Above: The Shrine of the Ancestral Spirits of the Land.Allantide has marked the completion of the northern shrine in our sacred garden restoration project. This area of the garden was completely overgrown, and the only quarter which had been obliterated of any clues as to what had been there originally. A full report on the amazing story of this esoteric episode will follow next year.
The Cornish feast of Allantide was chosen to re-consecrate the sacred space, as although unfinished, we felt that it was now completely usable and we felt that by inviting friends to witness the inauguration of our outdoor temple at Allantide was propitious.
Our northern quarter has been fashioned into a shrine of the ancestral spirits of the land, and sits on a powerful energy line which flows northwards to the sacred landscape around Tintagel. To the south the serpentine energies flow directly to the Iron Age cliff fort at Black Head, a "serpent headed" promontory at the southern end of Mevagissey Bay.
There is an interesting esoteric tale to tell about Black Head, and an article is in preparation at the moment which will tell the full story of my interaction with this south coast sacred landscape.
I have reproduced our Allantide ceremony below.
Allantide ceremony
Welcome to the Cornish feast of Allantide, where we remember those who have gone before us and acknowledge the ancestral guardian spirits of the land.
At this time we also wish to re-consecrate our garden shrine, which we have lovingly restored and enhanced.
All hail St Bega! All hail Bucka-Dhu!
Samhain Prose.
Crows crowing, flapping somewhere overhead. The wind cries the ghostly song of the departed. We stand alone in this dark, yet welcoming place. It is cold, and dusk is laying her blanket over the rolling landscape of sweeping, undulating hills. The naked twisted trees dance in the half-light of a cold autumnal evening, and vicious clouds scud across a menacing sky.
Old ossifying bones lie hidden here. The bone-yard of the ancient ones lie sleeping in this valley, and the ancient mortuary house holds the key to this place. Half buried under four thousand years of mud and stone
Whispers, half forgotten whispers from the dimming memory of yesteryear. Whispers fade in and out, blending, melding 'twixt the winds playful movement 'neath the trees. We can almost taste the past here! Fleeting and unknowable, but tangible and contradictory. All of this and more. Scattered shards of invisible bone. Ghostly hair, tooth and nail hide here amongst the invisible remains of last years decay. New life sprouts, mushrooming fungus and multi-coloured lichen have successfully colonised this enclosure.
The Cornish feast of Allantide was chosen to re-consecrate the sacred space, as although unfinished, we felt that it was now completely usable and we felt that by inviting friends to witness the inauguration of our outdoor temple at Allantide was propitious.
Our northern quarter has been fashioned into a shrine of the ancestral spirits of the land, and sits on a powerful energy line which flows northwards to the sacred landscape around Tintagel. To the south the serpentine energies flow directly to the Iron Age cliff fort at Black Head, a "serpent headed" promontory at the southern end of Mevagissey Bay.
There is an interesting esoteric tale to tell about Black Head, and an article is in preparation at the moment which will tell the full story of my interaction with this south coast sacred landscape.
I have reproduced our Allantide ceremony below.
Allantide ceremony
Welcome to the Cornish feast of Allantide, where we remember those who have gone before us and acknowledge the ancestral guardian spirits of the land.
At this time we also wish to re-consecrate our garden shrine, which we have lovingly restored and enhanced.
All hail St Bega! All hail Bucka-Dhu!
Samhain Prose.
Crows crowing, flapping somewhere overhead. The wind cries the ghostly song of the departed. We stand alone in this dark, yet welcoming place. It is cold, and dusk is laying her blanket over the rolling landscape of sweeping, undulating hills. The naked twisted trees dance in the half-light of a cold autumnal evening, and vicious clouds scud across a menacing sky.
Old ossifying bones lie hidden here. The bone-yard of the ancient ones lie sleeping in this valley, and the ancient mortuary house holds the key to this place. Half buried under four thousand years of mud and stone
Whispers, half forgotten whispers from the dimming memory of yesteryear. Whispers fade in and out, blending, melding 'twixt the winds playful movement 'neath the trees. We can almost taste the past here! Fleeting and unknowable, but tangible and contradictory. All of this and more. Scattered shards of invisible bone. Ghostly hair, tooth and nail hide here amongst the invisible remains of last years decay. New life sprouts, mushrooming fungus and multi-coloured lichen have successfully colonised this enclosure.
This space, this sacred area of the deceased; the departed ones who haunt another realm, an inaccessible realm of half-fulfilled dreams and visions of poets and painters from across the ages.
