The Day I Met the Dragon Under Notre Dame Cathedral.

And the Lady of the house showed me how to clear out the past.

Cold, grey, rainy. Yep. Inner journey weather. Sacred places boost the experience. Notre Dame drifted into my mind.

Why not?

Once on the road, promising hints appeared.

An offering of coins sent a metro accordionist into Pachelbel’s Canon. My heart expanded wistfully. That canon played while Stephen Levine brought me such acceptance and love 30 years ago. I smiled in grateful remembrance.

A blind woman waited next to me on the platform. When the train rolled in, I told her, “the door is open right in front of you.” — and realized the message was also meant for me.

The cathedral’s immense stained glass windows glowed even on this sunless day. Its space soared high, uplifting me and its limitless depth drew me in. I touched the centuries-old pillar to bring me into the sacred space.

Prepare before beginning.

I rested my eyes on the foot-polished stone floor and walked, sensing rather than seeing. The Spot arrived a few rows from the altar. A nearby banner and stained glass window both depicted the Virgin and child.

Interesting. The Virgin was not part of my religious roots. I recognized her as a representation of the sacred feminine. But emotionally or spiritually, I had no connection.

I settled in and closed my eyes. The cathedral’s energy pulsed gently, but my concentration flitted around like a nervous bird. Finally, almost by accident, my mind’s eye slid into a large, dark space below the church.

A dragon, blue with fire eyes moved about, restless. He turned red, then green, then yellow. A woman in blue and white came up and touched its nose. The dragon stilled.

Watch for coincidences.

“SSSHHHhhhhhhh.”

The sound came out of nowhere and startled me back into everyday consciousness. When the noise level rises, this recording plays a few times.

Perfect timing here. Dragon and church calmed together.

I again turned within and found a smiling angel before me. We drifted up together until he halted before a wooden medieval statue of the Virgin.

Expect the unexpected. Welcome it.

My habitual symbolic language is not religious, let alone medieval. Though I suppose if I’m hanging around cathedrals, I should not be surprised by them.

She stood there, silent but not intimidating.

A tap inside me burst open. I poured out how difficult it is to love unconditionally… sometimes at all… my tendency to judge, become angry, resist, resent. All things I’ve worked to change but…

After a pause, she transmitted her message.

“Care not.”

When you voyage the inner worlds - Listen. Allow. Take in.

I’d been prepared for an extravaganza of visuals. Her short, surprising response brought me back to the essential.

I knew she didn’t mean ‘care not’ as in — don’t care about others. But ‘care not’ as in — ‘don’t care about what others do or say because that’s about them. They are doing what they learned to do. Don’t take it personally or respond in defense.’

“Why does it feel so personal and throw me off kilter?” I queried.

Once I asked the question the answer became obvious. When someone or events disturb me, more often than not I’m the one making it personal.

I could be (unconsciously, mind you) attaching it to a hurtful memory or to a judgment I have about myself. Or it runs up against an inserted belief, family/societal presets, stored experiences, etc. It’s difficult to love in the midst of this. Too much crap on the plate.

But doing what the medieval Mary suggested meant a major shift. For starters, letting go of my judgments with their precious wrappings of justification.

“What do I do with the emotions I feel? How can I not deny or repress them but also not be swept away by them? I can’t feel nothing. That would be unnatural Plus all that money I spent on therapy to have a feeling would go down the drain.”

I’m nothing if not economical.

She offered an important teaching about clearing ourselves.

An outlined human form arose. Some areas of the silhouette were clear like glass; others were shadowy, even solid black.

Experiences flowed easily through the transparent parts of the figure. But some were drawn to the darkened spots and absorbed. As more experiences matched the shadowy areas, they snagged on what was already there. The spots became bigger and darker.

Oh, dear. A little sorry I asked.

“Become transparent,” she said. “Experiences upset you because of the lack of transparency within yourself. Visualize yourself as this body. Where are the dark patches? What created them and recreates them now?

Do this without judging. All beings have their light and shadow. It is only by clearing yourself that you can be Love.”

Oh man, it’s so much easier when it’s someone else’s fault.

Do not think. Experience.

I let the visual take hold, seeing myself as a transparent body. A waterfall of golden light poured down, clearing out some of my murkiness.

I contented myself with letting it go. Any entrenched spots (and without a doubt some of them were) would reveal themselves in the days to come. For now, the waterfall of light felt too good to do anything but enjoy.

A deep breath brought me back into the cathedral and its hum of humans. It was over. I bowed to the Virgin in the stained glass window and went to close my experience by lighting a candle.

Watch it to show up in everyday life.

I found myself back at the entrance still clutching my money. The price of candles was over twice the normal fee because it was ‘Notre Dame of Paris’.

This got up my nose big time. Ah, one of my spots had been activated. Showed up right quick, didn’t it?

At the exit, an ancient Franciscan nun collected for her convent. Here was a different way to create light. The money went to her. And some peace to me.

Try this at home.

You don’t need a cathedral. Create your own ‘sacred space’ with lighting, music, scent, colors, objects. All it needs is to feel special to you.

Relax and give yourself permission to be open to whatever comes. Amazing things happen when we give our imagination free rein.

Imagine yourself as a glass figure.or see yourself in a mirror. Where are the spots? What comes to you when you do this? Feelings, people, memories, images?.

When it feels complete, run the waterfall through yourself to clear your energy.

Take a couple of breaths to finish.

Write down whatever came up, whether it made sense or not. Over time the information will build a picture. You can use dream techniques to decipher the symbols.

If you’d like a recording of the visualization, email me at [email protected]. Reflections, sharings, questions welcome too. Worry not. It won’t put you on a list.

“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life.” Eckhart Tolle

Here is a message I love by Out Of Thin Air We are rediscovering our wholeness, not fixing our brokenness.

Another Inner Work Experience…