Onde houver erro, que eu leve a verdade;
Onde houver desespero, que eu leve a esperança;
Onde houver tristeza, que eu leve a alegria;
Onde houver trevas, que eu leve a luz.

Ó Mestre, Fazei que eu procure mais
Consolar, que ser consolado;
compreender, que ser compreendido;
amar, que ser amado.
Pois é dando que se recebe,
é perdoando que se é perdoado,
e é morrendo que se vive para a vida eterna.

.'.
P+

quinta-feira, 24 de novembro de 2016

Using Each of The Four Elements for Oracle Reading. Uso dos Quatro Elementos em Oráculos

Lakeside camp. A nice place with the four elements around. 
by SnowSara


Using Each of The Four Elements for Oracle Reading. 
Uso dos Quatro Elementos na Leitura Oracular


Texto em português disponível para download. Clique aqui: "Uso dos Quatro Elementos na Leitura Oracular"


Here I will talk some about working with the power of the four elements.

To the ancient Greek and most western traditions, there are four elements and they are the prime force in the nature.
They are Fire, Air, Earth and Water.

I used the word “oracle” instead of “divination” to suggest the idea about an oracle to be the active part and do the work while the reader get the results from it. Here, the reader is an observer and able to interact and get the information the oracle present.
For sure reading capabilities and previous oracle works are very desired, like developing your 3rd eye and intuition. Advanced oracle skills are highly desired like other previous training, like meditation and some knowledge of the nature in a shamanic view.
Also, I will use the words “elements” and “elementals” for the same purpose. For example, the salamanders or just “fire”.

I won’t enter at the aspects of working with the elemental’s Kings level nor at other higher spirits who are related to the elements too. Such practices are most related with the practices to work with spirits, their correspondences and areas of acting.
For sure it’s great to use the elemental oracles together with the spirits working. They add a powerful tool and different ways to develop your perception.

So, to the extents I choose for now, I will cite spirits as a part of the work if you choose to add it. But the focus is going for a direct elementals work.
If you choose to call first spirits to rule the operation, that is interesting too.


To add some study suggestions, in the Tarot, the Ace cards means the pure aspects of each elemental energy. Something interesting to study and their following manifestations among the cards. The lower arcana cards (1 to 10) are just the manifesting power of the elements, but accordingly with their numerological aspects too.
So, this is something more for your study about Numerology and also for Qabalah (Gematry). That is very related to the elementals in the ways they manifest their power in the world.
Agrippa is always a good resource for study too.

But while theory is very good to add information and knowledge, this is not an armchair work to be done at your library room.
Using the elements as oracle is a nature work. Remember this. Even at your temple room, you must be able to connect with nature forces.
If you have not some forests to go, even so you may have some park around, gardens, etc. When you open your eyes, you will discover every tree at the street is looking for you and wishing to be seen. The moment you discover this, you never will be alone again. Nature is all around us.

As nature forces, the Elements are the main part of life and have their own spirits too.
At the elemental levels, we found many living beings, the popular names are gnomes, fairies, undines, sylphs, etc. Each country have traditional names for them.
This work is about them. Yes, the fairies, sylphs, gnomes, undines, salamanders. They are the ones working to show you what they have to say.
There are also what is named Genius Loci, the spirits of each place. Frater Rufus Opus wrote some very good material about working with them at the Ritual Offerings book.
See, each place have its own spirits. See the eastern traditions about the Devas, or discovering a mountain or a river are also living beings.

In the book “Toilers of the Sea” from Victor Hugo, at the beginning, Gilliatt the main character, who was someone strange to the village people, comments some like “if the air and water are transparent, why not to be such transparent living ones there?” With time science have discovered many of them too.  A bit of fantasy plus a lot of reality to discover. Glad too often science have just confirmed what occultists know for ages.

The basic idea for Element’s Oracles is first observe they are “life too”, so it is just something like a talk with them.
In other words, it is part of a relationship with the elements you are working with.

This is the best suggestion I can present you about working with an oracle: talk with it, create a respectful relationship with it. With time, this become mutual and you will discover another level of communication with them.

And think what you do for a relationship or to have a date. Uhm? Something so. Prepare and be respectful.
One first practice is to observe how they are beautiful and powerful. 
The moment you opens up for the beauty in the nature, nature himself will opens up for you.

It’s a shamanic idea, one of the oldest source of all magic in the world. An interesting work about the shamanic sources of grimoires magick is presented by Aaron Leitch at “Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires”.

