Napowrimo 24 – Raising a Temple of Words

Napowrimo24 challenges us to write a poem that features walls, bricks, stones, arches, or the like.

Like the real life sanctuary it refers to, ‘The White Spring, Glastonbury’ It is still in the process of manifestation.

To be continued. This is only the foundation.

Raising a Temple of Stories

Such stories are formed of stone,
Stories of love and of life.
Tales of death and blood and bone.
Substance of peace and strife.

Bestowed by those alive.
Mixed in with the mortar,
Even before the stones rise.
Flowing in the water.

For order and disorder,
Pulses within the land,
The elemental quarters.
Sing in every grain of sand.

In the heart of every man,
And every drop of sweat,
A sonnet in the builder’s hand.
Begotten to beget.

The mason meets the architect.
Cracks are in the quarry,
Building hasn’t started yet,
Already there’s a story.

Unintended oratory,
To lay down with each rock,
Create this place of glory.
Built over beauty – A box.

Many local folk were shocked.
Brutal behaviour.
Chain the waters of chalk.
To be sickness’ saviour.

Corporation reservoir,
For good folk of Glaston,
To rise up from cholera.
Clean water; a bastion.

A building full of contention,
Flowing with water as well,
A dubious intention.
Rising in the white spring swell.

Ancient tales won’t be dispelled.
By architecture’s intellect,
Beauty won’t remain felled;
Divine magic won’t be wrecked.

100 years of neglect,
Won’t lay it all to waste.
Ev’n respect in retrospect,
Will honour sacred place.

Lisa Goodwin – April 2014

 

Loving Well – Napowrimo# Day 7

Napowrimo 7 – Yesterday’s Prompt; A love poem about any inanimate object. I cheated a little since the White Spring is so very animated and alive. Still, on one level it’s just an old reservoir – It is the ancient archetypes, the water and the love and dedication of the keepers and companions of the White Spring who help keep it alive. I was once told by a good friend that if we make the world more beautiful then we have served a worthy purpose. I have endeavoured to create beauty and have the honour to do that right under Glastonbury Tor. And yes, I love it.

Loving Well

A heart is held enthralled by stone and water,
It’s beating pulse is fed by constant flow,
In face of threat or danger, it won’t falter
And even when disaster bucks the bow.

Once, twice, thrice, by strife, a love is tested,
This love requires utter sacrifice,
Lay down my self, my life, at once invested,
Embraced and held by otherworldly sighs.

Defying definition, Oh my love,
To make of me the novice, and the brave.
Release all inhibition, not enough!
To walk into the darkness of the cave.

Living on the edge of a cold chasm,
Allowed to put the grapes upon the vine,
I’m driven by an archetypal passion,
Swallowed by the taste of love divine.

And hidden in the shadow cast by candles,
My heart trips on the strings of pure delight,
And bidden by the hallows of the deep well,
I bring your loving presence to the light.

Lisa Goodwin, Bard of Ynys Witrin April 2014

White Spring – The Gateway

The Gates are complete and will be fitted this week in readyness for our re-opening on Saturday 5th April.

This beautiful design was drawn by the blacksmith, Phil Raynor, who also crafted the gates. They were taken from my original vision and sketches. What an amazing skill, to take someone’s impression of what they would like and manifest it into a thing of beauty.

The gates are unusual in that they open along the curve of the three vesica piscis. The symbols in each one represent the archetypes or expressions of divinity that we celebrate and honour at the White Spring and to reflect the living mythology of this land.

The triple vesica piscis design is laid on a background of lines suggesting a large chalice or grail and in filled with smaller spirals, primarily added for safety.

The top section depicts Brighde’s cross, in honour of the Celtic Goddess and Christian Saint, long felt to be one of the guardians of the White Spring.

The image at the base is the triple flame, to symbolise the fires of inspiration, transformation, and the flame of the hearth. This section is also representative of three drops of inspiration from the cauldron of the Dark Lady in the ‘Tale of Taliesin’, the three rays of Awen.

The central spiral is inspired from a simple image that we have been using for quite some time, a spiral within Glastonbury Tor to represent the other-worldly home of the King of the Realm of Fae, often experienced locally as Gwyn Ap Nudd.

We have included the Tor and the tower within the central symbol in honour of Archangel Micheal.

These are all representative of the sacred and magical sources that we feel to be potent at The White Spring. I hope you will agree that these are exquisite gates that reflect the beauty of the inner sanctuary.

We would love to see you on Saturday, and if you cannot make it, please take a moment of your day to offer a prayer or loving thoughts to the water. Water holds memory and from here in the heart of Avalon our collective love of the sacred water places spreads out into the land.

