Yeah Maaannn! Glastonbury!

This is my favourite place on the planet.  I have loved Glastonbury for over a decade.  I have never been to the Festival though, I think I am too old, unless I was 'Glamping' with my own porta loo!  I first visited Glastonbury on my birthday when Henry was about three, he was very cute back then.  He trudged up the Tor singing 'Happy Birthday' and 'I love my Mom' songs.  It melted my heart.  He still loves the Tor and is always happy there with good energy.  I have visited Glastonbury many times with and without the children.   I have stayed at The Shambhala twice,  for two day breaks and walked up the Tor alone, for Sunrise which was blissful and sunset which was blissful.  The last couple of times I have been to Glastonbury I just couldn't make it up the Tor.  My energy just wasn't there.  Euan was born with a club foot and has had three or four operations, he is fine and surgery has worked really well so far, but I am always conscious of him doing too much and I worry when he says his foot hurts, so we have played at the bottom of the Tor while Henry has made light work of going up and down and up and down!  I have a few problems with general fitness, extra weight doesn't help, my back is dodgey and my knees often ache.  I love this hill.  This time I was determined to make it to the top and so was Euan.

  Euan and Henry carried on without me, I used Lacey to pull me up!  I counted steps, I sat in peculiar places and regained my breath four times!  I cursed a little and met a few of my demons, but somehow I wheezed and puffed my way to the top!  It was like meeting an old friend again.  I must get fitter!  Euan was absolutely fine and very pleased with himself.  It was great to take Lacey to the top too (or rather she took me!)

I love this poem too:  'Jerusalem' by William Blake;

 "The poem was inspired by the apocryphal story that a young Jesus, accompanied by his uncle Joseph of Arimathea, travelled to the area that is now England and visited Glastonbury.^[2] The legend is linked to an idea in the Book of Revelation (3:12 and 21:2) describing a Second Coming, wherein Jesus establishes a new Jerusalem. The Christian church in general, and the English Church in particular, used Jerusalem as a metaphor for Heaven, a place of universal love and peace.^[3]

In the most common interpretation of the poem, Blake implies that a visit of Jesus would briefly create heaven in England, in contrast to the "dark Satanic Mills" of the Industrial Revolution. Analysts note that Blake asks four questions rather than asserting the historical truth of Christ's visit; According to this view, the poem says that there may, or may not, have been a divine visit, when there was briefly heaven in England. But that was then; now, we are faced with the challenge of creating such a country once again.^{[4][5]"  (Wikipedia)}

And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon England's mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land


I cant explain what it is about this hill, it has many myths and legends about it.  'The Ancient Isle of Avalon', 'The Home of the Fairy King', 'A place where Dragons Sleep', 'The Heart Chakra of the Planet', 'Part of an Ancient and enormous Astrological Map', 'An Elysium, where the veil is thin between this world and other worlds'.  It really depends on what you read...  To me the energy is tangible.  It is simply a fantastic place.  It draws many 'Pilgrims' from all over the globe.

The humped hill you can see in the centre if this picture is Wearyall Hill  It is suppose to be the place where Joseph of Arimathea stuck his staff in the ground and from it grew 'The Holy Thorn'.  In recent years ( the last couple of years) this alleged 'Holy thorn' tree has been victim to brutal vandalism, chopping and burning which is very sad.  There is an off cut that grows in the grounds of the ruins of 'Glastonbury Abbey' that flowers each 'Christmas'.  Glastonbury Abbey is also said to be the burial place of 'King Arthur and Guinevere'.  Of course Merlin is asleep in a cave within the Tor.  He will return!

I took my own 'Glastonbury Love heart' picture.

This is one of the clearer carvings on the tower, it is 'Saint Brigid' milking her 'Holy Cow'.  Saint Brigid and the pagan Goddess Brigid are often taken as the same person.  Glastonbury Abbey was said to be the site of a major, ancient Druid centre, prior to becoming the site of the The first Christian Church in England.  Whatever your beliefs Glastonbury has been a major spiritual Centre for thousands of years.

At the foot of the Tor are two Holy Springs, This is the White Spring and across the road is 'The Red Spring or The Blood Spring'.  It is believed by many that the water has healing properties.  It sure is refreshing anyway after puffing and panting your way up the hill.  I like to have a slurp from both.  People tie little 'prayer' rags and ribbons around the springs and in the nearby trees.  There were also little 'corn dollies' decorating the spring.  It is said these waters have never run dry and they are always pure.  Euan said it was amazing as it cured his cold, I pointed out it was the first I had heard about him having a cold!  

This is just a random shot of Glastonbury High Street many of the buildings were built using stone from the 'Dissolution of the Monastries' in 1539 when Glastonbury Abbey was destroyed.  The last Abbot, Richard Whiting resisted and was hanged. drawn and quartered as a traitor to the King Henry VIII, on Glastonbury Tor on November the 15th 1539 .  (The dog in the picture is not Lacey it is just a 'Look a likie'.) 
 For those of you that have hung on in there and actually read this rambling post I thank you and I have a little reward.  Look what I spotted in a shop window in the High Street.......

I feel a 'Mini Glasto Granny Square' Project coming on!  Oooh Fringe and all!