Well,well well....... it's that wonderful time of year again when the hedgerows are a feast of greenery and the woods and meadows shimmer with a sea of hazy mauve. The last few weeks leading up to Beltane have been really hot and sunny ironically the minute Beltane was upon us all that changed and we were blessed with wind and rain. My vegetables are flourishing as a result in my back patio which I have had fenced for shelter and I am growing as much as I can in pots and green recyclable potatoe bags which cost £1 each and are a gift, as not only are they much lighter than pots but they are really more versatile and hold a lot of soil.i have potaotes, runner beans, lettuce, rocket, tomatoe plants, strawberries,chard and herbs all starting to really shoot away.
I have been fortunate to have some much needed time off work to relax and unwind and have spent my time quite happily walking the parts of the Cornish coast I haven't visited for a while and reaquainting myself with some magicl sites like the Holy Well at St Just in Roseland church. This time of year is definitely my favourite as it heralds a flourish of growth and activity with the evenings drawing out and a sense of long summer days waiting on that orange red horizon. Sacred sites seem particularly potent and lush with flowers adding a faery quality and otherworldliness that transports one from one's daily grind to the timeless tranquility and restorative power of another plane.
I was partcularly stuck by this at the little creek near St Just in Rosleand church with its stillness and secluded peace. It maybe the most attractive and visited churchyard in Cornwall due to its tranquil and slightly exotic air. It is situated opposite Mylor and the Carrick Roads and the church is right at the bottom of a steep valley hill nestled in trees beside the gently lapping waves of the creek. The Holy Well is situated just outside the churchyard, through the lych gate and along a little path which leads into a mossy, ferny dell. The well water is clear and the spot safely shaded from view so that one is touched deeply by the sound of water and the faery magic of the place.The Goddess defintely dwells here in this moist and fertile shade
It seems to me that Holy Wells have a liminal quality where the worlds of nature and spirit touch and unite. One looks into the mirroring depths of the well water and is reflected. One dips one's fingers and cups one's palms in an act of healing and baptism. Wells are a place of purification and a way of touching an age old magic and ritual. They are places of healing and pre-date any surrounding buildings. Water is our source of life, vitality and renewel.
It seems fitting to me that this well was the beginning of a long 7 mile walk and that I visited two churches that of St Just and St Mawes, as well as St Mawes Castle,isolated beaches, tide carved creeks and flourishing paths full of campion, wild garlic, Herb Robert, cow parsely and of course the bowing heads of bluebells. The woodland at Bosworgas was a faery dell with the stream running through to the creek full of dappled shade and what looked like ancient earth works. This was a forgotten part of the estuary and I walked peacefully without seeing a soul apart from rabbits playing and a fox who whisked behind me and romped joyfully through the depths. The walk finally took me back inland and out to the National Trust field path that lends stunning almost ariel view of the Carrick Roads.The sun shone brightly and the skies were a china blue with the sails of yachts scudding down river to open sea.
I finished back at the church where the rooks continued cawing and nestbuilding making black fans in the skies to refect those of the sails at sea.
This place definitely speaks to the heart and soul. It is a wonderful feeling to take a day's pilgrimage out of the toxic noise of everyday. The King Harry Ferry will do just this..transport you to another time and space....give you time to pause in slow time. I couldn't believe it when I realised that this is only half an hour from my front door and that I had gone a distance of only 30 miles as a round trip taking in Portscatho Harbour and village too.
Beltane is definitely a time to celebrate Nature's fertility and the life force filling every shoot and tree.The Goddess is dancing and laughing rejoicing in all this beauty and growth. We can find her in the meadows and the fields, the woods and streams. The Holy Wells resonate with that same sap that life energy and it for us to drink in the beauty and celebrate it with song, dance, pilgrimage and healing. 'Sumer is icumen in' the obby oss dances and the Maypole reminds us of that regenerative, potent magical wand of fertility and echoes the blossoming trees. The Goddess Flora is abroad and everywhere there is a reason to celebrate the joy of being. At this potent time in the Wheel contemplate what areas in your life have grown from the seeds of hope you planted and consider whether these are still the areas you wish to grow in. If they are then continue to nurture and water these; if not then there is still time to sow new seeds or weed out anything unwanted. take a walk into Nature, make a fire for Beltane and celebrate the strenghtening light, enjoy the fertility that will come to a climax in 8 weeks at Midsummer Solstice.
Blessed Be xxxxx
