Sunday 17 October 2010

Bardsey Island, Merlin's Cave

While researching on the internet I came across mention of a small cave on Bardsey Island (Ynnis Enli in Welsh) off the far tip of the Lynn peninsular in Wales. The cave was associated with Merlin who was said to be imprisoned on this island in his tower of glass, along with the 13 treasures of Britain. I knew it was a place I had to visit! So the next day I set off on the long journey to north-west extremity of Wales...

Arriving at the very tip of the Lynn peninsular I was lucky enough to find a boat to take me over the sound to the island. The boatman, who had been brought up on the island, knew about the cave. He told me that the cave was very tiny and he had played in it as a child. He also told me a story about a local priest who had once lived in the cave as hermit, perhaps as a form of penance.

I asked the boatman if he'd ever heard of any strange occurrences on the island, but all he could tell me about were some lights which were often seen floating around from floor to floor of a deserted cottage.

The boat rounded the island and pulled into a bay heavy with seaweed, we were then hauled up the slipway by a tractor and trailer. The boatman pointed to the side of a nearby hill where I could just make out three white rocks forming a kind of triangle. The cave was there, just by those rocks, he told me.

I walked along the green lanes of this quiet, enchanting little island, past the occasional old whitewashed cottage until I came to house called Plas Bach where a literally unique apple tree grows. The apples are unusually free from disease and grow nowhere else in the world apart from on this one tree. After asking around I found the tree, but unfortunately it did not bear any fruit at this time, so I took a small sprig of leaves to carry along with me for good luck. The tree is known by some as Merlin's apple tree.

Opposite the cottage I followed a little passageway and started making my way up the heather-covered slope behind. By now I had lost sight of the triangle of white rocks and the hillside seemed to be criss-crossed with a maze of little track-ways, so I was wondering how I was going to ever find the place again.

As I rose I higher and higher I turned around and got an excellent view over the whole island, from the bay to my left where I had started, to a rocky peninsular with its lighthouse, and across to the haunted cottages and ruined abbey to my right.


Beneath me I could see black crow-sized birds with long red curved beaks flying by, the famous choughs of Ynnis Enli. After a while I came to three likely looking rocks and started scanning around for a cave entrance. Beside one of the rocks I found a tiny little hole, barely big enough to sit up in.


I crawled inside, first on my hand and knees and then on my belly. It was pitch black inside so I was glad of my head torch.


After about 3 metres the passageway came to an end, so I scanned around with my torch to see what I could find. I explored all the hidden crevices and deep within one of them I found crystal! A clear quartz point about 2 inches long and half an inch wide. One of the 13 treasures of Britain? Or left here by a passing hippy?? I preferred to think of it as a gift from Merlin and would very soon discover its usefulness...

To my left was a ledge and above it a wide hole just big enough to crawl into. Brushing aside spiders' webs I managed to twist myself around and poke my head into the hole. I shone my torch down and discovered that the hole dropped down into a small chamber, about big enough for two people to sit up in. As my torch shone down to the floor of the chamber I got a shock! There was the perfectly preserved skeleton of a sheep, lying exactly as it had died, but without a trace of flesh or wool on it. Instead there were just bare bones and a thin coating of green mold on the skull and spine. Judging by the state of the skeleton no-one had entered this chamber for a long, long time...

After my heart had stopped pounding I decided that I had to go in. Crawling in head first would have put me face to face with the mouldy sheep skull, so I decided upon entering feet first, with my back to the floor, head facing the ceiling. As my feet dropped down into the darkness I felt them crunch against the sheep skeleton and the spongy floor below. Yuk! But I continued to ease myself in through the small gap until I got my whole body inside. I was now squatting in the tiny chamber, the crunch of sheep bones beneath me along with big spongy patches of what seem like moss but could have been anything... big blue shiny beetles crawled over the 'moss' beneath me.

As I shone my torch around I found several large crevices containing bird skeletons, looking like the choughs I had just seen outside, as well as an egg shell and many big shiny black spiders, webs and silk cocoons. I also noticed that the ledge I had just crawled over seemed to be man-made, perhaps constructed by the hermit priest I had heard about?

As I squatted there I tried to meditate and tune in to get some information about this place, but you'll forgive me if it was not easy, given the surroundings, so instead I decided to try to contact the spirit of the dead sheep.

As he lay there he asked me what I wanted and answered me in a deep voice. He told me to go above the cave, not inside. He also told me that is not Merlin's cave.

I apologised for disturbing his corpse and stepping all over him, and with relief I made my way back outside.