Many native traditional cultures name the elementals as relatives. Mother earth, brother wind, sister water, etc.
This is to recognize they are part of the wide nature as all of us are part of that.
One more reason to repeat: be respectful. This is a main rule we have learned in traditional magic, sorcery, whatever area. Be angels, daemons, nature spirits, whatever.
They share the same living planet and astral dimensions all of us are living.
And many of them are ready to be your friends someway too.
Got this?
A respectful approach and the true desire to learn and to be opened to receive their energies will do wonders.
This is also related to opening your spiritual eye, the 3rd eye vision. There are many ways for that for sure. This is just one more. To be receptive.
And remember this: To say sincere “thanks” it’s a master key too.


General warnings about working with elementals
 
As cited before, people too often think fairies and others are nice, sweet, anything so fluffy to deal with. Just because fantasy tales.
And what happens?
They put many gnomes and fairies’s images at home, burn incense and invite them as guests. Like a party.
And their houses appears like a mystic store at first days. But wait.
Elementals spirits are bi-dimensional beings. There are just so closer of our tri-dimensional world.
And they are like children without rules too.
Such people invite them at home and forget about. Soon things are broken or disappears.
And most people does not realize what is the real source of the troubles! Elementals playing at their houses.
Just children foolish. Think about as many children running at your house like crazy doing all foolish things without any care.
As any other spirit, elementals may be called for work and then dismissed.
Yes, be explicit to tell them to let the place and go back to their own area.
Even if you are doing this with that nice fairies dolls you found at some mystic store. 

This is one more reason we talk to never let an unattended candle.
Get this? The elementals like to walk around. Remember this.
Safety procedures are always needed. Be careful.
Think about this: even if you someday become a master, your workers and disciples still won’t be at same level and you must have an eye on them.

So, if you already learned to invoke the Angels, Kings or any Daemons related to that elemental areas, you always can invoke them to be over and command the operation you are doing and to watch over the elementals beings you are calling to work with.
As told above just for cite, this is possible too and very interesting. 

The idea of calling the pure elementals is also because you will be calling forces who are like children to work. But as any children, they have a long tongue when doing oracles. LOL…


Warning about photos


Photo by objektiiv.ee
In modern times, we have seen many images or such works. I do it sometimes too and some are vey nice.
The most easy to get are photos of fire.
But this is ruled under the same as for any magic working: you must ask permission to register what you are doing.

This is very important to remember. Be respectful!

Never, but never try to register images of any ritual or an elements oracle working without asking explicit permission. So you must be very alert to what kind of reply, some signal about the permission for doing that.
You are working with elementals and spirits, so be sure you will not be hidden trying to do such register. Ok?
Without an explicit permission, be with the traditional film cameras or a digital camera the results may vary just from registering nothing or just confuse images, going to a broken equipment and at some worst cases, you may receive a direct punch from the spirits who may got furious due the lack of discretion.
And a direct punch from such spirits can be anything, like some bad times doing cleanings and banishments going to even something simple, like a small stone jumping against your car’s front glass in the middle of the way. I saw even that. So do not mess with them.


Simple but effective 

To be short, such elementals oracles are simple but need practice while you develop your skills.
As cited before, an elemental oracle is something just like talking with it and to observe to the replies.
But as any spirits working, just to repeat, you must be respectful.
So prepare your oracle with the needed care, do the best you can for each case.
Do the best you can each time.
Temporary needs happens to anyone for sure, just be clear to say and explain this when you open the oracle and show you have a serious compromise to do better as you can.
To be sincere with them will help to make a solid relationship.
And again, a true relationship is what you need to work with the elements oracles.


The Oracles

Repeating once more. You will talk with the elementals and this is working as you open your spiritual vision.
I will comment some about each one, adding more at some due personal preferences.
But we have the same basic working ideas for each element for sure.

And very important: each oracle will present the information a very different point of view.

So think on this: each element have a different time and way in time. The visions you will get are related to that point of view.


A Cauldron Ritual of Fire of mine.


The Fire Oracle

Probably the most popular.
The fire is beautiful and anyone have seen images of witches dancing nude around a fire. A bit of fantasy people have for sure.

The most popular fire oracle I have seen is just to lit a candle and gaze at it.
And too often, I see a lot of newage style comments about guided visualizations and comments about how the flame may move this or that way. The problem is in practice, you won’t be reading many pages of a guided instructions for something that may be simple. No way! In my opinion many of such “instructions” are something near a fantasy mystic delusional delirium.
At maximum, my suggestion is to read that to get some idea, sometime one or other useful phrase may be found as many of such texts are just based or a copy from some source. With some luck, you will find something new to use. 

