Wednesday 24 August 2016

Maui

Today I am exploring the magical places and cultures of Maui. The island is rich in sacred sites, powerful natural energies and an indigenous spiritual tradition that honours the elements.

Heleakala, sacred volcano of Maui

Offerings left on the summit of Mount Heleakala

Hiking up the outflow from a volcano!


The Seven Sacred Pools

Hiking near the Seven Sacred Pools


 The sacred Lao Valley

Shrine at Lao Valley

My guide Jeana led me on a visit to a heaui (temple) where we left a natural offering, an ancient spiritual ritual that has practised for hundreds of years. 

Explaining the use of healing herbs

 Preparing an offering to leave at the heiau 


Asking permission of the spirits to enter the heiau 


Paying respects at the heiau

Birthing stone at the heiau with our offering perched on top

In recent decades Maui has attracted large numbers of teachers, healers and seekers, creating vibrant spiritual community.


Temple of Life Spa and Healing Centre


Jaya Lakshmi and Ananda performing at Maui Sacred Earth



Saturday 20 August 2016

Legends of Snowdonia – Fairies, King Arthur, Merlin and a giant!

A couple of days ago I visited a place I've been wanting to go to for a long time, Mount Snowdon! Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) in North Wales is the highest mountain in England and Wales. It has been a magical kingdom since ancient times, the haunt of fairies and spirits. But since Victorian times there has been a railway line all the way to the summit, which has impacted somewhat upon its remote and mystical atmosphere. North Wales is home to the Tylweth Teg, the magical fairy people of Wales, as well as being home to the Pendragons, the dragon kings of Britain.


Snowdon Railway

I took the train up there this week, a hot August day, and was amazed by the amount of everyday people who were making the arduous climb to the summit on foot, a hike of several hours. It was like a modern day pilgrimage to a sacred mountain, though today people simply go to climb this iconic landmark and to admire the spectacular views.

I had never been up Snowdon before and I found the views from the top to be absolutely amazing, one of the greatest panoramic views I’ve ever experienced, the kind of view you can only get when you’re on the highest of mountains! 

View from summit of Mount Snowdon

The whole mountain range of Snowdonia is laid out before you, as well as the entire Llyn Peninsular, the whole Isle of Anglesey, with the sea circling all around. I was really not prepared for such a view, it took my breath away!


View from summit towards the Llyn Peninsula

However, I was not here for the views, I was here to investigate the magical places that are hidden away on the mountain. The first that I spotted was from the train window, Llyn D’ur Arddu (The Black Lake of Arddu) where fairies have been seen many times dancing on the shores of the lake. But unfortunately I didn’t have time to visit it on foot on this trip as I was going to be hiking down the other side of the mountain.


Llyn D'ur Arddu where the fairies dance!

The summit of Mount Snowdon was once topped by a huge cairn where a giant named Rhita was said to be buried. This giant had a cloak made from the beards of the kings he had killed, but he was eventually killed himself, by none other than King Arthur! Unfortunately the cairn was destroyed in Victorian times to make way for a tower.


Summit of Mount Snowdon where the giant Rhita was buried

I climbed to the Eastern edge of the summit and then got my first view of the two lakes that were the main objectives of my journey. Glaslyn (The blue/green lake) lies just below the summit.

View of Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw from Snowdon summit


A shepherd once helped a fairy woman here by lending her his shirt to wrap her baby in, ever afterwards he was rewarded by the fairies with silver coins until he became a rich man. Another story concerning this lake is that a terrible water monster known as an avanc was captured far away near Betws-y-Coed and then dragged here by a team of oxen before being released into this lake. The story covers many features of the local landscape during the journey and makes me think of the songlines of the Australian Aboriginies. Perhaps the ancient Britons once had their own songlines too?


Glaslyn fairy lake

The lake beyond Glaslyn is called Llyn Llydaw and it is said that King Arthur’s sword Excalibur was cast into this lake before his body was taken over the water to Cwn Dyli where he and his knights now lie hidden in a secret cave.

To the south of Snowdon is a valley called Cwm y Llan where a shepherd once rescued one of the Tylweth Teg who was trapped under a rock. He was rewarded with a magical walking cane which ensured that all his ewes gave birth to two healthy lambs each year.

