The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘ritual’

After spending a significant amount of time last year trying to determine the most energetic points of the year we think we have worked out what those are now. It was interesting to try to link those to the 8-fold year of the pagan calendar, for there was undoubtedly some remnant of knowledge retained in one or two of the festivals, but the majority of the dates of the 8-fold year are simply calendrical, and bear little relation to the quality of the planet’s subtle energies. The exceptions were Imbolc, Summer Solstice, Samhain and Winter Solstice. Most of the cross-quarter days were simply a marker point in the calendar, useful to human society but no indication of energetic quality.

How does this relate to the ancient sacred sites we have visited? Almost without exception the sites contained a positional system of measurement that indicated which energies they were engineered to take advantage of, utilise or enhance. Only recently have we begun to piece together the combination of factors that contributes to the bigger subtle energyA form of energy that has so far eluded scientific definition. It is neither electric, magenetic, nor electro-magnetic, so far as our current technical equipment can measure. It does, however, exhibit many of the characteristics of magnetism and electricity in terms of its effects and properties. It may be a form of either or both of those energies that we have not yet identified. picture, involving factors such as:-  

• the site’s alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. with The Moon
• the site’s alignment with The Sun
• the site’s alignment with specific planets
• the type of rock used in the construction
• the size of the stones, the site and the number of stones used
• the underlying geology and water systems of the site
• the living energy of nearby trees
• the time of day
• the time of year

As you can see there’s a lot to take account of, and producing a scientific analysis of a site’s subtle energy systems is an absurd venture – it’s much more about intuitive feel backed up by some dowsing to confirm suspicions or to disprove suggestions, all performed against a background of the unfolding inevitability of the year and the astral bodies that surround us.

Imbolc ushered in by Bride

So, this is how we are approaching the first major venture of this year: Imbolc – February 1st. It falls on a Monday this year, and happens to coincide with a full moon. How fortunate! The dowsing should be strong for the female energies, and we should begin to see the return of the male energies if the sun is out around midday. The day is dedicated to Bridget/Brige/Bride – the threefold goddess of magic, craft and fertility – a winning combination in my book! Therefore we intend to take account of this in the ritualistic elements of our energy work that day.

LAST YEAR:

We visited St Bridget’s Church in Dyserth village. This was the start of a small pilgrimage (although we weren’t calling it that back then) that took us all around the area, from the village, the waterfall, to Gop Hill, Dyserth castle, and then up to the Golden Grove (which we failed to find). Later in the year I revisited that site and found both St.Elmo’s Summer House and The Golden Grove and was overwhelmed by cows and totem animal signs.

View from Gop Hill at Imbolc

Link to posts: Imbolc – The Return of the Male Energies, Dyserth 1, Dyserth 2, Golden Grove & St.Elmo’s Summer House

THIS YEAR:

We will be heading out to Anglesey, to follow the Bridget trail of sites in the south-western quarter of the island. I will tell you more about how this came to be our itinerary, and what actually happened in a few weeks time.

ENERGIES:

This year Kal and I have planned out the times when we will be able to make the best use of the anticipated male and female energy high points of the year. When are they? Well, if you haven’t been following all our conclusions so far let us give you two golden rules that should allow you to work them out for yourself:

The male energies (radiant and earth) are at their strongest when The Sun is at its strongest – growing in strength over the year until reaching a peak at the Summer Solstice.

Then the radiant energy begins to fade. The strength of any specific day is dependent upon the amount of sun visible on that day, and is strongest around midday. Therefore, the ultimate peak would be midday of the Summer Solstice on a sunny day.

The female energies (reflected and earth) are at their strongest when The Moon is at its fullest and closest. Therefore, in the next year, this will actually be at the end of the year on the Winter Solstice.

If you want to find out which other days are important to those who revel in the female energy flow then I recommend you purchase the Findhorn book “In Tune With The Moon 2010“, which is a calendar that indicates not only the days of a full moon but also indicate whether the moon is at apogee or perigee, or somewhere in between (i.e. how near it is to Earth, and therefore how big it appears). You also have to take account of the fact that clouds may obscure the view, although this only diminishes the effect, it doesn’t nullify it.

