Dolmen grove

DOLMEN GROVE

CHRONICLES

www.dolmengrove.co.uk

CONTENTS

1…Stonehenge – Diane Narraway

2…Tout Quarry – Scott Irvine

3…Mandrake – A Very Magickal Herb – Andrew Cowling

4…Crystal Gridding – Cheryl Waldron

5…Book Review of The Voyager Tarot Companion – Eirwen Mitchell

6…Art, Death, Magick and the Spaces in Between – Charlotte Rodgers

7…The Power of Music – Sem Vine

8…Recipe for Faerie Cookies – T.J. Burns

9…The Weymouth Pirate Festival – Mark Vine

10…The Unifying Light of Wisdom from the Shekinah – David Rankine

11…Samhain Thoughts – X roads – Ceitidh Brown

Cold Moon – Mark Vine

The Show Off – Lynette Flynn

Nightmares – Martin Pallot

The Ghost Hunt – Cheryl Waldron

Saturn Devours his Children – Louise Lisse

12…Diary of the Hedgewitch – Rachael Moss

13…Journey – The Music…The Album…and the Shipwreck Project – Taloch Jameson/ Diane

Narraway/Graham Knott

14…Book Review of The Treasure of the Golden Grape – David C.

15…Symposium – Gathering of the Clans

16 … Dolmen Grove Moot Information

All information is accurate at the time of publication and all articles are assumed to be the work of those

being credited

https://www.facebook.com/DolmenGroveMagazine?ref=hl

Photographs in this issue …Joanna Caswell, Jennie Jones, Scott Irvine, Sarah Jane Penfold, Chris Ryan,

Andrew Orman, Louise Lisse, Simon Brown, Rachael Moss, Marc Aitken, Andrew Cowling, Diane

Narraway. Cover Photo Joanna Caswell.

Artwork – Sem Vine.

Artwork – Sem Vine

Unless otherwise stated all other images are from the public domain.

Further information on the Dolmen Grove can be found at:

www.Dolmengrove.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TheDolmenGrove/110124449082503

All information is accurate at the time of publication and all articles are assumed to be the work of those being

credited https://www.facebook.com/DolmenGroveMagazine?ref=hl

THE DOLMEN GROVE

The Dolmen Grove is a pagan organisation of mixed spiritual paths established in the early 90s by

Taloch Jameson, which over the years has grown from one small circle in Weymouth Dorset, to several

clans not only across the UK but worldwide.

The Spiritual ethos of the Dolmen Grove has remained the same throughout and is based purely upon the

Freedom of the Individual.

It is the collective belief that in an age where technology can often dwarf our humanity, it is important that

we take control as individuals and embrace our own spirituality in order to maintain the equilibrium within

an ever changing world.

Although the Grove is not a political organisation preferring instead to focus upon the spiritual, this does not

prevent either individual members or the Grove as a collective from playing an active part in humanitarian

and environmental issues.

There are no hierarchy or titles within the Dolmen Grove as it is our aim to encourage each man and woman

to discover their own unique and authentic journey so that their spiritual connection is founded upon that

which works for them as an individual rather than a spiritual rule book set for the masses.

The key to our success is the Round Table which is made up of around twenty people from a variety of

spiritual paths who uphold the spiritual ethos of the Grove. They not only organise their respective moots

but also the festivals and events hosted by the Dolmen Grove.

Our Moots are regular meeting places which are held once a month in several areas. Although these are

organised by and largely attended by Grove members, non-members are always welcome to find out more

about the Grove and enjoy the company of other free thinking people as well as the activities organised by

the Moot.

There is a membership in place that enables those who wish to be part of this ever growing Clan to enjoy

reduced ticket prices for Dolmen Grove Events, festivals and where stated ‘member only’ Ceremonies and

Courses. Although we host many Ceremonies which are open to the general public, to avoid crowding and

to allow our members to celebrate free from pressure we also hold members only ceremonies.

‘ALL ARE SPIRITUALLY UNITED WITHIN THE DOLMEN GROVE’

h

Stonehenge

Every ‘Open Access event’ people gather on mass

to celebrate the solstices

and equinoxes at

Stonehenge, and to be part

of something spiritually

timeless amid the chaos of

today’s society. For a large

number of pagans

worldwide this is the heart

of the pagan world and

many dream of going there

one day.

There is little doubt that the success of the

solstice and equinox events has been largely due

to English Heritage’s willingness to work

alongside the pagans who regularly celebrate the

‘wheel of the year’ at Stonehenge.

However over the years interest in the enigmatic

stone circle has increased, appealing to a variety

of people regardless of spiritual or religious belief.

The growing number of annual visitors meant the

small visitor centre soon became unable to

accommodate the large amount of visitors to the

area and so in 2014 the new visitor centre was

built.

These has been a monumental undertaking and

without question at times a controversial one,

involving the restructure of the surrounding

landscape, the closure of the A344 as well as the

building of a new large world class visitor centre.

As a regular attendee at open access, I went along

to see what was on offer at the new

visitor centre.

Having performed rituals barefoot in

the centre circle, felt the warm earth

beneath my feet trodden by so many

before me with the warm sun on my

face I am all too aware that there is

something undeniably spiritual

about this ancient monument, but

this time I was there as a tourist. I was curious to

know and if possible understand the fascination

and lure from those who are there for other

reasons.

The new Stonehenge world-class visitor centre is

tucked unobtrusively away in a spectacular array

of natural grasses, saplings and wild flowers yet

the sleek modern building ironically seems to fit

comfortably into the ancient landscape. I had like

around 9,000 others that day come for the

experience that is Stonehenge as a heritage site.

My first stop like many a weary traveller was the

café and toilet facilities which were clean,

spacious with café prices being pretty much on a

par with other

franchises and

once refreshed,

equipped with my

visitor pack and

audio tour radio I

was ready to

experience all

that was on offer. Although there is ample space,

it is only the stone circle that is any distance away,

everything else on offer is close by.

The exhibition centre is home to a variety of

displays and contains a wealth of information on

not just the stones but the surrounding areas and

the people both ancient and modern who have left

their mark on the Stonehenge timeline. It is here

that through artefacts, imagery and detailed

explanations the Neolithic and bronze ages are

brought to life including a beautifully detailed

facial reconstruction of a 5,500 year old Neolithic

man found close by.

Included in the exhibition is a

360°degree virtual experience of

Stonehenge through the ages.

The story of Stonehenge from its

earliest beginnings as a wooden

structure through to the present

day slowly unfolds, taking into

account the landscape, the seasons

and its spiritual significance

today. While it may not feel

the same to those who have

stood there or indeed match

up to the romantic image

many have of it; it is

informative, well presented

and quite captivating.

Just outside, the Neolithic village offers a living

history display consisting of authentic well

equipped huts which are both beautiful and

informative. Currently these are manned by local

volunteers who are happy to share their

knowledge and enthusiasm for these displays.

The land-train and buses are close by and as light

and airy as a hot day in August would allow and

provides a tour commentary and a drop off point

for those wishing to experience Fargo woods and

walk part of the way to the stones. On arrival at

the stones there is a short walk to the monument

where the audio tour begins.

Initially it seemed

strange not to be

entering the centre

circle and I

couldn’t help but

wonder if this

experience would

be lacking in

some way but it wasn’t. The audio tour provided

information on the surrounding landscape which I

had only ever seen through a mass of people in the

hazy early morning light. Now on a clear summer

afternoon ditches, mounds and tumuli were all

clearly visible and not least of all was Stonehenge

itself.

