Full Moon Meditation – Taurus / Scorpio

FULL MOON TAURUS
8 th May 2023
12 noon

The setting of the well and ancient spring, regularly attended. [submitted by TimPrevett].
https://www.megalithic.co.uk

‘Our Lady's Well, Fernyhalgh (means ancient spring)'  [submitted by TimPrevett]: Viewing the well from inside the adjacent chapel reflecting candle, well loved and source of devotion..

What purpose do holy wells serve within a landscape? Do the ancient priests work with the water energy as a conductor and ‘energy source’ for human development? Certainly with the generations of prayers and purification rites there would have been a ‘flow’ of natural energy. Can we learn from this?

LEO in the Bolton area of the Lamanche Zodiac (researched by Kathryn Preston) also brings the feminine quality into the landscape:

Ladywell: ‘The devotion at Ladyewell is ecumenical, attracting members of other Faiths. The Anglican community come all year round and usually hold a large pilgrimage at the beginning of June (Forward in Faith and the Society of Mary). Members of the Orthodox churches also visit and hold their services. The Kerala Indians living in this part of Lancashire hold a service each month in their own vernacular. They have a great devotion to Our Blessed Lady and never a day goes by without members of this Catholic Indian community visiting. They pray often for the blessing of children and come back to give thanks usually on the way home from the maternity ward. Traveling families also visit Ladyewell, its proximity to the motorway enables them to call frequently en route often from Ireland, their names and faces are very familiar to us.’ https://ladyewellshrine.co.uk

The story:
‘There was a chapel on this site way back in 1348, and the spring itself is obviously a pre-Christian one with its dedication to Our Lady – St Mary the Virgin. According to the legend, in about 1471 a merchant sailing across the Irish sea was caught in a terrible storm; afraid that he was going to drown he prayed to the Virgin Mary and vowed that if his life was saved he would undertake some work of devotion to her. Soon the storm cleared and he found himself washed-up but safe on the Lancashire coast but he himself had no idea where he was. At that moment a heavenly voice spoke to him and told him to find a place called Fernyhalgh and there build a chapel at a spot where a crab-apple tree grew – the fruit of which had no cores, and where a spring would be found. He began to search around for this sacred place but no matter how much he tried he could not find the place.’ https://www.thenorthernantiquarian.org/2011/04/09/our-ladys-well-fernyhalgh

THEME FOR MEDITATION

‘The Builder - Gathering and building a ‘dream team’ to support collaborative visioning’ - how can we build our own ‘round table’ dream team, focusing on where we live? The myths seem to be rooted in culture by the stone circles which aligned with the constellation of stars above. These provide us with a ‘cauldron’ of energy with which to recreate our lives.

TERRESTRIAL ZODIACS - built by ancient mystics and used for millennia as a ’’round table’ from the earliest of times, became a myth of 24 knights representing the 12 pairs of male/female qualities. The duality of the opposites sat within larger alchemical sacred geometry following the Milky Way path through the heavens. Peter Dawkins saw an axis line following the cusps of signs at either end. The axis line links the two cross-over points of the sun’s ecliptic with the cusping constellations at either end of the Milky Way.

The great cauldron of the heavens: two depictions of the Milky Way axis by Peter Dawkins: The Alpha and Omega line becomes a bow from which the ‘arrow of desire’ and spiritual purpose and vision (of a new Great Age is fired into manifestation.

As we understand the significance of our times, and where we are individually in the landscape, all signs point to our ‘present moment’ in time and space, grounding the ‘great age’ of Aquarus. It is our ‘finest hour’ at this moment.

The point on the cusp of Taurus and Geminis has profound significance for ‘The New Great Age’, as Peter Dawkins points out: https://www.zoence.co.uk/time-cycles/great-ages/

‘The actual starting point of a Great Age is when the midsummer sun is on the cusp of Gemini-Taurus (the ‘AA’ or Alpha-Omega Point) and the midwinter sun is on the cusp of Sagittarius-Scorpio—a situation that is occurring right now in human history. The half-way point of a Great Year is when the solstice sun is in the opposite position—i.e. the midsummer sun is on the cusp of Sagittarius-Scorpio and the midwinter sun is on the cusp of Gemini-Taurus.’

