You've probably noticed that some spells require going to the home of the person or to the person you are hoping to enchant or to bless. But in many cases, going to the actual home of the person or to the person him/herself is not practical. This doesn't mean you should throw out your hope or even the spell/ritual you would perform if you could go to the person. All it means is you need to adapt by using a surrogate. In this case, a surrogate is a living object used as a substitute for the person or the home of the person required for your spell.
Close by my home, there is a cemetery, and in that cemetery there is a grove of oak trees I use as my surrogates for some of the people I love. I drew out a map of all the trees in that holy place and then named all of the trees with the names of my dearest friends, writing their names on the map, right next to each tree. When my friend in Kentucky called me to tell me she was sick and was asking me for the laying on of hands, I simply went to my cemetery with my mobile altar kit and the Blessing Oil she needed, mixed with some extra herbs particular to her condition, and there I connected with her through her tree.
How does one go about connecting with someone through a tree?
First do an emotional cleansing. Nature is not deceived. Take stock of yourself and make sure your heart is right. Resolve any unresolved issues you have so you can approach the tree with a clear conscience.
Second, gain the consent of the tree. The tree is a living being of its own and it ISN'T somebody else, nor is it a tool. Acknowledge the tree for who it is and offer it a gift. I carry around some Organic Fertilizer Sticks to place down into the soil of the roots as a gift. Then I ask the tree if it would be willing to be named by the name of my friend and stand in as my friend's surrogate. Then be very still and listen. As long as you don't get a very negative feeling at that time or some other negative sign, you are gaining the consent of the tree. Be sure to be grateful to the tree. At this time, you are free to give the tree the name of your friend.
Third, connect with the tree. You do this in the exact same way you would with your friend. After I named each tree after a loved one, from then on out, every time I approach that tree, I treat that tree the same way I would treat my loved one. I walk up to it as if it were actually my friend, and I embrace it. If my friend's name is Mandy, I greet the tree by that name and tell her how much I love her and how pleased I am to see her. Then I thank her for requesting my blessing. At that point I perform the ritual just as I would if my friend were actually present. If it's alright with the daemons of the grove of trees where you are, feel free to record the ritual and send it to your friend so she can be as much a part of it on a conscious level as possible.
Your deities and sages don't care at all whether you're with the person or you're with a representation of that person. The main thing you need is the individual's consent, of course. And your Deities/Sages take care of the rest. Remember they're timeless themselves and haven't the difficulty of dealing with time and space as we have in the material world.
Happy Spell Crafting and Blessed Be!
--Rowan