Silent, empty and more enigmatic than I had ever

seen it before, I began to understand why so many

people flocked here to experience the mystical

beauty of this ancient wonder. I personally have a

long standing relationship with Stonehenge but I

wanted to know how others felt about it and what

compelled them to come and see the stones for

themselves.

For many it seems it is simply that Stonehenge is

a significant part of our past, a piece of human

history built by our ancestors and providing a link

to a past shrouded in mystery. For others it was

another ‘must do’ ticked off their bucket list

whilst for many it was just ‘a must see’ ancient

wonder.

The visitor centre is a work in progress constantly

striving to improve its facilities, offer more and

enhance the experience of Stonehenge by bringing

the past and present to life whilst looking to the

future.

The energies in this area have a profound effect on

all those who visit which can be felt not just at the

solstice and equinox sunrise celebrations but

every day and for a variety of different reasons

…..Irrespective of spiritual and religious beliefs it

would appear there are many roads leading to the

ancient temple - Stonehenge.

Diane Narraway

Stone Circles - Ancient and Modern and todays Pagans

Tout Quarry

Having taken part in all of the Dolmen Grove Conjurers Lodge ceremonies and rituals, meeting Groep 85 in

September 2013 was a unique opportunity, as it is rare as Pagans that we get to meet those who build the

stone circles we frequent. Whilst there I was speaking to one of the sculptors when she caught sight of my

necklace – the alchemical symbol for sulphur (Leviathan Cross), at the base of which is the symbol for

infinity. It was this that became the inspiration for one of her sculptures within the stone circle thereby

adding a piece of the Dolmen Grove to the circle. The following article unites Groep 85 and the Dolmen

Grove inthis very special setting. Diane Narraway

The sound of drums echoed around the quarry as

patches of mist drifted across the top of Portland.

A horn sounded. It was the start of a handfasting

ritual for all eternity.

This was not the first pagan wedding to take place

at the Circle of Stones. Two years ago Ushi and

Paul, pagan friends of the architects of the stone

carvings that make up the circle celebrated their

union here.

The collection of sculptors from Nijmegen in the

Netherlands known as Groep 85 attended a stone

carving workshop with the Portland Sculpture and

Quarry Trust in 2001 at the Drill Hall on Easton

Lane. During their stay on Portland a plan was

hatched to regenerate a part of Tout Quarry on the

west cliff that was being used as part of the local

rubbish tip.

The following year the group returned to the U.K.

to begin clearing away old washing machines,

broken glass and bricks before covering the area

with limestone to encourage native plants to grow.

At first the group had to hire the tools and

machinery they needed to create their vision but

now they get on well with the quarry owners so

they can borrow equipment whenever they need it.

Each artist works on an individual carving but the

overall design is a collective effort to ensure a

unified coherent construction. It is believed that

an ancient stone circle once stood on Tout, which

means ‘lookout’ but was destroyed when

quarrying began in 1780.

By the time of its closure in 1982 around 30,000

tons of stone had been excavated for sea defences

at West Bay. A year later it was turned into a

sculpture park by the Portland Sculpture and

Quarry Trust where it has become a haven for

wildlife and is now a protected Site of Special

Scientific Interest.

When Groep 85 began this project in 2001 their

original intention had been to sculpt down in the

quarry, as other artists had done previously, but

because the quarry had become a Site of Special

and Scientific Interest they were not permitted to

move even the smallest piece of stone.

Subsequently they ended up in the southern area,

which had previously been part of the local dump.

In 2003 they put the central table in place and

from that the idea of a stone circle naturally grew.

Some of the members are more spiritual than

others and Jan Willem Rutgers made sculptures

that reflected his connection with water. Over the

years the spiritual significance of the circle

became stronger and it was evident that there is a

lot of energy both on the island and within the

circle. It is as though the energy they put into the

sculptures has brought out energy that was already

present there.

More recently they heard that there may be a

leyline present there and that the sun sets and the

moon rises over the circle. Since it has been built,

there have been several ceremonies at the Circle

of Stones. The Conjurors Lodge (A witchcraft

circle housed under the umbrella of the Dolmen

Grove) held a ritual there at the Spring Equinox

led by Taloch Jameson and Diane Narraway

where a combination of evocations and chants

echoed around the old quarry. Those present at

this Summer Solstice ritual, witnessed an amazing

sunset over Lyme Bay followed by a spectacular

full moon rising behind the Portland Stone

Workshops.

The smell of burning

Ash at the Autumn

Equinox swept across

the circle as the circle

was cleansed. Drums

banged, horns blew, the

four quarters were called

and gods and goddesses invoked as an ethereal

mist encompassed the ceremony. Only a couple of

days after the handfasting ceremony at the circle,

the Dolmen Grove Portland Moot carried out a

banishing ritual by the glow of a small lantern on

the altar. Touching hands with palms on the stone

slab a pulse was felt that reached into the soul,

witnessing a powerful energy that is contained

there.

Sadly Groep 85 had returned to the Netherlands so

missed these events. They would have liked to see

their creation used in this way as they had said

from the beginning that they were happy for the

central table to be used by the local community as

long as there were no human sacrifices carried out

on it!!

This year at the right side of the path (just before

the porta-cabin) is a sculpture that has been

designed so that you can carve the names and

dates of those being handfasted there. It lies

between the moon and the sun and is in line with

the altar. For more information on the circle of

stones

For further information visit

www.groep85.nl

Scott Irvin

Membership of the Dolmen Grove

How to become a full member

The Dolmen Grove offers a lifetime membership, which simply means a

one-off payment of £20 for those who wish to embrace and enjoy the freedom,

Clanship and the right to practice their own spiritual path within the Grove

family.Full Members of the Grove will enjoy reduced rates for events such as

Gatherings like the Beltane Spirit of Rebirth and Tribal Dreams, and to many other

events when stated. A Full member will receive a Membership Card and a unique

Membership Number that identifies who they are when wishing to attend Member

only Ceremonies and other Dolmen Grove Events. The Dolmen Grove does not have a hierarchy, as we do not believe that people need titles or labels to follow a spiritual path; instead the spiritual ethos of the Grove is facilitated by a Round Table, a circle of

people from all walks of life.

For further information on the Dolmen Grove and becoming a member please send an email to

[email protected]. Also find us on faceboook - thedolmengrove and thedolmengrovemagazine

Mandrake: A Very Magickal Herb (Mandragora officinarum)

Moving towards winter most plants are

disappearing into Mother Earth to begin their

hibernation. Mandrake Mandragora Officinarum

is different and is just emerging from the soil in

my garden preparing to flower early in the New

Year.

The name comes from either the Greek mandra

(herd of cattle) due to its poisonous effect on

cattle or from the Greek madragorus, deriving

from the Sanskrit mangros and agora meaning

sleep substance. Known by the ancients it is

mentioned in the Ebers papyrus (1700BCE) and

pieces of root have been found in the pyramids.

The root is the focus of this story and because it is

highly toxic it is not used by herbalists today. It

has strong purgative (bowel evacuation) and

emetic (vomiting) properties. In small doses it can

be sedative and was used as a pain reliever and to

induce sleep. Larger doses are said to cause

madness and delirium.