In the Taurus/Gemini cusp, the Macclesfield Zodiac (Taurus) and the Lamanche Zodiac (Gemini) providing the culmination point of what Peter Dawkins calls the AA line along the pattern of the Milky Way, [https://www.zoence.co.uk/zodiac/british-landscape-zodiac/].

‘In the British Zodiac, Lichfield seems to be the closest marker of the star Arcas. Lichfield has an important ‘head’ story connected with its saint and founder, St Chad—the head being associated with Brân in British tradition and the Holy Grail in the Grail tradition. Lichfield replaced the Celtic and Roman centre of Wall on Watling Street (Brân’s Way), being built c. 700 AD one mile due north of Wall. Lichfield quickly became a prime religious centre and contains one of the most beautiful cathedrals in England.

A few miles west of Lichfield is Shugborough Hall. There, in the gardens of Shugborough, is an 18th century wall sculpture or relief of the ‘Shepherds in Arcadia’, echoing a ‘Shepherds in Arcadia’ picture painted by Poussin in the 17th century. Both painting and sculpture bear the enigmatic “Et in Arcadia ego” inscription. At first glance the relief looks as if it is a mirror image of Poussin’s painting; but, when looked at more closely, a large number of differences between it and the painting can be seen. Besides all the underlying sacred geometry and symbolic meanings, the relief appears to cryptically identify the cusp of Gemini-Taurus and the start of the new Great Age. Being so near Lichfield, the subject of the relief is highly appropriate.’

LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichfield_Cathedral#/media/File:Lichfield-Cathedral-June2020.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichfield_Cathedral
The three spires are often referred to as the "Ladies of the Vale’.

ORNAMENTAL GARDENS - Inheritors of King Bran’s ‘magic cauldron’ of rebirth, were the builders of the gardens, did they intend them be experienced as a ‘cauldron’ of inspirational energy, focused on paradise on earth, recreating a heavenly spiritual vision. Thus art can trigger the human, on-going rebirth of the self-light.

SHEPHERDS’ MONUMENT, SHUGBOROUGH HALL ‘Et Arcadia Ego’.(‘even in Paradise, I too [Death] am here’ } built by Thomas Anson.

After Nicholas Poussin’s ‘Shepherds of Arcadia’, which is said to hold significant esoteric meaning, and sacred geography as a code within ancient wisdom. The ‘death’ referred to is transformation of the personality which is encoded in the myth of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/shropshire-staffordshire/shugborough-estate/history-of-shugborough-estate

The fountain on Shugborough Estate

Water was encapsulated within the fountain ornamental sculpture, so that the energy and the vision synthesize with an onlooker’s relaxed gaze. Did it generate a state of wonder and imagination and with it a radiant light of the heart - the observer’s inner caudron of ‘mixed feelings’, and a true sense of beauty?

A state of childlike wonder inspired by the fountain and symbolic sculpture.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/

The ‘MAGIC CAULDRON’:

The alchemical interpretation of the Round Table or zodiac, is that it represents a cauldron in which dualities and conflicts are resolved. In Simon Andrew Stirling’s book ‘The King Arthur Conspiracy’, the stories of the Irish King Arthur, who began to be fostered in Dyfed, and who fought the Angles chasing them up to the North, includes a story of the king looking after the Head of Bran the Blesssed.

Bran’s ‘magical cauldron of rebirth’ which could resolve all issues. ‘Bran presented the Irish king with a marvellous cauldron ‘the property of which is that if one of thy men be lain today, and be cae therein, tomorrow he will be a well as ever’ …(p204). These stories could very well be about the round tables or zodiac landscapes which formed underlying meaning for life and death… or spiritual transformation.