About using candles for a fire oracle, uhm, Ok, that will work.
May the flame dance or not, do some movements to get your attention.
We have many signals during rituals just coming from the candles. For sure they have a proper use.

But to be sincere, I’m not in love about to use a candle as a fire oracle. It’s so shy… 

See, fire is a strong example of free power. Fire need space to manifest.
Just release the fire and you will see the destruction it may does.
Fire is action.
Do not mess with the fire.

However, for a good fire oracle in my personal opinion is needed a decent size fire.
Please, do not put fire at the entire area.
Just have a decent size fire to last for some 30 minutes or more so the elementals can enjoy the place and do their work.
You may do a bonfire at your backyard or in a safe place in the woods or use a cauldron for it with a cup of alcohol at the cauldron.
If you do not have a witch's iron cauldron, you can use even a cuisine pot, but remember this is just something temporary only.
Be respectful in preparing your work materials, so a cuisine pot can only be used for the time it takes until you to get a better tool, a real iron cauldron or a yard to make a decent campfire.
Remember, use what you can, the best of it. But if you expect for real development you must work to have a proper tool.

Well, that is about having a decent size fire.
Yes, if you want to do a call for the fire elementals, the first is to do a decent size fire.
For sure, does not burn a forest nor your house. Does not be fanatic.
Be sure a very big fire, like a forest or a building burning does not will be good to try to use as an oracle. That is a time when fire get out of control, so do not mess with it!

As a personal choice, I love to do a bonfire at backyard or at some place in nature.
Just think about that as the same you would do while in a camp.
Campfires are great places where friends meet, even got drunk and talk a lot of bullshit.
If you read again the previous phrase, you get one aspect of the fire elementals working: passion. Make people be hot and friendly with others. Campfires are great times for people meeting. Companies would do a lot more if they turn their office meetings into doing campfires with their executives. Not just a barbeque. I say a decent size fire to people be around. But that works also often expose secrets because the fire light and sometimes a lot of alcohol drinking. LOL…
What ancient warriors did while planning or preparing for a fight next day? A campfire. Uhm?

Just to cite a scene at movies, just see Kirk, McCoy and my beloved uncle Spock at the movie “Star Trek V The Final Frontier”. They traveled everywhere into the Galaxy in a starship. But just a campfire did wonders. How far does you have gone when something so near can do wonders?
I add that part just to note they are in a campfire.


That are epic scenes anyways if you like Sci-Fi.  But if you don't like Star Trek, sorry.

So what the idea with the oracle of fire?

Action.
Fire is flow.
Fire is passion.
Fire burn something to turn it into something else (air). Better to remember, smoke is related to the air. And the final result is the earth (ashes).
The fire will show aspects under the vision of “action”, movement. Events happening related to something.
Consecrate your fireplace as you choose and greeting the energies and spirits you may be or not asked to be present too.
A fire oracle is like a happy hour with friends sometimes.
During a bonfire or at the cauldron, I will be drinking a good wine and sharing with the evoked energies.
Let’s the fire become present and flow as it become hotter and moving. Take your time.
If you want, you can invite the fire elementals to present themselves if they want. See this, invite but allow them to choose if they want to be present.
Sometimes the salamanders will appears dancing in the fire and they are very nice flashing there.
It’s interesting to observe as sometimes they will be really present and dance in the flames.
All that is moving. And that is a party.

As you get the fire to be really live, look to the fire and ask it to open for you the oracle of the flames.
Be explicit. Something like:
“I invoke the oracle of flames. May this flames open the gates so I can see all occult things and understand what I want about N.”
Where “N” is the area, person or topic you want to know.
Then just observe the fire and let your mind to be opened to any ideas you got. Sometimes the flames may do some move that catch your attention. Other times, that will flash like images into your head as you develop your intuition and 3rd eye vision.
Watch and allow that to flow.
And keep relaxed. This is not like scrying with fixed eyes, but more like just to pay attention to any scenes the fire will present you and the related ideas you got in your mind.
As I told, you may be even drinking in a feast with the fire.
The oracle images will flash when present something, with time you will learn to pay attention to some specific scene or idea and get the messages you want.
As the images flash, you will remember the fire is action and passion moving, so the replies are in the point of view of fast business, fast action. Too often very direct.