In ancient times it was chewed to induce

anaesthesia in order to deaden pain and induce

sleep before surgery (there is records of this as

late as 1874), and mandrake wine was offered to

those about to be crucified or hanged. The leaves

were made into an ointment to treat irritating skin

conditions (herbalists would now use marigold,

comfrey or chickweed cream for this purpose).

The supposed human shape of the root (it actually

closer resembles a parsnip or carrot) was first

recorded by Dioscorides in the 5th Century. It is

from this shape that much of the magick and

folklore derives. Because of this shape the root

MANDRAKE IS HIGHLY TOXIC AND THIS

ARTICLE IS INTENDED FOR

INFORMATION AND ENTERTAINMENT

PURPOSES ONLY

was valued and expensive. Bryony roots carved

into human shapes were commonly passed off as

mandrake roots in mediaeval times, proving that

scams are nothing new.

Long said to be a fertility aid and aphrodisiac

(there is mention of this in Genesis), the Greeks

dedicated it to Aphrodite, Goddess of Love. The

root was carried by women who wished to

conceive and amulets were worn by those seeking

to attract love. It was also a good luck charm and

offered protection when hung in the home. In

France the shape of the root was likened to the elf

Mandegloire who was said to bring wealth.

It has been used in exorcism rituals and was even

used by the Anglo Saxons to free people from

demonic possession.

To prepare for magickal use the root is dried over

a fire of vervain leaves. It increases potency when

added to magickal mixes and burning helps to

release its inner creativity, translating this into

practical creative manifestations (artworks, poetry

etc.). It is also said to induce visions.

The root is said to emit blood curdling screams

and groans when dug out of the ground inducing

deafness, madness and death to those present. In

consequence, harvesting of the root was carried

out by loosening it and then tying it to a dog

which was made to pull the root out of the ground.

The dog of course, subsequently died.

I will not be moving my mandrake plant any time

soon!

Andrew Cowling BSc(Hons),Dip.Phyt,D.Hyp,RCST,MNFSH,FNIMH. Herbalist, Craniosacral Therapist, Hypnotherapist, Healer. 62 Grove Road , Portland, DT5 1DB. Tel. 01305 860611.

Crystal Gridding It’s far easier than you think

A crystal grid is geometric pattern of crystals that once aligned and charged with intention, will create an

energy field in the space that they are set; the crystals can then be used to clear, protect, charge or bring in

specific energies into that said area. This works because each crystal placed in the grid has its own special

energies and vibrational frequencies; place them all together in a geometric form and they create a continu-

ous force of energy.

Grid Uses:

Healing Stress Relief Chakra Balancing

Protection A Loving Environment Crime Prevention

Passion Banishing Negativity Meditation

Gridding can be done as simply as using a small grid on a table at home or in fact, you could grid your entire

home. I am part of a group called World Protection Crystal Grid and Meditation and once a month we all

create an individual crystal grid and link them together, worldwide, for healing; then as a whole we make a

mental note of where all of the grids are located around the world; The UK, Australia, North and South

America, Ukraine, Spain, Denmark, Canada and Italy and we then use meditation techniques to connect our

grids together. We can visualise the energy flowing from the grids and then use that energy for a specific purpose, whether

it be individual healing, healing for groups, for Mother Earth, gratitude or thanks.

Gridding crystals and stones is not a modern ‘new age’ invention, far from it, for millennia, the ancient art of

laying stones into circles and henges has been practised all over the world and these grids are known by

many names; grids, fairy circles, megaliths, medicine wheels, altars and stone circles.

For example parts of Stonehenge are made of a stone called Diabase Bluestone, which is known for its pow-

erful magickal aura, giving focus and stability - anchoring right down into the Earth’s energies; so

maybe our ancestors knew more about the power of crystals and gridding them than we give them credit for.

Anybody can make and use a crystal grid; you do not have to be a crystal healer, a Reiki practitioner or a

Witch, and you certainly do not have to be able to assemble and create elaborate rituals or patterns to be able

to use them. Of course, a grid made by somebody who is more skilled and experienced at working with crys-

tals and channelling their energies, will hold an energy charge for a longer time, but even children can make

and use them.

How often have you seen children collecting stones and shells from the beach, the park, the garden even?

My younger children have pockets and bags full of them; everywhere we go they seem to gather a new mini

collection. Because children love to play with stones they will often set them into patterns that they find ap-

pealing, like circles and spirals, even attempting towers with them. The one thing you will always find is

that while a child is playing, setting out and creating shapes with their new found collection of stinky, dirty

stones…….is that they will be quiet, peaceful, content, just for a little while, and without realising it, they

are creating their own grids.

BOOK REVIEW THE VOYAGER TAROT COMPANION : R Lloyd Hegland Reviewed by Eirwen Mitchell

I have chosen to review this striking book of poetry written by

American based author R Lloyd Hegland because it works on many lev-

els. Initially as a companion book to the Voyager Tarot by Dr James

Wanless but also it stands alone without the Tarot deck, not only as a

book of poetry but also as a method of divination in itself .

Each poem represents a card including both the Major and Minor Ar-

cana. The poetry is sparkling in its jewel like lusciousness, and it is

lovely to dip in to the pages from time to time. I was recently at a

gathering where the energy was a little flat and although I didn’t have

any cards I did have this book so I decided to use this book as a cross

between Tarot and Bibliomancy - the art of divination through opening

a book at random pages and seeing what message lies therein.

The results were quite surprising as what started off as a light hearted

pastime began to answer questions and situations that were currently oc-

curring in the Querent’s life. I then held the book behind my back so that I couldn’t subconsciously pick out

of the front of the book indicating the Major Arcana or towards the end where the Minor Arcana’s poems

would be. It was really lovely ....and lightened the energy.

If you love poetry, Tarot or indeed both then this would be the perfect way to treat yourself. I will finish

with a poem of a card which of course I picked at random!

Publisher: Fair Winds Press;

New Ed edition (2001)

ISBN-10: 1931412561

THE TWO OF CUPS - ‘EQUILIBRIUM’

Priestess emotion soft and steady.

Floating over the inner waves and

Smothering them in damping love,

With surfer feathers crossing above.

River floating below,

Always buoyant,

Always ready

The energy of equilibrium

Is tranquil, steady and sure,

With balsa feathers and cactus,

Clear intention takes her down

To the ocean

From icy lofty climb.

When You receive the Equilibrium card

Soften Your emotions and float

With them like a priestess

From jagged mental peaks

To the ocean below.

Maintain emotional balance

Despite all float, float, floating

Watery halls.

Art, Death, Magick and the Spaces

In-between Charlotte Rodgers

All of us are born with both talents and with

imperfections.These gifts and flaws are subjective

according to the society we are born within and

often move from one category to another, as we

progress on our journey of life.

One of my gifts is an ability to work with

remnants of death.

Working with the remnants of death seems to

come naturally to me and admitting who and what

I am is a key part of any magickal process.

Also being aware of and adaptable to changes in

life and environment is an act of magickal in

itself.

Grimoires and 13th century Cabalistic writings

have a place, but I am one of those people who

need to feel and do. Although I have a very impulsive now streak! I

try to acknowledge that and find positive aspects

of these personality traits while remaining aware

of any problems that may occur and making the

necessary concessions.