Imbolc in a nutshell

RITUALS:

This year we have determined to go out on these special days with an intention. At Imbolc we will definitely make this the first of such ventures, and although I do not want to plan it too much, I think it is safe to say that there will be some incense burned, some candles lit, possibly some milk left as an offering if we are requested to do so along the way, and perhaps we will have a thought or two about the three aspects of the triple goddess as we work with the energies of the sites we visit on that day. Nothing is ever certain, but this year it is more deliberate than last year, as we have been encouraged to be so. One thing is for sure – we will both have a definite outcome that we will be working to achieve with the magical energies available to us on February 1st.

Gwas Myrddyn – Servant of Merlin.

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Link: Useful Pagan Calendar dates for 2010

It was late in the day when I pulled up at the small lay-by within plain sight of the huge mound that is Silbury Hill. To my left was my intended destination – to revisit West Kennet Long Barrow. I didn’t expect to have this opportunity again, and I didn’t know if I was ready to go further than I had before, but here I was, so I wasn’t about to waste this opportunity. Besides – as England were playing Croatia in a World Cup qualifying game there was every likelihood that the traffic and the site itself may be less busy than usual, and I would prefer to be alone to do what I wanted to do, which was to complete the experience of meditating in each of the five chambers within the long barrow structure and then see what happened.

As expected there were several other people visiting the barrow. It still amazes me that so many people want to visit these sites, even so late in the evening, because I arrived at around half past seven, as the sun was dropping low om the western sky, filling the area with a pleasing orange hue, contrasted clearly by the bright blue cloudless sky above it. The perfect time for the purpose I was beginning to form in my mind: I was going to see if I could finish the job I half started on my last visit – to go through the barrow’s chambers, meditating in each for the requisite time, to see what the result might be.

Before that there was some dowsing to do. I walked up the long shallow hill to arrive at the front of the barrow, out of sight of the remaining group of fellow ‘crusties’ who were perched on top in the barrow’s saddle, and began some preliminary questioning using the trusted copper rods:-

• Was it a good time to do meditation here? YES.
• Was I in the right physical, mental and spiritual frame of mind to do this work? YES.
• Was I correct in my previous interpretation of the purpose and timings of the chambers within the barrow? YES.

Going well, so far! Very encouraging.

• Would my work be enhanced by the use of crystals? YES – the stones I got from Callenish that I had been using recently were the best ones to use.

I asked whether the procedure was the same as I had worked out previously, involving a specific route up to a power centreA place where a person of a particular alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. (see ‘Alignment’) feels particularly comfortable and empowered. The place is an energetic centre where a particularly beneficial combination and formation of energies is formed into a pattern that is harmonic with the person for whom it can be called a power centre. on top of the barrow first? YES, and I should wait there until I felt a ‘calling’ to go into the chamber. Then the procedure would be:-

1. Cleansing myself of ‘external’ energies
2. Stating my intention
3. Getting permission from the guardian of the site
4. Re-energising myself
5. Undergoing a transformation process

Was I ready for this? Not really! I had no idea what I wanted to achieve yet, so I followed the rods up the right-hand side of the barrow to find my power centre on top, where I laid out my five Callenish pink granite stones around me in an unusual pattern, roughly circular. The route and location of the centre were exactly them same as on my last visit – every single step was the same. That gave me a level of confidence that my previous findings were accurate. Curiously, I would find when I got back that a kind gentleman from the British Society of Dowsers had posted in the forum saying that he had dowsed my initial findings and confirmed them as accurate in every respect, which was pleasing. Little did he know that I was about to confirm them in a very practical way myself!

I’m not going to reveal what my intention was that I finally formed. Everyone has their own path, and it’s not important to others what one wishes for. In the past I have had great difficulty thinking of anything to want to achieve. Perhaps this is a malaise of the modern world, but for me it was a tricky thing to find a balance between personal gain and the benefit of others – I wanted to achieve something in the world and not simply personal empowerment. Here was a potentially powerful tool that our ancestors had constructed and it must be respected, I felt. Whatever I asked for it would have to be something that would bring wider benefits. I thought of something, and formulated a clear sentence in my mind. Armed with that I felt ready. Well, not quite. I was nervous, and as the last visitors moved away I felt the need to relieve myself in the scrubland alongside the barrow. Hey, it’s a “call of Nature”, right? Maybe that was the signal to begin because then, alone on top of the barrow, I felt ready to go into the barrow and meditate….

