Two Powers Meditation (Dedicant Path Essay)

My meditation practice started when I was exploring Catholicism. The rosary and its attendant meditations immediately clicked with me, the tactile elements of the beads, the standard prayers that silenced my internal chatter, the guidance of subjects to contemplate. It just works for me. I've explored other meditations since with varying degrees of success. Visualization heavy guided meditations don't work well for me, I have poor eyesight and don't rely on vision in ordinary living as much as I think many folks do. Walking meditations are amazing, especially the Labyrinth a local UU church sponsored monthly. I need my meditations to be tactile to keep my mind focused.

At first, using the Dedicant Manual's guided Two Powers structure, I really struggled to connect. I changed my perspective on it after reading a lot of dedicant blogs and finding a modification that worked better. To connect with the Two Powers, I had to shift my perspective and relate to it as a tactile meditation.  I do use a script, though it's very short, and most of the meditation is silent. I forego the script if I'm trying to snatch a quick meditation in the middle of a crowd or at my desk at work.

Sacred well, flow in me this day.

Sacred fire, burn in me this day.

Sacred tree, grow in me this day.

(This form of the meditation is modified from Kevin Silverstag's Blog here: https://atthesignofthewhitehart.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/the-three-powers-meditation/)

The first segment, the well, I concentrate on the cool, flowing sensation of water. I usually do visualize dark, brown, moist earth, but the physical sensation is the important connector. As I inhale, I draw the water up through my feet and legs and into the center of my body.

For the fire, I concentrate on the warm heat of the sun shining on my face and shoulders. I try to see blue sky and bright sunlight, but again, the important part is getting the physical sensation of heat and warmth and well being. As I exhale, I draw the sunlight down through my body.

At this point, I have to take a moment to balance the two powers, it's easy to lose the deep power when drawing the bright power. Once the two powers are flowing together I can feel a deep, cyclical, push and pull inside me as they interact. This is when I focus on being the tree, between the worlds, drawing needed nourishment from both but part of neither. There is frequently a physical sensation of wind moving around me, rustling my leaves.

Yggdrasil, from English translation of the Prose Edda, by Oluf Olufsen Bagge
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons

I can typically only hold the meditation for a few minutes, although I tend to be better at it the more I practice. When I start to become distracted, I release the powers in the opposite order I drew them (tree, fire, well) and return to my regular day.

I've found that regular practice of this does keep me feeling whole and connected. I'm not great at maintaining a regular practice, but it's a valuable skill and I'm extremely glad I tried it.