Leo is connected with the intuition and the intrinsic value of the individual. If we take the values of Leo and integrate them with Aquarius we will see a renaissance. It is towards this synthesis we are now moving.
‘The token of the word unheard, unspoken Till the wind shake a thousand whispers from the yew’
T.S. Eliot ‘Ash Wednesday’ 1930
One of the most extraordinary people I have met in my time at Chalice Well is the yew tree expert Allen Meredith. When he visited the gardens about a decade ago I was able to spend a most astonishing afternoon with him communing with the yew trees that are established on this sanctuary site. They are part of the alchemical brew that goes to make the Chalice Well and its surroundings so special.
I like the comments in ‘The Sacred Yew’ book which is subtitled ‘Rediscovering the ancient Tree of Life through the work of Allen Meredith’ where the authors Anand Chetan and Diana Brueton write that there is nothing remotely ‘New Age’ about Allen and yet he is so attuned to the essence of the yew that ‘something does speak to me’ so that he can ‘translate the yew.’
As Sir George Trevelyan points out in the Forward to the book the great yew trees of Britain can be 2,000 years old or 3,000 or 4,000 or more and pre-exist the churchyards where they are so often found. Sir George encourages us to ‘tune-in’ to these remarkable trees so that our imagination can be stimulated, ‘our imaginative vision can merge with the wondrous structure.’
Then, in the introduction to the book, David Bellamy (who worked closely with Allen) writes that ‘Allen’s life has become a joyous pilgrimage into the facts which surround the yew.’ The taxus baccatus. Bellamy points out that as the forests disappeared – the lime, the hornbeam, the beech, the oak, the elm, the elder and the ash – the yew stood alone as a thing of mystery and wonder. He calls ‘The Sacred Yew’ book ‘a feast of knowledge’ and honours the tenacity of Meredith in his lifelong attempt to save the ancient yews of Europe.
The revelations contained in ‘The Sacred Yew’ helped many who read it to come closer to the mystery and majesty of the yew. As an almost timeless living creature to be in its presence can take us a long way from the materialistic virtual world which is now becoming more illusory, divisive and harmful and leading the world away from the deep spirit that can be experienced in a ‘thin place’ such as Chalice Well.
At Chalice Well I feel we are very fortunate to receive the regular writings of Companion Peter Quince. He has a learned sensitive style of writing and we always look forward to reading his contemplations which are often accompanied by beautiful pencil drawings. In this issue Peter has turned his attention to the Guardian Yews which stand just beyond the Devenish stone as you pass into the deeper energies of the Chalice Well temenos. It is a lovely piece and is typical of his carefully constructed writings. He has also sent us a thoughtful piece about his pilgrimage to this year’s Companions Day and that can be found alongside a transcript of Alistair Jones’s talk which many Companions have asked us for. We also have all the regular features with all our news, words from our new Chair, an extract from ‘The Silent Road’ on Tudor Pole’s thoughts on ‘building
the future’ and the second part of the George Wright 1886 article. I would like to thank Caroline for all her help with this issue.
May you enjoy experiencing the ancient wisdom of all our yews for as Allen once wrote:
‘If this tree is gone, we will no longer exist.’
‘We have lost much of the ancient wisdom. We think we are so superior and intelligent; we may be; wise we are not. No wise man would destroy his home.’
‘The Sacred Yew’ was published by Arkana (Penguin imprint) in 1994.
Front Cover: The Lions Head
Back Cover: The Wellhead
Paul Fletcher
Photo credit: Caroline Glazebrook
Photo credit: Caroline Glazebrook
Caption on Cover: from 'Relating' by Liz Greene. She has more on the Leo-Aquarius relationship pages 275-277 in her wonderful astrological book.
Photos in this issue by Caroline Glazebrook and Casey Jon 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
Dear Companions,
For those of you who don’t know me my name is Alison Scobie and I have been a trustee of the Chalice Well Trust since 2020. In August I was appointed Chairperson, an honour and privilege both overwhelming and humbling in equal measures. Of course, I could only fulfil this position due to the fact that Lindsay took the difficult decision to step down. Having witnessed her commitment, professionalism and passion over the past years I have some very big shoes to step into! Thank you, Lindsay, for all the support and guidance you’ve given me, both personally and as a board member over the past years.
In addition to Lindsay, we have also said goodbye to Phil, John and Lynne in their role as Trustees and I would like to thank each of them for their commitment to the Chalice Well during their time on the board. I have learnt so much from each of you and am grateful to have you in my life.
Earlier this year Tim Chidgey took the decision to retire from his role as volunteer coordinator. I’m sure you will all agree with me that his welcoming energy will be missed and we all wish him and Trish all the best for this new phase in their lives. I am happy to say that Rose White has moved from her role in the shop into Tim’s role and she is settling in nicely.
It cannot be denied that the past few months have been challenging for all of us who hold The Chalice Well close to our hearts and I hope we can use the coming months to reflect, reconnect with each other and heal.
I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the amount of pressure my fellow Trustees, the Chalice Well staff and volunteers have been under during the summer. They have all navigated recent events with dignity, compassion and in service to the Well.
It will come as no surprise to most of you that, despite what you may have read on social media, the Well, its waters and garden have remained the same ancient sacred place of healing and sanctuary they always have been.
Companions Day this year was on June 1st and was a beautiful day where Trustees, staff, volunteers and Companions came together in the spirit of love to celebrate the healing power of water. Talks given by Alistair Jones, Janice Micallef and Lesley Oates were all very well received and very much appreciated. I am already looking forward to Companions Day 2025.
We currently find ourselves in the last throws of action before the stillness takes hold. We have been blessed with abundance when it comes to the apple orchard and the team have been busy harvesting a copious amount of apples. It looks like we may have a record year for the amount of apple juice produced.
Work has started on the windows in Little St Michael’s Retreat House, with the existing windows being replaced by new ones all handcrafted locally in the same style as the existing ones. In the case of the Upper Room the original stained glass has been preserved. These improvements are part of our continuous plan to protect and safeguard the buildings and sacred lands at Chalice Well. We are especially grateful to those legacies from friends of the Well for making this possible.
As we, in the Northern Hemisphere, slowly begin to turn inwards in search of the stillness and silence that comes with this time of year I am filled with gratitude for all that this summer has taught me and for the personal growth it has resulted in.
One piece of text keeps appearing to me which I would like to close with. It comes from WTP’s The Silent Road and those of you who joined the Autumn Equinox celebration may recognise it:
As events unroll, it may be only too easy to give entry into our minds to the two great enemies: Fear and Depression. Bar the gates, against them! On the other hand, welcome into the home of your spirit, Faith, Serenity and Courage. Open your doors widely to receive these three good friends and be at peace.
Realise that the sun never ceases to shine; however dark the clouds may be which seems to obscure its light, these clouds, are temporary, in relation to eternity and possess no real substance. For this good reason… Let us give thanks!
In love and light, Alison
Hello to all our Companions,
What an honour to be able to introduce myself as a member of the Chalice Well team. Like so many of my colleagues my journey at the Well started first as a Visitor and then as a Volunteer. It was lovely to volunteer in the bookshop every Thursday and be surrounded by all the beautifully curated items in the shop.
When the opportunity arose to become a fulltime staff member I quickly applied and here I am. I initially joined as Lead Manager in early January and with the retirement of Steve Hawkins in May I stepped into the role as Chief Executive.
Coming from a career in finance and administration I know how important it is to understand all the intertwining roles within an organisation. My first few months were spent chatting with my colleagues and understanding how we could best support each other in our differing roles.
After a long and busy summer I can say what a joy it has been to work with such a strong and supportive team. Being surrounded by accomplished colleagues makes my complex and varied role much easier. There has been no shortage of help in understanding and appreciating the pivotal role The Chalice Well and Gardens plays in the local community.
With less than a year as part of the team I feel I am already getting to know my colleagues and all the intricacies of the behind the scenes at the Well that allows the wider team to support the Ethos of the Well, our visitors and our Companions.
As we look forward to the coming months we are focussing on increasing engagement with our Companions and Volunteers. There are some lovely initiatives about to be revealed so please keep on eye on your email inbox and our website for more details.
And thank you all for making me feel so welcome and a part of the Chalice Well family.
Joanna
Recently one of our very longest serving volunteers, Audrey Murr Copland, passed away.
There will be a full ‘remembering’ tribute to her in the Spring issue
Gathering together to give thanks for the constantly flowing living waters that have welcomed people here for so many years is so joyful. It is an honour for us to share the wheel of the year events with so many people, from near and far, with the feeling of ‘home’ in our hearts for these sacred lands and waters. For each gathering, we offer a livestream meditation on our Facebook page at 9am UK time (facebook.com/ theChaliceWell) to bring the energies of the Well to you, wherever you are in the world.
Weaving the red and white ribbons symbolising unity
There was so much exuberant joy that flowed through the Cress Field and the garden. For many people who watched the sun rise from the Tor, Chalice Well was the next sacred site to gather on Beltane morning.