About twenty minutes later I emerged. It hadn’t been the vision quest I had been expecting, but something had happened in there. I didn’t feel any different, but I knew something subtle had occurred. I asked the rods to confirm whether I had been successful – YES. Would I notice the difference immediately? NO – it would take several weeks for the change to take effect. OK. I was happy with that, and will look out for that. I may even report back when the change happens, because it will be the culmination of several years worth of effort if it works. I think I should document that if and when such an event occurs, don’t you?

I returned to my power centre to have a think. I sat quietly waiting to see what would happen if I could become as still in my mind as the air was outside now. A picture began to form after a few minutes peace. I saw Nine Ladies stone circle in my mind. A bearded man in a long white robe approached the circle from the moor side and stopped to touch the King Stone quite deliberately. In my mind I heard the term “Heel stone”, though, which is not a term I use, but I understood what was meant by it. Then the man went through all of the stages that I had just been through, but with slight variances. Those stages were

1. Touching the Heel Stone to activate the energy
2. Grounding or cleansing himself on the draining stone in the circle;
3. Walking around the circle clockwise three times stating his purpose
4. Standing in the centre of the circle, giving praise to the sun, moon, stars and the earth, facing north, south, east and west in turn
5. Sitting on a power centre in the circle to charge himself up and then receiving a revelation or inspiration

After this he stood and faced me and I knew that he was now in command of the energies of the stone circle. Now I knew what all this process was about – it was a generic process with slight variances to take account of the type of power place that the work was being performed at. I understood. And I knew that soon I would get a chance to try this out too.

Before I could, something was nagging at me – what was I giving in return for this knowledge? The nag got louder. I got the rods out again to help me, and after a short while I hit upon a positive response: I needed to give something of great value in return for my “gift” that I had meditated for. Well, that was something that I knew earlier cultures did – there are several lakes in North Wales and elsewhere that have been the site for votive gifts. Now I was beginning to understand why. Upon realising this I was restless to go, so I picked up my Callenish stones and packed to leave. All the while the sight of Silbury Hill was drawing me. The light was almost gone now, but there was a hint of lighter sky in the west which silhouetted the hill in a wonderfully dramatic way. Time for more dowsing, I reckoned, but that’s another story.

Gwas.

Putting theory into practice.

Tuesday 5th May – The St.Uzek stone and the Isle Grande ‘allé couverte’

Being up at the crack of dawn to disembark the ferry at St.Malo, then driving an hour in unfamiliar territory, and on the opposite side of the road to reach your holiday base, then unpacking and heading straight out to the Pink Granite Coast in north-western Brittany – a mere two hours away – is all in a day’s work for an intrepid ley-hunter and day-to-day dowser. That kind of enthusiasm is only to be expected when the quarry being chased is so tempting!

On the agenda shortly is Mont St.Michel, but on this first day I headed to the highest point along the stunning Pink Granite coastline in my trusty french steed, with my redoubtable wife. The rewards were indeed worth the hunt. On this first day I got to find a huge menhir called St.Uzec (or St.Duzec) and an “alle couverte”,or “covered alley” – a long passage grave or dolmen, in effect. Details about that later. First – the St.Uzec menhir.

The menhir is to be found in the village of Penvern (which sounds more Cornish than Breton). It is almost signposted and a little faith will get you there. It seems very well visited, but no-one lingers for more than a minute or two. And I found out why! As M and I walked up to it from the little car parking bay, admiring its immense height and red granite composition, there was a moment when things went still and quiet. M decided she didn’t want to go near it and veered off up the small road going uphill to follow a trail leading to the chapel nearby. I walked into the fifteen feet long walled enclosure and dropped my bag off at the base of the menhir, next to what looked like a tiny font placed at its base.

There were some symbols carved into the stone’s upper area – a sun, a geometrical figure, other obscure images, Atop the stone was a cross made from a different stone, and a different time. It was a Christian addition, probably added when the stone was given the saint’s name that it bears now. From ealier drawings and pictures I have seen of this stone it was once adorned by a carving of Jesus hanging from a cross.