Even though I only work with animals that are

found dead, or have naturally died or are dead as a

result of road kill, many of the animals that I work

with have died as a result of modernity, albeit as a

result of being hit by a car, poisoning or such.

Their bodies are often changed due to steroids or

chemicals (think inner city seagulls with all their

steroid rage) so when you start working with them

there will be layers of ‘stuff’ figuratively

speaking, covering the essence of their species.

When you do any work with a wild animal, as

opposed to a domesticated or inner city creature

you will really notice a difference.

Acknowledging this and moving the layers of

muck from the inner nature is in itself a ritual.

You are recognising aspects of destruction and

removing them; it’s a way of giving back to the

earth, as well as to the wilder part of the self.

Brave New World Mixed Media with birds’ skulls, broken glass

from London Riots 2011, quartz crystal, deer bone and volcanic

glass. Image by Marc Aitken

My basic tools are a black rubbish bag or plastic

carrier bag, and a good knife, which I tend to

carry everywhere with me

Also rubber gloves and a dissection kit are

indispensable.

I also use essential oils as I find them more

ritualistic, for sterilising, anointing, and as an

insect repellent.

I tend to not boil the bones or use chemicals. I’m

not into the white look unless sun bleached and I

find artificial bleaching processes sap out calcium

leaving the bones more brittle, besides working

the old fashioned way with toothbrush, water and

soap is more mindful.

I generally work with things as they come into my

life, then analyse afterwards what the meaning

was.

Once prepared I’ll paint over the bone with a paint

made from dragon’s blood which represents a

circulatory system and the giving of life, albeit

contained life.

It is a way of opening myself up to the spirit and

energy of the species I’m working on, mingling it

with me and then putting it back into the bone.

Then I seal it in the bone according to my intent.

If I want to rebury or burn the creation, or it is to

be used as an offering in a ritual, I will use

biodegradable colour on it; ochre’s, or natural

pigment based food colourings.

My favourite paints though are the ones that are

used for model-craft work. They come in

incredible iridescent colours so you can dribble

and mix and they are shiny and reflect light

beautifully which great especially. if you are

creating a spirit house. I’d recommend doing some reading up on

crazing techniques which were used and still

are used for camouflage.

On one level we are taking a technique which

is used within warfare and subverting it,

which is my mind is good magick, and on

another we are using colour and light to create

illusion which is also very magickal.

Doing this sort of work is making art and

magick, as well as creating an offering for

the gods, ourselves and the animal itself.

The last time that I talked here I was asked if

I make this art within a circle, or within an

obvious ritual context.

I don’t, however I do get into a magickal head set

before I do anything.

Magick always has been about healing and

transformation. It has always been easy for some

magickal people to get lost in their heads and lose

sight of an outside world, one that needs attention.

Holding a bone, and opening yourself up to it, you

connect with something deeper than yourself, a

memory beyond the individual and one lifetime.

Working with remnants of the dead, in art and

magick you are allowing yourself to learn from

the past and you are in the privileged position of

being able to use it to create changes in the

present, and the future. For more visit www.perdurabu.com/

Totentanz Mixed Media with Crane’s head, fox bone and Turkey

Chick Image by Marc Aitken

DA TES FOR THE DIARY

SAMHAIN

CHILDRENS EVENT TRICK OR TREAT

FRIDAY 31ST OCTOBER FOLLOWED BY THE BANQUET & WYTCHES’

BALL

(PLEASE SEE MAIN ADVERT)

THE DOLMEN GROVE YULE BALL

The Power of Music

'Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.'

Lao Tzu

Living in modern times we are exposed so often to

such a diversity of music that we become at times

oblivious to the fact we may be, if not listening,

certainly frequently hearing a plethora of

collective processed sounds, snatches and

fragments of melody.

The general contemporary Jingles, advertising,

programme intros, doorbells, alarms; all part of a

cultural signal and often emotional language we

have come to understand and are almost become

immune to. Personal ringtones, a matter of choice,

an outward token of identity, choices of music

meant as art in-itself, each holding an intrinsic

intangible quality that speaks to our essence, our

experience that reaches in and moves us, that

makes us feel.. Although censorship is still

minimally exacted, the phenomenon 'music'

resides in such realms of freedom that expression

and involvement with it is unquestionable. The

choice is ours.

Variety is accessible. This intangible quality of

harmonised sound, like the omnipotent air we

breathe and that moves through us, is made ours

by better right than Man's.

But knowledge of that intrinsic, emotive power

has caused humankind to question that freedom.

A mere whisper of a page in Time's endless book,

reading Plato thoughts from within that modern

experience is difficult, oppressive and demanding.

Such does he realise the deep omnipotence of that

transcendent power:

'Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the

mind, flight to the imagination and life to

everything' And with that realisation he sets about

discerning and prohibiting forms that speak to the

chaotic heart for the sake of the Utopian state in

The Republic.

As we read on we have the hindsight of history

with us, that of the barbarous effects of intensely

proscriptive governments that undoubtedly found

inspiration in these ancient texts. Plato and his

worshipful following exhibit a convincing sense

of knowing that have sent ripples through

centuries because at its centre is that universal

truth, that music connects us with the Universal

Soul. Plato advocates what is to be heard, for

harmony and rhythm 'permeate the inner part of

the soul more than anything else …'

A human being is made by that which they

experience, and that which they experience has

the power to reveal their supreme qualities.

Plato says' ... if someone's soul has a fine and

beautiful character and his body matches it in

beauty and is thus in harmony with it, so that both

share the same pattern, wouldn't that be the most

beautiful sight for anyone who has eyes to see?'

Poets, he says, are only to write words that make

an 'image of good character' so that ultimately the

finished compositions will 'strike their eyes and

ears like a breeze that brings health from a good

place.' such is the power of song.

In 1871, more than two thousand years, later

Nietzsche stood and spurned this strict prohibition

in The Birth of Tragedy. Also affirming the

significance of music as that which speaks to the

innermost part of a human being, he maintains

that music plays a vital and healthy role in

speaking to an individual's darkest realms, playing

an important role in their unification within

community and in the completion of themselves

as individual beings.

He names two opposing drives; one named for the

Greek god of light, Apollo, who is our reasoning,

our compulsion to order and so bring calm by

interpreting that which we perceive in dream and

in vision, and is the mechanism that harbours the

potential promise of prophecy. 'Apollo is at once the god of all plastic powers and

the soothsaying god. He who is etymologically the

"lucent" one, the god of light, reigns also over the

fair illusion of our inner world of fantasy. '

It is Apollo who brings the fair illusion of the

dream sphere to fruition that produces, makes and

stabilises. He is the set of our innate, individual

guiding principles that we trust in to guide us

through troubled times.

In opposition stands, or is that staggers, Dionysus.

His are the chaotic, intoxicated, wild and chthonic

realms of excess, the tumultuous belly of our

being. Nietzsche describes the value of the

Dionysian drive as a unifying force, the place of

primal unity. 'Under the spell of the Dionysian it is not only the

bond between man and man which is re-

established: nature in its estranged, hostile or

subjugated forms also celebrates its reconciliation

with its prodigal son, man.'

While Plato advises the removal of all music

which speaks to the dark side releasing and

inflicting chaos on a just world, Nietzsche

advocates that just such an awakening serves as a

unifying and supremely creative force, and that

music, as an authentic 'unmediated copy of the

will itself ' offers the maximal medium for the

communal chthonic journey to the throne of our

tragedy and of our ecstasy.

