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Full Moon Meditation – 22nd June

22/06/2024

FULL MOON IN CAPRICORN ‘THE CONSOLIDATOR AND INITIATOR,
SUN IN CANCER ‘THE GUARDIAN’

JUNE 22nd at 12 Noon

THE BRITISH ISLES AS A ‘TRISKELE’ OF MAINLANDS, AMONGST AN ENTOURAGE OF ISLES: OUR ISLANDS MAY DEFINE OUR NATIONAL PSYCHE; EACH OF US AN ISLAND IN A STATE OF SEMI-TRANSCENDENCE WITHIN INDIVIDUAL FORMS.

SO, SATURATED, MARINATED IN SEA BREEZES we as a nation, form a ‘triskele’ to express our cultural ‘angel’. A triskele formed through linking three circles together without lifting the pen off the paper: a continuous loop of infinite life, that speaks of manifestation of wisdom: nothing is ever still, yet all are dependent on each part to move idiosyncratically. This evokes a transcendence… we all may seek this on island life.

Imagination is our ‘inner magic’ and so we can evoke a reality in which each of our three lands may have ‘guardian’ beings: So, subtly manifesting as hermits in human form, we have a ‘heart protector’ around our shoulders. For there were those who loved the living silence of detached island life. As such, perhaps they formed a collaborative guardianship for mainland cultures.

The three lands, and their borders, holding similar spiritual traditions, and sharing landscape energy and symbol.

Hidden in the subtle dimension of elemental and angelic intelligence, the islands around the ‘Hesperides’ (‘Nymphs of the Evening’, or ‘golden light of the sunset’, the Atlantides (Greek referring to their father ‘Atlas’).

Were the ‘goddesses’ reflective aspects of our own psyche, where living within a circle of islands gives its inhabitants a ‘luminous glow’ of intuitive knowing? All Human evolution is in co-operation with ‘the gods and goddesses’ of the Universal Creator inspiring an evolutionary destiny of psychic integration within us.

STEPPING INTO THE SHOES OF THE HERMITS

The Pilgrimage to the Tweed Valley on The Borders:

At this time Sarah Dawkins and Andrew Clarke have completed an event ‘Singing from the Heart’ and ‘Paneurythmy of Beinsa Duono’ at the ‘Alta Major’ chakra of the European Grail Temple. Situated in the Tweed Valley, the venue - Traquair House - is connected to Pirn Hill and St Ronan’s Well is situated on its slopes. Along the valley the group visited Melrose Abbey which aligned with the landscape angels of the ‘Cheviot Zodiac’ researched by Anthony Thorley (with permission from him, but copyright 2007). Holy Island of Lindisfarne at the head of the local ‘spine’ within the Cheviot landscape Zodiac (researched by Anthony Thorley).

Using our inner magic of heart-wisdom, we can see the ‘triskele’ of the three lands connecting through Cancer, the ‘guardian’ or gateway of ‘good boundaries. The vision is ‘keeping individuality flourishing, we collaborate between nations to embody unity and we co-create harmony in the land, out of the living wisdom of the Earth herself’.

The hills above the Tweed Valley

St Ronan’s Wellhead

St Ronan’s Well
The Myth: …’when confronted by the devil, Ronan jabbed the end of his staff into the ground, he struck upon a natural spring, which is now the site on which St. Ronan’s Wells have been built. The annual Cleikum Ceremonies are held in honour of St. Ronan to this day, accompanying the Border Games, and they include a re-enactment (with puppets!) of St. Ronan’s encounter with Old Nick’.

The alchemical Muse at Taquair House.

Melrose Abbey

St Mary's Abbey, Melrose - There was no official Reformation in Scotland. .’The Abbey was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of that order in the country until the Reformation. It was headed by the abbot or commendator of Melrose’.

Therefore, we have a good example of how these two nations in our past negotiated ‘good boundaries’ according to each individual set of values. The Borders were where many battles were fought, in the centre was a spiritual tradition and differences in how it was expressed.

Notes on the Cheviot Zodiac linking to Lindisfarne.

