Wednesday 29 February 2012

C is for Chalice Well Gardens....by the light of the Full Moon


I will start by apologising for the quality of the photo. At the time I really wanted to capture the atmosphere of the place, at night on the Full Moon......This is the main waterfall within the gardens, lit by candle light....you become very aware of actually how red it is. 

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.
I have been a visitor and companion of Chalice Well for a number of years. Since I first went to Glastonbury, my heart was lost to this beautiful and peaceful place. Every time I go, I become aware of a new little corner I haven't spent time in or a new tree speaks to me and I spend time with it.

The most magical experiences I've ever had there have been at night and especially on the Full Moons. Having only visited the Well and Gardens in the daytime, before my first Full Moon experience. I wasn't prepared for the change it had at night. The gardens are gently lit by only natural light, candles, garden flares and lanterns. So from the moment you step in your senses are used on a different level. Rather then the sight of plants and flowers capturing your vision its their smell....gentle wafts of jasmin and honeysuckle especially hang in the summer evenings air. I found that no matter how well I knew my way around the garden in the day at night your bearings are not the same....it really is like being transformed into another world.

So peaceful at the best of times but if you can, try and stay at their accommodation. This privilege also gives you special access to the Well and gardens 24 ours. Their are so little other people around at those times when you stay there and it really is personal time. especially again at night or dawn. 

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.

I like to think of the waters as a direct link to the Mother aspect of the Goddess. the red flowing water of life that connects us all. Bathing, paddling and drinking the waters is a very special experience. I use the waters within so much of my magic and feel they bring a very unique element to my work. If you are ever in Glastonbury then I cannot express enough how important a place this is and what a deep experience you will have there.

Healing, Nurturing, Spiritual.........



Passages in italics are directly taken from the Chalice Well website.

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