Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For this week’s Mermaid Monday post, I will be discussing Watery Portals within the Self. When I say Watery Portals within the Self, that means looking at diving deep into the self, and truly focusing on the internal portals that can lead to deeper self-knowledge! Without further ado, let’s take a journey into the depths.
It is well documented in folklore and mythology that Water can serve as a portal. There are countless examples from Celtic lore that show Water acting as a Portal to Faerylands and the Otherworld. This includes many Otherworldly Islands, like Avalon herself, that serve as the home of the Fae, the home of the Dead, and the home of many magickal groups of Faery Queens (like the Ninefold Sisterhood of Avalon).
By this logic, we can see that traveling across Water and traveling Underwater can aid us in accessing the Otherworld. This inward Otherworldly Journey, or Underworldly Journey, can be mirrored in the Shadow Work we do when we go within ourselves! I often experience the energy of entering Watery Portals when I am Vision Questing, Astral Projecting, or any other form of meditative Shadow Work. Now, this could be due in part to my innate connection with the Water element. However, I think it goes far beyond that, especially given just how much folklore and mythology we have with Watery Portals being a conduit into Faerylands!
Here are just a few examples. Avalon is reached by a Barge and the Parting of the Mists. In the story of the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach, the prospective husband must journey under the Waters of the Lake to meet his future bride’s father and pass a test. Stories of the Gwragedd Annwn have them tending Faery Cows in their homes at the bottom of the Lake, which can be interpreted as their home being reached by a Portal at the bottom of the Lake.
So, how can we work with the Watery Portals within ourselves? Well, as I mentioned above, I often feel like I am entering through Watery Portals when I am Vision Journeying and Astral Projecting, and doing other forms of Shadow Work (especially meditative ones). Listening to trance drumming tracks, or any other repetitive meditation music, may be an aid to get you into the correct headspace for this. Beyond these techniques, I would also recommend building a stronger bond with the Water element. For instance, drinking more Water (most of us need to, as we are not nearly hydrated enough), taking long baths (or swimming, the point is to be submerged in Water), and using a humidifier in the Winter (I can say that our humidifier has been so helpful to keep the air breathable and the energy elevated). In fact, listening to your body, in general, can be an aid in connecting with the Water element, as the human body is mostly made up of Water!
Once you feel more deeply connected to Water, I would recommend incorporating Water more directly into your magickal and spiritual practices and Shadow Work. One of the best ways to do this is to Water Scry. Having a bowl, chalice, or cauldron of Water in front of you and staring into the liquid, even if you do not see visions in the Water or go into a trance, can be incredibly soothing. The energy of the Water will be in the room, and this may make a meditation conducted during or after scrying more profound.
As for visualizations in meditation, I like to imagine diving into the depths of a Sacred Well, the Ocean, or a Lake, in my mind’s eye, to visualize delving deeper into the Waters of my Unconscious. I have found so many profound insights to be gained with this type of visualization during meditation, always made more potent if I am Water Scrying. This is when the energy of going through Watery Portals in my own mind and body becomes heightened, and I feel so alive! New insights, confronting of the Shadow, and self-understanding are often found as I journey through the Watery Portals within myself.
I hope you have enjoyed this meditative look at the Watery Portals that may be found within the self. Do you access the Watery Portals within? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a painting titled “Meeting under the Moon” by Edyge Turlybekov. I found the art on https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Meeting-under-the-Moon/1257125/4993190/view?srsltid=AfmBOoqCso1LsuezHYFR3T7XLO_a3sJ8sZW1oRwi_A3EkScOQyKxGmEr.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
Further Reading
- Welsh Fairies by Mhara Starling
- Wisht Waters by Gemma Gary
- Avalon Within by Jhenah Telyndru