I was happy to be back in the sunlight again and breathing the fresh sea air! I stepped back from the cave entrance and surveyed the scene. Above the cave, where I had just been crawling, was a huge white granite boulder, glittering with crystals in the sunlight. It made an impressive sight!


I decided that it was time to activate the crystal I had just found, so I held it in my hand and focused on it. What I expected to happen was that white light would slowly fill the crystal and then spread around my whole body until I and the crystal became one, but instead what happened was more like a nuclear explosion!

White light instantly burst forth in all directions, spreading out to the horizon in a huge burst of energy.

“Wow! This was some crystal!” I thought.

I climbed to the top of the huge granite boulder, directly above the hollow cave, and placed my new found crystal on top of it.


A massive amount of energy instantly shot down from the sky in a column of white light and entered the boulder.

I had never felt anything like this before! I now knew that this place had been transformed into a place of power.

I left the cave area and climbed to the top of the hill, and then explored the rest of the island with its rocky shoreline and hidden bays. I walked all around the island and then watched a colony of seals playing and squabbling as I waited for the boatman to leave again.


I arrived back on the Llyn peninsular and later on drove up to a remote headland to watch the sun go down over the magical island of Ynnis Enli.


I later found out that dowsers attach quartz crystals to standing stones in order to amplify their power. Is that what I had done? Perhaps the cave had been energised and should now be revisited? But perhaps that is for others to do and not me...

====================================================

Rob Wildwood (Aurvandil) has now released a book containing hundreds of his own stunning full colour photos of many of the magical places he has visited in his travels. The images capture the magic and mystery of each place and are enhanced by extracts of local folklore that reveal the magical lore of each place and tempt deeper investigation. Every site listed has full directions and map grid references that can be checked online, so join Rob Wildwood as you discover Britain's magical places at www.themagicalplaces.com



Friday 15 October 2010

The Major Oak, Sherwood Forest

I arrived in Sherwood forest at dusk, just as the last of the tourists were leaving. In the semi-darkness I made my way along the winding paths past ancient oak trees until I arrived at the clearing containing the biggest oak tree of all, the Major Oak.




This monster of a tree is so huge and ancient that it has to be propped up with wooden supports, it dominates the clearing and is surrounded by a low fence to keep the hordes of tourists at a distance.


There was no-one around so I slipped over the fence to take a closer look at this majestic old tree. As I walked around the tree it's huge limbs spread out above me, impossibly large and heavy, but still bearing fresh acorns despite its advanced age.


Then I noticed a huge fissure in the bark, I crept up to it and was able to squeeze inside and enter another world. The interior was huge. There was ample room to stand up straight or lie down flat. I noticed patches of fibreglass which presumably were placed there in an attempt to stop the rot and decay. I lay down on the floor, within the very bowels of the tree and meditated...


I was approached by a pair of tiny redcaps, only 8 & 10 inches high. They were squat creatures with broad faces and were dressed in peasant clothes. I asked them who they were but they just stared blankly at the ground in front of them. They appeared to me like a couple of peasant tribesmen being questioned by someone from a totally alien culture who's language they did not understand.


Suddenly one of them made a strange sound like an animal call: "Geee!"

Then the other smaller one, did the same: "Geee!"

Then both together rapidly one after the other: "Geee! Geee! Geee! Geee!"


I asked them to take me to the underworld. They were still staring at the ground, a look of non-comprehension on their faces, when suddenly one of them ran off, swiftly followed by the other. I followed them both and found myself on a broad path clinging to the edge of a mountainside. They ran off around a bend and as I followed them I just saw them disappear into a cave in the side of the mountain.


As I approached the cave I had a sense of foreboding. Something was in that cave and it wasn't pleasant. The redcaps were still making strange sounds: "Geee! Geee!", but now they seemed to be waiting for me to enter. I realised that I had no reason to trust these little creatures, and so I decided to return to the oak tree.


I hadn't really been expecting anything like this to happen and so I was unprepared when it did. It was a fascinating experience but at this stage I wasn't prepared to just travel into the depths of the underworld to see what I could find out. First I needed to find out my purpose and why I was doing all this...

====================================================

Rob Wildwood (Aurvandil) has now released a book containing hundreds of his own stunning full colour photos of many of the magical places he has visited in his travels. The images capture the magic and mystery of each place and are enhanced by extracts of local folklore that reveal the magical lore of each place and tempt deeper investigation. Every site listed has full directions and map grid references that can be checked online, so join Rob Wildwood as you discover Britain's magical places at www.themagicalplaces.com


Tuesday 12 October 2010

Dunino, pagan shrine and druid's den

My friend Trina had told me about a famous pagan site in Fife called Dunino Den where once the druid's had made their sacrifices. So as I was in the area I thought I way as well pay a visit.


