Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
MARCH
21ST – 23RD
GLASTONBURY 2014
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Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
Welcome to LCS’S March 2014 Glastonbury Spring Equinox Retreat!
Sacred Glastonbury
Thousands of people from all corners of the world visit Glastonbury every year. They are drawn to this mystical place for its rich history of spiritual pilgrimage, its magical healing energies and sacred sites, its adorable worship of sacred feminine and for it being the Heart Chakra of the planet Earth. The legendary village of Glastonbury has been recognized as a spiritual centre since the megalithic era, it is the site of the first Christian church in the British Isles and claimed to be the Isle of Avalon of the King Arthur tale. Glastonbury was a major religious centre long before the time of King Arthur or Joseph of Arimathea. The most famous legend of Glastonbury tells the story of Joseph of Arimathea and the Holy Grail. After the Resurrection of Jesus, Joseph shifted the archetype of Everlasting Life -‐the Grail-‐ from Jerusalem to Glastonbury. The Druids utilised the Tor from 2,500 BC as an initiation centre for priests and priestesses. Megalithic Age remains dating from 5,000 BC show that Glastonbury was a site of a massive astrological calendar combining a stone circle, with solar and lunar alignments, and a land carved zodiac map. Druid priests and society considered Glastonbury their "holy mecca" -‐ there were temples, stone circles, and fertility sites. Once you have been to Glastonbury, you will find yourself coming back again and again. The mysteries of Avalon, Glastonbury’s sacred places and the gentle healing and revitalising energies will be always calling you back for more.
Chalice Wells
Chalice Well is one of Britain's most ancient wells, nestling in the Vale of Avalon between the famous Glastonbury Tor and Chalice Hill. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and orchards it is a living sanctuary in which the visitor can experience the quiet healing of this sacred place. For over two thousand years this has been a place where people have gathered to drink the waters and find solace, peace and inspiration. The Chalice Well is among the best known and most loved holy wells in Britain. Many legends are attributed to its chalybeate waters, which flow ceaselessly at a steady rate and temperature that never varies. Not least among these is that they represent the blood of Christ miraculously springing forth from the ground when Joseph of Arimathea buried or washed the cup used at the Last Supper. For others the waters are acknowledged as the essence of life, the gift from Mother Earth to sustain its living forms and so a continuous spring like Chalice Well is a direct expression of an unbounded life force. 2
Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
The Tor
The myths associated with Glastonbury Tor are extraordinary. It has been called a magic mountain, a faeries' glass hill, a spiral castle, a Grail castle, the Land of the Dead, a Druid initiation centre, an Arthurian hill-‐fort, a magnetic power-‐point, a crossroads of leys, a centre for Goddess fertility rituals and celebrations, a converging point for UFOs. These myths are still very much alive today, although they are constantly being built upon and undergoing change. This is not surprising, given that this 500-‐foot-‐high conical hill is a most striking and inspiring landmark – visible at vast distances and yet invisible at certain angles close-‐by. If you climb the Tor on a clear day, you will be astonished by the extent of the view: to the north you will see the Mendip Hills together with the city of Wells and its cathedral; to the west the island of Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel; Brent Knoll to the northwest; the Polden and Quantock Hills to the southwest, and the Black mountains of Wales in the far distance; the Hood Monument and Dorset to the south; to the east Alfred's Tower on the borders of Wiltshire, and Cley Hill – a hill famous for UFO sightings. Today, you can see locals and visitors coming up the Tor any time of the day in any weather to perform rituals, meditate, enjoy the beautiful views and connect with the gentle healing energies of the hill.
The Abbey Glastonbury Abbey held a prominent and sacred position in the Christian world. Still today revered as holy grounds, the Abbey Ruins are the site of the first Christian Church in Europe, and are reputed to be the burial site of Joseph of Arimathea, The Virgin Mary, Saint Patrick and King Arthur. Legends claim both the Holy Grail and Arc of the Covenant were kept in the Abbey grounds. Glastonbury may have been a site of religious importance in pre-‐Christian times. The most powerful location on the Abbey grounds is the hallowed Lady Chapel. It is located at a precise crossing of the Michael and Mary Ley lines, in what was clearly the most 'Christian' employment of telluric energy in the religious mecca of Glastonbury. The heavy stone altar in the Lady Chapel was placed in the exact centre of the Michael & Mary vortex. It radiates a very bright, telluric energy. Glastonbury is the Heart centre of the World, and the Lady Chapel is the Heart Centre of Glastonbury resonating to the 4th chakra.
