It surprises me that Gwas is still amazed when the sun is out on our days out. With the number of times that the sun has an impossible task of appearing and yet our sacred journey becomes basked in its glow is ominously curious. Nevertheless, touting the fates (and the weather predictors) once again the sun shone on our blessed journeying.
The path leading up to Lud’s church is a nice slow rise that I ran, skipped and jumped along (as seems quite often these days I was filled with an impish and youthful spirit). On this occasion however I had an imagined companion. The companion was a young spritely knight dressed in green of the forest rather than armour. Perhaps I should say he was the Green Man but no, I wouldn’t use that descriptor. In fact I would definitely call him the green knight as that was how I felt he was.
Anyway, this knight would run in front of me, stop at various places and look out into the ravine. I would run after him and do the same following in his footsteps. It was a magical feeling and perplexed Mike and Gwas as to my meanderings and jolliness (although Gwas has seen similar Pan-ish antics afore).
I was well ahead of the duo when the knight bowed me towards what seemed to me to be the entrance to the next stage of the journey. I went through laughing out loud as he pushed by me and stood on the other side of the trees. I went and stood on the same place and saw that it was a place where the sun came right through a gap in the trees and into my eyes. I called Gwas and Mike over to marvel at this spark of light.
For me the gateway was a fabulously welcoming place and I felt filled with joy as I
walked back and to through the entrance. It was like walking into a warm breeze from the cold. Lovely! We then walked up to a set of stone boulders that were at the edge of the ravine, like two broken pillars at either side. The knight rushed up one of them and stood looking out across the barren winters land. I joined him laughing all the while and enjoying my lack of vertigo (of which only remnants remain).
I don’t (or didn’t at the time, see part 6) know what was going on with my feelings but I certainly felt up-lifted that fine Imbolc morning. After a brief stop at these mighty doors we continued the last leg of the journey to Lud’s church, where the Knight told me to wait a while and prepare by the entrance before going into the depths.
Kal Malik – filled with laughter
