Dolmen Grove Issue 4

THE DOLMEN GROVE ISSUE 4

WWW.DOLMENGROVE.CO.UK

UNITED PAGAN PATHS

THE DOLMEN GROVE “Respect and care for the elders for they have aged with the wisdom of time “ Taloch The Dolmen Grove is a non political organisation; preferring to concentrate upon the quest for spiritual enlightenment and the manifestation of peace within a power hungry world of chaos.

The Dolmen Grove was originally formed in Dorset England where it still has its main H.Q. existing as a Spiritual meeting place for people of all nationalities, and over the years has grown steadily with membership now spanning several continents.

At the centre of The Dolmen Grove is the round table. This is made up of a group of people from all walks of life, following a variety of spiritual paths. These individuals get together once a month to plan and organize events, and gatherings.

Because these people give both their time and energy voluntarily the hopes and dreams of The Dolmen Grove continue to be recognized.

The Dolmen Grove do not have a hierarchy because we do not believe people need titles or labels in order to practice a spiritual path. However we do believe in spirituality based upon love, kindness and an open heart. We are fully aware that this policy which is upheld by the Roundtable of The Grove has upset people in the past and will no doubt continue to do so.

It is NOT our intention to offend anyone and we do not condemn those who wish to use such titles, and we shall continue to welcome all spiritually minded people seeking to enjoy good friendship with good souls who share a common interest.

The Dolmen Grove Banner - A Symbol of Unity

ALL ARE SPITITUALLY UNITED WITHIN THE DOLMEN GROVE

CONTENTS 1...A Spiritual Experience (Stanton Drew) – by Denny Bottley 2...Dates to Remember 3...Near Death Experience – by Diane Narraway with contributions from; Denny Bottley, Lee Teiwaz Akasha, Denise Alana Wyatt, Sue Aridas and Taloch Jameson.

4...Poetry from Within the Grove 5...Universal Consciousness (Life is a Magical Gift) – by Lucinda Crowther 6...A Day in the Life of – Kate Brown-Gurley 7...Diary of the Hedgewitch – by Rachael Moss 8...Recipes 9...The Dolmen – Tour Dates 10... The Storm has Arrived (album review) – by Diane Narraway 11... 3 Wishes Faery Fest Advert by Linda Ravenscroft with Dolmen photos by R.Ford

12...More Magic and Mystery from Spriggan Mist (Soul Retriever album review) – by Diane Narraway

13...Ceremonies and Celebrations featuring Spring equinox Witches Circle – by Scott Irvine

14...Connecting to our Roots – by Marloes Visser 15...Dolmen Grove Moots 16...Adverts Photos by...Laura Edwards,Jess Stephens, Rachael Moss, R Ford, Sue Dignum, Chris Hermon, Duncan Wilde, Mark Vine, Scott Irvine and Marloes Visser with profile pictures courtesy of Denny Bottley, Kate Gurley-Brown, Taloch Jameson, Sue Aridas, Lee Teiwaz Akasha and Denise Alana Wyatt.

Further information can be found at: www.Dolmengrove.co.uk http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolmen-Grove/110124449082503 All information is accurate at the time of publication and all articles are assumed to be the work of those being credited.

A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE... STANTON DREW CIRCLE CHEW VALLEY, SOMERSET

by Denny Botley (Ravenswing) On the 1st August, a beautiful Lammas morning, me and my husband Steve ventured out to Stanton Drew from our base camp in Glastonbury to attend a Lammas picnic with our wonderful friends the 'Dolmen Grove'.

Located approx 7 miles south of Bristol, and 10 miles west of Bath, we arrived at our destination.

The day was sweltering hot and so peaceful. The air was absolutely still - I have to say, I have never experienced a place that serene! Once we had parked we discovered the local pub - well the heat of the day contributed to our curiosity (Tee hee).

Interestingly, and aptly named the 'Druid's Arms' Welcoming, quaint and indeed a good pint!

Within the garden of the Druid's Arms, sits three relatively large stones, known as the 'Cove', so hence the pub's emergence became somewhat incorporated within this remarkable stone circle. I highly recommend a visit to this lovely little Inn, full of 'Old World' charm together with wonderful vibes. After walking from the pub along winding country lanes, we approached the entrance to Stanton Drew circle within a small cul-de-sac.

Respectfully, we left a contribution in the box provided for English Heritage, and took our complimentary information leaflet. We promptly began to walk alongside farm buildings where the dairy cows came out to greet us with a loud moo!!

As we approached the circle, I was absolutely blown away by the sheer magnificence and scale of the circle, it was vast! Comprising of three stone circles, to which the central ‘Great Circle' measured 372 feet in diameter, encompassing a staggering two and a half acres. In

comparison,this is approximately the same size as Avebury outer circle, making Stanton Drew the 2nd largest stone circle in Britain.

Dating to around 2,700 B.C. making it an early Bronze Age construction...The circle was originally comprised of 30 standing stones, of which there are now only 3 remaining upright and these alone weigh an estimated 20 tons.

In terms of the geological composition of the stone, two are Sarsens, with the remainder being comprised of Dolomite and various other minerals including Quartz, which adds to the immense energy within the circle.

My own experience of sitting amongst these ancient sacred stones was one of total peace and tranquillity. The landscape has remained remarkably unspoilt and I could have been whisked back in time a couple of hundred years – and everything would still have looked the same.

The energy was magnetic - drawing me into the circle, leaving me feeling contented, humble, refreshed and more importantly 'Whole'. One could really sense the ancestors on the wind - as they rustled through the trees to convey their blessings to all those present. There was a real sense of being comforted.

Suffice to say, Steve and myself were reluctant to leave –In fact we stayed there for hours! The atmosphere was so magical as well as intensely gripping...the past activities of Stanton Drew could be felt all around us - while time stood still long enough for me to peek into our ancient times, and connect to the earth as they did. Ultimately, I

realised our time is so short, and we are only the 'Caretakers' of such wonderful monuments. It is our duty to preserve these 'Ancestral' homes for future generations. For that moment, a sense of responsibility presided along with a hint of melancholy at the elemental decline of this great circle.

A short distance away from the Great Circle lays the much smaller South-West Circle which sits on private land and measures approx 145 feet in diameter.

Hypothetically, as with most stone circles, astronomical influences pertain–in relation to the alignment of the stones.

The North-East Circle together with the Central and 'Cove' all stand on the same SW-NE line.

However, the South-West Circle, the Central Circle and 'Hautville's Quoit' are situated on another line through from SSW-NNE. Indeed, from my research into this particular stone, I have found it probably symbolised a vital cosmological significance in correlation with a potential entrance to the circle.

Chiefly, Hautville's Quoit lies 360m NNE of the Great Central Circle and measures 10 feet in height, and weighs approximately35 tons.

Paradoxically, astral observances formed great causal connotations as to how the stones were positioned on the landscape. Remarkably, every aspect from size and quantity as well as elemental location were all considered.

Essentially, Stanton Drew circle provided its people with a communal place of worship in conjunction with their social gatherings. Here, significant rituals were honoured - Rites of passage (couples union, birth, death), celebrations relating to the sacred wheel e.g. Equinox's and Solstice's and according to local legends fertility rites featured very prominently here.

Within a level meadow, the Great Central Circle sits, just above the Chew floodplain with the perimeter nestling some 40m to the north...Leading to the north-east there is an avenue of stones which completes the fusion between the

water meadows and central circle...At the northeast end of the stone avenue, sits the North-East Circle which has badly gnarled and ruined stones.

Here, we have a significantly smaller circle - some 30m in diameter, comprising of just eight stones, alas only four now remain standing.

Initially, with both the Great Circle and the northeast stones, there suggests a distinct connection, specifically in relation to the River Chew. It is reasonable to assume that water represented a vital role within spiritual realms amongst the people who constructed Stanton Drew - Resembling closely the potential relationship between Stonehenge and the River Avon.

In an adjacent small meadow, a short distance from the Central Circle sits the South-West Circle, in order to obtain access we had to climb a tiny stile. Here, we found a monument on a southern slope, measuring approximately 40-43m in diameter and comprising of around 11 or 12 stones none of which remain upright.

Historically, Stanton Drew circles have attracted limited archaeological interest.

In 1664 John Aubrey produced his own in depth theory, followed by later studies from William Stukeley in 1776 and recent research has sadly been non-existent.

In addition, in terms of archaeological excavations, there are no signs of any major archaeological investigations.

However, contemporary developments suggest English Heritage have now commenced its own geophysical studies of Stanton Drew.

These magnificent late Neolithic stones are definitely worth a visit - The Chew landscape is both tranquil and mesmerising. Here, one can totally 'Bond' with nature, human realisation and ultimately our 'Ancient Past'. Indeed, take the opportunity... Not only to view these wonderful stones, but to soak up the ancient energies...Visualise our ancestors working the land going about their daily routine, endeavour to convey to them our adoration for this astonishing monument... Enjoy!! (Small tip.. take your WELLIES!!!!)

DATES TO REMEMBER Tribal Dreams Camp...

Friday 24th August – Sunday 26th August inclusive Rodden Farm, Rodden, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 4JE

Camp closes around lunchtime on Monday 27th

Ticket Prices...Grove Members £25.00 Non Grove Members £35.00 Youth Tickets age 13 – 15 years £13.00 Family Ticket 2 adults and 3 children £60.00 Family Ticket single parent and 3 children £35.00 DAY TICKETS ...Grove Members £10.00 Non Grove Members £15.00 TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON...

MIDSUMMER OPEN ACCESS AT STONEHENGE

Car park opens to the public 20th June 2012 at 7.30pm Car park to be vacated 21st June 12noon

Investigating NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE

By Diane Narraway ‘Near death experience’ has been the subject of controversy for many years.

Although I personally have never experienced this I have always struggled with the term ‘near death experience’ viewing it as something of a misnomer...If not somewhat insulting to those involved because the whole point is that these experiences occur after death.

Near death to me has always implied that ‘life flashing before the eyes’ experience of those just before they die...or if you prefer those ‘near death’.

For me these people who have experienced death are among a very select group who have glimpsed ‘The Afterlife’. In the ancient world they would be the subjects of great stories....at the very least spiritual leaders, and/or teachers revered for their knowledge and insight.

These days however while science still remains unable to find a rational explanation for this phenomena, those brave souls willing to tell their stories are all too often seen as delusional crackpots, while near death experience itself continues to be viewed as an unexplained occurrence.......A paranormal event.

I am not suggesting that they should be elevated to a Godlike status or that we should sit down to write the book of ‘Joe Bloggs’ etc. I am merely pointing out that they do have something very valuable to share ...A first- hand account of the afterlife.

To claim that NO research is being done would also be grossly inaccurate, there is extensive research being done by several organisations and individuals including the International Association for ‘Near-death Studies’ which was set up in 1981. This is an international organization which encourages both scientific research and education on the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual effects of those who have had near death experiences.

The results of their research can be seen in the journal of near death studies ...A peer reviewed publication detailing research from several disciplines.

It would also be unfair to claim that science in any way trying to dismiss or discredit near death experience. It is not.

It is simply trying to find rational, biological answers to what appears to be an irrational, illogical phenomenon.

There have been suggestions that cultural and/or spiritual beliefs have some bearing on what is experienced or how it is viewed afterwards. I would imagine that these differences would be negligible in as much as it is irrelevant whether the individual claims they saw an angel, a god, their ancestors or aliens. They saw beings that looked different to ‘common or garden’ humans. Also exactly what effect a near death experience has on the individual regarding how their outlook on life or death changes afterwards is equally irrelevant. If their outlook has changed it doesn’t much matter how it is different...The important part is that it has changed and that it is different.

It seemed worthwhile to look at what common occurrences were being reported by those who had already experienced death...

