Spring began properly for us with a long drive across country to the barren eastern parts of these islands. We had been this direction before, and this area really makes you work for your visit! I had chosen to go East as this direction is associated with Spring, and it was a direction in which I could find an old turf maze. Given my recent tarot draw, I knew that labyrinthine paths could be the order of the day, and so it was.
Wing Turf Maze
The day began early. We had long miles to cover. As I drove down the motorway I was gladdened by the sight of the dawning sun. Such a good omen for our outing – clear skies and sunshine.
On arrival at the small village of Wing the day was shaping up nicely. Kal had a portent of what was to come soon and half-jokingly said that we should just go to the maze then drive home. We were here now, and Nature was calling us both and so we nipped into the nearby woodland.
On the way out I felt like I was walking the wrong way. I got snagged on branches and dead brambles. Nature was telling me that I was going the wrong way, and so I back-tracked and followed the dowsing rods on a more energetically compatible path. Heed the signs!
I emerged onto the main road where an ash tree’s unusual bent bough met the top of my head. This was the place to stop, I felt, and so I began the cleaning process that has become a regular preparation feature of any sacred visit. This process included a vision, though, which was of a lightning strike from above and below meeting in the middle, meeting in me. I felt instantly cleansed!
Now for the maze itself.
Journey to the Centre of the Turf
Looking like some kind of racecourse for rabbits with its white wooden fencing I dowsed for the correct place to enter the labyrinth. Kal was sitting in the centre and as I approached he informed me that he had been taken straight to the centre by his dowsing rods. Anticipation rose, as I expected a similar treatment.
The information board on the edge of the maze had been incredibly … informative! It showed us that the design was similar to that of the maze in Chartres Cathedral (almost the touchstone for such designs) and yet this maze was speculated to be much earlier than the one in France. The information board hinted at the maze’s use for meditation by the local religious practitioners,, and that it had later been an area used for fun. Let the fun and the meditation begin! I stepped in.
It felt like wandering along a two-dimensional plan of the human brain. As no-one knows who built this ancient turf maze walking its interior felt like an exploration of someone else’s mind. The dowsing rods swung into action and I was off walking a new adventure.
Who needs release?
Unlike Kal I was immediately taken to a dead end! I was trying not to look ahead to pre-judge where I might go, but I was a bit taken aback by this. Never mind – surely I would get it ‘right’ this time. I set off again. Almost immediately I was in another dead end path. What was happening? I stopped to consider it. Nope – couldn’t fathom it out and wasn’t getting any helpful guidance. It must be a mistake. I kept trying.
Now I was being taken back along the SAME two dead end paths as before! It was worse then ever! I pleaded with my spirit guides to help me understand what was happening. At last they responded:
“Release the need to know!”
But I DID need to know! Now I was stuck in a paradox. Of course I needed to know why I wasn’t being taken to the centre like Kal. Of course I needed to understand what was different – why the dead ends – what..why..
“RELEASE… the need …to know!!”
This was no longer a helpful hint. It was an instruction. I pondered a while longer, physically relaxed, got into a meditative state of mind, forgot about needing to know, and began to walk again. Now I was on a different path in the maze. Good!
Oops! Another dead end. “But why….oh, ‘release the need to know’, I know!” Something else was happening. These dead ends meant something. Was I being taken to dead ends deliberately? I asked the dowsing rods and they responded – YES. Now I had to work out why.
A Guide to Spirits
Dowsing rods don’t do “Why” questions very well. You end up working through a list of possibilities (which we cut out for you, dear readers). To cut a long story short it turned out to be that each path in the labyrinth represented my interaction with a specific helpful guiding spirit that I had picked up on my spiritual journey. Obvious, really!
