Renewal

My recent hospital visit has meant that I have been unable to get out and about as much as I would have liked to. Full intentions of photographing the exposed sunken forests at Borth have been quashed, but its only a blip. After spending 8 weeks in confinement I'm chomping at the bit to enjoy the Land once more. This year I plan to travel further afield in Wales to dare to go to the unknown. Those places that I have read and dreamed about will mean that I aim to explore mountains, visit standing stone circles, magical woodlands sacred streams, pools and beaches.
It's time for me to draw up a healing list of places that will nourish and renew. My OBOD course is on temporary hold for the time being because I feel the Earth calling from beneath my feet .
And I will answer Her

Honouring Sulis

Yesterday, I travelled down to Bath to meet up with my daughter. It was great catching up with her, I realised how she has matured into a fine, well developed young woman in such a short space of time. It doesn't seem so long ago that I was changing her nappies and watching her first steps. That time has now passed and yesterday we all spent the day together as sightseers around the ancient city.

I've always wanted to visit the ancient Roman baths there, which were dedicated to the celtic goddess, Sulis and later became Romanised into the goddess, Minerva. I'd heard so many accounts about it that I was determined to go. It's a great place to visit as there seems to be something there for everyone. Very little is known about Sulis, but I felt that I truly experienced Her presence whilst walking around the ancient baths and the warm waters of the bubbling spring, Her Source. I left an offering in the cold pool and later drank the warm, chalky healing waters at the pump house. It was wonderful to think that I had been walking the same steps as the pilgrims of old, leaving offerings and taking the waters. I bought a little golden owl and a small effigy of Minerva to hang on the Yule tree.

But first my thoughts turn to Samhain on Sunday. I've yet to prepare my altar for my ritual so later I will be carving the pumpkin and dressing the table ready. Weather permitting I will be outside around the bonfire at some point so I have all that to consider too. Warm soup will be on the menu along with mulled wine. Hopefully I will have a blessed and peaceful Samhain.

Walking at Lughnasadh

With the weather being as it is, dull, grey and cloudy etc, it was difficult to know how to mark Lughnasadh. No, it didn't seem right to go for a high magic, big ceremonial approach . It just didn't seem right. This year a simpler, quieter and more gentle approach was required. Three of us returned to Cantre'r Gwaelod.

Instead of driving to the beach where the submerged forest can be seen at a very low spring tide, we decided instead to take the inland public footpath. Now when I say public, this footpath has been fought over as a public right of way. In the past landowners have tried to keep the path out of reach from the walkers, ramblers and tourists that walk along the coast and to this special place with a hidden beach. The path has been overgrown to jungle proportions and the occasional ferocious sheepdog let out to challenge and thwart the hardiest walker. These days things are different. 1-0 to the ramblers! The way is now clear after much campaigning and hard work.

After a pleasant if not muddy trudge to Wallog beach we were pleasantly rewarded with an almost deserted beach. Windswept and beautiful, the glacial morainne visible and forming the legendary road to Cantre'r Gwaelod-Sarn Cynfelin. No need for a ritual, it seemed right to walk along the length of the beach in quiet contemplation with only our thoughts and the swooping gulls for company. Well, not quite, we were rewarded with a gift. Just above the gulls nest a pair of peregrine falcons hovered on the wind. It was quite remarkable. I felt part of the landscape, it was like coming home.

This beach holds many cherished childhood memories for me. Its isolation and sacred landscape unspoilt by man and civilisation. A place to simply just be, and this seemed fitting at Lughnasadh.