Wednesday, February 25, 2009

#26 CRYSTAL MAPS

Do you have a favorite gemstone? Do you know its properties for healing? Do you know its mythology, how it received its name and properties? Amethyst, Rose Quartz, Emerald, Ruby, Hematite, Garnet, Tiger's Eye, and hundreds of others are easily found in jewelry shops and New Age shops these days. You can find gemstone guide books, or even search online to learn about your favorite stone's properties. It's important to educate yourself and know this information in order to be able to do this particular (Soma)tic Poetry Exercise. Once you have a stone you want to work with, and know enough about, take a sheet of blank white paper. Draw a map of the streets or roads surrounding your home. Once your map is drawn, sit very quietly with your stone, the map in front of you. Close your eyes and meditate on your stone, thinking about the healing properties and other legends pertaining to your stone's world history. When you feel ready, open your eyes AND WITHOUT THINKING throw the stone onto the map. Now, go to that location with the stone. When you arrive at the location drink in the landscape. Be quiet, be invisible. Stand there, or sit there and be quiet, the stone in your hand. In your notebook take notes about what you see, feel, hear, smell, take it all in and write it all down. Then IMAGINE how the properties of your stone FIT into the world before you. For instance, if your stone is Garnet, this stone is known for the ability to maintain psychic protection, so, how would psychic protection be useful for what you see in front of you and around you? Take notes, LOTS OF NOTES! Now take all your notes, and using THE FILTERS "SOFTEN" and "VICTOR" get to work shaping your poem.