The following list covers the range of experiences commonly described by people who have had ‘near death experiences’.

1...A sense/awareness of being dead 2...A feeling of peace, well-being and painlessness accompanied by a feeling of being removed from the world.

3...An out of body experience, often involving a sense of looking down on one’s body accompanied by descriptions of medical procedures/resuscitation efforts.

4...A "tunnel experience". A sense of moving up/ through, a passageway or staircase usually towards a light.

5...Being completely enveloped in or communicating with a brilliant light (usually this light is white) 6...A feeling of intense and totally unconditional love 7...Coming across spiritual beings either made of light or dressed in white. These are commonly described as ‘angels or spirits’.....These may include relatives or deities.

8...Either looking back over their life or occasionally people claim to have been shown their future life.

9...A profound awareness or deep understanding concerning the mysteries of the universe.

10...Usually they are unwilling to return to their body quite often the decision to return appears to have been made by other beings...Occasionally the deceased makes the decision to return to their body but even then it is accompanied by a sense of reluctance.

11...The feeling of approaching a barrier/border.

Ancient accounts of Near Death Experiences Of course near death experiences are not a new thing, with the earliest recorded account of a ‘near death experience’ can be found in the Myth of Er recounted in Platos Republic.

It tells the story of Er, the son of Armenius, who was born in the city of Pamphylia. He was killed in battle, and despite his body apparently showing no signs of decay, was brought home for burial ten days later.

It was on the twelfth day, as he was lying on the funeral pile, that he miraculously returned to life and told them what he had seen in the other world.

He said that his soul left his body and along with many other souls went on a journey, and that they came to a mysterious place where there were two openings in the earth next to each other.

Above and against them were two other openings into heaven. In the space between sat judges who decided whether a soul could ascend to heaven on the right hand or descend the left hand. These souls also bore the symbols of their deeds, fastened upon their backs.

When he got closer they told him that he was to be messenger who would tell the living what he had experienced, thereby instructing him to take notice of all that he could see and hear. Then he looked and saw on one side souls departing from both heaven and earth when sentence had been passed on them; and at the two other openings souls ascended out of the earth dusty and worn with travel, while others descended out of heaven clean and bright.

by the way. The souls from below wept as they sorrowfully remembered the things which they had endured and seen in their journey beneath the earth....

(Their journey had lasted a thousand years), while those from above described heavenly delights and visions of inconceivable beauty. The Story, Glaucon, would take too long to tell; but the sum was this: -- He said that for every wrong which they had done to any one they suffered tenfold.

This was a thousand year sentence based on the lifespan being a hundred years or once in a hundred years.

E.g. If there were any who had been the cause of many deaths, or had betrayed or enslaved cities or armies, or been guilty of any other evil behaviour, for each and all of their offences they received punishment ten times over.

The rewards of kindness, justice and holiness were in the same proportion.

For those who were disrespectful to their gods and parents, or those who committed murder, there were other far greater retributions.

It also seems reasonable to add there are also portions of the book of Enoch which could easily describe a ‘near death’ out of body experience.

For those who haven’t read it, Enoch is the great grandfather of the biblical Noah, and the book recounts several great mysteries unknown to man that were shown to Enoch by the sons of God (angels).

Every now and then they arrived, and it seemed as if they had been on a long journey, as they went happily into the meadow, where they camped as if they were at a festival. Embracing and talking with those they knew.

He is shown astronomical secrets, the four archangels, the fall of the watchers (the angels who came to earth and fathered the nephilim), amongst others.

The souls which came from earth curiously enquiring about the things above, and the souls which came from heaven about the things beneath.

And they told one another of what had happened

Both the book of Enoch and the myth of Er share the ideas of angelic beings showing them the mysteries of another world, as well as the concept

that they are the ones chosen to relay that which they have been shown to those still living.

St Paul is the only biblical account that is often cited as a near death experience...although it does not state that Paul died it does tell of a vision with distinct similarities to a near death experience.

Although it is related in the third person, it is generally considered that Paul is relating his own experience The following account by St Paul also draws on the idea of being shown information generally unavailable to the living as well as the sense of being out of body.

This is taken from the easy to read version...

2 Corinthians 12:2 1

There is more that I have to say about myself. It won’t help, but I will talk now about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who was taken up to the third heaven. This happened 14 years ago. I don’t know if the man was in his body or out of his body, but God knows. 3-4 And I know that this man was taken up to paradise. I don’t know if he was in his body or away from his body, but he heard things that he is not able to explain. He heard things that no one is allowed to tell.

Copyright © 2006 by World Bible Translation Centre

Famous Accounts of Near Death Experiences We all know that fame is a fickle mistress and celebrities are constantly finding new and inventive ways of maintaining the limelight. It is unlikely though given the era and the magnitude of the celebrities in question that these accounts are just publicity stunts.

In 1964 Peter Sellers was pronounced clinically dead when his heart stopped during the first of eight heart attacks. It was during this time that he had an out-of-body experience where he witnessed what he described as a beautiful bright loving white light. Sellers gave the following account...

"Well, I felt myself leave my body. I just floated out of my physical form and I saw them cart my body away to the hospital. I went with it ... I wasn't frightened or anything like that because I was fine; and it was my body that was in trouble."

Meanwhile, the doctor saw that Sellers was dead and began to massage his heart vigorously. Sellers stated, "I looked around myself and I saw an incredibly beautiful bright loving white light above me. I wanted to go to that white light more than anything. I've never wanted anything more. I know there was love, real love, on the other side of the light which was attracting me so much. It was kind and loving and I remember thinking that’s God." Sellers' out-of-body soul tried to elevate itself toward the light, but fell short.

Sellers stated, "Then I saw a hand reach through the light. I tried to touch it, to grab onto it, to clasp it so it could sweep me up and pull me through it."

But just then his heart began beating again, and at

that instant the hand's voice said, "It's not time. Go back and finish. It's not time." As the hand receded Sellers felt himself floating back down to his body, waking up bitterly disappointed.

Elizabeth Taylor explained that whilst she was clinically dead, she had encountered what she believed to be the spirit of a former husband Michael Todd who she referred to as her great love. She said that she had wanted to stay with Todd, but he had told her that she still had more of her life ahead of her. Then he "Pushed me back to my life." Following her resuscitation, the medical team which consisted of eleven people made up of both doctors nurses, witnessed the following testimonial of this event.

"I was pronounced dead once and actually saw the light. I find it very hard to talk about, actually, because it sounds so corny. It happened in the late '50s, and I saw Mike (Todd, Taylor's third husband, who was killed in a plane crash in 1958).

When I came to, there were about 11 people in the room. I'd been gone for about five minutes - they had given me up for dead and put my death notice on the wall. I shared this with the people that were in the room next to me. Then after that I told another group of friends, and I thought, "Wow, this sounds really screwy. I think I'd better keep quiet about this."

This next account is even less likely to have been fabricated as an eminent psychiatrist has a lot more to lose buy being viewed as a crackpot, and despite the public interest in ‘near death experience’, it would have been far more acceptable coming from one of his patients.

Carl Jung

It seemed to me that I was high up in space. Far below I saw the globe of the Earth, bathed in a gloriously blue light. I saw the deep blue sea and the continents. Far below my feet lay Ceylon, and in the distance ahead of me the subcontinent of India. My field of vision did not include the whole Earth, but its global shape was plainly distinguishable and its outlines shone with a silvery gleam through that wonderful blue light.

In many places the globe seemed coloured, or spotted dark green like oxidized silver. Far away to the left lay a broad expanse ...the reddishyellow desert of Arabia; It was as though the silver of the Earth had there assumed a reddishgold hue. Then came the Red Sea, and far, far back - as if in the upper left of a map - I could just make out a bit of the Mediterranean. My gaze was directed chiefly toward that. Everything else appeared indistinct. I could also see the snowcovered Himalayas, but in that direction it was foggy or cloudy. I did not look to the right at all. I knew that I was on the point of departing from the Earth.

Later I discovered how high in space one would have to be to have so extensive a view approximately a thousand miles! The sight of the Earth from this height was the most glorious thing I had ever seen.

After contemplating it for a while, I turned around. I had been standing with my back to the Indian Ocean, as it were, and my face to the north.

Then it seemed to me that I made a turn to the south. Something new entered my field of vision.

A short distance away I saw in space a tremendous dark block of stone, like a meteorite. It was about the size of my house, or even bigger. It was floating in space, and I myself was floating in space.

I had seen similar stones on the coast of the Gulf of Bengal. They were blocks of tawny granite, and some of them had been hollowed out into temples.

My stone was one such gigantic dark block. An entrance led into a small antechamber. To the right of the entrance, a black Hindu sat silently in lotus posture upon a stone bench. He wore a white gown, and I knew that he expected me. Two steps led up to this antechamber, and inside, on the left, was the gate to the temple. Innumerable tiny niches, each with a saucer-like concavity filled with coconut oil and small burning wicks, surrounded the door with a wreath of bright flames. I had once actually seen this when I visited the Temple of the Holy Tooth at Kandy in Ceylon; the gate had been framed by several rows of burning oil lamps of this sort.

As I approached the steps leading up to the entrance into the rock, a strange thing happened: I had the feeling that everything was being sloughed away; everything I aimed at or wished for or thought, the whole phantasmagoria of earthly existence, fell away or was stripped from me - an extremely painful process. Nevertheless something remained; it was as if I now carried along with me everything I had ever experienced or done, everything that had happened around me. I might also say: it was with me, and I was it.

I consisted of all that, so to speak. I consisted of my own history and I felt with great certainty: this is what I am. I am this bundle of what has been and what has been accomplished.

This experience gave me a feeling of extreme poverty, but at the same time of great fullness.

There was no longer anything I wanted or desired. I existed in an objective form; I was what I had been and lived. At first the sense of annihilation predominated, of having been

stripped or pillaged; but suddenly that became of no consequence.

Everything seemed to be past; what remained was a "fait accompli", without any reference back to what had been. There was no longer any regret that something had dropped away or been taken away. On the contrary: I had everything that I was, and that was everything.

Something else engaged my attention: as I approached the temple I had the certainty that I was about to enter an illuminated room and would meet there all those people to whom I belong in reality. There I would at last understand - this too was a certainty - what historical nexus I or my life fitted into. I would know what had been before me, why I had come into being, and where my life was flowing. My life as I lived it had often seemed to me like a story that has no beginning and end. I had the feeling that I was a historical fragment, an excerpt for which the preceding and succeeding text was missing. My life seemed to have been snipped out of a long chain of events, and many questions had remained unanswered. Why had it taken this course? Why had I brought these particular assumptions with me? What had I made of them? What will follow?

I felt sure that I would receive an answer to all the questions as soon as I entered the rock temple. There I would meet the people who knew the answer to my question about what had been before and what would come after.

While I was thinking over these matters, something happened that caught my attention.

From below, from the direction of Europe, an image floated up. It was my doctor, or rather, his likeness - framed by a golden chain or a golden laurel wreath. I knew at once: 'Aha, this is my doctor, of course, the one who has been treating me. But now he is coming in his primal form. In life he was an avatar of the temporal embodiment of the primal form, which has existed from the beginning. Now he is appearing in that primal form.'

Presumably I too was in my primal form, though this was something I did not observe but simply took for granted. As he stood before me, a mute exchange of thought took place between us. The doctor had been delegated by the Earth to deliver a message to me, to tell me that there was a protest against my going away. I had no right to leave the Earth and must return. The moment I heard that, the vision ceased.

I was profoundly disappointed, for now it all seemed to have been for nothing. The painful process of defoliation had been in vain, and I was not to be allowed to enter the temple, to join the people in whose company I belonged.

In reality, a good three weeks were still to pass before I could truly make up my mind to live again. I could not eat because all food repelled me. The view of city and mountains from my sickbed seemed to me like a painted curtain with black holes in it, or a tattered sheet of newspaper full of photographs that meant nothing.

