London in December: The Waste Land and the Grail

Here is a photo of people walking to work on a December morning this week. Back in December 1922, T S Eliot described people walking over London Bridge in The Waste Land, which is probably the most influential poem about London in the past century. He described it as an “Unreal City”, in which each person flowing over the bridge fixed their eyes on their feet, thinking only of their own woes:

Unreal City,
Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,
I had not thought death had undone so many.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.
Flowed up the hill and down King William Street,
To where Saint Mary Woolnoth kept the hours
With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.

Things haven't changed much have they? There are still people dying needlessly; impoverished, sick or homeless. Maybe things have got worse. Those barriers at the start of the bridge, erected to try to prevent terror attacks, weren't there in Eliot's time. How did people come to hate each other so much that such things are necessary?

Most of us are not quite like that though, are we? But maybe we walk on, staring at our feet, and trying not to look at the suffering around us, because we don't know quite what we can do about it, and all the time feeling a little more dead inside each day.

The Waste Land is a poem showing fragments of life (and death): scenes depicting people of various classes and ethnicities, yet disconnected from each other. The title refers to the Waste Land of the Grail legends. It shows a land that needs healing, but that only something miraculous - like the Grail - will fully mend the rifts between us.

But what is the Grail? Well, opinions differ. In popular beliefs it is the cup of the last supper, the vessel used to collect Christ's blood at his crucifixion, or even the secret bloodline of Christ. Some say that the Grail represents the Holy Spirit or the Divine Feminine (some also say those are in fact the same thing). In one legend, it was carved from a crystal that fell from Heaven, and broke in two. One half formed the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, while the other became the Grail. To many pagans, it is the cauldron of the Celtic goddess Ceridwen which offers rebirth and renewal. In tales of the Fisher King, it is one of the Hallows, along with a spear, a sword and a plate or dish. These relate to the elements in magic and the suits in tarot. The cup represents water and feelings, especially love, and is exemplified in the Ace of Cups card.

The Grail has also, supposedly, the ability to take many different forms - both real and visionary. According to legends, only one who is pure of heart can hold the Grail, but all who are offered it are asked the question: "Who does the Grail serve?"

The generally accepted answer is that it serves us all. Not any person or group of people above any other. We all need healing by the force of universal love before renewal is possible.

I believe that the message of the quest for the Grail is hope: hope that someone pure of heart can save us from the Waste Land with a message of love for all. At the moment, all we can have is hope, but hope is a start on the journey.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/12/in-search-of-londons-camelot-and-grail.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/02/the-waste-land-tarot-drowned-phoenician.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2017/10/london-necropolis-temple-church.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/05/working-with-emerald-tablet.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/08/ghosts-and-grails-of-lewes.html

London Necropolis: Temple Church

Before Samhain - or Halloween - for the past several years I've been posting photos of London's burial grounds in a series I've called London Necropolis. A Necropolis is a city of the dead. These are photos from London's Temple Church.

Temple Church is in the City of London, between Fleet Street and the Thames. It was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th century and was used as their headquarters in England. It is a round church, modelled on the circular Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

There are stone effigies inside the church, which are not actually tombs even though they look like it. They represent knights ready for battle. Several people have been buried in Temple Church though - so it does count as part of my London Necropolis; just not under the effigies.

Those interred there include William Marshall, who is buried in the nave next to his sons. He served as a negotiator during a meeting in the Temple between King John and the barons, who demanded that the king should uphold the rights enshrined in the Coronation Charter of his predecessor and elder brother King Richard I. This led to the signing by the king of the Magna Carta in 1215.

There are many legends associated with Temple Church. It is supposedly on the same ley line as nearby St Bride's Church, which I blogged about as another London Necropolis. The site is also reputedly haunted by a ghost of a Knight Templar. However, perhaps the church is better known these days for being one of the places visited by Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu in Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code, as they search for clues to the whereabouts of the Holy Grail. (You can view The Da Vinci Code on Amazon.)

