NATURE ALCHEMY ~ Journey through Spirit in the Natural World
JEWELED CAVE
~ Gift of Inner Beauty ~
Beauty is looking deep into your soul and knowing who you are inside. ~ Renita Williams, Inspirational Writer: Quotes that Celebrate Inner Beauty, Beliefnet.com
Sheltered within the subterranean heart of Mountain Majesty lie hidden treasures to behold. Deep within the caverns, in a luminous grotto, exquisite stones of great wealth and beauty take shape. This is the Jeweled Cave, a silent revelation of sublime, infinitely sparkling gems. Throughout time, these beloved gifts of Mother Earth have been highly sought after. Since the discovery of these riches, mankind has explored every corner of the world through treacherous trails, scaling massive mountains – sometimes at great peril to himself and others.
The brilliance of Jeweled Cave’s allure holds an historical and mystical aura of wealth and power. Within the hierarchy of royalty, gemstones have signified a high standard of rank, affluence, and influence, celebrating the person adorned. Through the emotion of love, men have bestowed them upon women as symbols of affection and desire. Since ancient times, jewels have been worn in cultural celebrations and rituals throughout the world with pomp and circumstance.
Many religious traditions honored caves as hallowed ground, believing they led into passages of initiation through the underworld. This belief was heightened through the performance of ceremonial rites and sacrifices. As cultural and historical signatures from early man, expressive drawings, artifacts, and sculptures are found deep within the canyons of earth, guiding adventurers to great archeological discoveries. These mysterious, underground caverns have fascinated scientists, artists, poets, philosophers, and musicians throughout time.
~ JEWELED CAVE POWER MESSAGE ~
I sparkle in your eyes, and yet it is you who shines!
Your vision of me is of yourself, for we dwell within the world of One.
My light is your light, and it shines greatly!
Come into my radiance where you can see thyself.
And as you uncover the brilliance of your Soul,
It is here where I dwell,
In the midst of your Holy Heart.
This is the true essence of thee,
Always in the form of Spirit.
Your purpose, then, is to uncover, to excavate
The Divine within.
~ CAVE ELEMENTS AND SYMBOLOGY ~
Through the physical and spiritual realms of the Five Kingdoms in Nature:
Celestial, Elemental, Fauna, Flora, and Mineral
Cybele – the ancient Anatolian (Asia Minor) Mother Goddess of caverns, mountains, fertile nature, and wild animals. As an exotic, corpulent mysterious deity from 6000 BC, she inhabits the world of the midnight cave, and had an ecstatic cult following. Cybele was considered “born from stone”, and is sometimes portrayed as giving birth on her throne. Historical images and symbols of her suggest she acted as a mediator between the boundaries of the known and unknown; thus, her power spoke universally and directly to her followers. With Goddess Cybele’s heavenly guidance, we can discover the glorious treasures of ourselves within. Her path from the known physical mundane experience into the unknown, deeper mystery of Spirit can be conceived as a birth of the Self. “Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything.” This lucid observation by British author and academic, William MacNeile Dixon, sublimely expresses Cybele’s gift to humanity. She can lead us through the common, shrouded darkness of the outer mind, into the mystical Divine – the heart of our Sacred Self. This is the Jeweled Cave of our inner being, where the Infinite Self, bright and beautiful, dwells. This is our hidden perfection made manifest through the quintessential path of Mother Goddess Cybele.
Limestone – a predominant cave mineral made from ancient ocean floors found in the most beautiful, deepest, and longest caverns in the world. In these underground landscapes, adventure reigns high, as limestone is soluble, dissolving from rain and groundwater, creating magnificent structures and stunning rock formations like stalactites (ceiling icicle shapes), stalagmites (floor upside-down icicle shapes), cliffs, bridges, tunnels, mazes, cathedrals, and other fantastical creations. Limestone is the foundation for Inner Beauty’s manifestation. Evelyn Dunbar, British artist and forerunner of the Green Movement, insightfully noted, “We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.” This reflects the serendipitous joy of discovery that can be experienced when we gaze upon the loveliness of our own great gifts within. When we allow the flowing waters of Spirit to dissolve the hardened aspects of self, our inner light can beautify the outer personality to reflect the truth of who we are – sometimes hidden deep within. This is high adventure in the celebrated excavation of the Soul!