Brightest Blessings.

Lisa Goodwin

White Spring Sanctuary Shocking Damage

On Friday 14th February the doors to The White Spring were damaged beyond repair.

During a full moon, under the cover of a storm with tearing winds and heavy rain, both sets of doors were smashed to pieces. We were alerted on Saturday morning that there had been a problem there during the night and several members of the keeper team met there to see what had happened.

Nothing could have prepared us for the carnage.

Both sets of doors were totally obliterated and the debris lay around. 

The beautiful stone dragon that sat on the steps was smashed by one of the doors being thrown into the well house, yet none of the shrines were touched and nothing was taken. All of the altars remained untouched and the Brigit flame was still aflame in the new bower. The inside of the sanctuary felt serene despite the destruction of the entrance ways. 

The building has been boarded up for safety and will remain closed until we can get replacements. It does look sad from outside but it is not all bad news. 

Whilst we were discussing our options a man who was collecting water overheard us talking about gates. He introduced himself; Phil, a local blacksmith from Millstream Forge. He has created some beautiful work in Town and built the Glastonbury Experience gates on the High Street. This fortuitous meeting with the blacksmith has inspired us to move past the challenge and create a solution as soon as we possibly can. 

Though nothing can take away the traumatic impact caused by the person who did this dreadful damage, the story is unfolding and now the gates, which was a job on our list, will be done much sooner than we think. 

This wonderful community resource that is loved by people from all over the world will rise again more beautiful than before.

Check the website to find out more about our work and to support The White Spring.

http://www.whitespring.org.uk

The White Spring – Glastonbury poem

 

On the threshold into blackness,
Hear the waters, smell incense on the air,
Darkness beckons – dare,
To enter.

Vast cavern, embracing chamber,
Candlelight ripples, pools consciousness,
Pathways to providence,
To enter.

Deep in the well, stare into water,
where mystery dwells, follow the track,
Flips under, over and back
To enter

Into the gateway, otherworld bidding,
Time shifting altar, Seasons of day to day,
The King of the Realm of Fae,
To enter.

Wildwood Lord, strength of stag,
Graceful yielding to treasure within,
The heartbeat of Nature,
To enter.

Upstream, a salmon’s step, calls deeper, deeper,
Living hazel bower, holding Brigit’s Fire
To incite, inflame, desire,
To enter.

Peace of rushing water, Memory remains,
hidden in veins, quickening blood,
A fervent flood,
To enter.

The waters pull, impassioned call,
Deep cold cauldron, The Lady of Avalon,
Waters of purification,
To enter.

The depth of spirit, breath leaves body,
Sensation, creation, embody.
Dark, then embark into the sun,
Brand new day begun.
To Enter

In the courtyard, Ground red, Sky blue,
No thing to say, nothing to do
Just to be,
At peace in sanctuary.

SOS! Save Our Spring ……… Urgent White Spring Appeal

Please come along to our

White Spring Presentation

Glastonbury Assembly Rooms 

Tuesday 17th September at 7pm 

and a focus group meeting Saturday 5th October at 1.30pm – location TBC

SOS – Save Our Spring

The White Spring in Glastonbury needs your help. There is a real risk that we will be forced to close unless we get more support! The owner is no longer able to generously support financially towards the annual costs as he has in previous years. Over the next year the current custodians are needing to step back to start focusing on other projects.

Why save the White Spring?

Know where your water is… Free wholesome spring water is provided to all who come to collect it.

The White Spring is not just in Glastonbury, it is in the hearts of many people all across the world; people who cherish the place. This sanctuary has become a vital sacred site to thousands of pilgrims and visitors. Many people comment that it is one of the most beautiful and unique spiritual locations they have visited in the world.

In dedication to the spiritual energies of this place, we have created sacred pools and shrines within the sanctuary. It is an expression of gratitude for the gift of pure water. It is a sanctuary, a place of reflection, inspiration and healing. It is a sacred site of great depth and beauty. It is a living temple.

Individuals and groups from all spiritual paths and traditions who come in peace are welcomed. In true temple tradition, no-one is charged or paid. Every individual who contributes does so from the heart. All is freely and lovingly given. All that is done here is done for the love of it.

The White Spring has become a prominent tourist attraction visited by more than a hundred visitors each day, and many more during peak times. The restoration of this wonderful building has impacted positively on the local area. There is a much improved atmosphere in Wellhouse lane as a consequence of the dedication of helpers who encourage peaceful respect from all visitors. This has created a wonderful loving sanctuary nestled at the base of Glastonbury Tor.

What help do we need?

