The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘elmo’

I have tried to visit The Golden Grove before, but couldn’t find it on that occasion. This time I had better map, not just a printout from MultiMap. This reference may help you locate the site if you wish to find it yourself, because it’s not signposted in any way – SJ085817. Also, here is a link to a description and location details on The Modern Antiquarian: http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/6123/st_elmos_summer_house.html

The first time that Kal and I tried to find The Golden Grove we were coming from the Dyserth side, but failed – we couldn’t find anything that day and were already tired from having spent the day walking around Dyserth, When I visited on my own this time I came by the village of Gwaenysgor, from the A55 side, and had the time and energy to persevere in locating it, right at the top of a path marked as the ‘Clwydian Way‘ in a field on the left as you begin to see Prestatyn and the ‘fun-filled’ holiday coastline of North Wales.

St Elmohas an association with both sailors (this site overlooks the North Wales coastline) and also with the electrical weather phenomenon (as it is ‘scientifically’ termed) that produces glowing light around ship’s masts and suchlike. As stated in the scientific explanation int he link below, St Elmo’s Fire is in fact plasma. Although if you try to get someone in the scientific community to define what plasma is, you’ll have an interesting discussion! Just remember – it’s a fact.  That’s all you need to know. Because facts are the only form of information worth knowing, right? Here is a link to more information about this if you have never read anything about St.Elmo’s Fire – http://wapedia.mobi/en/St._Elmo’s_fire. Note: it’s also an easy-listening pop song by John Farr that was the title track to a 1980s American film. Neither the film nor the song are as interesting as the ‘plasma’; phenomenon, nor hopefully, as long-lasting in the collective memory.

The Eagle As Signpost

On my way up the hill I took a diversion towards where I felt the Golden Grove should be situated. I could feel it’s presence as I got to a gate at the edge of a field that I suspected was next to the grove. As I stood at the gate contemplating whether to enter the field full of sheep, but seeing the farm buildings so close by, a full-sized eagle emerged from somewhere and began to circle around my head, only tens of feet above me! Rather hopefully I asked it to show me The Golden Grove’s location, and to my surprise (why does it still surprise me?) it then changed course to circle in a figure-of-eight over the very place that I had been observing – the lower end of the woods that were shrouded in mist just on the opposite side of the field. I took this as confirmation of my intuitive response – the Golden Grove was in there somewhere, but quite close to the farm buildings, I felt. This made me nervous – would I dare to approach it from this open and gated direction? Not yet. I headed off back up the hill I had been climbing in search of St.Elmo’s Summer House. At least that had a marked path and I wouldn’t be trespassing.

Hill to climb before reaching St.Elmo's Summer House

Upon reaching the crest of the hill I veered left. I was following a combination of bad map-reading skills and occasional dowsing rod confirmations. As I neared where I felt the site was the field was full of young bulls intent on making a nuisance of themselves, I could tell. I tried to ignore them as marched through them up another small hill.

I located the ancient site at the peak of the field. My dowsing rods had indicated that this was the direction to go in when I checked progress with them (I try not to follow them blindly these days, but rather to use them as confirmation of my intuition – I guess I’m working my way towards trying to do without them!). The rods had again proven to be correct. I would have spent quite a bit longer trying to find the site without their gentle confirmations of direction and distance. Who needs GPS? Ha ha. I do! And considering I have a very good one I really should have used that, but I forgot to bring it with me that day.

St.Elmo’s Summer House

St.Elmo’s Summer House is only discernible by a thirty-or-so feet wide ring depression at the top of the hill. As I reached it I noticed that the young bulls were beginning to assemble and come towards me! I continued to try to ignore them, and began to take some energy readings with my dowsing rods.

The remains of whatever Summer House had been built there was signified by two embedded square concrete slabs, the remainder of some form of structure I suppose. Around these slabs were randomly strewn bricks and rocks. As with the legends of many such structures that man tried to build upon a magical place the structure has had to be taken down. Seems like its presence was not tolerated or had been abandoned for some unknown reason.

