The Chalice Journal Spring 2023

JOURNAL OF THE COMPANIONS OF THE CHALICE WELL

A song fluttered down in the form of a dove. And it bore me a message, the one word – Love.

Isle of Avalon and the Chalice Well –a visit in 1914

Recent research revealed this wonderful piece from a friend of Rudolf Steiner’s, D.N. Dunlop, who recorded a visit to the Tor and the Well ‘a few months before the outbreak of the first world war’. This was published at the time in Dunlop’s periodical ‘The Path’ under ‘Editorial Notes’. Alice Buckton and Annet Schepel would have been in residence at the Well for less than a year.

‘In these beautiful spring days it is good to find myself in the ‘Isle of Avalon’ associated with the legends of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. In such moments of relaxation one cannot readily sorrow for ought; the Sun becomes a source of understanding; the ecstasy of the Divine Intellect is over all; in such surroundings one finds no difficulty in realising that trance-like yoga in which the operations of nature proceed in silence. The visible world which appears so beautiful is realised as the manifestation of the One Divine Essence; metaphysical difficulties disappear; every separate beauty is a jewel transformed from the gold of the Sun.

How can I do otherwise than give myself over to reflection? What to me are acts of merit or demerit, the results of good and evil? I extirpate them altogether. I turn my eyes to the trees; I realise that my body is a tree, with its seasons, nourished by sap, fostered by desires. Is the mind not the trunk, the soul the root of the mind, the root of these the one great Cause of all? Are not acts fruitless without the moisture of desire? This garden in which I sit is the home of the quiet mind, and in this composure I witness the festival of life. In the cities and towns with their tumultuous life man with unquiet mind gathers worthless treasure with as much delight as I gather these fragrant blossoms of spring to make my offering to God in the holy shrine of my heart.

I believe I now understand what Nirvana is (I shall no doubt soon forget it again). I have lost nothing in reality in burying all separate possessions. Is this an ‘empty space’ in which I sit so silent? If so, it becomes the receptacle of all knowledge. How safe and secure is the soul in such a haven of rest? Having forgotten the separate forms, with their different names, I see the substance out of which they are all made. When the shadows cast by all these separate shapes are removed from my mind then tranquillity arises, the mirror of the soul is bright, the firmament is clear, the sun of truth shines. Is it out of the Essence of this felicitous spirit that these little hills, these trees and plants, these waters, and the fragrance of the flowers arise; does it, like the wide-spread daylight, comprehend all objects and contain all worlds? Yes, I see now that the seed of all these beautiful productions of nature is contained within me, that these countless worlds are the visible expression of myself. The sphere of the Universe is my sphere; I behold myself in all objects and remain in peace; the butterfly dances before me in the sunlight and under the shade of the tree I reach illumination. I see where the Supreme Being is. He is accompanied by all these worlds of beauty and variety; He is present in everything – in the habitable earth and the waters likewise; any word of mine will but misrepresent The True Nature.

The people outside are returning from church where, no doubt, the Easter festival has been celebrated. I wonder if they have really seen the festival of resurrection as I have seen it under this tree in the garden. Have they seen the Christ with His hands stretched over all creation; His feet reaching to the end of the world; His face and eyes on all sides; His head piercing the spheres? Have they seen the Lord moving in and out of all things; the One Universal Ocean; the One Sun and Moon; the same land in all the earth? However narrow the vision, He, the Lord, is in all the customs and manners of men and in all their ways of thought; He resides equally in the parts of the atom and of the Great Cosmos. A thousand images of Christ have gone by, and are going by still, but all these images vanish when Christ is seen everywhere. Is not the boundless heaven His Crown; the earth His footstool; the whole universe His temple?

A bell rings and I leave the garden, but not before sending gifts and messages to the far-scattered children of the Kingdom who have from time to time shared with me this mystic vision. Is it not from visions such as these that we go forth equipped to fulfil our various destinies? The greatest spot on the earth is the little hill of vision, far eclipsing the hanging gardens of Babylon; it is the ever-enduring hill, with ever-springing greenery, everliving waters, where the mother raises her brood of heroic children. Today, perhaps, in some such quiet spot, making no noise at all, the good angel of mankind may be preparing the Saviours of the world. Be of good cheer all ye who dwell in isolation for a while.

Front Cover: Photo credit: Gill Tidball

Back Cover: The Misty Vale from the Meadow

Front page quote: by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Photos in this issue by Caroline Glazebrook, Casey Jon and Ian Bursill unless otherwise credited.

The Chalice Well Trust is a registered charity, founded in 1959 by Wellesley Tudor Pole and a group of friends. It is dedicated to preserving the ancient spring and surrounding gardens as a living sanctuary for everyone to visit and experience the quiet healing peace of this sacred place.

The Trust welcomes donations to maintain Chalice Well and gardens including Little St. Michaels retreat house, and to further its work. Voluntary contributions towards upkeep are therefore greatly appreciated. Any person who wishes to support the Trust’s purpose by making an annual subscription may be registered as a Companion of the Well.

For further information contact:

The Chalice Well, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DD UK 01458 831154 • info@chalicewell.org.uk • www.chalicewell.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1147343 Published by The Chalice Well Trust, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DD, UK

D.N. Dunlop – Easter 1914

Every May I am invited to speak at the Chalice Well Essences training weekend about ‘The Energies of Chalice Well.’ It is always an interesting experience as this is usually the participants second weekend of their year and the doors of perception to the subtle worlds of the essence kingdoms are opening more and more. At the beginning of the talk there is a meditation/visualisation that starts way out in the universe and brings the group slowly towards the earth until they see the blue shining globe hanging in space and then gradually focus on the map of Britain with its copious power points; Callanish in the far north; the hermitage cell on pristine Iona; the wonderful stone circle at Castlerigg in the Lakes; the central wheel at Arbor Low in Derbyshire; the remarkable Avebury stones and complex; St. Michael’s Mount and the inrushing Michael and Mary energies; Tintagel, sea-foamed and shining until our inner vision perceives Glastonbury.

Here on the Isle of Avalon is a mysterious temenos of 4 main hills; all so different from each other: the mighty Tor, the soft domed Chalice Hill, the welcoming slopes of Wearyall Hill and St. Edmunds Hill (unfortunately now built upon). Over the centuries many thousands, if not millions, of souls have found their way to this isle and the layers of myth and powerful stories have built, layer upon layer. Eventually came the Avalonians preparing the temenos for its first flowering; Fiona Macleod with John Arthur Goodchild, Tudor Pole and the Triad, Alice Buckton and Annet Schepel, Dion Fortune and all who followed. Now, since the late 1950’s and early 1960’s the Great Opening in which Chalice Well has played its prophesied part has occurred.

One such visitor was the extraordinary D.N. Dunlop who visited two months before the outbreak of the First World War and what many have found upon visiting the Well. He was a spiritual researcher of great clarity and his reflections express what can happen if you sit quietly in your favoured spot in the gardens in this vale.

Against the backdrop of an increasingly troubled world the ‘Many Paths, One Source’ keynote makes an inclusive contribution to welcome the pilgrims and visitors on their soul journey through the entrance gates of Aquarius. The chalybeate water flowing constantly into the Well and through the Lion’s Mouth (Leo) is an ageless potent reminder of this journey. Tudor Pole even suggested that as we left the Piscean Age and ventured further into the Aquarian Age the vibrational note of the water may change.

There is some reflection of these ideas in this issue with Sophie Knock’s article about ‘Healing Light’. Alistair Jones reflects on ‘The One in the Many’ and Tom Bree’s delivery of his lifework in ‘The Cosmos in Stone’ in his newly published remarkable book. There is also the sharing by Peter Quince of some of his pilgrimage experiences where after taking us to America and Greece he brings it all home to the Chalice Wellhead. There are also the usual sparkling array of photographs and updates and news about the forthcoming months. Thanks, once again to our wonderful photographers.

As I write spring is bursting forth and the gardens have welcomed our new Head Gardener Dave Balian into the essential co-creation with the subtle realms and hopefully many of us will be able to meet him and each other over the coming months including on Companion’s Day in June.

Paul Fletcher

From the Chair

Dear Companions,

Lindsay Smith

It is mid-March and the garden at Chalice Well is beginning to spring into life and colour, which is so very welcome after what seems to have been a particularly long and hard winter. Whilst we humans continue to traverse rather difficult times, nature moves forward in her own inimitable way to bring beauty and joy to this planet and to all who find their way here, with really the very minimum of fuss despite the diverse obstacles we humans put in her way.

