The Aesculapian Staff
Last Tuesday, 23 September, there was the Yogic point of autumn equinox, an important time for aligning with the annual ritual of the 2 solstices and 2 equinoxes (read here more about the spiritual impact of this festival). We gathered with a group of 8 persons from Germany and Switzerland near Einsiedeln at the birthplace of Paracelsus, the great initiate and revolutionary of medicine. On the way, a fantastic sunrise already announced an extraordinary day. The air was filled with golden light when we met at the Paracelsus center.After preparing the room with a thanksgiving altar, we started with a little candlelight ceremony (in the esoteric understanding, Libra, representing the unfoldment of objectivity or matter, is the midnight of the subjective side of the year) intonating the mantra of Durga. I gave a short introduction into the theme of the equinox and of the symbolism of Durga, the impermeable Mother. Then we did a group study about the deeper meaning of the ritualistic symbolism.
After the lunch prepared by the group, we went for a walk through the beauty of the surrounding nature, followed by coffee and cake and the discussion of some house rules for the use of the rooms, which we had prepared beforehand – and it seemed to be necessary for the center to run smoothly. The group also decided to make a “cleaning festival” for the rooms next year before Easter – two days of a group living with a cleanup of the center.
We continued with an exercise which I had developed on the basis of the teachings of Master KPK on the directional intelligences of space and the inner planets, followed by a group exchange about some principles of Yoga. The beautiful day ended with a group meditation followed by a water ritual and dinner. On the way home, there was a radiant after-sunset glow in the air, the final of a day full of magic.