Disappointed, I thought, "Now I must return to the "box system" again." For it seemed to me as if behind the horizon of the cosmos a threedimensional world had been artificially built up, in which each person sat by himself in a little box.

And now I should have to convince myself all over again that this was important! Life and the whole world struck me as a prison, and it bothered me beyond measure that I should again be finding all that quite in order. I had been so glad to shed it all, and now it had come about that I - along with everyone else - would again be hung up in a box by a thread.

I felt violent resistance to my doctor because he had brought me back to life. At the same time, I was worried about him. "His life is in danger, for heaven's sake! He has appeared to me in his primal form! When anybody attains this form it means he is going to die, for already he belongs to the "greater company." Suddenly the terrifying thought came to me that the doctor would have to die in my stead. I tried my best to talk to him

about it, but he did not understand me. Then I became angry with him.

In actual fact I was his last patient. On April 4, 1944 - I still remember the exact date I was allowed to sit up on the edge of my bed for the first time since the beginning of my illness, and on this same day the doctor took to his bed and did not leave it again. I heard that he was having intermittent attacks of fever. Soon afterward he died of septicaemia. He was a good doctor; there was something of the genius about him. Otherwise he would not have appeared to me as an avatar of the temporal embodiment of the primal form.

In order to summarise I have included experiences from a few members of the Dolmen Grove.

These are real people, by which I mean they are not movie stars whose credibility depends on how much the press and Hollywood love them.

It is easy to visualise faded move stars desperately clinging to the limelight. Or perhaps even how a psychiatrist however eminent may be affected by those he treated, eventually sliding into madness himself. These next few cases come from people who were just living normal lives when something abnormal happened to them.

Some of them you may even recognise...

Denny’s Story

I had a near death experience back in 1993, while I was undergoing chemotherapy for leukaemia. I was in the Royal London Hospital for an entire year. Although I was only 34 chemotherapy is a highly toxic treatment which to say the least led to severe complications. These included hepatitis, septicaemia, collapsed lungs (both) and a heart attack, all of which were down to the effects of the treatment. Anyway, one night, the doctors said my lungs were so bad, that I needed major surgery and that they would have to remove the lower part of my right lung, (hence my current breathing problems). They told me straight, that I might not survive the night. In the middle of the night they telephoned Steve and told him it was touch and go, so naturally he rushed to the hospital.

It was during this operation that I had my ‘experience’.

One minute I was on the operating table and the next I was floating above myself, looking down at what was going on. I was then whisked down this really light tunnel which freaked me out, as I SAW MY DAD ALONGSIDE ME, AS IF HE WAS IN A CAR TRAVELLING ALONG. He had died when I was 29. I kept going down this tunnel, until I reached a field, and yet again there was my dad. This time he pushed me towards what appeared to be a fence, surrounded by trees.

The next thing I knew I was in recovery!!....

Remarkably after the operation, I was told it was touch and go as to whether I would survive.

This experience has stayed with me; because for a few short moments I was dead. In fact the experience had such a profound effect on me that I even took part in a film for channel 4. These days I have to say I'm not afraid of dying... No way!!

To this day, it amazes me how I got through it all.

Anyway to cut a long story short, I had a bone marrow transplant.... and fortunately I am still here to tell the tale. .....Denny Botley

Lee,s Story

pressure dropped so low and that they almost lost me and had to bring me back to this life.

Did it change my views on life/death?

Almost 12 years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After 8 months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy I had to undergo some more surgery. I suppose my body was weak after all the treatment, but I wanted the reconstruction surgery done as soon as possible because I was so young at that stage. It happened in the November ...11 years ago.

I remember moving very slowly and peacefully through a white funnel, almost like a whirlpool. I did not see myself in the operating theatre. I just drifted off and there was stillness. The sensation I recall was reminiscent of a warm and comforting stillness within a mist. As I drifted further and further away I began to hear mumbling voices through the mist. I could see a bright crystal light shining from the other side, and in a round doorway in front of me stood the most beautiful being I have ever seen. She had long white silvery hair and was dressed all in white. She took my hand and flew away with me. We were surrounded by thousands of white birds that shone like crystals. These crystal birds were similar to, but not swans. It was so peaceful and lovely and I felt I could go with her into eternity, but she told me that I had to go back. She spoke without using words, but I could hear her. I realised she had let go of my hand and I remember falling down to a very barren place almost like a desert landscape with only dead trees in a distance. I walked over the barren soil and every time I lifted my hand towards one of the dead trees it caught fire... after that was a total blank, followed by darkness.

When I finally regained consciousness I was surrounded by the life support machines, wires and drips found in an intensive care unit. I was in the sort of excruciating pain that goes hand in hand with surgery. I can honestly say it was not nice to be back, but fortunately they started dosing me on morphine for a couple of days. When the healing process started, I learned that my blood

Yes, very much. I have always been a spiritual person and knew about the other realms, but not so vivid and intense. If you have been over to the other side, you will know that you bring something with you from that side, and life as you have always known it before will never be the same. There is always that intense longing to go back, although the gateway remains open and the other worlds are easily accessible. You no longer have any fear of death, because you know it is simply transcendence.

It was even indicated on my Astrology chart at that particular time. One of the gifts that came with me from the other side is an ancient language and I have no fear for the most maleficent spirits or entities. For some reason if I speak that language they seem to back off...and yes, they are around.

What have I learned from this experience?

I was on various different paths, but this experience brought me back to my ancestral faith.

That was my big initiation and sacrifice to my gods. The breast cancer was in my right breast, and for a year I had wandered around without a right breast before my reconstruction surgery. I learned about the sacrifice Odin had made sacrificing his right eye to the well of Mimir and Tyr... sacrificing his right hand to Fenrir. I made a sacrifice to claim back my power and to do my gods work. Akasha has always been part of my name there, but it was after this that I added Teiwaz because it symbolizes justice and warrior.

I became a full blown warrior because I went through the abyss and back and now I know there is nothing that I fear.

It was Skadi that brought me back to life and she will be there once again when it is my time to depart. I have seen my own funeral in time to come and everything will be covered in snow.

Yes, the gods and goddesses are real and in time to come we shall return to them.

Lee Teiwaz Akasha

Denise’s Story

As a child my dad was a pilot in the RAF, and as a family we were stationed in Kowloon Hong Kong.

I was a little over 9 yrs old when I got something known as ptomaine poisoning. They explained this was apparently as a result of eating too much fish, because fish retain particles of metal in their flesh.

As a result the toxins infect the blood and poison it. Anyway because of this I collapsed and was rushed to hospital where I was given two blood transfusions... The first one I have no recollection of but the second one I remember.

To this day I still recall being out of my body and looking down on myself for an instant as a child of 9 then watching myself transforming into an adult. Looking back I suppose it was a sign to tell me it was not my time to depart the world.

Denise Alanna Wyatt

Sue’s Story

It was July 13th 1990…

Thank goodness it was a Thursday and not a Friday or else it might have been a different outcome!

I was taken to a cottage type hospital, on the small Greek island of Kos where I lived, because I was having severe stomach pains which had been going on for five days or so!

The A& E department is a joke really consisting of about twenty chairs in the entrance to the hospital. There were people milling around, crying out, and it is not so clean either. Of course being summer it was uncomfortably hot in there too. I don’t remember how or why, but I was lucky enough to eventually be given a bed to lie on in a side room away from the madding crowd!

The doctor came in and out, asked various questions which were translated to me, as my Greek although not too bad, didn’t really run to medical terms.

After about an hour of being in this room, a nurse had popped in to see how I was when suddenly the pain got worse. It felt as though something had snapped inside me, and I began to scream!

Although the nurse was telling me to calm down, I knew something was seriously wrong. The nurse ran out of the door, leaving it open and I remember people in the waiting area crowding around the doorway to see where the screaming was coming from. I had never heard myself scream like that before, and hopefully I won’t ever hear it again.

The next thing I remember was that five other nurses came in, and surrounded my bed. At this point my screaming suddenly stopped and was replaced by peace, and calmness.

I found myself drifting upwards and I ended up sitting above the bed on a shelf watching the nurses trying to stick needles into my arms and legs…In fact anywhere they could. Despite all the activity my body laid still. There was no movement or reaction whatsoever to the needles being stuck in me. I can still vividly remember the calmness that came from within me and how it felt. There was neither pain nor noise.

Suddenly I felt a tapping on my shoulder and when I looked around I could see a light in the distance emanating from the end of a tunnel. It began to get closer, but I turned away from the light as I wanted to continue watching what was going on below. It was not frightening. It is impossible to describe exactly what I felt at that time although beautiful, calm, clean, serene,

peaceful, and amazing are the closest adjectives I can find, even they fall short.

While I sat on the shelf watching the nurses trying to find a usable vein I chuckled to myself on this shelf and saying no to each of their failed attempts (Unbeknown to me at that time, when you hemorrhage your veins collapse hence the problems finding one.)

The nurses tried again and again…it was as though my body was being used as a pin cushion.

And I shook my head each time one of the nurses tried a different place, saying “No …You won’t find one there”. I directed my comments to the senior nurse saying “You may as well all give up the only person that will find a vein is the doctor”.

At that moment the senior nurse sent one of the other nurses out of the room and after what seemed like an eternity, the door opened again and in rushed the doctor. He took a needle and with his first attempt he found a vein. At which point I looked over my shoulder, waved goodbye to the light that had become much closer and slowly, peacefully and calmly, I returned to my body again.

I remember feeling much calmer in myself once the doctor had got a needle into my arm.

I didn’t scream again, and the pain wasn’t as bad as it had been. It was as though I knew I had no need to be afraid anymore… I wasn’t going to die.

I could just let the nursing staff and the doctor do their jobs.

I obviously survived the traumatic experience in the hospital, the emergency operation, and went on to make a full recovery. It turned out that the doctor had to read a book on how to perform this type of operation, as there was no time to fly me to Athens. Until I showed up all he knew how to do was to remove appendices. It turned out that I had suffered a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and was basically bleeding to death, so that Doctor did indeed save my life.

I remember the senior nurse talking to me the first night after the surgery. Apparently she was paid

to sit and watch over me, as there was no intensive care or recovery wards in that hospital. According to that nurse there was someone up there watching over me, which she believed was Maria (UK version is Mary). She also said that it obviously wasn’t my time to go. Over the week I spent there most of the staff came to visit me, as they thought it was a miracle I was still here! In those days I had no real drawing to any particular churches or to any particular spiritual beliefs, so when the hospital staff called me Lazarus, I had no idea what they were talking about. However someone explained it to me in a few days later.

After experiencing my out of body experience, it made me look at life in a different way. It gave me the courage to look at my life and to say no! I didn’t have to put up with the mental abuse I was suffering at the hands of my Greek husband although it took me a lot of planning.

Ironically it was exactly a year to the date after my out of body experience, that I packed my bags and after secretly arranging flights back home, the following morning I flew back to the UK with my son. I kept using the courage I had gained from my experience, to help me cope with the worry of trying to catch three flights, whilst traveling alone with a small child. I knew I could be stopped at any time up until I was back on British soil! I still draw on that courage even now to deal with situations that crop up from time to time.

I still remember my out of body experience clearly even thought it was twenty one years ago. I am not afraid of dying as I know it will happen to us all, but not until it is our designated time to go. I was just lucky that it wasn’t my time in 1990.

Sue Aridas

Having delved a little deeper into this phenomenon it becomes even more apparent that whatever the reason the merest brush with death has a profound effect on the individual concerned.

Having a much larger effect on how they live their lives with death seeming less significant.

