Glastonbury Imbolc Celebration + the secret Glastonbury Town

Try going down the side streets especially of the old part off the high street Creativity abounds. Scroll down for more

A political position clearly enunciated

If I’m to be any use to anyone, I must be true to myself and this includes mentioning political metals as they come up,  and the effect they have had on me as I sit in my small office here in Somerset.

Tucker Carlson was removed from his position with mainstream Media because he made too many people to uncomfortable and he is now, praise the Lord, on his own and speaking the truth. I found this 26 minute interview completely gripping because this is a mixture of fact, reality, observation, a tactful approach and it completely sums up the world situation of which we are all a part whether we like it or not.

Scroll down if you are not interested but if you listen you will find a measured approach which we could apply to ourselves irrespective of the subject matter. Well this type of topic, we have a choice. We either wake up, or we are woken up.

Welcome to the house of Gadgets

Anyway before I go on to the main topic which is Glastonbury, welcome to the house of gadgets and my latest is a carbon dioxide detector. As I write, it reads 975 parts per million which is .095% but later on 18.00h it has reverted to the reading (PPM) that you see. William Happen who is a well known authority says that during a talk he was giving the level on the meter he had with him was 1800 parts per million. We actually need MORE CO2. Much less and plants will not grow. NO CO2, no life. The ideal level of CO2 is between 1000  and 2000 PPM

Trip to Glastonbury, Rural History Museum

Imbolc is a celebration of the half way point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.  There is a good explanation from the Biodynamic Agriculture Association of Ireland here.

We arrived about 10:45 am and started at the museum of rural life which does not look much from the street. Is the big thighs Barn in front of you which has been converted into an exhibition space but the museum itself has a charm of its own and we subscribe to it for the princely sum of £6.95 which entitles us to have unlimited visits. Visiting such places causes me acute episodes of nostalgia for when things were different pre-technology

A 19th century larder

Going to the toilet en famille? Did three people use this at the same time? The mind boggles

a cast iron horse with the tithe barn in the background.

An art exhibition from a local artist within the museum

the farmers and workers of the future?

Chalice Well, Imbolc

General – Glastonbury in general, and Chalice Well in particular, is one of the main reasons why I am so happy to be living in Somerset, the place where so much happens not so much on the surface but commemorations of tradition and community. You could almost say that Glastonbury town is a continuous Glastonbury Festival of course it is smaller and less spectacular, there is plenty to entertain you. Parallel to but close to the city centre is Chalice Well wherein reside the springs which are reputed to be holy and have a healing ability. Something in the water maybe.

Inbolc is a festival celebrated midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, and is described as the first murmur of spring. When we arrived at about 11:30 there was already a large and noisy crowd including a lot of children who are having a wonderful time jumping around almost encouraged by their very aware new age parents. They were mostly mothers with children with the occasional father who was presumably either unemployed or off work for the day. The women always make an effort to turn out well and dressing colorful rainbow type of clothes, garments that reflect the season so we had plenty of greens and browns.

This time I found the atmosphere particularly supportive and found a time of meditation together, during an event that happens every time at midday, particularly powerful and I am feeling the effects as I write.

I had my usual madcap conversations with complete strangers and complemented one woman on her awareness of her body and saying how we should all treat our body better. Francoise met someone called Yana who as it turned out was a born networker who lived in the area. She put us in contact with someone who does Bowen Therapy who lives nearby in Radstock. This was an unexpected bonus which made the visit particularly worthwhile.

This is the White Spring, only open occasionally, which consists of a dark rectangular cave-like with the sound of rushing water. The floor is covered with streams of water. There is a large bath where people dip for sacramental reasons in order to purify themselves. The whole is lit by many candles, about 200, so it does take a long time to set up.

It is one of the greatest mysteries of the Isle of Avalon that two different healing springs, one touched red with iron, the other white with calcite, should rise within a few feet of each other from the caverns beneath Glastonbury Tor. Both have healing in their flow.