' . . under the mystical cry of exultation of

Dionysus the spell of individuation is burst apart

and the path to the Mothers of Being, to the

innermost core of things, lies open.'

Allan Bloom in ‘The Closing of the American

Mind’, lies somewhere between the extremes of

Plato and Nietzsche. There is a sense of disdain

and stuffiness as he describes the over-availability

of music due to the advent of personal stereos,

saying that people listen to it everywhere all the

time and in its plethora of forms at the expense of

taste and depth of understanding.

He mourns the apparent death of classical music,

not only in its playing but in its production,

believing it to have become a minority reserve, its

sentiments bearing no relation to the sensitivities

of the present, and that rock music as a

replacement 'is as unquestioned and

unproblematic as the air that [we] breathe . . '

He generalises that all too accessible, and much

purposefully made so in an ever astute market,

rock music is simply too raw in his eyes,

appealing only to the 'barbaric' functions in human

nature and - reminiscent proof of Plato's theory - it

offers 'too much too young' for spirits too

unformed to realistically evaluate their effect, he

says culminating and encouraging disillusion,

rebellion and unrest.

Through his obvious disdain Bloom does

recommend food for thought: that sometimes we

should reflect and step back, so that the Apollo

might be invited to examine the Dionysus, to the

exercise of the power of doubt over that which has

drawn us blindly and hypnotically in.

'So it may well be that through our greatest

corruption runs the path to awareness of the oldest

truths.' is his glimmer of hope; to doubt that

which we love.

It's a hopefulness that rests on Bloom's obvious

love of music, his despair rests on that the depths

of its art has largely lost, through its heavy

dilution, the respect its true power on the soul

deserves, that the expansive wealth of its subtle

levels of energy are not shared, experienced and

learned from; that too many are simply 'missing

out' on the true richness of music.

Perhaps it is that most of us hunger for the

unreason of Dionysus, seek out the raw,

unpolished, sexually charged music that pulls at

the soul of us in this modern, ordered and

predictable world, and that the majority of us have

no need to pull back and decipher why.

With the progression and saturation of sound does

that unawareness matter?

Perhaps Bloom should admit that much of

contemporary music in fact has those classical,

informed qualities, and sustains the same creative

rebel element that compelled historic and

immediate figures such as Paganini, Mozart or

Beethoven, who themselves personify the

Dionysian drive itself, often purposefully.

And that the traditional concept of classical music

is far from dead, most popularly permeating the

public through for example film scores, and there

is that heady scent in all genres and fusions; the

unsophisticated pagan heartbeat blends with

modern genres, where sometimes the foreignness

of a voice becomes an instrument of wonder,

regardless of the words.

These three passionate philosophers sail a boat

and scan the constant seas of change, observing

the brother gods at work and play, looking to what

lies on horizons. Plato's emphasis on nurture

above nature is problematic for us, and Nietzsche

proclaiming music as 'an unmediated copy of the

will itself ' representing both Apollo and Dionysus

offering the balanced hand in the creation of its

unifying structure, says something of its potency

on an opened mind.

As for Bloom, it is valid that there should be

opportunity to relate to more than the mass media

music fed to us and he is right that there is

limitless value in the enjoyment of live music in

real and actual time.

Apollo and Dionysus: chaos invites order and

order invites chaos, twin drives ultimately and

ideally unite, balance and inform each other in a

common creative purpose. One recalls an iconic

cinematic scene with Bates and Reed wrestling in

naked combat before the roaring fire of creativity,

to swear an oath of blood-brotherhood.

In * Cymatics and the Chladni figures there is

haunting proof that matter responds to sound and

we might also reflect on the potent effects said to

emanate from experiencing the Solfeggio

frequencies. There we find sonorous sculpture

made tangible and wonder if perhaps the universe

so adopts its forms, in the greater part, to the tune

of its own music and that then we ourselves are

the shape that sound has made us.

In sound we discover a universal benefit in a deep

temporal expression of world-alienation, of all

that lies beyond the Circle of the Moon, the path

to an Other-worldliness akin to the spinning axis

of the Dervish

'Music is accordingly, when viewed as the

expression of the world, a universal language to

the highest degree . . . .'- Nietzsche

'If music be the food of love, play on' - William

Shakespeare (Twelfth Night)

CYMATICS : one to try at home . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs3uPbhIZxc

Written and illustrated by Sem Vine

LOOKING FOR A GREAT POST-RITUAL TREAT ?

TRY THESE FAERIE COOKIES!

Sharing a special treat after a group ritual helps participants get grounded and inspires conversation, giving

folks a chance to make and strengthen connections. But a post-ritual treat isn’t just for company!

The following recipe for Faerie Cookies is so simple, there’s no reason not to pamper yourself with a few

luscious bites after a solitary ritual or anytime you feel like celebrating the magick and mystery of the faerie

world I call them Faerie Cookies because they look, smell and taste like something only the fey could have

created, and once you make them you can easily imagine a host of faeries enjoying these delicate sweets

with a cup of tea.

Before you start, a note about cooking with botanicals:

When using flower petals in food make certain the plants are graded for human consumption. Plants should

be grown organically and processed without additives. Flowers from your garden are the best choice, but if

homegrown isn’t an option then consider ordering dried material from a reliable online apothecary or taking

a trip to the farmer’s market.

Cookery grade essential/flower oils can be substituted for plant material, and in some cases oils are a better

flavoring agent than flower petals, but not as pretty. In the following recipe I use lavender flowers and lav-

ender essential oil to make sure the cookies appeal to the eyes and the palate.

Ingredients (*including their magickal correspondences)

This makes approximately 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size/shape of your cutter.

1 ½ cups (340 grams) unsalted butter softened *Prosperity

1 cup (128 grams) white sugar *Happiness

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt *Protection/Purification

Approximately 4 drops pure lavender essential oil *Love/Peace

3 ½ cups (450 grams) all-purpose flour *Abundance

1 teaspoon dried food-grade lavender flowers *Love/Peace

¼ cup (60 gram) dried food-grade calendula petals *Increase Magickal Powers

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (substitute orange zest if lemon isn’t available) *Health

In her book “A Kitchen Witch’s Cookbook” Patricia Telesco states that in general, cookies correspond to a

motherly, nurturing energy. With so many ingredients that promote love and well-being, this recipe for Fa-

erie Cookies are powerful magick, indeed!

In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, salt and essential oil together with a spoon, by hand. Whipping the

ingredients, which adds air, should be avoided, so a spoon and elbow grease are preferable to using a mixer.

Sift the flour into the butter/sugar mixture. Mix until the dough comes together.

Add the lavender petals, calendula and zest and stir to distribute the botanicals evenly throughout the dough.

Form the dough into a ball. Cut the ball in two equal halves and flatten each half into a disk. Wrap the disks

in plastic and chill for 30 to 60 minutes.

Lightly flour your work surface. Work with one disk at a time and roll the dough until it is ½-inch thick.

Flour the rolling pin and the dough as you work to prevent sticking.

Use cookie cutters to cut the dough in interesting shapes that correspond with your celebration.

Transfer cut cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.

Do not let the cookies brown.

Let the cookies cool for 1 to 2 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet and onto a cooking

rack.

After cooling, store in an airtight container for up to week assuming you can keep them that long!

