The road up to Cerrig Arthur stone circle is narrow and steep. It climbs sharply out of the town of Barmouth, winding at precarious angles until it settles into a straight line ascent above the seaside town. From houses through woods then out into open fields the road lifts you clear of the roar of the sea and replaces this with the howl of the wind across the valley which perches itself above the Afon Mawddach river mouth miles below.
We parked at the entrance to a farm called “Sylfaen” – a reference to the sylvan woods, perhaps, or maybe to the presence of sylphs? Either way Kal noted it as an auspicious sign. This visit would be the third Arthur-related site this year so far, and it was only the middle of January.
We had maps. We had the right clothes. We set off in the right direction. We couldn’t find the circle though! We had to triangulate from mountain tops and buildings to try to work out the position of the stone circle. My tip, if you’re visiting, is this – go through the first gateway up the hill to the left of the farm and then follow the dry stone wall over a couple of crests until you see it. The circle is nestled between two dips, and is very difficult to spot until you’re almost on top of it. We were half way down the valley before we realised we’d gone too far!
When we found it, though, the sun came out and provided us with the kind of photo opportunity that can’t be resisted. We spent a good five minutes just taking pictures before we actually got down to doing some work.
My first step was to see if there was a Spirit of Place that I could work with. The circle felt accepting, pleasing, warm (despite the cold air). It only took me a few moments to get into the right frame of mind to make such a contact, and soon I was able to ask the spirit of the circle to assist me in working towards my goal. In light of what I had learned at Arthur’s Table a few hours ago, I wanted to know more about the role of this circle in the landscape zodiac figure that I was being asked to consider.
The answers I got were that this particular circle is also part of the landscape constellation. Because of its size I had assumed it would be a small part, but this is not the case. It is one of the main stars in the grouping. See – you can’t always determine power from size!
I faced North down the valley, checked my alignment – yes, it was facing the Great Bear constellation – and then I tried to connect to the constellation again.
During the meditation I found out that the Cerrig Arthur site is linked with The Seven Sleepers (which I initially heard as “Seven Sisters”, but that’s a different constellation in Taurus). When I asked for more information I got the imagery that there are seven full moons in the year that are important for me to recognise in relation to this Arthurian quest.
“Later the English linked the constellation to both the Bear and Wagon. They saw it as the wagon of King Arthur, whose Round Table is reflected in the constellations circling the Pole, and whose name comes from the Celtic word for “bear.” Legend has it that Arthur is sleeping in a cave with his knights beside him, and will return one day to save his country in its hour of need. The seven most important stars of the Bear-Wagon (the Big Dipper) are also known as the Seven Sleepers of Epheus, who lie dreaming in a mountain cave waiting for the resurrection. These Seven Sleepers, unlike Arthur, are said to have awoken after 200 years and gone down to the local town for provisions, after which they went to sleep once more.” (source: Souled Out)
I can’t find out why these Seven Sleepers are important until I have energetically linked all the sites and gone through the seven moon rituals. It will be something to do with waking a sleeper, I think. Often with these quests we are not permitted to see too far ahead, until we’re ready for the outcome.
As I was physically there and energetically linked, I created an energetic bridge between the three sites of Thor’s Cave, Arthur’s Table and Cerrig Arthur. This formed a triangle of flowing energy connections. I enquired a bit further to see whether it was safe for me to expose such energetic links in the real world, but it seems that these links are only important for me. This landscape figure I am creating with my energy is purely for my benefit.
As I came out of my connective trance state a single oak leaf blew across the hill towards me. I watched it intensely, knowing that it was a sign for me. I waited until it had reached my feet and then I picked it up – looking around the area for the nearest oak tree. There wasn’t one visible! If there was one it must have been a couple of miles away at least! I picked it up and put it on the “altar” stone in the circle – a stone which happened to have a divot large enough to contain and shelter the leaf. I left it was an energetic gift for the Spirit Of Place, in recognition of the information I had been given. Significance! This may be a keyword of the year.