Whether you are on your own ley line walk, ghost hunt or grail quest or just enjoy wonderful old buildings, Temple Church is worth visiting - although do check in advance if it is open. The rest of the area around Temple is also great to explore as it is full of historical buildings associated with the legal profession. Just outside the church you can also see the sundial I blogged about some time ago.

You can find the Temple Church website here: http://www.templechurch.com/

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/10/london-necropolis-st-brides-church-of.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/10/shadows-we-are-and-like-shadows-we.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2016/10/london-necropolis-tower-hamlets.html
http://www.templechurch.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Church

What Not to Do at Sacred Wells and Springs

A visit to Chalice Well in Glastonbury (pictured) and a couple of discussions on a Facebook group made me decide to blog about what not to do if you visit a sacred spring or holy well.

Don't Drink the Water
Although the water at Chalice Well is drinkable, many other springs come with a health warning. While it might be tempting to take a cool drink from what looks like a source of pure water, even the most sacred of springs might not be safe to imbibe. Taking just a little sip is risking the consequences of nasties from parasites to pollution.

Boiling the water or using a filter bottlewill get rid of bugs and bacteria, but won't necessarily deal with nasty chemicals that could have contaminated it. Always check before drinking from springs, wells or streams. When in doubt, don't drink the water.

Don't Tie Anything to Trees
This is a subject that gets hotly debated on some forums. The issue stems from a tradition, particularly in parts of Ireland and Scotland, of tying clooties to trees at some holy wells. Clooties are strips of cloth that would be dipped in the well water and then tied to a nearby tree along with some sort of prayer or wish.  I must admit I personally quite like seeing decorated trees in places where it is allowed, but there are problems with the practice.

The main concern is that modern clooties are often made from non-biodegradable material, such as polyester ribbons or even plastic. These will stay on the tree pretty much forever rather than rotting away. They can restrict the growth of the tree and too many could eventually kill it. So, if you want to tie anything to a tree, make sure it is natural fibre that will quickly disintegrate in the wind and rain.

The other issue is that visitors are not only tying clooties at places where it is a genuine old tradition. Most sacred springs and wells do not have a historical connection with clooties, so those who honour the old folk customs in those places get upset when they see beauty spots clogged up with bits of rag. Some will spend a long time cleaning up the site, only to find it just as bad then next time they go there. When in doubt, don't do it.

Don't Light Fires - or Candles
Fires leave an unsightly mess behind, which spoil the site for those to come. They can cause damage to historic monuments if they are lit too close and can get out of control. Even the small flame of a candle could spark a forest fire. Always check if naked flames are allowed before lighting one. At some places they are, of course. For example, you can buy tealights at Chalice Well Gardens to light at the well head to meditate with or to leave as an offering. Volunteers tidy up the tealight holders at the end of the day. But again, when in doubt, don't.

Don't Leave Offerings (Unless Requested)
Apart from candles and clooties, visitors sometimes think it is a good idea to leave other offerings - from statues, crystals or home and garden ornaments to flowers or food. Although biodegradable items are better than non-biodegradable ones, anything left behind can just look like litter to those who come later. If there is a specific place where offerings are allowed to be left, that's fine, but there usually isn't. Take away with you everything you bring unless specifically requested to do otherwise by the site owners. It is traditional to throw coins into some wishing wells. Often these coins are collected for charity and, of course, there's nothing wrong with doing this if it is asked for. But do check.

Don't Take Photographs
Photography is banned at some sacred sites, including the White Spring in Glastonbury, which is just over the road from Chalice Well. Many pagan groups will also ban photography when ceremonies or meditations are taking place. The reason for this is the belief that photography infringes on the privacy of the people who are there and can also affect the sanctity of the sacred space itself. Please be respectful. Ask permission before taking pictures of people and if there is a sign forbidding photography, then don't take photographs at all.

