by Dr. Alberto Villoldo: In past blog posts, we’ve visited the Chamber of Wounds, Chamber of Soul Contracts, and Chamber of Grace…
Now it’s time to journey to the Chamber of Treasures—the final chamber of the Lower World. Here you’ll find your own tool that will conquer the twin behemoths of apathy and resistance to change. You’ll ask for a deeply buried instrument to bring back with you, something you can put to use in your daily life.
It may turn out to be a creative tool, such as a pen; it may be a healing tool, like a knife; or it may be a tool that helps you grow or find your purpose—but remember, just as gemstones are hidden far below the surface and require considerable effort to extract, harvesting these deeply buried treasures won’t come easily. You’ll have to be steadfast, even if someone else doesn’t see this gift within you, or says: “You’re a writer? You’ve got to be kidding. You’re a mom!” And then you’ll have to refine it, as a craftsperson makes jewelry, to turn it into a thing of beauty.
When you find your tool, you’ll carry it back from the Lower World of potential and possibility, and into the physical world of action and expression. Prepare for this journey by creating the proper intention: Be open to receiving the gift that this tool represents, as well as the challenges and demands it brings with it.
As with previous journeys, you may want to record these instructions before starting in order to minimize distractions.
Prepare by opening sacred space. Perform the little-death breathing exercise and journey to your garden in the Lower World.
Greet the gatekeeper, and state your intent to find your sacred tool. Ask the gatekeeper to guide you into the Chamber of Treasures. When you enter, ask for an instrument that you can use to express your gifts. As before, engage in a dialogue with the figure you find there, whether it be a person, a table, or a goblet, and ask questions to determine the nature of your tool and how it can be used.
When I journey to this chamber, I like to think of it as having many props, including bookshelves, chests, a fireplace, and a table in the center. I know that the tool my client needs will be on the table. But sometimes the table is empty, and I must part the cobwebs on the shelf or open a trunk to discover an instrument that’s been hidden from view.
Search around the room (you can also ask the gatekeeper for guidance and advice). When you find your tool, take it. What is it to be used for? What can it teach you?
When you’ve retrieved your medicine gift, begin your journey out, thank the gatekeeper, dive into the waters, and return to the room and into your body bearing your tool. Hold it in the palm of your hand and bring it into whichever chakra you’re guided to.
If you get no specific instructions, bring it into your heart chakra. Remember that this is an energetic gift—inhale deeply and feel its energy and power filling every cell in your body.
Close your sacred space.
Now, search for an object in your home that closely resembles the tool you’ve uncovered. Do not go out and purchase one! Remember that our tools are most often right under our noses. Search through your closets and drawers until you find the one thing that most closely approximates the instrument that you received. Sit with this object in meditation, turn it over in your hands, and let it instruct and guide you toward the gifts it wants to express.
Your next step is to journal about the tool you retrieved from your Chamber of Treasures. Journaling will help you learn more about its role in your life.
Begin as you did before, by opening sacred space. Then take your journal and draw a line down the center of a blank page. On the left side, write questions for your tool; on the right side, transcribe the answers it provides.
Your questions might include: “How can I best use you?” “How can I bring you into my everyday life?” “How can I make you practical?” “What outdated tools do I need to let go of in order to work with you?” “Are there tools I no longer need?” “How will you bring forth my creativity?” and “How do you serve as an instrument of healing for me?”
Allow the dialogue to flow—don’t rush.
Close sacred space when you’re finished.
Next, you’ll learn about retrieving your power animal, which will teach you to heed your natural instincts.