Water – a purifying and clarifying natural element. Water plays an important role in the formation of world caves. Seeping through rock fractures, crevices, and sinkholes, rainwater creates passageways running throughout various cavern environs in channels of streams, rivers, glaciers, sea waves, and ponds. After eroding the bedrock over thousands, perhaps millions of years, these canals evolve into caves. As groundwater reaches a hollow cavity, minerals are deposited on the canyon ceiling or walls, creating gemstone crystals. Thus, the symbolic element of water purifies the cavernous channels of the mind to expand in universal consciousness, reaching the hidden wonder of our glorious gifts flowing from the eternal fountain within. This can be a slow, trickling process, or a rushing current of self-realization, for everyone is unique in their own creative awakening. Celebrated American author and scholar, Norman Maclean, perceived: “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” Thus, the healing waters of Spirit clarify all life into the shining unity of One.
Dark and Light – dual aspects of illumination. Within the heart of the cave dwells silent darkness; it is here where Magick is first conceived! In the shadow lands, great spiritual wealth and splendor are hidden, but very much present. The fertile ground of darkness is a precursor to the radiance of light, allowing this element to flourish in all its manifested brilliance. When light first permeates the world of obscurity, behold, there is great wonder! It births all the hidden gems silently slumbering within. Relative to the psyche, in order to incubate consciousness, sometimes darkness is required. Jean Genet, prominent French writer and political activist believed, “A man must dream in order to act with grandeur, and dreaming is nursed in darkness.” It is here where we ponder and play with ideas and perceptions until little bursts of light begin sparking Truth within – the truth that we are adorned, and infused, with treasures of great loveliness – the quintessence of our heart. And so, we may choose to bless the darkness as an unknown, yet clear passage to revelation, and to the radiance of our alighted Jeweled Cave within.
Bat – one of the most widely circulated mammals, existing in almost every habitat on earth. Although misaligned with fear-based stories of blood and vampires (which only a minute percentage seek in their natural mammalian diet), this simple, sensitive cave dweller thrives within a highly-structured, active social community with devoted family ties, in a nurturing colony with empathetic physical and verbal communication. Bat benefits are numerous: their diet of insects helps farmers control pests; fruit-eating bats are vital crop pollinators and seed dispensers, crucial for rainforest growth; their guano (dung) supports the entire cave food chain; and their carcass becomes food for countless creatures. Possessing keen echo-location “night-vision” using sound waves, and the only mammal achieving sustained flight, they are regarded in some cultures as a shamanic medicine totem, journeying through the unconscious depth of Divine intuition, dreams, and visions. With their symbolic ability to see through illusion into the heart of Truth, Bat leads us through the outdoor twilight for physical activity, then back into the nocturnal subconscious cave for unity and sacred introspection. And so, Bat represents the fertile depth of personal rebirth as it is a creature living in the womb-like cave of Mother Earth, from which it emerges each evening at dusk – and from the womb is reborn. Thus, Bat’s flight to and from the cavern beckons us to journey to the riches of our True Self, and live our life full, from that place of brilliance, power, and renewal. “Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world. Let your soul take you where you long to be…Close your eyes, let your Spirit start to soar, and you’ll live as you’ve never lived before.” These profound words by Erich Fromm, German-born American social philosopher and psychoanalyst, succinctly describe our Bat journey of self-discovery into the realm of our sparkling Soul.