Anthony Thorley discovered the importance of the ‘Silver Wheel’ of Ariadne or Aranrod ‘the goddess of the silver wheel’. He traced the paths through the hills which hermits would have taken, because they seemed to connect with river sources and paths through the valleys. Hence the linking of energy completed by solitary hermits, who contemplate the alchemical philosophy of the archetypal ‘transformative journey’ Humankind makes through the ‘river of stars’ in the heavens, the ‘Milky Way’ On earth these Milky Ways were considered a deeply devotional experience in which the life of Christ was imitated with a ‘rebirth’ at the Taurus/Gemini cusp, and a ‘resurrection’ at the Scorpio/Sagittarius cusp.

The symbolic map of the Cheviot and Borders: Anthony Thorley’s ‘work in progress ‘ - permission granted. (We are asked as a Trust to help work on initial research.)

‘Cheviot Zodiac’ researched by Anthony Thorley. Mpte the ‘Guardian Dog’ Anubis, on the left, a figure that pops up in many terrestrial zodiacs around Britain. We can surmise that pilgrims first travel through this area, as a gateway to the deeper engagement of the star-paths ahead.

This zodiac has certain chakra points in what Anthonythorley called a ‘chakric’ temple, These are connected energetically, says Sarah Dawkins, to the Tweed Valley which signifies the ‘alta major’ of the Maia chakras temple. (see Peter Dawkins https://www.zoence.co.uk/info-landscape-temples/british-isles/)

If this alignment of a land based ‘star map’ with a powerful ‘holy isle’ in Britain, and the Peter’s identification of the ‘triple goddess’ in the landscape of the British Isles, are there other holy isles reveal evidence of hermits and a local spiritual ‘lore’ to guide pilgrims?

ANGELIC ‘HOSTS’ IN THE LANDSCAPE

Living on islands gives itself to meditation when the wind and sea and cry of the birds are all you can hear. Isolated the human soul finds a purpose. What did the hermits ‘see’ in their meditations that made them commit their lives to the sea-washed islands. With a land full of star maps, did the Cistercians ‘see’ the patterns that we now research, within circular ‘wheels’ of energy? With few remnants we can only use imagination and envision a circle of sacred spaces created by devoted saints and druid

Around the British zodiac other holy isles seem to be part of the Cancerian ‘heart protector’ energy and have geomantic connections to mainland ‘wheels of life’ or star maps.

I have collected short paragraphs of info for about 12 islands, most of them connected to the ‘cusp’ between the signs, for instance LIndisfarne lies at the cusp of the Cancer/Leo sections: leadership using ‘good boundaries’ of protection and guardianship for the heart vision.

FOCUS FOR MEDITATION

As a ‘Cancerian’ quest, we can ask ‘how do we in our lives provide good boundaries for our own creative spiritual purpose? Which tools do we have to support our heart-felt vision of good and harmony?

A map of the holy isles – a draft sketch for further research:

From rough drawings to clearly defined local maps, we explore myth, history and land-to-sea boundaries..

WORK IN PROGRESS FOR OUR SPIRITUAL ATTUNEMENT?

Here is a rough sketch which we can all use to identify the holy isles.. each reader can complete it for her/herself, and visualise the energetic exchanges between mainland sacred sites and the hermitages/ruins on the isles. See the following clues - what is the truth of ‘natural wisdom’ at work in our beautiful planet?.

GUARDIANSHIP: THE CUSP OF CANCER/LEO - Lindisfarne and St Cuthbert’s spiritual quest:

A Cancer theme of diplomatic boundaries emerges, as we travel the path of creative manifestation as individuals. We have taken the first step in Taurus by dreaming the good dream, and then began innovating and planning. The best idea is to set ‘good boundaries’ where the vision in essence is protected. Just like the role of ‘gatekeeper’ in our pilgrimage preparation, we await the angelic dialogue of the spirit within land, we ask for our intuitive heart’s message, forming a circle of inner ‘allies’ – our Teacher, Protector, Guide, Intimate Friend, Nurturer and Inspirer. Round a symbolic ‘round table’ of creative allies, we ask within and find them at each stage along our ‘Milky Way’ of life.

