ash tree – The Hedge Druid

Ash and the Lightning Path

September 21, 2016 Chris 1 Comment

Arthurian, Lakes and Rivers, Merlin, Other reports

Conscious Camp. I’d heard of it from my friends who attend my weekly meditation. They had raved about it all year, and at first I wasn’t interested, but when they enthused about the number of activities and how they fitted completely with my druidic lifestyle, then I succumbed. I went to the Autumn Conscious Camp … Read More “Ash and the Lightning Path” »

Lammas 2015 P3 Dunchraigaig Cairn and the Ash Tree

October 1, 2015October 8, 2015 Chris No Comments

Ancient Sites, Dolmens and Chambers, Energy healing, Energy work, Ents and Dryads, Protection, Trees, Wheel of the Year, World Tree

The wonderful thing about the Kilmartin Glen area is the density of megalithic sites, and the way the local authority has presented and preserved these important places. Dunchraigaig Cairn [link] is a prime example of this. We flew past it on the way in, but now we were heading back along the road we came in on so that we could access the site. Sometimes we “choose” the order of events, sometimes the order is imposed upon on by “chance”.

We parked in the small purpose-built car park and negotiated the surprisingly busy A816 road close to the Dunchraigaig Bed and Breakfast building. Once across we seemed to be in a serene space, surrounded by tall old trees of differing varieties which ringed the main attraction – a low-lying mound of rocks which capped two near-hidden cubby-hole entrances to the cairn .

Approaching Old Trees

The obviously striking spruce trees didn’t draw as much attention as the solitary old ash tree. The ash tree drew my attention and made me go towards it, where I placed all my things and sat down ready to rest. No rest for this druid! The moment I sat down I felt that the tree was trying to communicate. So be it!

I decided I needed a “proper approach” to the tree, and so I dowsed for a way in. The way was provided, and as I approached the rods stopped me. I looked down to discover tow mostly-buried stones forming a portal entrance way. I recognised the feature, connected to the presence of the tree, and then waited to see if my introduction would be accepted. It was, and now I could sit down and got into a meditative state at the base of this fine ash tree.

Beltane 2015 – The Heart of the Merlin Staff

May 18, 2015May 18, 2015 Chris 2 Comments

Ancient Sites, Arthurian, Caves and Shelters, Faery, Hills and Mounds, Signs and Synchronicity, Wheel of the Year

In the second (and slightly shorter) of the Beltane stories I am following a different ‘ripple’ from the initial ‘splash’ that was recounted previously. In this second part I am concentrating on the nature of a new quest that will run from Beltane to Summer Solstice.

I already knew that the previous quest – Become The Giant – had concluded in Anglesey at Lligwy Chamber (see post). Now I was keen to see what was next in store for my spiritual development. As we were close to Bodfari, on the old Pilgrim Trail from North to Mid-Wales, it seemed fitting to try to get access to a cave that we had previously only seen from a distance: St.Beuno’s Cave.

These days we are older, wiser and bolder. What would have put us off previously was no longer an obstacle, and as we descended into the valley, following a restricted path, we arrived at a house that must surely govern the access to the cave, we thought. I strode up to the door and made our presence known. It was “an inconvenient time” for obtaining the key to the cave itself, but we were allowed to walk up to the entrance. That, the dowsing rods indicated, would be enough for our purposes.

Beunos Well and Cave - Beltane - May 2015 (9) — Beuno’s Cave – did he carve it out himself?

Beuno’s Cave entrance

Having permission to enter we walked carefully up the valley on the “right” side of the fence, avoiding treading on the newly-sown wild flowers, as we had been warned. The cave was up a steep side of the valley commanding wonderful views of the surrounding countryside.

We found that we both dowsed the exact same spot as the most energetic place for us to be. Sitting in a small hollow with a shallow shelf upon which to sit, we prepared for a meditation session. Silently, with only the soundtrack of the burgeoning Summer surrounding us, we drifted into connection with Nature.

In this sensitive state I began to ask my key question: what was my new quest for Beltane to Summer Solstice?

Beunos Well and Cave - Beltane - May 2015 (7) — The View toward Bodfari from Beuno’s Cave entrance

The answer took a few silent minutes to weave itself into a song that spoke inside my head:

“Find the essence of Merlin’s staff“

Merlin’s Staff? Was this referring to the oak staff that I had obtained from Sherwood Forest recently and which I was seasoning in the sunshine in order to dry it out in preparation for carving? Indeed it was. So the new oak staff is Merlin’s staff? Interesting, but not surprising.

