abbey – The Hedge Druid

2016 Summary of the Year

January 25, 2017 Chris No Comments

In this post I want to bring together some of the themes of the year, and associate key posts with those themes. Together they forms a description of my spiritual year for 2016. THEME 1 – Taliesin: bardic work, light, awen and courage. IMBOLC: Brigid at Derbyshire sites such as Gawton’s Well. I experienced the … Read More “2016 Summary of the Year” »

Beltane 2015 – Three Points of Ancestral Connection

May 20, 2015January 26, 2016 Chris No Comments

Ancestors, Churches and Temples, Saints, Wheel of the Year

This is the last of my Beltane 2015 posts. I had intended it to be the central point of the ripple effect – the smallest circle, the tiniest of posts. In fact, it is longer than I anticipated, only because it is actually the very centre of everything I’ve been working with since 2011. In this respect, it shows how sometimes our work has long cycles until they resolve themselves, but also that the smallest insignificant episode can often result in profound implications for your spiritual path. Let me explain!

The Returning Circle – Vale Crucis Abbey in Llangollen

For me Vale Crucis will always now be a local reflection of a similar Cistercian abbey in the Irish town of Boyle. Boyle, in the Irish county of Roscommon, is the centre of an area in which my ancestors used to roam (and some still do). When I visited the area a few years ago I had an amazing series of encounters culminating in an energetic battle with one particular ancestor who then became one of my spiritual protectors. I earned the right to inherit the family name that day, and all of the accumulated knowledge and wisdom that came with that inheritance.

Vale Crucis Abbey - Beltane - May 15 (2) — The leaning tower of Vale Crucis – alright, maybe it was me leaning

So, when I step into Vale Crucis it is like being in Ireland, back in my ancestral homeland, and having access to all that information and support. On this Beltane day, having visited many other sites, this was the southern culmination point. For me, I was just here to connect with my ancestors, as I had before. Yet, something much more profound was about to happen.

A Darkness at Ballinskelligs Priory – p2 Solstice 2014

July 21, 2014July 18, 2014 kal No Comments

Energy cleansing, Energy work, God or Goddess, Healing, How To, Magick, Spirits

It was our second sacred site on our Summer Solstice (2014) trip to Ireland and already it had been a learning experience (see post 1 and 1,5). I had completed 50% of what I had come to do here and wondered what more magic was to be had. Yet, you know, almost one hundred percent … Read More “A Darkness at Ballinskelligs Priory – p2 Solstice 2014” »

The Bardic Link to Ancestors

July 8, 2014July 8, 2014 Gwas No Comments

Ancestors, Ancient Sites, Dowsing, Experiment

When the grey clouds of summer come rolling in what is a hedge druid to do with himself? Why, go out of course! Somehow Kal had decided that he wanted to go to The Druid’s Circle at Pemnaenmawr. I was unable to get free until after 7pm, so a long journey across the width of Wales was out of the question. Instead, I persuaded Kal that a quick visit to Dinas Bran would be more appropriate He conceded, but as we approached Llangollen things went a bit strange. For some reason I didn’t turn up the road to Dinas Bran. Instead, I carried on towards Vale Crucis Abbey, and that’s where we ended up. It was like something had decided for me where we would go this evening.

I had no agenda to work to – again. I would simply connect at the right place for me to be, and see what revealed itself tonight. The dowsing rods guided me initially to a power centre by one of the ruined walls of the Abbey’s main hall near the entrance. The cleansing process took a long while – much longer than usual. Perhaps this was because it had been a few weeks since I had done any work at a sacred site?

I issued a new directive to the dowsing rods – “Please take me to the best place for me to work on my spiritual path!”. A general question, but usually one which resulted in something interesting happening. I was taken on a path which skirted alongside the ruined abbey’s walls until I reached an area which I recognised as being the former alter space. In that space there were the remains of pillars supporting two walls opposite each other. The pillars were “exploded”, only half of their construction remained. I was taken to a handy ‘seat’ – a flat rock sticking out enough to perch upon.

I sat on the seat looking at the pillar opposite, which was similarly opened up. Why was I here, I wondered? I let myself drift into a reverie… why was I here… why was I here… I found myself staring at a face in the stone pillar. It was a face that I felt I recognised… who was it? Give me a clue!