CANCER – OUR INNER ‘GUARDIAN’ also symbolising the creation of ‘good boundaries’ for the British mainland zodiac.

The ‘dialogue’ in geomantic terms, which holy islands provide to their mainlands, could be to guard and protect sacred space. If we look at the hinterland for islands, a key is in Lindisfarne, which is part of an axial line within the Northumbrian landscape zodiac.

CREATING SACRED SPACE WITH GOOD BOUNDARIES:

A ‘wheel of life’ exists for many of these holy islands. We begin with Lindisfarne on the Cancer/Leo Cusp.

ISLES OF THE HESPERIDES AND THE MYTH OF THE TRIPPLE GODDESS - a spiritual story or actual, ‘subtle dimensional’ creations?

Several ‘holy isles’ are visibly connected with landscape zodiacs or ‘wheels of life’ in the hinterland. All these need more research to ascertain these geomantic links.

There seems to be a lot of history concerning protective islands around Britain, and some have defensive castles as well as hermits and abbeys. With our Cancer (Protector/guardian) creative roles in the journey of vision, the spiritual as well as martial protection has been necessary, and how they relate to the ancient star maps. I am trying to discover a bit more... With their local ‘wheel of life’ landscapes, many holy islands seem to have a major link to the mainland in geomantic terms. It could be that our hermit-adopted holy islands are our Guardians, spread over the coasts of our Isles – and each has individual beauty and logic to decode and absorb. Often the islands come in triplicates, such as Holy Island (Anglesey), Caer Arianrhod and Bardsey. They all have secret wisdom encoded in the position, their name and their mythology.

BEGINNING OUR INVESTIGATION, WHAT IS THE TRUE PURPOSE OF BURGH ISLAND?

It lies at the end of the Fosse Way, an ancient pre-Roman highway of symbolic significance.

The British zodiac ‘work in progress’ - a guide for our individual research patterns. Where do we fit in and start searching for the subtle dimension of Natural Wisdom?

Imagine the NE line from Viro extending from the SW towards Plymouth - Burgh is off a little to the right of Plymouth Sound estuary. Such an important route, rebuilt by the Romans, and in the Christian tradition given a chapel. Here it is, dilapidated but meaningful.

A ruined Chapel on Burgh Island (St Michael’s Island), Devon: It is believed a monastery was established on the island, most of the remains of which may lie beneath the current hotel. The ancient Pilchard Inn's history dates to 1336 and may have started life as the guest lodgings for the monastery. This ‘causewayed’ island is one of a few on British shores that surround the mainland. The special feature of a ‘causeway’ give it a prominence in local cultural activity. There are also many defensive remains from the last war. Each holy island is also a place of protection in many ways.

BURGH ISLAND/ST MICHAEL’S ISLAND/ICTIS ISLAND

Archaeological discovery of tin ingots at the River Erme estuary wreck[1] show that the local area was a significant tin trading port in ancient times; it is unclear whether the ingots date from the Iron Age or Sub-Roman periods, however this discovery so close to Burgh Island has drawn comparisons with Diodorus Siculus's 1st century BCE text, more often associated with St Michael's Mount in Cornwall:

The island has been known by various names over the years. Early records and maps mention it as St Michael's Island. The name later changed to Borough Island, eventually shortened to Burgh

TIN COLLECTION POINT – report by ‘The Phoenicians were regular customers, creating a very hard metal called ‘wroth bonze’ out of which Soloman’s Temple pillars are said to have been made.

Wiki:
Archaeological discovery of tin ingots at the River Erme estuary wreck[1] show that the local area was a significant tin trading port in ancient times; it is unclear whether the ingots date from the Iron Age or Sub-Roman periods, however this discovery so close to Burgh Island has drawn comparisons with Diodorus Siculus's 1st century BCE text, more often associated with St Michael's Mount in Cornwall:

At this time we shall treat of the tin which is dug from the ground. Those who dwell near Belerium, one of the headlands of Britain, are especially fond of strangers, and on account of their trade with the merchants they have a more civilised manner of living. They collected the tin after the earth has been skillfully forced to yield it. Although the land is stony, it has certain veins of earth from which they melt and purify the metal which has been extracted. After making this into bars they carry it to a certain island near Britain called Ictis. For although the place between is for the most part covered with water, yet in the middle there is dry ground, and over this they carry a great amount of tin in wagons [...] Thence the merchants carry into Gaul the tin which they have bought from the inhabitants. And after a journey of thirty days on foot through Gaul, they convey their packs carried by horses to the mouths of the Rhone River.