My final question was an attempt to get more information about how such information could be obtained. How could I find the essence of the staff? An image revealed itself to me, and again once I saw it then it was obvious – I was to use the new crystal orb that I had recently bought from a highly aware lady at a Mind, Body & Spirit Fair in Bury. I needed to scry with the orb to get the information. When I chose the orb the lady had told me that it was made of “Merlinite“. Sold!

“Merlinite is a potent catalyst for shamanic journeying and past-life recall.” says Crystalpedia.

I’m sure that buying such a stone is just a coincidence at this time. I’m sure the fact that it was made of something called Merlinite was also another curious yet meaningless coincidence. A cascade of coincidences.

Calling The Lightning

October 28, 2013October 27, 2013 Gwas No Comments

Glyphs and Wards, Hedge Druidry, How To, Magick, Quests, Ritual, Telluric, Trees

Now I’ve researched all the theory it’s time to put the “call the lightning” quest into action! I had to sort out three remaining issues – the exact location where the work could take place, to re-affirm the full method of calling the lightning, and then to determine the exact timing of when it could be called and when ti would appear. One final local outing was required to do that.

1. Location

I was called to go out the other night. I dowsed which direction I should go in, and knowing the sites on that bearing I worked my way outwards until I found the correct location. It was a nearby local hill, but not one I usually visit. I know it used to have an Iron Age hillfort on it once. That was the location where I would find something related to the ash wood – either a staff or a tree that I could use in my experiment to call lightning.

So it turned out to be the case. On arrival in the dead of night I saw the outline of an ash tree’s leaves. Was this the tree I could use? NO. But having identified the ash tree I noticed that next to it was a solitary tall dead ash tree! This was the focal point that I would use to call the lightning. It was perfect. I didn’t have to be holding on to it, and it wasn’t going to mean that a living tree would get hit. Perfect!

Francis Danby - The Opening of the Sixth Seal — Francis Danby – The Opening of the Sixth Seal

2. Method

The way I would need to call the lightning had a couple of components:-

I would need to bellow like a stag in order to get the ground around to vibrate at the right frequency. I think this will involve evoking the feeling of the stag as I did in the forest recently [see this post]. This would change the “charge” of the earth and make it begin to attract lightning from any storm clouds above.
I would need to draw the lightning sigil around the dead ash tree in order to specify the location that I wanted to lightning to strike.

I did these things in preparation for the event. I let out a low grumbling bellow across the hilltop. It was audible but not loud – it was the dead of night after all, and there were houses nearby. I wondered whether it would be enough o cause the lightning though. We would see. Next, I drew the sigil out from the base of the dead ash tree that I had identified as the focal point for the calling. I dowsed afterwards and could follow the new energy pattern, so I was happy that this would be in place ready for the actual calling.

3. Timing

After a great deal of dowsing I was able to determine that the correct time for me to call lightning is during the three days of the Full Moon. I could do the work on any of these days, but the outcome was quite specific. Lightning would strike exactly three days after the peak of the Full Moon. By my reckoning that’s going to be somewhere around Midnight on Monday 21st October.

Now for the big event. Will I be able to call a lightning strike on this dead ash tree? Let’s see!

Read More “Calling The Lightning” »

Dowsing How To Call Lightning

October 10, 2013October 3, 2013 annacara 3 Comments

Dowsing, Natural Magick, Quests, Ritual, Theory

Sometimes when you are given q uest it’s tricky to work out the parameters of the work. It’s possible to rely on intuitive guidance, yet that demands an astonishing level of trust in one’s own abilities. Not having that level of trust yet, I often defer to divination methods, and I have found that dowsing … Read More “Dowsing How To Call Lightning” »

Autumn Equinox 2011: Part 3 – Bryn Celli Ddu

October 13, 2011September 12, 2026 Gwas No Comments

Ancient Sites, Crystals, Energy work, Ghosts and shades, Hedge Druidry, Wheel of the Year

In the final part of my Autumn Equinox posts from the island of Anglesey I talk about my visit to the wonderful and mysterious mound of Bryn Celli Ddu with my psychic friend Mike. As you might expect given the company I was in this was a different experience than my usual dowsing visits, and I … Read More “Autumn Equinox 2011: Part 3 – Bryn Celli Ddu” »

Castleruddery: The Ash Staff and the May Trees

June 4, 2010September 9, 2026 Gwas 1 Comment

Dowsing, Energy work, Modern Druidry

Castleruddery Embanked Stone Circle – Thursday 27th May 2010 Ruddy hell – it’s Castleruddery! Now that we had the Active10 GPS unit loaded with the correct level of detailed map information finding Castleruddery [map] was not a problem. In fact, again, it turned out to be not far from the main N81 road and the … Read More “Castleruddery: The Ash Staff and the May Trees” »

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