#wind walk

Wind Walk is a level 6 Transmutation spell unique to Druid. Casting Time is 1 minute Range is 30 feet Requires a Verbal and Somatic Component spell ingredient is a candle Duration is 8 hours.

You and up to ten willing creatures of your choice within range assume gaseous forms for the duration, appearing as wisps of cloud. While in this cloud form, a target has a Fly Speed of 300 feet and can hover; it has Immunity to being Prone; and it has Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. The only actions a target can take in this form are the Dash action or a Magic action to begin reverting to its normal form. Reverting takes 1 minute, during which the target is Stunned. Until the spell ends, the target can revert to cloud form, which also requires a Magic action followed by a 1-minute transformation.

You and up to ten willing creatures you can see within range assume a Gaseous Form for the Duration, appearing as wisps of cloud. While in this cloud form, a creature has a flying speed of 300 feet and has Resistance to damage from nonmagical Weapons. The only actions a creature can take in this form are the Dash action or to revert to its normal form. Reverting takes 1 minute, during which time a creature is Incapacitated and can't move. Until the spell ends, a creature can revert to cloud form, which also requires the 1-minute transformation.

If a creature is in cloud form and flying when the effect ends, the creature descends 60 feet per round for 1 minute until it lands, which it does safely. If it can't land after 1 minute, the creature falls the remaining distance.

For Flavor: when describing a caster using this spell, picture the effects of the Death Eaters Apperating. It’s practically the same, except they can’t use the spell offensivly and reverting to solid form takes a full minute. You might want to change the color from black but honestly the color of the cloud to me is the least important feature.

         Our teacher began the morning of our final day of class in Glacier National Park with a Wind Walk. He told us the purpose of the Wind Walk is to ask a question and allow Nature to answer it. The idea is to enter the forest in a state of intention-infused meditation, and following one’s intuition and the sounds of the forest, move through it until an answer is found. A walking meditation of sorts.

         Because I had been asking particularly about plant songs, asking for guidance in the process of receiving them, our teacher felt inspired to sing us a song before the Walk. He would sing us a song he received from a plant in South America, a song for opening the heart. Afterwards, we would silently take our leave from the campfire and into the forest alone.

         The song he sang immediately caused goosebumps to rise all over my skin. Beginning with rattling his chacapa, invoking the sounds of bird wings and leafy wind, he blew that signature shamanic soplando, and began whistling a melody like a dancing ballerina. The whistle turned to vocables which turned to words through time and graceful dynamics. There is no rush in healing songs. The melody was like an ancient story or passageway into another world and I felt my heart center warm and tingle as the song built and moved through space. At the end of the song, finished as gracefully as it began, I sat in silent meditation for some moments, formulating my intention and questions for the walk. When the time was right, I opened my eyes, saw where the smoke from the fire was blowing, and went that way.

         Naturally, I had three questions in my mind. One was in regards to constructing my own chacapa, another was in regards to a person in my life and the third was dealing with a sickness I have been holding onto for over a month now. Where the smoke led me was into a dense thicket of Salmonberry and Devil’s Club, poking and prodding me from all sides. I had to duck and twist and curve myself through the thicket, but while I was in such close proximity to Devil’s Club, it became clear to me that he wanted to be included in my music making somehow. A rattle from his roots? Or perhaps just a handle for the rattle from his root? I hope to work with Devil’s Club more this week to receive further guidance on this process.

         I passed a small patch of Veratrum viride, also known as False Hellebore or Corn Lily. This plant already beckoned to me the day before so I was not surprised when it found me again. I tipped my hat to it and kept moving towards an opening in the density, beneath a Hemlock tree. Once I reached this space, I began doing strange things with my throat and breath, without thinking about it or trying to do anything. This seemed to have something to do with my sickness. My attention was then drawn to two Alder trees to my right and I moved toward them remembering the first time I connected with Alder, and the song he gave me. Right at my eye level was this little patch of moss with a tiny baby banana slug in it. This indicated a teaching about my second question, as this person and I had recently talked about how strange it is that we never see baby banana slugs, only seemingly full-grown ones. I gathered what I could from those trees in regards to my question and then noticed that, like the Aspens, these two Alders both had eyes. They each had one and both were looking in the exact same direction. So I followed their gaze.

         The Alders led me to another growth of Veratrum viride, but not without first bringing to my attention two silvery gray mushrooms sprouting out of an old downed tree. I was told to take them, with their substrate, and bring them home with me. Then I turned my awareness to the mighty toxic plant in front of me, a plant that holds itself with integrity and demanding presence, a true Warrior. I sat, made offerings, and started dry heaving. Nothing physically purged from my being but I certainly felt like something came out. This lasted only a few minutes. I was then told to take a flower and put it in my medicine pouch. With a humbleness untainted by fear, I took one of the flower buds from the Veratrum and felt it’s energetic patterns permeate my being through my fingertips. Unfortunately, quickly thereafter, our teacher whistled, signaling the time to return to camp.