In honour of the Spirit of the White Spring, a Temple has been created here in gratitude for the gift of pure water. A Victorian built Well House that nestles beneath Glastonbury Tor was ideal for this purpose, a blessing indeed. Cavernous and set apart, in blackness or candle lit, mysterious it remains. A wonderful contrast to the sunlit gardens of Chalice Well of the White Spring. The interior consists of three domed vaults 16ft high, with beautiful bowed floors – like the hull of a boat moored at the portal to the Other world. With it’s constant temperature, and the sound of the perpetually flowing water, it is a unique and sacred space. Read more here.

The Midday Celebration

I reckon they were about 150 people were gathered around the well that you can scarcely see because there is so much vegetation but if you look clearly you can see figures gathered around as if they were in the trees.

The meditation is brief and consisted of about 10 minutes talk divided into four section so each person had a few sentences. There is then a 10 minute silent meditation after which people are thanked for their attendance and then everyone is on their way

This is part of the transcript to give you some idea what was said and the spirit in which it was said which I hope comes across.

…Finding that crispy, crystalline light of the sun, and in such a time of connecting with things, in the place of Avalon which is always in our hearts and really embracing the nature of joyfulness which we feel today. Such a joyful day, and also the vibration of the feeling of love because that is what we are all working on together to expand and to send out into the world.

Inbolc falls at the time of Aquarius, the water bearer, who holds the waters off the world together, and pause them onto the land. The sacred water that is poured gives life inspiration and hope and begins to awaken the earth beneath our feet. Such a time can bring inspiration, birth, deaths and rebirth and welcomes a new way of being….

This can lead to a birth of a new age. This change can be chaotic and sometimes uncomfortable so the heavens have given us the energy of being and love, to give energy to the whole, helping to dissipate and transmute negative energies. Let us take a moment to offer our shining hearts to the world in service to the earth. May love lead the way.

As we detect the changing shifts in energy we can  notice certain changes within ourselves. We would like to share a quote from the founder Henry Tudor Pole. Something he wrote in 1968 for the annual Companions Day.

When you listen to them don’t just listen with your ears and your brain but perhaps silently reenact what you hear in your heart. I ask you to drink in the beauty and the significance of your presence around spring in this environment; the garden, the orchards, the upper room, all lying within the aura of this resting place.

Will you join me in sending our loving and grateful thoughts to the unseen triad who dwell here and whose selfless services are more precious than rubies could ever be. I refer to the Guardian of the spring, the watcher of the well. They form a unique and conscious link between us and friends and countless helpers in the realm beyond human awareness.

Let us divert our minds today from the chaos and turmoil in the outer world to renew serenity of heart and soul and then from the citadel of inner peace. We pray together with all the compassion at our command that these agonist be transformed into an era of tranquility and understanding between all nations and all people.

It is customary to walk bare feet through the stream at this point. I find this very good for grounding energies and balancing myself

This is the upper field, the south facing area where people can sit on their own as they choose or chat with friends after the ceremony. The ceremony is very powerful and people like to sit and take in what has happened.

If you are going to have a wheelchair, do it in style. I feel that the owner of this wheelchair is a person of character and should be approached with caution.

anyone can talk to anyone and know they are speaking the same language

a participant sunning himself

This is the lower recreation area where people can buy cakes and coffee and pizza. They were doing a roaring trade this morning. Is the camp fire which is always lit on these occasions summer and winter and where people sit around and talk

There were one or two pilgrimages going on to other places but we felt that we have had enough so off we went on our usual route which never varies. Turn right, head to the main Street, down the street, and to the health food shop on the right-hand side where we inevitably buy some bread or other food which is of high quality here. They would not dare to do anything else. Quality you cannot get elsewhere.

We then go down to Burns the Bread at the bottom left of the High Street and I always buy the same combination, a sausage roll, a rhubarb Muffin and a cup of latte whereupon we go around the corner and consume them by the back entrance to the town hall. In a way I love innovation but I am also a creature of habit.

We shall now show you round the town. There is always something different.

I love the number plate. It should guarantee a good night’s sleep.

Community fridges are something I really like but they do need maintenance and volunteer who is willing to go around the supermarkets and collect near end of date food.

Seen in one of the many charity shops

In case you cannot quite read this, it says “the etymology of the word govern-ment is from the Latin Cubenare – to control and from the Latin ment from mentis which means mind. Government is mind control”