At One with the Tor

England in the Spring is very green. The blossoming trees leave sensual trails of scent in the cool, moist air. The natives think it's hot, but I am more than comfortable, since the low in Texas is the high in England. I get a ride most of the way to the Tor. I'm going to walk all day, after all, so I might as well save my energy.

I arrive a little early. I drink from the red spring and the white, knowing that in times past, there was a sacred grove where the two spirigs mingled their waters. There are travellers there, washing their dishes, watering their horses, shouting expletives at each other. As if they never heard that these are healing waters. I wait. My feet chafe in my boots, wanting freedom. I usually go barefoot, except when either required by law or faced with overwhelming pain potential.

The Tor is rife with thistles and nettles. For my fellow Texans, who've never seen a nettle, I will explain. The nettle, while still green, has many fine, sharp, hollow thorns covering the underside of every leaf, and fuzzing every stem. Whenever something brushes against these, they inject formic acid, which stings and swells. It's the same toxin fire ants use... only the nettle can sting you fifteen times in an instant.

So I'm torn. Now, more than ever, on sacred journey, I want to be in touch with the ground I walk. And I want to have feet when I'm done, not just masses of painful blisters! My guide arrives, a deceptively unobtrusive man, and we walk together to where the Tor labyrinth begins. I notice he is wearing sandals. When I bring it up, he says he walks the Tor barefoot.

Big sigh of relief. I strip off my boots and socks. My feet revel in their freedom. I also feel confident, now, that my guide and I will get along fine. I pay him up front so we can focus on the journey without distraction. If you ever want to go walk the Tor labyrinth, I suggest hiring a guide. There are several available. I walked with Brian Charles, and he earned his fee twice over. You can learn more about him at these links-

http://www.briancharles.co.uk
http://www.goddesstemple.co.uk

The circuits of a labyrinth are numbered from the outside to the center, and the labyrinth on Glastonbury Tor is a classical seven circuit. (Whether it was built for that purpose is an irrelevant discussion, to me. What matters is that it is so walked today, and a place walked as a labyrinth is a labyrinth.) So, true to the pattern, we begin at the third circuit. There is a smallish standing stone to mark the place, and a thoughtfully placed bench.

The seven sircuits of the labyrinth can esaily be related to the seven primary chakras. You begin with choice, the third chakra being the power center. Within ten paces, I've started crying, mourning for events that have not yet occured, but that I see with perfect clarity. All the little considerations that clouded my thinking are stripped away. And I see that I'm leaving Jeff already, preparing myself for that ending. That I will overcome whatever imaginary obstacles remain in short order, and our marriage is ending. As I stand on this path, knowing that there is much yet to walk, but also knowing that the destination is fixed, so I see that my choice is already made elsewhere, and I must find my way through the curcuitous path to the destination I have chosen. To transform the tears, I reach for sacred song, setting the precedent of singing a different sacred song for each circuit.

Madre del Mundo, Reyna de los Cielos,
Luz Infinita, Madre Celestial

Cuidanos siempre, guya nuestros pasos,
En el sendero de Tu gran Amor

Madre del Mundo, Reyna de los Cielos,
Luz Infinita, Madre Celestial

Ensena la manera de vivir en paz
Y llevanos siempre en Tu Corazon

Mother of the World, Queen of the Heavens,
Infinite Light, Celestial Mother

Care for us always, Guide our footsteps
On the path of Your great Love

Mother of the World, Queen of the Heavens,
Infinite Light, Celestial Mother

Show us the way, the way to live in peace,
And carry us always in Your Heart

Many thanks to Sue Young for writing these words and the inspired music that goes with them.

Each of the outer circuits takes us close to an hour. There are hundreds of rabbits and rabbit holes. There is evidence of hawks and foxes coming to the feast. The jackdaws and crows soar on the updrafts as the sun shines down through the hazy, high clouds. The base of the Tor is ringed in with trees, but the higher you get, the more rare the shade becomes.

On the second circuit, we pause for strawberries and chocolate. The second chakra is about joy and pleasure, after all. Brian Joins me in singing a familiar chant by Starhawk. The first circuit is absolutely dense with nettles. We plucked a few dock leaves for stings, but so far we haven't needed them. Now the way seems impassable. I consider putting my boots back on. (For those who know me, this is a very clear description of how dangerous the path appeared.)

I look more carefully, though, and it seems there might be a way through. I decide to risk it. I step and step again, leaning away from the reaching leaves. And twenty yards of nettle jungle later, I haven't been stung once. It's a miracle! A miracle that I will repeat fifteen times this day. The only stings I got were when I was off course.

There are many things that I learn on the Tor. This lesson came from the nettles. No Matter How Dangerous the Way May Appear, There Is a Safe Passage For Those Committed to Walking Their True Path.

Namaste,
Crow