Burgh Island at the end of the Totnes-Kingsbridge road, and entrance to the Arthur and Guinevere Line, pilgrimaged by the South Hams Gatekeeper group.

Burgh Island Hotel, with a hidden site of the priory. Tradition has it that this is the burial site of Joseph of Arimathea: ‘On this Island is Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. It is accessed by a bricked up tunnel tunnel390 leading to a hewn vault. The vault originally was used to store tin ingots in an era when the Phoenician’s came to Britain to trade tin.’ It used to be called ‘Ictis’ after the Greek name for ‘fish’ ‘Ikhthys’found in large numbers around the island, and ‘white tin’ excavated here ‘white tin island’ - or ‘Ineswitrin’ Island.

Seen from the mainland, Burgh Island (on the cusp of Capricorn and Aquarius) sits off the end of the Fosse Way, completed by small roads from Exeter to Plymouth continue their Celtic purposes. The Roman fort at Exeter focuses a defensive position, while small roads weave along the coast to Plymouth, the origins of main Celtic and pre-Celtic roadways.

Burgh Island as seen from Thurlstone Rock, part of the Arthur and Guinnevere energy line. [photo: South Hams Pilgrims]. In tradition, the island is believed to have been called ‘Ictis’, to have been given to Glastonbury, and its tin mines used as a burial site for Joseph of Arimathea.

South Hams Pilgrimage report:

‘Fourteen of us gathered on the full moon for a ceremony in Thurlestone church where we linked with the national GK group and the 'Dancing Round the British Landscape Zodiac' project. As the South Hams falls within the sign of Aquarius (according to the sidereal zodiac), we were among the first to 'turn this Wheel of Life'!

We then focussed on the Arthur Line, which flows through Thurlestone church, followed by a short ceremony at Malborough Spring through which the Guinevere flows. By dowsing before and after our ceremony, an intuitive participant was able to be able to detect that the width of the line had increased from 7 to 11 paces - and had moved slightly! 2018.

The holy Well at Thurlstone’s All Saints Church

Some Islands seem to form a ‘triplicity’ with other islands, while still guarding the ‘cusp’ landscape between zodiac signs, and entry into a larger landscape zodiac sacred place.

ST MICHAEL’S ISLAND, Cornwall

St Michael's Mount (Cornish: Karrek Loos yn Koos,[1] meaning "hoar rock in woodland")[2] is a tidal island in Mount's Bay, Cornwall lies on a ley line from the …. In Ireland to the continent.

The Michael Apollo Line from Skellig Michael to Sacra di San Michele, France. Tracing our links with Europe, we find similar tradition and very early cultural sharing.

ENCOMPASSING OUR ISLANDS

As the energy rolls NW round our ‘circle’ of islands, LUNDY ISLAND in the Bristol Channel – in on the cusp of Aquarius/Pisces

Wiki: Lundy has evidence of visitation or occupation from the Mesolithic period onward, with Neolithic flintwork, Bronze Age burial mounds, four inscribed gravestones from the early medieval period,[14][15] and an early medieval monastery (possibly dedicated to St Elen or St Helen).

Beacon Hill Cemetery was excavated by Charles Thomas in 1969.[16] The cemetery contains four inscribed stones, dated to the 5th or 6th century AD.[17] The site was originally enclosed by a curvilinear bank and ditch, which is still visible in the southwest corner,... Celtic Christian enclosures of this type were common in Western Britain and are known as Llans in Welsh and Lanns in Cornish. There are surviving examples in Luxulyan, in Cornwall; Mathry, Meidrim and Clydau in the south of Wales; and Stowford, Jacobstowe, Lydford and Instow, in Devon. These vanished Llans or circles were early ‘wheels of life’ in which the hermits could contemplate and instruct on Natural Laws of Creation.