As many of you will know by now, our garden itself has undergone change recently with the retirement of Ark Redwood, our Head Gardener for 23 years, and the beginning of a new chapter with Dave Balian, his replacement. Dave, a long -time Companion and resident of Glastonbury, has already settled seamlessly into the Well and is spending time getting to know and feel the garden and its energies.

Many of you have commented lately on how the garden has been positively bursting with light and energy and we believe that all who visit can become imbued with this and take it out beyond our walls into the heart of the world to spread far and wide the truth, the love and the hope. This is our core purpose at Chalice Well, and whilst we continue to improve and upgrade our practical and organisational matters, all of our staff are deeply aware that providing a place for our visitors to find true solace is at the core of our endeavours as we traverse this ever-changing world. For this we thank them sincerely, for they too can sometimes be rocked by events, but continue steadfastly to hold the space at Chalice Well. Our sacred Well and surrounding lands are here to hold us steady and rooted through these times and our constant, ever-flowing waters remind us that “all things must pass”. The changes and upheavals these lands have seen over millennia are beyond measure yet the energy here remains untrammelled, and continues to offer itself to all who come with open hearts.

“Hope” is key this spring, represented by the eternal reappearance of green shoots and bright bulbs. Nothing lasts forever and we all have, I believe, the ability and the energy to move forward into a better way of being, in tune with our planet and our fellow humans, without discord or dissent. There was never a more perfect time to begin….

In the words of our founder:

“Nothing can happen outside the Orbit of the Creator’s Love and Will. If I replace my anxiety by dwelling on this truth, then I am co-operating in the best and highest sense in conforming with that Will”

All will never be lost whilst places like Chalice Well exist and none of us who hold this space can take the credit for this, although many, both past and present, contribute their time, effort and love into maintaining it. There is a much greater power at work, recognised and revered by Tudor Pole and others but stretching far, far back in time, holding the light above us and above many other sacred sites and awaiting the moment to step forward and dazzle the world. Perhaps that time is quite close now?

And so, in this Spring of 2023, we send you hope and trust and, as always, love from Chalice Well.

News from the Well

Whenever we come together in community to celebrate wheel of the year fire festivals, we are always aware of the importance of this living sanctuary. We give thanks for the constant flow of these blessed waters that have welcomed people for so many years.

Our Gatherings for Winter Solstice, Imbolc and Spring Equinox have been full of joy, hope and love.

Spring Equinox

Caroline Glazebrook writes:

At the still point of balance and harmony, vibrant spring flowers, joyful yellows of abundant daffodils and the sacred Chalice Well water, were shining with unfailing renewal, new growth, and constant flow.

From a booklet entitled “On the Eve of a Spiritual Renaissance” written by Wellesley Tudor Pole, founder of The Chalice Well Trust:

“Do not let ourselves become depressed if from time to time the burden of individual life seems to have become almost intolerable. The Christ Light is never far away if we did but know it. The Light is within us all waiting to release its radiance through our silent stillness. Therefore never be dismayed, always remembering those inspired words of Heddewick Browne: Hope on, Hope on Your eyes fixed on the goal, The issue lies in your own conquering soul. The while you strive; learn to be still and wait, Know, he who masters self has mastered fate. Hope on”

Imbolc

How beautiful to gather together at the Wellhead to celebrate the awakening of the earth, the awakening of our dreams and the awakening to love. There was a softness about the gentle energies of Imbolc, as the snowdrops flourish and these sacred waters flow. We blended the waters of the Red and White Springs and filled them with all of our wishes and prayers during the meditation, before offering them to the Well and sending them out into the world. Thank you to Nik from the White Spring for being part of our ceremony. And so much gratitude to everyone who joined us at the Well.

Meditation at the Wellhead

Winter Solstice

At our Winter Solstice fire ceremony we gathered to share in the energies of joy, abundance, new blessings and love that were as clear as the returning sunrays shining on our meditation and Solstice Fire Ceremony.

Tom Bree shared his expert knowledge of sacred geometry with us as we marked out a perfect Cretan Labyrinth, ready for the inward journey of transformation and rebirththe themes of Winter Solstice. It was created with love of this sacred land, ready for everyone to walk on Wednesday 21 December as part of our Winter Solstice Gathering.

Our livestream wellhead meditations on our Facebook page welcome everyone who joins us virtually from all around the world. It is a beautiful bridge of connection for unity consciousness. Facebook.com/thechalicewell

Imbolc at the Well

Mixing the waters at Imbolc.

Winter solstice fire and gathering

Winter solstice labyrinth walking in the Cress Field.

Ark and Dave

Ark Redwood, our wonderful Head Gardener, retired on 7 February after 23 years at Chalice Well. Ark’s legacy is so evident in the garden with so many things he has planted over the last 23 years. Ark says his favourite plant is the Silver Birch by Berry Corner and says, ‘My heart is filled with a love for the spirit of the whole place. Chalice Well is special and we are in service to it.’

We are now delighted to welcome Dave Balian to Chalice Well as the new Head Gardener. Dave says:

“I’m inheriting a lifetime of plant understanding and knowledge that goes from one corner of the garden to the other. The maturity of this garden has been brought about by constant attention to detail. It is multi-layered and multi-dimensional and the people who’ve worked here for many years haven’t just invested their gardening expertise, they’ve invested their spiritual wealth here. So it’s imbued with a sense of spiritual purpose that everyone who comes sees and feels that. I’m a no-kill gentle gardener and I’ve applied that understanding my whole gardening life. I think part of the reason that I’ve been invited in here is because the beings have understood the love that I put in.”

We wish Ark a truly happy retirement with enormous gratitude for an outstanding contribution to the Well.

The Heart of the Well Retreat 2023

The Heart of the Well retreat for this year is taking place from 17th-19th November. All enquiries for booking your place please contact Chalice Well office. Take time out to sink into the deep peace and joy of Chalice Well and learn more about the story of this living sanctuary.

And finally for this issue we are pleased to announce the second edition of the Chalice Well book ‘Chalice Well – The Story of a Living Sanctuary’ with copious new photographs and updates to the text.

There will be more information on-line about this and on the shop website.

Ark Redwood and Dave Balian – the passing of the torch.

BOOK NOW! Concert and Workshops

Carolyn Hillyer and Nigel Shaw in Concert at Chalice Well

Songs of Before and Beyond - Music for the Ancient Earth.

We are delighted to welcome Carolyn and Nigel back to Chalice Well for another uplifting, inspiring and soulful concert, in the marquee on the lower lawn. Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets are £25 each and please see our website to book your tickets chalicewell.org.uk/events

Saturday 3 June

7.30–10pm

Tickets £25

Sacred Geometry workshops with Tom Bree

Sunday 4 June

During each 2 hour workshop, you will be able to explore the spiritual significance and meaning of sacred geometry and draw sacred geometry patterns that appear in nature and in the cosmos, with Tom Bree’s expert guidance and tuition.

You can choose from one or more workshops, each one lasting 2 hours. Spaces are limited to 12 people per workshop so that Tom can give his guidance and attention to everyone.

To book please see our website: Chalicewell.org.uk/events

The Hidden Geometry of Flowers

Draw the underlying geometry of flowers. Keith Critchlow, the influential geometer who was Tom’s teacher, believed that flowers are teachers of symmetry and help us to recall our own wholeness. You will draw geometries and explore the symmetry of flowers in this 2 hour workshop with Tom Bree.

The Venus Pentagram and the Rose

In this workshop you will draw Golden Ratio geometries associated with the movement of Venus and the form of the rose. Tom Bree will help you go deeper into these two sacred symmetries as you learn to draw these geometries.

Sunday 4 June 10:15am–12:15pm £22

Sunday 4 June 1–3pm £22

The Great Pyramid, the Earth and the Moon

John Michell, the esoteric author and prominent figure in the Earth Mysteries movement discovered the remarkable diagram which appears to be used in the Great Pyramid, Stonehenge and cathedrals such as Wells. In this workshop with Tom Bree you will draw sacred geometry that underpin, link and illuminate these sites.

Compasses, pencils, erasers and rulers will be provided. Please bring A3 paper or a drawing pad with you, so you can take your drawings home with you. You are welcome to bring your own compass and pencils if you wish. Refreshments are available.

An Introduction to the Sacred Art of Incense Making with Peter Neumann

In this morning workshop in the marquee in the Chalice Well garden, you will learn from Peter Neumann, incense maker and herbalist, how to blend your own incense, guided by your intuition.

