I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Dove Holes. I had visited Thor’s Cave in Derbyshire at Winter Solstice and that had been impressive. The Dove Holes were equally impressive. My mind was taken back to the episode in the books I had read where the questors met with the spirit they called “Gweveraugh” – a sort of female deity figure that they associated with a tribal leader from England’s history. I wondered if there was any sign of such a presence here in these caves at this moment. Kal and I sat in the caves but I felt no presence there at that time.
Kal began making sounds within the caves so I began to try some sound experiments too. I did some humming of various frequencies that I associate with opening my chakras (after putting up some protection, of course – lessons learned and all that). The procedure felt really good and I was enlivened by the response of my sound in that cave environment. Then Kal called over to me, “Hey – try expanding your aura in the cave” he suggested. We had done this kind of thing before at Park Wood in South Wales so I tried it again. As my aura touched the cave walls I began to get “feedback” – my temples began to pulse and throb like they do just before a thunderstorm.
Kal looked over at me,
“When you expand your aura do your temples throb just like before a thunderstorm?”
Was he reading my mind? I confirmed that they did. How odd! I wonder what all that was about?
Then I climbed up to the top cave because it was there. It was unremarkable, but had some nice acoustic qualities. Again I couldn’t feel any spirit presence making itself known to me so I came back down again to meet Kal as we descended the steep slope. This time the staff really became useful and I got down much more easily than I had got up thanks to its fantastic reach.
The Lady of Lovers Leap
All along the river I had been keeping an eye open for a particular type of rock. I had mentioned to my friend Mike about my impending visit and he had told me that I would meet a spirit on a large outcrop of rock that protrudes into the river. As he said this I got a momentary glimpse of what the rock looked like. I had checked a couple of places along the way that seemed similar to what I had glimpsed, but they were devoid of spiritual presence. As I walked up onto the Lover’s Leap rock my heart fluttered and a jolt of adrenaline shocked my system. This was the place! The view was all wrong, but this was the place – I could feel it! I told Kal that I needed to stop for a while and he kindly obliged.
A couple were flirting on the pinnacle of the rock when I sat myself down on the quieter side. Moments later they took their leave and the rock was mine alone. With my staff in hand I drifted off into a dream-like state of mind. I did my protection, grounding and centring routines, then let my aura expand and my attention move around in search of a connection with anything that wished to connect to it. Soon I felt a presence – a powerful female presence that made my hair stand on end (in a nice way). Waves of pleasurable vibrations flooded through me and I saw in my mind’s eye a tall lady who was radiating a pure white glow as though backlit by a bright light. She had long fair hair tied into a beautiful braid that made it look like she had a tiara made of knotted hair. Her piercing blue eyes made me shiver with delight.
I had been reading Sue Allen’s Spirit Rescue book and she had provided a test for the authenticity of a spirit. I have always felt that I “knew” the provenance of a spirit, but I felt like this might be an occasion to test Ms Allen’s theory. I asked the spirit three times if she was “a being of light”. Each time the response was more and more emphatic, and each time the question seemed more and more redundant. I already knew she was, but she kindly responded anyway with a delicate but powerful, “I am.” I shivered with delight again. Her presence was truly lovely and warming, even on this cool March day.
- The ‘rock that protrudes into the river’ at Dovedale
The lady then began to reveal information to me and I began to just know some things:
- She was the spirit of the River Dove
- She was linked to the energies of this rock
- She had inhabited this place for a very long time
- She loved to meet energy-aware people
I asked the Lady if her name was ‘Gweveraugh’, as the guys in the ‘Eye of Fire’ book had believed her to be called when they met her. She laughed and said that was one possible name for her, but she had many. The names she was known by all flickered before my eyes like someone thumbing through a phone book! I saw that it was pointless to stop on any particular name and decided to know her by her place – the would be The Lady of the Dove to me, linking her directly with the river – the source of her powers.
I asked The Lady if she would help me to know my quest for the next part of the year (Spring to Beltane). She said she could help with that, but that the knowledge would not be gained at this place, but elsewhere. I knew where she meant – Parwich Hill – our next destination. In return for her help I asked what she wanted. She responded with a most beautiful and unexpected request: “Give your kisses to the river.” I thanked her for her assistance and then came back to normal consciousness. It was then that I realised just how oblivious I had been of my surroundings. The sun was dipping low and it was getting colder, and several groups of people were now wandering around. I had neither heard nor seen them until now!
For a moment I had to think how I would fulfill The Lady’s request. The it came to me. I did that gesture that lovers sometimes do – I kissed ym hand and then blew the kiss from off my palm, visualising the kiss floating down to land in the river and then dissolving into it. I repeated this several times. It was a delightful experience!
The Eye of The Raven
We walked back towards Milldale slightly wearied by the longer-than-expected trek. If it hadn’t been for having no water we’d have turned back well before then. Now the sun was barely on the tips of the hills and sinking fast, and we still had to get to Parwich to finish the day. We crossed the river onto the narrower and rarely used path. I like to travel paths that few others can follow. It was muddier and more rugged, but I wanted to go that way because it would take us over Raven’s Tor. This was drawing me to it – possibly because I could imagine a link with Bran, the energy form with whom I had made an agreement early in the year. At Dinas Bran, you may remember, I had agreed to bring Bran to various places that I visited. Well, why not Raven’s Tor? It felt right.
As Kal took a moment to investigate some bushes and maybe add to their water supply, I took the opportunity to link in with Bran. As I called upon his presence I scanned the river and the gorge taking in all the sights – the sun tilting through the trees, the play of light and shadow, the movement of other birds, the sound and sparkle of the river, the blueness of the sky. Suddenly I was aware that my own sight had moved back into my head, and that it was not my eyes that were scanning the view! This was a most odd feeling. It was like I was watching someone else using my eyes to view the scene. Bran was working through me, I knew this. I waited. My vision was restored to me, and the feeling of an otherwordly presence moved away. A dark bird cawed from a nearby tree, took off and swooped down to the river below. I smiled knowingly. Kal climbed up to where I was and check in with me – “You alright?” he asked, noticing my distance gaze and odd smile. “Oh yes!” I responded, and tried to explain the experience. He nodded wisely.
By now my wish to take the narrower rockier path on the far side of the river was taking its toll and we struggled to get back with enough time to visit Parwich Hill. That’s where we went next for the final experience of the day.
Gwas.
