United States of Amazing Grace

An amazing thing happened out of the blue, as amazing things sometimes do.

We had spent 9 years tending the White Spring in Glastonbury, a beautiful water sanctuary beneath Glastonbury Tor. It was kept in true temple tradition, where no one was paid, and no one was charged. We renovated and loved the place with no expectation of reward or recognition, yet the blessings came. Trusting that we would have all that we would need, we dedicated our time and energy to this wonderful sacred space. Thousands of visitors came to visit from all over the world and we were supported by a huge global community.

Many of you will know the challenges and triumphs of this time.

A few years ago RJ Stewart and Anastacia Nutt moved into the little cottage above the White Spring.  Anastacia knew the challenges of holding such a place through her own work in USA and both her and Robert gave their full support to the work we were doing here in Glastonbury. We soon became great friends.

They told us about Pantheacon two years ago and suggested we go along. Well, I never thought we would afford such a trip so put it out of my mind until last year when Robert emailed with an invitation, to cover much of the cost and help us get out there.

I never imagined that I would visit America. It was a completely unexpected blessing. We were going to go to San Jose  California to speak at Pantheacon. WOW, what a wonderful adventure! Flying on a plane, going to a fancy hotel, attending classes, taking part in a fabulous Double Dragon ritual, presenting our White Spring talk, meeting new friends and soaking up all we could in the short time we had in the USA. We took a rock from Glastonbury Tor for the ritual, taking the magic of this land there and back again, like good little hobbits on a wild adventure.

One thing that struck me about this trip of a lifetime, and what I will write about next time, is the magic that happens when you do something ‘For the Love of It,’ with no expectation of reward or recognition.

For now, I want to share some words about the grace I found in America.

Over here in the UK, we see the politics, the news stories, whatever social networking wants us to believe and we make all kinds of assumptions about the country and the people. We found a warm welcome and so much love. We met wonderful like minded people, powerful community and big nature spirits in the United States of Amazing Grace.

There is grace in every embrace.
It’s in a sacred space, well held
with diversity and magic in a Hilton Hotel.
It’s in the Doubletree with two dragons rising,
It’s over 2000 pagans gathering,
It’s in San Jose, where Pantheacon took flight.
Where we took a parking lot and put in paradise. It’s a gathering of kith and kin,
where reality checks out and the heart checks in.
It’s hospitality and nurturing,
It’s a whole community silently cheering.
It’s a sharing of skills and heartfelt teachings.
It’s in the sparkle, in the craftsmanship,
It’s in the once in a life-time chance trip.
It’s international geological sample smuggling.
It’s in the love I’m bringing there and back again.

Ritual connection leads to a reflection of wonder
And I wonder …
How much grace can be embraced?
How much more space can it create?
It comes in ceremony and circle,
in the drum beat, in the rattle and the Om …

It’s dancing on beehive carpets,
It’s riding the elevator to
drunken divination and absinthe parties.
It’s in myself, it’s in you
It’s in the hot tub, it’s by the pool,
it’s for the love of it on floor nine and floor two,
it’s in the far too much to do,
and the “I just don’t know what to do!”
It’s people taking care of the nitty gritty.
Where love comes to meet us riding strings of synchronicity.
Opening to grace.

There is grace in sacred space,
Where faery meets us dressed in jay feathers
and flygaric red and white.
Where a herd of deer dip out of sight
and Taliesin sings, Awen in a redwood grove.
It’s where trees reach higher than high
it’s wild rushing waters, celebrating life.
Where salamander curls to rest 
and a spider drops his web,
It’s in the emerald glowing leaf,
It’s in that dewdrop glistening.
It is listening.
Remember.

Portals of water ripple through time,
Reflections of life, fleeting.
It’s a kiss
Where love comes to meet us riding a eucalyptus mist.
Opening to grace.

Focus … There is grace in every place
It’s in a half-built hotel,
It’s the Sun King … King Sun, Beijing Buffet,
It’s eating gak from yellow plastic plates.
It’s there in the city streets.
It seeps through the concrete,
on the beatnik feats of folly and endurance,
and the deadhead days of acid and decadence.It’s painted on a wall in rainbow colours, ‘SERENITY’,
Where love comes to meet us riding a cloud of creativity.
Opening to grace.

There is grace in every face
It’s in good companions and well met forever friends.
It’s in lipstick smiling faces hurrying to Macy’s,
and concrete critters celebrating a trash can treasure,
craving cigarettes and talking to strangers.

It’s in the street poet on union square
with only 30 seconds to spare
to share his inspiration.
It’s in Achilles and Nike and Victory,
It’s on every face, in every story
of degradation and despair,
It pushes a life in a cart,
on a street where tents are a luxury.
Grace is there …
It’s a pet rat in a box called Harry Potter.
It’s a cosmic crone on the corner of Castro,
wearing a nightgown and laughing about humpty dumpty
and his crack habit. It is spilled in the pantry.
It’s an event in a cage waiting to be set free
where love comes to meet us riding a haze of humanity
Opening to grace.

 

 

There is grace in the soul of the land, It’s in the titans and divas,
It’s living in the living mythology,
It is heritage in the hands of the builders of the stories.
It’s cultivating a culture of life and decay,
it’s embracing anarchy, it’s making history,
It is reaching for a better day.
There is grace.
It is right there, for those who would listen,
for those who would drop out and tune in,
for those who would dip their toes in the ocean,
and connect with the ancestors.
For those who would wish to know.

We don’t need to make America great again,
We need to make it grateful for the grace,
in every embrace, in sacred space,
in every place, in every face,
where love comes to meet us, riding time on threads of foaming lace.
in The United States of Amazing Grace.