CANNOCK CHASE - NUN’S WELL - ‘Nun’s Well is a spring rising in a chamber cut from rock with a sixteenth century Tudor style brickwork arch. Legend has it that the well has healing powers, specifically for sore eyes, and takes its name from a nun who was murdered there. Centuries after she was pushed to her death, two farm labourers discovered her earthly remains in the sealed up well and her ghost materialised before them.’ https://lichfieldlore.co.uk/category/cannock-chase/

LAMANCHE ZODIAC -

[‘As Above so Below’ By KATHERYN PRESTON]

‘The Lamanche Zodiac is marked out along a long ley-line and stretches from just north of Preston, Lancashire to near Congleton, Cheshire, passing through Greater Manchester on the way. The name is derived from the three counties through which it passes, its breakdown is thus:– LA – Lancashire: MAN – Greater Manchester; CHE – Cheshire.’

The builders looked down from quite a way up:

‘The first point of Aries entered in approx. 2733 bc. As the Lamanche .zodiac starts with Aries at its northern end, this suggests it may have been built any time between 2733 and 68 bce. This is prior to the Roman Occupation of Britain.

… the figures in the Lamanche Zodiac and the other Terrestrial Zodiacs, are really only visible from above. Mankind didn’t have the ability to leave the ground until 1783 when the Mongolfier Brothers achieved the first balloon flight. This suggests that these figures and others throughout the world were built by someone with flying machines.

‘TAURUS, the 2nd sign, is rather distorted due to it being sited over Preston and Fulwood. It is shown as a charging bull. Aldebaran, the brightest star of Taurus, is marked by a church in {PR3} Wellington road, Preston. The head is marked by the A582 road, and a path following the rivers Ribble and Darwen. One horn is made up of the A5083 and a footpath through Cuerden while the other follows the Preston–Brindle road, a footpath through Bamber Bridge and a part of the A6. There are several public houses in the area called either the ‘Black Bull’ or the ‘White Bull’, (both of which are said to be the classical representation of Taurus), as well as ‘Black Bull Lane’ which marks the front right leg of the bull. A town 5 miles from Preston called Leyland (note the reference to leys) has an area called ‘Seven Stars’ and the churches in Leyland are in the same relative positions as the brighter stars of the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. This star group is one of the most beautiful sights in the sky and falls within the sign of Taurus. ‘

The sign of Aquarius in the Lamanche Zodiac includes Macclesfield which itself has been designated a zodiac, researched by pilgrim Dierdre King in the 1990’s. Opposite Leo, there is a special Arthurian twist, with the ancient well-spring feeding tales of wonder.

The mythology of King Arthur and the Knights of the round table, seems to be pertinent at the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. The Aquarian ‘air’ element relates to clear visionary thinking. It also relates to creating unity in diversity, so that we see collaborative groups coming together in local areas, to work out a plan of action in relation to the landscape.

BOLTON in the sign of LEO

The ‘Lady Well’ can be seen as a remnant of the architect’s of the zodiac, for whom water was sacred, and contained many potencies‘ for purification and transformation of consciousness.

Kathryn Preston says: ‘The area around Bolton has been populated since neolithic times with several important ancient monuments on the moors and a number of tumuli found at various locations as the town expanded. There are also a good number of finds from prehistory including arrowheads of various age and stone tools from the oldest crude rock implements to fine polished tools of the later stone age.

Its complementary sign opposite is Aquarius. The two together form a quest: how can we be Aquarian leaders? And we might find an answer in the round table of knights, high initiates in their skillful control of earthly matters.

ALDERLEY EDGE in the sign of Aquarius

‘Aquarius in this landscape is represented by a hare and a bird. These relate to Merlin and Arthur, who are related to Alderley Edge… and perhaps the story of Guin being chased by Ceridwen, turning into a hare, fish and falcon. As a seed of corn he is pecked by Ceridwen who turned herself into a fowl, and eaten only to be reborn to as Taliesin with the gift of prophecy.’

