Today in the afternoon I was seduced out of my cave by the sun. It poured through the window and sang a sweet song just for me, and, despite my resistance, I succumbed gracefully, slipped on my boots, and left the house. I walked along the main road until I turned left up Dodd lane. This pathway follows the ley line from Glastonbury Abbey, over Chalice Hill, and onwards towards Stonehenge. I climbed the gravel path, and rested awhile on a park seat.
Did I mention that I have a strong, magical relationship with all the public benches in Avalon? It is an arrangement of mutual benefit, for all of us. Simply, if I radiate my love and deep appreciation to them, and sing them a little song, they make sure that they are empty whenever I appear, so I can sit down and enjoy a short rest. Anyway, after a quick breather, I stood up again and walked further up Dodd lane, passed through the kissing gate feeling slightly lonely because I didn’t have anyone to kiss, and said hello to my old friend Hawthorn with the mistletoe in its branches.
It is Mistletoe season here in Avalon. These magical beings are dotted everywhere, dark spherical balls of golden-green, speckled with the white glutinous berries that taste amazing and represent male sperm. Mistletoe grows in that in-between place, ‘twixt sky and ground, and is thus considered especially sacred by the Druids. I took a berry and enjoyed the sticky, sweet taste of organic tree-sperm and felt my spine straighten happily. But beware the unhappy Druid that swallows the pip, cos he or she will probably be transported forthwith to the infirmary under red and blue flashing lights, for an appointment with Squidge the stomach pump. Not nice.
I was slightly worried in case I would be late for my appointment with Brigid and Gwynn ap Nudd, because they get very prickly if kept waiting by mere mortals. I rested awhile on my favorite seat right under the Tor, and sang a happy little ditty to my wooden friend, but didn’t wait long because I didn’t want to be late.
And onwards. Moony was high in the heavens as a fairly new crescent, balancing the sun that skims the horizon on its daily journey at this time of the year. She was particularly beautiful at this time of day when the sun was readying to leave the stage.
My attention was drawn to a propeller-powered plane above me. By the sound of its engine, it was doing aerobatics. I looked up, and saw it looping the loop directly over the Tor. Then I was rocked by the awesome synchronicity that was being shown to me. I saw that it was an RAF Chipmunk, an old aircraft used to train beginner pilots. When I was at school at Glastonbury, fifty years ago, the Air Force cadets would make two outings every semester to the airbase at Bristol to fly in the Chipmunks they had there. They only had three or four in the squadron; I suddenly realized that I had probably flown in the very same aircraft above my head, possibly many times! What an omen!
I started the final climb to the summit of the Tor. It was a lot easier that my first attempt when I first arrived on the Isle of Glass a couple of weeks ago, when I felt as though I was dying. Still, if I was going to die, I’d quite welcome meeting my death on the Tor, at the center of Avalon.
Finally I reacted the summit. I saw I still had about twenty minutes before the sun took his leave. It was a bit windy and cold, so I was virtually alone. I stood inside the tower – also known as the forty-foot nipple on the gigantic breast of Avalon – and sang a Native American love song to the Earth, and ‘Rise up O Flame’ in honor of Bridie. Did you know that there are two stone carvings on the tower? They are both in honor of Brigid: one in her cow aspect, the other in her human form.
The sun approached the horizon, and I took some nice pics. I am attaching a pic of the giant nipple to this blog. The summit was deserted, as happens in times of power. As the sun flickered and dove deep into his lover the Earth with a happy squeal, Gwynn and Bridie approached me up the path. We hugged, old friends all, and then descended to the Underworld for a cup of tea and to prepare for the Wild Hunt.