Don't Take Souvenirs (Except the Water)
It is usually OK to take a small bottle of water away with you if you visit a sacred spring, but don't take things like pebbles or soil. If everyone took a pebble or pot of earth away it could undermine the site. And certainly don't go chipping bits off any monuments! Avoid picking wild flowers too, unless you have permission of the site's owners.

If you are visiting any sacred site, check what is and what isn't allowed. If the spring has an official website, that should have details. When in doubt, leave the site just as you found it.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.chalicewell.org.uk/
http://www.whitespring.org.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/chalice-well-goddess-and-grail.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clootie_well
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2015/02/sacred-springs-and-wells-frome-holy.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/08/sacred-spring-at-st-blaises-well.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/06/in-search-of-sacred-spring.html

This Week's Pagan Events In and Near London

Friday 21 November; The Problem of Evil and Intellectual Black Holes. Talk by Stephen Law at Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub, The Star and Garter, 60 Old Woolwich Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NY. 7.30pm. http://greenwich.skepticsinthepub.org/

Friday 21 November; All in Art: Day of the Dead. Lecture by Chloe Sayer at the Horse Hospital, Colonnade, Bloomsbury London WC1N 1JD. Time 7pm-8pm. Tickets: £5 in advance. Available from: allinart.co.uk

Friday 21 November; Talking About Death and Dying. Lecture by Felicity Warner, author of A Safe Journey Home.Venue: The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Saturday 22 November; Exploring the Elements, workshop with Alexandrian High Priestess Barbara Lee. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1p0.30AM to 5.30pm. Cost £45, deposit of £25 to be paid via Paypal,. Advance booking required. For more details and to book visit: http://barbaraleewitch.net/

Sunday 23 November; Introduction to Witchcraft - workshop for anyone interested in finding out about witchcraft. No experience necessary and all are welcome. Workshop with Cobwebs at Cauldrons at Romford Shopping Hall. Time: 10am start. Cost is £25. Tel: 07786 328 908 Email: cobwebsandcauldrons@gmail.com http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/

Sunday 23 November; Wicca and Witchcraft training day for seekers on the path. Run by Shamanic Spirit, Homestead Way, New Addington. Time: 2pm-7pm. Cost: £120. Email: alison@alisonspiritweaver.co.uk

Sunday 23 November; Remembering our Dead. Workshop with With Philip Martyn and Dr Sue Peat at Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. Entry £3.50/£1. Time: 2pm – 4.30pm. http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/

Sunday 23 November; Crossbones Vigil to honour The Goose and the outcast dead of Cross Bones Graveyard. Gather from 6.45pm for a 7pm start in Redcross Way outside the Memorial Gates, SE1 1TA, opposite the Boot and Flogger pub, just north of the junction with Union Street. Nearest tubes Borough or London Bridge. The event is free, but donations are welcome. For more details, visit http://www.crossbones.org.uk/

Monday 24 November; Seth, Lord of Chaos, talk with John J. Johnston. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets £7. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Monday 24 November; Make Your Own Rules. Talk by Tara Stiles organised by Alternatives. Venue: St James's Church Piccadilly, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL. Time: 7pm - 8.30pm. Tickets £12/£8. For more details and to book tickets: http://www.alternatives.org.uk/

Monday 24 November; Psychic Circle run by Shamanic Spirit at a venue in Croydon, South London. The circle is held on Mondays fortnightly starting at 7.30pm. Cost £5. For more details and to book places call 07952 041477. For more information, visit http://shamanicspirit.co.uk/

Tuesday 25 November; The Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon presents: The Rise and Fall of the Polar Cosmos. Talky by Gyrus at The Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness salon. Venue: October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AL. Time: 6pm-9pm. Entry £7 /£5 Concessions. Please RSVP on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/695734433855678/ More details: http://www.octobergallery.co.uk/events/

Tuesday 25 November; Thresholds in the Landscape. Talk by Sylvia Francke, author of The Tree of Life and the Holy GrailVenue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. £3.50 (£1 concessions, students and under 25s). No bookings required - just turn up. Time: 7.30pm – 9pm. http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/

