“Wandering restores the original harmony that once existed between humankind and the universe."
Anatole France
Mystery Teachings and
The Living Mystery
Thauma Idesthai:
Dragons, Serpents, Seers and Clear Sight
Mystery, Magic, Imagination
and the Muse
Nine Lines of Alignment:
Time to be in Time
Celtic Britain: Gods, Goddesses and Sacred Animals
The Omphalos and the Oracle:
Pythia and Potnia
Crete
Horsewomen of the Veil
Portugal
Nature at the Centre of the Mandala
Brazil
10 Day/Night Tour and Immersion within the English Landscape and the Visionary Imagination.
Our journey begins at Avebury, site of the largest stone circle in Europe, also home to Silbury Hill, the tallest prehistoric human-made mound in Europe, and one of the largest in the world and West Kennet Burial Chamber. At these powerful sites we will explore the themes of initiation, death and rebirth, the dragon and serpent energies and the Ancient Goddess religions.
During the tour you will learn to work with power animals and tutelary spirits, or for those with previous experience, you will work more deeply with these helpers. We will explore our relationship to nature through our connections to animal powers and the powers of nature and the land, visiting the White Horse at Uffington and the neighbouring Dragon Hill, exploring the symbolism of the Blacksmith at Wayland Smithy and the shape-shifting gods and goddesses of Great Britain.
We will look specifically at the symbolism of white horses and white animals, of creatures of light and the fairy realm. We will learn techniques for calling ancestors and finding and working with power animals and tutelary spirits.
We will continue our journey visiting the majestic site of Stonehenge. Here we will learn about the symbolism of the Sun and Moon, Seasonal Cycles, Time and Eternity.
We will visit Salisbury, whose Cathedral, built in the early part of the 13th Century, and with the tallest Spire in the UK, was the subject of paintings by John Constable. We will visit the Iron Age Hill Fort of Old Sarum with its beautiful views across Wiltshire. We will learn the history of the area drawing upon the most up to date investigations and research.
We will then continue on our journey to Glastonbury, the heart of Avalon. We will visit the Tor with its magnificent views and Chalice Well. We will explore the symbolism of the Holy Grail and its relationship to the Mystery Traditions.
We will explore the concepts of seers, visionaries and oracles and you will be supported and encouraged to explore your own visionary path. We will look at the narratives of some of the many great writers who have written their own versions of the Arthurian Legends including John Steinbeck, Alfred Tennyson, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Lindsay Clarke.
We will visit the ancient trees named Gog and Magog and the deeper symbolism associated with these giants of ancient history.
Next we will visit the famous and beautiful Cheddar Gorge, inspiration for Coleridge’s “Caverns Measureless to Man” and Tolkien’s landscape for the Lord of the Rings.
Through the symbolism of wells, cauldrons and caverns, we will journey further into our own imaginative depths, invoking our own power animals, tutelary spirits or Celtic gods and goddesses to inspire and guide us. We will pass through East Coker, in Somerset, where TS Eliot’s family lived as a child and which is the title of one of his Four Quartets. Time and eternity were recurring themes within Eliot’s poems, alongside references to the Arthurian legends, the Fisher King and the Wasteland, the title of one of his famous poems.
We will then travel to Exmoor a designated Dark Sky Area, home to a large herd of red deer and the Exmoor Pony where we will walk in the footsteps of Coleridge and Wordsworth on the Quantock Hills and Exmoor Park. On Exmoor we will take some time to work further with our power animals and tutelary spirits, surrounded by the ancient woodlands and moors and its diverse wildlife.
We will then travel in to Cornwall, visiting many designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Neolithic sites. We will visit the beautiful fishing village of Boscastle, the nearby Witchcraft Museum, King Arthur’s Stone and Tintagel Castle.
Then we will travel onwards to the tip of Cornwall where we will spend two days visiting St Ives, St Michael’s Mount and ancient sites including the Merry Maidens of Boleigh, Boscawen Un, Men-An-Tol, Lanyon Quoit and the Carn Euny Settlement.
On our way back we will spend a day on the evocative and beautiful Bodmin Moor, visiting the Hurlers Stone Circle.
Excavations have uncovered a Bronze Age pathway connecting two of the circles. It is suggested that the circles align with Orion at the Winter Solstice. We will then visit the nearby Trethevy Quoit, King Arthur’s Hall and the Trippet Stones. Here there will be further opportunities to spend time in meditation and vision seeking.
We will then spend a day on Dartmoor where we will visit several of its stone circles including Merrivale, Scorhill, Grey Wethers, as well as Wistman’s Wood. This is a stunning, enchanting native upland oak woodland associated in legend with the Wild Hunt.
We will end our journey in the University town on Oxford, where many writers have drawn inspiration including of course a Philip Pullman, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and Lewis Caroll. From here you we can take you back to your airport or you may choose to extend your stay here as there are excellent transport links to London, and to Heathrow and Gatwick. If you would like additional information on places to visit in the Oxfordshire area, then please do not hesitate to ask.
Accommodation will be in a combination of hotels, and private homes with secluded private grounds and open fires.
You will have plenty of opportunity to sample good quality produce including local cheeses, traditional cream teas, jams and preserves, as well as organically grown vegetables. All food provided will be locally sourced and organic where possible.
In the evenings there will be the further optional opportunity to spend more time in structured group shamanic and journeying and/or exploring your own interests. If you have a particular interest, for example in landscape photography, fine art, literature, pottery, particular birds or animals, plants, gardens, horse-riding, falconry, surfing, etc, etc then please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate, either as an extension of the tour, or as an optional extra.
A number of specialist guest speakers, eminent in their field, will be arranged. Details will be provided closer to the time, and will be arranged to match special interests and requests, so please let us know your preferences.
What is included:-
What is not included:-
Tour fee:-
Marcel Proust
