Welcome to a Witch Country Wander.
Journeys to visualise special places of magic or witchery.
Today I invite you to close your eyes and find a comfortable place.
We will be journeying far into magical places but for now all you need to do is settle,
Relax and make yourself warm.
Blankets,
Hot drinks or woolly socks are all encouraged.
As we close our eyes and allow the breath and body to settle,
To cast aside any busy thoughts from the day.
Any noises of the world outside will let them fall into soft focus.
Within our mind's eye we will envisage that very special time of a summer's evening,
The golden hour.
The time before dusk when birds are singing and there is still warmth in the sun that hangs low in a warm sky.
The village of Avebury in the west of England is a special village indeed.
Because it is a village that sits within an ancient stone circle,
Many thousands of years old.
These great stones surround a little village of cobbled streets,
Thatched cottages,
A pretty church,
A few shops selling crystals and books and incense and a pub.
But from this little village we will enjoy the golden hour by taking a walk,
An unhurried walk over grass and hills and through trees and stones.
This area of green fields and gentle hills was clearly very special to the ancestors of this land.
Because many sacred sites can be reached by gentle walk.
To leave the village we cross the threshold of the circle of stones but know that we will return here.
We take a walk over the fields through the avenue of stones.
In almost every direction you look from Avebury there are standing stones.
These great tall granite stones are soft grey dappled with lichen and moss.
Many have little holes or cracks or edges where people have placed tokens or offerings,
Often flowers or small pebbles or crystals to offer something to the stones.
There is a scent in the air of summer evenings,
Grass and hay and clear water and a few clouds float in the sky.
Great tall stones much like those of the circle lead us over the hills so that we may see Silbury Hill.
This ancient earthwork took many,
Many years to create.
It was carved and hewn from chalk so that once it would have glowed white in this summer evening sun.
But now it is covered in a fur of thick grass and there is often a watery moat around it if there has been heavy rain,
Like a castle protected in sacred space.
From Silbury Hill it is a short walk to an underground space known as the West Kennet Long Barrow.
Great stones mark its entrance and descending into this space reveals a space of stone and of quiet.
As we enter this space the earth above us quietens the world around us.
You may see a few offerings of flowers placed carefully amongst the stones and you feel a peacefulness here within the earth of this sacred land.
I invite you to take a quiet moment in this space.
When you walk out of the Long Barrow,
Now the sunset is nearby,
The sky is coloured in beautiful hues of pinks and lilacs and oranges.
The birds still sing with the last of the day's light and warmth.
And you walk peacefully,
Contemplating this special journey,
Enjoying the sights and sounds and smells of the countryside around you.
To walk back to Avebury from the Long Barrow we pass Silbury Hill.
We pass a sparkling stream gently trickling beside the path and trees adorning its banks.
We pass the Avenue of Stones once more that lead us back.
We return to the village,
Now once more inside the great circle of stones.
The birds sing,
The sun sets in golden light.
It is said in this sacred space that if we are very quiet,
Very peaceful and prepared to listen,
The stones might sing,
Resonating with a certain energy.
You find a seat by a stone that speaks to you,
The soft grass beneath you,
The stone perhaps supporting your back,
And we listen.
Listen,
Feel,
Watch the sun set and the first stars rise in the sky in this place of gentle singing magic.
When you feel ready in your mind's eye you may place a hand upon the stone and thank it for the time you have spent today,
And perhaps a moment's gratitude for any messages or music or song that came to us in this journey.
I hope you enjoyed this little journey to Avebury today,
A place where there is much magic and many a witch has enjoyed time to listen amongst the sacred stones.
I look forward to bringing you more stories of witch country in the future,
But for now I send you my love and look forward to journeying with you again soon.
Farewell for now.