TRIPLICITY OF ISLANDS – Lundy, Steepholm and Flatholme – cusp of Pisces and Aquarius in the Bristol Channel. The innate ‘triskelion’ of balance and harmony seemed to guide how our isles were populated.

Positions in the Channel of Flatholm and Steepholme seen at the right

Lundy Lighthouse

Church of St Helen/Elen, Lundy.

Gravestones of Lundy.

Three of these have single names suggesting that they belonged to Christian monks or nuns who had renounced their earthly families. Excavations in the cemetery recorded numerous stone-lined graves clustering around a burial in a stone setting. This reinforces the suggestion of a monastic community with the dead hoping to gain from close proximity to the founding 'saint' [St Elen].

STEEPHOLM ISLAND – Bristol Channel

According to legend, first recorded by John Leland in the 16th century, Saint Gildas, the author of De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, lived on Steep Holm during the 6th century. He arrived on Steep Holm after visiting his friend Saint Cadoc, who lived on Flat Holm as a hermit… Other semi-legendary saints are also associated with the island; in John Rous's Historia Regum Angliae (c. 1480), Rous claims that Saint Dubricius, the saint said to have crowned Arthur, retired to an hermitage on the island of 'Stepeholm' in the River Severn. At the end of the 12th century, there was a small priory of Canons Regular of St Michael on the island. Wiki.

FLATHOLME

In Welsh: Ynys Echni) is a Welsh island lying in the Bristol Channel approximately 6 km (4 mi) from Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan. In the 5th-6th century AD, it became a retreat for Saint Cadoc, who lived on the island as a hermit for seven years.[3………The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that in 1067, Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, mother of Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, stayed on the island before travelling to St Omer in France after the Norman conquest of England.

RAMSEY ISLAND – St David’s Head – Wales – on the cusp of Pisces/Aries (Welsh: Ynys Dewi) …. St Tyfanog's Chapel existed up to the 1600s, when it was described as "decayed", and there may also have been a chapel to St Justinian.

The Islets around Ramsey Island: -

Skomer Island

There is evidence of human occupation—field boundaries and settlement remains—.dating back 5,000 years. A prominent standing stone, the Harold Stone, and other megaliths on the island suggest far earlier occupation dating back to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.

BARDSEY ISLAND – Pisces Aries cusp

[Wiki] In Welsh,Ynys Enlli was known as the legendary "Island of 20,000 Saints",...off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd.[2] The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", while its English name refers to the "Island of the Bards".

HOLY ISLAND – Angelsea – on the cusp of Aries/Taurus

Ty Mawr Standing Stone – Holy Island, Anglesea – cusp of Pisces/Aries – makes a triplicity with Caer Arianrod and Bardsey. They are guardians of the cusp hinterland which includes the landscape zodiac of Gwynedd, researched by Hugh Evans;’The Origins of the Zodiac’ on amazon, and video: (https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=Hugh+Evans+The+Origin+of+the+Zodiac)

Screenshot from ‘The Origin of the Zodiac’ showing the ancient glyphs discovered by Hugh Evans - video at the Megalithomania Conference 2022: (permission sought and granted) - https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=Megallithomania+Hugh+Evans&mid=40F2D6A26778F66C5DB840F2D6A26778F66C5DB8&FORM=VIRE

The Welsh name ‘Caer Sidhi’ a reference to the ‘castles’ in the sky or the Milky Way constellation star map in the landscape.

The well at the shore of Caer Arianrhod. Wells and isles connect the water sources on land.

An old map identifying a rock – Gwr Arianrod - that emerges and submerges with the tides.

Arianrod ‘goddess of the Silver Wheel’ is one of the most enigmatic of all the Celtic Welsh goddesses, but as Virgin Mother of the Sacred Child and full moon goddess. Arianrod’s castle is one such place. In myth, Caer Arianrhod was the place where human souls were said to travel upon their death. It existed in all three realms at once, each separate and distinct, and each serving as a portal to the others. Those who knew the way could use the Caer’s revolving door as a gateway for travelling between worlds.