Tuesday 25 November; What have we learned from experimental tests of dream ESP? Talk by Professor Chris Roe of the University of Northampton. Venue: the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Room LG01, New Academic Building, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW. Talks start at 6.10pm. Free event. For more details, contact Duncan Colvin on d.colvin@gold.ac.uk or visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/apru/speakers/

Tuesday 25 November; Central London CoA Gathering. Venue: Dirty Dicks Pub, 202 Bishopsgate,City of London, EC2M 4NR. Time: 6pm to 8pm. This event meets on the last Tuesday of the month, venue permitting, check the Facebook page for changes of date or other details: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CoA-Central-London-Gathering/505714086232636?sk=info or email: squirrelintheoak@yahoo.co.uk

Wednesday 26 November; A Demonstration of Trance Mediumship by Elizabeth Roberts at The College of Psychic Studies, 16 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2EB. Time: 7pm-8.30pm. Cost: £10/£12 Advance booking advised. For details call: 020 7589 3292 or visit https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/

Wednesday 26 November; Freaks, fairies and theatre: playbills of 19th century London. Venue: London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, Clerkenwell, EC1R 0HB. Time: 2pm-3pm. Free - booking required in advance. http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/events/pages/event-detail.aspx?eventid=1923#

Thursday 27 November; Grail Alchemy.Talk and book signing by Mara Freeman at Watkins Books, 19-21 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ. Time: 6.30pm. Free event. For more details Tel 020 7836 2182 or visit the website http://www.watkinsbooks.com/

Tuesday 27 November; Chertsey Moot. A social moot held on the last Tuesday of the month at the Golden Grove pub, Ruxbury Road, St Annes Hill, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 9EN. All welcome. From 8pm to 11pm. For more details, email: sian_ap_pysgotwr@yahoo.co.uk

Friday 28 November; The Roots and Routes of Wicca: Part 1 Robert Cochrane. Event organised by The London Wicca Meetup Group. Venue: The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG. Time: 7pm, meet by the statue of the Lion of Knidos. For full details and to reserve a place, visit: http://www.meetup.com/The-London-Wicca-Meetup-Group/

Friday 28 November; Scarlet Imprint Book Launch: Reasonances by Carl Abrahmsson. Venue The Atlantis Bookshop, Museum Street, London WC1. Time: 7pm. To attend this event you must reserve a place in advance. For more details contact the Atlantis Bookshop on 020 7405 2120.

Friday 28 November; High Weirdness and the Function of the Obscure In The Western Esoteric Tradition. The John Michell Memorial Lecture by Philip Carr-Gomm at Rilko (Research Into Lost Knowledge). Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Doors open 6.45pm, lectures starts 7.15pm. Entrance: £8/£6. http://www.rilko.net/EZ/rilko/rilko/home.php

Friday 28 November; Reclaiming the Sacred through Authentic Ceremony. Talk by Clare Russell organised by the London College of Spirituality. Venue: Westminster Quakers Meeting House, 8 Hop Gardens, off St Martins Lane, London WC2N 4EA, London. Time: 7pm. Cost: £10, booking essential. Details: http://www.meetup.com/londonspirituality/

Saturday 29 November; Herbs for Winter Health with Cobwebs at Cauldrons at Romford Shopping Hall. Cost is £50. 10am-4pm. http://www.cobwebsandcauldrons.co.uk/

Saturday 29 November; Sigil Magick, Afternoon workshop with Mark Vincent. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 1pm to 5.30pm. Tickets £30. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 30 November; Tarot Workshop for Beginners, day workshop with Sue Merlyn. Venue: Treadwells, 33 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7BS. Time: 11am to 5.30pm. Tickets £45. Advance booking required. Call 0207 419 8507. For further details: info@treadwells-london.com http://www.treadwells-london.com/

Sunday 30 November; Utopia Mind Body Soul Fair. Venue: Phoenix Community Centre, 66 Westow Street, London SE19 3AF. Time: 1.30pm-6.30pm. Entry: £1. http://alisonspiritweaver.co.uk/mbs-events/utopia-mind-body-soul-fair-at-crystal-palace/

