Glastonbury done differently!
All this is certainly a different experience of Glastonbury for me; one of hanging, jumping, running and umm, wand connecting!
Eben loves to hang.
Yep, and one handed.
And do pull ups
And jump
He’s wanted a pendulum and a wand like Elijah for a while now and he chose this beautiful red wand made by a local druid-ess. I had eyed them up a while ago thinking my niece might like one, I just anticipated we’d get Eben an oak one, but no, red is his thing and he has carried this wand everywhere today, showing it to anyone who will entertain him. He was slightly disappointed that it didn’t behave like Harry Potter’s and do things for him. I have impressed on him the need to connect with his wand and show it some respect and work to focus energy…let’s see.
As for the pendulum, he chose citrine, on a red cord, and has gone to sleep wearing it tonight…
It was certainly not a leisurely shop, but in fairness I did have a few shops to visit, they have some fab charity shops in Glastonbury and of course all those crystals, eek, and the tree resins, another eek, and all those shops displaying oracle cards for you to try and then the Goddess Temple…in fairness Eben chilled totally in the resin shop and Goddess Temple, proving to me that small does indeed make a difference, let alone the ambiance one creates, I love the Goddess temple, it has such a lovely feel to it and an opportunity for a candle offering and more oracle cards!
Then on to the White Spring and a run up the Tor…
A quick moment of spell making wand action on the top of the Tor with a stone I’d bought from Guernsey…
And a quick dowse to find the power spot…
And a quick photo with mummy
And then a run back down the Tor…
And a quick rolly polly too!
And then back to the White Spring, one of my most favourite places ever, I cannot tell you why, I have always loved it in there and feel invigorated and cleansed by a naked dip in it…that alone, getting your clothes off and wandering in public nude is just really liberating, but there’s something about the place, and this was before I discovered that the St Michael’s ley line goes right through it. I managed three dips within an hour and even Eben followed me into the shallow pool. You are discouraged from taking photos in there due to people bathing naked, but here’s an innocent one of Eben giving an offering to the Goddess (otherwise known as playing with the candles, he was determined he wanted to out one out and inevitably he did!)…
And outside, collecting the red iron water from Chalice Wells…
And the white calcium water from the White Spring…
And a rather tired mummy and Edie outside the entrance to the White Spring…
And then back to hanging…
And more hanging…
And yet more hanging, one handed too…
It gets hot all this hanging…
And after then, a quick shop and off for a much needed a quiet moment over dinner, never have I been more grateful for the iPad and headphones, entertaining him, while I could zone out and process the day…phew, non-stop since 6am and I didn’t even mention the swim at Street’s public swimming pool, or the various running races…or for that matter the amount of treats that have been consumed, all in all keeping his energy high until he crashed at 8!
Love from Glastonbury.
xx
Springs, stones and playgrounds!
Travelling with my manic ball of energy called Eben is certainly an interesting experience. It has been non-stop since we arrived in Southampton and headed up to Marlborough, first stop the Alton Springs.
We were challenged by a number of diversions but I would not be defeated and we did eventually find All Saints at Alton Priors, a beautiful twelfth-century church with a yew tree in the churchyard which is said to be 1,700 years old! The hollow trunk has been divided into two but it is still healthy, it’s rather amazing and well worth the visit. The whole place is magical, they found an old Sarsen stone with a hole in it (indicating its importance) buried in the church, an attempt had been made to break it in two, reminding me of my beloved Goddess menhir in Guernsey.
We were also here to see the springs that bubble up from greensand in this magical woodland between Alton Priors and Alton Barnes, just incredible, I’ve never seen anything like to before. There wasn't a huge amount of time to enjoy the healing potential of these springs as Eben was by then trying to chop the greenery with his pretend sword, which always drives me slightly mad because it seems such a waste of nature, to just destroy it like that. I did manage to get a video and take in the general ambience, it’s definitely a place to return and hang out - it’s one of several headwaters of the River Avon, which flows south to Durrington and Stonehenge, so it’s a special place historically.
We got to see the Alton Barnes white horse too, which is pretty cool, and the whole area is stunning, five miles south of Avebury in the Vale of Pwesey. This is village and thatch territory and the landscape itself was awash with the bright yellow of rapeseed making quite a tantalising scene for the eyes, even Eben thought it was pretty cool!
