More Glastonbury Wanderings and Wonderings

Sunday 8 October

Remember I said that John had given me the name of a friend of his to contact while I was in Glastonbury? Well, I did call Sig and got invited up to his place for a cuppa.

Sig and his wife Karin own SunnyBank B&B and healing centre which provides healing and inspirational services to pilgrims. Sig and Karin were very welcoming and soon we were chatting over tea and some fab Dutch biscuits. Edna the moggy came and sat on my lap for a while (wonderful to have a mog on my lap in Glastonbury!). She had the prettiest wee face and the softest fur and looked totally content with life. Karin told me Edna had caught a massive rat the night before so she wasn't up to much but sleeping today.

Sig told me of some adventures he and John had in Wales and some of the things he's into now. We talked about the earth zodiac around Glastonbury, the King Arthur connection and how these things mean different things to different people.

Karin and Sig have been together 11 years and met over the waters at Chalice Well! They ended up getting married there. How lovely!

After a pleasant chat it was time to go and I got sent off with hugs and blessings.

Back down in the town centre again I booked in to see a Clairvoyant (Martine). It was totally meant to be as I just felt I should see her. She was remarkably accurate and told me I would see some changes in my professional life and possibly take on a new client. She guessed my occupation ('a scientific or technical person and you write or speak technical information.'). Hey now, do I actually look like a Technical Writer? Is that something I should be worried about?

The spirit present seemed to Martine to be my maternal great-grandmother. This Victorian woman's message to me was to chill out more. Not exactly those words but to enjoy life and relax more as she could not.

I felt really good after my time with Martine. I went back to the flat and changed into my walking clothes and went up the Tor for the first time. It was amazing to be back up there again after ten years but oh my gods it took a while for me to drag my tired carcass up there! I'm not 24 anymore.

It was windy but not too cold up there. I got a bit of a weird vibe from the people at the summit as they were a bit boisterous and then it started to rain heavily so I ran down the hill. Not such a perfect re-introduction to my beloved Tor but it was what it was.

Back at the flat I was exhausted again and had a chat with Anna and Simon over some more tea which was great. They are just the loveliest people and I feel like I'm staying in their home, not just a B&B. They weren't feeling so good. They'd eaten lunch at an Inn in Somerton and had food poisoning, poor things!


Monday 9 October

I went to some old haunts today. Somerton first (Leo) and then to Ashcott which is part of a non-zodiac effigy but something else called the Polden Hound. Unfortunately for Ashcott it is located on the bum of the hound.

I went there one Winter's day in 1996 just to see two gargolyes I'd read about in the same book John contributed to that inspired my original trip to England. The gargoyles are on the outside of Ashcott All Saints Church. The maw is a wide mouth, held open by little creatures and represents the gateway to the underworld. The woodwose is the wild man of the woods. Both potent pagan symbols on a church that was essentially gutted in the Victorian era and made quite plain inside.

The first time I visited All Saints in 1996, the warden and minister let me go up the tower and I took a photo of myself up there. I wanted to take another one ten years on. There was no one there today so I had to content myself with a shot of myself in the church interior.

When I got back to Glastonbury I climbed the Tor again and dragged myself up there again but this time stayed for ages and it was peaceful and calm up there this time.


Tuesday 10 October

I had breakfast in the main house today which was lovely. A beautiful fresh bowl of fruit and muesli followed by toast with lots of tea. I sat there for ages looking out over the vale of Avalon.

I'd told Anna how exhausted I was as I'd been on the go since arriving ten days ago. She suggested I take it easy and I remembered great-granny's advice to me so I duly chilled out in Glastonbury all day.

First stop was Chalice Well which is designed for peace and serenity. The iron-rich waters flow and as I mentioned in an earlier post, they can be drunk and I did (though this time with no urgent consequences).

I stayed in the gardens for about an hour and a half, in the sunshine and peace. It was lovely.

One of the symbols you see everywhere in the Chalice Well gardens in the vesica piscis (two circles interlocked, forming an almond shape in the middle). This symbol generates geometrical measurements and proportions found in the human body, throughout the natural world and in some great works of architecture.

I had some lunch and coffee in town then meandered up the High Street to Meridians beauty therapy to have a facial and pedicure with Angie who was just lovely. The clay used on my face contained essential oils mixed to match my year of birth - 1971. I poured myself out of there after a couple of hours and picked up some dinner and went back to the flat.

Total decadence was the theme of the day (or spiritual rejuvenation if you like) and I waited for Leonie the massage therapist to arrive! A full-body massage later and I was feeling energized!

I also decided today to stay another day in Glastonbury so I'm up to London on Thursday not Wednesday now.

I'm not sure when I will next post to the Blog because after one night in London I am off up to Southport to spend time with John.

It's been amazing being back in the Somerset area over the last almost two weeks. I want to bring Paul here in the future and especially to stay at Hillside because Anna and Simon are the best hosts!