At the end, give thanks for their presence and dismiss them.


Childlike Happiness
Photo: Mark Hobson


The Water Oracle

Another popular oracle as water can be used in many ways.
You may observe the water in a big bowl, a small calm part of a river or lake or a water spring in the middle of some land area. A timid waterfall in a stream can be fantastic if you found a place in nature where the elementals spirits live.
Small areas are better and the water must be calm, except in the case of the example of a very small and calm waterfall. I say, that really small ones, just few foot height and very calm places.
As the fire, water can also become out of control.
A flood for sure is not good to try an oracle reading. Same for the places where the rivers are breaking the earth fast.
And no, is not a good idea to try this practice while you are doing a rafting in the Colorado River.
To be clear, as I did rafting before, is possible to talk with the river and receive some replies during the action, but it’s not the same as an oracle. The river will be talking while a challenge for your senses, it is more a warrior practice to learn to use.
Water is beautiful, fluid.
Water is a direct connection with your emotions.
The water oracle will show you how things appears under the emotional aspects.
The images you will get are very emotional most of times.
While fire is related with action, passion, water is related with feelings.
The fire show just action. Water will show some ideas of the “why” and “for what” just because that is related with how you feel about.

Choose the place, seat to observe.
When you ask to open the oracle of the water, you are also inviting your own emotional areas to be receptive.
How a stream flow? The water flow to reach again a calm state. This is what of to expect of the oracle. A seeking calm point of view. Even more meditative.
When a river run fast or jump in a big fall, that are done to reach a calm point again. And someday, find the sea. So the replies have a different point of view, just from someone who is watching at some distance and present a wide scenario.
Think about this: you feel your head and your foot at same time Ok? The same way, a river at source also is connected with the point where he meet the sea. Uhm? It’s a wide sense.
So between the “why” and the “for what” points, remember the river may have calms and some fast places, waterfalls, etc. happening.
Think as the water from the ocean may take some few days and weeks from the sea to the clouds and rain again into earth. That will start the cycle again to run into the sea. A giant river like the Amazon means just many weeks from the highest mountain until reach the sea again.

And here is interesting to observe and remember. There are the fast times in the life cycle of the water. From the ocean to clouds and back to the earth again in the top of the mountains.
There are rapids, falls and even some swamps where the water get trapped.
This is very related to emotions as cited before.
So the “calm” replies may also add this aspect.
Emotions can vary from happiness, to calm flow, stagnation areas and even to fear.
So even fear is a “calm” aspect of feelings. The most fear, the most vulnerable.
Fear can make someone become rigid.
How is the water in the poles or in the most high mountains? It got frozen. Ice. But even that ice someday will become fluid again. That water just choose to stay for a while, or better, a long time at such places and receive more of the energy such places have. Just think why so many people fall in love to climb and stay there, the high mountains, or at the poles. Emotions got so calm and can be observed at same time others aspects can be worked. Like observe large horizons.
To learn what fear is can make a warrior to become a hero. To go over the fear and act.
But also, fear help to the warrior does not act like a stupid suicidal.
Such images can be very deep at your most ancient memories and show things in a way you will fear or even fall in love with.

At the end, give thanks for their presence and dismiss them.
The water you used you can just throw it at the earth, like a garden to release the energy.


Wind
Photo: BenKrohn - Finland

The Air Oracle

This as the earth, can be a very rare oracle to work.
The Air will work at first on your mind. The ideas level.
What your mind is doing just now?
Stop for a moment and observe what’s really happening inside your head now.
How many different thoughts you can observe at once?
The mind area too often is very busy with a lot of events and ideas and remembering all that is happening at once.
At same time you are doing something, remembering others, plus a lot of images from current and even past events.
Just now your mind is working with this text, but also everything related with the room you are, feelings, body sensations, any sounds sources AND due this, presenting information from your memory related to all that.
Add to this, all subconscious level workings.
Your mind is like a crazy machine doing thousands of works at same time.
Every image, sound, body sensation is being compared to everything your memory have registered searching for some pattern or related topic.
You just look to something before and that brings into your current thoughts an older event?
But that also happens to something you saw times ago. Your mind took that and keep comparing, searching it at the memory files.
Is very common someone to “remember” an event due something that happened times before. In practice, your mind had been working all this time trying to do a match.
Have you think why that happened? Simple, just because the most simple thing you see, listen or think, even a smell, is compared to everything in you memory. That means, millions of events happening and you was not aware. And that can take a long time.
Got worried because all that? No worries, its just what a brain do. And this is a reason we suggest to learn some practice like meditation. To improve your brain and also your soul.