Alderley Edge, Said to be in the Milky Way of the Macclesfield Zodiac.[by Andrew Galloway, www.gormgoram.co.uk]

[IMAGE by Andrew Galloway, www.goromgorom.co.uk]

The Wizard’s Well is associated with Merlin and the Arthurian mystery hidden within the landscape, which tells us that Aquarius opposite Leo is a kingly quest for wise leadership that acknowledges unity in diversity. The symbolism of the well calls for an interpretation of Bran’s ‘magic cauldron of rebirth’ and the hole power of pure water.

SYNCHRONICITY was in our favour, when the Gatekeeper Trust held a Pilgrims Weekend at Alderley Edge in 2022, see the reports on our website:

Mike Newton
https://gatekeeper.org.uk/2022/11/alderley-edge-pilgrims-day-part-2/

Gary Biltcliffe and Caroline Hoare:
https://gatekeeper.org.uk/2022/11/alderley-edge-pilgrims-day-part-1/

Does the ‘imaginal world’ of terrestrial landscapes hold an energetic archetype which draws us into engagement across the landscape?

It certainly feels true, as both Kathryn Preston, Anthony Thorley and Kathrine Maltwood have reported that the sign of Leo was the first to be discovered in different landscapes. In the Dartmoor zodiac the Marden Stone Circle was the first location where our local group danced around the stones, and later started researching the larger landscape to find further synchronistic confirmations. For instance Sheepstor is derived from the word ‘Scytel’ which means bolt, shuttle or arrow. It fits at Sagittarius within a circle of signs fitting in with Leo’s Marden circle.

In the British Zodiac, Taurus links to Gemini in which we find the Bullstones stone circle, within the area of Gemini, not far from Macclesfield and Alderley Edge. The circle aligns with a far hill top through a pool, which some call a ‘scrying pond’ as it reflects the horizon and creates a link with a sacred site. The axis of a line starting on the cusp between the two signs ends in the Sagittarius/Scorpio cusp , which is found in London.

At the other end of the ‘Axis’ line, in London a pilgrimage crossing the other end between Scorpio and Sagittarius, links to the importance of stories of magic and sovereignty. There, including Kingston and its Sagittarius Zodiac, Jeremy Rye is holding his ‘Sovereign Soul Pilgrimage along the greater London chakric landscape: Windsor to Westminster: 2-5th May 2023.

‘The Sovereign Soul Pilgrimage holds the source of sovereignty for the land of this nation. I have been walking this route, from Windsor to the City of Westminster, for a number of years, working with the land and the river to understand its significance. Traveling along the River of Thames, as monarchs and the court have done, albeit by water, for centuries holding the best expression of this land's sovereign soul.’

Its seems very appropriate at this time of King Charles III coronation that we visit the AA line of Britain, linking with ancient kings and their travels.

Leaflet of one of the earliest pilgrimages lead by Peter and Sarah Dawkins: The larger chakras (tentative) landscape of London: Dorchester on Thames/Goring Gap (Root); Maidenhead (Sacral); Windsor (Solar Plexus), Kingston (Heart), Westminster (Crown?).

The Kingston Zodiac in the sign of Sagittarius on the other end of the AA axis line following ancient Celtic roads, was one of the first areas that Gatekeeper investigated and lead a ‘processional pilgrimage’ to St Anne’s Well. St Anne was the mother of Mary, and is connected to the ‘guardian’ of a sacred site.

St Anne’s Well, in the ‘guardian Black Dog’ of Kingston Zodiac.
https://www.kingstonzodiac.co.uk/kingston-zodiac-walks/guardian-dog-kingston-zodiac-walk/
The Guardian of the Underworld, Annis is said to be related to Anu of Celtic mythology or Annis. who ‘ was the personification of the Great Goddess in crone form’ (Wili). The entriy to the Cauldron of Rebirth (a landscape zodiac) would entail test of the subconscious realm.

The well water would have been collected by pilgrims to the centre shrine. In the Glastonbury Zodiac (Aquarius) , the guardian is called in tradition ‘The Girt Dog of Langport’. Near the Westbury White Horse, near the Capricorn Zodiac, there exists ‘The Black Dog Woods’ between Frome and Westbury. The zodiac signs wrap around all the twists and turns of the River Thames.