Sunday 30 November; The Truth about Reincarnation. Talk by Greg Branson. Venue: 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA. Starts at 6pm. Tickets: £7, £5 concessions, £4 TS members. For full details: http://www.theosophicalsociety.org.uk

Police Seek Grail, witch trials and show-biz witches

A round-up of a few news stories:

"Police operation launched after priceless Welsh relic, thought to be the 'Holy Grail' is stolen" - read the story at WalesOnline: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/police-operation-launched-after-welsh-7429798

"Uncover the truth behind Scotland's infamous witch trials" - a look back at history by Scotland Now: http://www.scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/uncover-truth-behind-scotlands-infamous-3834588

"Wookey Hole: First stage of £5million revamp open" - story about the lates Wookey Hole Witch tourist attraction on the Western Daily Press website: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Witch-hole-lot-fun-new-ideas/story-21642162-detail/story.html

"Witch craft casts a spell on those who enter industrial unit" - a story about the costumes for Wicked on the Birmingham Post website: http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/wicked-plays-birmingham-hippodrome-until-7425613

Review: Geoffrey de Mandeville and London's Camelot

I’ve finally found time to read Geoffrey de Mandeville and London's Camelot, about ghosts, historical mysteries and the occult in Barnet - in which a photo I took has been published. Not only was I delighted to see one of my pictures in print, I enjoyed reading the book very much indeed.

Geoffrey de Mandeville and London's Camelot is by archaeologist and historian Jennie Lee Cobban, who says in her introduction: "Ever since I can remember I have been interested in two rather disparate subjects: archaeology and the world of the supernatural."

Jennie is also interested in witches. One of her earlier books is The Lure of the Lancashire Witches, about the Pendle witches who lived not far from the village Jennie herself was born in. As an adult, she moved to Barnet, in North London, and says: "I was delighted to discover that the area was a rich storehouse of ghost lore, legend and archaeological puzzle." That is the basis of Geoffrey de Mandeville and London's Camelot.

My own interest in the area came as part of a Grail quest and a visit to a potential site of King Arthur's legendary castle of Camelot. I went to Camlet Moat, in Trent Park, which is called Camelot on some old maps, around the time of the Winter Solstice 2012 and took photos of the area. After writing about it on my blog, Jennie asked me if she could use one of my photos in the new and updated edition of her book on London's Camelot (the first editionis out of print and hard to find). Trent Park is also said to be haunted, both by the owner of the former hunting grounds, Geoffrey de Mandeville, and by a mysterious lady who some associate with the Goddess.

But Geoffrey de Mandeville and London's Camelot isn’t only about Arthurian legends and ghostly knights. The book also has quite a bit about witches.

As anyone who has studied the history of Wicca will know, Gerald Gardner’s Bricket Wood coven met and circled in a real witch’s cottage. But, before Gerald moved the timber framed thatched cottage to St Albans, it had been rescued from demolition and was one of the exhibits in a folklore museum in North London. Jennie also writes about some historic witch trials in the area – including one woman accused of witchcraft who managed a jail break to try to escape her persecutors.

I could go on – the book is packed with intriguing mysteries and colourful characters – but the best way to find out all about them is to read the book yourself. Jennie’s writing style is thoroughly entertaining and full of dry humour, while those who are sticklers for factual accuracy will love all the fascinating historical evidence she has painstakingly researched.

You can buy copies of the new edition of Geoffrey de Mandeville and London's Camelot from Barnet Museum. Jennie's other books, including The Lure of the Lancashire Witchesand 800 years of Barnet Market can be ordered via Amazon.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/12/photo-fame-book-on-london-ghosts-and.html
The Lure of the Lancashire Witches
Geoffrey de Mandeville and London's Camelot
http://www.barnetmuseum.co.uk/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/12/in-search-of-londons-camelot-and-grail.html

Review: Curiocity E - Escaping London

"Why, Sir, you find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

Despite the famous opinion of the historic dictionary writer and Londonophile Samuel Johnson, most Londoners from time to time do feel the need to escape the bustle and buzz of the city - and the latest edition of Curiocity is all about ways of doing so. It is called Escaping London.