I parked my car by the main road and started walking through the woods. Right away I found a discarded candle lying on the path in front of me! I took this to be a good sign! I followed the path through the woods, following the edge of a gully until I came to an old church. The turning right away from the church I walked down through the woods towards a deep gully.


The first thing I came to was a small circular pool at the top of a small cliff.




I sat by the pool and meditated there. After a while I felt a great urge to thrust my hands into the cold water. As I did so, wondering what I was doing...


 I suddenly felt like my hands had gripped the hilt of a great and majestic sword! I drew the sword from the water and was amazed to see it's shining blade and golden cross hilt studded with glittering gems!


It was an etheric sword which I could use in the spirit world. Months earlier I had sacrificed a real sword into a river. Perhaps this was what I was getting in return?


I left the pool and then walked down the so-called 'fairy steps' and into the druid's den itself.





The place looked absolutely magical, a woodland glade hidden away by tall cliffs and bordered by a lively little burn.




The centre of the clearing was dominated by an upturned tree-stump inscribed with runes and being used as an altar.




All around the clearing people had left offerings of colourful beads, flags, ribbons etc.








The rocks around the clearing had been adorned with Celtic crosses and other strange carvings, while every small crevice seemed to contain an offering of a coin or a shell.








At the base of one of the rock faces I found a tiny cave, only big enough to crawl inside on my belly.



Once inside, the cave opened up a little and I was able to twist around and look up into all the small crevices in the ceiling. They were filled with big shiny black spiders, black millipedes, midges and moths! I lit a candle in there and lay down to meditate, I started to see some small red-capped creatures, but the midges were bothering me so I batted them away with my hands! Mistake! I don't think they liked that at all! I would have to learn to respect all creatures no matter how small and bothersome! For all I knew they could have been fairies that I swatted!


As I lay there I heard a deep rumbling sound. Was it an airplane passing by outside? Unlikely, as it seemed to go on and on, but I was too tightly wedged in to nip out and check. However I felt like it was time to leave this claustrophobic place so I squeezed my way out, and after making another tour of the clearing and its surroundings I headed back to my car.

====================================================

Rob Wildwood (Aurvandil) has now released a book containing hundreds of his own stunning full colour photos of many of the magical places he has visited in his travels. The images capture the magic and mystery of each place and are enhanced by extracts of local folklore that reveal the magical lore of each place and tempt deeper investigation. Every site listed has full directions and map grid references that can be checked online, so join Rob Wildwood as you discover Britain's magical places at www.themagicalplaces.com


St. Fillan's Cave, Pittenweem

Alphedia had a message for me from spirit: "Visit St. Fillan's cave on tuesday!" Neither of us knew where it was or what it was so I looked it up on the internet and found out that there was a St. Fillan's cave in the small town of Pittenweem on the southern coast of Fife, Scotland.


I put it off for a week or two but eventually I made my way up there on a tuesday and discovered the cave entrance.




It was barred by a heavy iron gate emblazoned with a huge iron Celtic cross and it was inset with pieces of red hematite (iron ore)! My first impression was "Wow! Whatever is in there they REALLY don't want it getting out!" And what is it that is repelled by iron? Why the fairies of course!


I found out that the key was kept in the local chocolate shop, so I went to fetch the key, let myself in and wandered into the strange cave.




Near the entrance was a painting and story about St. Fillan, but deeper inside the natural sea cave had been converted into a chapel with an altar.




In the past the cave had seen all kinds of uses, from a smugglers cave to a prison for witches, but it is most famous as the place where St. Fillan hung out while he was converting the Picts.


I was disturbed a couple of times by tourists wandering in so eventually I decided to switch off the lights and lock them out. It certainly added to the atmosphere!


With my torch I found another gate...




which led to a 'secret' passage...




around to another gate at the back.




Again it was barred with iron and locked! So I returned to the chapel and left an offering on the altar...




before crawling into the dark recesses at the back of the cave to meditate.




This cave is an entrance to the underworld. Spirits which were once able to roam in and out freely have now been imprisoned here. I told the spirits not to be afraid and to follow me outside, but they were terrified of the iron gate. I literally had to lead them by the hand, one by one, past the gate, so that they could be free.