Ancient prehistoric lines of power converge here. The shining pathways of the ancestors, corpse roads and coffin paths where we may walk with the dead.
It is dark now, and the Yew tree observes all from the darkest corner of this enchanted world. This is the ancient, wise and cunning you!
Tree of departed souls, tree of renewal, guardian tree of graves. The old twisted branches rustling and creaking in the ghostly vale of dreams.
O Great Spirit, O Spirit of this sacred place we ask for your blessing at this time of Allantide. Let the four directions be honoured that power and knowledge may enter our circle at this special time of remembrance.
North
With the blessing of the Great Bear of the starry heavens and the deep and fruitful earth, we call upon the powers of the north.
May there be peace in the north.
East.
With the blessing of the Hawk of Dawn, soaring in the clear pure air, we call upon the powers of the east.
May there be peace in the east.
South.
With the blessing of the Ancient Serpent, and the inner fire of the sun, we call upon the powers of the south.
May there be peace in the south.
West.
With the blessing of the Salmon of Wisdom who dwells within the sacred waters of the pool, we call upon the powers of the west.
May there be peace in the west.
May there be peace throughout the whole world. May the harmony of our circle be complete.
Samhain Meditation.
Please be seated
You find yourself standing in the corner of a churchyard by a huge ancient Yew tree. Its hollow trunk, gnarled and split with age, appears like a gateway leading us into the night! A crescent moon illuminates the darkened sky and the stars glisten. This is a thin place! Allow yourself to be guided along the shimmering old straight track, from the thousand year old Yew tree and its surrounding grave-stones we walk along a well defined path. This ancient corpse road follows an even older line of earth energy and it has a purposeful and meaningful destination. An owl screeches and a rustling is heard in the nearby undergrowth. Nocturnal creatures are busy. Old fashioned lanterns light our way towards the hill of the dreaming dead. Ancient standing stones pierce the landscape, and wayside wheel-headed crosses lead us to our enchanted destination.
A fire is burning on a nearby hilltop, a bone fire! The assembly cast the bones of the Samhain feast into the blaze, remembering and honouring around a beacon fire, burning into the nights darkness, lighting a pathway into the dreamtime of the departed. But this is not our destination; we have a date with a more ancient edifice. We continue along the faintly illuminated track way leading us deeper into the immortal starry velvet night. We walk through ancient woodland, its trees stark against the night. We are heading into Bone Valley. A deeply connected and primitive valley. A place of antiquated trees and ancient secrets. Bone Valley will soon divulge our holy destination. The moon's crescent appears once more between the protruding branches, which seem to reach out to the night sky. The clouds have dispersed and bright stars shine like timeworn torches in an antique indigo sky. Soon we arrive at a clearing and we see a stony structure, megaliths protruding from the earth. They are curbing a large oval mound and beyond the stones, through a well worn entrance, we find a gaping black opening leading into a stone chamber. Some of the stones have been carved and round indents cause the surface of one stone to stand out, its quartz veins shining, illuminated by the pale moonlight. We sit within the confines of the barrow's heart. We listen to the silence. We light a solitary candle. We pray for the loving departed, and if we so wish we may speak with those who have departed this world for the next.
We emerge from the otherworldly chamber of the Neolithic shrine to the dead. It is dawn, and the eastern sky is glowing an iridescent red. The sun is rising, lighting our way home. We follow the pathway back to the source of our dreamtime adventure. Past the bone fire hill, along the old straight track which leads through the heart of the November woods and the ancient sacred Yew. We take leave of this place, with its needles of stone and its earthy shrines to the departed. We find ourselves in a churchyard, amongst the gravestones, and then we are back at the garden shrine at Tredethy!
When you are ready, open your eyes.
Personal offerings to our dear departed. Leave offerings and lit candles by the shrine of the ancestors. Offer prayers and ask for any personal messages.
Ancient prehistoric lines of power converge here. The shining pathways of the ancestors, corpse roads and coffin paths where we may walk with the dead.
It is dark now, and the Yew tree observes all from the darkest corner of this enchanted world. This is the ancient, wise and cunning you!
Tree of departed souls, tree of renewal, guardian tree of graves. The old twisted branches rustling and creaking in the ghostly vale of dreams.
O Great Spirit, O Spirit of this sacred place we ask for your blessing at this time of Allantide. Let the four directions be honoured that power and knowledge may enter our circle at this special time of remembrance.
North
With the blessing of the Great Bear of the starry heavens and the deep and fruitful earth, we call upon the powers of the north.
