The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘rosicrucian’

Having recently been in Edinburgh I took the fleeting opportunity to do some dowsing to confirm some suspicions I had about the position of some ley lines that I had been mapping with the help of Google Maps. I had been reading Robin Heath‘s book “Powerpoints” a month or so ago, and in that book Robin mentions a geometric arrangement of powerful leys that are linked by the ‘artificial’ and ‘modern’ capital cities of the British Isles – Cardiff, London and Edinburgh.

Whilst in Edinburgh I visited the castle. I was standing on the esplanade before going in when I became increasingly fascinated with the hill that dominated the skyline. I had seen this hill from our hotel window but now that it was closer I could see that it actually formed part Edinburgh itself – the city was shaped around the hill. I used my mapping applications to find out the name of the hill. It came as no surprise to me when I saw the the object of my obsessive fascination was called “Arthur’s Seat“. Well, well. That was been the story of my year, really.

The Seat of Arthur

Arthur’s Seat is a fascinating hill in so many ways. Firstly because it is an extinct volcano, secondly that it has been inhabited for thousands of years, thirdly that it attracted the nomenclature that it has, and finally because it has attracted in modern times a quite macabre connotation with sensational murders. Its more prosaic history is thus:

A hill fort occupies the summit of Arthur’s Seat and the subsidiary hill, Crow Hill.^[8]

Hill fort defences are visible round the main massif of Arthur’s Seat at Dunsapie Hill and above Samson’s Ribs, in the latter cases certainly of prehistoric date. These forts are likely to have been centres of power of the Votadini, who were the subject of the poem Y Gododdin which is thought to have been written about 600 AD in their hillfort on Edinburgh castle crag. The poem includes a simile comparing a warrior to King Arthur which (if not a later addition) may be one of the earliest references to Arthur, and hints at a possibility that his fame might have led to one of the hillforts — and, subsequently, the hill — being named after him. (source: Wikipedia)

Arthur's Seat is the meeting point of two national scale leys

I left it at that during the visit to Edinburgh, but when I got home I began to check my triangle of leys that included the infamous Rose Line of which Robin Heath had made me aware. When I had mapped the lines there was one aspect that I couldn’t determine - exactly where did the lines terminate? I had a feeling that Cardiff Castle was one terminus, and this had recently been backed up by reading “The Seventh Sword” by Andrew Collins, because it turns out that Cardiff Castle is a hot-spot of energy and masonic and magical design. Well, that was one point, but what about Edinburgh? When I looked at where I had terminated the Scottish part of the line I realised that I had stopped it some hundred metres away from Arthur’s Seat. When I extended the line fully to touch the hill’s summit suddenly the line went exactly through the famous Templar church of Rosslyn Chapel to the south. Now I knew I had got the correct terminus point of this North-South Rose Line.

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Over the last couple of months I have gained a lot of starting points and things to investigate. Honestly though I have been lazy and there are other considerations playing on my mind and competing for my time. So I am going to go out this weekend and look for some answers. Here are the questions that I am going out to have answered. Recall our motto…

Have a purpose!

Questions then:

Rosicrucians and Templar:

• Do I need to research these?
• Rosicrucians or/and Templars?
• Do I need to visit some of their sites in Cornwall?
• Which ones?

Green Knight:

• Was it just a pointer to Luds church?
• Do I need to create and go on a pilgrimage following his path?
• When and through what sites?

Holy Grail:

• Is there a relationship between this and the phoenix?
• and my book?
• How can I believe this answer?

Wand:

• This ‘ol chestnut seems to have reared its head again, recall St Helen and how she showed me being knighted by a wand?
• Do I have to make this?
• By when?
• What to use?

Now I just have to determine where to go to gain these answers…phew a Knight Errants life is not an easy lot!

Kal Malik – questioning the world

Knights Symbol on Grave stone

Since beginning my Knights Quest I have been asked to obtain 9 Blue Keys to present to Cailleach this coming Autumn (see the Knights Quests posts).  This last weekend (12 Feb 2011) Gwas and I decided to visit some sacred sites that I had chosen in and around Llangollen in Wales. My choice had sights had been pretty much random (I felt) and only constricted by the fact that we were going to the area of Llangollen.

