Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

I would like to talk a little bit about another fascinating place that I have visited, full of high levels of energy, interesting people, and all sorts of magic: Glastonbury, England.

People have been visiting Glastonbury for thousands of years. While it might be more popular now for the big music festival that it hosts, it’s been important for travelers for a variety of reasons over the centuries.

What I find interesting about it today is that it draws Christians and Pagans alike. There is a very welcoming vibe there, regardless as to what religion you practice, and even the shops there seem to get in on it. You can walk into some shops, for instance, and find crystal balls and herbs on one side of the store and Bibles and rosaries on the other. Fascinating. I have also witnessed both Pagan marches and Christian marches while I was there-both peaceful.

So what brings people to Glastonbury?

You have probably heard of the stories of King Arthur. You might even know a little bit about a place called Avalon. Avalon was a land that used to exist in our dimension. It was a magical place where priests and priestesses that worshipped the Goddess lived, studied, and worshipped. They also practiced magick. Although they were priests, they didn’t shun sexual relations and in fact, even though they didn’t normally take on life partners they were very receptive to children and mating. The women were educated and talented and practiced the “old ways” long before they were called “old ways.”

Over time, however, fewer and fewer people believed in Goddess worship and Avalon started slipping behind heavy fogs. Eventually, the only way that you could find it was to study hard, believe in it, and have enough power to part the fog as you sailed across the lake in a boat. Ultimately, Avalon disappeared entirely and went beyond our reality and dimension, although it is said to still exist somewhere out there. It’s a beautiful idea.

King Arthur was meant to have ties to Avalon. It was thought that he might have studied there and that Morgaine (most commonly known as the witch “Morgan le Fey”) was his sister. She also lived in Avalon.

Today, it is widely accepted that Glastonbury is actually Avalon in a parallel universe. Studies have shown that the famous Glastonbury Tor has been linked to one of the holy hills in Avalon and that the sacred city might have been in the same spot. So what about the lake? Well, there really used to be a lake there and if you go atop the Tor in the early morning or evening hours on a foggy day you can even see how the lake might have laid below the hilltops.

There are other reasons to Glastonbury, too. Joseph of Arimathea was said to have visited there and a Holy Thorn Tree still exists in the Chalice Garden. The Chalice Garden, incidentally, is where the Holy Grail is said to be buried. A landscape zodiac is present around the town and there are also several ley lines there, too. The Glastonbury Abbey is meant to be the oldest above-ground church in the world. One of the most popular things is the labyrinth which circles around the Tor.

I have several favorite places around Glastonbury. The Tor is free to visit and while I haven’t done the labyrinth, I love walking up to the top of it (although it is a steep walk) and meditating. I visited it on All Hallow’s Eve and there were many groups and solitary practitioners there on the Tor conducting rituals and spells. It was a lovely time to be there.

I also like the Chalice Garden for meditating. Many people visit it for the healing properties that the water from the well is said to hold. The well is around 9 feet deep and has 2 underground chambers below it. The well itself is sometimes portrayed as the female deity while the Tor is the male aspect.

In 2002, the Glastonbury Goddess Temple was established. There are few places like it in the world and it hearkens back to the days when Goddess worship was prevalent in Avalon.

I have felt immense power and energy while in Glastonbury, regardless to the time of year that I have been there. It’s a beautiful and peaceful place and somewhere that you can visit and spend a lot of time listening to your inner self. Although I haven’t been able to part the fog and enter Avalon myself, I have had many lucid dreams while visiting. I’ve also had amazing energy while performing rituals there and have even walked away feeling a little bit drained afterwards.

If you do manage to make it to Glastonbury then I highly urge you to visit nearby Avebury as well. Though not as famous as Stonehenge (which is also close) you might come away liking it even better since you are actually able to touch the stones and hug them and even feel them pulsating.

I wish you happy and safe travels during your journey, wherever the road may lead you.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”