I stepped back out of the enclosure with my dowsing rods, walking to the far side of the approach road. I had had experience of the size of the nemeton field for stones of this size before so I was giving it a good run-up! I dowsed for the edge of the stone’s field of influence. I walked forward. And kept walking. When I got four inches away from the stone the rods parted in a barrier reading. Four inches away! What?! I was stunned. On Lewis I had dowsed the Truiseil Stone which had a nemeton of some thirty feet. Now four inches for a stone that was just as tall if not taller, and twice as wide.

I asked the rods some questions. Was the nemeton being restricted unnaturally in some way? YES. Was it a result of human intervention? YES. Were the symbols on the rock related to this in some way? YES. Was it the placement of the cross on top that was restricting the stone’s energy field? YES. Was there something I could do to repair this energy field? SORT OF. Could I do it permanently? NO. Would it be something temporary then? YES. Did I have the means to do this work? YES. But I didn’t have the strength. My rods hung loosely and I started to look around aimlessly. I took a few more photographs then wandered away and met M as she came towards the stone from her travels around the historic route she was taken earlier.

As we walked away from the stone, me explaining that there was something awry with the energy field, I realised that a strong tightness in my temples was lifting. I kept walking away from the stone and it went completely as I got more than fifty feet away from the monstrous megalith. There was something seriously wrong with the energies around that stone – no wonder no-one stayed close to it for very long! You may have noticed from the picture that a cross has been placed on top of the giant menhir. It caught my eye too. Back to the rods one last time: Was the reason that this menhir did not have a proper nemeton directly related to the placement of the cross on top of it? YES. This stone had been “capped” by the placement of this cross. Was it simply the cross shape, I wondered? NO, said the rods. Was it the intentions of the people who put the cross there that inhibited the energy? YES. Time to move on.

We decided to go to another nearby site on the Isle Grande which was only a few miles the other side of the village. Well, after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing we found it, no thanks to the signage! The allé couverte that I was searching for was on Isle Grande. This is also the name that Aubrey Burl gives to the site as well as its location. It was thanks to Burl’s description in his ‘Megalithic Brittany‘ guide that I was able to find it at all. The French, it seems, are only vaguely interested in denoting the presence of their megalithic treasures, much as we English have also mainly achieved. The site was marked by a small knee-level sign that was side-on to the road making it invisible to passing traffic!

The avenue of stones was constructed of flat but wide slabs, with the square entrance way being wide and tall enough to stoop within. There were seven large capstones supported on standing flat stones. There were two chambers, the first being the longer of the passageways utilising five of the capstones in length, whilst the remaining two capstones comprised a second smaller chamber large enough for maybe two men kneeling or tucked in tightly.

As I dowsed the site I found no female energies there at all, which was very surprising, as I can’t remember the last site that I dowsed that didn’t have at least some female earth or moon energies present. This site was simple inhabited by two energetic sources – a male line with two power centres at either end, and a neutral power centreA place where a person of a particular alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. (see ‘Alignment’) feels particularly comfortable and empowered. The place is an energetic centre where a particularly beneficial combination and formation of energies is formed into a pattern that is harmonic with the person for whom it can be called a power centre. that looped back upon itself. Finding a neutral power centre was another rarity. Already I was sensing that dowsing in France was going to be an interesting endeavour, and one where I would need to try to be as objective and comprehensive as possible. Unfortunately, on this occasion, time was pressing for us to organise some food for the self-catering aspect of our holiday, and so I didn’t ask all the things I could have.

I did find out that a neutral power centre located at the end of the first longer chamber encompassed the inside and outside left-hand (southern) edge. The right-hand edge of the passageway is fed by a male power centre on the right-hand end of the inner passage, directly opposite the neutral centre. There was another male spiral at the centre of the smaller passage. This came out of a hole between two capstones to join with the male energy travelling along the first chamber.

I did some dowsing as to the purpose of the site and eventually narrowed the concept down to it being a place of transformation and initiation. How that was done exactly I don’t know. Perhaps it’s something you have to try for yourself one moonlit summer’s night?

What a great start to the holiday. Two sites visited on the first day of landing. I honestly didn’t expect that, and was amazed at how many sites there were in the environs around St.Brieuc. Perhaps I would run into some others as we travelled around in the next ten days? Indeed we did.

Gwas

Following the pink coastline (this is not a euphamism)