We look skyward, towards the North Star which is always fixed, and focus on the powers of the Earth. Face North and breathe deep. As you breathe in a rhythm, allow yourself to float in darkness. Ahead of you, you can make out a soft glow. As you focus your attention on it, you begin to float gently towards it. With each breath, the glow separates into a thousand points of light against a dark velvet backdrop. As you stare up at the stars in the dark midnight sky, you notice one bright star in the center—the North Star! You can feel solid ground beneath your feet, and as you look around, you see that you are standing on the edge of a great mountainous forest. Look at each of the directions, and see what there is to see, and hear, and feel, and sense. When you have examined every detail of the landscape, turn again to face the North, and face the forest!

Breathe deep and begin your journey into the forest. Notice the ground beneath your feet. Feel the rocks and stones, and hear dry twigs snapping with each step. The forest gets thicker as you travel deeper within. Soon you are surrounded by the trees and foliage, boulders and rocks. You can barely see ahead of you through the darkness—the only light comes from the North Star. You hear something crashing through the bushes and you see a great stag standing before you. It is a majestic animal, and magickal to behold. You can sense its intelligence, and feel its awesome power. Connect with it. It seems to beckon to you, call to you. It turns and slowly leads you to a well worn path that leads up the mountain. You can feel the packed soil beneath your bare feet. The light of the star enables you to see the winding path ahead of you—winding up into the dark forest.

Breathe deep, and follow the stag. Allow yourself to take in every detail of the surrounding forest. What does it look like to you? How does it smell? Can you feel the trees? The plants? As you travel the path you notice that there are hard places and soft. Rough and smooth. Breathe deep and follow the path deeper into the dark forest. Reach out with your awareness and ‘feel’ the presence of the trees—hundreds upon hundreds of years old. Ancient wisdom. Standing strong. Feel the sap rising in the trunks, the rings being slowly created. Feel the awareness of the trees—the glorious splendor of unfurled leaves stretching outward toward the night sky. You feel dwarfed by them, surrounded.

Breathe deep and allow yourself to feel the awareness of the boulders. Notice how they are different from the trees. Feel how strong they are, how stable. Breathe deep, and follow the path.
As you travel upward, the stag leads you to a small clearing in the forest, the North Star directly overhead. Before you is a great standing stone, and ancient trees form a circle on the perimeter. You have a sense of power here—ancient power, power that precedes a name. Take a deep breath and walk into the circle.

As you walk closer, you can feel the energy of the standing stone as a tingling in your body. Notice where you feel it. The stone seems to be almost humming with power! You walk closer to it, and with a deep breath, you place your hands on it. Feel the power flow from the stone and into your body through your hands. Feel the energy travel down your body, down your legs, and into the ground through your feet. This power pulls you downward and fills you. Fills you with ancient wisdom. It heals your body.

As you are feeling this power, the stag steps forward and touches its great antlers against the stone. The light of the North Star seems to glow brighter as the stone hums louder. You can feel lines of energy from each of the surrounding trees leading to the standing stone. A green fog seems to emanate from the stone, merging with the starlight until it forms into a five pointed star—a flaming green pentagram—hovering just above the stone. This is the Gate to the elemental realm of Earth. Ancient wisdom. Birth, growth, death. Healing. Manifestation. The physical body. The power to create! The power to keep silent and listen when necessary. These are the gifts of Earth! Breathe deep and stretch out your arms toward the pentagram. Open yourself up to it. Say:

"Hail Mother of the Earth! Open the Gate that I may Keep Silent!"

As you open yourself up to it, a shaft of misty emerald-green light shines forth from the center of the pentagram and touches your left foot. Feel the power enter your body! Allow it to completely fill you with its healing green light. Notice where in your body you can feel it. Feel your flesh. Feel the internal workings of your body. Feel your cells dividing, multiplying—and even dying. Feel how your body is efficient—taking in nourishment, providing energy, and eliminating waste. Feel the perfection that is your body!

Breathe deep and reach down to the pouch on your belt and remove your pentacle—an image of a five pointed star made from clay. Hold it in your hands. Feel how it is made from the Earth. As you hold it, feel how the energy in your body deepens. Notice that your awareness is deepening, your power growing! You can feel the awareness of the circle of trees—and beyond! You can feel the whole forest—the entire mountain! Feel your awareness sink down into the Earth. Down into the dark soil. Feel the moist earth all around your skin as you are enveloped in darkness. Dig downward with your fingers. Feel the dirt between your toes! Dig further down into the Earth. Feel this in your body: You are a part of the Earth! With every breath your power grows, your awareness grows, until you are aware of the whole Earth, and you are but a natural formation—a living rock, a moving mountain. Allow your consciousness to deepen and expand. Think of a time in your life when you created something from an idea. Perhaps a piece of art, or maybe a time when you grew a plant from a seed. Allow yourself to bring that feeling—that power—back into your body now. Remember how it felt to bring something into the physical world. You are a creator! But you are also a destroyer! To tend a garden, we must pull weeds. To make a sculpture we must carve away at stone. Feel the duality of the Earth. When you have examined the details of your awareness, say:

"Powers of the Earth,
powers of the forests and stones,
powers of my body,
I rejoice in you!
I am alive in every tree.
I am alive in every mountain.
And all the Earth is alive in me!"

You feel the Earth begin to tremble and shake around you as Mother Earth releases energy! You see the green energy surround you and you focus your attention on your pentacle—the tool of grounding, of protection. With every breath, it pulls you upwards towards the surface—towards the circle of trees. Breathe deep, and you find yourself standing on solid ground again, the green star looming overhead. Hold your pentacle out away from your body toward the green star and say:

"Hail Mother of the Earth! Thank you for opening wide the Gate! Blessed be!"

Feel your power rise up from the Earth, through your pentacle, and into the green star. Feel your pentacle pull the green star energy slowly into the Earth, until it is gone. Take a deep breath. Return to normal awareness.