Peter has been blending incense for over 30 years. He is a practitioner of Plant Spirit Medicine and is a herbalist with a great wealth of expertise about plants, their communication with us and how to create wonderful, sacred incense blends.

To begin your connection with the 200+ array of gums, resins, herbs, spices and aromatic woods and oils that make up this workshop, Peter will guide you in a blessing for the four elements of the Western Magical Tradition as a starting point to go beyond traditions, into your own direct experience of the incense ingredients. This blessing helps you to set a clear intention so that when you burn your incense on a charcoal disc, the fragrant smoke rises like a message into the world and the spirit world.

Peter will help you to select from the huge array of tree gums, flowers, plant aromatics and herbs. He will show you how to use the mortar and pestle to create the perfect consistency for your incense for you to take home with you in a jar provided as part of this workshop.

Please bring a notebook, pen and coloured pens for making notes. This workshop takes place in the marquee on the lower lawn at Chalice Well.

Please arrive by 10.15am for 10:30am start.

The garden opens at 10am and entry to the garden is included with your ticket. Tea, coffee, cakes and savouries are available at Chalice Well.

Sunday 4 June 3.30pm–5.30pm £22

Monday 5 June 10:30pm–12:30pm including a 15 min break for tea and cake. £20

COMPANIONS DAY

We are so looking forward to welcoming Companions of the Well to Companions Day. Our theme is with inspiring talks from Dr. Yubraj Sharma Chloe Goodchild

10:20 Opening Circle | 10:45 Lindsay Smith: Welcome

11:00 Dr. Yubraj Sharma: Homeopathic proving of Chalice Well, Anthroposophy and the Arthurian Legends

11:30 Coffee break | 12:00 Silent Minute

12:02 Tom Bree: As above, so below…on Earth as it is in Heaven

12:45 Lunch - please pre-book your delicious vegetarian/vegan lunch by calling us on 01458 831154

2:00 Chloe Goodchild: The Healing Voice as Messenger of the Soul

2:30 Closing Circle & time in the garden before public opening at 3:30pm

To Þnd out more about becoming a Companion of the Well, please see chalicewell.org.uk

The Chalice Well Trust Chilkwell Street Glastonbury BA6 8DD chalicewell.org.uk info@chalicewell.org.uk. 01458 831154

Chalice Well Trust Companions Day

Saturday 3 June 2023

Please join us for Companions Day on Saturday 3 June. We are looking forward to welcoming you to this special day, exclusively for Companions of the Well. We deeply appreciate your wonderful support as a Companion, for all that we do at Chalice Well. Our theme this year is Healing the Soul and our engaging speakers are Dr.Yubraj Sharma, Tom Bree and Chloe Goodchild who are going to inspire us all with their ideas, knowledge and experience.

Doors open at 9.30am for a Welcome Circle around the Vesica Pool at 10.20am. If you would like a delicious vegetarian lunch of quiche and salads, please call the office on +44 (0) 1458 831154 before 30 May 2023 to book your lunch for £13 per person. Vegan and gluten free options are available on request, so please tell us your dietary requirements when you phone to book.

Our Guest Speakers

ɵ Dr. Yubraj Sharma

~ Homeopathic proving of Chalice Well. Anthroposophy and the Arthurian legends

Dr. Sharma, medical doctor, homeopath and author, will give us a fascinating talk about the homeopathic proving of Chalice Well water, and an esoteric explanation on its action on heart, the anatomy of the heart chakra and the anthroposophical medicine view of the rhythmic system.

Yubraj will also talk about Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophical philosophy of future stages of the human race with reference the forces of duality and shadow, and the role of souls who have been involved in the Arthurian legends as spiritual warriors. The esoteric meaning of the alleged resting place of King Arthur’s tomb in Glastonbury Abbey and the sacred hawthorn tree will also be discussed.

Yubraj Sharma is a GMC registered medical doctor, having qualified in 1991. After working in various medical specialities, he obtained his Faculty of Homeopathy membership MFHom in 1996 whilst at the Royal London Homeopathic hospital. Yubraj entered the Faculty Specialist Register in 2007. He has also trained in Traditional Chinese medicine herbalism and acupuncture, Anthroposophical medicine, and hypnosis. He has a private practice in London, and runs practitioner level courses in homeopathy, herbalism and astrology and is the author of four books within the fields of homeopathy, spirituality and meditation. Yubraj is the current Academic Medical Dean of the Faculty of Homeopathy.

Tom Bree

~ As above, so below… on Earth as it is in Heaven, Tom Bree - Sacred Geometer, Author and Artist will give us a fascinating talk about re-establishing the relationship between heaven and earth. His newly published book The Cosmos in Stone is about the use of geometry and cosmology in Gothic cathedral design and is available from The Chalice Well Shop.

Tom’s talk will look at the importance of re-establishing the relationship between Heaven and Earth. This archetype is central to all spiritual paths because it involves the reconciliation and unifying of polarities. An active search for such unifying bridges between opposites, in all areas of life, is becoming increasingly urgent in the current time when antagonistic opposition is seemingly being encouraged from many different directions.

This talk will approach examples of this principle of relationship and healing between above and below through the use of cosmology and sacred geometry in the designs of medieval Christian cathedrals, especially our local cathedral in Wells. The symbolic journey through Wells Cathedral begins from the earth and slowly ascends into the heavens with the rising of the Bright Morning Star in the east. This is followed by the Earth-Moon relationship from John Michell’s New Jerusalem diagram, ascending northwards towards the octagonal Chapter House.

ɵ Chloe Goodchild ~ The Healing Voice as Messenger of the Soul

The sound of your authentic voice is as unique as your DNA or fingerprint. Chloe Goodchild is a voice healer, singer, wisdom teacher and composer. She founded The Naked Voice in 1990, a pioneering sound awareness programme, exploring human voice as a spiritual practice. The Naked Voice provides a wide range of spoken and sung communication skills, sourced from deep non-judgemental listening to the vibration, energy and frequency of the human voice. The Naked Voice practices enable you to explore your voice as a catalyst of self-discovery linking to the most profound levels of human wisdom. In this talk, Chloe will share examples of the transforming power of sound, and the healing voice as messenger of the soul.

Finding your true voice of your soul is your birth-right, liberating you to express yourself courageously and compassionately. The Naked Voice principles and practices inspire selfconfidence, health, inner stability and well-being. Chloe will give examples of the liberating power of the voice of the soul - rather than the personality or ego voice - to express emotional honesty, to heal relationships, to transform conflict into compassion, restoring harmony and oneness.

Stay at the Chalice Well Retreat House, Little St Michael’s

Enjoy the dawn chorus of the robin, wren and blackbird at the wellhead. Experience the wonder of the stillness of the garden as night falls. Be inspired by the range of books in the library and step into the silence of the sacred Upper Room to meditate.

Little St Michael’s is such a special place for Companions to take some time on retreat, with 24 hour access to the garden. As a thank you for supporting the Chalice Well Trust, there is no increase in the price to stay at our Retreat House in 2023.

Dating from 1600, our Retreat House offers comfortable private bedrooms, a relaxing living room, wonderful library and a well equipped kitchen in the public areas. Wellesley Tudor Pole created the hallowed Upper Room, inspired by his vision of the Last Supper. It is a holy space for prayer, reflection and meditation, and open to all spiritual paths.

Little St Michael’s is a Retreat House for Companions of the Well who have been Companions for at least 6 months before the date of their stay. There is a minimum of 2 nights stay and prices are £66 per night. We look forward to welcoming you to Little St Michael’s Retreat House.

If you would like to book to stay at the Little St Michael’s, the Chalice Well Retreat House, please call our Chalice Well office team between 10am and 5pm +44 (0)1458 831154

News from the Shop

Caroline Glazebrook writes

Our wonderful Chalice Well shop often feels like an inner sanctuary within the living sanctuary of the beautiful garden. We feel so blessed by the crab apple tree whose blossom garlands the shop doors.

It is always a pleasure to welcome people from all around the world and to hear about unique experiences of their time in the garden. As the buyer I curate gifts that inspire an even deeper connection with Chalice Well and we have some lovely new arrivals to nourish the soul.