These fruity, flowery sweets are perfect for serving at any spring or summer gathering. The magickal energy

of the ingredients also makes them wonderful for a full-moon celebration or to cheer a friend in need of an

emotional lift.

Only pure, organic essential oils should be used for consumption. Synthetic or blended oils may not be

safe to ingest. Check labels carefully.

TJ Burns

TJ is the author of two books on Pagan topics. Her newest release “Writing Wild: Crafting the Pagan Memoir” can be found at

Amazon and other major retailers. In addition to writing and baking magickal cookies, TJ enjoys dancing with the garden devas

under the full moon and teaching her grandchildren to do the same.

Wynterkallista offers a range of natural,ethically sourced

Aromatherapy health and beauty products created with care.

We also specialise in hand madePagan/Wicca products, such as

Wands and Staffs, Herbs, Dilly and spell bags.

We are fully licensed by Cosmetic Safety Consultants Ltd.

Also a qualified, experienced and fully professional member of the

Guild of Holistic Therapists

Wiccan High Priestess and Celebrant

[email protected]

www.facebook.com/Wynterkallista

Weymouth Pirate Festival

Weymouth Pirate Festival is the brainchild of two of the

Dolmen's crew, Steve Booth and Mark Vine. It was conceived

as a means of raising funds for the Weymouth Old Town Hall

and, like the Crabchurch Conspiracy weekend (based on the

book of the same name) which the pair also organise, it is both

a re-enactment and music based event.

The first one in April 2014 raised over 900 pounds for the

hall''s restoration, with over 60 pirates, militia and wenches

turning up to perform. The next one at the beginning of November

could see double that number and, as with the April event, will

include the much-loved Dolmen in concert doing one of their

Pirate's Keep evenings.

Also involved in the event this

time, will be the Tall Ship Pelican

around which a lot of the action

will take place.

The two friends are planning an even bigger Pirate Festival for the Spring

of 2015 when they hope to get, along with The Dolmen, another great

pirate band along to perform, The Pirateers from Cornwall. By then it is

hoped that the event will attract quite literally hundreds of pirate re-

enactors and really put Weymouth on the pirate's map. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Town-Hall-Weymouth/193500114026?fref=ts [email protected] http://www.adventureundersail.com https://www.facebook.com/adventureundersail/timeline

https://www.facebook.com/crabchurch?fref=ts http://crabchurch.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/thedolmen?fref=ts http://www.thedolmen.com

The Unifying Light of

Wisdom from the

Shekinah

“For she is more beautiful than the sun, and

above all the order of stars: being compared with

the light, she is found before it. For after this

cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against

wisdom,”

~ Wisdom of Solomon 7:29-30, C1st BCE

The Kabbalah is a Jewish system of mystical

philosophy and spiritual practice which

syncretised components of Gnosticism,

Neo-Platonism, and early Jewish mysticism

(Merkavah mysticism) with aspects of ancient

Sumerian and Egyptian cosmologies. These

diverse sources all came together in tenth -

fourteenth century Europe, although their origins

were considerably older.

Due to its early oral origins, the first appearance

of the Kabbalah cannot be specifically dated.

Considering the word Kabbalah means ‘received

wisdom’, this oral beginning is entirely

appropriate. The Sepher Yetzirah (Book of

Formation), one of the key texts on which

Kabbalistic philosophy is based, is usually

regarded as being dated to the second-third

century CE.

The Shekinah has a range of powerful roles and

functions within the Kabbalah, being seen as the

primordial light of creation, the heavenly glory of

divine wisdom and the inspiration for prophecy.

She is also the world soul, manifest through the

divine sparks of her light which comprise human

souls and thus unites us all. With roots in the

wisdom goddesses of the ancient world, the

unnamed Wisdom Goddess of the Hebrew Bible

(especially the Book of Proverbs) and early

Jewish wisdom literature, the Shekinah is the

manifestation of feminine divinity in the Jewish

mystical systems known as the Kabbalah and

Merkavah (‘Chariot’) mysticism.

The transition from unnamed Wisdom Goddess to

named divine feminine wisdom occurred around

first-second century CE, contemporary with the

Gospels, the earliest Merkavah texts (such as the

Revelation of Moses), the first Kabbalistic text

(Sepher Yetzirah) and the proliferation of Gnostic

texts. The name Shekinah first appeared in

material found in the Onkelos Targum, which

dates from the first-second century CE. This text,

by an unknown author, was misnamed during the

medieval period after Onkelos the Proselyte (35-

110 CE), who translated the Bible into Aramaic.

In the Onkelos Targum the term Shekinah is used

to illustrate a divine presence which is separate

from Yahweh, as in the paraphrase of Exodus

25:8;

“And they shall make before me a sanctuary and I

shall cause my Shekinah to dwell among them.”

The first glimpse of the power or function of the

Shekinah is seen in the meaning of her name,

which is derived from the Hebrew root Shakhan

meaning ‘to dwell’. In Kabbalah this meaning

hints at her tangible presence as a visible

manifestation of the light of wisdom in the books

of the Hebrew Bible, as the burning bush seen by

Moses, in the Ark of the Covenant and in the

Temple of Solomon.

A story of the first century religious teacher Rabbi

Gamaliel records that when he was asked why

God revealed himself in a burning bush to Moses,

he replied “To teach you there is no place on earth

not occupied by the Shekinah, that is, there is no

place on earth where the Shekinah cannot reveal

itself.”

The idea that it was the Shekinah who spoke to

Moses from the burning bush is a common one in

old Kabbalistic texts. As the Shekinah was

equated to both of the prophetic mediums of the

Ruach HaQadosh (‘spirit of holiness’ or ‘holy

spirit’) and the Bath Kol (‘daughter of the voice’),

it is easy to see why the burning bush should be

considered as one of her manifestations. The

burning fires of the bush also hints at the divine

fires associated with the Shekinah in many of the

descriptions of her.

To gain a greater understanding of the self, the

universe and the divine, Kabbalists have studied

the books of the Hebrew Bible for inspiration and

guidance for many centuries, producing numerous

works in their discussion of the hidden meanings

and layers of revelation found in the words and

phrases of the verses and chapters (including

Gematria which is the study of their numerical

values and associations). When studying

Kabbalistic writings from the medieval period

onwards, the Shekinah can be found permeating

Kabbalistic philosophies and the glyph of the

Kabbalistic Tree of Life. This is especially

evident in two of the most famous Kabbalistic

texts, the Bahir and the Zohar.

The Zohar emphasises this connection between

the Shekinah and breath, saying:

“And the Lord God formed the man out of dust

from the earth and breathed into his nostrils or

soul the breath of life,’ the divine Shekinah.”

One of the most important attributions of the

Shekinah in Kabbalah is as the Neshamah or

higher soul. The Kabbalah describes the soul as

having three main parts, the Neshamah, Ruach

and Nephesh. The Neshamah has two further

divisions, giving five parts in total. This is why

the Hebrew letter Heh, with a numerical value of

five, is often seen as being a symbol of the soul.

Heh is also symbolic of the Shekinah in the divine

name Tetragrammaton, a fact which is no

coincidence. Tetragrammaton, the

unpronounceable name of God, is commonly

spoken as Jehoveh or Yahweh, and is comprised

of the Hebrew letters Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh (IHVH),

which are equated to the divine as the family of

Father, Mother, Son & Daughter.