Over a thousand people celebrated May Day at Chalice Well this year and as we gathered first in the Cress Field to call in the directions and light the Beltane Fire, Jana Runnells and the Grandmother Drum drumming circle sounded the rhythm of the sacred land. On the lower lawn, Alento da Lúa sang Beltane songs and Glastonbury Morris Dancers and their musicians entertained us.
When we danced the Chalice Well maypole, people swapped ribbons with others, weaving unity and love into the criss-cross ribboned maypole. The theme of joyous harmony and unity continued with the blessing of the town maypole with water from the red and white springs.
When we tuned into the garden as we gathered to dress the well, the morning light shining directly on the well was beautiful to behold. It heralded the beginning of a lovely day, sharing the energies of Summer Solstice with thousands of pilgrims and visitors.
We honoured the full expression of the sun and the dancing light sparkling on the well waters, to celebrate our highest potential and a deep honouring of our connection to the earth.
The beautifully dressed well was a wonderful focus for the summer sunshine and golden abundance of the first harvests. We gathered together, to honour the earth’s beauty and expression of the sunshine, around the wellhead for our midday mediation. Lammas well dressing with a loaf to honour the first harvests
A time of balance, harmony and unity consciousness. We felt the blessings of the rain, the warmth from the Equinox fire and the generosity of the garden with the rich colours of the flowers, and the garden harvest of fruits, berries and nuts. The Autumn Equinox is a time for stillness and balance, as the leaves begin to fall, to make way for the winter dreaming of the Earth. We honoured our connection with the beautiful Earth, these sacred land and vibrant well water.
10.00 Chalice Well opens. FREE entry till 12pm refreshments available
12.00 Solstice Meditation at the Wellhead
14.00Winter Solstice Fire Ceremony on the lower lawn
16.30Garden closes
chalicewelll.org.uk facebook.com/TheChaliceWell instagram.com/ChaliceWellShop
We are so grateful to our volunteers who give their time in service to the Well that is so dear to their hearts. At our Summer Party by the Vesica Pool, we gave some awards in recognition of long service of 10 years volunteering at the Well, and also for exceptional contributions. It was also a farewell to Tim Chidgey who retired from the Well where he has been our Volunteers Co-ordinator for the last five years. Lindsay Smith, former Chair of Trustees gave a speech to the volunteers to thank them for their wonderful contributions.
‘Such a seemingly modest effort as is represented by the acts and the intent of the Lamplighters possesses a promise for the future, of import far beyond our human comprehension. Even the symbolism itself helps the mind…to begin to look up and to cease continually looking down into matter and into the gloom of past errors and delusions. A cosmic mustard seed of immense potency and infinite promise was sown on Midsummer’s Day 1964.’
(Wellesley Tudor Pole to Sir George Trevelyan, 1964)
At midday on Midsummer’s Day, Monday 24th June 2024, seven specially-commissioned lamplighter lamps were lit in recognition of 60 years of the Lamplighter Movement. The impetus behind this came during an observance of the Silent Minute at Chalice Well, Glastonbury in November 2023. During the meditation, the impression was given of seven amber lamps radiating light in remembrance, and continuance, of the kindling of the first lamp by Sir George Trevelyan at Attingham Park on Midsummer’s Day 1964.
Following this vision, and with Tricia Claridge’s blessing, we approached Dave Appleby of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen (one of the oldest craft guilds in the country) to make the new lamps. Regarded as being one of the finest woodturners in the country, Dave works with reclaimed wood and natural finishes to make his pieces. Although initially unsure if he could finish the lamps in the required timescale, Dave soon set about designing a prototype. He hoped to create something that harked back to the lamps made by John Lett, but with a few innovations of his own. When he presented the prototype to us shortly after Christmas, we intuitively felt that his design was the right one for the occasion.
Dave completed the lamps by Easter, and they were sent to Glastonbury, the Isle of Iona, Foulsham in Norfolk, Bishops Castle, Llithfaen in Snowdonia, St David’s in Pembrokeshire and to Winchester. The lamps were dedicated using Sir George’s suggested prayer and lit in unison at noon on Midsummer’s Day, 60 years to the day since he lit the first lamp at Attingham Park. From my perspective, the lighting was a moment of great unity and joy which very much felt watched over by those on the other side. It was an honour to remember and to honour the work not only of Wellesley Tudor Pole, Sir George Trevelyan and Ruth Bell, but of all the lamplighters over the past 60 years, and, of course, Tricia who has done so much for the Movement in recent years. Long may the Lamplighter Movement continue to act as a means by which Light can enter into the hearts and minds of humanity, lifting us towards true world unity.
Alistair Jones
After some careful research by Alistair Jones we now have some new information concerning the commemoration of the Chalice Well lid on 11th November 1919 at 11am. In the local Central Somerset Gazette it reported:
‘The beautiful wrought-iron image and clasp symbolic of the ‘High Stones and the Holy Grail’ is the work of Bertram Puckle, of the Albany Forge, London, made after a design supplied by friends who have found in the Glastonbury of today that refreshment and healing which is sought by the pilgrims of all ages.’
The warm autumn light dances on the golden roses in front of the shop, welcoming everyone, with their joyfulness. It is wonderful to work in the shop - our team is so connected and supportive. We are holding the energy, creating a warm welcome and loving all our new gifts in the shop. It is such a joy to make sure our visitors have a relaxing, positive experience. We love offering an inspiring variety of gifts, many from local artists including beautiful jewellery, high quality greeting cards, oracle cards and so many books. We hope every customer can find something that carries the energies of the garden to take home with them, and feel the energies of Chalice Well in their hearts.
I was inspired by so much beauty in the garden to create a Chalice Well Diary for 2025. It’s the first time we have offered a diary and it is brim full of thoughtful information and goes perfectly with our Calendar. We are so grateful to you for spending with us. As a non-profit shop, the proceeds support the Chalice Well Trust, to keep the garden open every day, and all of the work we do to safeguard this wonderful living sanctuary. Our online shop delivers worldwide and so we can send some of the beautiful energy of Chalice Well to you with each order. chalicewell.org.uk/webshop
Our calendar is a truly beautiful anticipation of 2025, with some exceptional photos and favourite views of the garden, flowers, well dressings and the tranquility that warms our hearts. In the shop and online shop, with worldwide delivery
For the first time, we have an inspiring Diary for 2025. Full of gorgeous photos of the garden, details of all our upcoming wheel of the year events and gatherings, useful information about the Chalice Well Trust and our ethos. Throughout you will find quotations from Alice Buckton and Wellesley Tudor Pole, plus thoughtful words from our wonderful team at the Well. There is also new and full moon information and space for your own inspiration and ideas. Our Diary is in the shop and online shop, with worldwide delivery chalicewell.org.uk/ webshop CHALICE WELL
£9.50
This is a constant best-selling vibrational essence, co-created with the joyful golden roses outside our lovely shop. Golden Rose has a gentle vibration of joy, helping to clear negativity, dissolving selfcreated barriers and beliefs that we place in the way of love, and raises our vibration to a place of wholeness. The golden roses have flowered repeatedly throughout this year, seemingly blessing everyone who comes to the shop!
Bahli Mans-Morris received in meditation, inspiration and information about the ladies of the Arthurian legends who are deeply connected with sacred wells and springs. It was Bahli’s daughter Casey, who brought this beautiful oracle deck into being as an evocative interpretation of this important work that her beloved mother started. The amazing illustrations by Yuri Leitch bring the energy of the Glastonbury Zodiac to life, which supports the Well Maidens. Each lady was received in meditation as Bahli walked the land of the star temple. They are each supported by the sacred masculine of the Arthurian Knights. This deck is a limited edition and available from the CW shop and online shop
£4.20
With thanks to the abundant apple trees in our orchard and the amazing gardening team who tend to the trees with so much love and care. Their expert eye observes the ripening process so that the apples are hand picked for pressing at exactly the right moment. Our apples that grow here without pesticides or chemicals have been pressed and bottled for you to enjoy. Chalice Well apple juice is amazing - delicious, naturally sweet with no added ingredients. Apple Juice bottles are in our shop now.
Get one bottle free when you buy 6 bottles
Get 2 bottles free when you buy 12
£8.50
There is something extra vibrant about the herbs that grow at Chalice Well. We have gorgeous packets of herbs that have been carefully picked and expertly dried so that you can take them home to enjoy herbal teas or add them to a bath, or make your own herb pillow for relaxation or sleep.
Many years ago I escaped London and joined a building company renovating an old hotel in Westward Ho! In North Devon.
I stayed in a house on the edge of Northern Burrows, where a short stretch of grazing land meets 4,000 miles of Atlantic Ocean. At night the sound of the crashing waves sent me to sleep, a similar sound to the M25 I observed.
The garden there was totally hidden, tucked behind an ancient wall and battered by prevailing winds it had definitely seen better days. There was a small orchard, the trees were very old and weather beaten. The remains of an old vegetable garden and some overgrown flower beds, even as it was it remained a beautiful space.