In addition to our wide choice of high quality crystals, we have New Ascension Crystals, to assist you as you walk your path, from £1

Our new velvet purses have exquisite beading in designs including Hand of Hamsa, golden serpent, moon & stars and beautiful bee. They are £22 each

Heaven Scent vegan candles are gently scented to evoke walking through a wild meadow, and time in a perfumed garden. They burn cleanly and last a long time and they are also hand poured not far from Chalice Well. From £9

Thank you to our beautiful shop team, Isa, Elaine, Kim and Rose for making everyone feel welcome. We are also grateful for the wonderful support from our lovely volunteers, Edie, Jason, Paul, Peter and Richard. So much gratitude to everyone.

News From the Garden

Our new gardener, Dave Balian gives us a little background to his gardening life.

‘To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow’

Audrey Hepburn

Pre-school I went to June Bentley’s famous breeding kennels with my mother who looked after the newly born pups. I was allowed to play in the gardens and orchard that stretched down to a small tributary of the River Darenth. Even now I can tell you every plant and tree that grew there. The smell of lupins and cat mint take me straight back to that garden, a real jewel in the Kent landscape.

It was here I first climbed a tree - one of the old apples had low branches and an easy way through the centre up to the low canopy, and from this angle I could see the entrance to a coal tit’s nest in the tree next along. I would take a small net down to the stream and spend hours trying and usually failing to catch one of the tiny fish.

My love of nature meant that after a few years of guitars, music, building and travelling I found myself at the Embankment gardens, sister to the Chelsea Physic Gardens and home to the Chelsea Flower Show. At this time, my rock ‘n roll years, I remember specialising in not getting caught sleeping in the borders. I worked there with George Ferguson, an Irish fiddle player who with his wife had adopted and fostered dozens of children, and had the lightening wit that the Irish use to such devastating effect.

The real diamond in the mix at The Embankment was an old Chelsea pensioner called Percy.

I used to open the gates at 6:30 am – no mean feat given that I had probably got in from the previous night’s gig just a few hours before. Percy would be there waiting at the café in full Chelsea Pensioners’ Great Coat, hat, medals and pristine shiny boots, to walk around and open up. Percy had been a farrier in the British Army in India.

During what was a particularly cold winter, Percy’s tales of daring do in the Raj were just perfect. He told me that for one month each year he would be tasked with preparing an expedition into the Bengal Jungle to hunt tigers. Apparently teams of soldiers, royalty, beaters and carriers would head off into the jungle. Percy described how after copious snake bites, food poisonings, falls and disasters, they would, when the month was ended, stagger back to the barracks. I asked Percy how many tigers were killed. He replied that in the many years he spent in India he never saw one. “We made far too much of a din,” he said.

Welcome to Dave Balian – Chalice Well’s new gardener

I was falling in love with life in the parks and gardens of London. Those unique spaces of social interaction, wildlife and plant life that make London a truly green space. When I return it is often just to go and revisit old friends like the Plane trees of Berkley Square and the Dawn Redwood of Holland Park.

Percy was the oldest man in England when he passed a few years later aged 107. By then he was a local legend; a friend to everyone in the city garden of a garden city.

It is a real pleasure and privilege to find myself many years later Head Gardener of Chalice Well. My aim, as it has been throughout my gardening life, is to help the garden into harmony and abundance by listening to her voice and following her guidance.

I look forward to meeting you beneath the Yews.

One morning we walked around the garden in deep snow. The BullRing was a small circle just outside the garden which was a viewing point for the beautiful Wren Church and barracks that are still home to the Chelsea Pensioners. Percy and I found the body of an old streetdweller half-buried in snow in a cardboard box.

I will never forget how gentle this old guard was, with me and my emotions, with the spirit of the past unknown soul and with the paramedics who arrived later. In the spring, Percy would walk around the garden with members of the public. He would by now have left the blue Great Coat behind and be in the Bright Red of the Chelsea Pensioners. He really was on duty every day, opening with me in the morning, locking up at night and taking the tourists around and talking to any and all in between.

A Chalice Well bee deep into a flower

News From the Orchards

The first Saturday in October 22 saw the return of Apple Day after 2 years of absence due to the effects of COVID lockdowns etc. Groundsman Mike Spring and retiring Head Gardener Ark Redwood presided over the fresh apple juice sampling in the Lower Gardens using a traditional wooden hand press next to the Refreshments area and in Bucktons Orchard storyteller Martin Faulkner gathered an appreciative audience for his extraordinary tale of the apples epic journey from the Tien Shan mountains of China to Britain interspersed with his own guitar music and song.

At the last minute Beekeeper Linda Perfect turned up in her Bee suit and powerfully gave us all many insights into the life of a hive and answered questions. Then it was time to hand out the apple picking poles with their catcher attachments to several keen adults and encourage youngsters and others to pick the low hanging fruit first with their hands. Many people took home 1 or 2 or even more bags of the biggest crop of apples I’ve ever seen in my time at Chalice Well. The weather was kind and some great late native apple varieties like Ashmead’s Kernel, Adams Pearmain and Blenheim Orange were sampled and bagged.

Why was it such a great year? Light is the answer with Sunshine galore during the Summer drought but these big mature M25 apples have deep roots to find water even in drought and anyway they benefitted big time from a wet spring and last minute rain in the late summer and early autumn. Mike Spring and Amanda Glynn from the Garden Team picked enough apples for more than 2000 bottles of apple juice to be pressed and bottled by Hecks of Street for sale in our shop and other local outlets such as Earthfare.

This year’s Apple Day is scheduled as ever for the first Saturday in October (7th). See our publicity nearer the time for full details. with blessings as ever

Anthony Ward

Our First Wassail In Alice Buckton’s Orchard

I’ve several times proposed a Wassail in Alice Buckton’s Orchard and was so pleased it came to pass this year. Amanda Glynn, Druid and Household and Garden Team member whipped up enthusiasm and support from staff and we worked as a team to research and organise the first Wassail in modern times at the Well on Tuesday January 17th 2023 (Old Twelfth Night)

The vast majority of Wassails involve the ceremonial blessings of Apple Trees. The origins of wassailing go back 1000 years or more and also involved house visiting ceremonies and Lords of Misrule ( hence Wassail Kings and Queens).

The traditional cry of Waes Hael or Wassail is a salutation and blessing of Scandinavian origin meaning ‘Be of Good Health’ and was used as communities gathered to ward off Winter hunger and herald the coming season of seed sowing and bless the apple trees and invoke a good harvest in autumn.

Having sampled Apple Cake and mulled apple juice at the Gardeners Lodge, we set off in the late afternoon of January 17th, 12 staff and trustees including Lindsay Smith, our Chair, processing slowly through the gardens to the Well Head for a silent meditation and then on through the meadow to Bucktons Orchard where we were bathed and blessed in late sunshine of spectacular yellow and red hues as the Sun began to set very low in the sky over the Polden Hills.

Entering the orchard we circled in front of an Adams Pearmain above the Retreat House garden and and I gave a brief guide to our ceremony sending off everyone to drive out evil spirits from their chosen tree using hand drums and shouts and chants. No shotguns allowed! We called out Waes Hael together and the response ‘Drink Hael’! as we toasted the apple trees.

Then Amanda and friends poured apple juice over the trunk of our chosen apple tree and tied toast soaked in apple juice to the branches of the tree to encourage our tree and our orchard to produce a big harvest in Autumn.

Finally I taught and sang a variation on a traditional Wassail blessing song popularised by the legendary folk family The Watersons from their album ‘Pence and Spicy Ale’ beginning:

“For its our Wassail, our jolly wassail, joy come to our jolly wassail, How well they may bloom, how well they may bear, that we may have our apples and juice next year. Hatfuls! Capfuls! Three Bushel bags full and little heaps under the stairs!”

The evening ended close to darkness with three cheers for the apple trees of a more familiar nature: Hip! Hip! Hooray! Hip! Hip! Hooray! Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Anthony Ward (Orchard Keeper) & Amanda Glynn (Garden Team)

The Wassail group

Chalice Well Flower and Vibrational Essences ~ Spring 2023

We greet the Spring Equinox with joy as we watch the flowers blossom and show us their glorious beauty and abundance. Though there has been much rain we have also had sparkling rainbows and magical moments especially with the co creation of our first flower essence of the year.

We have begun a new year of the Flower and Vibrational Essence Practitioner Training and have been delighted to welcome a new group of Chalice Well Practitioners in training. We look forward to us all discovering what wisdom the garden and Well will offer us this year as our journey unfolds.

In March, we co-created the Fairy Pink Cherry Blossom Tree essence together as a group, the first of 2023; it was a divine experience to be in the energy of this exquisite tree as she gave her wisdom and knowledge.