KINGS CORONATION STONE IN KINGSTON

The stone is set on granite base upon which are inscribed in lead letters the names of the Kings traditionally crowned upon it. Surrounded by railings and balustrade, probably mid 19th century: seven stone piers with conical scalloped hoods and cubic capitals joined by cast iron railings in the form of intersecting round headed arches, with cubic capitals below, resting upon circles".

‘Where England Began’
https://www.allsaintskingston.co.uk/heritage/where-england-began

The Kings Stone in the Centre of Kingston include: Edward the Elder (900), Athelstan (925), Edmund (940), Edred (946), Edwy (955), and Edward the Martyr (971). https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-kingston-upon-thames/ .

Maybe they would have addressed the mytho-drama on St Anne’s Hill before being lead to the coronation event at this stone, which used to be in the graveyard of All Saints Church ‘Where England Began’.

A timber framed building still celebrates the Saxon Kings:

https://www.geraintdavies.co.uk/my-favourite-architecture-in-kingston/
The Kings’ Coronation Stone in the centre of Kingston. Saxon kings include:
‘In 838 King Egbert of Wessex called a church council there. Furthermore, several Saxon kings were crowned in Kingston, including Edward the Elder (900), Athelstan (925), Edmund (940), Edred (946), Edwy (955), and Edward the Martyr (971).’ … signifying where sovereign England began. https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-kingston-upon-thames/

The local pilgrim group lead by Jo Ward has regular events round the Kingston Zodiac. https://www.meetup.com/Sacred-Walks-Kingston-Zodiac-Adventure.

More about the discoverers of Kingston and Glastonbury zodiacs, Kathriine Maltwood and Mary Cain (our first local group was lead by her with Richard Douglas, Maggi and Keith Fielder: https://stmargarets.london/archives/2011/09/the_kingston_zodiac.html

At Hampton Court in the early 1990’s we began our Britain and France ‘European Grail Pilgrimages’, at Kingston the heart of the greater London chakras temple. Here we also discovered Hampton Court and surmised that it represented the 13th sign of Auriga. In this sign 12 star cnstellations may have been honoured with pilgrimage to ‘turn the wheel’ of the larger zodiac. [in discussion with Anthony Thorley who discovered the Northumbrian Zodiac in the 1990’s - CY]. Thus on the Cusp of Taurus and ’the 13th sign in respect of the midsummer sun’- See Peter Dawkins who write on the two 13th sign, the other representing ‘Ophiucus’ at Royston https://www.fbrt.org.uk in the British Zodiac, balancing Auriga.

The Kingston Zodiac by Mary Caine. The Black Dog Guarding is to the left.

As Sovereigns of the land ourselves how may we celebrate together as builders of the ‘sacred cauldron of rebirth’, the transformational journey of our ancestors, and turn the Wheel of Life?

One way is to build our cauldron at the Samhain period of November, as at this time of year we celebrate the fruits of our visionary journey through life. Gatekeeper has been promoting these transformational journeys for 40 years, so all the more to celebrate. Here’s how we can build our ‘cauldron’ of enlightenment:

• Light a fire, or light candles, and build a mandala of autumn fruits, interspersed with bowls of spring water containing essences we make from soaking flowers and seeds within it.

• As ‘artists of the invisible, we might perhaps love to make a representation of their vision of the future, to offer it up to their ‘cauldron’ and join many members of Gatekeeper on the same day, and ‘stir the pond’. I feel sure this helps the energies circulate throughout the British Isles. Through our landscape, we can generate an angel of enlightenment, which then spreads its wings into the Irish and Scottish landscape zodiacs, which down time may have been frequented by High Kings like Bran and Arthur.

• Story time: The telling of stories such as the sacred cauldron of enlightenment are wellsprings of our spiritual history, and we can revive these around our fires as the days shorten. They are intimately connected to the trials of the heroic self responding to the incarnational tests of the spirit.

The Wheel of Life mandala (C Yonge, 2018) - a cauldron of inspiration.

Editors: Rose Williams and Charlotte Yonge, 2023.