There is a history of man-made structures that are built upon supposedly magical or sacred ground having had their construction disrupted, or having to be taken down and rebuilt elsewhere. Here are a few links to articles recounting stories of structures (usually Christian churches) that have had their construction disrupted by, well of course, The Devil if you’re Christian! Older stories say The Faeries did it.

• St Mary’s Church, Ambrosden : http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/oxfordshire/legends/st-marys-church-ambrosden.html
• Waldron and Alfriston Churches in Sussex: http://www2.prestel.co.uk/aspen/sussex/devil.html

There are so, so many such tales. The underlying theme seems to be either related to the power of the earth energies at those sites, or that the sites have a reputation for being sacred to pagans, or believed to be the site of a crossing point between this world and The Otherworld of faeries and earth or elemental spirits. It was interesting to actually be stood on such a site, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that there was something about the energy field at this site. It was palpable! That’s all I can say at the moment. I need to visit it again at a crossing point of the year such as a cross-quarter day, at sunset, or in full moonlight- preferably at a combination of those times. Then I feel I may understand more about the forces there.

Angry Young Bulls

By now the young bulls had decided that my dowsing was not appropriate, and began to assemble, then follow me around the ring as I dowsed. The more I dowsed the closer they got until I could feel their breath on my elbow! They eventually forced me to abandon my quest and beat a hasty retreat for the nearest gate as they started to get a strange look in their eyes and become increasingly …well, angered by my presence is the only way to put it. I knew that they didn’t want me there once they saw/felt what I was doing.

The Golden Grove

I beat a hasty retreat to the other side of a nearby gate followed rapidly by a stampeding herd of bulls. I stood the other side of the gate, out of breath and somewhat annoyed at having been ousted before I had managed to absorb the atmosphere of the place, and to finish dowsing for whatever energies were there (and there were some, but they went completely out of my head as I dashed for the gate). I decided to head for the woods to have some lunch and recover from the heat.

A I entered the woods I realised that I must be somewhere near Golden Grove. I tried to orientate myself as I ate, then wandered down the hill in the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). of the woodland trees. Suddenly I was on a defined path, edged by stone. Why was this here, in this innocuous wood? As the trees became bigger and more beautiful I realised that I had found a way to The Golden Grove! The defined path showed me that at some time or other this had been a well-trodden path, as someone had gone ot the trouble to make it.

Then, at a junction I stopped. I knew that I had arrived by the girth and height of a ring of trees that sat in a triangular space between three paths.

Standing in what could only be The Grove I could feel the power and presence of these old trees, and looking at them I could see faces and features in their ancient bark patterns.

There was something very anthropomorphic about the way the bark was smooth, and had contours that resembled the marbling of flesh. I thought I could make out faces and features on each and every tree in that small circle. It made me feel that I was in the presence of some very special trees that had a life force that was not only apparent, but insistent on making me aware of their presence and dominion over this area. It was a feeling whose source was intangible but collectively those trees made that feeling very real and clear. It got the the point where I began talking to them, and addressing them ‘face to face’ when doing so!

I wished I could have stayed longer, but the dogs on the very nearby farm were sensing a different presence – me – and were beginning to react as they usually do. I thought about making myself invisible to them, as I had done once before when visiting Llandrillo circle late at night. I didn’t feel as though I had the motivation to maintain such a ‘cloak’ and relax into the presence of the trees in the grove at the same time – the two things felt incompatible.

I decided it was best to leave this time.I couldn’t resist masking my presence to the dogs as I left and very soon I heard the barks subside as I slowly walked away back down the hill to where I had parked. That’s a useful trick to learn, by the way. I learned it from reading Emma Restall-Orr’s books and find it very useful if I am visiting sites close to habitation. I may have left this time, but I am determined to re-visit the site to spend some contemplative time there one day soon.

Gwas.

Guided by eagles – bullied by cows and dogs.