The morning we co created the Essence, though it was raining the birds were singing with spring abandon, the sun finally came out shining through the trees and shone into the Essence bowl creating a myriad of colours dancing within it.

The Essence was full of light and multi coloured flashes of colour, many of us felt she nurtured new beginnings, new growth and a gentle awakening to new possibilities…a washing away of the old and welcoming in a heart and light filled energy. Her exquisite beauty nourished our souls and we felt blessed by her gifts and thankful for her friendship.

We look forward to bringing this essence into our range of Chalice Well Essences.

For more information on our Flower Essence Practitioner course please visit our website

https://www.chalicewell.org.uk/webshop/essences-workshops/ or telephone our office on 01458 831154

CHALICE WELL ESSENCE ‘Beech’ | Blessing

The blessings of Beech are those which we too can grow within ourselves; generosity, abundance, kindness and openness.

‘Grandmother’ beech, as she is affectionately known, is a large venerable tree. Under her leafy branches all are blessed and welcomed. To be taken when you want to increase faith, trust and belief that you can and you will achieve what you hope for.

This essence was co-created under the canopy of this beautiful tree. As the beams of sunlight dappled through the fresh green leaves these are some of the blessings received from Grandmother Beech. ‘All my children are welcome. Have confidence, there is room for everyone to grow... you are never too old to learn. Stretch out your arms into the realms of endless possibilities.

Available from the shop: Chalice Well Essence ‘Beech’ | Blessing

CHALICE WELL ESSENCE ‘Solomon’s Seal | Balance

Solomon’s Seal helps to hear the still quiet voice beneath the clamour of challenging emotions.

It only bears flowers for the briefest time and it grows an extensive system of roots within the earth. These roots offer support in those times when you are in conflict and need to find a state of balance and equilibrium to make right choices and decisions.

King Solomon’s wisdom has reached us through the ages. The Song of Songs in the bible is associated with him. In it, the bridegroom (King Solomon) is associated with a deer ‘My beloved is like a young stag, look there he stands behind the wall gazing through the windows.’ Moments after this essence was co-created, a hind deer was seen running through the gardens, an unusual and intriguing occurrence.

Available from the shop: Chalice Well Essence ‘Solomon’s Seal’ | Balance

Choosing Your Essence

Settle into a quiet space, then sense, feel or see which essence or quality you would like to experience, to welcome into your life.

These Essences are most effective when worked with consciously. We suggest calling upon the Spirit of the Well and asking that you may receive all that you need at this time.

We recommend that you take 7 drops, under the tongue or added to water, twice a day, or as intuitively guided.

The One in the Many

“And he took the cup, and he gave thanks and he blessed it; and he gave it to them and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed in behalf for the many.””

(Mark 14, from the Syriac Translation of the New Testament [Murdock 1915])

In mathematics the numeral acts as a symbol for a number. The number however requires a complex network of understandings and concepts to fully grasp its meaning. The numeral provides an abstract symbol that unifies the vast array of mathematical concepts that embody the number. The mathematicians Maarten Dolk and Catherine Fosnot, refer to ‘big ideas’; those principles and structures that underpin mathematics and our understanding of it. Building on the work of the educationalist and psychologist Jean Piaget, they note that when young children are taught a ‘big idea’ and subsequently comprehend its meaning, they undergo a massive shift in their reasoning (Fosnot and Dolk 2001). An example of this is the process of learning to count. When counting, young children learn to employ several key principles. They learn to identify objects with a previously unknown and abstract number word; that these number words follow a stable order; that anything can be counted; that the final number word said represents the total of the items in the set; and that the items may be counted in any order so long as the numbers words said remain ordered (Gelman and Gallistel 1978). Eventually they learn how to represent the numbers used for counting with a numeral, a symbolic device used to express a wider numerical idea or concept. Through this process they learn that the universe and one of its most mysterious qualities can be reduced to a series of symbols indicating the relationship between the one and the many; of the unity that can be found to exist between a set of items. In this principle we can see that, for example, the ‘three-ness’ of a set of loaves is the same as the ‘three-ness’ of a set of fish. The ‘three-ness’ of the attributes of love, wisdom and justice also share the ‘three-ness’ of greed, avarice and fear, for the abstraction principle of counting reminds us that anything can be counted. In mathematics the point in which we move from a one-to-one to a one-to-many relationship is called unitising: a higher order skill that builds on a strong understanding of number. Following another shift in understanding, the young pupil’s mind can now comprehend the way many things may be unitised and embodied in one object, or by a single symbol.

Wellesley Tudor Pole felt that one of the driving reasons behind his incarnation on Earth was to turn attention from the Cross of duality to the Cup of unity, and so play his part in initialising a massive shift in the reasoning of humanity. This should not be considered a critique of the importance of the Cross as a symbol of the crucifixion and of faith, nor was he in anyway diminishing the significance of, what was to him, a great cosmic act. Rather he saw himself as supporting the journey from the Cross to the unity embodied by the Cup. In A Man Seen Afar, WTP writes:

“No doubt about it, the Crucifixion of Jesus was the most inspiring culmination of his life that could have been. By his submission, by his willingness to be lifted up, nailed upon the

Cross, that basic symbol of duality, of conflict…Jesus was ‘lifting up’ not only humanity but Life in all of the Seven Kingdoms of Nature for the whole of this round of evolution.”

(Tudor Pole 1965: 83)

In his eyes, what WTP termed the ‘Christos’ acting through Jesus’ submission to the crucifixion, was enacting a process of unitising, of merging duality into the oneness of light, with love at its very heart. For Tudor Pole, the presence of the three Marys at the time of Jesus’ death also played a key role, forming a Triad of love, courage and faith, a three-to-oneness of great spiritual import. Again, he writes of this in A Man Seen Afar:

“On another level, the presence of the Triad should be seen as an event of truly cosmic significance. Together these women symbolically foreshadowed the ultimate three-in-one triumphant fusion of the powers inherent in womanly love.”

(Tudor Pole 1965: 82)

At the Chalice Well, we offer the symbol of the cup when we link our hands to catch the water from the Lion’s Head. In this simple act we unify the many molecules of the lifegiving water into one handful. Each time we do so, in many ways we symbolically form the Chalice of the coming times, our two hands uniting the right and the left opposing forces into a unified whole, a cup capturing the waters of the new age from which we may drink. We may take this analogy further, when we consider how we share this act with the many that have gone before us, the people of diverse faiths or of none, with whom we are unified by the simple act of drinking from the same source. In doing so we symbolise this ‘new covenant’ by coming together in companionship to drink the waters of the Spirit.

As the story of Joseph of Arimathea’s planting of the Holy Thorn is for many symbolic of the unification of a wider spiritual act upon Wearyall Hill, so too is the story of his bringing of the two cruets of Christ’s blood and sweat to the British Isles. The legend of these being buried in the earth of Glastonbury is again symbolic of the idea of the many becoming one, the duality of suffering being transmuted into the oneness of Light with love at its core. Tudor Pole felt that Joseph of Arimathea had obtained the three crosses of Calvary following the Crucifixion, and that after this he had a:

“Stupendous vision. Not only was his own future made manifest, including the great destiny he was to fulfil in the sacred Isle of Britain: but the future of the human race was symbolically revealed to him.”

(Tudor Pole 1965: 89)

The many was seen in the one, merging into the cup of the coming age, “tho divided by the Cross & Nails & Thorns & Spear” spoken of in Blake’s Jerusalem (Chapter 4, Plate 89 [1977]).

Archaeological excavations conducted in the early days of the Trust, show us that yew trees have existed at Chalice Well for at least two thousand years. A stump dated to the first century AD, serves as evidence for this. The presence of yews in church yards also suggests a pre-Christian origin, the trees marking these sites as pre-existing sacred sanctuaries. Through these ancient sentinels watching over their sacred sites, spiritual centres visited and sanctified for millennia by a multitude of diverse faiths, we again see a symbol of unification. Yews are native across Europe, the Caucasus, and beyond, from Turkey eastwards to northern Iran. Their range extends south to Morocco and Algeria in

North Africa. Therefore, as we pass through the guardian yews at Chalice Well, we once more embody the many-in-the-one principle as well as the unification of life and death that these great trees symbolise.