Winter Solstice 2013 – Saints and Druids in Llangollen

January 8, 2014January 8, 2014 Gwas 2 Comments

Ancestors, Other Entities, Wheel of the Year

Winter Solstice was spent in and around the Llangollen area. It’s not only easy for us to get to, but there are some favourite sites which we know always deliver when it comes to both scenery and ‘sorcery’. Kal has already covered our visit to St.Winifrede’s Well in Holywell, which was a shared experience. The next couple of posts will concentrate on our next two places – Vale Crucis Abbey, and then the hillfort of Dinas Bran and I will describe the visits in terms of what happened to me.

Before we arrived at Vale Crucis, though, we came through some back roads from Holywell which meant that we came over Horseshoe Pass. At that time of the morning and at this time of the year the views were stunning:

Vale Crucis – free and open in Winter

We began our visit by taking some photographs. You have to get the fiddly stuff done first in this weather or your fingers freeze up! Having got that bit done we circled the site in opposite directions, each of us choosing our spot through a combination of dowsing and intuition.

Conversation with Collen

St Collen is famous for having refused firstly the invitation of, then the hospitality of Gwyn Ap Nudd – the Faery King. After causing him to disappear through the application of holy water, little more is heard of Collen. The story, from the ‘Life of St. Collen‘ and quoted in Lady Charlotte Guest’s translation of The Mabinogion, is reproduced here. [Thanks to Ian Pegler for correcting that].

Solstice 2013 – Glastonbury Abbey and the Arthurian Energies

June 24, 2013June 24, 2013 Gwas 3 Comments

Wheel of the Year

For the Summer Solstice this year Kal and I went out for a long weekend to Cornwall. On the way there and back we managed to visit Glastonbury. I used to think of Glastonbury as the ideal place for spending the solstice, but in recent years the attraction had worn off. However, on Kal’s suggestion we added the town to our list, and I booked us a stay in a hotel in nearby Taunton to give us the maximum amount of time in Glastonbury given that our true destination was still hundreds of miles further down to the south and west of the country.

From ‘Arthurian’ to ‘Zoe’

As is usual Kal and I split up to do our separate searches of the site. My goal was to see whether there were any remnant energies in the abbey grounds that I could characterise as being related to Merlin, Arthur, Galahad or Gawain – my Arthurian Cross – a concept that I was seemingly getting very engrossed in, almost obsessed with.

Having dowsed that such energies were available in the abbey I set about locating them. I didn’t choose any order – I asked the dowsing rods to take me to one of the energy spot and then I would dowse for which energy form it was on arrival.

Spring Equinox 2013 – Day of the Crow Part 1

March 27, 2013 Gwas 5 Comments

Ancient Sites, Dowsing, Hedge Druidry, Other Entities, Wheel of the Year

It was the Spring Equinox, as the title suggests. Contrary to expectation it was freezing cold, and my idea about visiting at least three elevated sacred sites seemed even more foolhardy than it had done when it had first been “suggested” to me through a vision received at Dinas Bran in Llangollen. Would I prove hardy enough and stubborn enough to persevere and visit them all? Of course I would. There is a saying: “There is no bad weather: only bad clothing.”

First stop: Dinas Bran. For a moment I thought there might not be snow on top, then as I approached Llangollen a white-capped hill hove into view and I knew it was going to be a tough day. The long climb in winter clothing began. This early in the morning – 8am – there were no other visitors, even on this special day. Just me, the mist, the snow and the crows. Crows! Crows were following me all the way up. They cawed as I arrived, hopped out of my way as I passed, whirled in front of me as I climbed, and then performed aerobatics displays around my head when I stopped at the gate.

Dinas Bran - Spring Equinox 2013 2013-03-20 001 (6) (Medium)

I don’t know how long the iron sculpture has been attached to the gate but I don’t remember seeing it before. A black iron crow was waiting for me as I hauled myself through the new gate structure that demarcates the steep part of the path at the back from the slightly less steep part. I looked at it in wonder – I guess this was the theme of the day? Crows. Not hawks? It was usually hawks….suddenly a hawk whirled above me too. Ok – hawks were still relevant! But today was about crows. I took the hint and moved on, making for the top.

I smiled. Bran was already communicating – this was an auspicious sign.

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