Curiocity, as I've blogged about before, is a series of maps showing unusual things you can find in London and each edition is themed around a letter of the alphabet. This one is E for Escape. The map shows a 13-mile pilgrimage you can walk from London Bridge to the beautiful Red House in Kent (pictured above), which was the home of Pre-Raphaelite William Morris.

The London Pilgrimage was created in collaboration with The National Trust and goes past historic sites such as The Cutty Sark, Charlton House and Sevendroog Castle in Oxleas Wood. There is an accompanying audioguide, which can be downloaded to a smartphone.

On the reverse side of the map are little articles showing other ways of escape. These include gardens, woods and nature reserves for peace and quiet, cathedrals and statues of pagan gods for a spiritual sojourn, and even the unlikely resting place for the Holy Grail - albeit a movie prop version.

Henry and Matt, the creators of Curiocity, said: "'Escaping London' is all about pilgrimage and features fantastic writing from Robert Macfarlane, Mark Mason, Peter Watts and many others. Have you ever quested for the Holy Grail through Piccadilly, made a devotional journey to Lord's or cuddled Dante's Wombat? Now you can."

You can buy Curiocity E here: http://www.curiocity.org.uk/buy-online/ or order it through Amazon.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.curiocity.org.uk/buy-online/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/07/review-curiocity-d-london-dissected.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/03/curious-city-unusual-evening-in-london.html
Curiocity E: Escaping London
Curiocity C: Celestial London
Curiocity D: London Dissected

Event Tonight: The Grail, Goddess and Earth Energies

Here's a lecture that got missed when I updated my events listing earlier in the week, but looks interesting:

Thursday 13 June; The Grail, The Goddess and Earth Energies. Lecture by Sylvia Francke, author of The Tree of Life and the Holy Grail. Venue: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London NW1 6XT. Time: 7pm for 7.30pm. http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/

For more details, visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/159552220891138/?ref=22

Shopping: Pewter Chalices and Other Engraved Gifts

The other day I got chatting to someone who runs a website, www.GiftsOnline4U.com, which offers personalised and engraved gifts. They asked me if I’d be interested in writing about it on my blog, so I offered to have a look - and saw a few things I think that any witch would love to be given as a present.

In particular, I think the medieval pewter chalice - pictured on the right – would look stunning on an altar filled with wine.

I have to say I’m rather a fan of pewter chalices and own a few myself already. I have one with a Celtic knotwork pattern on it. When I played the part of a Grail Maiden in a ritual drama, it was perfect to carry to represent the holy cup. I also have a plain pewter chalice that I usually take with me to pagan camps and festivals. If you are the kind of witch who likes to do outdoor rituals, then pewter drinking vessels have the advantage of being pretty unbreakable. I don’t currently own a medieval-style goblet, but I am rather tempted to add to my collection.

Although the medieval goblet is my personal favourite, the website offers quite a range of other goblets in pewter and silver, as well as some very special glass chalices, wine glasses and champagne flutes. There are also some lovely tankards too, which are perhaps a better gift for a man.

All of the gifts can be personalised. You can have whatever text you want engraved onto the goblets and glasses – or any of the other pewter or silver gifts on the website. You can order online, enter the message you want engraved as you order, and it gets sent out with free delivery in the UK.

The site also offers other engraved gift ideas such as bottles and personalised alcohol gifts with pewter plaques – again, you can order the message you want. This could be nice idea for holding the ceremonial wine on the altar before pouring it into your chalice!

Other gifts offered on http://www.giftsonline4u.com/engraved-gifts.htm include trinket boxes, compact mirrors and lighters. If you are looking for a present for a sports fan rather than a pagan, the website has mugs, T-shirts, bags and other items bearing the logo of football teams, and hip flasks and tankards for those who like golf and rugby.

