The next sacred stop on our pilgrimage was the Merry Maidens. I say the next, but in reality we do stop off at other sites too. But herein I describe only the ones where pertinent work occurred. If you pop over and see some of Gwas’s posts, you may discover some extra sites that were of note for him. Anyway. We drove past the Merry Maidens (I have been there a couple of times before but I might be forgiven for the loss of direction since one of those times was near midnight after many hours of driving).
Sealing the Solstice Energy
It was around 5pm when we arrived at the maidens and the sun was keeping us company despite the dire weather predictions (hah!). Gwas and I explored the energies of the place before settling into our own respective work. I was given to lie somewhere just off the centre of the circle and Gwas became an outlier. As had been the case at several other site visits, I began by capturing the Solstice Energy (see Boscawen-Un visit for how I learned to do that). This was to be the fourth site that I had collected the energies and was wondering how many more it would be before I was complete when a thought flooded my consciousness. This was it. This was the last site and would also form the seal. So again I claimed the Solstice Energies and this time as they returned from touching each of the stones I felt that they brought with them a symbol. It was to be the seal that held the energies inside of me.
I lay there feeling the energy stir within me (hadn’t felt that until now). To what purpose would I use these? I didn’t know and no answer was forthcoming from neither Cailleach or my Energy Double. I got up and suddenly felt the urge to run. Taking off my shoes I began to run through the field that surrounded the Merry Maidens. I ran and ran, exhilarated and filled with (pardon the pun) energy. It was a magnificent feeling.
I was by no means tired but felt the urge to commune with the spirit of the place. Taking my rods, I explored the maidens again, in search of the Genius Loci. As I followed the direction of the rods a thought surprised me. It was the Solstice and here we were at a Sun aligned site and yet we were the only ones gracing it. Where have ye pagans gone? I thought.
A Question
With the aid of the rods, I found the place the Genius Loci was lurking (well maybe not lurking) and with respect and greeting sat besides her (I felt it was a her). Opening my mind to commune resulted in almost instantaneous connection.
Note: Gwas and I have pondered this often of late. i.e. the ease with which connection and commune occurs. It is almost an expected thing these days. Beautiful!
The Merry Maidens guardian spirit had noted our visit and experiences and was – it is hard to say it like this – but it felt happy that we were there – perhaps completed would be a better word – as if on this sacred day – it also needed people to make something of the enemy. Yes, it was certainly a grateful connection. The spirit looked into me and I knew it saw the Dragons Soul book. In an almost gifting kind of way, it released a question from the book into my consciousness…
What is in your heart?
I was both surprised and delighted at the same time. In no way was I expecting such a gift, after all I had just gained the experience of sealing the solstice energies within me. But then who says you can only have one experience per sacred site? Thankful and awed, I sought out Gwas to relate my experience to him and to also beg some incense sticks to light in form of gratefulness.
This done, I felt that the Solstice had been completed and although we had a couple of places left on our journey for that evening. I felt that my day had come to close. Gwas and I walked back through the field towards the place the car was parked (the Maidens are definitely an easy access site). Arriving at the car first a thought nudged me and I turned to Gwas…”Where is your staff?”
You will have to read Gwas’s posts to find out what that was about…
Kal Malik – completed.