While in the back of the cave I noticed a small dripping spring of water which created little flowstone pool which would make an excellent scrying mirror...




but I felt like my job was done here so left I left the cave and returned the key to the chocolate shop. Then a bizzarre coincidence! A woman I'd met on several of my recent spiritual courses was sitting in the chocolate shop drinking hot chocolate! What were the odds of meeting her in this cafe in this remote little town at this exact date and time? If there was any significance to this I have yet to work it out! But by this stage I was no longer getting shocked by all the odd co-incidences, which was just as well, for there were to be many more!

In hindsight maybe I did the wrong thing in releasing these spirits? I was a complete amateur at this stage and didn't really know what I was doing, but all I can say is that at the time felt right.

====================================================

Rob Wildwood (Aurvandil) has now released a book containing hundreds of his own stunning full colour photos of many of the magical places he has visited in his travels. The images capture the magic and mystery of each place and are enhanced by extracts of local folklore that reveal the magical lore of each place and tempt deeper investigation. Every site listed has full directions and map grid references that can be checked online, so join Rob Wildwood as you discover Britain's magical places at www.themagicalplaces.com


Friday 8 October 2010

Hob Holes, Runswick Bay

A hob is a creature from the folklore of the north of England. He is a household spirit who is quite helpful to the land owners until they do something to annoy him, at which point he either leaves or starts to make their life a misery by bringing terrible misfortune. He is portrayed as being small and shaggy haired, wearing either very rough clothes or no clothes at all. He is similar to the Scottish brownie or the Swedish tomte.




In the cliffs of Runswick bay on the north coast of Yorkshire there are some small caves called Hob Holes. In times gone by local people would bring their children to Hob Holes to cure them from the whooping cough by reciting this rhyme:


“Hob Hole Hob,
My bairn’s gotten t’kink cough,
Tak it off,
Tak it off.”



I first drove to the cliff top above Hob Holes and found an ancient trackway leading down to the beach. It was so overgrown with trees and bushes that it formed a kind of tunnel. It felt to me like some kind of processional way.




I followed it down to the beach and then walked along the misty shoreline until I found the caves. I was drawn to one of the caves and despite it's precarious looking condition I decided to enter.




I crawled inside and then sat down at the end of the long damp tunnel, looking out at the shoreline.



I called out to the hob: "Hob Hole Hob! Hob Hole Hob!"

I had a vision of the hob coming to greet me. He looked more like the hobgoblin from a bottle of Hobgoblin beer than the hobs I had read about from folklore! He was short and had a long pointy nose and a droopy pointed cap. He didn't have much to say so I planted my wand into the sand in front of me and sent him energy. It seems that when spirits such as this are neglected they lose their power and start to fade away. I was bringing him back to life again! He seemed to be happy that people were going to start to take notice of him again...


I crawled out of the tunnel and continued on down the beach. It was a mysterious landscape of sand, seaweed and seabirds.






I followed a steep gulley inland into a totally wild landscape, the tiny watercourse led me deeper into the undergrowth until eventually I could go no further. At that point I found a small fossil lying in the streambed.


Up on the clifftop the mist was clinging to spider's webs, covering them in dewy gemstones.



====================================================

Rob Wildwood (Aurvandil) has now released a book containing hundreds of his own stunning full colour photos of many of the magical places he has visited in his travels. The images capture the magic and mystery of each place and are enhanced by extracts of local folklore that reveal the magical lore of each place and tempt deeper investigation. Every site listed has full directions and map grid references that can be checked online, so join Rob Wildwood as you discover Britain's magical places at www.themagicalplaces.com


Sunday 3 October 2010

Strathaven, Fairy Mound

Directly south of Strathaven, in a hidden bend of the Avon Water, lies a fairy mound that local people still venerate.

We met a local family there who according to tradition always walked three times sunwise around the mound to show their respects to the fairies. We did the same again this time and also planted some crystals around it.


Fee and I climbed to the top of the mound to discover that careless people had started a fire up there and burnt all the bushes while leaving broken bottles and litter lying all around. We cleaned up all the litter and broken glass, and then sent healing to the place. I guess that was why we had been drawn there?

We found the magical entrance to the fairy mound on the north side, but decided not to enter at this time...

====================================================

Rob Wildwood (Aurvandil) has now released a book containing hundreds of his own stunning full colour photos of many of the magical places he has visited in his travels. The images capture the magic and mystery of each place and are enhanced by extracts of local folklore that reveal the magical lore of each place and tempt deeper investigation. Every site listed has full directions and map grid references that can be checked online, so join Rob Wildwood as you discover Britain's magical places at www.themagicalplaces.com