Every letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a

numerical value, giving every Hebrew word a

total numerical value based on its letters. One of

the practices found in Kabbalah is gematria,

where these numerical totals are compared to

produce spiritual and philosophical insights where

word totals match. E.g. the word for Unity, achad

(AChD) is made of the letters Aleph (A), Cheth

(Ch) and Daleth (D), which have numerical values

of 1+8+4 = 13; likewise the word for Love,

ahebah (AHBH) is made of the letters Aleph (A),

Heh (5), Beth (2) and Heh), giving 1+5+2+5 = 13.

So a Kabbalist might infer from this that the

nature of unity is love (as both add to the same

total). Using these two words as a further

example, together they add to 26 (2 x 13), the

same number as Tetragrammaton or Jehovah, so

by Gematria one could say that God is the unity of

divine love.

This view is particularly emphasised by the

famous medieval Jewish Kabbalist Abraham

Abulafia (1240-1291 CE), who said,

“The name of God is composed of two parts since

there are two parts of love (2x13) [divided

between] two lovers, and [parts of] love turn one

[entity] when love became actuated. The divine

intellectual love and the human intellectual love

are conjuncted being one. This is the great power

of man: he can link the lower part with the higher

[one] and the lower [part] will ascend and cleave

to the higher and the higher [part] will descend

and kiss the entity ascending towards it, like a

bridegroom actually kisses his bride out of his

great and real desire, characteristic to the delight

of both, from the power of the name [of God].”

So from the perspective of the Shekinah, the

human soul is divided into the three major

components of the Neshamah (higher soul) which

is equated to the Shekinah as a spark of her fire,

Ruach (middle soul) which may be equated to the

Shekinah as the breath of life, and Nephesh (lower

soul). As an expression of the Earthly Shekinah

within the individual, the Ruach is the seat of

moral qualities divided into five sub-parts,

corresponding to the faculties of Memory, Will,

Imagination, Desire and Reason.

The different parts of the soul are considered to

each exist in a different world or level of being,

demonstrating the interconnectedness of man, the

universe and the Tree of Life as all being

manifestations of the same creative divine

impulse. The Zohar, on the subject of unification,

states:

“Observe, when there is a just man in the world,

or one whose higher and lower self have become

harmonized and unified, the divine spirit or

Shekinah is ever with him and abides in him,

causing a feeling of affectionate attachment

towards the Holy One to arise similar to that

between the male and female.”

Echoing the attribution of the Shekinah to the

higher soul, some of the Gnostics also viewed the

soul as feminine, as seen by the opening of The

Exegesis on the Soul (one of the Nag Hammadi

texts):

“Wise men of old gave the soul a feminine name.

Indeed she is female in her nature as well. She

even has her womb.”

In an important discussion of the generation of

souls, the Zohar makes the hermaphroditic nature

of the soul clear, saying,

“When souls issue, they issue male and female as

one. Subsequently, as they descend they separate,

one to this side, one to that side ... Happy is the

human who acts virtuously, walking the way of

truth, for soul is joined to soul as they were

originally!”

Developing the idea of the hermaphroditic nature

of the soul, the Hebrew words for man and

woman both contain within them the mystery of

the Shekinah as the divine fire of the soul when

explored from a Kabbalistic perspective. The

word for woman is ishah (Aleph Shin Heh) and

the word for man is isyh (Aleph Yod Shin). If we

remove the Heh from ishah and the Yod from isyh

then both words become esh (Aleph Shin)

meaning ‘fire’. So we can see that both women

and men contain the same fire within them (the

Shekinah), but the difference is in the manner of

its manifestation and expression.

The Yod from isyh (man) represents the

masculine principle as the Father in

Tetragrammaton, and in appearance it represents

the phallus and the sperm. The Heh from ishah

(woman) represents the feminine principle as the

Mother (and daughter) in Tetragrammaton, and in

appearance it represents the legs.

The Zohar says of the parts of the soul that, “all

three are one, comprising a unity, embraced in a

mystical bond”, reminding us that the quest for the

divine is one which is true to all religions. As

Francis Peters observed,

“What was called by the Jews the Shekinah, the

Divine Presence, became for Eastern Christians

the Divine Light, which ‘illuminates the soul from

within’.”

In the quest for illumination, the divine wisdom

offers her light for all who seek.

Bibliography

D’Este, Sorita & Rankine, David (2011) The Cosmic Shekinah: A

Historical Study of the Goddess of the Old Testament and Kabbalah.

London, Avalonia

Matt, Daniel Chanan (2003-2009) The Zohar, Pritzker Edition (5

vols). Chicago, Stanford University Press

Peters, Francis E. (1990) Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: the

Classical Texts and Their Interpretation. Princeton, Princeton

University Press

Rankine, David (2005) Climbing the Tree of Life. London, Avalonia

Sperling, Harry, & Simon, Maurice (trans) (1933) The Zohar (5

volumes). London, Soncino Press

T

The Dolmen Grove Wheel of the year

February (Imbolc) -The Enchanted Market, Wokingham, Berks.

March (Ostara) -Psychic fayre and Spring Ball, St Austell, Cornwall

April (Beltane) - Spirits of Rebirth Camp, Dorset

27th June -A Midsummer Nightmare

22-25th August - Tribal Dreams, Gathering of the clans

September (Mabon) - Bracknell Gathering

October (Samhain) - Psychic fayre and Wytches ball

December – Yule Ball

Samhain Thoughts and Tales

Xroads

Under the watchful eye of the Moon.

Better still if you rested with the Shades for a while:

A tombstone for pillow, The mounded earth for bed.

They like that, sometimes, and in

return Will fill your dreams with revelation

and yet-to-be.

(O else, tie you to the saddle of the Night Mare.)

Take the tomb dust in your left hand And stand alone at the crossroads at

midnight.

(Midnight being the Crossroads of Time.

Speak the words

(You know which ones by now.) And when you see yonder

Taking dim shape out of starlight, That figure; that Dark Man,

(You’ll know him by his limping; Sometimes his antlered crown;

Perhaps instead the silk hat and cane-)

Or hear the distant baying of the hounds

And know it’s Her instead-

Stand your ground, but respectfully:

Steel your heart and ask graciously- Take the apple offered.

(It will stop your mortal breath.)

When the cock crows thrice You’ll have not what you came for

But what you need.

Ceitidh Brown

Cold Moon

The cold moon climbs in a mercury sky

Framed in the glint of a witch’s eye Obscured by clouds yet rising still

Up for the ritual and in for the kill.

There are ghosts in the circle and chants on the air

Blood on the stones, as the flesh starts to tear.

The cold moon watches the dark night long Smiling down on the witch's throng

Holding their court in the midnight freeze

Old souls casting spells on the breeze

Foxes screech as a stag rushes by

His heart pumping, his antlers held high Out of the wood and on to the track

Froth on his lips and sweat on his back

All the night long he’s followed the Ley

As darkness rushes towards a new day The Stag Lord returns to his people again

On this beautiful, blessed dawn of Samhain

Mark Vine

The Show off

“Which way did she go? Really which way did she go? ...Wow!

She must be a really Mighty Sorcerer”

“Or just showing off!”

The two women watching her became mesmerised as she

disappeared into thin air followed by a loud AHHH KABOOM!!

“Where did she go” they asked in unison as they looked around.