Fairy haunted valley of Cwm y Llan


Not far from Cwn y Llan is the hill know as Dinas Emrys (The Fort of Myrddin Emrys) where King Vortigern, after fleeing the Saxons, once tried to build a fortress. The boy Emrys was brought in to be sacrificed as the fortress kept falling down, but instead of being killed Emrys told the king that his problems were caused by two dragons fighting under the hill. They dug down and released the two dragons that were trapped in a cave, a red dragon and a white dragon. The red dragon then fought and chased off the white dragon, which was said to represent the red dragon of Wales triumphing over the white dragon of the Saxons. To this day the red dragon is still the symbol of Wales. Emrys grew up to become the famous wizard Merlin. 

Dinas Emrys 

I sat and meditated by the nearby lake known as Llyn Dinas (Lake of the fort) and could see Dinas Emrys reflected in the water. The lake is said to be home to a dragon, while Dinas Emrys is Dinas Affaraon, the sacred city of the pheryllt, the mystical alchemical druids.

Magical woods by Llyn Dinas

Another site where the fairies are said to dance is Llyn Cwellyn, to the southwest of Snowdon. A shepherd was once tending his flock on the slopes of Moel Eilio when he found and captured a fairy woman. She agreed to marry him on condition that he never struck her with iron. One day the inevitable happened and he accidentally tapped her with his horse’s stirrups and she was never seen again. In another version of the story he did get to see her again, but was condemned never to walk beside her, and so could only communicate with her from afar. She appeared on an island on Llyn-y-Dywarchen and he had to communicate with her from the bank of the lake. I found Llyn-y-Dywarchen to be a most magical place and could sense the fairy magic emanating from the tiny island.

Another unfortunate man entered into a fairy dance near Llyn Cwellyn and was transported to fairyland for seven years, though he thought only a few moments had passed. When he returned his friends didn’t recognize him and his sweetheart had married someone else. Unable to adjust he died of a broken heart.

Llyn Cwellyn with Moel Eillio in the background (right)

Moel Eilio 

So be careful when walking through the mystical mountains of Snowdonia, the fairies are not always friendly, there are dragons and monsters in the lakes, and giant might just want to steal your beard!




Aquae Sulis - Bath

I finally made it to Bath today! To see the Roman temple and baths dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva who lives in the hot spring.

Head of the Celtic Goddess Sulis who personified the hot spring, 
she was Romanised as Sulis Minerva

The sacred spring where the goddess Sulis lives

The main bath

The cold pool

Part of the extensive underground waterways

Main outflow from the sacred spring,
millions of litres of hot water pour out from here every day

Gorgon head

One of many Roman altars found at Bath,
 offerings were placed in the circular depression at the top and burnt

Mosaic floor of hippocampus (sea horse) and dolphin

The Moon Goddess, Luna

The Celtic triple goddess

Hand of Jupiter holding a thunderbolt

Bladud, the mythical ancient Celtic founder of Bath


Thursday 18 August 2016

Roslin Glen and the Rose Line

The mysterious Rosslyn Chapel sits on the edge of the magical Roslin Glen in Scotland, drawing the green energy of the glen up into the chapel as demonstrated by over one hundred unique carvings of green men in the chapel. 

Rosslyn Chapel exterior (no photography allowed inside!) 

Rosslyn Chapel also sits at the heart of the Rose Line, a Scottish meridian encompassing many sacred sites and places of power.

Six hundred year old chestnut tree in Roslin Glen

The heart of the chestnut tree

Another ancient tree

Part of the yew circle, where rituals are performed

Wallace's cave on the opposite side of the river 

The River Esk flowing through Roslin Glen

The age and identity of this face are not known


Roslin Castle has a ghost dog which haunts and howls here, along with a White Lady. The drawbridge to the castle itself has also been the site of an apparition of a black knight on a black horse which gallops off the drawbridge - legend has it that the hoof prints of the horse can be seen on the vertical rocks upon which the drawbridge has been built.

Roslin Castle

Wallace's cave, referring to William Wallace of 'Braveheart' fame who is reputed to have hidden here.

Cave interior

Mysterious rock carvings near Wallace's Cave

Exploring the lost pathways of Roslin Glen today in some lovely Scottish weather! 

The mysterious hidden village of Temple, once the headquarters of the Knights Templar when it was known as Balantradoch



Mysterious masonic gravestones at Temple

 Magical stream behind the ruined church at Temple

Arthur's Seat, a volcanic plug in Edinburgh that sits directly on the Rose Line