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Archive for the ‘Dragons’ Category

Yet another dragon……….

Posted in Dragons, Earth Healing, Spiritual Growth, Uncategorized, Women, tagged , , , , on December 13, 2017| Leave a Comment »

It has been a long while since I blogged as a lot has gone on, with deep shifts of energy and identification of patterns that have taken a while to surface and understand.

I have never been an ‘Earth Mother’ type as I am blessed with an independent, rebellious streak. Nevertheless, from time to time I have taken younger women under my wing to support them through times of transition and transformation, with eventual success.

This was until a year ago.

There came a time, at the point of transformation, the person chose to stay as they were. After they had put so much effort into working on themselves this came as a shock to me and caused me a lot of soul-searching, re-assessment and self-examination.

Had I failed?

Eventually the realisation came that it had been my job to create the opportunity for them to change and whether they did or not was nothing to do with me. I had done my job and kept my side of any karmic bargain.

It was compounded by other issues dear to my heart. The liminal beings of the Land were involved as were the energy flows within the Land.

I was guided by the energies of the Land, to help them make some delicate adjustments to how energy flowed in several places. This I did with a few trusted friends, but I was still emotionally troubled. I always support people in their freedom to make their own choices, but never had I come across someone wanting to stop growing.

Then I realised I had that same choice when I was in my early 30s. Stay where I was, conform, be safe or choose to break out of the apparently cosy place that my life had become. To me that was no choice, being the rebel so I chose to break free. The cost was considerable at the time, but I would do the same again. However, I can really appreciate that this would not be for everyone.

Events last year forced me to step back and let go…and then let go some more.

This I did and got stuck back into my work with the Land. I got to know this area where I now live, quite intimately, in a geographical sense, over a period of three months. Gradually this brought a deeper connection within myself too.

In meditation one evening, a new dragon companion presented itself. it seemed I had passed some sort of test……. but a skeleton dragon! WTF!!!
I had to let go of any preconceived thoughts about how it flies and just chuckle at the absurdity of the whole thing. Terry Pratchett would have had a field-day.

skeldrag

It was also made clear to me as a local cauldron-holder, that I needed to hold energies at every level…….for the Land, its liminal occupants, but also for the human occupants.

I had done a few things to try to help gather the disparate human energies of the valley in the last three years. Recently, an opportunity presented itself to do some very practical, mundane work for the local community. I threw ‘my hat into the ring’ without any idea if I was the type of person with skills that was being looked for. I told myself I was too old, for a start. Well, upshot was I found myself ‘walking my talk’, and doing a ‘real job’ for the first time in thirty years.

Of course, it is the ultimate “bringing spiritual practice into the material world” – so what more could I ask?

ogyenmenlasmall.jpg

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Full Moon musings

Posted in Astrology, Blue Moon, Current Events, Dragons, Earth Healing, Full Moon, Spiritual Growth, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on May 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

During a ritual many, many moons ago I was invited by the Gentle Folk to hold a cauldron. This cauldron held the area that they lived in, keeping it the animals and the humans living there safe.

That imagery has followed me since then, occasionally coming to mind when working with the energies of the Land.

The last few weeks saw a return visit to Carn Menyn, one of the outcrops on the Mynydd Preseli and a reinforcement of my connections with that magical place. In my dreams following that visit I watched the dragons dancing in the night skies above Wales.

carnmenyn

I was also made aware of the energy line connection between the stone at Callanish (Callanais) on the Isle of Lewis and the area of Wales that I now live in. This energy line runs parallel to the ‘Spine of Albion’ mentioned in the book of that name by Gary Biltcliffe and Caroline Hoare.

This line cuts through:

West of Lyme Regis
Taunton
Barry
West of Brecon
Anglesey
Isle of Man
West of Stranraer
Arran
Mull
Skye
Callanais (Lewis)

……. all places I have visited.

I have yet to discover more information about this energy line.

Uklines

Whilst being shown this line I was also reminded about the cauldron. The space that holds energy. The space that keeps energy safe.  The space in which new things can be gestated and born. The space where opposites blend to create union.

Looking at maps, the place I now live is due north of where we used to live in Devon. In Devon we were near the Michael line and on the big lunation triangle of Stonehenge. That was indeed a powerful have to hold a cauldron, but what of here?