As a contrast to the previous accounts given by those who have shared their experiences...This following article takes us somewhere between the ‘Life flashing before the eyes near death’ and the ‘Out of body Near Death’ It is a very matter of fact account in which Taloch presents both a scientific and spiritual approach to his near death experience. I have chosen to close with ‘Talochs story’ because there is no better conclusion to this article than his closing words!

Talochs Story

was coming along. In order to check its stability he jumped on the surface above where I was digging, and with it being a sand bank the whole lot of course collapsed on top of me.

I was completely compressed by the sheer weight of the sand etc. being buried approximately 3 ½ 4ft deep and 2 ½ ft in from the Cliffside partially as on top of what we had dug out there was also subsidence.

Immediately both my brothers went into ‘Shock mode’ and whilst my older brother instantly began trying to dig me out, the other ran to get help.

Fortunately there was a young chap walking his dog nearby, who quickly realising there was a boy buried alive rushed to help. Surprisingly he managed to dig far enough to grab my lower legs and ankles. This alone was quite an achievement considering the amount of weight on top of me.

I recall him telling my mother later that something had come over him that made him go into ‘Super drive’ so that he had been able to rescue me.

There is no way of knowing exactly how long I was trapped, but in order for my brother to get help and the time it would take someone to dig me out ....I was buried there for a few minutes in total darkness, crushed and unable to breathe. My rescuer had half expected to find me dead!

When I was 11 years old we lived in a small coastal village on the island of Anglesey just off North Wales.

Situated in our village was a small cove, around which was a small uprising, made up mainly of sand upon rock with grass and fields on top. As with most villages there wasn’t a great deal on offer for the youth, so at best we were left to our own devices when it came to entertainment.

Being of the age when one felt the irresistible need to build dens, we decided it would be a great idea to build one into the cliff front. We had no tools but we managed to dig out a fair sized cavity using just our bare hands and a stone.

Being my turn to dig I crawled inside and was ‘Digging away like a little miner’ when my older brother thought he would go on top to see how it

Of course when I was pulled out I wasn’t breathing and all the sand had to be removed from my airways in order for him to perform ‘Mouth to mouth resuscitation’. From my point of view it had seemed as though one minute I was in a cavity digging and the next this massive weight had in one rapid movement completely and utterly collapsed on top of me.

I was unable to see, cry, breathe or even move my fingers...I do not recall being afraid and the first sensation I can recall clearly was visual...I remember everything was flashing from pitch black to white repeatedly. It was very similar to a strobe. When that stopped there was a strange sensation which felt as though fluid was being poured around the inside of my head underneath my skin. I cannot recall this sensation stopping... I believe it was probably due to

chemical changes within the brain due to lack of air etc.

seagull certainly has become the messenger between the realms.

Within the dream state which I had fallen into due to being crushed and the lack of air there were varying images, one being of a seagull squawking on the Cliffside above me. Once I had been dragged out and the breath of life returned to me, everything began to come back to me.

As I previously mentioned it was my perception that changed that day, and the results of this change were noticeable more in the psychic aspect of my existence.

The change has become manifest when entering the realms of communion by which one seeks to quell the driving need to find answers to questions that in all honesty have such little importance here in the mundane world except for when they are answered.. . As all seekers of sacred knowledge we rely upon our perception as a tool to focusing and understanding the imagination when it is put to work.

It is my belief that the near death experience caused enough change within the active consciousness of the 11 year old boy to promote...firstly a magical quest and secondly an innocent psychic effect that would allow certain ethereal sights to be absorbed and translated.

I consider the whole experience as ‘Near death’, because from the moment the sand collapsed I was unable to breathe and as a result my body went through a range of experiences caused by my slow suffocation, I was dying.

This experience not only had the expected dramatic after effects for a few days, but more importantly it changed the course of my life...

There is of course the lasting fear of enclosed space which is common to those who have experienced such trauma but I believe there is a more subtle repercussion to the event and that is my perception of inner space was altered or rebooted.

Where we lived people were either Baptist or Methodist. The exception to this was my headmaster who was a Druid. When I say Druid I refer to the eisteddfod types that have been working towards the poetical and melodic revival of the arts over the last three hundred years. On a spiritual level he was a wealth of information, and would always encourage us to find one’s own way whilst developing spiritually.

I remember discussing my ‘Near Death’ experience with him, and him telling me that I was very fortunate as the seagull would be my lifelong friend. Although I never really understood him at the time due to age, I do now and for me the

Summary In a nutshell I would say that as a result to the experience as a whole, I as an individual have come to know we are not alone in this realm, we also have the ability to see and access other realms of existence and that the universe created intelligent form in many guises and we are just one of them.

We have no limits as to where we can go and what we can accomplish throughout our existence as free spirits of the universe in this world or those realms and worlds to come. As all spirits we are on a journey of discovery, there is no death there is no birth and most importantly there is no rush.

Taloch Jameson

Poetry From Within the Grove Herne the Hunter I sleep, I hear him, I feel him, My body covered by his protective mane, Touching me, caressing me, speaking my name, The smell of the forest is in the air, Call his name do I dare?

Herne I call, is that you?

It is I, he answers strong and true, I feel his kiss upon my lips, And on my cheek his fingertips, Is this real, I do not know But never to end, please make it so I open my eyes to gaze at you, But only shadows remain in the hue, For Hunters Moon, it is once more, And on the wind your mighty roar, The hunt I hear on this night, But return you will before first light, For with you, I give my love to take, And there you will be when I wake!

By Tracey Moon

Holy Sonnet Why not my words then, my lady, my lord?

Why not my breath took shape upon the air and breathed in you? On days like this I want to write love-letters. But this is not for you little heathen. For who are you to place yourself in a love-scene with your maker, with the life of the universe? Better send cards and roses unrequited. Save some face.

Belief is nothing. Some things my bones know.

I dare disturb- I'd kiss you if I could though I can find no place for my lived prayernot in circle or church. Nothing to show, no now known path will dance me through the wood to blush when air's bright hands run through my hair.

A twist on the Christian tradition of the Holy Sonnet, after John Donne, which use the sonnet form to write a kind of love-letter to God. The intimacy and immediacy of the form has always struck me as suited to the pagan way of relating to spirit.

By Grace Hawley

The Proud Willow Slowly she drifts though each room, her sadness lays like a heavey hand upon your heart! always searching,searching! why is she so cold ! there is no warmth in her life, is this her punishment! condemed to this lonely cold life of such! never again to hold the man she loves in her arms, never to feel the warmth of his kisses, to live this life of purgery. she sighs to herself and continues to search, as she enters the kitchen she sees him, in a heart stopping moment she is in real time, she goes towards him, her heartbursting with love and sorrow! she holds out her hands! the man lifts his head from the table, his eyes red and heavy with despair, he looks towards her and smiles, he whispers he loves her! she lightly touches his face with a gossamer touch, so light he barely feels it, but he knows it is her, he whispers goodbye. with tears in his eyes he says his last goodbye, she turn, tears in her eyes, and looks at the man she has loved for so long, for the last time. she drifts away and enters the light, and now the man is at peace, knowing she has at last reached her own peace. maybe, just maybe he will see her again he holds that hope in his heart, it is all he has left .

By Sue Dignum

Song of the Phoenix

Beltane Fire.

A burning Iridescent blaze, Of glorious colour Marks the end of my days.

Sacred circle open wide Only old blood stand inside Timeless ritual under the moon For summer’s bounty, coming soon.

Imbued with spices Of the richest fragrance, To warm my soul And lead the dance.

Of the eternal spirit Which never dies, Despite my heartfelt Anguished cries.

When at dawns first light, My saddest song, I lament For days now gone.

As I gaze once more, Deep into the eyes, Of the icy stare Reflecting my own demise.

Until the golden rays, Of the risen sun Resurrect my song, Of days begun.

Blessed Ooser, blessed Pan Set the torches for the ancient land Jump the flames, higher and higher Bathe within the Beltane fire.

The chant begins, the energies rise Power fills the midnight skies Round and round the circle turns Faster, as the Wickerman burns.

Blessed Brighid, Blessed Herne Watching as the seasons turn Jump the flames, higher and higher Bathe within the Beltane fire.

Work the magick, set it free From dark woods to the wild sea From old stone castle to high town wall The summer beckons for one and all

By Mark Vine

By Diane Narraway

Universal Consciousness...

Life is a magical gift

The following article written by Lucinda Crowther really stood out for me as one of those important pieces that highlight something which has in some way or another touched most people’s lives....Depression. I also felt that while it will hopefully offer some hope to those suffering from depression, it does also offer some insight for their families and friends.For those of us fortunate enough not to suffer with depression, it is hard to understand how those who do actually feel. I am not so ignorant as to think depression can be cured by ‘pulling yourself together’ or ‘looking on the bright side’ but there are many out there for whom these appear to be obvious solutions. This article is a valuable reminder, of something many of us take for granted ...the magical gift we call life. those who had learned to tap into the place from where "Higher Truth" comes, has now emerged and become evident in the latest scientific discoveries and is now being measured on a physical level.

All that's required is to become aware "Conscious of ” Every choice and decision you have made has brought you to this very point at this precise moment in time.

I believe that some events in life can be attributed to destiny, whereas others are just meant to happen.

Always remember, you have free will, and the choice at any given moment to determine what you do, and how to respond when the event happens.

As a spiritual being, you are the combination of all your experiences...those that are happening now, as well as those that happened in the past. It is the choices that you make as a result of these experiences, that determines the quality with which you are going

and once this crucial choice is made, simply choose to harmonize with these unwavering, changeless and ever present Universal Laws. That's what Universal Laws govern...Consciousness that is transmuted into energy. The key to experiencing harmony and fulfilment in life lies in choosing to become aware of and "consciously" harmonizing your thought, intention, and actions with these incredible Universal Laws enabling and empowering you to begin experiencing "desired" results which show up in your "physical world" as the events, conditions and circumstances experienced in each and every area of life.

to live your life.

The Universal Laws, also referred to as Spiritual Laws or Laws Of Nature are the unwavering and unchanging principles that govern every aspect of the universe and are the means by which our world and the entire cosmos continues to exist, thrive and expand.

Contrary to majority belief... Universal Laws are not

Looking back over my own life to date – I have seen some horrible traumas,, major surgeries, abusive relationships, car accidents ,death and bereavement, and the threat of homelessness. I allowed these experiences to have a big impact on my life. I became depressed, anxious and was unable to leave the house due to panic attacks.

based on theory or speculation. What at one point was believed to be only theoretical, mystical, or

Depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or

spiritual in nature and was only understood by

fed up for a few days. We all go through spells of

feeling down, but when you're depressed, you feel persistently sad for weeks or months rather than just

When you, as a spirit being, start your life here in the

a few days. Some people still think that depression is

physical world, you embark upon a predestined

trivial and not a genuine health condition.

journey. It is your choice and your free will which will determine the path you take and how fast you

They're wrong. ..Depression is a real illness with real

want to get there... Maybe you opt to take the fast

symptoms, and it's not a sign of weakness or

route, or you might meander through different side

something you can't snap out of' by 'pulling yourself

roads, checking out different perspectives and

together'. Other people do not know how to react to

experiencing all that life has to offer

you, but there is nothing nicer than friends enquiring about you.

Many of us have a tendency to listen to (or seek

Apart from a couple of friends, most of our many

approval from) other people, especially those we trust.

“friends” kept away. This made me feel worse at the

Other people, love to tell us what they think is the

time.....but I am grateful for those few that did stay in

best direction (decision or option), based upon their

touch...

own experience. Which is great, but ultimately

Thank you for your true friendship.

everything really does come down to the fact, that you are responsible for the conditions that you find

I thought that I was being “tested” or thought “why

yourself in. Blaming others ends up taking away your

does everything always happen to us”... I now believe

own spiritual power. When you maintain

all of these ‘traumatic’ events were meant to happen,

accountability for your choices, decisions and your

and it was my free will to either complain and to

life, you become spiritually and emotionally

blame others, or ….to grab the opportunity to take

empowered.

control of my life, make changes and grow through the experience.