I had grown up gardening and fancied I could get it up to scratch. The house library only had one book on vegetable gardening “Companion Gardening” by Gertrud Franck. Little did I know that this book was gardening gold. In the book, written in the 1950s, Gertrud Franck explains one of the most vital bits of gardening information, how plants support each other. Revelations about how plants love, nurture, support, and sustain everything came later. She explained to me in simple, precise, no nonsense German, how to use plants in combinations to evoke the wellbeing of the garden and to grow fabulous vegetables. Firstly, I pruned the fruit trees and remove the dead and deceased branches. Then she recommended sage, alliums and spinach planted around the base of the trees.
Later in the year a prepared patch was planted using combinations of vegetables that proved very successful Dave and Martin underneath one of the 17 yews in the garden.
The right environment for essential pollinators
and the fruit trees yielded a heavy crop of disease free fruit. The plant combinations for mutual protection and compatibility mean that the plants are less susceptible to predators or viruses and seaweed compost and organic cow manure did the rest.
Companion planting as it was known then, became permaculture and now “No Dig, No Kill” gardening. It has heralded the advent of the most gentle hands on the gardening tiller. As our understanding further evolves, we look back in despair at what our heavy hands have done to our wildlife and plant diversity.
Chalice Well and its beautiful surrounding orchards and fields treat us so gently and its healing ways have drawn people for eons, and we as gardeners treat her with the same love and gentleness.
We have this year been helped by many volunteers and companions who have great expertise in some very specialised aspects of nature. Jon Van-Gowler is a dragonfly expert who helps monitor the increasing numbers we see at the Well. Les Davis is an orchardsman and wild plant expert who has helped us understand how to best improve the plant diversity around the garden. Les has been coming to the Chalice Well since the 1950s. Thank you both for giving us such great advice and encouragement, and thank you both for your great love of the natural world.
The orchard team have excelled this year. All the trees have been pruned in the spring and the Orchards have produced a bumper harvest. A particular thank you must go to Mike Spring who oversees and picks the orchard. His eye for knowing the ripening sequence and fruit selection makes Chalice Well apple juice the best in the world (yes, I am slightly biased). Thank you Mike and all the orchard team for true hard graft, great friendship and total dedication to Chalice Well.
I would also like to thank all our wonderful gardening volunteers and a particular thank you to Caroline who has worked in the gardens for ten years or more. You are a joy to have in the garden.
So many of our staff and volunteers have been here many years and effortlessly ride the ups and downs of a very busy garden and a vibrant organisation. It is more a family than a team and I am honoured to be a small part of it.
As the golden warmth of summer moves into the rich nourishing russet hues of Autumn, we look at how we have walked through the lighter part of the year, we honour all that has passed and is ready to be harvested and then ultimately released. As we listen to the beginning of the deeper month’s we can allow ourselves to slow down and be fully present with all that we have experienced since spring, allowing it to rest, appreciating the lessons and opportunities of growth and learning we have been offered.
Through all this time the sacred waters of the Well have continued to flow, continued to offer their love and wisdom, while us humans may flail and then blossom; nature and the waters continue on their journey reminding us of the constancy of life and the love that the earth has for us. May we honour our relationship with the waters and nature as we connect with our heart and move into the stillness of the year.
The flower and vibrational essences we co-create are made with the sacred waters of the Well and we honour and give thanks for all the sanctuary, healing and wisdom it gives us.
Tuning into the flowers as part of the Chalice Well essences training.
This summer we have co created two essences with our cohort of Essence Practitioners in training, we love these special times of co creation with our practitioners. We’ve also dowsed in the garden with our wonderful Head Gardener Dave, learning more about the plants and new ways of deepening our connection with the garden and we have listened to the waters which have offered us new insights and messages. The Chalice Well Flower and Vibrational Essence
Training is always a delight and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed this last year with our lovely practitioners – in training.
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
Apple Blossom helps us to take care of ourselves, generously nourishing the true Self, giving sustenance and growth.It gives support when we feel depleted, sharing its bounty of replenishment and abundance. Loving ourselves just as we are with the aid of Apple Blossom enables us to overflow, and in turn share the abundance of our own love to nourish others.
This Essence was created in the Chalice Well apple orchard. Made with a blossom from the youngest tree, it captures the spirit of May, and the joyful turning of spring into a youthful summer.
"Apple Blossom … helps the sense to give more pleasure and fulfilment to the mind, so we mentally enjoy the sensuality of our daily lives much more… It enhances the quality of our lives."
Erik Pelham Co-Chair
of the British Flower and Vibrational Essences Association
Chalice Well Essences are most effective when worked with consciously. We suggest calling upon the Spirit of the Chalice Well and asking that you may receive all that you need at this time. Take 7 drops under the tongue, or in a glass of water, morning and evening, or as your intuition suggests.
Available from the shop: https://www.chalicewell.org.uk/webshop/chalice-well-essences/ original-nine/chalice-well-essence-apple-blossom-for-nourishment/
Our theme for Companions Day this year was Healing Waters. So many people commented on the palpable sense of love in the garden, and our opening and closing circles around the Vesica Pool were truly beautiful opportunities to connect heart to heart. The evening finished with dancing to Dragonsfly songs in the marquee.
We offered a weekend of workshops with a sound journey incorporating Chalice Well water, led by Julia Phillips; the sacred art of well dressing with Casey and Caroline, using clay and flower petals that we offered to the spring in the Sanctuary. We also held and a beautiful introduction to co-creating a flower essence, with Casey, Sophie and Caroline.
Co-creating a rose flower essence at the workshop
Companions enjoying the Dragonsfly concert Co-creating a rose flower essence at the workshop
Lindsay Smith’s talk at the opening of Companions Day
Welcome everyone, to Companions Day 2024 in our beautiful sanctuary. We are all so very blessed to have found our way here, particularly in these turbulent times.
It seems no time at all since we met last June and I am happy to report that, once again, we have had a busy and successful year with Steve at the helm. As you have just learnt, Steve has now finished his work with Chalice Well and we are so grateful for all that he has done. He joined us in 2020, just after the first lockdown, with the remit of re-structuring Chalice Well into an operationally more cohesive charity. This was a difficult task in itself but obviously compounded by the constant restrictions and re-alignments of the Covid years. Steve, the trustees and the staff worked closely together for two years, soldiering on throughout that difficult time, until Nicola Green joined us in late 2021 to put into practice the restructuring that was envisaged. We now find ourselves in a far better place. Nicola left us at the end of last year and now we say goodbye to Steve; so thank you Steve for all that you have done in difficult circumstances, and in a spiritually-based environment which I know you have found challenging at times. Your grounded common sense and optimistic view was such a bonus in those difficult years and I am sure that I speak for everyone at Chalice Well when I say that we will miss you.
Since January we have been joined by Joanna Dyer, who will be taking on the lead role within the charity. Joanna came here as a volunteer and was somewhat catapulted into this position by circumstance – a happening not uncommon at Chalice Well and I speak from personal experience! Joanna, with the help of her efficient, and infinitely patient, office team, many of whom are also recent arrivals, work so hard to maintain equilibrium in a very hectic environment. They deal with diverse and often challenging situations with equanimity and grace. Chalice Well though a small organisation, is somewhat complex, and Joanna has picked up the reins admirably so far for which we are all truly grateful. Joanna will be taking over from Steve as m.c. for the rest of the day in one final, smooth transition.
Also within the office team is, of course, Tim Chidgey, our volunteer co-ordinator, who has been with us for seven years now and provided us with volunteers throughout the site. We now so sadly also have to say goodbye to him from the end of this month as he will be retiring. Tim has been such a stalwart of Chalice Well throughout his time here. He will be missed enormously as a staff member with a huge understanding of the true purpose of ChaliceWell and the ways in which this should manifest. Volunteers are an immensely important part of this charity, from their perspective and from ours, and Tim has an innate ability to understand whether these two purposes align. So, once again, thank you Tim for all you have given to a Chalice Well that I know you revere. Tim will be back for a final goodbye at the volunteer’s garden party in July.
Our events, not least this Companions Day, are conceived and organised by Caroline Glazebrook who also oversees our media platform and the way in which we present ourselves to the world. Its Caro’s birthday today, so we offer her extra gratitude for being here to oversee this special day for Chalice Well - and many happy returns. Our shop still benefits from Caro’s oversight on some of the skilfully sourced stock; as always, a truly wonderful array of temptation, but she has stepped back a little from the day to day aspects. The shop team hold their working environment in a wondrous sanctuary of sparkling gifts and books with care and equanimity and a clear desire to give all who visit a happy, nurturing and informative experience however busy they may be.
And of course we have to honour our beautiful garden and Dave Ballian. Dave has been here for over a year now and undoubtedly has already left his stamp on the garden which I am sure we all agree is looking quite sublime. His team do a fabulous job in maintaining the gardens and orchards in as natural and unsullied a way as is possible; the land and gardens surrounding our buildings are sacred places in themselves and need gentle nurturing which Dave has continued to do after Ark’s retirement. It seems to me, and to many of our visitors, that the garden has held an increasing “sparkle” over the past few years despite, or maybe because of, world events and for this we give thanks. Within Dave’s team are some of the longest serving members of our staff and to them we owe the upkeep of our sacred land, done quietly and with honour. We also of course are so grateful for the exquisite display of plants and flowers, many propagated here at Chalice Well, and used so effectively today by Penny for the beautiful well dressing. These lovely table arrangements are also a joint staff effort, so thank you to all involved.
