Sun in Taurus, Earth, the Builder;
Moon in Scorpio, Water, the Magician.
Runwell Holy Well (The Megalithic Portal)
Dear Gatekeepers,
Welcome to our Lunar Beltane Full Moon Meditation on Friday 1st of May. The ancient cross quarter festival of Beltane marks the cusp of spring and summer. This month we have two full moons, the second on the 31st is known as a Blue Moon. We also have our annual event of Sound in the Land on Sunday 3rd May, see below for details.
Our full moon meditation is in the constellation of Scorpio in the east of England on the British Landscape Zodiac, lying roughly between Felixstowe to the north and Folkestone to the south. Here we pilgrimage to The Holy Well of Runwell, in Essex. The name Runwell has been interpreted in modern times as running well, or always full, however run, refers to a 'secret', 'mystery' or place of 'secret council'(Oxford English Dictionary of Place -names) and the name of the village Runwell seems to have been taken from the holy well. Local legend has it that in the Sixth Century AD, Christian missionaries Lucus and Lucilus visited Essex and finding the holy well venerated by non-Christians, built a chapel, and rededicated the well to “Our Lady St Mary.”
Iceni coin (Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service)
The floor of this chapel had a unique designed cross, with black flint and red strawberry stone, to show the teachings of the tenets of the Christian faith. To protect this and collect subsequent devotional gifts, a nunnery of six members was developed around the site. They tended to the shrine, well head and the statue of Our Lady, to which many miracles were attributed, attracting pilgrims from far and wide. The nunnery is thought to have been dissolved during the Reformation in the 16th Century and there is little evidence of it now.
There is also belief that the well’s dedication indicates a Christianisation of the Iceni goddess Epona. This is supported by horseshoe-shaped motifs found nearby, and the approach to the well, supposedly, being haunted by a horse.
SUNDAY 3 MAY. “SOUND IN THE LAND”
Local events around the British Landscape Zodiac.
We would love you to be part of a special event that we are organising - a 15-minute attunement from wherever you live, so that together we create a network of sound across the land.
On Sunday 3 May, to honour Beltane and the Spring energies, we will make our way (individually or together as we feel appropriate) to our own special location to tune in collectively at 12 noon UK. Time. Using sound vibrations, from words or chant or song or instrument, we send out loving resonance to the land and each other. Andrew Clark has recorded this beautiful song by Betsey Beckman based on the teachings of Hildegard of Bingen about the greening of the soul, which feels very appropriate when Nature is greening during April and May.
Here are the words:
Let my soul be greening with the Living Light
Let my heart awaken morning from the night
Let the Spirit guide me to Presence true and whole
Viriditas, viriditas the greening of my soul
Gatekeeper chants are available on the website: https://gatekeeper.org.uk/resources/music/.
You may also be inspired by Sounding the Elements, a sung meditation by Anam Cora, or sing and activate your own landscape and energy lines with your personal song.
Find your area on the British Landscape Zodiac here:
Copyright Peter Dawkins
Here we join Charlotte in the sun sign of Taurus the builder asking us to quest for support, friendship and affiliation to a common vision, what some call our ‘dream team’ of Scorpio moon and Taurus sun.
https://gatekeeper.org.uk/events/wheel-of-life-full-moon-meditation-taurus-sun-scorpio-moon-2/
Portland Update April 2026
A champion of stone heritage and craftsmanship, the Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust (PSQT) joins the Stone & Surfaces Show 2026 as an official partner
PSQT are getting ready for the Stone & Surfaces Show in London’s Docklands (12-14 May). Please do visit their stand at G5 – on the right side of entrance N1 to the show where a model made by Eddie Zhang (London School of Architecture MA) of the Fleet Street Arch will be on show. It is hoped inspirational ideas and support will flow from this display. Designs for the back of the “archway” will incorporate the timeline of Portland’s fossil record, linking the past to the present, whilst acting as the lower portal of the deepest, and therefore oldest layer of what was once the ocean floor. MA Bournemouth Architecture student Herbie Hudson is producing a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) model of the landform which incorporates the Gatekeeper Stone. The Trust is extremely grateful to the City of London Cooperation who donated the 7.2 metre high neo classical arch to the project and Keltbray Construction who delivered it back to Portland. This will be the first time a significant piece of architecture would have been returned to its original quarry, reconnecting people with place, creating a landmark where heritage is not only preserved but performed, learned, about and renewed.
The Geological Society of London will be publishing an article paying tribute to the role of the late Emeritus Professor Denys Brunsden, geomorphologist at Kings College London, who had the vision for the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and led the successful application for UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) status 25 years ago. To commemorate Denys and the 25 years of WHC Status the Trust is carving the first of 12 Memory Stones that looks out across the World Heritage Coast with a view to Star Point beyond Exmouth to be opened later this year.
In addition, the Gatekeeper Stone which is, the last stone from the Geomorphology of Inmosthay Quarry, will mark the first outdoor learning area that is being developed with the community. This will contribute to the Jurassic Coast Education Strategy through reinstating the fossil stromatolites, the earliest living thing that gave oxygen to the air we breathe. The Importance of education will be underlined as the fossil record is revealed.
In line with King Charles’ theme of Heritage and Harmony, the Trust had an exhibition stand at Kingston Maurward Gardens, Dorchester. The stand demonstrated how the Gatekeeper stone outdoor learning area with its stromatolite fossil, and the geomorphology marks the start of the Memory Stones walk through time. This creates a “green corridor” where every footstep represents one million years leading to the reconstructed Arch.
The theme of keeping alive heritage skills and knowledge of the past for the future chimes well with our collaboration and PSQT’s Collaborative Regeneration Partnerships.
Sending Beltane Blessings to you on your landscape.
With thanks to Amelia and the Gatekeeper Trustees.