I’m always happy to help promote small businesses when I can, especially when they sell things I’d be happy to own myself or give to someone as a gift.

Glastonbury Tor - Entrance To The Land Of The Fairies

"Glastonbury Tor. Mythical entrance to the land of the fairies." So reads the legend that greets you at Premier Inn, Glastonbury, where I was staying last weekend.

The hotel chain renowned for affordable rooms is embracing the New Age and has just opened at a location in the Somerset town famous for its associations with all things mystical and spiritual. A nice person from Premier Inn's PR team asked me if I wouldn't mind writing about it.

"Delighted to," I replied. I love Glastonbury and was very happy to spend a weekend there in early spring and blog about it.

The landmark you first see as as you approach Glastonbury is the Tor. You can also glimpse the Tor from the windows of the bedrooms at the front of the Premier Inn, and from the road outside. I photographed the view, which you can see in the picture to the right.

According to folk tales, the Tor is indeed the entrance to fairyland. Specifically, it is the resting place of Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the Fairies in old Welsh tales. He is said to rule the fairy kingdoms during the winter months. At Samhain (Hallowe'en), when the veil between the worlds is thin, he emerges from the Tor to take his throne as Winter King to reign until Beltane, (May Day).

The Tor is also associated with Avalon, King Arthur and the Holy Grail. There is evidence that the ancient Britons called the Tor Ynys yr Afalon, which means "Isle of Avalon". In Iron Age times, the Tor would have, indeed, been an island surrounded by a lakes and fens that were later drained to become rich farmland.

In the middle ages, the monks at Glastonbury Abbey claimed to have found the graves of King Arthur and Guinevere in the abbey grounds, in the shadow of the Tor. You can see the view today in the photo to the left. Some say that Avalon itself lies in fairyland, and that was where King Arthur's body was taken after he was mortally wounded in battle, and from where he will one day return as The Once and Future King. The link with Avalon is alluded to in the BBC TV series Merlin, where the hill is visible in the end scene.

Legends place Glastonbury Tor as one of the possible locations of the Holy Grail, So too are Glastonbury Abbey and Chalice Well, which is at the foot of the Tor in beautiful gardens that are open to visitors each day. It is said that Joseph of Arimathea brought the chalice that caught Christ's blood at the Crucifixion to Glastonbury for safekeeping.

On the top of the Tor is St Michael's Tower, all that is left of St Michael's Church, which had a turbulent history. A medieval church on the site was destroyed by an earthquake on 11 September 1275. A second church was built there but, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, was the place of execution of Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey. He was hanged, drawn and quartered along with two of his monks. The tower is now a grade I listed building and is managed by the National Trust.

Walks to the summit of Glastonbury Tor are very popular with hikers as well as grail questers. Although it is a steep climb, the wonderful views from the top - as well as the chance to explore the tower - make it well worth it. If you prefer more leisurely sightseeing by car, bike or on foot, a road runs all around the bottom of the hill with great photo opportunities, including the place where I took the picture you can see below.

The meadows at the foot of the Tor can be a bit muddy during the winter but are ideal for picnics when the weather gets warmer. Don't fall asleep there though, especially on eve of May Day or Midsummer, for they say that at those times the gates to fairyland open up and you could be whisked away to the halls of Gwyn ap Nudd, never to be seen again.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2013/01/pagan-eye-glastonbury-thorn-tree.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/chalice-well-goddess-and-grail.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/10/news-guardian-on-glastonbury.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2011/11/weaving-dreams-beneath-tor.html
http://www.glastonburytor.org.uk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glastonbury_tor
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/glastonbury-tor/
http://www.glastonburyabbey.com/
http://www.premierinn.com/en/hotel/GLAMOR/glastonbury

In Search of London's Camelot and the Grail

As promised, here are more photos of London’s Camelot – a moated island in Trent Country Park in North London that is currently called Camlet Moat, but once genuinely bore the name of Camelot on historic maps. Obviously, no one can say for sure if this Camelot was ever the site of King Arthur’s famous castle, but plenty of people like to think that it might have been

If you’ve been following my blog, you will know that I decided to visit Camlet Moat after reading a book called London’s Camelot and the Secrets of the Grail by Chris Street. I went there one Sunday morning a couple of weeks ago and posted a photo of it, promising to write more later. Here goes.