May there be peace in the north.
East.
With the blessing of the Hawk of Dawn, soaring in the clear pure air, we call upon the powers of the east.
May there be peace in the east.
South.
With the blessing of the Ancient Serpent, and the inner fire of the sun, we call upon the powers of the south.
May there be peace in the south.
West.
With the blessing of the Salmon of Wisdom who dwells within the sacred waters of the pool, we call upon the powers of the west.
May there be peace in the west.
May there be peace throughout the whole world. May the harmony of our circle be complete.
Samhain Meditation.
Please be seated
You find yourself standing in the corner of a churchyard by a huge ancient Yew tree. Its hollow trunk, gnarled and split with age, appears like a gateway leading us into the night! A crescent moon illuminates the darkened sky and the stars glisten. This is a thin place! Allow yourself to be guided along the shimmering old straight track, from the thousand year old Yew tree and its surrounding grave-stones we walk along a well defined path. This ancient corpse road follows an even older line of earth energy and it has a purposeful and meaningful destination. An owl screeches and a rustling is heard in the nearby undergrowth. Nocturnal creatures are busy. Old fashioned lanterns light our way towards the hill of the dreaming dead. Ancient standing stones pierce the landscape, and wayside wheel-headed crosses lead us to our enchanted destination.
A fire is burning on a nearby hilltop, a bone fire! The assembly cast the bones of the Samhain feast into the blaze, remembering and honouring around a beacon fire, burning into the nights darkness, lighting a pathway into the dreamtime of the departed. But this is not our destination; we have a date with a more ancient edifice. We continue along the faintly illuminated track way leading us deeper into the immortal starry velvet night. We walk through ancient woodland, its trees stark against the night. We are heading into Bone Valley. A deeply connected and primitive valley. A place of antiquated trees and ancient secrets. Bone Valley will soon divulge our holy destination. The moon's crescent appears once more between the protruding branches, which seem to reach out to the night sky. The clouds have dispersed and bright stars shine like timeworn torches in an antique indigo sky. Soon we arrive at a clearing and we see a stony structure, megaliths protruding from the earth. They are curbing a large oval mound and beyond the stones, through a well worn entrance, we find a gaping black opening leading into a stone chamber. Some of the stones have been carved and round indents cause the surface of one stone to stand out, its quartz veins shining, illuminated by the pale moonlight. We sit within the confines of the barrow's heart. We listen to the silence. We light a solitary candle. We pray for the loving departed, and if we so wish we may speak with those who have departed this world for the next.
We emerge from the otherworldly chamber of the Neolithic shrine to the dead. It is dawn, and the eastern sky is glowing an iridescent red. The sun is rising, lighting our way home. We follow the pathway back to the source of our dreamtime adventure. Past the bone fire hill, along the old straight track which leads through the heart of the November woods and the ancient sacred Yew. We take leave of this place, with its needles of stone and its earthy shrines to the departed. We find ourselves in a churchyard, amongst the gravestones, and then we are back at the garden shrine at Tredethy!
When you are ready, open your eyes.
Above: Allan apple offeringClosing.
Let the spirits of the four directions be thanked for their blessings.
North
In the name of the Great Bear of the starry heavens and the deep and fruitful earth, we thank the powers of the north.
East.
In the name of the Hawk of Dawn, soaring in the clear pure air, we thank the powers of the east.
South.
In the name of the Ancient Serpent and the element of fire, we thank the powers of the south..
West.
In the name of the Salmon of Wisdom who dwells within the sacred waters of the pool, we thank the powers of the west.
May the harmony of our circle be complete.
Let us all radiate the light in our hearts, by our hands and in our lives. I now declare this Allantide ceremony of remembrance closed in the apparent world. May its inspiration and wisdom continue within us all.
Let the spirits of the four directions be thanked for their blessings.
North
In the name of the Great Bear of the starry heavens and the deep and fruitful earth, we thank the powers of the north.
East.
In the name of the Hawk of Dawn, soaring in the clear pure air, we thank the powers of the east.
South.
In the name of the Ancient Serpent and the element of fire, we thank the powers of the south..
West.
In the name of the Salmon of Wisdom who dwells within the sacred waters of the pool, we thank the powers of the west.
May the harmony of our circle be complete.
Let us all radiate the light in our hearts, by our hands and in our lives. I now declare this Allantide ceremony of remembrance closed in the apparent world. May its inspiration and wisdom continue within us all.
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