And a newish, but also long term, member of our team now is Martin Faulkner who took on the role of care-taker just over a year ago and lives on site. Martin maintains our buildings and site with infinite care and a knowledge built on many years association with
Chalice Well. For Martin, his task must be akin to painting the Forth Bridge, but for us it is a joy to have somebody available on site who can pretty much fix anything!
Our Retreat House, Little St. Michaels, is as serene as always. Indeed, it really does seem to have a life and a purpose of its own; it holds steady as so many people come and go and so often offers sublime comfort and insight to our guests. We are welcoming more and more Companions now to stay and rest and recuperate here and the housekeepers play a huge part in this. They treat Little St. Michael’s with respect and reverence and always make sure that all our guests are given the best experience possible.
Sophie and Casey continue to produce the most wonderful and ever popular Chalice Well essences with the help of staff and volunteers. Of late the essence team have been working on producing a range directly connected to the Blended Ray. The essence courses continue to be run successfully every year resulting in more users and practitioners with a deep understanding of Chalice Well, its energy, its waters and its essences.
As always, Paul Fletcher, our archivist, together with Alistair Jones his assistant (who will be giving a talk later today) work away behind the scenes holding the history of Chalice Well and our founder, Wellesley Tudor Pole and all that he wanted to convey, and answering so many diverse questions about the past with apparent ease. Paul also edits The Chalice journal which I know so many of you value, and the scope of his knowledge and his range of contacts provides a constant stream of insightful articles. We offer such gratitude to both Paul and Alistair for the time and effort given freely that goes into their important work.
Our volunteers can be found in many aspects of our day to day activities; I am sure some are here helping today. For me, to give your time freely to Chalice Well is a special thing and the true essence of the word charity, and I, and I am sure all of our staff, are sincerely grateful for their generosity. And, of course, amongst these volunteers, are my fellow Trustees to whom I offer much gratitude for their time and their knowledge which they give willingly to uphold the ethos of Chalice Well whilst monitoring the day to day operations; quite often rather a difficult balance.
There will probably always be an unseen struggle between the business aspects of Chalice Well and its deeper spiritual presence within the world, but all who work here are asked always to remember that we have found ourselves in this blessed place for one purpose and that is to “hold the space” in the manner in which our founder, Wellesley Tudor Pole envisioned; a task a great deal more complicated than it sounds particularly in these divisive and challenging times. “Many paths one source” remains our ethos and despite the ever-increasing divisions that are happening worldwide it are our intent and our purpose to hold this position of balance and to welcome all of good heart. I pay homage to all the staff and volunteers who play a part in this.
On the practical side of things, during this past year we have fully installed our own water supply to further our ecologically sound agenda. It will be interesting to see whether the plants in the garden react differently now when watered, if of course it ever stops raining!
This past year has also seen the planning process for replacement of all our windows and some doors in the office, Vine cottage and Little St. Michael’s; something of a logistical nightmare but it will be such a huge improvement in appearance, noise
reduction and heat and energy conservation. These are already installed in Vine cottage and the office but Little St. Michael’s will have to wait until October due to advance bookings.
These two improvements have been funded by legacies from former Companions and supporters and we are so very grateful to all who donate their time, their money or their energy to Chalice Well. Whilst, as a business, we have been blessed in recovering from the Covid times and faring extraordinarily well over the past few years, given the overall economic situation, we have old, listed buildings which always need attention and large projects such as these are not only very costly but also operationally challenging.
And, of course, we at Chalice Well offer such gratitude to you, our Companions. There is something very special about your commitment to this tiny plot of land in Avalon and all that it represents. You come from near and afar, from all types of belief systems and occupations, yet you all have one thing in common: when you arrived at Chalice Well something, imponderable in many cases, struck a chord deep within you and brought you home and we welcome you with heartfelt gratitude.
The writer Hilaire Belloc in “the old road” spoke of an instinct within us “to tread the paths of our ancestors”. How many people over time have walked up this valley, before any cultivation or beautification began, to honour the source of this water; sometimes, at the break of day or the falling of the eve, to stand and listen means to feel, and for some to see, these past souls as they sought what we here also seek; the overarching energy of love and peace which washes away earthly concerns and holds us steadily in the light. There have been so many luminaries in this valley, soaking in these energies and interpreting them on different levels, not least of course our founder, Wellesley Tudor Pole and his family; but also Sir George Trevelyan, Annet Scheppel, Alice Buckton, Peter Caddy, Dion Fortune; most likely all of the Avalonians we read and hear aboutand the list goes on and continues to this day. These people felt or knew the significance of this place, they blended with the energy and “held the space” for the time that they were here. We can all only do the same with reverence and with love; stepping back in time whilst moving forward and acknowledging and accepting the wisdom of those who came before us.
In his pamphlet entitled “The Mystery of Transition” our founder, Wellesley Tudor Pole addressed the transition from the age of Pisces to the age of Aquarius, from the fish to the waterbearer, a transition he considered to be “largely concerned with the symbolism of water;” a transition that we find ourselves immersed in at this time in history. He wrote:
“To the awakening ones I say: do not be dismayed by the magnitude of the tasks that lie before us. Here a little, there a little, let us begin to reflect the light of revelation in our own lives and to radiate this light around us. A grain of understanding, however minute, will in itself work wonders”.
And so, Dear Companions, let us take light and love and healing from this day and this place and these words and know that we all move forward in unison towards a better way. Your support and your presence here today has its role in this awakening our founder spoke of. We, the Trustees and the staff of this sacred site, honour you and thank you for the part you play in this blessed journey towards the light.
Thank you.
I have taken, Many Paths, One Source as the title for this talk, for as you are aware, it represents the underlying ethos of the Chalice Well Trust. This ‘motto’, for want of a better word, emerged as an idea around 2008, recognising the importance of this source as a place of pilgrimage for all people of goodwill; a keynote that in itself stemmed from the earliest days of the Trust. This keynote gained momentum following a local census carried out in 2011 that recorded 72 different faiths within Glastonbury.
The Well has drawn people to it for thousands of years. One day, around 8000 years ago, before the great stones of Stonehenge and Avebury were raised, it appears that a wandering individual visited this valley. They carried with them a piece of flint from which they made a handful of small tools, useful implements for cutting hide to make clothes to keep the chill of the four winds at bay. For one reason or another, this person dropped them by a spring centred in a wood of yew trees. They were not put in the water, but rather fell beside it. We do not why they were dropped, but here in the mists of time an early pilgrim, an individual that would be followed by thousands more, spent time in the valley; a moment of rest and respite before moving on. I rather like to think that something distracted them, a sense of the importance of this site for the future, a hint of a ‘grander plan’ that caused them to drop these tools in awe of this vision. A vision that impressed upon this distant ancestor the importance of expectation, joy, unity and service symbolised in the waters of this ancient spring, a cup from which humans have sought inspiration from the earliest times. I feel it likely they were, as we are, called to return to this valley time and again, perhaps, should you believe in reincarnation, over many lifetimes. ‘Ebbing and flowing…as it was, at it is, as it shall be evermore – the ebb and the flow’…many paths, time and again returning to one source.
The Sicilian Acragas, as did the Gaelic Tuan, remembered his own many transformations. He had been he said, ‘a youth and a maiden and a bush and a bird and a gleaming fish in the sea’.
William Sharp writing as Fiona Macleod, considered this, asking, “Are they not prophets of that restless spirit which is the heritage of many souls, that instinct for spiritual wandering, that deep hunger for experience, even if it be bitter, the longing for things known to be unattainable, the remembrance which strives for re-birth to these prophets of the restless spirit…”
Alistair Jones talking about Many Paths One Source
The children of the sea, carrying the spiritual waves of the soul in their heart, ever seeking for a source that lies both behind and ahead, calling them back over many lifetimes. Perhaps this feels familiar?
Writing in a letter to a friend, Sharp recalled a visit to Glastonbury Abbey in August 1904, “…we went into the lovely grounds of the ancient ruined Abbey, one of the loveliest things in England I think. I became restless…and went and lay down behind an angle of the East end, under the tree…Suddenly I turned on my right side, stared at the broken stone of the angle, and felt vaguely moved in some way. Abruptly… I wrote down three enigmatic and disconnected lines… “From the Silence of Time, Time’s Silence borrow. In the heart of To-day is the word of To-morrow. The Builders of Joy are the Children of Sorrow…”
‘From the Silence of Time, Time’s Silence borrow’, the ancient wisdom of patience, and silence, the stars of the spirit.
“Bitter the waters of grief, but sweet is the well spring, Stoop and be fearless, drink O Ye Builders of Joy”
When we look at the physical fragments of the past unearthed at Chalice Well during the excavations organised in the early years of the Trust, we see the remains drawn from the silence of time, the whispers of past lives. Flint tools from nomadic hunter-gatherers; the rim of a pot broken and forgotten shortly before the arrival of Rome, perhaps even used to drink from the spring; another vessel, this time of a more orangey-red hue, evidence now of Roman visitors, an ecclesiastical tile bearing the image of the white dove, the sign of the everlasting life to be found and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; a two thousandyear-old yew stump, no doubt touched, as today pilgrims place their hands on our beloved guardian yews, by hands from the first century AD. We can find further hints of the past in a range of archival and historical accounts.
In his introduction to Tudor Pole’s Writing on the Ground, Walter Lang wrote that,
“Chalice Well itself derives from a spring of underground water and is sited in an inspiring flower-filled garden. To normal vision it seems unimportant. But by what standards do we judge importance? … Could it be that at the present time - particularly at the present time - there is a shifting of the moves which we glimpse here below as trivial and disconnected, but which from a higher viewpoint form part of a grander whole both coherent and imperative?”
Wellesley Tudor Pole felt very strongly that there is a Purpose to which all our efforts were to be dedicated now and always at Chalice Well, but that he could not reveal the details for this plan; a plan ‘which must take into account the fluctuations created by human free will and mundane tribulations’. He asked us to ‘give thanks from day to day and renew our efforts to bring our every thought, word and deed into line with the unfoldment of a great Purpose, even if our present vision of it is limited and obscure’. As always, he placed emphasis on our own responsibilities, the importance of us looking within to find our answers, our own impetus to greater service.
So, from the outset, let it be known that I have no intention nor am I capable of outlining any kind of plan behind this Purpose. Indeed, it is very clear that this is not for anyone to do, even if as Tudor Pole was, they are granted ‘glimpses’ of it from time to time. ‘Sufficient for the day – Patience’, as he stated in 1966.
We do know, thanks to a piece written in 1959 to Felicity Hardcastle, that the fundamental keywords for the work at Chalice Well were to be: ‘Expectation, Joy, Unity and Service’. He asked that it to be remembered that the when drinking the waters of the Chalice Well Spring that they were in the process of changing their qualities from a Piscean to an Aquarian rhythm. One of the reasons for securing the site was in order to make these waters freely available, for TP felt that the Keynote we seek could be found within this ancient source. ‘The waters of materiality’, he told us, ‘are to become the waters of the Spirit, the Servant of the great One, for whom, under Michael’s direction we are privileged to prepare the way’. He noted that the waters of Chalice Well when tested homoeopathically demonstrated healing properties. Psychometric investigation, he said, revealed that the Spring water contains a quality that cannot be chemically analysed but is of strong therapeutic potential. This quality, he noted, seemed to have been imbibed in the waters in one of two ways,
1. By having passed over or near an object radiating a powerful healing aura or vibration at some point in the water’s underground journey from its first source to its arrival at the surface.
2. By passing through a bed of clay or mineral substance which in itself is imbued with natural healing attributes in strength.”
So, for TP, this source was capable of effecting great positive change in people. Healing them but also awakening them to a greater purpose, which could not be told but could be felt internally. A purpose revealed through the keywords of ‘Expectation, Joy, Unity and Service’.
I will now share with you a few historical accounts detailing some of the ‘glimpses’ individuals have been granted in relation to this valley and to the spring that rises in it. In these we can see further evidence of Tudor Pole’s keywords.
Let us begin with ‘Service’, and firstly turn to Mallory’s depiction of Lancelot’s arrival, weeping with sorrow, after visiting Guinevere in her nunnery in Amesbury, the final time he would see his love in her earthly form. Geoffrey Ashe noted that the chapel betwixt two cliffs may well have been that which lies here between Chalice Hill and Glastonbury Tor. In Mallory’s account, Lancelot rides all day and night, after being sent away by Guinevere. At last, he reaches a remote hermitage and chapel set between two hills in Glastonbury. A little bell rings, calling him to mass. Indeed, I have noticed many references to bells ringing calling people to spiritual service at Chalice Well, as of course they still do. Lancelot rides to the chapel, where he finds Bedivere and takes up the life of the monk,
“And within half year there was come Sir Galihad, Sir Gallihodin, Sir Blamor, Sir Bleoboris, Sir Williars, Sir Clarrus and Sir Gahalantine. So all these seven noble knights abode there still…Thus they endured in great penance six year…and did bodily all manner of service.”
As a result of this service, Lancelot is absolved and granted a vision three times in one night. In this he sees himself riding to the holy nunnery in Amesbury to fetch Guinevere at the end of her earthly life, bringing her back to be placed to rest next to her husband, the noble King Arthur, here in Glastonbury. Far more than a burial, this was to be an act of great spiritual significance.
If we unpick this further, we see that the emotionally-wounded Lancelot finds solace in this valley but that it is only through dedicated service that he is healed, his wrongdoings are forgiven and his final quest is revealed. Service is by no means just a form of penance, it is by virtue of this act that Lancelot’s life is redeemed and his purpose is revealed to him, a purpose that ultimately served a higher cause, a higher plan. When Lancelot finally passed to rest, a vision came to the bishop that stayed with him, ‘here was Launcelot with me, with more angels than ever I saw men upon one day; and I saw the angels heave Launcelot to Heaven,’.
Let us now look to the accounts of John ‘Jack’ De Carrich Cheape, a close friend of Wellesley Tudor Pole and Alice Buckton. Cheape visited Chalice Well several times between 1914 and 1916 - he was a soldier engaged in frontline service on the battlefields of France. His days ended on September 3rd 1916 whilst rescuing a comrade from no man’s land - as Tudor Pole wrote, making ‘the supreme sacrifice through an act of selfless service’.
In 1914, whilst staying at Chalice Well, Jack experienced a vision of Christ when climbing the Tor, in which He appeared to be beckoning to him. After a further visit to Chalice Well in January 1916, Jack wrote a letter to Alice Buckton, thanking her. He had been given another glimpse of a higher purpose at work,
“My time there has been by no means fruitless. I have learned a great deal. I have left my heart with you in a sense; though truly I retain it, in the hope of centring it at Glastonbury, in my life’s work, the nature of which is becoming clearer (though) still surrounded by mist and shadow. Nor do I know the means whereby I am to attain my end and object in this life. Still, to be a partner with Hope and Love is a great and wonderful state and a mighty stepping stone in the future work of reconstruction.’
Jack returned to Glastonbury for a final time in the early summer of 1916. A great change befell him during this visit, he learnt that giving in selfless service was the path to joy,
“When I left Glastonbury, on 15th January I cried bitterly. When I left it on the 25th June, I was laughing for joy. Before, I always strove to receive and take away from the spirit of the place. This time I have striven to give and to leave behind such part of myself as it is my power to leave. I am the gainer by it.
Glastonbury is much more human to me, and its mystery, its unspeakable side, is much more to me in consequence.
I have a clear light burning before my face, which is within my soul. I try to make every thought a prayer…To be able to give of oneself is to realise one’s own identity. In this alone I am indeed fortunate.”
He noted that, ‘Instead of trying to take in the atmosphere of the place, I gave myself to the place. Much better!’ He also felt that in doing so he had come to understand that the Christ ultimately lay within.
During this final stay at Chalice Well, Alice Buckton gave him a brooch which he wore
for the rest of his life. It was of the Angel of the Holy Grail. Jack had asked the question, that Chalice Well asks of all of us, to whom do we serve? In other words, ‘how can we be of service’? Jack kept a copy of the Idylls of the King with him during his final weeks in the trenches of the Somme which he read with great joy. Three days before he died, he wrote to W.T.P for, as he put it, he felt that the spirit moved him to do so. Though we do not have this letter, one may presume that in this he revealed further glimpses of the visions he attained as a result of his time and service at Chalice Well.
Shortly before Jack’s vision of Christ on the Tor, D.N. Dunlop, a well-known Theosophist and Anthroposophist, and his wife Eleanor had similarly prophetic experiences during their stay at Chalice Well at Easter, 1914. Their experiences captured a sense of joy following the recognition of unity. For Dunlop, this came in the form of a vision of Christ that encompassed all,
“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…it is the everenduring hill with ever-springing greenery, ever-living waters…?”
Eleanor experienced a vision of the Holy Grail whilst sitting on Chalice Hill, she firstly saw the cauldron of Bride, then a crucible tended by an ancient seer, finally,
“Alone, upon the green hill, I prayed. My prayer was answered. In a pine wood with no one near I saw the ‘Grail’. Nearby the sound of running water, overhead the deep blue sky and in the midst a pure white cloud, heart-shaped appeared. I gazed upon this purity with deep-felt adoration and then I saw a fount of rosy light rise up within its centre. The risen spray broke in a rose of perfect beauty which fell and touched my feet. Rosa Mundae, rose of the love immortal, uniting with thy fragrance Earth to Heaven! So sweetly poignant was the fragrance of my rose that I knew not whether to rejoice or weep.
Then I bowed and raised the crimson rose to my lips, then hid it deep within my heart, for I too had seen the Holy Grail… The ancient cauldron and the seer’s golden oil are one with the Grail Cup of redemptive passion.”