I got back into a proper dowsing meditative mindset and switched off all rational though. As I followed the paths through the maze I was taken to almost every dead end possible (actually it was 9/23). At each one I had to recognise and invite in a spirit that I knew, and that I wanted to work with in the coming year. My list (role substituted for name) went like this:-
- A spirit that deal with other spirits
- A spirit that gives me ideas
- My ancestral spirit guide
- My temporary spirit guide
- The Earth Elemental Angel – a very powerful presence near the centre of the maze
- The Water Elemental Angel
- The Air Elemental Angel
- The Fire Elemental Angel
- A new spirit scribe
The first five took my in to the centre (but not at THE centre), and then the rest lead me back out again by a different path. When I had found them all I was taken at double-quick speed directly along the path from the outside straight into the centre! At last! That was how I knew I had done the right thing. It was so fast I couldn’t even have visually worked the path out!
The Scribe
I had eight spirits that I was working with (not including angelic presences). I know it sounds like a lot, but firstly I get about a lot and secondly they each have a purpose. I have a finger in many pies, as they say! Druidically. Yet it was a surprise and a long sigh to discover that there was yet another one. This spirit, which I will have to do more research on this year, is actually there to help me with that aspect of my work. He is a guiding spirit tasked with helping me to do research and documentation (writing books, I hope). That’s all I know for now, and his name.
World and Family Trees
I sat in the centre of the maze contemplating these findings. It felt like I was honouring these spirits, asking them to continue their work with me, and respecting their presence in my esoteric life. They were like my spiritual family. As such, that made this maze a representation of my family tree. Tree…. the idea spread out like leaves in sunlight. Yes, that’s what this was – it was a representation of a tree.
I faced the huge beech tree that towered over the maze and dominated the view. As I went into an open-eyed meditation – a druidic trance – I was the tree as The World Tree. Its above-ground branches were the overt obvious family (my human family) whilst the inverted tree was the branches of my hidden esoteric family.
With that realisation, and at that exact moment, the light came on! The Sun came out to shine straight into my face through a hole in the otherwise dominant dull white-grey cloud cover. It was an act of verification, a sign. I now knew my whole family – “upstairs” and “downstairs”!
This was an immensely powerful image for me, and one that I won’t forget. At that moment these distant spirits that had accompanied me on my spiritual journey became one step closer to me. They were now my spiritual family. It was a powerful image to start the Spring Equinox with, and a wonderful start to the year’s work.
I was really struck with how that picture of the turf maze directly under the beech tree is somewhat similar to the World Tree Wildwood Tarot card. Intentional or no, it’s very striking!
Oh my word – so it is! Yet another chiming coincidence in a long chain of them. Thanks for pointing that out.
https://alongadifferentpath.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/worldtree.jpg
[ed. Ha! Just realised I linked to your blog for that image!]
A few anomalies in the post. Interesting read though. Labyrinth and maze are two distinct items. The difference being that a maze has dead ends and a labyrinth has just one route all the way through. Lets look at the anomalies
The “maze” is called the Wing Maze, which sounds correct as you found some dead ends.
The diagram of the wing maze is incorrect as its a diagram of a labyrinth.
The reference to the maze at Chartres is incorrect as its a labyrinth, I know because I have been there.
So the speculative words above need a bit more research.
Hope this doesn’t sound too pedantic but the two items must have different uses in history.
All the Best
Serpenteer
Ha, Going to answer my own comment now, hope you don’t mind. I have looked at some pictures of the “Wing Turf Maze” on google images. Cant get a full view, but it does look like a labyrinth. However, the labyrinth is the grassy part. If you walked on the gravelly part, which does have dead ends, then you were walking in the space between the labyrinth.
So, to me, it looks like the only anomaly is the name, it should be the Wing Turf Labyrinth, and Chris, you should walk on the grass.
Hope that helps.
Serpenteer
Hi Serpenteer,
Thanks for pointing out my loose use of language! Now that I know the differences I’ll be more judicious in future.
I was aware, AFTER walking the paths, when I looked back and compared my journey with the journey depicted on the diagram that I had been walking the “other” paths. Actually, it didn’t detract from the experience! And if it turned a perfectly good labyrinth into a maze, then I didn’t mind at all. For me it was all about the journey, not the design.
However, your point is well put, and next time I may take a different path!