Stand on the northwest shore of Wales at low tide, and you might catch a glimpse of the sunken reef believed to be the site of Arianrhod’s earthly home.

In Y Mabinogi, her son Llew travels by ship to reach his mother’s fortress. The poet Taliesin wrote of a “caer of defence under the ocean’s wave.” Local legend places Caer Arianrhod about a mile off the coast of Gwynedd, which is also home of Glastonbury Tor—the legendary site of another mystical island, Avalon.

According to a 1904 geological survey, the submerged castle of Arianrhod lies in a “stony place” in Caernarfon Bay not far from the prehistoric mound of Dinas Dinelle. It’s an oval reef measuring about a quarter of a mile from east to west and a tenth of a mile from north to south, with a submerged area of stony ground connecting it to the mainland. Its west end rises to a low summit, which is briefly visible during the lowest spring tides, when white horses were said to “dart and play” upon the surf.

Hilbre Island's name derives from the dedication of a medieval chapel built on the island to St. Hildeburgh, an Anglo-Saxon holy woman, after which it became known as Hildeburgheye or Hildeburgh's island.[3] Hildeburgh is said to have lived on Hilbre Island in the 7th century as an anchorite.

HILBRE ISLANDS: HILBRE, MIDDLE EYE AND LITTLE EYE – Wirral, near the cusp of Taurus and Gemini. The names of two of these islands with Hilbre (named after St Hildreberg the anchorite on the larger island of the three), seem to refer to the mythology of Taurus and the ‘third eye’ or ‘bulls eye’, the ‘opening of the eye of vision’ which also relates to Aldebran in the Hyades, the brightest star in this constellation. The third eye ‘sees in the dark’ and In this Greek mythology it relates to Hephaistos who is ‘is the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes, the blacksmith of the gods worshipped in the industrial centre of Athens. He designed Hermes' winged helmet and sandals, the Aegis breastplate, Aphrodite's famed girdle, Agamemnon's staff of office, Achilles' armour, Diomedes' cuirass, Heracles' bronze clappers, Helios' chariot, the shoulder of Pelops, and Eros's bow and arrows. ‘

Taurus with Auriga ‘the bulls eye’ in the centre, Auriga top left associated with Ariadne and the myth of the Seven Maidens and the Minotaur.

How does the landscape relate to human evolution and cultural development?

The third eye, associated with the Pineal Gland ‘ the eye of vision’, ‘serves to regulate their circadian rhythms, and for navigation, as it can sense the polarisation of light’.[ Wiki]. Hence in Taurus we find the development of iron smelting in the landscape of the iron bearing rocks of Aries (Wales), being formulated as ‘industrial equipment’ (trains, railroads, mining and forging etc) and thus giving birth to the ‘industrial revolution’ through the cusp of Gemini (the Manchester area) and later the Reformation, a symbiotic relationship between landscape, Nature and Human evolution.

These ‘archetypal’ mythologies seeped into the ‘philosophical teachings’ in Europe, at the heart of the landscape star maps. The fore-runner of industrial development, the god Hephaestus created ‘golden bulls’ with his inventive genius, and then artefacts for the gods which acted like ‘automatons’: he would craft these including Golden Tripods for Mount Olympus which were on wheels and put to use during the banquets of the gods. ‘these tripods assisted Hebe and Ganymede in the distribution of food and drink, fetching and carrying under their own steam’. https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/automatons.html

Morecambe Bay and the Taurus/Gemini cusp.

PIEL ISLAND – between Walney Island and Barrow in Furness

Fowdray (or Fouldrey or Fowdrey) island. This name would seem to be derived from the Old Norse words fouder, meaning "fodder", and ay or oy, meaning "island". The island was part of the Liberty of Furness, granted in 1066 to Earl Tostig,[1] and 1127 it formed part of the Liberty that was granted by King Stephen to the Savignac monks as part of a land grant for an abbey. When the Savignacs became part of the Cistercian order later in the 12th century, the island came under the control of the Cistercians at nearby Furness Abbey.’ Wiki.

