Cornwall Winter p7 – Tintagel and the Lively Mix

After visiting Perran Round near Newquay I made my way further along the northern coast of Cornwall. I was running from the rain clouds which were closing in behind me. However, I was beaten, and when I arrived at Tintagel the rain had set in for the day. One of the reasons I had chosen Tintagel – apart from its stunning views – was that I knew I could shelter in the caves below the castle, providing that the sea would let me. I togged up and traipsed down the hill – not another visitor in view.

The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Druid

Tintagel is a lonely place to visit on a cold winter’s afternoon in the rain. As a Hedge Druid working alone is a frequent occurrence, and sometimes I am asked whether I really like it like that. Honestly? Well, yes actually. I am truly free in such situations, and work to my own timescales. Very rarely do I feel atone with all those elements and spirits swirling around me all the time and in every place I visit. I do appreciate being out with Kal or occasionally Psychic Mike, but really my heart is in league with land, sea and sky – these are the three faces of my mistress.

It’s in such circumstances, when the weather begins to impose itself, tugging at your clothing and ruffling your hair that one appreciates the impressive isolation that the cut-off headland exudes. How impassable and impregnable it seems when the sea is crashing around its base, spraying it in spume!

I made my way down to the shoreline. The sea was only just beyond the line of the caves, and so I knew that I had limited time before the caves would become cut off by the tide. I spent a good fifteen minutes, however, savouring the atmosphere of the wind, the waves and the light drizzle on my face. It felt quite dangerous to wait this long, as though I was dicing with Nature. Not exactly taunting Her, but allowing ourselves to come into a dangerous liaison. As the waves swelled and unfurled just out of reach of the cave mouth I turned my attention to making a meaningful contact.

Within moments of attuning and connecting I could feel the mighty presence of Merlin. As I was standing on rock in his namesake cave this was not wholly unexpected, in fact he had been actively invited.

Merlin turned my attention back to the sea, and then he began to quiz me. I should watch the waves breaking against the rocks – what was I seeing? I was obviously being invited to see beyond the obvious, so I discounted the answer of “waves against rocks”, and instead thought about it for a while longer… I was seeing transformable liquid meeting immobile geology. Water meeting Earth.

I was correct. Merlin qualified my statement with his own magickal simplicity:

“Fluidity against stability makes for the liveliest mix.”

There was an important lesson in here for me to take home and think about. It clearly had implications and resonance beyond the obvious.

The View From Above

I climbed up to the courtyard area above the Visitor Centre. I was following the dowsing rods, asking them to take me to anywhere that I should be next to continue this learning process. They saw fit to lead me into the Mediaeval Courtyard where I took some pictures, then picked up the dowsing rods again and began enquiring after a spirit of place. I felt a presence – could the rods confirm this for me? They moved to one end of the courtyard where they crossed next to a window looking out towards the sea. I settled in to make contact…

There was a visiting spirit here – his name was Rist-el. The spirit was visiting Tintagel to absorb the energies of water against stone whilst the weather was right for it. The liveliest mix seemed to be attracting energy forms eager to take advantage of the energy created.

Rist-El’s final advice to me was to study Henbane, but don’t ever take it. Use gloves when harvesting it. This advice and the use of the herb will come in useful one day Firstly I was surprised that the spirit chose to speak about my quest, and then I was further surprised that there was such a concentration on this Henbane herb. It kept coming back through many different sources. I was yet to find out why, but thanked him for the advice and let him return to his energy harvesting fun.

The Return of Merlin

I was about to leave when I felt a familiar presence – Merlin. He attracted my attention to turn towards Tintagel Head, so I moved back across the courtyard to take a look. I stood for a few minutes, scanning the space with my normal attention. Of course, only normal things happened. Stupid man! I shifted my gaze into a more relaxed attention, letting my gaze spread across the rocks like a wave spreading water over the stone. As soon as I did this I saw what I was being shown. Merlin’s spirit is fixed into the rocks of Tintagel! Can you see him – with his coronet of wooden fence?

At that place where the face appears to stare out across the western sea, that was the exact spot where I dowsed Merlin’s presence on my first visit. At the time I couldn’t find where he was – but that’s because I was standing on his head!

Above that I fancy I also see the reclining face of Arthur marking the area where I dowsed his presence on that same visit. How bizarre that I should be shown these things on this visit! Perhaps it is only now that I am likely to notice such things and take them for what they are? Feedback from Nature, from the spiritual presence of guiding forces. You kind of have to be there in the moment.

I smiled at the poignancy of the revelation, watching the sun begin to move down towards the sea. That wasn’t the end of it, though. A voice gently intruded into my thoughts to offer me one last piece of wisdom:

“For cleansing and invigorating use the morning sun; For warmth and comfort seek the sunset“.

More natural wisdom to consider. Tintagel is a wonderful place, and it has profited me greatly to nature a relationship with its presiding spiritual forces. I always come away with information I can bring into my life. I will return.