Well guess what I did? I chose not to dwell on things and I believe that I have turned my life around. In the last few weeks I have taken Stew to Yorkshire. Sadly his Dad died, but we were so grateful that we were able to see and be with him at the end. We would like to say a Big Thank you though for all the heartfelt wishes that we have received.

The other day I went into town with my daughter (on a Bus) for the first time in over a year, and I managed to go to the Portland Moot. Now to many people these activities may appear very minor, but to me it was a huge milestone...I am so very grateful for these small steps. Stew and I are now on a different spiritual journey and there are a number of paths that you might decide to take on your spiritual journey.

Universal Consciousness, or whatever you perceive the Source to be, loves each person unconditionally, exactly the same and only delivers to each precisely what we are asking for, based on our individually chosen vibrational output.

If that output resonates anger, fear, doubt, worry etc. the vibrational resonance that you're projecting on will then communicates these things with the universe, and in turn the outcome is based on that input, and that is exactly what you'll receive. But a positive mind anticipates Happiness, Joy, Health and a successful outcome of every situation and action.

GRATITUDE AND THANKFULNESS Of all the Stress Relief Techniques at our disposal there is no question that gratitude is one of the most powerful. Whilst working through my depression, I have realised where I have been going wrong. It is all too easy for us to wallow in the "why`s" and the negatives, instead of being grateful for what we actually have got.

Gratitude is a powerful tool for transformation. It is more than a feeling—it is a state of being...an expansive energy that opens you up to new possibilities.

The more time you spend in gratitude, the more it becomes part of your true nature. When you live from your true nature, your life transforms itself automatically.

Quantum physics tells us that everything is energy.

Everything you think, feel and do is energy that either expands you into gratitude or contracts you into negativity. I am so grateful for our wonderful family and the fantastic life I have with my wonderful husband.....THANK YOU!!!

I am so grateful to be here...Now!!...Able to enjoy it all...able to learn and grow from it all.

The power is phenomenal, I can feel it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Gratitude is something that can be practised by anyone at anytime and anywhere.

This simple, yet powerful, shift in focus instantaneously increases the vibration of the energy you are expressing to the world. Gratitude can, and does, open you up and prepares you to receive more and more things you can practice being grateful for.

When you are in a sincere state of gratitude your energy (vibrational resonance) is one of acceptance and harmony. You resonate, and as a result project a much higher vibrational frequency which is exactly

what attracts to you the events, conditions, and circumstances that you desire.

To provide more clarity on the resonance created and projected by focusing on and consistently choosing an attitude of gratitude, consider the following analogy...

Think of yourself as a giant magnet. Whatever you are feeling, whether it be love, fear, anger, happiness, joy, gratitude, resistance etc...You are in essence creating a magnetic force that attracts and draws to you events, conditions and circumstances which are in direct correlation to what you are feeling. Fear of something creates a magnetic force that will attract more of what you fear. Expressing Gratitude for any situation projects a magnetic force that draws to you more of what you are expressing gratitude for.

In other words gratitude puts you in a harmonious vibrational resonance which attracts additional energies. When you experience an outcome that you find displeasing and you choose to fight or resist whatever is happening in your life at any given moment you are actually creating resistance, which puts you in a disharmonious vibration, or a lower vibrational frequency, and we all know what begins to happen then, don't we? You resonate with and begin to attract the dis-harmonious events, conditions and circumstances into your life that you are resisting. As I stated before, you are attracting thought through your "magnetic force" the polar opposite of what you have a desire to experience.

BE THANKFUL Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire, If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes they will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfilment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Since it is you that is responsible for attracting and

effective method is because during meditation, your

creating "undesirable outcomes,” then is it not also

brain wave activity is lowered dramatically into an

possible to change the thoughts and emotions

alpha state, which allows the affirmations to

responsible for creating them which will produce the

penetrate deeper into the subconscious portion of

desired result? …........Absolutely!!

your mind, and has a quicker, deeper, and longer

Simply recognizing the fact that you brought them into your life provides you with an understanding of your creative power which itself should instil a sense of gratitude that you've been provided with the choice as to what you will create for your life.

Although prior to understanding how this process works you were in essence "unconsciously creating", now you can begin to "consciously create" moreover ...To express gratitude for.

lasting effect with less effort.

Stew and I meditate twice daily, the evening meditation focusing on Gratitude and how lucky we are together, the morning meditation is to clear the mind.. The more we meditate, the lighter the burden of life feels. It is singularly the most powerful tool we have to take conscious control of who we are and our lives.

“To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first

When you are able to fully develop that awareness,

discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can

(and with a little practice, you will) not only is it an

control his mind he can find the way to

extremely freeing experience, but you are setting

Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will

yourself up for a much greater flow of Abundance

naturally come to him. Peace comes from within. Do

and Happiness being attracted and coming into your

not seek it without “- Buddha

life...EVERY area of your life! When the Universe sees

If you do not meditate then this method is equally as

that you are grateful for what you have, it will send

effective and actually accomplishes the same end

you more.

result.

This is exactly how Universal Laws operate. The

Just take out a piece of paper and make a hand

universe doesn't perceive anything as good or bad, it only sends outcomes to you based on your vibrational resonance, and your attitude concerning any given thing is exactly what determines that vibrational resonance.

The unwavering systems (Universal Laws) have been put into place, and you only need to learn to operate in harmony with them, which will allow you to attract the Abundance and Happiness that you desire.

There are actually several ways that you can do gratitude exercises. Personally I find what works best for me is to mentally go over my list of things to be grateful for as I meditate. The reason this is such an

written list of the things that you can think of that you are grateful for. Think deeply about each area of your life and begin to write in detail the good things that come in to your mind as you write. Don't fight it or strain yourself attempting to come up with things...just "allow" them to flow.Depending on your particular situation, you may find that it's hard to come up with things to be grateful for initially, so dig deep and things will begin to flow. Make sure though that you are finding and writing things that you are sincerely grateful for. If the emotion isn't there, the result won't be either, and remember to SMILE SMILE SMILE :8-)

Smiling is infectious, You can catch it like the flu.

Stew smiled at me today, And I started smiling too :-D

Here are a few quotes that come to mind with regard to gratitude and the power that it has.

"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation." -Brian Tracy Gratitude means thankfulness, counting your blessings, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that you receive.

Gratitude shifts your focus from what your life lacks to the abundance that is already present. In addition, behavioural and psychological research has shown the surprising life improvements that can stem from the practice of gratitude.

Giving thanks makes people happier and more resilient, it strengthens relationships, it improves health, and it reduces stress.

Gratitude reminds you of the positive things in your life. It makes you happy about the people in your life, whether they’re loved ones or people you have just met.

Gratitude turns bad things into good things. Having problems at work? Be grateful you have work. Be grateful you have challenges, and that life isn’t boring. Be grateful that you can learn from these challenges. Be thankful they make you a stronger person.

Gratitude reminds you of what’s important. It’s hard to complain about the little things when you give thanks that your children are alive and healthy. It’s hard to get stressed out over paying bills when you are grateful there is a roof over your head.

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey “We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” ~Frederick Keonig

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ― Lao Tzu

I hope that you will think about this and choose gratitude for yourself. It will make ALL the difference; it certainly has done for us.

It is through the subconscious that we are connected with the Universal Mind and thus brought into relation with the Infinite constructive forces of the Universe. As our knowledge of the human mind becomes increasingly more aware...We are learning to place ourselves in harmony with the Universal Consciousness. By removing negative thoughts, we will begin to see immediate changes and feel so much better about ourselves. We will feel uplifted and begin to see new and better experiences......Positive Emotion brings Positive Experiences So with a combination of positive thinking, gratitude and meditation we are all on the right path for attaining peace of mind, happiness, satisfaction, inner strength, spiritual enlightenment and you will then realise the inner self is a spiritual success.

Your outer circumstances are the mirror of your inner world. Change your inner world, and you change your outer world.....What you think today is what you live tomorrow. We are all on the same journey …..United and collectively we can make a difference, to ourselves and TO OUR WORLD!!

Lucinda Crowther

A Day In The Life Of...

Q ) Name and Religious title/path if applicable...(i.e. Witch, Druid, Pagan etc )?

A) Kate Brown-Gurley; currently studying Esoteric Science within The Temple of Truth.

Q) How did you become involved with The Dolmen Grove?

A). I first discovered The Dolmen Grove through the beautiful lyrics of Mark Vine and the compelling music of Taloch; specifically, their song, "Eternal Soldier". Looking further, I was struck by the combination of the intelligence of their poem/songs and the layered complexities of their melodies.

Following links after that, I came upon The Grove, whose stated purposes and goals seemed more in line with my own philosophies than any others I'd at that time come across. After some bitter experiences within other so-called pagan communities in America, I had long kept to myself, but finding the unique group that make up The Grove caused me to venture out once again.

Q) What is your job title or brief description of job?

A) I am a Senior Paralegal within the Law Department of an international engineering/procurement/construction/ company.

Q) Can you describe a typical work day?

A) I monitor and work with outside counsel on all sorts of pending and active claims and litigation involving the Company. Too much really to describe in a few sentences but that's the essence of it.

Q) How do you feel your Pagan Beliefs fit into your everyday life?

A Living in the American South, I pretty much keep my private life private; here, there is not quite the openness as in even Britain regarding alternative paths. Raised within a family legacy that developed as a combination of American Indian/Scots-Irish ancestry typically labelled "Appalachian or Granny Magic", keeping one's own counsel is a large part. However, it is accurate to say that my roots demand that those beliefs are not only a part of my life, they ARE my life. But since beginning study within the TToT, those basic simple beliefs I was raised on have been further revealed to me in such marvellous ways - the seeds of truth are scattered over fields both fertile and fallow, and only await the care of our cultivation.

Q) How do you feel your life has changed since becoming a member of Dolmen Grove?

A) My life has gone through many very dramatic changes over the last four years during my affiliation with The Grove which has in fact been a catalyst in many of those processes. Many of the changes have been quite personally difficult but the overall result has been a freedom to be my own true self for perhaps the first time in my life. It is no exaggeration to say that The Grove, and most especially due to the influence of what I hope are life-long friends made within it, has expanded my life both personally and literally on a global scale. Flying four times back and forth across the Atlantic just to experience the fellowship that is The Dolmen Grove is quite a leap of faith for one who wouldn't set foot on an airplane ever before. There are some risks which are worth everything.

Diary of the Hedgewitch

By Rachael Moss

Spring exploded to lavishly enliven the senses, flourishing into light, colour, song, and scents awash with subtle memories. Music of the birds pierce the light-filled days, invoking emotions that had lain buried over the winter. Yellow daffodils sploshed upon grassy roadside verges. Bluebells, glossy golden celandines and graceful white wood anemones splatter themselves under trees beginning to unfurl their fresh green leaves.

Hawthorn suddenly bloomed in an avalanche of white flowers that glowed under the April waxing moon, whilst pale blue forget-me-nots quietly sprinkle the ground. White stitchwort lay in drifts upon the hedgerows; and lady’s smock lay in soft mauve hues along woodland edges, accompanied by small blobs of delicate violets. Creamy plum, pear, cherry and pink apple blossoms spill themselves in the late spring/early summer light, offering promises of great bounty when summer is again devoured by autumn within the neverending circles.

Birth and rebirth surge... Masterpieces of temporal perfection flung upon the stormy tides of motion.

Frolicking lambs, galloping fawns, bounding baby rabbits, stumbling calves - Vitality streaming....