The ‘geomantic’ knowledge of the Cistercians enabled the natural forces of Nature to be ‘collaboratively harnessed’, such as iron smelting, water energy harnessing, wool carding and processing, etc. Thus from farming techniques emerged technology as the harnessing of the ‘fire of the gods’. Gemini the innovator at work prepares the way for providing ‘GOOD BOUNDARIES’ for the ‘gods’ and their universally creative work of human evolution.

ROCKCLIFFE MARSH – between Estuaries of Rivers Esk and Eden – on the Gemini/Cancer cusp

The St Mary’s church in which the Celtic Cross resides, capturing the ‘circle/heart grail of holy life’ as a radiance between four arms of the directions.

Burgh Sands – King Edward’s Monument built upon a Prehistoric mound.

Between the Estuaries of the Rivers Esk and Eden, Rockcliffe marsh is opposite the ‘ Lochmabin Stone’, last of a circle, in the Scottish landscape.

This stone remnant of a circle also serves our quest on Athony Thorley’s research of the chakras alignments in Northumbria. Another ’guardian’ of sacred place with a possibly deliberate notch at its base. Does this align with land energy or the sunrise: how do we interpret the stone-notch language of the Megalithic masons?

HOLY ISLAND of LINDISFARNE –

As part of its protection, the causeway can be defended, but not from the sea from where Vikings invaded. Wiki: ‘The castle is located in what was once the very volatile border area between England and Scotland. Britain had both spiritual and martial guardianship, which eventually involved ‘diplomatic dialogue’ between cultures’ and resultant evolution of leadership styles.

Lindisfarne Castle (a ‘good boundary?’): now a coast-guard lookout, it was used to guard the border between England and Scotland, a good interpretation of ‘Protective Leadership’ in the Cancer/Leon cusp. Wiki: ‘Taking advantage of the island's strategic location, in 1549, a small fort was built on a high rock known as Beblowe, the highest point of the island, approximately 1 kilometre east of the monastic buildings, and overlooking the harbour.’ It is now a family home.

Lindisfarne Priory, attacked by Vikings in 793, and dismantled at the Reformation, it is now a favourite place for pilgrimage and learning.

WHITTON ISLAND, Humber and emerging islands from sandbanks – cusp of Leo/Virgo

Appropriately, Virgo is in attendance, a female sign of a virginal birth, and are the sandbanks form part of the sea-womb for the islands of Whitton and Sunk? In the past, Ravensea island was claimed by the sea, returned back to its ocean origin.

Whitton Island, its birth emerging from a sand bank Whitton Island is a natural haven for birds – no public access

ISLE OF WIGHT – Cusp of Sagittarius/Capricorn - reported as ‘not a metropolitan but a CEREMONIAL country’ frequented by poets and queens.. as seen from space.

   

‘Medusa’ and ‘Cockerel’ Mosaics from Brading Roman Villa – mosaic floor showing Orphic Mysteries being performed, an indication of a Roman high-priest’s visitation and establishment of ritual for the country’s ‘gateway’. Does it symbolise what they intended to establish in Bratanac (Phoenician for Britain)?

St Boniface Old Church
The church was rebuilt in the 11th century, with the bell cote dating from the 16th century as does the bell. The muraled north wall is said to be from as early as the 7th century. The south porch was added in the 19th century.

PORTLAND - the ‘causewayed island’ which together with two or three others has a special role to play, writes Gary Biltcliffe ‘The Mysterious Island of Portland’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efxAlIY81P0

To the North-West is Abbotsbury and Winterbourne Abbas Stone Circle. The Rufus Castle in the South East, frequented by William Rufus, would align with these sacred sites, and be used as a ‘Mayday’ celebration at ‘Maypole Meadow’. Is there a larger ‘wheel of life’ extending to the mainland here, with the ‘Milky Way’ gateway at Rufus’s Castle? (see further research by Anthony Thorley into the ‘Silver Wheels’ of terrestrial zodiacs and the ‘river of stars’..