So how to get some oracle in the air?
The air is invisible!
Well, meditation practices works first to make you became just an observer. It’s not just to calm your mind, but to keep aware of that and let your soul fly free. Just to say so.
The replies the air oracle present can appears to be disconnected of other aspects, just appears something blowing in the wind.
The air elements at first are invisible. Or not. Just remember the sky appear to be blue because the sun light. 
You can feel the air due the light or because the wind.
So as the other elements, strong air movements are not safe for trying a reading. Like a hurricane.
But the wind is fresh. Like a calm river or lake.

But when there’s no wind, how to get it?

The oracle of the air is something to be worked usually at open areas.
And better near the nature.
So if you are among oppressive buildings in the city, or a closed room there are few opportunity to the elemental forces be acting without restriction.
They will be there anyway, but that also means you must be really able to get that.
So open areas, even a calm street in town area will be better.
This oracle is a bit different to open.
You may be seat in a nice place in the woods, meditating, or in the beach, or seated in you house’s garden.
This is a best condition. A calm mind and a receptive state.
But due the initiations I had, I observed it will work also anywhere, I say even walking in the street and on need of some information. But see, this is due practical training and even so, not all times a so good work condition and hard to get what is just your mind or a proper reply from the air.

As any oracle, the best is to take a time to do the reading you need.
Have a proper place and time.
As before, use your voice and command to the oracle of the air be opened for you.
The images you will get are direct into your mind level. Like ideas coming from somewhere.
Remember as commented, our brain can even be a crazy machine. You need to learn to calm your mind and be able to separate what is coming outside from your own work.
But as the fire and the water have different ways to present to you, as light or the wet emotional images, the same way the air have some aspects to observe.
The first, is moving. The wind.
A good idea is to have near something to observe, like trees, plants or even the smoke from a source. Their movements may have a meaning during the oracle of the air.
Here you will not be talking with the trees not the fire. Just using part of that to observe what the air is doing.
And for sure, the best of all, is feeling the wind around you.
When you have the pleasure of the wind, you will note how the wind is touching you, gentle or not, trying to move your head to look to some point and get an image from that place.
When you have wind, this happens, he can be like a lover hand touching you and suggesting ideas and some will again, just be flashing into your head.
Sometimes you may even note the wind touching you, but everything around is quiet. No one leaf in the trees are moving. This happened using smoke in a bonfire. I was very closer feeling the wind, but the smoke was straight as if nothing was happening.
Another was a personal reading during a Sabbath, using the wind for this, the person just in front of me had her hair and clothes moving but I felt nothing touching me. The wind was showing what was behind her thoughts and she was forced to confirm everything I told.
Yes, the elements oracles can be used for live readings when you get it.
There are more working with the air oracles.
There are the wind. But if not, you may feel changes in temperature, heat or cold that do not match the place in anyway.
Sometimes on sunny days the hot air moving up makes visible shadows on the ground, like cement, rock or sand, as if they were waves. Note this, too.
Also may happens oppressive conditions, like to be hard to breath.
I cited to dislike using candles for oracles, but once I asked the air oracle and a candle suddenly seemed to have been crushed, the flame almost erased as I asked for confirmation of the mental image I had, then suddenly the candle shone with the air as a confirm. This was a try working with this oracle inside my temple room. Another reason I talk about drastic changes in temperature. But such things happens at open places. Another was in a mountain, a very cold place and the air became hot in a way I had related messages. .
Such changes are physical to show the air is there, but such have to be related to some images or intuition you have at same time.
To say soo, such changes are just like air elementals spirits foolish. They are invisible, but they like to say they are near too.

Be sure to give thanks to the air elements. They are listening everywhere.
At the end, give thanks for their presence and dismiss them. 