As birds with out-stretched wings soaring against blue and grey skies, lay their precious eggs fertilised with possibilities and potential. New creation heaves as the world flows, surging with

momentum, into a crescendo...The expansion of spring and summer to unite into a contraction in autumn and winter, to again expand, creating rhythm... A pattern in the conception of time.

Heading towards the summer solstice and beyond, we see this contraction and expansion in plants as they climax into growth and burst into accomplishing glory of flower beneath the expansion of the summer sun. We see expanding in the growth of leaves, stalks and stems; contraction in the calyx; expansion in the petals, contraction and concentration within the bursting potential of the seed; expansion in the fruit; in eternal processes of uniting and creating. Rhythm – Movement - Spiralling motion that writhes through Life, leaving traces upon leaf and bud, bone and feather, in the eternal process of becoming. Unfolding, blooming, creating, wilting...The old revealed in the new, but each new cycle altered; each new exhalation different from the last as the experiences of the last pass to transform what is to come.

Although we have our own rhythms, we are all part of the dances and rhythms of the cosmos...Daily rhythms as day spills into night, seasons ebb and flow; and those larger rhythms that lay un-revealed outside our everyday comprehension; all causing shifts in our consciousness through our senses and perceptions as the world swings within and without. For me it is important to feel the changes in these cycles and

rhythms; feeling the elements that make our world, being awake to, and involved in the senses and the cosmos streaming within; in solitude, but never alone. It is within the summer months that we feel an expansion as the world exhales, and we feel united with the vastness that surrounds.

As I plant out my crops and flowering plants and sow seed I think of the cosmic influences and elements that act upon the Earth and act upon the seed and plant; building up and breaking down minerals as the plant is drawn upwards up into air and light; and I think of the myriads of life forms within the soil working upon the roots of the plant. Then when the plant begins to bear leaves in its process of becoming, it is dominated by Water, where substances and chemicals that form the physical structure of the plant, beginning with the leaves, are weaved and bound, combined and separated, threaded and shaped.

The sun provides nutrition to most plants, working with the moon that holds images of these forms and is so closely tied to the Earth...It continues life, allowing the expression of spirit within form to create delicate leaf structures, magnificently strong clasping tendrils, wavering stems......

As the plant grows it is worked upon by the element of Air. Light is brought into the plant to combine with the forces of Water, uniting the ethereal archetype to physical manifestation. The element of Fire then brings warmth to the blooming flower worked upon by Air, inspiring the pollinating insects in their fervent activity, and bringing dynamic warmth to the seed as it forms.

Cosmic influences are also drawn down into the plant through the warmth of Fire, to be bought downwards by Air and Water, back into the roots into the Earth, in a continual circuit, the elements always permeated and permeating, interpenetrating.

As the elements of Fire and Air/light dominate over the summer months (although at the time of writing it was raining furiously), myriads of forms are bursting forth, insects are darting and flitting from seductive flower to voluptuous blossom, the world is intensely alive, alerting our senses to beauty and perfumes, light, sound and movement, as Life streams in dizzying arrays of expressions, awakening the part of us in which the archetype within every form is immersed, playing our part upon Creation through our inner visions and expectations.

The magnificence of the light celebrates its beauty with the surging forth of life that has been forming within the dark winter, revealing its radiance, illuminating the splendour of the world as it brings forth regenerating energy and transmutes these archetypes. New life bearing new consciousness is born within us and without, the glory of the cosmos and beyond flows through our beings as we continue to manifest throughout the universe, the universe manifesting within...Alive in all realms of existence; in whirling of relationships; weaving of patterns and continual flux; surging and ebbing and evolving

May 2012 Sowing/Planting Calendar Date Tues 01

Wed 02

Constellation of Moon Leo (Fire)

Leo (Fire) until 16hrs then Virgo (Earth)

Thurs 03

Virgo (Earth)

Fri 04

Virgo (Earth)

Sat 05

Virgo (Earth) until 19hrs then Libra (Air)

Crops to Sow/Plant Bean (French), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas, sweetcorn

Bean (French), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas, sweetcorn Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish, swede, turnip Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish, swede, turnip Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish, swede, turnip

Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish, swede, turnip Broccoli - calabrese and sprouting, cauliflower, flowers

Sun 06

Libra (Air) until 22hrs

Mon 07

Scorpio (Water)

Tues 08

Scorpio (Water)

Cabbage, celeriac, florence fennel, kohl rabi, leek, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach

Wed 09

Sagittarius (Fire) from 0hrs

Bean (French), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas, sweetcorn

Thurs 10 Fri 11

Sagittarius (Fire) Capricorn (Earth) from 3hrs

Sat 12

Capricorn (Earth)

Sun 13

Other Information Moon opposition Neptune 6hrs Moon conjunction Mars 7hrs Moon trine Sun 19hrs Moonrise 13.30hrs Moonrise 14.50hrs

Moon opposition Uranus 14hrs Moonrise 16.10 Moon trine Venus 13hrs Moon opposition Mercury 15hrs Moon conjunction Saturn 19hrs Moonrise 17.40hrs Moonrise 19hrs

Mercury opposition Saturn 2hrs Full Moon 5hrs Perigee 5hrs so no sowing/planting Moon oppostion Jupiter 13hrs Moonrise 21.20 North (ascending) node 11hrs so no sowing/planting Moonrise 21.40hrs

Bean (French), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas, sweetcorn

Lowest Moon 8hrs Moon opposition Venus 16hrs Moonset 6hrs Moon conjunction Pluto 19hrs Moonset 7.10hrs Moonset 8.20hrs Moonset 9.30hrs

Aquarius (Air) from 6hrs

Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish, swede, turnip Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish, swede, turnip Broccoli - calabrese and sprouting, cauliflower, flowers

Mon 14

Aquarius (Air)

Broccoli - calabrese and sprouting, cauliflower, flowers

Moon opposition Mars 5hrs Mercury trine Pluto 9hrs Moonset 13.10hrs

Tues 15

Pisces (Water) from 6hrs

Cabbage, celeriac, florence fennel, kohl rabi, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach

Moonset 14.20hrs

Wed 16

Pisces (Water)

Cabbage, celeriac, florence fennel, kohl rabi, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach

Moon conjunction Uranus 13hrs Mars trine Pluto 17hrs Moonset 15.20hrs

Thurs 17

Pisces (Water)

Fri 18

Pisces (Water) until

Cabbage, celeriac, florence fennel, kohl rabi, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach Cabbage, celeriac, florence fennel, kohl rabi, lettuce,

Moon opposition Saturn 23hrs Moonset 16.20 Moonset 17.30

3rd quarter 23hrs Moonset 10.50hrs Moon trine Saturn 01hrs Sun conjunction Jupiter 14hrs Moon conjunction Neptune 18hrs Mercury trine Mars 22hrs Moonset 12hrs

10hrs salad leaves, spinach

Sat 19

Sun 20

Mon 21

then Aries (Fire)

Bean (French and runner), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas,

Aries (Fire)

Sweetcorn Bean (French and runner), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas,

Apogee 17hrs

Sweetcorn

Moonset 18.40

Aries (Fire) until 10hrs

Bean (French and runner), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas, Sweetcorn

Moon conjunction Mercury 6hrs Moon conjunction Jupiter 14hrs

then Taurus (Earth)

Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish,

Solar ecilpse midnight

swede, turnip

Moonrise 3.30hrs

Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish,

South (descending) node 10hrs so no sowing/planting before 14hrs

Taurus (Earth)

swede, turnip after 14hrs

Moonrise 4.10hrs Tues 22

Taurus (Earth)

Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish,

Mercury conjunction Jupiter 7hrs

swede, turnip

Highest Moon 13hrs Moon conjunction Venus 22hrs Moonrise 4.50hrs

Wed 23

Taurus (Earth) until 10hrs

Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish, swede, turnip

then Gemini (Air)

Broccoli - calabrese and sprouting, cauliflower, flowers

Gemini (Air)

Broccoli - calabrese and sprouting, cauliflower, flowers

Fri 25

Gemini (Air) until 18hrs then Cancer (Water)

Sat 26

Cancer (Water)

Broccoli - calabrese and sprouting, cauliflower, flowers Cabbage, celeriac, florence fennel, kohl rabi, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach Cabbage, celeriac, florence fennel, kohl rabi, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach

Sun 27

Cancer (Water) until 10hrs

Thurs 24

then Leo (Fire) Mon 28

Leo (Fire)

Cabbage, celeriac, florence fennel, kohl rabi, lettuce, salad leaves, spinach Bean (French and runner), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas, Sweetcorn Bean (French and runner), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas, Sweetcorn

Tues 29 Wed 30

Leo (Fire) until midnight

Virgo (Earth)

Moonrise 5.40hrs

Moon opposition Pluto 7hrs Moonrise 6.40hrs Moonrise 7.40hrs

Moonrise 8.50hrs

Sun conjunction Mercury 12hrs Moonrise 10hrs

Moon opposition Neptune 13hrs 1st quarter 21hrs Moonrise 11.20hrs

Bean (French and runner), cucumber, melon (in heat), peas,

Moon conjunction Mars 8hrs

Sweetcorn

Moonrise 12.30hrs

Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish,

Moonrise 13.50hrs

swede, turnip Thurs 31

Virgo (Earth)

Beetroot, carrot, onion spring, parsnip, potato, radish, swede, turnip

Moon trine Sun 4hrs

Moon trine Venus 18hrs Moonrise 15.10hrs The dates in bold type indicate the dates for transplanting, this is when the moon is descending.

(This would be reversed in the Soutern Hemisphere).

June 2012 Sowing/Planting Calendar Date Fri 01

Constellation of Moon Virgo (Earth)

Crops to Sow/Plant Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip

Sat 02 Sun 03

Libra (Air) from 5hrs

Broccoli - calabrese, flowers

Other Information Moon conjunction Saturn 3hrs Mercury conjunction Venus 22hrs Moonrise 16.30hrs Moonrise 17.50hrs

Libra (Air) until 9hrs then Scorpio (Water)

Moon opposition Jupiter 11hrs Perigee 14hrs so no gardening North (Ascending) node 22hrs Moonrise 19.10hrs

Mon 04

Scorpio (Water)

Mercury trine Saturn 4hrs Lunar eclipse 12hrs so no gardening Moon opposition Venus 16hrs Lowest Moon 19hrs Moonrise 20.20

Tues 05

Scorpio (Water) until 11hrs then Sagittarius (Fire)

Wed 06

Thurs 07

Sagittarius (Fire)

Florence fennel, kohi rabi, lettuce, salad leaves Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash

Moon opposition Mercury 6hrs Moonset 04.40hrs Sun conjunction Venus 2hrs Moon conjunction Pluto 4hrs Moonset 6hrs

Sagittarius (Fire) until 12hrs then Capricorn (Earth) Capricorn (Earth) Capricorn (Earth) until 14hrs then Aquarius (Air)

Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip Broccoli - calabrese, flowers

Mercury trine Neptune 3hrs Moon trine Saturn 7hrs Moonset 9.40hrs

Aquarius (Air)

Broccoli - calabrese, flowers

Moon conjunction Neptune 2hrs Moonset 11hrs

Aquarius (Air) until 12hrs then Pisces(Water)

Broccoli - calabrese, flowers Florence fennel, kohi rabi, lettuce, salad leaves

Moon opposition Mars 8hrs 3rd quarter 12hrs Moonset 12.10

Tues 12

Pisces (Water)

Florence fennel, kohi rabi, lettuce, salad leaves

Mercury opposition Pluto 2hrs Moon conjunction Uranus 21hrs Moonset 13.10

Wed 13

Pisces (Water)

Florence fennel, kohi rabi, lettuce, salad leaves

Sun trine Saturn 13hrs Moonset 14.20

Thurs 14

Pisces (Water) until 16hrs

Moon opposition Saturn 3hrs

Moon conjunction Venus 1hrs Highest moon 19hrs Moonset 19.20 Dark Moon 16hrs

Fri 08 Sat 09

Sun 10 Mon 11

Sun 17

Taurus (Earth)

