Since August of 1998, I have been working with some of the members of Willow Lodge on walking the Tree of Life via pathworking meditations. While most of these have been from the book The Shining Paths by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, Olwen wrote our 30^th path meditation and my 19th Path meditation (featuring Sekhmet, of course) appears below.

The Malachim open the door leading to Geburah and we enter a tunnel of golden light, emphasizing the vibration of love awakened by the Grail. Khamael greets us in the temple of Geburah, his face serious and a little stern. He draws the sigil and the tarot card Strength forms across the door. We step through the curtain and you suddenly find yourself standing without your companions in the heat of a barren desert, for there are things here that must be faced alone.

You see a dark cloud approaching – as it gets closer, you see that it is an immense sandstorm raging across the desert. Being driven before it are people you recognize – people from your past who call up memories you’d rather forget… memories of intentional cruelties and deliberate hurts you’ve imposed on others, of lost opportunities and betrayals, of lashing out at loved ones, and laying blame on others for your own mistakes. You watch these living memories flow by, forming a tapestry, and you can now see the patterns that you have – at times – let control your life.

Even the archangels are affected by these patterns. Sandalphon stumbles past you, covered in cuts and bruises, each injury marking a time you failed to respect the Earth and its children. Nearby, gentle Gabriel tries to collect the shattered remains of a fragile gift before they are blown away, as so many of his gifts of knowledge have been in the past. And golden Michael lies bleeding from grievous wounds caused by the double-edged sword of ego and false pride.

The wind increases and you realize that the storm is upon you. You look up, and it coalesces into the fearsome form of Sekhmet the Destroyer, a spitting Cobra on Her brow, and bearing a flaming sword with the symbol for Leo inscribed on the blade. As you look up into Her rage-filled eyes, you realize that this nightmarish vision is the sum total of all your negativity in this life – that in this place, She is you—your dark twin. Look well into what faces you – there is always a reason such creatures exist. How can this thing be destroyed? Does it have to be destroyed? Will you be able to kill a part of yourself? What have you learned that will help you end this nightmare?

You hear the sweet tone of the Grail in your mind and realize that only through Love can this vision be transformed. Can you forgive yourself sufficiently to do this? Think of your child self, frightened by things not yet understood and resorting to hurting before it could be hurt. Think of the confused adolescent trying to cope with life-altering changes, within and without. And think of the adult, unconsciously following these earlier patterns. There are no excuses for what was done, but you can let it pass, forgive it and love it, if you choose to do so.

You approach the raging lioness and draw the letter Teth in the air between you, invoking the healing power and wisdom of the Serpent. As the glowing letter fades, you see Her transform into Sekhmet the Healer, Her flaming sword now a lotus wand; the Cobra sitting alert and calm above Her third eye. The shape dwindles and dissolves into a small cup filled with liquid – the essence of what you have just overcome with love. It is a cup of bitterness, but it must be drunk. The first taste is foul, but the second is sweeter, and the last holds the taste of honeyed wine.

Raphael and Khamael come towards you and hold up the curtain that leads back to the temple of Geburah. You cross over and are rejoined by your companions and the joyous, fully restored archangels, who crown us with laurel, then enclose us within their auras, completing the healing of our battered spirits. Together we enter the tunnel of golden light that leads back to Tiphereth. We bid Raphael farewell and continue through the arch, down the rainbow path. At the Temple of the Moon Michael and Gabriel say farewell – we try to tell them what is in our hearts, but we find there is no need – instead of words, there is just love.

With the archangel of Malkuth we walk down the misty path to the Temple of Earth. We want only to sleep and rest, and it is within the comforting aura of Sandalphon’s presence that we close our eyes and let the temple fade around us.