For the Winter Solstice I asked my spirit guides where I should go. In a dream I was given the name of a place to look for – “Llansantffraid“. Now, this seemed like a clear message, but Wales has a few options when it comes to places named in that way. The first option was the area close to where I had previously visited for the Autumn Equinox – the source of the River Wye near Rhyader. Dowsing revealed that this was not the one I was looking for this time. I have to admit I was surprised.
When I looked for another candidate I found one close to the town of Oswestry. This WAS the area I needed to visit, and so I began to use the Megalithic Portal to see what was around that area. I found several sites (mainly wells) that I could visit, and I began to put them into a sensible order based on their location. Given that this was going to be the shortest day I needed to be efficient!
Illog’s Well – Hirnant
Illog, or Ellidius, gets a brief mention in the book “Orthodox Saints of the British Isles” by Dr. John Hutchinson-Hall. Here he is referenced as having a link to a church in the Scilly Isles as well. Other than that I can find no reference to him.
I was out with M who had decided to act like Kal used to and not be dressed appropriately for the season or the weather. Hey ho. You can lead a horse to water, as they say. The well itself is up on the hillside above the village of Hirnant, but I took one look at the steepness of the slope, and decided that a difficult climb in bad weather would be a bad idea. We therefore stayed around the church, and soon found the small but decorative stone basin to investigate, rather than the hillside well.
I dowsed over the water, asking whether it had any healing qualities. If I’m honest I was expecting a negative response, but actually I got a positive one. I therefore began to ask which part of the body the water would be helpful in healing. To do this I placed my attention on my feet and then ‘scanned’ up through my body until the dowsing rods gave a response in the area.
My scan stopped at the central organs, so that made me have to begin to guess at things which popped into my head – a list of various systems which might be the target. When I said “The Endocrine System” the rods cross strongly. When I dug a little deeper the reproductive aspects of the endocrine system were specifically highlighted as being affected by this healing water. So, it would seem that if you are having fertility issues related to an endocrine system malfunction, then the waters of Illog’s church would help you with this.
The love between two trees
I found M over by a yew tree. Actually, once I got there I realised it was more than just a yew tree. It was a birch tree inside a yew tree!
There was a power centre beside the pair of trees, and it was in a spot where some grass clippings were beginning to decay. That’s not the first time I’ve noticed a power centre being in such a location. Of course, which came first? Were the grass clippings placed there because whoever did it was drawn tot he power spot, or did it become a power spot because the clippings were placed there? I didn’t ask at the time. Not all enigmas can be answered right here and now!
In the power centre I got connected to the tree. It was happy and healthy – well, as happy as a yew tree gets. I could feel its very strong downward pull, like an inwardly cascading vortex of energy drawing down into the earth below. This is why yew trees are at the sites of burials – to draw down the energies of the dead and keep them grounded and prevent wandering spirit energies.
I asked whether I could determine my quest for this time of the year. Not here. But there was some information for me. It was that I need to let that which has died be dead. I think I know what that’s referring to, and I know his wandering soul is free to go wherever. I won’t be the one to keep calling him back.
Another waft of information gently moved into my conscious awareness. The tree was telling me that the well water is alive, and that even though humans no longer believe in its powers, that doesn’t stop the water from having such healing qualities.
That was an interesting philosophical magickal concept. Often we humans believe that it is our intention alone that is powering the magickal world of which we are aware, and with which we interact. What this information was clearly saying is that the magickal world, like every other part of the physical world, goes on without our intention. Whilst intention may be a key part of our magick, the world has magick within in that does not need our attention or intention to power.
There was a strong feeling of co-operation between these trees. M interrupted my flow saying that she got a message that her answer was “in ice” and that she had no idea what that meant. I looked at the base of the yew tree’s trunk and noticed some shards of white quartz crystal – the kind you get scattered on some grave sites. “Like this?” I asked, picking one up. She hadn’t noticed them at all, and was amazed. “Of course!” she exclaimed, “I was thinking too literally.” I saw that very familiar look which people get when they realise that the world of magick works in quite wonderful ways. She picked up a crystals as well and we decided that this was enough for this site.