Big Rock
Photo: Ruben - Vlc, Catalonia - Spain


The Earth Oracle

The earth is the most brute and the most unknown oracle.
It's the oracle of the big rocks. 
It will put you on the ground. How things in the planet was created and where they go?
This oracle often works on large period’s points of view. Not just immediate needs, but the teachings about your path in life, getting wisdom, understand how things work in a wide time lapse.
While the other elements can have short life cycles, the earth may often means hundred thousand years or even millions of years for just something happens.
This is the oracle of the big rocks.
But few times to be practiced with the small ones.
For sure crystals, or just some mirrors done with a piece of stone are great. But that are used most as divination tool.
With a great luck, one may find a not so big one, uhm, 2-3 foot size to become an oracle. But such one are rare and must be very special, taken direct from the ground and be untouched before. Still, will be like a baby rock. 
For a real oracle purpose, the best are the big ones at distant nature places and as possible, untouched or with rare contact with people so they keep their pure aspects.
Rocks need a long rest time when are disturbed. The good sculptors know they should let the stone rest in nature for a long time when they are moved or worked.
Do not mess with the old ones.
To find the ancient nobles, one must go into the mountains, deserts, cliffs or rocky coastlines.
Such ones are often the working place for initiation rites on ancient paths.
There are places with some sacred rocks who receive offerings due their power. People does not go there to do an offering for a spirit, but for the rock, or even a mountain.
As any other living being, some rocks have more power than others do.
Some ancient traditional groups had some simple practices, like to be closer a specific big rock for a long time. Like for mystic warrior challenges, standing under the sun, without water as long as possible. Or just to be under that big rock without any protection for rain, wind or cold. They are there to listen the rock and receive their ancient wisdom.
The rock is part of that and the seeker is going to get connected with its energy.
To be so closer such big elements is to face the planet most oldest beings.

Sometimes we have some big problem in life like bad memories and regrets. The type we talk about with other people sometimes. A hurt or sadness that needs to be forgotten and this can be very difficult.
If one goes to talk about that at the hair stylist, that's just gossip and receive more gossip in return. Not so much different with most people. They will reply just telling you about their problems and nothing got solved, but just the opposite, that feed the problem with more bad energy.
However, to talk to one of that older big ones rocks, for a last time is a final cut. They will hear what you have to say but contrary to people, they will return only the pure energy of nature, of growth. This same practice also work with big older trees. They are elder ones.
Telling your sorrows to these great natural beings is a way to end a cycle and leave behind something that bothers you greatly.
This is an aspect of the earth oracle. They listen too.
Get this? Any oracle in practice is a two way communication. They listen and reply.
The earth oracle is most suitable for a spiritual seeker. A warrior.
As the other oracles, it may be approached with great respect.
The rock may dislike you and fall over your head. Or make you have a bad step following, and you will jump in a cliff.
To found one, you need to walk in the woods, a coastline, a riverside or at the desert, wherever until meet a proper place. As told before, at distant places.
The work you have to be there is part of your prepare to ask for the oracle.
Seat or stand in front of the rock and stay quiet all the needed time to observe until the rock pay attention to you.
Remember, they have a long life, far away from your common idea about life, before any known modern civilization. Yes, there was many others before. So they don’t pay too much attention to fast events. That can need a long time until you have a message, a vision on the rock surface or even feeling to be moved to see another reality level.
May be you have the opportunity to found a smaller one, as cited before, 2-3 foot size, or even bigger, to adopt and let it rest undisturbed at your backyard for months and years so the stone relax and become an antenna for the inner planet energy.  That’s will be priceless.

When you finish, thanks for their presence and dismiss them.

Cooling off at Lynn Headwaters in North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Photo: Ann Badjura

Some final notes

If you have the opportunity of proper nature places for such workings, sometimes you will observe more than one element to be very near.
For example, you may find a big rock just closer a river. This way, you can invoke the energy of the water to expand your inner vision, and then ask the rock to open the oracle for you. This way you may flow better into the visions of the rock.
Doing the opposite, first asking to the rock to support you and then invoking the oracle of the water will help you to have a ground and not be caught into some emotional aspects that sometimes happens.
Same when you have a place to work with a bonfire, be near the water of the rocks.
Or just the wind you will find moving more near big rock areas or near a river.

Always at finish give thanks and dismiss the energies you invoked.

Always remember for physical safety.
If you are aside a cliff, you may be sure you are grounded before working with the wind.
If you choose the water, also be sure you are fixed at place as even some strange or even stupid accidents may happens if you enter at the water. For example, is not good idea to enter in a lake during the oracle even if the elementals invite you.
Never let an unattended candle. If you finish the work, most of times is Ok to finish the fire.
In the case of a bonfire, you must be sure it is finished and is safe to leave the area. Be careful! Do not start a forest fire!

Do not let any human garbage at the place. That will be very disrespectful to the spirits you called before.

To improve your skills, walk at the nature always as you can.
You will discover nature grow anywhere even in a city.
Learn to be quiet and just observe this way learning about the energy at each place.
With time, you will expand your senses.

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16/11/2016