The night before I had driven across the country from West Devon (about 4.5 hours) in an onslaught of rain and wind. My faith in us getting a good visit out was diminishing with every mile. But that is what faith is about isn’t it? Believing when all the evidence is pushing the other way.

Llangollen Abbey

Having said that, Saturday morning was bright and fresh, and again amazed both Gwas and I in its presenting us with a full sunny, dry and warm day. Our first port of call was going to be Llangollen Abbey. After our fantastic success and experiences at Bolton Abbey (and my years intent to explore abbeys more) I had picked this sacred and ancient monument. We were not disappointed this time as Gwas will relate to his experiences.

After wandering around and getting a sense of the Genius Loci I dowsed for the best place for me to stand (the grass was too wet for sitting) and commune with the spirit of this magnificent place. Eventually the rods took me to first in three broken pillars. Still standing some 5 foot in height, I clambered up and called across to Gwas to note that as soon as I had stood upon the pedestal the sun had come out from some clouds…coincidence!…

As I slowly twirled around on the pedestal trying to determine the ‘best’ direction to be facing I saw the half moon over the high windows of the abbey. Gwas informed me that this moon was called the Wolfs Moon. Curious as a couple of weeks ago I had purchased a t-shirt with a white wolf on it and was wearing it for the first time on this outing, another coincidence?

Apparently facing the moon and also being in the light of the sun was the best place for me at this particular abbey and without further messing I stilled my thoughts and let my intuition flow. A few minutes of silence and observation of the three other people in the huge main hall of the abbey, my attention was caught by Gwas as he had completed his work and was giving thanks to the place.

It was at that time that I got a messagethe site didn’t want anything from us. What it wanted was an alignment. It wanted us to play its tune. What a wonderful insight this was and I mused on it for quite a while before jumping off and relating the experience to Gwas.

A sacred site isn’t looking for gifts of gratitude, it is looking for an alignment. In essence this: A site, if you will is vibrating at a certain frequency of energy, what it wants (if I could use that word) is for visitors to align (vibrate) at the same frequency of the site. In more poetic terms…

The Genius Loci sings a song in harmony with its environment, the gift we can give it during our visit is to sing its song for a while.

Isn’t that brilliant? Consider the appreciation you give a performer by singing with them? As revelations go this was a wonderful one and one that perhaps we knew unconsciously but to have it voiced and come into consciousness was a enlighteningmoment. You will be herein more of my Singing with Genius Loci’s in the future!

Saint Mael and Saint Sulien’s Church

The second site I had randomly chosen was the church of two Saints, Mael and Sulien in Corwen. Gwas and I parked up the car and as we walked up the lane towards the hotel that the church was behind we saw a 15 foot high statue of a knight greeting us and pointing at the church (quite probably the hotel too). A knight? The implication and portent of this sign was not lost on either of us.

I love it when synchronicities abound, surely it is a sign that we’re on the right path, or rather a path with a heart. It certainly feels like such.

After a short stop for some food we made our way to the Church. Apparently it had two stones of note. I wandered around the churchyard in attempt to spot them and as I returned to my starting point Gwas pointed them out to me. One was stuck in the wall of the entrance to the church and the other (a ring stone) was at the base of a cross.

I dowsed as to whether these were the original positions of the stones and the answer was no. Asking to be taken to there original position I was taken to the back of the church to a spot just by a grave. As I approached I saw Gwas there and learned that he too had been looking for the original place. Independently we had both found the same place!

I asked if there was anything significant about this spot and was pointed at the nearest gravestone. It was so worn that nothing remained of the inscription except on the upper part of the stone there was the symbol of a Rose.

I pointed this out to Gwas who is more learned in such matters and he noted that it looked like a Rosicrucian symbol, a Rose. He also informed me that the Rosicrucian order was intimately involved with the Knights Templar. Really! I was impressed. I had to look it up later…

“Rosicrucianism is a philosophical secret society, said to have been founded in late medieval Germany by Christian Rosenkreuz. It holds a doctrine or theology “built on esoteric truths of the ancient past”, which, “concealed from the average man, provide insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm. “Rosicrucianism is symbolized by the Rosy Cross.” Rosicrucian

 As I read this I find a curious synergy with another a book that I am putting together entitled Radical Enlightenment which might be described as “built on esoteric truths” and “… insight into nature, the physical universe and the spiritual realm…” however rather than concealing these, revealing them!

An amazing find I think in hindsight and I will be exploring this relationship further. But back to the duo saints church. So I was faced with this grave and its marking. With Gwas’s input, I asked:

• Whether this spot had anything to do with knights? Yes.
• Was there a knight buried here? Yes.
• Was he an important figure? No…Oh
• Was he knighted by Arthur (it was a hopeful question) alas No.
• Was he knighted by a prominent King/Queen? No.

It seems that the relevance of bringing me to this place was purely to get me the connection of Rosicrucian and Knights Templar. Before I move on to our next site I would just like to point out the following…

Sulien… interpreted as being derived from the Welsh sul, meaning “sun” + geni, meaning “born,” Sulien being the name of a Celtic solar deity.

Can I just remind you that I am so much a Sun aligned person, of course…a coincidence.

Stay tuned for my next post on this outing…’Tyfos and Being Directed’

Kal Malik – gathering clues on a knight’s quest

Dinas Emrys, Gwynedd, Wales – 23rd October 2010.

Now we come to the crux of the matter – the culmination of my Samhain preparations. I had cut, cured and carved a wand made of rowan in preparation for this visit to Dinas Emrys, the legendary castle of Merlin. Here I was expecting to involve the shade of King Arthur in guiding me through an Underworld journey to revive the Spirit of Merlin. What would happen beyond that? I didn’t know. What were the consequences of doing this? Another mystery. All I knew was that this was my path to follow by going with the flow of the universe. This was..for want of a less hackneyed term..my current ‘destiny’.

I pondered my encounter with Merlin - myth, fiction, daydream?

The title of this post refers to the second line of a three-line riddle, or ‘tercet’ to give it its more accurate name, If you remember, the riddle went: “Strong red / Lower Merlin’s rowan/ Second Llanddeiniiol (or stone) church“.

We parked at the bottom in a nearby lay-by and cross the road looking for an entrance. When I have been here before it has been dark and I have been in a hurry, so I have missed the obvious five-bar iron gate entrance. We climbed in and took to the path running along the bottom of the steep ridge, running parallel with the River Glaslyn opposite. Kal had spotted what looked like a cave from the road and soon we had found it again. Indeed it was a small cave, big enough to squeeze two people into, so we both shuffled in. It was very hospitable, although when Kal lay down he felt uncomfortable. From beneath him he reached round and pulled out a hand-sized quartz rock. I took it from him and pointed out how it looked like a perfect replica of the shape of the Dinas Emrys hillitself. I felt this was significant so I asked if I could keep hold of the rock. After some persuasion Kal agreed and I put it into my pack for later. Remember this bit – it will re-appear as a perfect example of how dowsing works later.

The weather was acting strangely. All around us there seemed to be layers of grey-purple bruised cloud pending with rain, yet shafts of sun also filtered through the trees on the slope. Again I wondered if Kal was destined to get soaked. Again I was wrong – somehow he survived with only a few light and brief showers whilst out in the open. It seemed surreal how he managed to avoid the elements.

Red and white dragons tussling

The Pool of the Dragons

On the way up we paused at the mid-section platform – an area of flat land that may have once been a track for carts to bring goods up the hill, or for builders to bring materials up the slope. Now it was full of decaying trees and mossy rubble. We set out first goal to be to find the pool within which the two dragons – the red and the white – were supposed to have fought [I will soon post the best account of the story that I have found, but if you need a quick reminder here's an introduction].

For some reason I wandered farther along the plateau than I ever had before and stood by some ruined mossy stones and bent tree trunks – something has pulled me here. Kal began to search for the pool using his dowsing rods and the rods lead him to the far end of the structure at which I was standing. “Here it is.” he said assuredly. I got my rods out and circled quickly back on myself right to where Kal was standing. Yep, I got the same.

Was this really the much-vaunted mythical pool? It didn’t look anything like the pictures I had seen of it. We were both sure we were correct, though. Very strong dowsing reactions, and … something else said it was correct too – a magical sense, an intuition that we have both been developing seemed to add to the conviction.

The site of the dragon well

So now it was time to climb up onto the upper reaches, to pass by the ‘sentinel’ trees that guard the site, and to finally venture into the Underworld to meet Merlin’s spirit. I think I physically gulped at the prospect. Everything over the last year had built to this point and it felt .. important. I was ready – we ascended.

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