Roots – the vital plant foundation for growth, secured to a support or ground, transferring nutrients to the whole. Although vegetation needs sunlight to thrive, many trees, grasses, mosses, ferns, and liverworts inhabit these cool, moist environments at the cave entrance, and in the twilight zone just beyond the skylight. The surface plants’ root systems can spread through a myriad of limestone crevices, or cave streams, reaching into the heart of the grotto. Thus, these subtle, quiescent roots act as an inflow of plant debris, adding to the nutrient and water quality, serving many creatures and benefiting the entire cave ecology. As we peacefully and deliberately follow our conscious roots, moving through the heart to the shining treasure of ourselves, we may unearth a unique gift to life: our true, personal loveliness. “Let us be easy…trying to create a new life, a new complete tree of life from the roots that are within us.” So proclaims D.H. Lawrence, noted English writer and painter. Lawrence’s words accentuate the wonder and benefit of “going within” – of finding ourselves within the nourishment of our Soul. And from here, our inner roots can guide us to become more of who we truly are, giving life the fullness of ourselves in the midst of the outer, active world.
Diamond – the most well-known and prized gemstone, as old as 150 million years. The precious diamond is one of only two gemstones formed in the earth’s mantle (80% of earth’s volume), and is the hardest known substance on earth. The word “diamond” is derived from Greek words meaning unconquerable and transparent, and the ancient civilization of India believed diamonds were mystical, with powers making them invincible. This is the essence of our sacred Jeweled Cave – indestructible and diamond-hard with a luminous lucidity – the very core of Spirit. The most rare and valuable diamonds are cut with multiple facets of clarity to reflect light with a glorious sparkle, enhancing natural radiance, adding to their irresistible appeal. The ancient Greeks believed that the fire-like glow from a diamond reflected the flame of love, and myth claims that Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamonds, piercing with the essence of pure love. And so it is, when we begin to excavate all the exquisite facets of ourselves that are buried deep within, and their dazzling aura shines outwards – to bless, and to be shared with all humanity as the magnificence of our Infinite Selves. The popular slogan, “A Diamond is Forever”, coined in 1947 by the first U.S. advertising agency, sublimely reflects the quintessence of our inner riches – never fading, always shining throughout eternity for us to catch a glimpse and hold close to the heart, in tribute to Self-Love -which we are all truly worthy and greatly esteemed.
~ CELEBRATION THROUGH SACRED CEREMONY ~
Moving through the exquisite energy of our Jeweled Cave, we can be blessed with the precious gift of Self-Love. Here, within the realm of Inner Beauty, our true essence dwells.
A personal ceremony can be performed to enhance manifestation and unity with Jeweled Cave’s valuable gift. This can be a private celebration between yourself and Cave’s Spirit, or you can invite others to join. It can be as ritualized as you desire, or naturally free-flowing, and include anything you want to say or any object(s) that intuitively feels in harmony with the act of Cave’s blessing and thanksgiving.
A powerful site to hold the celebration would be outside in a cavernous area, but location is not of prime importance. If caves are obscured or absent, any outside contact facing their auric presence would be favorable. If the celebration is held indoors, being in a room with a window is encouraged to enhance the presence of natural elements, but if this is not possible, symbolically facing a cavernous region would be beneficial. Even if this environment is hidden or at a great distance, emanations from its sacred source are not obscured, as they flow freely throughout the Universe.
As a sample list, any of the following ideas below could be included in your celebration, and verbalized during a Blessings of Intention for Hidden Beauty affirmation ceremony (see below). Also, any of these offerings may be manifested and integrated into your ritual either physically and/or symbolically.
- Begin with a personal intention for Inner Beauty to enhance any general or specific aspect of your life.
- A brightly colored candle to embody jeweled radiance and guiding enlightenment from Mother Goddess Cybele through the Divine Mystery of the birth of Self.
- Limestone, or any other resonating rock, to invoke the glory of adventure and discovery of yourself within.
- A bowl of water to symbolize the awareness of pure Spirit within.
- A moment of darkness to symbolize the silent, manifesting Truth of who you really are; and then a moment of light to reveal the sparkling treasure and power of your Inner Beauty.
- Honoring Bat’s sacred flight of power and vision through your personal journey to uncover the wealth of riches deep within.