Up to Avebury next for a whistle stop tour. I was on a mission to find Devil’s Den, a wonderful dolmen set amongst the Marlborough Downs. I did ask for directions from a helpful family but I was struggling to find parking so ended up walking up a huge hill in the bright sunshine with Eben on my back, knowing I was going in the wrong direction, but hoping to bump into someone who might set me right. Alas not. I ended up calling E back home in Guernsey for directions but he wasn’t able to immediately help and it was only after I turned around and started walking down the hill, this time on the phone to my Mum as I had accidentally called her, that I spotted the dolmen in the distance and this jubilant feeling overtook me because it just stood out so majestically, albeit I now had another thirty minutes of walking to get to it.
Alas, I literally abandoned the car in the gateway of a field and traipsed with Eben still on my back in the warm morning sunshine along a bridle path out to the dolmen. It was well worth the walk and the sore feet that I have today, let alone the sunburn and the general sweatiness that ensued, the things we do for neolithic stones. But look at it! What a joy. What an incredible dolmen, like a two fingers up to the world; look what we did, we just balanced a huge stone on two others, just like that. I’m told it’s full of faeries at night, but that experience will have to wait for another time.
People don’t always believe me, because all they see is a bunch of stones in a field. But stones have a consciousness to them. Anyone who dowses will know this. You can literally dowse their aura and if you rest against a stone it will literally talk to you. I didn’t have a hue amount of time to converse with the dolmen, because dolmens send Eben totally crazy and he was maniacally running around it and jumping on me and it, and then a couple turned up so I accepted my fate and we carried along our way.
We stopped at the Sanctuary where the Michael and Mary ley lines are said to meet and I lay in the centre while Eben looked on from the car, he’s certainly not my little neolithic explorer like Elijah, this one is all lazy legs and car-side viewing if possible. I could feel the energy. It’s a big thing for me this Mary and Michael line, they are said to meet and form a chalice at the top of Glastonbury Tor, the sacred marriage and union, Tantra in the land…I’m kind of following the Michael line, which is aligned with Beltane, coming up soon on 1 May.
From there the Avenue at Avebury, Eben stayed in the car again as I sprinted, within view, to the initial stones, just to touch them and do some energy work, and then we were off again, driving through Avebury, how it pains me, but alas there is a sacrifice to be made and it was that, this isn’t just my trip…I did debate that I would just have to leave it at that, but then Adam and Eve, the cove, caught my eye and I am a sucker for coves, LOVE coves, so I drove out to them, parked up and sprinted again, in full view of Eben, out to those marvellous stones to say hi.
Then it was Silbury Hill, once again a massive sprint to the base of the hill and then that was it, Avebury done in super speedy time, which sums up Eben, everything is done super speedy…
Off to Bowood House, or at least the grounds of Bowood House, that were landscaped by Capability Brown back in the day, grade 1 too. Despite the landscaping they are amazing, there’s a huge amount of incredible mature trees and shurbs, and just this wonderful feel to the place. Not that we were there to enjoy the gardens so much as the adventure place ground, the best one in Wiltshire I’l have you know.
We’ve been here a few times previously, because back in the day it was home to Tractor Ted world, and Elijah was mad about Tractor Ted for a while. We used to visit the day after my Glastonbury retreat finished and I have a mix of memories of morning sickness when carrying Eben in utero and just needing to lie under the trees, to bringing him as a baby to the Big Machines open day and Elijah hanging out in an enormous combine harvester and meeting Les, from the videos, we have a photo of him somewhere, how we loved Les!
Nowadays there is no Tractor Ted world and the indoor soft play has gone but the adventure playground is amazing with this near vertical slide which the older children love, but was a step too far for Eben, no doubt his time will come as he was up amongst the trees on the various roped-walk ways. I went up once and that was enough for me! We managed to spend 3.5 hours pottering here in the sunshine with the many other families enjoying the holidays and the amazing weather.
Then it was the drive to Glastonbury, Eben fell asleep and I got to enjoy some peace and quiet! Now here we are, in Glastonbury, with the Tor and the Spring ahead, and lots of Glastonbury fun to be had…
xx
Recalibration and reorientation
Well it seems to me as if we are currently going through a period of recalibration and reorientation, not sure which way is up or down, or which direction to turn next.