Florence fennel, kohi rabi, lettuce, salad leaves Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip before 10hrs

Mon 18

Taurus (Earth)

Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip

Tues

Taurus (Earth) until 17hrs

Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip

then Aries (Fire) Fri 15

Aries (Fire)

Sat 16

Aries (Fire) until 17hrs then Taurus (Earth)

Moonset 7.10 Moon trine Venus 15hrs Moonset 8.30hrs

Moonset 15.20 Moonset 16.30 Apogee 2hrs Moonset 17.30

Moon conjunction Jupiter 9hrs South (descending) node 17hrs s no gardening after 10hrs Moonset 18.30

19

Wed 20

then Gemini (Air)

Broccoli - calabrese, flowers

Moonrise 3.40hrs

Gemini (Air)

Broccoli - calabrese, flowers

Moon opposition Pluto 11hrs Moonrise 4.30hrs

Thurs 21 Fri 22 Sat 23

Sun 24

Gemini (Air) until midnight

Broccoli - calabrese, flowers

Cancer (Water) Cancer (Water) until 15hrs

Florence fennel, kohi rabi, lettuce, salad leaves

Moon conjunction Mercury 18hrs Moonrise 5.40hrs Moonrise 6.40hrs

Florence fennel, kohi rabi, lettuce, salad leaves

Moonrise 7.50

then Leo (Fire)

Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash

Leo (Fire)

Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash

Sun trine Neptune 5hrs Moon opposition Neptune 18hrs Moonrise 9.10hrs

Mon 25

Leo (Fire)

Bean (French and runner), courgette, peas, pumpkin/squash

Moonrise 10.20hrs

Tues 26

Virgo (Earth) from 6hrs

Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip

Moon conjunction Mars 12hrs Moonrise 11.30hrs

Wed 27

Virgo (Earth)

Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip

1st quarter 4hrs Moon opposition Uranus 9hrs Moonrise 12.50hrs

Thurs 28

Virgo (Earth)

Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip

Moon conjunction Saturn 9hrs

Moonrise 14.10 Fri 29

Virgo (Earth) until 13hrs

Beetroot, carrot, onion - spring, radish, turnip

Moon trine Sun 10hrs

then Libra (Air)

Broccoli - calabrese, flowers

Sun opposition Pluto 16hrs Moonrise 15.30hrs

Sat 30

Libra (Air) until 19hrs

Broccoli - calabrese, flowers

then Scorpio (Water)

Florence fennel, kohi rabi, lettuce, salad leaves

Moonrise 16.50

The dates in bold type indicate the dates for transplanting, this is when the moon is descending.

(This would be reversed in the Soutern Hemisphere).

Recipes Beltane Cake Ingredients: 12floz milk 3½oz oats 4oz butter ½ teaspoon sea salt 14oz soft dark brown sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 7oz plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Method: Grease and line a 9 x 13 inch baking tin.

Pre-heat the oven to180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4 Heat the milk in a saucepan with the oats, butter and sea salt. Cook until it thickens and then leave to cool in a mixing bowl until it reaches room temperature.

Beat in the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the mixture and fold in with a metal spoon.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove and cool to room temperature.

The cake should then be covered tightly until ready to serve.

To serve dust the top of the cake with icing sugar and cut into squares .

Rhubarb Crumble Ingredients 250g rhubarb 100g caster sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 225g tablespoons plain flour 100g brown sugar 100g oats 200g softened butter

Method Grease Baking dish and pre- heat oven to 220°C. Mix rhubarb, 25g of flour, sugar and cinnamon together and place in prepared baking dish In a separate bowl rub the butter into the remaining flouruntil it resembles breadcrumbs Add the brown sugar and oats.

Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture and bake until lightly browned and bubbly

By Rachael Moss

Elderflower Champagne A seasonal recipe which would be good to use around May is Elderflower Champagne. First find your elder tree; you should only pick your elderflowers on a sunny morning, if it's dull or rainy they will smell of cat wee! Not a very enticing "bouquet" in a wine! Having picked your elder flower, you only really need three or four good sprays of elder for 5 or 6 litres of champagne, but as it's a reasonably short season you can pick more then freeze them, as long as you leave enough for the bees (and enough for elderberries in Autumn) You will need a big clean bucket, 3 - 4 heads of elder (still on the stalks is fine) 1kg of sugar or honey (or a combination of both, it's not an exact science - none of my cooking ever is!)

3 lemons cut in half and squeezed 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar.

Put ALL the ingredients, including stalks, lemons, pips etc, into the bucket and cover with 5 or 6 litres of cold water.

Cover with a tea towel and leave for three days, stirring occasionally.

Strain into plastic bottles (empty 2ltr lemonade bottles is fine - but DON'T use glass bottles - this stuff explodes!) and leave in a dark place for two weeks or so.

After about a week you should periodically open the bottle tops to allow some of the fizz out, and be warned, it will be VERY fizzy!!

It's only very mildly alcoholic if at all.

The vinegar and sugar works with the natural yeasts in the flowers to create the fizz (so I'm told!)

Served cold on a summers day, or even better, on a cold winters evening when you can taste the sunshine :)

By Rebecca Holder

Sweet chilli jam: Ingredients 125g of red chillies (not the super hot ones unless you really want to blow your head off!) 1-2 big red peppers, 100ml of white wine vinegar 500g of caster sugar.

Method First whizz the chillies and pepper in the processor until finely chopped (seeds n'all) add to the rest of the ingredients in a big saucepan and bring to the boil.

Boil until reduced and sticky – pour into clean jars.

The first time I ever had this stuff was in Australia where they took a BIG mound of cream cheese, sat it on a bed of lettuce and poured the sweet chilli over the top.

By Rebecca Holder

TOUR DATES 2012 UK

3 rd

Saturday 3 March...Old Ship Dorchester Sunday 4th March...The Drovers Inn Wimborne (acoustic afternoon gig) Monday 5th March...The Boot Weymouth Thursday 15th March...The Boot Weymouth Friday 30th March – Sunday 1st April...Dolmen Grove Free Spirits Camp Hampshire Sunday 1st April...The Nelson Poole Monday 2nd April...The Boot Weymouth Sunday 8th April...The Drovers Inn Wimborne (acoustic afternoon gig) Thursday 12th April...The Boot Weymouth Friday 27th - Monday 30th April .... Dolmen Grove Beltane Festival Dorset Friday 15th - Monday18th June...3 Wishes Faery Festival Cornwall Friday 10th - Sunday 12th August ...Children of Artemis Oxfordshire Friday 24th - Monday 27th August...Dolmen Grove Tribal Dreams Festival Saturday 15th September... Re-enactment festival; The Battle of Mortimer Cross Leominster th Saturday 27 October ...Faery Ball Glastonbury Saturday 17th November...Witchfest International Festival London

TOUR DATES 2012 EUROPE Friday 18th May... Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Rastede Germany Saturday 19th May...Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Rastede Germany Friday 26th May...Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Hohenwestedt Germany Saturday 27th May...Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Hohenwestedt Germany Saturday 30th June...Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Hohenlockstedt Germany th Saturday 14 July Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Buckeburg Germany Sunday 15th July Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Buckeburg Germany Saturday 21st July Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Buckeburg Germany Sunday 22nd July Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Buckeburg Germany Saturday 18th August Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Telgte Germany Sunday 19th August Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Teglte Germany Saturday 1st September...Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Hamburg Germany Sunday 2nd September...Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Hamburg Germany th Saturday 8 September...Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Stadthagen

Germany Sunday 9th September...Mittelalterlich Phantasie Spectaculum Stadthagen Germany

THE STORm has arrived

Storm is the latest Pirate themed double album to be released by the popular rebel folk band ‘The Dolmen’.

They are one of those rare bands whose musical versatility and sheer talent never fails to deliver an outstanding performance. This album is no exception...

On the first disc we find ourselves in the company of ‘The Dolmen’ being entertained with a selection of original songs written by Taloch Jameson and Josh Elliot Also making her debut as a writer on this album is vocalist and bass player Kayleigh Marchant with ‘Look to the Sea’.

The second disc finds us at the Pirates Keep where through the songs and narratives we learn how Capt Howell cheats death as we join him and his crew as they share their songs and stories on the voyage to Tortuga.

From beginning to end this album captures the heathen spirit of the Pirate and the freedom of those who answer to no man save Davy Jones. Storm speaks to that spark which lives somewhere within all of us that longs for adventure and romance.

Whilst we are still treated to the unique and versatile vocals of Taloch Jameson, on Black Sails and Rip Tide

we get to experience the warm smooth voice of Josh Elliot, already an accomplished musician and writer as he makes his debut as a singer ...Along with Kayleigh Marchant whose eerily seductive voice captures the ethereal spirit the of the ocean. All of which are accompanied by the beautiful vocals and haunting melodies of flautist Keri Pinney.

Also making her debut with The Dolmen is flautist and backing vocalist Ellie Goldsack. whilst completing the line up is the exceptionally talented drummer Chris ‘Spankie’Jones whose skill and limitless vitality can be felt throughout this album As individual artists they would all be worthy of note...As a band they are astounding.

Storm conjures up the spiritual mystery and intrigue of the high seas, where love and death are interchangeable, and the greatest prize of all is the horizon.

So sit back, relax and allow The Dolmen to take you on an adventure that will lead you to the very heart of the Storm!

Further information can be found at http://www.thedolmen.com/ http://www.facebook.com/thedolmen

More Magic And Mystery from

Soul Retriever is the latest C.D from Folk Rock band Spriggan Mist... A group of accomplished musicians backing up the crystal clear voice of Max and the deep warm Earthy vocals of Baz as they mingle beautifully to take us on an ethereal journey.

From beginning to end this C.D. brings to life a world of traditions and magic which is often dark and sinister.... It is all that is familiar to us but which nonetheless stirs something within us that is not only less familiar but can at times take you beyond the constraints of this world.

Soul Retriever is an intriguing mixture of love, death and something in between.

On this C.D. Spriggan Mist remind us that the veils between the physical word and the other realms can at times beblurred, and all boundaries can be crossed.

All of the songs on Soul Retriever are original having been written by either Max or Baz Cilia with ‘Shaking a Dead Mans Hand’ having been wriiten by Mark Vine (Dorset Historian, lyricist and author of the Crabchurch Conspiracy).

Their unique blend of Pagan folk and modern music brings our tribal ancestry kicking and screaming into the twenty first century.

http://www.sprigganmist.co.uk/

Gig Guide Saturday 26th May - Spriggan Mist present ...The Soul Retriever C.D.launch party 8pm The Salisbury Hotel, Lonsdale Avenue, Portsmouth, Hants PO6 2PX Sunday 27th May – The Dolmen Grove Essex Beltane Picnic...2pm Hadleigh Round House, Hadleigh Country Park, Hadleigh, Essex.

15th - 17th June – 3 Wishes Faery Fest 2012Mount Edgecumbe House and Country Park, Cremyll,Torpoint, Cornwall PL10 1HZ www.faeryevents.com/faery-events/3wishesfaeryfest/ Thursday 21st June – Visit of his Holiness the Dalai Lama Aldershot Town Football Club, The EBB Stadium, High Street, Aldershot, Hants, GU11 1TW Saturday 6th October – Wytches Market & Masked Ball Supported by Mike Porter Collective Glastonbury Town Hall, Glastonbury Sunday 14th October - Samhain in the Suburbs Compass Theatre, Glebe Avenue, Ickenham, Ukbridge, UB10 8PD Saturday 15th December - Yule Feast Town Hall, Avebury

Ceremonies and celebrations Spring equinox at Stonehenge This year several Dolmen Grove members turned out for the sunrise ceremony at Stonehenge. The ceremony of creation was performed by Taloch Jameson and an appreciation ritual was perfomed by Taloch Jameson and Diane Narraway.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TabKOJdlng&feature=share

The Dolmen Grove also held a sunset ceremony at Maumbury rings led by Teach and Diane Narraway as well as a sunrise ceremony on the cliffs at Portland Bill which was held by Dolmen Grove Portland Witches Teach and Beth....