If I think of the Vedic and Tibetan imagery of the spine and the energies alongside the spine, then the line I now live on could be one of those?

Then the penny drops………. If that was the case, then there would be another line to the east of and equidistant from the Spine of Albion.

Wow, I have lived on that line too…………………………..

Experience of disparate/opposite energies to balance………………………

As I reach out in meditation I perceive that the cauldron here is bigger, possibly as there are less people living in this part of Britain, certainly this is one of the least populated areas of Wales. The energies of the Unseen are stronger here and there are more of them. The Land is old, but still geologically active.

I am reminded of visits to the stones at Callanais, how the complex patterns are still not completely understood. Research has only scratched the surface of what our ancestors created there, let alone to really understand why they created the many stone circles. As an astrologer I was fascinated and had thought of each circle being linked to a visible planet, so the whole area being one huge astrological and astronomical calendar. Without living there and watching the passage of the planets from the site, that cannot be proved. It is thought that the circles were constructed at a time when crops could easily be grown that far north. Climate change? Is climate change cyclical too? The climate change we are seeing now, has it happened before? Was that when Callanais was created?

callanais

What opposites need to be in the cauldron now? What needs to be brought to balance now?

At a time when British Society has become very polarised, politics have gone crazy and grounded, humanitarian logic seems to have disappeared from our so-called leaders……….. what is being created in the greater scheme of things? Who or what is holding that cauldron?

 

Mmmm…………………………

 

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New Moon/Solar Eclipse, October 2014

Posted in Astrology, Dark Goddess, Dragons, Spiritual Growth, tagged , , , , , , on October 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

It has been a while since I left a blog here, but I often say to my clients and students…’life happens’!

So it did for Simon and I. Earlier this year everything turned on its head in the space of a few days. It was the start of an emotional rollercoaster that began with the full Moon on Valentine’s Day and followed the New and Full Moons thereafter until the New Moon on the 26th July when we completed the purchase of our first house. By the Full Moon on the 10th August we had fully moved in – us, the cats and the trees!

We now find ourselves living in the Land of the Red Dragon – Wales – exactly 2 degrees of latitude due north of where we lived in Devon and 170 miles away, by road.

The translation into English of our new address is – ‘The sacred house of Saint David, on the ridge by the wood near the Church of St Cadmarch’. We look out to the Hills of the Wild Horses to the south and the Welsh Mountains to the north. Beautiful!

Mostly settled in my new home, I am now turning my attention once more to the unseen energies of the Land.

Looking at the energies of the forthcoming New Moon and eclipse it is interesting to note that Mars hugs its biennial spot on the galactic centre (27-28 degrees Sagittarius). Hopefully this will bring wider understanding and a practical approach to the difficulties in the world at this time. This is an opportunity when a new balance could be found if people, both individually and collectively could act less selfishly.
There is still plenty to be uncovered/discovered and the truths that emerge eat away at the constructed beliefs that all are fed and many still do not question. The knack is to habitually look beyond what is obvious, to try to understand the processes that are in play.

This eclipse, at zero degrees Scorpio, is also conjunct Venus. A karmically laden eclipse if there ever was one! Venus in Scorpio needs a lot of effort to transform it from continuous lack of self-worth, deep resentment and jealousy into an insightful, powerful healing energy. Yet, at a quintile ( 72 degrees) from Pluto in Capricorn the spiritual drive is there to complete the change.

Samhain/Halloween may be less than two weeks away, but the transformation drive of the so-called ‘dark’ aspects of the Goddess are being reflected in this eclipse cycle. In her many guises she challenges us to change, to let go of what holds us back, to reassess where we are going and what we are doing. Time spent reflecting on these challenges in the next few days will be time well used!

(The solar eclipse will be visible in the north of the USA and the north Pacific)welsh dragon

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Notes from a New Moon Dragon Rider

Posted in Astrology, Dragons, Earth Healing, Goddess, Spiritual Growth, Transits, Visualisation, Women, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 1, 2014| 1 Comment »

“Stand to face the light of the atomic blast of Pluto through the New Moon in Capricorn on New Year’s Day 2014.

To the ‘mud peoples’ and those who came from the stars as protectors of this planet…… now the time has come to shield each other and protect the Earth from those whose blind greed and callous disregard would seek to subjugate and destroy.