The run up of bank holidays ahead doesn’t help, because the flow keeps getting broken, not that this is a bad thing, because there is also a desire to move beyond the pressures of time, but just it adds to the general mishmash of not knowing.
What is clear to me though, is we are all being encouraged on some level to connect with our pleasure and joy and let that be our guide for now. Life has become so serious, the uncertainty has made people tired and routine driven - to find some sense of normality in a world that is ever changing. Yet this can be stressful, the constant pressure and tension and it’s time now to let that go and settle into the dance of spring, as we approach Beltane and the fun and frivolity and indeed fertility this brings.
There is nothing now that needs to be done. This is a time of inaction, of simply being and allowing the recalibration and reorientation and just getting on with getting on, whatever that might mean. The heart will make it clear when the time is right to make a decision and this moment will not be missed, so don’t worry about that. If it is meant to come to you then it will, there is no need to go searching or grasping for it.
These are new times and the old ways won’t work so well now. We’re heading towards eclipse season (first one 16th May), this is a time to tie up loose ends and complete what still needs to be completed, to let go and release that which is no longer required, that talks of the old you, not the new you, that you are becoming. It’s a time of spring cleaning in many respects, of getting the affairs in order and letting the rest take care of itself.
Following the joy and pleasure will help enormously - what does make you feel alive? Whatever it is, prioritise it, know that you are worth it, and got for it, regardless of what anyone else thinks or says, this is not about them, it’s about you and if you can fill yourself up then you’ll have more to give to help fill others up too.
Happy letting go on the wane! Eben and I are off to Glastonbury on another pilgrimage.
Love Emma x
Finding our way
Well the benefit of having Covid again, was it brought me back to dark chocolate, which I had stopped eating in a quest for better sleep. I love chocolate and especially Booja Booja chocolate and it was a joy to taste that yummy loveliness again, in an attempt to ground myself, which is one of the many benefits of dark chocolate for me at least.
Covid aside, it’s also part of following the joy, one of my current explorations. It feels to me that life is far to short to not follow the joy, regardless of what others think. It’s been an interesting exploration as there are times when I realise that I am up against myself, and my mental imprinting and conditioning around being ‘selfish’. It’s a theme that pops up from time to time, because, like everyone else, I have been conditioned to be a certain way in this world, and being ‘selfish’ is not a quality that has been encouraged.
Still, in my world, being selfish is actually essential. If we’re not there for our self who else will be? And really, what is the point in continuously denying ourselves what makes us joyful and happy. Plus, we’re inherently selfish anyway, some might say they’re not, that they put others first, and they may well put others first, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a selfish motivation to their actions of putting others first. We all want to gain something from our life experiences, even if it is just a sit down with a cup of tea in front of the television.
That’s one thing I don’t do actually. I did attempt to watch a Channel 4 documentary last night on sex and healing of all things, as my mum had mentioned that there was a clip on Tantra (which is another joy), but the whole thing was just too painful for me to watch, when I don’t usually watch such things. I just cannot watch TV, it does something weird to me. So it was back to reading about ancient trackways instead, and dowsing, which is another of my big joys.
The other night, once the boys had finally gone to sleep (another joy after a long day!), I decided to go for a walk with my rods and so out I went, asking them to take me to the nearest neolithic stone of spiritual significance, and they took me on a convoluted journey through a couple of fields and around the back of a deserted farmhouse. It was dusk by then and I walked around in circles for a bit doubting the direction the rods were pointing, and then an owl flew out of a tree in that very direction, so I knew it to be true, and set off through more undergrowth and out onto a private lane, and alas, there ahead of me as I reached the roadway, was a neolithic stone in the gateway opposite chattering away.
Yes, stones talk. They have a consciousness, just like you and I. Spending time with stones can shoot ou consciousness, and let’s face it, they’ve been around a long time so there’s lots we can learn from them. This is one of the reasons I love stones so much, they have a lot to teach us. Stone circles are my favourite, there’s something about how they move energy that I find especially exciting. Not that I understand sacred geometry just yet, but the stones are teaching me bit by bit. I’m intending to start working the geometry of my moon garden, just waiting for the quartz points to arrive first.
