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| THE OLD HOLY THORN |
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| THE ABBEY HOLY THORN; WITH WALKING STICKS |
This attack was not spiritual, but all to do with money and a landowner's feud.
A wander around the Abbey grounds was so peaceful; a great place to relax. And there, of course are two living and healthy Holy Thorns. I met the lady (in blue costume in the photo of the Abbott's Kitchen) whose Great Grandfather planted this Thorn. Her Grandfather subsequently planted a thorn some years later.
Later, the first of two chanting sessions with JJ and Adrian; these blew the ceiling off. Amazing. Finally, dinner with Mara before going back to my B&B.
I'm staying at Bliss Cottage; which is bliss! Such a fantastic place; the garden full of roses and the house full of warm welcome from Trish.Saturday; A massive marquee in the Abbey grounds to take 400 druids from over the entire world. Mara and I particularly loved Ronald Hutton's talk; you may recall his erudition when he spoke at my book launch for In the Moors - here he was the funniest I've ever heard him. Caitlin Matthews and the Druid's Chosen Chief Philip Carr-Gomm also spoke well, and Liv Tork's new book of Tree (Ogham) poems was created live on stage (more or less with live trees!)
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| I AM IN MATCHING GREEN TABARD AS I WAS PART OF THE RITUAL; A PHYSICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE AWEN GLYPH |
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| MARA FREENAN LOOKING HER USUAL STUNNING SELF AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE LEVELS |
In the afternoon we all went up the Tor for the Druid's ceremony -. It was a short ritual, but very moving.
That evening we had our party, back in the Town Hall for food and the Marquee for the Eisteddfod; Liv Torc was wonderfully funny on being pregnant and having her baby, and there was even a soprana from Holland, singing from Tosca. The dancing went on until 11pm when the fireworks started.
Sunday; Weary travellers were returning from the two ceremonies that had taken place at 6am at Stonehenge and Avebury as Mara and I joined other writers in the town hall to raise interest in our books. We were part of a massive Druid Extraviganza; the town hall full of tables where druids could display their speciality interests - everything from how to form a Grove to the Anti-Fracking campaign.
In the afternoon Mara was interviewed about her new book; Grail Alchemy by Philip Carr-Gomm. In the foreground, is Gill, a shaman I enjoyed meeting and hope to link up to again. 
It was a hot, sunny day and a trip to the White Spring was in order; this wellhouse, beautifully decorated by the trustees and volunteers is the original Victorian wellhouse which tapped the white spring directly from its source, as it tumbles out of the Chalice Hill rockface at gallons per minute. Inside, it constantly fills small pools in which you can paddle. Candles and flowers and bowers of hazel twigs are everywhere. Drumming, and singing to guitar added to the atmosphere, while children made rockpools by adding shells and pretty stones. A fantastic moment in time.
Monday; I chaired a panel of writers at the 'Meet the Writers' morning, where we chatted informally about writing and tried to answer people's questions about their own writing. It went so well we adjourned to the George and Pilgrims after it was over; thanks especially to Mara, Brendon, Penny for being on the panel, and for Philip and Steph Carr-Gomm for coming, and for everyone else for making it such a lively event.
In the early evening I walked out onto the Somerset Levels (which I know so well....) to Ham Walls. An amazing experience; nature in abundance. I heart Bitterns booming, a Cetti Warbler, a Reed Warbler and various other reed birds, including the one recorded here, plus a thrush, a wren, a chaffinch, a blackbird, a goldfinch and a cuckcoo! A fabulous ending to the weekend.
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