Water Spirits

Self-transformation is an enigmatic process; we all know what we ought to be like, how we ought to be thinking and acting, but we don’t know how to actually do it. Even when we can look back on ways in which we have grown spiritually over the years, we can’t really understand how we got from there to here. In other words, self-transformation is a process which we can never understand intellectually, but can only feel.
 In fact, the essence of self-transformation is a lessening of our sense of importance.  The theory of importance is discussed at great length in my book Thought Forms; in essence, importance is like a “glue” that we use to hold ourselves together, or a shield we put up against our deaths.  Without it we would be in the same position as a newborn – completely passive, vulnerable, and incapable of accomplishing anything. Our sense of separatedness – our feeling that there is an “I” there – is ultimately a product of our importance.

On the other hand, importance can also become a sticky mess, a barrier that not only keeps our deaths at bay, but which also separates us from (has us close our hearts to) other people, and our own true feelings. To erase our importance is to feel the barriers which separate us from other people lessening, but also to open ourselves up to the feeling of death breathing down our necks.

There are many techniques used for erasing importance. The one I have found to be most effective, easy, and joyous is going to nature spirits, particularly tree and water spirits. While some nature spirits (such as mountain and cave spirits) can be rather strict and tricky to deal with (require a lot of propitiation), tree and water spirits are gentle and mellow.

Go out alone to a river or creek in an undeveloped area (i.e. where there aren’t any people). You should go alone because if you go with a friend you will tend to keep referring your judgments back to the friend for validation instead of taking responsibility for your intuitive judgments yourself. When you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s always better to do it alone.

Start walking upstream, paying close attention to the sights and sounds. Water spirits tend to be at places where there are springs, bends in the river, deep pools, cataracts, rapids, etc. Usually there are also striking physical features at such places – unusual vegetation on the banks, or interesting rock formations. There’s often a distinct change in the sound the river makes – if it’s been gurgling, it suddenly becomes calm, or the reverse. In other words, there are usually sensory clues to indicate that a water spirit is indeed present.  However you should also be able to feel that there’s a water spirit there – that this particular place along the river has a unique feeling (personality) to it. Whenever you get the feeling that you’ve arrived at the right place, rest assured that you’ve arrived at the right place. Trust yourself.

Sit down on the bank and relax.  Talk to the spirit. You won’t feel silly doing this if you’re alone.  Tell the spirit who you are and why you’ve come.  Ask it to help you wash away your importance.  Then take off your clothes and jump in (or if it’s shallow, just splash around).  Don’t use soap. If the water is unpolluted, take a little sip. Then thank the spirit, dry off, and leave.

You should go back to this spirit every single day, if possible, and repeat the exercise.  If you can’t do it every day, then go as often as you can (though that should be at least once a week, even if this means in the snow).  You should also go anytime someone has dumped a heavy neggie on you, or you feel depressed, desperate, or self-pitying. You may not feel much difference after your first visits to the water spirit, but after a while you will definitely feel what that spirit is doing to you. There will be times – especially when you go to the spirit in a mood of great turmoil and upset – when you will be amazed by how much the spirit can calm you and soothe you.

Water spirits actually “eat” your importance – to them it’s a kind of food you are offering them, so the relationship is symbiotic, it’s not as if you are the only one benefiting.  However, it’s a good idea to take the spirit a little present occasionally, such as a bunch of flowers, a pretty stone, or some food items you have made lovingly yourself (a token portion will suffice). One wouldn’t suppose that spirits would care about such things, but in fact they are delighted with little presents and the thoughtfulness behind them. 
 You can get holy water from the water spirit, to be used for blessing, purifying, etc.  You should do this on the dark of the moon (with the moon waning, before it has risen), with the moon in a water sign (Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces).  Ask it to bless the water for you as you draw it.

As you get to know your spirit better you’ll acquire a great fondness for it, and come to regard your visits to it as the high point of your day (or week).  After a couple of months you will find your everyday life becoming calmer, more peaceful and relaxed, without any obvious reason for it.