Know who you are…. Know each other. Create lines of communication and energy between you like a web of light and dark to balance and hold both personal and collective energies.

Remember that idealism without a dose of realism is an empty dream.

Seek out where you can make a difference without becoming a victim or a rescuer as these two both require someone to blame………remember too that people are just people, being human!

Time your actions carefully to make the maximum use of the energy and resources available.

Fix your own back yard. It is always easier to see the faults in someone else’s, judge what the resolution would be and fret when nothing appears to be done.

Above all, don’t sit idly by when your neighbourhood and its people are under threat or being manipulated. Even a tiny step, a wise world or a small, but appropriate action, can be the start of something big!”

GreyDragon

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St Margaret and the Dragon

Posted in Dark Goddess, Dragons, Goddess, Women, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Whilst visiting the Victoria and Albert Museum in London recently we came across this lovely sculpture of St Margaret and a Dragon:
Far from the dragon being at all scary, this one looked more like a pet.
StMargaretsmall
St Margaret is recorded as being a patron saint of childbirth, pregnant women, kidney disease and wronged people. The childbirth and pregnancy angle is initially very surprising as she was venerated for her virginity. However, one of the stories goes that on her refusal to marry she was tortured. It was also said that she was tempted by or eaten by a dragon. When the dragon swallowed her she fought back and killed it with her crucifix – hence her sometimes being referred to as ‘St Margaret, the Dragon Slayer’. Here, the assumption being that the dragon was a representation of Satan. It is thought that this is where her patronage of childbirth came from – as she herself was safely delivered from the innards of the dragon.
In the Roman Catholic Church her feast day used to be the 20th July, but in the fifth century it was first suggested that decided that her story was ‘apocryphal’ (of doubtful authenticity) and only in 1969 was the date was withdrawn from the calendar. In the Eastern Orthodox Church her feast day is the 17th July. St Margaret is still recognised as one of the saints that spoke to Joan of Arc and indeed there are many churches that bear the name ‘St Margaret’ – including Westminster Abbey.
Delving a bit further, here are some of the lines that give reference to St Margaret, taken from a mediaeval poem:
“Holye mayde Margarete loked her besyde.
There sche sawe a lothelye dragon in a corner glyde,
Brennynge as the blake fyre. His mouthe he gaped wyde.
That mayde wexed alle greene as the gresse in someres tyde.” (lines 179-182)
“Holy maid Margaret looked her beside.
There she saw a loathly dragon in a corner glide.
Burning as the black fire. His mouth he gaped wide.
That maid waxed all green as the grass in summer time.”

 

The final line is very interesting as ‘waxed all green as the grass in summer time’ was a well-known, subtle way of referring to promiscuity.
So what do we have here? Is this a description of seduction? Is this yet another tale of deriding women for being women? This does seem to sit easily with some religious traditions that make it clear that if a woman is raped, she is the one to be punished. Similarly, with a situation of sex outside of marriage when the woman is blamed and vilified, yet the man walks ‘free’.
Is the ‘dragon’ also another way of referring to woman’s sexuality, women’s ability to give birth and women’s power?

Not as far-fetched as one might think and there is a religious commentary on the story of St Margaret and the dragon that says:

“Surely this is because giving birth is not unlike a dragon splitting open to reveal a saint!”

Ouch!

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Facets of The Spring Equinox Goddess and her Dragons

Posted in Astrology, Dragons, Earth Healing, Equinox, Goddess, Spiritual Growth, Visualisation, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 13, 2013| 1 Comment »

SovBlueJPG

My book ‘The Sovereignty Year’ * (linked to the Sovereignty Essences**) describes the facets of the Goddess for each of the 4 solar stations of the year and the 4 quarter-days between. In the book the facets are given Celtic or Arthurian names, but each has a resonance worldwide.

Spring Equinox (20/21st March)

The archetype in Arthurian Grail legends is Kundry where she is described as a wild woman, an ugly crone who challenges Gawain. She also appears in Wagner’s ‘Parcifal’ in a similar role. The name ‘Kundry’ itself is derived from the German for ‘news’ or ‘information’ (Kunde). Indeed although depicted as an ugly woman she is also described as wealthy and learned.