Both accounts strike the keynote of unity. Dunlop saw the unity of Christ in all things, whilst Eleanor witnessed the unity of the ancient cauldron of Brigh and the seer’s golden oil within the Holy Chalice. Through this unity, both husband and wife received redemptive visions of great joy and of hopeful expectation for a brighter future. A glimpse, as it were, of a greater purpose for humanity.
Now let us move to All Souls Day, November 1st 1919 and hear the account of the dedication of the new Well lid, made in part as a commemoration of the Armistice. The visitor who reported this was particularly moved by the dedication, which they said would stay with them for the rest of their life. It was read by Alice Buckton, ‘while the sound of the water rising from the depths of the spring filled the quiet air’, here is an excerpt,
“Accept, O heavenly Father, this work, the covering of this Well, the simple fruit of our love and labour. Grant that it may henceforth protect that which Thou wouldst protect, and give forth that which Thou wouldst give forth to Thy pilgrims, who, in every age, desire to come into Thy presence. May the weary world be refreshed; those in darkness be enlightened; the sick and failing, in body and mind, be healed; that ‘things which were cast down, may be raised up, that the old may be made new,’ according to the perfection of Thy divine counsel. We ask all in the name of Thy beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Veronica Ellis, a dancer that trained under Raymond Duncan, the brother of Isadora Duncan, working alongside other students here, wrote of St Bride’s prophesy for Chalice Well, a prophesy intimately linked to self-sacrifice, and the joy born from this selfless service, it reads,
“Here shall they drink again from the ageless Well of Youth ! and look toward, The hidden secrets of the Holy Grail…
Through self-surrender – even unto death!
The gift shall come through those following the Star,”
The prophesy ends with the poem given to William Sharp in the Abbey ruins in 1904, reminding us that ‘The Builders of Joy are the Children of Sorrow’.
Again, we see the presence here of WTP’s keywords of Expectation, Joy, Unity and Service.
Writing to Rosamond Lehmann in 1963, Tudor Pole quoted Sharp’s triad, noting that the sorrow referred to here is not the self-pity with which we have mistakenly clothed this wonderful word. It is the sorrow that precedes spiritual awakening common in the stories of many faiths, an Ascension, to quote Tudor Pole, that ‘heralds with certitude upliftment for us all, and for all manifestations of life throughout the seven kingdoms of nature’. He asks that we distil from our own sorrows the joy and the promise of our own upliftment through our dedication to selfless service.
Four days later, he enigmatically asked Rosamond if she could draw some parallel between the two tables both sanctified by a cup and by the spiritual significance of the Grail or Chalice as the supreme symbol of unity and love between humankind on a universal scale - the table of the last of the seven suppers, and Arthur’s Round Table of Chivalry. In a later letter he was quick to note that the Grail has never materialized in mortal form able to be handled by humanity, but that ‘this celestial symbol of Love and Unity has its prototypes or earthly reflections from ancient times’. He felt that of all spiritual symbols the Cup, or the Lotus, was the most important and inspiring as it epitomises the heavenly Chalice from which all can freely drink; the one universal symbol that can unite in love and understanding men and women of every race, faith or creed. The source uniting the many paths of humanity. Towards the end of this letter, he unveiled a little more of the Purpose behind the acquisition of the Chalice Well Property; the aim was, he said, to prepare it as gateway through which the message for the new age could enter and spread across the world. This very holy spot, could, he stated, ‘in fact become once more the sounding board for a revelation of Divine Wisdom, attuned to the desperate needs of today’s humanity.’
A Purpose driven by the keywords of ‘Expectation, Joy, Unity and Service’ and the keynote embodied within the waters of Chalice Well
So, there we have it, as close as we are able to say, a glimpse of the purpose behind Chalice Well. We have every reason to feel a sense of expectation and joy, but for this vision to manifest, this unity of love and understanding between men and women of every race, faith and creed, we must dedicate ourselves in service to this vision; a vision symbolised by the Cup or Chalice. The Holy Grail, as a universal symbol of the source from which we all may seek inspiration and healing, but also a vision of universal love and understanding between all living things. A hope and expectation of the unity and peace to come, but to which we must dedicate our lives in selfless service.
To quote Jack Cheape once more, ‘To be able to give of oneself is to realise one’s own identity… I have striven to give and to leave behind such part of myself as it is my power to leave. I am the gainer by it.’
Only a week or so ago, a visitor to Chalice Well noted that whilst praying at the well-head they noticed that the murmurings of the spring seemed to have completely stopped. In the silence, they had the feeling that the water was listening intently, accepting the gift of their prayers.
Here, in this valley between two hills, when you visit the Well, the source to which many paths of differing faiths and beliefs, lead to and from, you can feel the presence of the thousands of souls that have come here, to drink the waters and receive healing. With this healing came the call for greater service; the call we hear today - joined as we are in companionship, in expectation, in joy, in unity and in service to the cup of universal peace and understanding, symbolised by the red waters rising from the depths of Chalice Well.
Thank you.
FRIDAY 31ST MAY
It took me a long time to get here. It takes everyone a long time to reach anywhere worthwhile; I think we all know that. There is, sometimes, magic in the journey and, hopefully, peace upon arrival. That’s another thing I know. What I don’t know outweighs by far what I do know, for like all of us I live humbled by ignorance and search eternally for truth, however that may be defined. Truth, I think, lies behind language, veiled by it; it is experienced by the heart, not by the mind. Put hand on heart and there lies truth.
This morning challenged me in getting here; at least that is how it felt. Five and a half hours of predominantly motorway travel from Kent due west into Somerset. When I set out the sky was grey and it was raining. One must accept the vagaries of the weather stoically, as Marcus Aurelius, the Ancient Greek philosopher, would have advised us; but I hoped for sunshine and found it in the Polden Hills. I felt twice blessed, by the sun and by first sight of the Tor. Chalice Well invariably produces a similar sensation; it is part of the magic of the place, the transformative effect in each of us.
When I had been shown my room and unpacked, I made a beeline for the Wellhead like a pilgrim approaching a revered shrine. It had been seven months since I had last visited, but although I had not been physically at Chalice Well, in spirit I had been here every day. Often has been the time, during meditation, that I have visualised the retreat house and the gardens, and in doing so they have come alive for me.
Passing along the sinuous garden path from Little St Michael’s to the Wellhead, I was entranced by the beauty of the plants on either side of me; the colours and textures, but most affectingly by the heavenly fragrances. I leaned towards a flower here and there and breathed in its essence. That is it – essence. Flower power, to borrow a phrase from an earlier generation. It was giving itself to me, offering of itself silently and poignantly. I felt privileged, and hugely thankful to Dave Balian and his team of assistants. They, along with esoteric powers, had made this experience possible; they had striven to produce beauty in abundance – and they had succeeded. So much creativity goes on behind the scenes.
When I reached the Wellhead I sat, as many do, in reflective contemplation, absorbing the powerful energy of the setting, glad to be in my second home. What always charms and delights me is the singing of the birds, which paradoxically seems to intensify silence and stillness; the sense that somewhere here, beneath the surface, lies another, deeper reality. It is a transformative sensation, an antidote to all that earlier motorway madness and the dreadful cacophony of everyday life. I rested and recuperated and anticipated Companions Day with relish.
And so to Companions Day itself, the much anticipated highlight of the year; the day when old acquaintances are not forgotten, friendships are renewed and a certain frisson of positive energy permeates the air.
This year’s theme of Healing Waters appealed to me particularly as I am a Piscean, and water in all its forms has charmed me for as long as I can recall, from the barely audible trickle of a spring to the thunderous breakers of the ocean. (Despite the fact that as a young boy, a non-swimmer, I fell into the local canal and nearly drowned. Even then someone must have been watching over me!) I feel that water comprises not only more than half my physical being, but permeates heart and soul.
I found the speakers fascinating with their differing but complementary perspectives on the subject of water, ‘variations on a theme’ if you like. Alistair Jones’ talk, ‘Many Paths, One Source’, emphasised our connections with our ancestors in the context of the Red Spring and saw it as part of a ‘grander vision’. Each of us who comes here, he seemed to be saying, is playing a small but vital part of the unfolding, indeed the flow, of that ‘greater plan’. I am delighted to be a small but devoted drop in the celestial ocean of which he so eloquently spoke.
In ‘Sacred Water and the Consciousness of Homeopathy’, Janice Micallef’s talk was truly intriguing as she focussed on the use of homeopathy as a reflection of the patient’s life path and purpose rather than simply as a search for an effective cure for illness. Hers, of course, is a much larger, more holistic view which I had not encountered before but absorbed and greatly appreciated. It cast homeopathy in a new light.
The third speaker, Lesley Oates, took us on a journey which afforded us some invaluable insights into holy wells, sacred springs and our ancestral connections. The way she paralleled the flow of our minds with the flow of water both intrigued and enlightened me. She informed us that Cornwall has a higher density of holy wells and sacred springs than any other county in England. She ended by giving a great deal of useful information about Holy Well Essences. I feel that I have added to my relatively sparse knowledge of these deep, ancient watery places, of homeopathy and essences, in Lesley’s enlightening talk.
