Tag: island

Menorca – Your Gods are Our Gods

Posted on By Gwas No Comments on Menorca – Your Gods are Our Gods
Ancestors, Ancient Sites, Dowsing

Naveta Des Tudons – Menorca – 9th October 2013 In the final part of my Menorcan excursions I found one more site that had any energy left at all – and that was a chambered cairn called “Naveta des Tudons” – the burial chamber of Tudons. I was on my own for this one. M stayed … Read More “Menorca – Your Gods are Our Gods” »

Menorca – Death Energy at a Fort

Posted on By Gwas 1 Comment on Menorca – Death Energy at a Fort
Dowsing, Energy work

Fort Marlborough, nr. Es Castell, Menorca – October 9th 2013

I recently went to Menorca – one of the beautiful Balearic Islands off the eastern coast of Spain. One of the ways in which I was persuaded to go there was that not only was it a great destination for some autumn sunshine, but it was also littered with megalithic sites. Well, this hedge druid only needs one such invitation. We were going!

After a few days relaxation and recuperation M and I hired a car and headed out into the island’s interior. We were based in the south-eastern corner of the island as S’Algar, and within half an hour’s drive there were a couple of places that I had already ear-marked as being potentially interesting. I had a print-off of the location and a brief description, We made our way along the main island highway stopping off at places along the way. First destination – Fort Marlborough.

For Marlborough Menorca

I didn’t have any expectations of this place. For me it was just intended to be a sightseeing episode, but actually it turned into something more interesting.

Being Scared To Death

Our adrenalin levels had been sent sky-high – firstly M jumped at seeing a wax dummy of a solider when she rounded a corner on the tour path. Then I jumped when I was struck my a simultaneous blast of air and explosion noise when I ventured into one of the tunnels under the fort. It was a demonstration of how sappers sabotaged attempts to burrow under the fort’s walls, but it made me jump! It nearly scared me to death! And maybe that was the start of the whole theme for Menorca’s ancient sites – death.

Read More “Menorca – Death Energy at a Fort” »

Ionian Equinox 1 – The Colour of Union

Posted on By Gwas 9 Comments on Ionian Equinox 1 – The Colour of Union
Energy work, Hedge Druidry, Wheel of the Year

The following series of posts recounts the tales of our adventures on the island of Iona in the Hebrides in the west of Scotland. We went there for the Autumn Equinox. Of course, my tales will be primarily from my perspective as Kal has his own stories to tell, and amazing they are too. Of course, we journeyed together so our stories intertwine to some extent. Where Kal acted as a foil or sidekick I will include his aspects, otherwise you’ll get predominantly mine.

Scotland sticks in my mind for many reasons – I used to live there as a small boy, I love the mountains (they are my Air/Sky image for elemental meditations) and I hate the weather (muggy and midge-ridden in summer, unbearable wind and rain in winter). However, despite my reservations I had two necessary goals that Iona seemed to be the perfect place to satisfy. These were:

  1. To discover the quest or task that would keep my busy for the next eighth of the wheel of the year, and
  2. To learn more about an unidentified energy form that I had found at Karnak Temple in Egypt, and which I had subsequently map-dowsed as also being present in Iona.

One ferry, two ferries, three ferries, more

The first ferry is from Oban to the island of Mull. Oban is a lovely little town that deserved more time, and as we pulled away on the ferry I saw a rounded hill behind a castle on the shoreline and I made a mental note that I needed to come back this way again. There was something about that hill….The tourism tagline at the moment is “It’s closer than you think“. It’s not. They lie. I thought it was about a five and a half hour drive and I wasn’t far wrong. And we live in the North of England. From anywhere else it’s even farther. The tagline should be “It’s further away than you’d like, and then a wee bit more – but it’s worth it (if it’s not raining, which it usually is)”. Truth in advertising? Not likely. Not catchy enough.

Where the heck is Iona?

 

The sun shone and we were able to stand on deck watching the waves churn into spume below the boat’s keel and the seabirds wheel and whirl in our wake. The rising mountains of Mull were a formidable but fascinating prospect for the drive across the island to Fionnphort where we would catch our second ferry – this time to the tiny island of Iona. The drive across Mull was idyllic. Rarely have I seen such beauty. Firstly over the mountain passes, then the road by the lakeside became picture postcard perfect. All too soon we were at the tiny ferry terminal and ready to board the ferry to Iona. So I left my staff behind in the tea room on Mull.

Of course I had to go back for it on the ferry. I can now say I’ve been to Iona twice. Settled and with staff, we were ready to begin our island adventure. We started at the first feature to make an appearance – the Nunnery next to St.Ronan’s Church.

The Nunnery and St Ronans Church on Iona

I would say that what happened next was a perfect introduction to the uniqueness of this island, and it set the tone for the whole set of adventures that followed.

Read More “Ionian Equinox 1 – The Colour of Union” »

The Solstice – Plegmund’s Well

Posted on By Gwas No Comments on The Solstice – Plegmund’s Well
The Solstice – Plegmund’s Well
Ancient Sites, Modern Druidry, Wheel of the Year

Having just returned from a visit to Glastonbury with Kal (more about that very soon) I wanted to do something for the Summer Solstice and to keep it local. Where better, then, for me to go than to our local holy well – Plegmund’s Well in the little hamlet of Plemstall which adjoins the larger … Read More “The Solstice – Plegmund’s Well” »