Tudor Pole felt that the parable of the mustard seed was told for reasons other than just the small size of the seed. He believed that Jesus spoke of the mustard seed in relation to the Kingdom of God, because of it being the only seed which is pure and unable to be hybridised or grafted onto any seed or plant of a species other than its own. It was therefore ‘as inviolable as true faith itself” (Tudor Pole 1965: 45). To Tudor Pole, this ‘true faith’ could not be divided or reduced. It is from this mysterious origin that the many spiritual paths spring, and to it they all return. As WTP recalled in Writing on the Ground, the famous declaration that “we are all leaves of the same Tree” provided a constant theme in his conversations with the Persian holy man, Abdul Baha (Tudor Pole 1967: 147).

In the same manner as the numeral ‘1’ represents the unity of a vast connection of understandings of the concept of one as a number, so too does the symbol of the Cup represent the unification of the vastness of humanity and the universe in shared companionship. Tudor Pole knew that when he secured the Chalice Well in a charitable trust, he was sowing a seed in fertile soil, a site in which spiritual energies were united in a blended ray which was to be available to all people of goodwill. As a young pupil’s mind experiences an enormous shift in reasoning when they grasp a big idea for the first time, Tudor Pole felt that the Chalice to be found within this vale in Avalon could offer to humanity a way forward from the duality of the past to the unity of the coming age. To him, here the many would be found in the one, and the one would flow forth in the many.

Bibliography

Blake, W. 1977. The Complete Poems. London: Penguin.

Fosnot, C. T., and Dolk, M. 2001. Young Mathematician’s at Work: Constructing Number Sense, Addition and Subtraction. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Gelman, R., and Gallistel, C. R. (1978). The Child’s Understanding of Number. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Murdock, J. 1915. The Syriac New Testament

Translated into English from the Peshitto version (9th Edition). Boston, MA: H.L. Hastings & Sons.

Tudor Pole, W. 1965. A Man Seen Afar. London: Neville Spearman.

Tudor Pole, W. 1968. Writing on the Ground. London: Neville Spearman.

“Then God said, ‘Let there be Light’ and there was Light. And God saw the Light, that it was good, and God separated the Light from the darkness.”

Genesis 1.3, The Geneva Bible 1560.

Light was created on the first day, before the Sun or the Moon and even before the waters were separated to make the Earth and the Heavens. It was the prerequisite for everything. Creation is the transformation of light into matter.

According to David Bohm, Quantum Physicist, “Light is energy and it’s also information, content, form and structure. It’s the potential of everything.” He describes the relationship between light and matter as, “matter is frozen light”. As matter evolves Consciousness expands. As we balance the light in our bodies, we are illuminating not only our light bodies but also our physical bodies.

Light has been used for healing since the beginning of time. From the Temples of Ancient Egypt and Greece through to a contemporary modality called Autonomic Response Testing which works to detect areas of disease using a photographic Pol filter to measure the amount of polarised light coming from each organ. This is fascinating because it demonstrates that our bodies are resonant with full spectrum light and that they emit this when healthy. We know that each atom contains light in the form of biophotons; tiny particles of light.

Fritz-Albert Popp, a German Physicist, discovered biophotons and their role as the interface between the etheric and the physical as the carriers of light and information, as well as intention. It seems that full spectrum sun beams carry the frequency of Love. This is where Love and Light become one and provide the vehicle for healing. Popp wrote a famous paper describing how a coherent state is fundamental for biological systems; it enables them to optimise themselves through organisation, information quality and pattern recognition. “When a cell is in optimal health, it responds to all colours of the visible spectrum equally.”

In 1917 Albert Einstein wrote to a friend, “For the rest of my life I will reflect on what light is!” By 1951 he had developed the theory of relativity, establishing that at the speed of light, time ceases to exist. In addition, a photon, which has no mass, can cross the cosmos without using any energy. So for light beams time and space do not exist. Light becomes Life; it is potential energy; E=MC².

Light is more than waves and particles; it is a purveyor of consciousness. Light holds the secret to human awakening, healing and transformation. Quantum mechanics has established the inseparability of the whole; the new biophysics is the insight into the fundamental interconnectedness within the organism as well as between organisms and within the environment.

Each cell in our body emits light. When the cell is healthy, this light is highly structured (coherent) and communicates with the neighbouring cells inside the body and organisms

outside the body. It carries unlimited amounts of information bi-directionally; informing other cells and organisms and carrying their information back to its own origin in the DNA. Every cell in our body is at any time informed about the state of every other cell. The process of integrating the energy from our experience of each act, emotion and thought is illuminating.

Light enters the eyes and goes to the hypothalamus gland in the brain which communicates with the body’s true “master gland”, the pineal, which regulates the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system. This determines our reaction and adaptation to stress, as to whether fight or flight is appropriate (the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated by the red end of the spectrum and is more visible in the daytime; or rest and digest, the parasympathetic nervous system responds to the blue, violet end of the spectrum which is more visible at night). This in turn triggers appropriate enzymes and hormones to respond within the body.

The pineal is known as the third eye in many mystical traditions. It entrains the pituitary, thyroid, thymus, pancreas, gonads and adrenals. It is the body’s light meter and assists us in becoming synchronised with nature and at one with the universe. In this way we are harmonising and calibrating with the cosmic clock and in aligning with that we are increasing our own longevity. The effect of seasonal changes of light become highly significant as reflected in the importance of Wheel of the Year festivals for our ancestors.

Sunlight is our major source of light, warmth and energy and sustains all life on earth, as well as the Earth itself through key processes such as photosynthesis and photobiomodulation; the process through which the mitochondria absorb light, which impacts the production of adenosine triphosphate, ATP or the energy used by the cells to power the metabolic processes that create DNA, RNA, proteins and enzymes.

We know that sunlight reduces resting heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and blood sugar while increasing energy, strength, endurance, stress tolerance and capacity of the blood to absorb and carry oxygen. Light not only enters us through our eyes and skin but also emanates from us; our eyes sparkle and our skin glows! 98% of the sun’s light goes into the body through the eyes and 2% through the skin.

Paramahansa Yogananda, a twentieth century spiritual leader who introduced many Westerners to meditation, referred to light as “the cosmic intelligent vibration that structures finite creation.”

This is where the areas of quantum physics and healing combine, where light becomes matter and through the process of enlightenment where matter becomes light. The Light Body contains seven layers of subtle energy and represents our energetic anatomy, which corresponds to the Chakras and the path of White light coming down through the Crown to the physical at the base. We are literally Spirit descending into Matter and Matter returning to Spirit through the process of embodiment and enlightenment.

Dr Gerald H Pollack, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, author of the Fourth Phase of Water describes how, “Experimental evidence shows that Light imparts energy to water, including body water, that energy may, in some instances, provide enough energy for sustaining life.” This represents a fourth phase of water beyond solid, liquid and gas. The body’s cells are composed of this “living water” which differs from normal water as it’s imbued with light. Fourth phase water, H3O2 is more viscous,

dense, organized and alkaline than H2O and has more available oxygen due to its chemical structure. It has a negative charge and like a battery can store the energy contained in sunlight and deliver it as needed. We know that water, including that within our own bodies, can be structured by light and that this provides our system with a level of coherence which leads to homeostasis and health.

As humans we can also send our Light in the form of Love, using our intention, into water in a process known as Harmonising. This water can then either be drunk to raise our vibration or gifted back to the earth through our local water source (such as Chalice Well) to increase the amount of Love in the world. We are beings that emit, communicate with and are formed from light.

Inside us Light can become Love and this is what heals us.

Bibliography

Genesis, The Geneva Bible, 1560 Edition

Light, Medicine of the Future by Jacob Liberman

About the Coherence of Biophotons by Fritz Albert Popp

Introduction to Integrative Biophysics by Marco Bischof

Biophoton Physics © Klinghardt Education Ltd 2021 - www.klinghardtinstitute.com

Luminous Life by Jacob Liberman

Light Upon The Path, The Unpublished Writings of Wellesley Tudor Pole, by Paul Fletcher

Dr Gerald H Pollack, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, author of the Fourth Phase of Water, www.harmonisingwater.weebly.com

The Holiest of Places: A Spiritual Memoir

‘Let the earth itself be your shrine’

Spirit resides not only in people, trees, animals, rocks and heavenly bodies, but also in places. Everyone who is receptive to the subtlest influences, to the numinous, to the imprint left by ancestors, knows and feels this. Of course the concept of spirit is hard, perhaps impossible, to define and means different things to different people. There may, indeed, be no need to define it. Essentially it is beyond language; it is felt rather than described or analysed with any accuracy.