Another glorious day, both in terms of the weather and a deepening sense of joyfulness. In the morning I walked to St. Margaret’s Chapel, a personal pilgrimage which I felt would be sacrilegious to miss out on. Sitting inside that evocative space induces a kind of blessed calm, a stillness which is like no other. Each holy space possesses its own character, its own especial energy. The icons of St Margaret and St Mary glow with a poignant divinity, drawing one into them. Their haloes seem to hover in the air and invite one to partake of a wordless conversation with them, a triumph of silent emotion and subtle spirituality. And then, below them, the little tea lights set in sand, conceal a wealth of silent messages, of prayers and hopes and divine protection. Gently I blew on the flame of a larger candle and, of course, it flickered and made a connection. All things here as elsewhere are interdependent.
Leaving the chapel, I ventured into the almshouses at the back of the chapel where a narrow garden runs alongside. Sitting in one of the rooms amongst donated artefacts, I tried to mentally recreate what it must have been like a hundred years ago to live in this restricted space with an open fire, a raised bed only accessible by ladder, a few meagre household implements and precious little else except perhaps a burning faith. Of course I failed in the attempt to envision the simple existence of an indigent man or woman, living now, as most of us in this country do, with relative wealth and few material concerns. But I did feel moved, a century or so later, to sit peacefully in that room and connect with the spirits of those long-gone but ever-present people, whoever they were, whatever they believed, however they ended their mortal days.
Whenever I visit Glastonbury, in addition to Chalice Well, I come across flowers, whether cut blooms, garlands, wreaths, flowers as sacred offerings, or those still growing and yielding their captivating fragrances. It is a particular feature of the town, a communal and shared blessing, both the symbolism and the actuality of these vivid little fragments of nature’s bounty.
Strolling the gardens of Chalice Well or walking the streets of Glastonbury, one senses the mind, the potency, the absolute necessity of blooms and strewn petals; they represent tiny facets of ourselves. And so, at the conclusion of a breathtaking day, I found myself arranging a few petals into a simple offering in my room before drifting off into a contented sleep, happy in the knowledge that I had been true to myself and to the verdant natural world which gives freely of itself, and true to all those that I know and love.
The theme of flowers continued. I walked the High Street, taking a detour into St. John’s Church. The church was full of floral displays. What greeted me everywhere I went, inside buildings and splashed across exterior walls, were larger-than-life representations of blossoms, trees, human figures adorned with roses and wisteria, irises and poppies. And sometimes I encountered living examples growing alongside an artist’s impression of the very same species, which struck me as surreal.
I can’t imagine any other town on earth which boasts quite the same intensity, energy, boundless creativity, atavism and ancestor awareness; the same expression of ceaseless joy in colour, shape and symbolism. Sometimes it almost becomes too much; one’s mind is bedazzled by such a feast of psychedelic contrasts.
Late morning I returned to Chalice Well. At 11.30 am at the Wellhead, a half hour’s meditation began. There were perhaps twenty devotees present. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. During that half hour there came all kinds of extraneous noises, from overflying aircraft to passing motorcycles; from enthusiasts of the nearby White Spring calling out and drumming, to penetrating birdsong immediately above our heads. But no one seemed the least bit disturbed by these intrusions. As I said earlier, i a peculiar, impossible to convey sense, the deep stillness of our communal meditation was actually heightened by the contrasting commotion.
It is possible, I believe, as many here no doubt believe, to flourish on a more exalted level; to rise above the mundane pressures of everyday life and tune in to the overwhelming silence of the cosmos. And so, at twelve noon, we all heard the bell ring for the Silent Minute. When that had passed, we opened our eyes and smiled almost beatifically at each other, aware that we had shared something timeless and regenerating; that peace, love and healing were indeed contained within the flow of the waters.
But what of the beyond? What lies behind the veil, the restrictions of normal consciousness? As I often point out, what lies beyond all that we can conceive with our senses is something that mere language cannot capture. Many make a brave attempt in citing the ‘spirit world’, a ‘higher plane’, ‘esoteric presences’, the ‘mystical’, the ‘numinous’, the ‘insights of ecstacy’, the ‘essence of what exists’ and so on. We are blessed with language; we are also cursed with it.
When I am here at Chalice Well I sometimes make an attempt to explain to others what this place means to me – inevitably I fall short. I have heard others say the same thing; I cannot convey my feelings for this sacred space except to distil them into the word ‘love’. But then perhaps that is good enough, that sums it all up in a single syllable: Love.
Peter Quince
It is easy to believe that we stand where we do in life as a result of circumstances over which we have had no control. Nothing can be farther from the truth. The house I live in, my friends, my general surroundings, in fact all the circumstances of my life are not the outcome of fortuitous events. On the contrary, it is my thoughts and actions in the past which are solely responsible for what I am today and for the conditions which surround me now. We cannot evade the effects of causes which we have originated in the past. To this extent we are the slaves of our yesterdays but can become the masters of our tomorrows.
The working of the law of cause and effect does not cease when we pass out of our present world. At this very moment you and I are fashioning the circumstances and conditions which are destined to surround us on the other side of ‘death’. Here and now we are building the habitations we shall occupy there and the circumstances of our environment.
Using the language of symbols, my present thoughts and actions are the bricks and mortar from which my future home will be built. It is within your and my power to prepare our habitations and our surroundings for good or ill in the realm which awaits us beyond the veil. I would suggest that you do not dismiss this conception as being too far-fetched for thoughtful consideration. Through the use of prayer, constructive thinking and right actions here and now, let us use the gift of true imagination to begin the construction of a lovely house and garden for use in the hereafter, a place of harmony and light suitable to enable us to carry on our lives in happiness and service. Let us learn how to become the masters of our tomorrows.
Whether you agree with me or not, one fact cannot be evaded. The law that governs human welfare never ceases to operate but, being based on love and justice, it can be our best friend when obeyed but our worst enemy when we try to disregard and flout it.
Let us now consider how we can best help forward on their upward way those who have left us temporarily behind.
After all, it will not be long before we ourselves must face the same problems and the same temptations. The first lesson to be mastered is to learn how to release from the bondage of our thinking those whom we so strongly desire should return to our earth in order to make their tangible presence seen and felt. Communion rather than communication is surely the goal for which we should strive. By communion I mean our capacity to lift consciousness to a point where mind can meet mind without the need to draw those we love back into mundane conditions. ‘The Communion of Saints’ is no empty phrase. It is a communion available to us as well, although we have not yet attained the qualities of sainthood. Communion is in itself a form of communication, far removed from the region of words, yet completely satisfying in itself. The contact is direct between mind and mind, no intermediary being necessary. The experiences recorded in this book have not involved the employment of a third party as a transmitting agent.
There is nothing artificial or automatic in the process, which is both a natural and a spiritual one.
The universal Mind in which all living beings dwell need not be divided arbitrarily into watertight compartments, each being cut off from the rest. In this Mind which is our eternal habitation we can learn how to move forward freely, yes even whilst still seemingly confined within the trammels of the flesh.
The dedicated use of prayer and silence is the surest means for enabling us to commune with saints and angels, and to do so with those who have already departed from this life and with whom the bond of love is strong and enduring. This is the ideal we should set before us rather than the use of artificial forms of communication of a kind which obstruct and delay the upward progress of those no longer with us. Words are too feeble to make transcendental ideas of this kind easily understood or available for our practical use here and now. Revelation is an interior process and neither you nor I can attain it from books or people or from other external sources.
The piercing of the veils must come about through spiritual and natural processes of mind and heart, and not through the employment of magic, ritual or trance.*
*(‘The Messenger’ – as quoted in Private Dowding)
BY PETER QUINCE
We are all witnesses to the Great Totality. All past, present and future are contained within one moment, which is Now, the present breath, the tick of the heart. All creatures, all plants, all inanimate objects, which ultimately are not inanimate exist for us in this moment, intertwine with us. Each moment morphs into the next and energises our souls and our blood and our psyches. And so it is with trees, those magical, mysterious beings which I revere. I am in love with the rightness of the world, which includes the vast community of our arboreal cousins.
Yew trees in the making, the embryos of sacred giants; mastodons of the plant realm; gentle, serene and yet omnipotent; spreading their dark-light canopies over the yet-to-be-reborn in ecclesiastical ground; resting place of prayerful druids and dryads; and, nearer to home, twin deities lording it in eloquent silence over gracious lawns and the Vesica Pool. That’s how I think of them, think with them, acknowledging their own esoteric consciousness; fixed sentinels in the ever-enlightening, ever-transforming maelstroms of energy; skirts and curtains of black-green needles sweeping the earth; healers who ask nothing, but reward devotees and pilgrims with unspoken appreciation; root-seekers absorbing positive energy above and around the healing waters.
It is all-too-easy to become rhapsodic in response to the timeless presence of the Guardian Yews, but I cultivate a passion and a heart-felt, root-deep devotion. I love visiting and connecting with these two iconic symbols which lead us to so much more than their imposing physical presence, wonderful though that is.