Although it is possible to get to Trent Park by train and underground, it turned out the trains weren’t running the day I wanted to go, so my husband kindly offered to drive me there. It was a bright morning, but very cold and we had to scrape ice from the windscreen before setting off.

The ground was still frozen when we arrived at Trent Park over an hour later. It was one of those clear, crisp winter days when the fallen leaves on the ground are frosted with ice crystals that glitter in the sunshine. It is the kind of sparkle than can make anywhere seem a bit magical.

Camlet Moat is not well signposted within Trent Park. It is hidden in dense woodland and surrounded by a wooden fence with just a couple of small gateways. Unless you know it is there and worth visiting, you would probably walk straight past it.

Luckily, I knew where I was going and had noted the directions on the English Heritage website, which are pretty good. After ten minutes or so of navigating windy woodland paths, my hubby and I came to the entrance to Camlet Moat. You can see the fence and little gate in the picture above (together with a silhouette of me taking the photo if you look carefully).

Once inside through the gate, you come to the moat. It is a wide stretch of water nearly completely enclosing a square-shaped island that can only be reached by a narrow path. At one time, according to archaeologists, an impressive wooden bridge crossed the waters and a signpost near one of the gates gives a description of what that was like.

The water in the moat is bright green. The colour is caused by thick algae, which you would think might be a bit grim, but I thought added to the sense of strangeness and otherworldliness of the area.

The words of the poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci came to my mind “The sedge has withered from the lake, And no birds sing.” Certainly the area was very quiet, and the trees and shrubs had withered with the season. Unlike the lady of the poem, however, I had no intention of leading my lovely hubby to the lake and abandoning him there “Alone and palely loitering.”

The island in the middle of the moat is anything but dismal and forlorn. It is clearly a place that many hold in reverence. It has inspired people to leave beautiful offerings such as the tree decorations in the picture to the right and the delightful owl in the picture above left.

I was very taken with the owl. I know owls seem to be in fashion this season – jumpers with owl prints are in all the shops and, in fact. I have one myself. But I've also been seeing owls quite a bit in meditations and dreams recently, and have been reminded that one of my favourite books as a child was The Owl Serviceby Alan Garner. I really don’t know why owls are cropping up in my life quite so often but somehow seeing the owls at Camlet Moat made this seem particularly significant.

My husband and I walked all around the island, which doesn’t take too long. There was no one else in sight all the time we were there. It was peaceful, beautiful and magical – even though it was very, very cold.

Again I was reminded of Keats's poem and in my mind's eye "I saw pale kings and princes too". It was easy to imagine that we had somehow stepped out of the everyday world and crossed into the land of Avalon where knights in armour still quested for the Grail, King Arthur lay sleeping and a merciless fairy enchantresses could entice lonely travellers with her beauty to keep them in her thrall.

The only thing that marred the site was the inevitable discarded litter. Now I guess it is possible that the squashed cardboard cup I photographed was in fact the Holy Grail heavily in disguise – and indeed my idea of what the Grail might serve could well be a hot cinnamon latte – but frankly I doubt it.

My only regret was not bringing a bin sack to clear up other people’s rubbish as my gift to the sacred and magical site before I left.

Links and previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/11/londons-camelot-and-secrets-of-grail.html
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/our-planning-role/greater-london-archaeology-advisory-service/sitevisits/sitesvisit/475856/
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2012/12/pagan-eye-view-over-camelot.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Belle_Dame_sans_Merci
The Owl Service