Contributions can be made via http://www.whitespring.org.uk/pages/contribute.html#ancHeader

This is an urgent call out for our local and world-wide community to increase the generous support for this well-loved place.  It must now be financially self sustaining. We are putting together standing order forms for friends of the White Spring and direct debit mandates for those who wish to contribute regularly – together we can do this x

As well as continued financial support, we also need physical help. A strong team is needed to hold this space. We have a dedicated small group of volunteers who open up for the public, which is wonderful, and we need much more than this now. We need help with maintenance, ceremony, events, financial support, admin and logistics.

For The White Spring to continue as a free, open to all sanctuary much more input is needed. The custodians have agreed to spend the next six months gathering physical support and funds, after this the team will look at the situation again.

This is an exciting opportunity for the whole community to get involved. The need for other people to step up is pressing. There will be a presentation to the community, for supporters of the White Spring, on Tuesday 17th September at Glastonbury Assembly Rooms. A focus group meeting is scheduled for 5th October.

We have written a summary of the tasks involved in the provision of this remarkable place which will be available at the presentation/meeting. It is amazing how much is achieved by so few people. There are simply not enough of us, or enough hours in the day to continue as we have been.

With just a drop of dedication from each member of our White Spring community, this place will become an even more magnificent water temple, and will be kept free, ‘For The Love Of It’ forever.

Please come along and/or contribute to help Save Our Spring.

The White Spring – A Year in the Life of a Temple

‘ The White Spring – A Year in the Life of a Temple’ begins.

Icicles at the White Spring

I will be keeping an online record of all of my activities as custodian and keeper of The White Spring on Wellhouse Lane in Glastonbury for the coming year from Imbolc (February) 2012 – 2013. The White Spring is a unique place that offers unique challenges and blessings. I will be sharing some of my stories with you, alongside some insight into what really goes on here. I intend to publish it all together at the end of the year, yet here at Wizard News you can read about it as it unfolds.

Many people visit the White Spring and get a limited impression of the place, having only seen it in the context of their visit. It is such a diverse place, and it has so many different faces, it would be impossible to get a clear picture of what it is from just a few visits. I am going to attempt the impossible, and also try to capture the essence of the place and put it into words so that more people understand the philosophy behind the running of this new and unique style of Temple.

There is often misunderstanding about the nature of The White Spring, my role there, or the activities that take place. I wish to share my experiences so that people may begin to understand something about what lies behind the creation and upkeep of this powerful and remarkable place.

For more information about the history and current use of this sacred site please visit www.whitespring.org.uk

Now to begin, here is some background, from the White Spring website.

‘It is one of the greatest mysteries of the Isle of Avalon that two different healing springs, one touched red with iron, the other white with calcite, should rise within a few feet of each other from the caverns beneath Glastonbury Tor. Both have healing in their flow.

In honour of the Spirit of the White Spring, a Temple has been created here in gratitude for the gift of pure water. A Victorian built Well House that nestles beneath Glastonbury Tor is ideal for this purpose. Cavernous and set apart, in blackness or candle lit, mysterious it remains. A wonderful contrast to the sunlit gardens of Chalice Well of the Red Spring. The interior consists of three domed vaults 16ft high, with beautiful bowed floors – like the hull of a boat moored at the portal to the Otherworld. With a constant temperature, and the sound of the perpetually flowing water, it is a unique and sacred space.

A series of pools have been built according to the principles of sacred geometry, and simple shrines in honour of the ancient energies and spirits of Avalon have been created within the temple. All enhanced by the ley line known as the Michael line which flows through this place. We honour Brigid as guardian, Our Lady of Avalon, the King of the Realm of Faery, and their ancient presence in this sacred space.

The companions of the White Spring, men and women who give their time and expertise freely, have designed, built and created the temple and continue to care for it, inspired and greatly helped by the blessings of spirit. Many groups, pilgrims, and local people – from a wide diversity of backgrounds and traditions – have come to appreciate the blessings of this sacred space. In keeping with the sense of sacred at the White Spring there is no charge or expectation of donation, neither is anyone paid. ‘

I have been given the task of taking care of this place and I do so to the best of my ability. I would never have imagined that I would take on such an endeavor, yet it is a labour of love, and I do it  joyfully. It offers me powerful personal lessons about my life, and frequently calls me to be the very best I can be. Then sometimes, brings me right back to earth with a thump. It challenges my perceptions, allows me to examine the shadow side of my self, and to find the treasure hidden in the shadows. The White Spring brings so many blessings and much love and it is an honour to be a part of its unfolding.

Tomorrow, I will talk about the preparations that we made for our Imbolc Celebrations, the building of the new Brigid Bower to house the shrine, and some fascinating stories that have come to us through the passing season.

Bright Blessings

Lisa