The Moel-Ty-Uchaf stone circle high above the village of Llandrillo in North Wales is one of the toughest tests of determination and stamina. It takes around 40 minutes of relentless climbing up a very steep gradient to reach it. Yet, when a circle calls – we heed it! In this story I found that patience is rewarded, and that glyphs can unlock energetic forces at a site.
The agenda for this sunny Saturday outing was simple – two sites – Llandrillo and Dinas Emrys. Surely we’d be home for mid-afternoon? Ha! The Universe had other plans. In our way we had a panoply of tardiness-generating obstacles:-
- roadworks on every major highway between us and the sites
- weekend wanderers doing 30mph on major trunk roads
- caravans and farm traffic using the main roads
It was an object lesson in giving in to the inevitable slowness. A journey that I had previously clocked at 25 minutes on my motorcycle took us 1 hour 45 minutes today. So far this year we are both learning that Patience is the watchword.
However, there was the promise of obtaining some vital information: I needed to find out the four glyphs that were the Essence of The Merlin Staff. They needed to be discovered before the Summer Solstice, and then I would have to get them carved onto the staff at some point this year.
The way up was hard. It always is. Yet we were in good spirits. We only needed to stop a couple of times to re-gain our breath and then we were approaching the circle in good spirits. Unusually, we both recovered from the climb almost instantly. It was a remarkable, so we remarked upon it. Now for the work to begin!
Alignments, directions, quarters and paths
I began at my usual place – the outlying King Stone. Here I could attune to the place, and it was here that Merlin made his first appearance of the day. Like a ghostly presence I could imagine him around me, ethereal, grey, classic in appearance as the old man with the beard, staff and orb.
With such an usher I felt ready to begin work. I lifted the dowsing rods and asked to be taken to a place where I could further my spiritual quest. Using a saw-tooth path I was taken around the southern side of the circle on an elliptic trajectory until the rods spiralled at a point equidistant from the King Stone, but on the opposite side of the circle. I noticed that Kal had placed his bag only feet away. Kal knows what’s what.
I was taken into the circle via a stone which registers as both the Northern cardinal position and has the strongest female energy. I remembered it well. I also recognised that the path I was being led on was also moving in a female direction – anti-clockwise. This continued until I described a very small spiral inside the centre of the circle.
In the centre I laid out a set of crystals (chosen by the dowsing rods from three sets). A crystal layout was created to mark the four quarters (N,S,E,W) using two black tourmaline, one citrine, one unidentified sandy-coloured stone and a single pillar quartz crystal in the centre.
Standing within the layout I called upon Merlin’s energy. I knew he was with me, but now I sought to access his energy, and soon a strong impulse was running through me. As I raised my energy levels I felt that I needed to point the pillar quartz in a specific direction, and so I adjusted it to point to the gap in the southern side of the circle.
I became a central point, an attractor, gathering in the energy of the elements from each cardinal point. As the energy flowed towards me it bent into a curl in order to come into the circle through the gap where the quartz was pointing. So, that was why I had needed to point the crystal in that direction. It was the quartz that was acting as the guide to bring the energies into the circle.
The energy levels reached a culmination point, and then the flow stopped as quickly as it had gathered. The glyphs I was seeking were unlocked! I just knew. Even though I hadn’t found where they were yet, now I knew they were accessible.
Now I was in pursuit of the glyphs themselves. From my previous work I knew that I had four glyphs to find in order to fulfil the requirements for my new staff – The Merlin Staff. I hoped that I would be able to get two at each of the sites that we intended to visit today. I gathered up the crystals, disassembling the layout, and then followed the dowsing rods out of the circle with a new instruction: “Please take me to a place where I can find a glyph which represents The Outer World for me!”
Glyph Hunter – The Outer World
The rods took me out of the circle in the completely opposite way to which I had come in. This was a ‘male’ energy direction, I knew. Male energy has purpose, drive and motivation. Soon I was striding across the hilltop in search of my ‘target’ The swung to completion at the end of the hill facing Snowdon.
I’m familiar with the method of finding these shapes. I’ve found glyphs many times before. Hamish Miller did an interesting experiment which he recorded in his Southern Serpent book where a New Zealand shaman lady sang a song to transform the energetic form at various linked sacred locations, and then Hamish dowsed its form as it changed form place to place. This was a similar situation, except I had used crystals instead of singing. Same process – just different tools.
I traced the outline of the shape, excitedly. The dowsing rods moved in a very clear and known shape – it was a crescent moon, but oriented such that the horns were pointing upwards. Little did I know how this would be reflected later in the day (see next post).
One down, three to go.
Glyph Hunter – The Upper World
I checked – could I find another glyph here? YES. Then, I set off with a slightly amended directive, asking for the Upper World this time. The path still felt like it was formed with male energy, and the amplitude and frequency of the wave patterns I was dowsing re-assured me on that point. However, the trail I was following was now a mirror reflection of the path I had taken to discover the Outer World moon glyph. Now I was taken to the complete opposite side of the circle, about the same distance away, and close to where Kal had left his bag. You see, he knows things without knowing, Kal!
As I meditate to connect into s spiritual connection and to be ready to dowse the new glyph I begin to get some information about it. The Upper World glyph is a Sun symbol, whereas the previous one was a Moon symbol (obviously). This Upper world glyph, I felt, would be harder to obtain. It would need more energy than the previous glyph. I didn’t know what that meant, at this point, but I was going to find out!
I checked if there was a glyph shape here – the dowsing rods said that there was. I began to walk around asking to define its shape. Immediately I was on the move and the rods were swaying in unison describing the shape to me, but soon I was confused. This shape was a bit more difficult than the last one. There were spirals involved and sometimes I couldn’t be sure if I was walking over the same line or a different one as I trod on the dry grass. Indeed, I needed more “energy” for this one. I connected with Merlin again and asked for his help.
I felt an influx of clarity, and I left one dowsing rod behind. Following one rods was easier, and I started from the centre of one spiral. Now I had the shape clearer. It was the pattern of a crescent shape again, but this time it was topped with spirals at each end – spirals with three turns.
I walked back to the centre of the circle following the male energy path until it wound around the centre in the complete opposite way to when I had first entered. Two male-oriented spirals – one for the Outer World and one for the Upper World. Was there anything else to learn? I stood in the centre and connected with Merlin again. Information came to me like a video playing in my head.
I saw the Sun and Moon in relation to the Earth and then the Upper and Outer worlds were layered upon them such that I could understand their inter-relationship. The Moon represents the Outer World as it is located outside the Earth, but its energies are accessible. They are gentle. The Sun represents the Upper World. It’s energies are more powerful, but as they are also more distant, then more energy and work is required to access, acquire and use them. Hence, the Upper World is more difficult to reach.
These were the revelations that I knew at this moment, and I thanked Merlin for working with me to help me understand. Now I was keen to visit Dinas Emrys to find the other two glyphs which represented the magickal energies of the Inner World and Under World. I checked with Kal – he was ready and feeling energised again, so we made our way down, much quicker than the way up.