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Ley lines of Glastonbury
Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
The earth, on a planetary scale, has a number of major channels or super-‐ highways of power which are made up of subtle, electromagnetic energies that are not visible to ordinary sight. These channels can be seen clairvoyantly, sensed as feelings through the body, or dowsed with hazel twigs or metal rods. They have been known since ancient times -‐ the mythic symbolism for them was the serpent, snake or dragon. As these highways of power encircle the earth, they sometimes meet -‐ these are the special places in the landscape which are recognised as sacred sites (e.g. Stonehenge or Avebury), because their energies are so powerful on the spiritual level. People call these major channels ‘ley lines’ or ‘earth-‐dragon energies’. The ley lines that run through Glastonbury are of masculine energy (called the Michael line after St Michael) and feminine energy (called the Mary line after St Mary). These energy channels are a bit like the poles of a magnet. What's interesting about Glastonbury, and what makes it so powerful, is that these lines cross in three places in the town (Abbey grounds, Chalice Wells and the Tor) creating an area of ground of the full polarity of energy. If you go and stand on these spots, you receive a balanced energy message from the earth, which is often a feeling of peace or balanced harmony.
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Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
Most of our activities are optional, offering you the freedom to explore Glastonbury and enjoy your free time. However, there are activities where we ask everyone to participate in. This allows everyone to connect, keeps the community spirit flowing and ensures you are updated on the retreat’s activities. We will give an updated programme on the day, should times change.
MEET AT HATTON CROSS STATION You will be met by the LCS team who will warmly welcome you in for our magical trip to Glastonbury. Please look out for a “LCS Glastonbury” sign from our Team, outside Hatton Cross station.
10am
LEAVE
10.30am
for Glastonbury!
PIT STOP
SHOPPING(mandatory) Arrive in Sainsbury’s, Glastonbury Shop for 3 days worth of cooking at the self catering Cottages (shops also accessible in Glastonbury town on Saturday and Sunday)
ARRIVE
Middlewick Cottages Check into rooms
OPENING CIRCLE(mandatory)
4pm
Welcoming, Orientation, Connecting, Communal Tea Time
FREE TIME
Dinner, Unpacking, Sauna, Pool
8pm
WORKSHOP: SPRING EQUINOX CEREMONY(optional) Conference Room
SOCIAL GATHERING(optional)
Conference Room
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Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
Morning Physical Warm Up(optional)
8.30am
Bring your yoga mat Conference Room
Morning Meditation: Angelic Healing(optional) Bring your yoga mat (or you may choose to sit on a chair) and a shawl or a wide scarf to cover your shoulders for warmth Conference Room
9.15am
FREE TIME
Breakfast, Pool, Sauna
OPENING CIRCLE(mandatory)
11am
Explanation of the Day’s Activities, Communal Tea Time
CHALICE WELLS(optional) Our main group outing today will be to the Chalice Wells to experience the sacred waters of Avalon. Here you may fill up your bottles, meditate and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings of the Wells.
FREE TIME We will head into town where everyone is given free time until 3.45pm (or 5.30pm), to explore the beautiful little town of Glastonbury: Full of spiritual shops, bookstores, Goddess Temples, psychic readers, crystals and more!