Spring equinox witches circle

I can’t believe that it has been a year since the last Spring Equinox. A lot has happened in my life during that time; most of it good. The sun had risen but obscured by a grey sky when the Portland Witches gathered at Portland Bill to celebrate the equinox. A chilly breeze swept in from the Channel as the 12 Dolmen Grove members (one for each hour of daylight that occurs on this day) led by Charlie banging his drum made their way past the Lobster Pot. A small but intimate circle was formed within a fairy ring that was noticed at the Yule Ceremony in December. The circle was opened by honouring the elements at their relative stations before Teach and Diane began the ritual.

The Spring, or Vernal Equinox is the time of balance and harmony, of 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night.

It is the time of growth and warmth when the life that has been going on unseen under the earth since Imbolc on February the 1st begins to show itself above the ground in search of the growing light and heat of the sun.

The elements play a large part in ceremonies as they are mostly what make up the physical world. Teach spoke of the creative aspects of the elements while Diane countered with their destructive forces. The Earth gives us land to live on but also the earthquake that destroys it. Air gives us breath and also the tornado; Water is the rain that fertilizes the land and quenches our thirst but also brings destruction with floods. Fire provides us our light and heat and also burns and brings drought.

The circle was asked to create a spell for the benefit of the Earth. Each participant added a word to the spell – Love, health, courage, strength, happiness, healing, wisdom, mercy, peace, productiveness, compassion and harmony.

The Devine Son, Maponos, born at the Winter Solstice descends at the Spring Equinox from the Otherworld to the Middleworld, the world that humanity occupies. He brings with him the energy of youth and new beginnings. He is the spring and sets out to court the maiden goddess Bridget.

The ceremony ended after each person made a personal statement in honour of the equinox, the gods and goddesses of the stations were thanked and the circle closed.

Scott Irvine

AND BELTANE Spirit of rebirth camp...

This year’s Beltane Camp will be one that is talked about for a long time yet ! ...

Beltane is that magical time of year when Dolmen Grove members get together to spend a couple of days in the beautiful Dorset countryside to celebrate the beginning of Summer. As the dark months come to an end and the Goddess returns to rule over the summer months she brings with her hope ...Not just the hope of a good harvest but on a more personal level too.

These are special times when the real pleasure is simply the chance to spend time with like minded people who we consider friends which we just don’t get to see enough of. Admittedly the weather this year may not have been as good as it could have been but it held out long enough for the fire ceremony to take place culminating in the Beltane fire being lit by this year’s May Queen Rachael Moss and the burning of the Wicker Man ...And of course long enough for the launch of the new cd from the Dolmen aptly named STORM !!!!

Diane Narraway

CONNECTING TO OUR ROOTS Above the entrance to the Oracle of Delphi is written "Know Thyself�. Next to knowing your fears, your capabilities and your ethics, one of the principles of being Pagan is knowing your roots...Knowing who you are and who your ancestors were.

We read... journey... meditate, and sometimes even use regression to find out more about our ancestors.

My father was born in Scotland and I have my roots there. I have lived in Scotland for some time and every time I go back I feel complete...Whole.

Although I now live in Amsterdam, the wild and

beautiful country of Scotland is in my heart!

There was a time when other matters occupied my mind and my ancestors were less important because I had my studies, my family and my friends.

When I discovered my path in Paganism I gradually began to understand the importance of finding out more about my history. To connect with your past, and to know who you are, and where you come from can strengthen you in your magical workings.

To connect to my ancestors, I used the following exercise taught to me by Marian Green;

Meeting your Ancestors; Inner Journey: This is an inner journey to connect with your own ancestors or with the previous magical people of the land that you inhabit.

1. Make a circle, and sit in the centre. Light only one candle at the centre in front of you and have about you flowers, very simple magical instruments made of wood, or bone or stone, a seashell for a cup and some spring water.

2. Allow the sacred space to form around you, so that you can feel the boundaries. This time it is a vessel able to take you back through time.

3. Relax and focus on returning to some seasonal feast of your ancestors, and allow the darkness to flow protectively around you. Become still and quiet.

4. See in that darkness a bonfire and begin to make out the shapes of people moving around it. Allow your inner sight to become clearer and show you greater details of who is there, and what they are doing.

5. Be at peace and watch the scene unfold around you. After a while you may find that you have shifted through time so that you are actually there, able to communicate and participate in what is going on.

6. Remain as aware as you can, smelling the air and wood smoke, feeling the warmth of the fire...Seeing the moving flames and the people around the fire. Always acting with respect; See if you can join in, seek help and speak to these ancestors, whether they are your known family for a few generations back, or the oldest members of your nation or clan. Be there for as long as you feel comfortable.

7. When you sense that it is time to withdraw, offer thanks for their allowing you to be with them, and for any gifts of knowledge you have received. Slowly withdraw your awareness, back to you own sacred space, and contemplate the candle for a moment, detaching it from the older fire.

8. If you have bread or fruit, eat some of it, pour the water into your shell and drink from it; In your mind you are sharing this simple meal with your for-bearers.

Close the circle, but be willing to return to explore the past further

My Experience This is what I experienced when I did the inner journey. I was working at that time with the “Lowland Systers”, a group of women who I work with occasionally.

We went into the forest of Otterlo and found ourselves some places to sit, at a shouting distance of each other, as unfortunately it is not so very safe here in the Netherlands to be in the forest alone. I sat myself down under a three folded Oak tree. I set my altar bits for me, the candle in the jar in the middle, an old knife in the East, my flint in the South, my shell with a bit of spring water in the West and a pear and clay goddess statue in the North. I casted a circle with my athame, then I sat with my back to the tree.

First I focused on the tree, feeling its energy...I listened to the sounds of the woods, and when I looked up I saw a starry sky through the opening in the leafy roof above me! I was not cold! I grounded myself and let my roots join the roots of the tree. From my fontanel a silver cord went up the tree and was reaching for the Universe. I let the energies blend and form a ball inside of me.

This ball expanded and became a bubble in which I felt safe and secure.

When I was attuned to the surroundings, I focused my attention on the candle. When I narrowed my eyes I noticed how much light a candle projects in the dark woods. Gradually this light created by the flame of my candle changed to a bigger fire and I noticed there were shapes moving around.

These shapes became more solid and clear as they became people around a campfire; celebrating. It looked like a seasonal feast; there was a pig on a spit, roasting above another fire nearby. I could smell the roasting meat...The wood smoke and a smell of wool fat, the smell you experience when you pick up unwashed wool of a sheep! People were laughing and talking.

They were dressed in rough spun clothes in brown, grey and beige colours and had .

Marloes Visser

sort of roughly sown sheepskin jerkins over their clothes for warmth. I could.....and could not.... understand what they were saying. In one way I was there, one of them, and in the other way I was someone from the outside looking in. I sat myself near the fire and noticed by doing so that I became part of the gathering. I was offered some dark brown beer (Very bitter and watery but good for thirst) and a slice of a sort of bread with a piece of meat from the pig. As I ate it all became quiet and one man stood up and started to tell stories. I could by now understand the language. He told about Fionn and the Seidhe, and a story about the Kelpie. Everyone was intrigued by his stories. I could not see his face clearly but I could see that he had reddish blond hair. He was a tall man, broad shouldered and he had blue eyes. His face was shifting from one shape to another shape, a sort of blur, even one moment I saw the face of my youngest brother, then a rougher face.

When he finished his stories everyone was imploring him to tell more, but he said he really had to leave. I bade him farewell and embraced him. I knew him very well in that life I think. I asked him to come back soon. After he left the feast went on. One girl sang beautifully, there was dancing and laughing. Every now and then I grasped snatches of the conversation. Then I was pulled back, literally, as if someone was pulling my collar, and returned to my candle flame.

It was a very vivid and even emotional experience. After this first time I regularly “travel” to this campfire and listen to the stories at the gathering. Whether it is imaginative or I really get messages from my ancestors is not always relevant. It makes me feel whole, that I belong somewhere, and it gives me the insight to situations I deal with now

Dolmen Grove moots Southend Essex Dolmen Grove Moot The Cricketers Inn 228, London Road, Westcliff-on-sea, Essex SS0 7JG Every 2nd monday of the month, 8pm onwards.

Hosted by Denny and Steve Bottley

Portsmouth Dolmen Grove Moot The salisbury hotel, Lonsdale Road, Cosham PortsmouthHampshire PO6 2PX Every second wednesday of the month 7:30pm onwards Hosted by Julie Weltch

WEYMOUTH DOLMEN GROVE MOOT THE MARQUIS OF GRANBY EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH CHICKERELL ROAD, WEYMOUTH, DORSET, DT4 9TW. 7.30PM ONWARDS HOSTED BY TALOCH JAMESON

PORTLAND DOLMEN GROVE MOOT ROYAL PORTLAND ARMS EVERY FOURTH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH 40 Fortuneswell Portland, Dorset DT5 1LZ 7.30PM ONWARDS HOSTED BY TEACH AND BETH Moots are advertised regularly on the dolmen grove facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolmen-Grove/110124449082503

ADVERTS

Rev Julie Weltch Hierophant priestess in the Fellowship of Isis I am offering year and a day training as part of the Lyceum of The Circle of spirit, Earth and Elements by correspondence in any area/country or in person should you live in the Portsmouth area.

I am also offering celebrant services such as hand fastings, baby namings, death rites, coming of age rites etc I also offer reiki healing, house cleansings and blessings and I do not charge for any of my services, all I ask is travelling expenses if you are out of my area.

Blessings, Julie www.cosee.co.uk

THE IVY PENTACLE OPEN ! mon-sat 10am-4pm FIND US UPSTAIRS @ The MARKET HOUSE, ST.AUSTELL, CORNWALL

IN OUR TREASURE TROVE OF ESOTERIC GOODIES, YOU WILL FIND… PENDLE WITCHES, GREEN MAN, FAIRIES, DRAGONS, BUDDHA, ALTAR GOODS, PENDULUMS, ORACLE CARDS, CAULDRONS, OILS & INCENSE, GOTHIC, WICCAN & PAGAN SUPPLIES DROP IN FOR A SPELL !

TALIESIN’S DEN HANDCRAFTED SILK FLORAL CIRCLETS FOR ANY OCCASION SPEEDY SERVICE AND DELIVERY FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT DENNY ON 07989480421 Email:avalonian_star@yahoo.co.uk

AVAILABLE TO THOSE IN THE WEYMOUTH AND NEARBY SURROUNDING AREA

8WEEK TAROT COURSE FOR FULL INFORMATION CONTACT DIANA NARRAWAY ON 07815017400 dinimarie@hotmail.co.uk

Further information is available on Dolmen Grove events and ceremonies can be found at: www.dolmengrove.co.uk http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolmen-Grove/110124449082503 Back issues of the Dolmen Grove Magazine and other Dolmen Grove Publications can be found at: http://issuu.com/dolmen-grove/docs/dolmen_grove_3 Further information on the Dolmen can be found at: www.thedolmen.com http://www.facebook.com/thedolmen To submit articles, recipes, poetry, stories, artwork or photos please send to; dinimarie@hotmail.co.uk For general comments, letters or suggestions please contact me Diane Narraway on facebook.

Further information on Sriggan Mist can be found at: http://www.sprigganmist.co.uk/ http://www.facebook.com/spriggan.mist