Portland is south of Dorchester, which is itself a ‘wheel of life’ sacred landscape with traces of the sanctuary of Venus turned into a ring of ‘Memory Stones’ by a group of artist researchers. In the SE Rufus Castle built by King Wiliam Rufus, and it sits beside the ‘Maypole Meadow’ site of Beltain circle dancing of old. He was a pagan king, and devout, so he would have known the geomantic secrets of this landscape’s energy. In the NW – the start of the Celtic New Year at Samhain, on the mainland, is Abbotsbury. Near the NNW is Winterbourne Abbas the Nine Stone Circle. NW is the direction of the energy cycle where the old year is put away and a new seed-of-light vision for the new year is conceived. A very important time.

On the island, research immaculately by Gary Biltcliffe and Caroline Hoare (Mysterious Portland : Revealing the Sacred Landscape and Legacy of Britain's Masonic Isle’)

there is a huge quarry from which rare building stone materials have been excavated, many of them to rebuild London’s churches: the 12 Wren churches in the city of London including St Paul’s Cathedral. Each stone has evidence of the earliest life on earth, traces of the single celled animal life that lead to our human emergence. Our weekend begins on 16th August, with talks on the 17th, walks on the 18th and 19th to explore some of the landscape. Huge sarsen stones line the roads, evidence that these were – weathered immaculately – belonging to two dismantled henges.

The early ‘memory stone’ circle with visitor: Sculptors have been working in stone since 1983, and created a stone circle in which sculpture could be exhibited.

The Modern Stone Circle - and the Gatekeeper Trust’s dedication of a ‘Gateway’ stone, part of the Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust’s ‘Memory Stones Circle’, August 17, 2024. Go to https://gatekeeper.org.uk/events/ for more details.

The modern Portland ‘Gateway’ stone to be dedicated as the Trust’s contribution to future ‘spirit of the land’ events. A true ‘gateway stone’, it will have a butterfly carved upon it.

AS A COLLECTION OF ISLANDS WHAT BETTER ‘PROTECTION’ DO WE NEED BUT THE DEVOTIONS OF ANCIENT HERMITS AND MODERN PILGRIMS?

Some are very small and most are sanctified by having actual 'island' hermits and sanctuaries. Some have causeways as an energy link with mainland. This is very significant to our 'image making' of a whole 'wheel of life' as a dynamic, reconfiguration of Natural Wisdom.

OUR OWN ACTIVE IMAGINATION HAS A ROLE – WHAT DO OUR ‘GOOD BOUNDARIES’ LOOK LIKE AS WE ADOPT THE ROLE OF GUARDIANS OF LANDSCAPES?

We are ‘active dreamers’ and are beginning to realise our role as initiators and creators of sacred space, of grail space. The archetype of ‘guardian’ applies to our love for our planet, and how we re-form our cultures to respect the wholeness of our own Nature as well.

The ‘Tinners Rabbits’, Dartmoor - found in nine places in the moor, a symbol of harmony and infinity.;

https://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/2016/03/24/three_hares/

(Megalithic triskelion at New Grange, - ‘The Triple Goddess’ has ancient origins)

The one and the many is the symbol: it is linked this way, through the creation of symbolic sacred shapes and geometry, engaging with the ‘subtle dimension of the spirit of the land. It has already been activated by hermits, saints, priests, healers etc down the ages. The discovery and envisaging of the Belinus Line, Michael and Mary Line, Fosseway, Bran's Head route (connecting Ireland), is a creative and collective spiritual work of imaginative magic - as dowsers and modern earth-hermits are detecting and defining day by day. These all connect vitally with sanctuaries and terrestrial star maps along the way.

We are builders/sculptors of the planet's light body, co-creators of ‘ideal’ beauty in real time. As we 'envisage' our wheel of life, actually grounded by the mainland and its islands, so it can come alive, become actively engaging between local landscapes and their inherent 'archetypal energy' i.e. the constellations which the symbolic zodiac representsthree_hares/

Co-editors: Rose Williams, Charlotte Yonge and Angela Shaw, June 2024

Details

Date:
22/06/2024
Event Category: