Beginning Trancework
Trance is a condition of the mind and soul (or essence) in which the physical world and its limitations are transcended.
In the trance state, we are able to see and sense things that would be nearly impossible to experience if we remained
tethered to the physical world. Our minds and souls are free to wander, question and seek and ultimately to return so that
we may use this knowledge to affect the material world. While in trance state, the physical slips away and is replaced by a
vast, limitless landscape that has been traversed by shaman, witches, priests, priestesses and seekers since humankind first
wondered at the purpose of the universe and quested for the Source.
Always undertake trance work with a purpose, it is easy to become lost in the astral landscape. The intent may be to seek advice from a spirit guide regarding healing or magic or the journey could be one of personal growth and transformation. As the landscape unfolds, maintain the purpose of your visit in your mind. Take in all that you see, use your psychic senses to give objects form, mass and texture. Be aware that the subconscious mind that you are employing speaks in symbols and representations, just as dreams do. Trance may also be used for divination, communion with ancestors and aspects of Divinity and for the channeling of spirits. In Drawing Down the Moon, the High Priestess channels the spirit of the Goddess in an atmosphere of group trance.
Trance may be achieved through deprivation, restriction and flagellation, though the practices of intensely focused ritual, ecstatic dance, song and art, ritual drama and meditation are far more common today. The feeling of entering the trance state is different for everyone; some express it as a popping sensation, for me it is a lightening, while my husband describes it as melding. The experiences while there are individual as well, but it is interesting to note the number of similarities that occur cross-culturally, which is especially well evidence among indigenous shamanic cultures. Some worry that they will be unduly influenced or will be confronted by a malevolent spirit while in trance, but the Self will always override any suggestion that conflicts with established ethics or personal desires and you may always choose with which spirits or objects you interact.
To return from trance, retrace your steps through the landscape, envision your physical body, or use the technique you do to wake up from meditation. Chronicle images, emotions, verbal snippets as soon as possible and feed the physical body. Trancework stimulates the imagination and vision and opens new sources of creativity. It allows us to experience union, ecstasy and openness with the universe and is deserving of the persistence and patience required to attain it.