Spirit lies beyond the parameters of logic and science; it defies categorisation and consists not of atoms but of essence. But one thing I know for sure: it exerts a powerful, at times overwhelming influence for good. And it conveys itself most persuasively, most movingly, in sacred places and cherished locations. It manifests in ritual, in dance, in art, in shared experience, in chants and prayers and ecstatic moments, but most poignantly, I feel, in the purity of silence. Silence itself is a catharsis.

I would like to recount some of the holiest places I have had the good fortune to visit and which have captivated and changed me. If you were to ask me about them, I would seek to inspire you to visit them too. Such places elevate the soul and transport one into a higher realm, a rareified of exquisite sensation and joyful awareness.

Holy places that so many of us feel drawn to serve a dual purpose: they satisfy the yearning for deep connection and they remind us of our ancestors who, despite the often vast distances in time, come to meet us in a common experience of sanctity and celebration.

The stone, brick, timber of holy places, the stained glass windows and golden domes, the simple fire-pits and decorated trees, the symbolic artefacts, the consecrated ground on which we always tread softly, contain imprints of those who came before; whose corporeal death was only a prefiguring of rebirth and regeneration.

What follows is a recollection of a few of the holy places whose embrace I sometimes serendipitously experienced and derived so much joy from. And then an evocation of the holiest, most transformative of all. It matters little, by the way, if one does not subscribe to Christianity, any other religion or none at all. I cultivate a Zen Buddhist outlook and yet find myself able and willing to connect with the divine in all its quiet, unassuming, sensuous glory wherever it may be found: holiness is indivisible. Everything, like healing water, arises from a single source and returns to the wellspring; and so the cycle of life repeats itself with love and without loss.

Travelling the United States back in student days, I found myself quite by chance visiting the town of Taos, New Mexico. Native American reservations still exist in the area and are evidently flourishing despite the pressures of modern life. I wandered the town square on a cool evening following a hot, dusty day. I caught sight of an elderly Hopi man sitting silently on a low wall. He had wrapped himself in a colourful blanket and appeared to be mesmerised by the distant hills. He looked like some living icon, but he was deeply, unarguably human. Oddly, perhaps, I thought of Buddha sitting in silent reflection at the base of the Bodhi tree, seeking enlightenment. I was intrigued. I approached the ancient Hopi – I use the word ‘ancient’ advisedly, for time is elastic – and asked him about his people and about the reservation near Taos. He was very receptive and serene. He offered me a knowing, almost beatific smile; he had a beautiful face with his personal history etched deeply into it. He spoke of his tribal roots, his connection with the land, and then mentioned a sacred spot near his pueblo. He was happy to direct me to it; I was glad he trusted me.

In the gathering dark of dusk I walked out of Taos through sweet-smelling sagebrush, along a meandering stream, then bisected a deep ravine to a particular rock that the Hopi elder had described. He forewarned me that I should tread silently and slowly so as not to disturb the spirits. I found etchings on the flat surface of this rock. It was in a little clearing beyond the ravine, which was evidently used for ceremonial purposes. There were sprigs of sagebrush, fragments of prayer beads and eagle feathers scattered around.

I stood before this tall, flat boulder and allowed myself to be absorbed in the etchings. What I felt was something incommunicable, something which seemed to quicken my heart and shift my soul sideways. I felt a numinous, oceanic love for all things and found myself almost dissolving into tears. At the time I was perplexed, I couldn’t quite understand it. I walked back along the stream into the town square of Taos. The Hopi elder had gone. After that strange day I never saw him again, not in the flesh, and yet he lives within me as one who understands; who arises from a common heritage; whose long deep gaze communes with a tribal past. His and mine and no doubt yours, too.

In more recent times I have stayed on retreat in a place called St. Mary’s Abbey, West Malling in Kent. It supports a community of Benedictine nuns who adhere to vows of poverty, obedience ans charity. The last of these compels them to offer food and accommodation without charge, which strikes me as enormously generous and is greatly appreciated. When I visit I stay in the magnificent medieval gatehouse, in what is called the ‘Thomas Becket Room’, which possesses an especial resonance of its own. The room looks down into the Pilgrims’ Chapel through tiny double doors cut into one wall, like a privileged peephole. A votive candle burns all night, the chapel’s inner light and life. Even in sleep one feels accompanied by a wonderful sense of the blessed.

The room itself is a wonder; the perfect hideaway for an anchorite. It is redolent of all the retreatants who have stayed before and no doubt revered its unique atmosphere. Spending much of my time alone in this room, or downstairs in the chapel, I have often felt transported in time and space. My Buddhist convictions have hardly mattered even in a Christian setting. A sense of the divine crosses boundaries of faith and brings us all together into one cosmic communion.

When I hear the plangent singing of the nuns in the chapel during one of their seven daily offices, I am invariably moved close to tears and utterly grateful not only for their devotions but for the unseen presences that their ethereal voices evoke. In many ways, some very obvious, I am so different to these Benedictine sisters – and yet in a vital sense we are all the same, we occupy the same space, the same eternal yearning, the same sense of mystery and wonder, the same passionate spirituality.

On another occasion I was transported in a minibus up a mountain on the Greek island of Skiathos, through ancient olive groves and wandering herds of goats. In this place too there existed a sense of timelessness, accentuated by a pristine blue Mediterranean sky. I felt refreshed and keen with anticipation. I had heard of the Mount Evaggelistria Monastery and felt a subdued thrill, as I slowly approached the complex of buildings perched on a high mountain. The place exceeded all expectations. Ancient buildings absorbed sunlight as they had done for so many centuries. The Orthodox priest escorted our little party into the church, which stood symbolically in the exact centre of the monastery. In semi-darkness, accentuated by the glare of the sun outside, he pointed out dozens of icons which hung on the walls, each representing a named saint. A heady fragrance of incense permeated the church.

I recall being overawed by this place; by the layers of history ; by the tenacity off devotion; by the realisation that monks had lived here through many centuries, prayed and slept and ate between these walls; by the quiet devotion of their present-day brethren who continue a wise tradition in the face of the pressures and distractions of secular modernity. Their single-minded celebration of faith in God – their god, which may or may not be ours too – impressed me and leaves a vivid impression to this day.

I asked one of the monks about the array of little wooden saints which were for sale. I bought an icon of St. Peter, thinking that appropriate, considering the fishes and the still waters and the solidity of rock. I keep the icon in full view to this day; it sits on my writing desk and reminds me of the Mount Evaggelistria Monastery. It invariably transports me back to that sun-drenched mountainside of Skiathos with its olive trees and goats, its heavily-bearded priest and a sense of transcendent timelessness.

But there is one place which, despite the claims of captivating holy sites, draws me above all others: The Chalice Well. Or, more precisely, the Wellhead itself at the top of the garden. I know that I am far from alone in revering this unique place with its shading circle of trees, its flower-decked well-dressings, its embracing stone surround with those welcoming steps, its inevitable accompaniment of poignant birdsong, its positive energy and the magic – it is the only word that seems appropriate – which permeates through everyone who sits and smiles and meditates there. In common with many others I am eternally grateful to Wellesley Tudor Pole, Alice Buckton, George Trevelyan, the tradition of founders and keepers of this place, which perpetually exudes love and light.

Many is the time I have sat alone or in the sensitive company of others and contemplated the interlocking circles of the well cover, the deep and inspiring waters beneath, the tangible connection with others far away in time and space and yet here in a particular moment, like a fusion of all the souls who ever came here, settled and absorbed the glory and power of this blessed shrine.

If deep truth exists anywhere – with the indigenous Hopis in New Mexico, with the monks on Skiathos, with the Benedictine sisters at St. Mary’s Abbey – it exists for me most poignantly in a place of dappled shade at the apex of an astounding garden. Although I have many times sought to characterise this place in speech and in writing, as here, really it exists beyond the power of words in the realm of pure feeling and silent awareness.

Peter Quince

“…thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

A common thread that runs through various religious traditions is the idea of ‘heaven-above’ and ‘earth-below’. In more recent times of scientific literalism this can be misunderstood to be suggesting that there is an actual empirically definable realm called ‘Heaven’ up there in the sky. Such a perception inevitably runs counter to our awareness of certain material facts as understood through modern cosmology. Even though it is impossible to physically experience, it is not difficult to accept the material actuality by which we reside on a spherical planet that is orbiting the Sun.

But if we are to fully engage with an imaginal symbolic notion such as ‘heaven-above’ and ‘earthbelow’ there is a need to loosen our straitjacket of scientific materialism and enter into the ‘spiritual imagination’. This ‘place’ could be described as a mediatory realm in which the human soul can contemplate its Divine Origin – which is itself ultimately unknowable.