‘Taxus baccata’ may be the Latinate biological name, but in a sense that leaves me none the wiser. It is a label, not the thing in itself. Other than plain ‘yew’ which is good enough for me (‘Yew-Me’?), I prefer the name ‘Ioho’, its Celtic original, linked to a particular letter
of the Ogham alphabet. Such a moniker was attached to this tree in Britain and Ireland centuries before the introduction of Latin terminology, generations before Christianity. And, of course, this tree, linked to Samhain, signifies death, rebirth and contact with our ancestral past. In that living, growing, flourishing sense I love its many connotations; the fact that the yew tree forms a direct link between our lives today and our lives as they were before industrialisation; before the modern world encroached on and largely replaced the simplicities of traditional tribal and village life and partially destroyed faith in the old ways. The yew tree in the churchyard, in common with Chalice Well’s Guardian Yews, stands as a tribute to many generations who have loved and lost and lived again in some ethereal sphere. Like the yews, they are always watching over us.
Samhain, of course, is the Celtic end-of-year festival associated with the yew, which celebrates the cycle of death and rebirth (or, if you prefer, resurrection) and the continuance of life into each new year. It always excites me to think of it in this way, the sloughing off of the old and the emergence of a new dawn; the Wheel coming full circle. Evidently in the Celtic past the tribal elders were buried under yews in the belief that this tree would keep their knowledge and wisdom available for the future use of the tribe. I think of the companions and devotees of Chalice Well of past generations who must have stood between the Guardian Yews and absorbed their energy, just as we do now; their spirits are ever with us despite the fact that their mortal beings are long gone. That in itself is a comfort and perpetuates the beauty of these all-embracing sentinels; they flow from one generation into the next.
When I attend the Samhain fire ceremony, which is held beneath the Guardian Yews, I feel an incredible sense of companionship, of spiritual absorption in others; this sharing of fragrant, vital, elemental essences. The flames of the fire, the glow, the prayers and homages,
the warmth holding at bay the chill of the dark encroaching night, all combine to intensify the flutterings of love. The yew trees, with their maternal silence, ensure that, when the flower petals are distributed and cast into the fire with a wish and release their olfactory magic, we are all overseen and overawed in an end-of-year catharsis. From the ashes we arise and begin again.
Some years ago, here where I live in Faversham, I lifted from the ground a few red berries from a yew tree that I pass often; it is much smaller than the Guardian Yews but no doubt still centuries old. I took the berries home and dried them and sowed them in a small pot of compost and uttered a silent prayer. In their own time, without hurry, four of the seeds germinated. I am now the proud possessor of four infant yews, which are beautiful miniatures. I say ‘possessor’, although in a sense I do not ‘own’ them; they are owned by all of us, including the mother tree, including all the other yews that ever were, going back into the mists. But I keep them safe and nurture them and imagine the immemorial wisdom which we can find within ourselves if only we are prepared to look.
Many old yews are to be found in churchyards, but their presence is much older than the churches themselves; the Guardian Yews at Chalice Well must predate the surrounding buildings by many centuries, so massive are they, so much a feature of the hallowed landscape at the foot of the Tor. My four yew seedlings will outlive me by many centuries provided that they are cared for by mindful descendants; I am happy about that. The thought that a fragment of me will live on within them reassures me.
When I first stayed in Little St. Michael’s, the retreat house at Chalice Well, I was allocated the Yew Room, one of six tree-themed rooms. I knew nothing about the room, or indeed any of the other rooms. But I was so happy to find myself in a space which
overlooked the pergola at the front of the retreat house with its superabundance of whiteblossomed wisteria. As it was summer I lift the window open whilst I was there to allow the heady fragrance into my room; it felt like an incredible privilege to be so honoured. I have stayed in the Yew Room since and for some reason, no doubt buried in my subconscious, I associate the perfume of the wisteria with the imposing presence of the Guardian Yews, which lie only a matter of fifty yards away but always make their ethereal presence felt; the solidity of yews and the fragility of wisteria.
When I am staying at Little St. Michael’s, very early in the morning when much of the world is asleep, I stroll to a spot midway between the Guardian Yews, close my eyes, still myself and meditate before going through the tai chi form, which I do every day without fail wherever I am. This practice energises me for the day ahead and grounds me; but between these two magnificent and transformative sentinels I feel supercharged, blessed with a kind of powerful divinity. The very silence of the trees resonates within me, so that I feel their healing presence, their embrace, their protection; and I think of all those who came and stood on this very spot before me, who prayed, chanted, paid homage, saw the light, or simply felt joyful in the resonating stillness.
Sacred groves were used as places of worship in ancient times; they were invariably situated around a spring, perhaps at a ley-cross. The immemorial druidic practice of holding meetings in the open ‘in the face of the sun and in the eye of the light’ signifies much that is holy and true. The Guardian Yews, dark in themselves, nevertheless bring light, love and revelation.
We are blessed witnesses to all that flourishes in the natural world and in the spirit realm. All past, present and future are rooted in the Now, characterised by those two leafy giants which grace the gardens of Chalice Well and bring us so much joy and peace. I am in love with the rightness of the world, and the rightness of the world is encapsulated in the great Guardian Yews.
BY G.W. WRIGHT
This paper contained ‘the first proceedings of the Antiquarian Society’ in 1886 and was recently purchased by Companion Alan Royce. This is a continuation of the text from the issue before last.
‘And so the Spring was called miraculous, for it possesses the valuable power of assisting nature, and the cause and result alone being understood, it did appear miraculous or wonderful.
We know how iron acts upon the system, and we call it a tonic; we know that iron absorbed by the skin or otherwise taken into the system will be beneficial, but these matters were not understood in these early days, they only knew that they bathed, or were bathed seven consecutive Sunday mornings before sunrise, in the cold water of the Spring, and were cured, and that was sufficient for them.
The method of analysis now is so different to what it was at an earlier date, that it is difficult for any one but a chemist to compare one taken 130 years ago with one taken recently. In one taken at the earlier date, the water is represented as containing carbonic acid gas, carbonate of iron and of soda, and sulphate of soda, while the one lately taken states its composition to include nitrogen as nitrates and nitrites, nitric acid, oxygen, organic
carbon, organic nitrogen, lime, magnesia, sulphuric anhydride, iron, chlorine and common salt. It is represented as being hard water before boiling, but loses much of this quality –seventeen degrees – in boiling, and then only possesses seven degrees of hardness. But however different the method of analysis may now be from what it was at an earlier date, I believe I am correct in saying that the later analysis is but little more than a detailed form of the earlier, and that the elements, combining as they naturally would, would produce the compounds set down in the former.
It has been asserted that there is no, or but very little, medicinal property in the water. But even if this be true, may it not be that while a very large proportion of the ailments we suffer from arises from a low tone of the system, the general health being attended to, the patient as he gains strength is able to assist nature in throwing off the particular disease he is suffering from. It has not been satisfactorily proved that the water is not in other ways useful, but in this, if no other, it is wonderfully serviceable. It raises the general tone of the system, and the patient, often in a marvellously short time, is enabled to put on an improved appearance, and to be pronounced cured. Nature ever acts towards the advancement of the normally healthy condition of the race.
Although for some years the house now known as “The Tor House” has ceased to be an Inn, and for some time previously had been called “The Tor House Inn” if a stranger asks an old inhabitant for “The Tor” or for “The Spring”, it is surprising if the enquirer is not directed to, or to turn up by, “The Anchor”, the sign originally given to the house. Reference has already been made to the disciples, who first landed on the island, having lived in caves or huts in a very original manner, they really being Anchorites. There is little doubt that the ground on which this “The Tor House” is built formed one of their stations, for we are told they dwelt at the foot of the Tor, and what ground would they be so likely to select as this made holy by the sacred spring? So this ground would later on be known as the resort of the Anchorites, or when a house was built as the “Anchorage”, and when changed into an inn, as “The Anchor Inn”.
The Spring has now (in 1886) passed into fresh hands, and there is no fear of its sacredness being allowed to decrease. The proprietors being Roman Catholics will ensure the waters being used to the utmost of their health-giving and health-sustaining properties. The Principal residing on the property is extremely kind and liberal-minded. As a Roman Catholic he takes great interest in the glorious history of our old town, and being fond of antiquities, expresses himself as greatly pleased at the prospect of our success in establishing a museum, and offers his congratulations to you, Mr. President, on its formation. He will be pleased to show the Spring at any time to friendly antiquarians, and will do anything he is able to promote the useful institutions of this town. It is earnestly to be desired that the most be made of the one institution now entrusted to his care – this most valuable Spring – that pilgrimages may be made to the Blood Spring, as to other waters held sacred by the same body, and as no legitimate act can be performed by anyone that begins and ends with the actor, so it is to be hoped that these waters, being made of service to the seekers, may reflect some service also to the town.’
All grammar and spelling have been kept from the original document.
End note: As we now know the Roman Catholics left the Well in 1911 and at auction the property and Well was purchased by Alice Buckton who moved to Glastonbury with Annet Schepel in early 1913 and Alice lived on site till her passing in 1944.