In many Celtic tales she is referred to as the ‘Loathly Damsel’ whom the hero is often required to kiss. When he does, her ugly form will then dissipate and she is transformed into a beautiful woman. As a facet of Sovereignty (the Goddess of the Land) any aspiring king or knight must embrace her in her worst aspect in order to have the authority to rule. This can also been seen as a need to love the Land in winter, which allows the flowing season of spring to appear!

The Loathly Damsel also appears in the folk songs, like ‘King Henry’first recorded by Steeleye Span in 1972

Click Here

In this song ‘King Henry’, Henry is challenged to do the ugly crone’s bidding, which he does, to the letter, and is rewarded.

“Take off your clothes now King Henry
And lie down by my side,
Now swear, now swear you King Henry
To take me for your bride.
Oh God forbid, says King Henry,
That ever the like betide,
That ever a fiend that comes from hell
Should stretch down by my side.

When the night was gone and the day was come
And the sun shone through the hall,
The fairest lady that ever was seen
Lay between him and the wall.
I’ve met with many a gentle knight
That gave me such a fill,
But never before with a courteous knight
That gave me all my will”

This type of ‘challenge’ made to men is present in many cultures and many legends and reflects the ancient tradition of women holding the power and ‘ownership’ of the Land. In Egypt, for example, the pharaohs only ruled by the power of Maat – the goddess of judgment and balance. If he did not meet her requirements, he did not rule.

It has only been since the balance between male and female was lost, that men have taken over that role of ruling and ownership alone and in the process have tended to subjugate and denigrate their role to bolster their own. Regrettably many religions, business and goverments continue to regard women in this lowly way.

The energy behind the goddesses of the Spring Equinox epitomises knowledge, challenge, teaching and destiny.
Kundry is regarded as a guardian of tradition and has no qualms of getting down to do the most difficult of tasks. She has clarity and compassion, but is also thought of as wrathful or ‘black, indicative of the amount of power she wields, rather like Kali of the Mahavidyas and Hindu mythology.

Kundry represents the voice of the Earth and therefore the voice of Sovereignty. When approached in the right way she has much to teach much about how we approach experience. One way is to embrace everything and look at life as a play of the Elements, another is to study theories. One way is to know things intellectually and the other to know things from the center of our being. This reflects the duality of the spiritual path, a recognition of the balance of male/female within.

The Spring Equinox energy also has close links with serpents and dragons, with all the mythology that both entail.

Visualisation from’ The Sovereignty Year’

Kundry’s Dragons

1. Begin by settling your body into a comfortable position.
2. On each outbreath relax your body
3. Imagine yourself in a small clearing within a wood, surrounded by trees with spring flowers bursting from the ground beneath your feet.
4. Follow that pathway before you and begin to walk into the wood.
5. The further you go, the more rugged the ground. You come across a stream that is running very fast.
6. Centre yourself, and ask for help from the Earth elemental energies, to enable you to cross the stream.
7. Before you, stepping stones emerge from the waters and you can then safely walk across.
8. Continue following the path until you come to a place where a veil of ivy bars your way.
9. Sweep away the ivy and you see before you a tree stump, framed by two other trees.
10. As your vision clears, you notice that there is a silver dragon entwined around one tree and a gold one around the other.
11. On the tree stump you can see a hologram of moving and changing lights and energies, and you draw nearer for a closer look.
12. In the ever-moving spherical hologram you see people, places, the future and the past.
13. Centre yourself once again, closing your eyes.
14. When you open them again, the hologram has changed to a view of far-off galaxies that move to engulf you.
15. Concentrating on the trees around you, you become aware of the dragons speaking to you.
16. Stay here for a while. Listen first to the gold dragon, then the silver. Listen to what they say and look closely at anything that is offered to you.
17. When you are ready to leave, thank the dragons and see them merge before your eyes and dissolve into the galaxies and stars.
18. You find yourself, once again, on the shores of the fast running stream. The stepping stones are still visible, but as you use them to cross over, they disappear from sight.
19. You retrace your steps to the clearing in the wood, noticing the beauty of the flowers.
20. Stay still for a few moments and then bring yourself out of the visualisation.

* Hardcopy version of ‘The Sovereignty Year’ is available from:
greenmanshop.co.uk

*PDF version is available from TreeSeer.com

** Essences are available from: greenmanshop.co.uk

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