In the medieval Christian universities such a contemplation was engaged in through a study of the Seven Liberal Arts which were understood to symbolise the seven planetary spheres. The study of these seven subjects accordingly symbolised the educative ascent of the student’s soul through the seven heavens up to the eighth heaven of the fixed stars which symbolised the study of Philosophy and was the abode of Lady Wisdom. Beyond that lay the fiery divine realm called the Empyrean which symbolised the divine science of Theology.

In relation to the seven arts, the first three subjects – The Trivium – were Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic – a modern day Barrister’s training. The other four – The Quadrivium – concerned the study of ‘number. These four subjects were Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Cosmology. It was specifically the numerical aspects of these subjects that were the central focus so, for instance, in the study of music it was the mathematical ratios that govern musical pitch which were studied rather than musical composition as such.

Two of the Quadrivial subjects that go hand-in-hand are cosmology and geometry. However, whereas cosmology concerns the numerical cycles of the heavens - which are in motion - geometry focuses upon the fixing of embodied numerical forms down here on the earth. The word ‘geometry’ (geo-metria) literally means ‘earth-measure’. The triangle, the square and the pentagon can all be described as embodiments of the eternal and unchanging truths of number. But the ‘fourness’ of a square can also show itself temporally through the various temporal cycles that we experience here on the earth such as the annual cycle with its ‘four corners’ (i.e. two solstices and two equinoxes) or the daily cycle with its own four corners (sunrise, midday, sunset and midnight). Even the lunar cycle has its four week-long quarters and so henceforth the number four prevails in our earthly experience of time cycles. But the four fixed earthly directions of north, south, east and west also present a spatial fourness which lies at the root of the Biblical description of the ‘four corners of the earth’.

The reason why ancient philosophers such as Plato have so often focused upon the Quadrivial arts is because they reflect the eternal and unchanging truths of number. Whatever culture we are from or whichever religious path we follow we can all agree on mathematical truths. The eternal and unchanging truthfulness of number accordingly becomes a contemplative focus for the soul attempting to orientate its vision towards the eternal and unchanging reality of God.

The Platonist emphasis upon number tends to feature in any Christian era in which Platonism formed a significant influence. St Augustine for instance would often show his Platonist influence in the way he contemplated Biblical numbers. But the 12th century saw a particularly strong focus in western Europe upon the Quadrivial arts along with its accompanying Christian-Platonist philosophy.

The 12th century was the era in which the Gothic style of architecture developed and the designs of these cathedrals appear to be Quadrivial in scope. For the past 12 years I have been slowly studying the ‘Quadrivial’ design of Wells Cathedral. I am a specialist in the use of geometry in sacred art and architecture for which I studied at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London under the Master Geometer Professor Keith Critchlow.

I started looking at the design of Wells Cathedral back in 2010 with a simple geometric analysis. But the study gradually started moving towards cosmology and eventually also arithmetic and musical ratios. Then, after seven years or so, a Christian form of cosmic mythos started to become apparent within the cathedral’s design. This particularly concerned the ancient association of the movements of the Planet Venus with a descent into the underworld, as the Evening Star, and an ascent into heaven as the Morning Star.

At the very end of the Book of Revelation Christ proclaims His Davidic family lineage and then describes Himself as ‘the Bright Morning Star’. It goes without saying that He is not claiming to literally be the planet Venus but rather He is using the movements of the planet as a contemplative symbol of His Resurrection and the illumination of the world as a result of it.

Similarly, in Peter’s second epistle the Morning Star is invoked as a symbol of the inward illumination and awakening of a Christian soul…

“We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Peter is clearly not suggesting that the planet Venus is about to rise up in our chest cavity but rather he is using an experienceable cosmological phenomenon as an imaginal symbol of an inner state of soul. Many who have stayed up all night outdoors will have experienced the rise of anticipation and inward wakefulness that comes with the rising of the Morning star immediately prior to the rising of the Sun itself which is another cosmological symbol and Image of the Risen Christ.

In modern day Christianity such a use of contemplative cosmological symbolism might seem puzzling or even inappropriate although if we are to understand the mindsets of these inspired, and mostly anonymous, medieval artists who designed the great Gothic cathedrals there is a need to enter into the spiritual imagination so as to view the world as they did. Having attempted to do this this for the past 12 years I can say that it is an immensely rich realm that can help to inspire a Christian faith in the modern world. It is useful and fruitful for answering those who misperceive science and religion as being in antagonistic opposition. It can also reconcile those who see an intellectual engagement as being at odds with the direct experience or contemplation of an unknowable Absolute – (more commonly known in Christianity as ‘God’.) But perhaps most importantly it presents Beauty as a divine attribute by which the human soul can be reminded of God every time it beholds the Beautiful. The soul’s aspiration to remember its True Self – the Image in which it was created – is thus suggested by the Platonist philosopher Plotinus, “Never did eye see the sun unless it had first become sunlike, and never can the soul have vision of the First Beauty unless itself be beautiful.”

My book is called “The Cosmos in Stone – sacred geometry of a master mason”. It contains a variety of studies centred upon medieval Theology, Philosophy, Sacred Geometry and Cosmological symbolism which all contribute towards a detailed architectural analysis of the Wells Cathedral ground plan. The book is now available from the Chalice Well shop. The retail price is £24.95. The book is in full colour with many beautiful images and informative diagrams and is reviewed in the Chalice by Paul Fletcher (see below). It contains a little over 350 pages and its size is 8.5 inches x 11 inches.

The Cosmos In Stone BOOK REVIEW

This is a book for the ages. It is a large volume containing a distillation of Tom Bree’s work and studies over a ten year period from 2010-2020. Tom is a dear friend of the Well, a geometer and lecturer, and started to teach for the Trust through the Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts. His book examines sacred geometry and cosmology in Gothic cathedral design and reveals how medieval Master Masons combined knowledge of practical building with ancient knowledge so that their buildings were imbued with profound spiritual meaning.

For Tom there was the realisation that something of this ilk was going on in the construction of Wells Cathedral in Somerset (England’s first Gothic cathedral). While going on his personal journey with these ideas Tom uncovered the intent that the design symbolises the soul’s cosmic journey from Earth, through the underworld and up into the starry heavens. This, of course, led him on to more historically recent explorations and revelations concerning Freemasonry, the Templars and Egyptology.

The writing is original and clear and helps the interested reader to go on the journey that has been his journey; he is, in effect, holding your hand and on nearly every page there are the most striking images and his own diagrams. All is revealed chapter by chapter in this unfolding work of the intelligent heart.

There are so many lovely and enlightening moments as you page-turn from the dedication to Our Lady of Walsingham and Tom’s geometry teacher Keith Critchlow who writes in the foreword that he holds Tom in the highest regard. Tom writes in the Introduction, ‘The use of geometry as a language of spiritual symbolism lies at the heart of this book.’ Thus, ‘sacred art and architecture’ are ‘specifically designed to act as both a mental and a physical reminder of the Divine Harmony’. From this Tom places ‘Wisdom’ at the Heart of the Matter arguing that the medieval designs of the Gothic cathedrals demonstrated a cosmos rendered in stone. It is this revealing journey that unfolds in this large book. But do not be intimidated by its size; Tom is a gentle guide through the mysteries of such topics as ‘The Virgin Mary and the Number Seven’ ‘The Seven Liberal Arts’, the book of Revelation, the symbolism of the rose, the Kingdom of Jerusalem and how it was represented in the Gothic cathedrals and then deeper and deeper into the design of Wells Cathedral.

There is a particularly apposite Epilogue in case the rarified air of Tom’s research has been challenging that brings us back to our present day situation with the environment and life on this planet. This situation, which Tom calls ‘the Luciferian aspiration’ to constantly expand outwards into the material world seems in direct contrast to the deep intuition of those soul’s ‘desirous potential for inward ascent’. Tom sees the desire for expansion as ‘misdirected desire’ concluding that only through ‘a relationship ruled by Divine Love’ is there ‘the possibility of a marriage between the inner and outer worlds of our Being.’

In this book you can go deeper and deeper. How far do you want to go in? For instance there is a fascinating chapter on the Chapter House stairs and their relation to the moon and the Chapter House’s own lunar correspondences. I’d always wondered why I found those stairs so enchanting and now I know.

So thank you Tom for pursuing this work. It is a timely gift.

P.S. And there’s a lovely photograph of John Michell on page 120!

Paul Fletcher

Spring bursts forth in Chalice Well