This is the way in so much as we are shown the way, bit by bit, when the time is right. Often it involves a selfishness to it though, because it is about our self opposed to everyone else. Only our self knows it’s own journey here on Planet Earth, and this journey may not be what is expected of us, or fit into conventional thinking or societal conditioning. I don’t fit in, that’s for sure, but I have found a way to be here that allows more of who I am without it mattering whether I fit in or not.
It’s not easy though, to continuously feel as if you are going against the grain, but if there is one thing I learned on the full moon (and there were many gifts the moon brought with her) is that the way reveals itself in each moment, it cannot be planned. Even my trip to Glastonbury with Eben cannot be planned, not really, sure I have a sense of where I might go, but even that’s changing the closer I get to departure date but I know that the way will reveal itself eventually.
As for Covid, well that weaved its magic in my life and showed me another way, for which I shall always be grateful, coinciding with me finishing the Tantra course which revealed more of the way too. The moon also reveals a way, and life is changing, does change, moment to moment, as long as we can stay true, regardless of what others think or the opinions they hold of us - this too will always change.
Enjoy the bank holiday Monday.
Love Emma x
The full moon and its cosmic joking
Well there I was, writing about being careful about what you think…and there I was thinking how much I needed a break, my soul has been craving peace and tranquility, a few days free from the clock and time, to just be gently, pottering, in nature and around the garden and…my thoughts manifested into reality with another minor bout of Covid!
I did laugh out loud at the cosmic joke before bowing down to powers that be with deep gratitude for the opportunity to pause, rest and reset. Life had got busy, out of balance, too much rushing and giving and not enough time to let things be. I see the pattern. This is exactly what was happening when I got Covid the first time around at Christmas, and here we are at Easter…I work myself to the holidays and then don’t schedule a break…so Covid comes in to create one instead. I’m conscious of the pattern now, thank you Covid, and will try to schedule a break next time!
Covid itself is quite kind to me. I did get the aches and the shakes which alerted me to the fact I probably had Covid again, but after sleep and a lot of Reiki and she Ayurevdic remedies that quickly abated and while yes, we are requested to stay at home, I need the sea on my skin to feel alive, and so I’ve been in the sea, even managed a surf, which is something else that has joyfully returned in my life (thank you Tantric course for opening me up to deeper pleasure in my life) and this all coincided with menstruation, so I’ve been able to rest more fully into that and the blood wisdom that accompanies it…do the things that bring joy, and rest, when needed.
I’ve found myself drawn to the moon garden again, preparing it for the full moon on Saturday, I’m keen to better work the space this summer, I’m not quite sure how just yet, but I’m drawn to working more deeply with earth energy and sacred geometry. I have a plethora of new seedlings growing in my parents green house, new healing plants this time, well actually, a whole heap of calendula and echinacea again, but also milk thistle, Tulsi and clary sage to name a few. It was good to get my hands in the earth again, the moon rising, sun beginning to set.
As my Ayurvedic doctor said this morning, “things always come to us at the right time and in the best way”. She’s right. There’s been a few things coming at the right time and in the best way and Covid is definitely one of them. It’s a genius virus because it truly changes things, I suppose the fact it’s a ‘corona’virus says it all really, for it awakens more of the crown and for me anyway, it seems to allow me to see more clearly where I am out of balance in my life and what might need adjusting, I suppose it makes me more conscious of that which I have been trying to ignore - there was some significant adjustments after the first dose.
I know from others that this full moon is working this magic in other lives too, making us very well aware of some of our patterning and also the ways in which we distract ourself from being with ourselves, externalising much of our need to be wanted and needed, when really all that is wanted and needed is a deeper connection with self. In honouring this deeper connection with self we find the love that we often try to seek from outside of ourselves. And when we find that deeper love for self then we have much less need of others’ love for the sake of it, and much more love for others in a non-grasping, non-needy and unconditional way too. It’s genius. Thank you Covid. Thank you moon.
As I post this, I am now testing negative. That was a quick round but I wonder if its always quicker the second time around as the body already has natural immunity. Plus I knew how to be with it this time and could more easily see some of the lessons it was bringing. This is the first Easter I have had off from working in years and it feels amazing - sorry to those of you I cancelled, but if I’d have listened to my intuition, I shouldn't have scheduled working anyway…we live and learn!
Love to you all.
Enjoy the full moon!
x