TOR*(optional)
LEAVE FOR COTTAGES FROM TOWN (VEHICLE CARPARK) (mandatory)
FREE TIME
Meet at Vehicle carpark. Meditation on the Tor
Dinner, Sauna, Pool
WORKSHOP: LIGHT GRIDS & SACRED HEART TRANSMISSIONS(optional)
7.30pm
Conference Room
SOCIAL GATHERING(optional)
Conference Room
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Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
8.30am
Morning Physical Warm Up(optional) Bring your yoga mat Conference Room
Morning Meditation: Angelic Healing (optional) 9.15am 12pm 4.30pm
Bring your yoga mat (or you may choose to sit on a chair) and a shawl or a wide scarf to cover your shoulders for warmth Conference Room
FREE TIME
Breakfast, Sauna, Pool
CLOSING CIRCLE(mandatory) Explanation of the Day’s Activities, Closing the Group energy, Communal Tea Time
ABBEY(optional) Our main group outing will be to the ancient Abbey ruins, the legendary burial grounds of King Arthur of Avalon and a crossing point of ley lines.
FREE TIME
Lunch, last visit to Glastonbury Town centre, Chalice Wells, Tor etc
MEET BY VEHICLE CARPARK(mandatory) Leave for London at 5pm
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Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
All cottages are self-‐catering. We will be making an initial stop when we first arrive in Glastonbury at the local Sainsbury’s, where everyone will have the opportunity to buy food for the three days. We will be visiting Glastonbury town centre each day, where there is also a Co-‐operative supermarket on the high street, as well as restaurants and cafes. Chalice Wells & Abbey Chalice Wells and the Abbey have a small entrance fee that is not included within our retreat expenses. These outgoings on our retreat are optional. • Chalice Wells costs £4 entrance per person (concession = £3.30) • Abbey costs £6 per person (concessions = £5)
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Packed Lunch for the Friday drive to Glastonbury Warm Clothing, Waterproof jacket to suit cold weather Hat, scarf, gloves Hiking boots Umbrella Swimming gear (for swimming pool and sauna) Toiletries (towels will be provided by cottages) Empty water bottles (for Chalice Wells, to fill up the sacred waters) Torch Yoga mat (optional)
The Tor takes around 20-‐30mins depending on your physical capabilities and is quite a steep way up. We will be taking a slow pace. However, if you have knee problems or are physically unfit, we do not recommend this activity. Travel up and down has been included within our itinerary time schedule. Middlewick Cottages, Wick Lane, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8JW, tel. 01458 832351 Opening times: 8am -‐ 8pm
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Retreat overall, Events, Activities related and Personal queries Vaz -‐ 07557 338875 Lidija – 07914 051110 Aang – 07795 202215 Accommodation and Transport related queries
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Glastonbury 2014 – London College of Spirituality
The Disclaimer will be handed out and will require signing before departure on Friday.
Disclaimer We do not provide liability insurance for the protection of individuals, groups, organizations, businesses, spectators, or others who may participate in the Glastonbury Retreat. In consideration for your participation in the said the Glastonbury Retreat, the individual, group, organization, business, spectator, or other, does hereby release and forever discharge all Glastonbury facilitators, London College of Spirituality, employees, volunteers, jointly and severally from any and all actions, causes of actions, claims and demands for, upon or by reason of any damage, loss or injury, which hereafter may be sustained by participating in the Glastonbury Retreat. This release extends and applies to, and also covers and includes, all unknown, unforeseen, unanticipated and unsuspected injuries, damages, loss and liability and the consequences thereof, as well as those now disclosed and known to exist. The provisions of any state, local or territorial law or state providing substance that releases shall not extend to claims, demands, injuries, or damages which are known or unsuspected to exist at this time, to the person executing such release, are hereby expressly waived. You are also fully responsible for yourself should you choose to explore Glastonbury by yourself, and when unsupervised. By signing this you also take full responsibility for any damages to the Cottage room that you are staying in. And should there be damages, agree that we will be in contact to claim the amount surcharged by the accommodation. It is further understood and agreed that said participation in the Glastonbury Retreat is not to be construed as an admission of any liability and acceptance of assumption of responsibility by the London College of Spirituality, its officers, board, employees and volunteers, jointly and severally, for all damages and expenses for which the London College of Spirituality, its officers, board, employees and volunteers, become liable as a result of any alleged act of the parade participant.
Verification & Signature I understand the disclaimer and attest that the information given above is accurate to the best of my knowledge, by signing this document I verify my assent: Signature: Name: Date: Please note: A copy of this form will be given to physically sign on arrival. We are unable to take attendees who do not sign this disclaimer.
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