- A plant root to represent the nurturing foundation of spiritual sustenance required for growth.
- Any translucent gemstone that resonates Jeweled Cave’s aura of clarity. The exquisite Diamond enhances the ultimate brilliance and power of Inner Beauty. Rose Quartz, Moonstone, and Amethyst also vibrate the heart of beauty’s shimmering life-force.
- Intentional blessings for the Gift of Inner Beauty. A simple statement in the form of a heart-felt declaration can attract and summon the heights of power and expression through the fundamental, positive act of intention. By the sincere act of a clear and pure desire, a personalized blessing can call upon the magickal forces of discovery towards self-realization of your Infinite Self. You can use any of the following Blessings of Intention affirmations as a guideline to be included into your own personal proclamation towards inner truth and harmony with the energies of Spirit. Written as non-denominational statements, they can be practiced by any single person, or unstructured or organized group, through their own personal form of prayer, charm, chant, invocation, or medicine since they embrace a wide range of natural spiritual influences and life-force energies from various cultures: Native American, Celtic, Deity, Shaman, Indigenous, Pagan, and Wiccan.
- A devotional declaration of praise, honor, and thanksgiving, as suggested in Dream Song to Jeweled Cave (see below). This act of appreciation is enhanced with the powerful personal statement “I AM”, and especially when said aloud, can invoke the creative energies of manifestation radiating throughout the Universe, calling upon Jeweled Cave’s Great Spirit to be infused into your life. All or part of the Dream Song passages can be included in this holy prayer of purpose and gratitude.
~ BLESSINGS OF INTENTION FOR INNER BEAUTY ~
- With this glowing candle, blessed by Cave Spirit, I light the Holy Fire of Mother Goddess Cybele, guiding me through the birth of Inner Beauty dwelling within my heart and soul.
- With this rock of discovery, blessed by Cave Spirit, I follow an incredible journey into the caverns of my Inner Beauty through the cathedral of my heart and soul.
- With this purified water, blessed by Cave Spirit, I stir the Divine Essence of Inner Beauty reflected in the sacred chalice of my heart and soul.
- With this fertile darkness, blessed by Cave Spirit, I nurture the still abundance of Inner Beauty fermenting deep within the chambers of my heart and soul.
- With this holy light, blessed by Cave Spirit, Inner Beauty is revealed, and radiantly infuses my heart and soul.
- With the intuitive flight of Bat Power, blessed by Cave Spirit, I journey past self-illusion to unearth the truth of Inner Beauty awakening within my heart and soul.
- With this nurturing root, blessed by Cave Spirit, I cultivate the growth of Inner Beauty nourishing the soil of my heart and soul.
- With this shimmering gemstone, blessed by Cave Spirit, I honor the eternal, invincible strength and aura of Inner Beauty illuminating my heart and soul.
~ DREAM SONG TO JEWELED CAVE ~
Within your walls, O Inner Beauty, shines the essence of All.
For I am the same jewel as One,
My facets reflecting the Divine.
Within Your luminous sparkle, O Spirit,
I see myself shining, smiling!
I am a mirror of You!
The light of Your blessing humbles me.
And yet, I feel the power of beauty shining directly from You,
Through me, coursing through my veins, alighting my Soul,
Filling me with Your One True Life.
These are the Jewels of my inner cave.
Radiant forever, in glorious praise of You.
Thank You, O Jeweled Cave, for your Gift of Inner Beauty.
References:
http://www.adventure-caves-usa.com
http://science.jrank.org
http://www.whats-your-sign.co
http://cavesofmalaysia.com
http://www.gemselect.com
http://www.alleghenycandles.com
http://www.caveslime.org
http://library.thinkquest.org
http://www.ehow.com
http://www.answers.com
http://www.en.wikipedia.org
Cassandra Eason, The Illustrated Director of Healing Crystals, Collins & Brown, publishers
From Heaven Sweet Nature Springs!
Bright Blessings!