Then they noticed where they were standing. As their gaze

returned downward they noticed nearby on a patch of earth an

imprint of a broom and star.

“Where do you think she went? What the heck?”

Exclaimed one of them.

” Look!...Up there…There she is sitting on the moon…That’s her leg stretched out over the

side of the gibbous edge.”

“Mysterious to say the least” said her friend.

“Look she’s leaning back …And there’s her head…See it?” said the first woman still quite

mystified by the whole thing. “And look there are small stars in her hair...How pretty.”

The other then realised something odd and exclaimed partially in horror and partially in

disbelief ”I think she’s smoking a cigarette!”

“On the moon? That’s absolutely sacrilegious…!! Blasphemous!! …I mean everybody

knows there’s no smoking on the moon!”

“Really?” said her friend somewhat doubtfully.

”Yeah absolutely! They should kick her off!” ‘

“Hey watch out for that fallen star it’s headed right for us… Quick! Run for your liiiiife!”

screamed her friend.

They bother Ran screaming into the night

Ha! Ha! Shrieked the great witch “Never mess with a witch while she is smoking a cigarette

with the Great Lady…added quietly more to herself than anyone else ”Still it’s a good thing

she caught me time or I would be flying through the universe and who knows where I would

have ended up …But that’s our secret!... Now, without my broom how am I going to get

down from here?...Call the fire department? Ah I’m so funny”.

Then the Great Lady gently took hold of her, carefully placed her back down on the earth and

whispered ” Mother Earth and myself constantly work together to keep you safe and

happy” The goddess then gave her a little swat on the rear… adding in a cautionary tone

“And no more drinking and riding!!!!”

Lynette Flynn

Nightmares

(With apologies to Edgar Allen Poe)

In the hours of the morning, Just before the day is dawning, When spark of life is deepest hidden,

Then, dreaming, spectres come unbidden. Knocking at my right brains door.

Darkly shadowed, lurking stranger, Precursor to some nameless danger,

Dread, that through my mind goes seething, Whilst all I hear is, something, breathing. Breathing at my right brains door.

Ghoulies, ghosties, grims and gremlins,

Fearful fetches leave me trembling, Unhallowed landscapes stretch before me, Hands reach from the ground to claw me.

Scratching at my right brains door Quoth the left brain, “tis a dream and nothing more”.

Amorphous shapes that drool and snicker,

Candle flames that dim and flicker. Revealing by their luminescence, Viscous pools of pale putrescence.

Seeping ‘neath my right brains door.

Swirl of fog and vapours choking, Werewolves howl and Raven’s croaking, Stench of foul and gruesome Goblin,

All come sliding, creeping, hobbling. Hobbling to my right brains door.

Sights to set my heart strings thrumming, Foulsome mud that stops me running,

Mis-shapen shadows lurk and gather, Packs of hell-hounds growl and slather. Slather at my right brains door.

Quoth the left brain, “tis a dream and nothing more”.

Skulls with eyeless sockets bleeding, Take revenge for too much reading,

Tales by Lovecraft, James and Benson, All these help to raise the tension. Gripping at my right brains door.

Ghosts in fifty shades of grayness, Sigh in soft despairing faintness.

Eerie winds set curtains flapping, Unseen hands set tables rapping

Rapping at my right brains door.

A shuffling, shambling, bandaged figure,

Newly risen from Death’s rigor, Holds forth a gleaming eye of Horus, While I yearn to hear Dawn’s chorus.

Singing at my right brains door.

Quoth the left brain, “tis a dream and nothing more, Waken now….

Or Nevermore! ”

Martin Pallot

The Ghost Hunt Samhain last year I was invited to go along to a ghost hunt; Ghost hunt……now there’s a phrase I hate because I don’t like to hunt ghosts, I like to communicate with spirits (where there are spirits), there’s a BIG difference! And those of you, who know me, know that I don’t go along to these commercial ghost hunts. I believe they are a tacky rip off, the so called expert investigators using fabricated tales of happenings that have never actually happened apart from the local childhood gossip, which has been accepted as fact. Now don’t get me wrong, I believe, but I am a sceptic, I have a scientific mind; I believe what I see, feel and hear, not what a ‘celebrity expert’ is telling to see, feel and hear, but I digress…… So picture the scene…...I have agreed to go to a local ‘ghost hunt’ to appease a friend who has never been to one before. She’s overly excited, hyped up and already scared out of her wits be-cause the investigator, wait for it……told her ‘she should be’……on a social network site! So as you can imagine, I am extremely unimpressed already. So we make our way to the ‘secret loca-tion’ which turns out to be a very modern, unsecret location, there are posters on the board out-side advertising weekly ghost hunts. I roll my eyes, smile sweetly and decide that I will try my very best to keep my big mouth firmly shut, for the sake of my now trembling, wide-eyed excited friend. So there we are, my friend, myself and fifteen other people, who I’d like to add have the same wide-eyed expression and synchronised trembles going on, huddled in a dark room (why do they have to switch all the lights off?) silently waiting……waiting……waiting……and still wait-ing……waiting for what? “OH MY GOD, DID YOU HEAR THAT?” the lead investigator calls out. And I try not to, but I can’t help it. “What” I reply “I didn’t hear a thing” A torch switches on and shines directly into my eyes. “The heavy breathing, that rasping……can’t you hear it?” I don’t hear a thing, unless you count shuffling footsteps, coughs and giggles. “Yes” comes a shriek, followed by another “yes” and another. Lead investigator Dopey (I named him myself) flashes the torch around encouraging the trembling, wide-eyed group of people to tell him ‘what they can hear and feel’. And already I can see this is going to be a long and labori-ous night.

So this goes on for nearly a whole hour, a whole bloody hour of shrieks and yells and ‘ooooohs, aghhs’ and the occasional scream of “something just touched my shoulder”, and quite frankly, I’m bored, bored out of my head, wishing that I was at home doing anything else except this. I have no Wi-Fi signal to update to social networking how much of a boring night I’m having, there’s no coffee, not even a rich tea biscuit and this has cost me £70, yes that’s right, £70! We’re in a dark, damp and dinghy place and I’ve had enough of lead investigator Dopey and his sidekick Dipsey telling me that I just don’t have ‘the gift’, that I will never be able to communi-cate with these spirits, could I please stop mumbling that I’m bored and that there is no way at all they would even consider me to join them on their ‘exclusive’ training course, that I might add will cost nearly the same as the average monthly wage! I’m doing this for friendship and friend-ship only I say to myself. I have been avidly time watching, as my thoroughly over-excited friend, who is now convinced she’s ‘got what it takes’ to be an expert ghost hunter because lead investigator Dopey told her so, is bouncing around like a child in a sweet factory excitedly anticipating the crescendo of to-night’s hunt……the hallway. I stand halfway up the spiral staircase, observing the herded con-verts, my eyebrows raised, sniggering to myself, hopefully not too loudly. “Reputedly the scariest place in the whole of Britain” deputy investigator Dipsey tells the huddled crowd. “Yeah right, isn’t that true of every ghost hunt location, that was rhetorical and totally sarcastic, there is nothing scary about this place at all, there’s not a single spirit in sight or within hearing distance, in fact any spirit that once called this place home is long gone, if there ever was one, and I highly doubt that. The ghosts simply vanished, vamoosed, nothing……nothing at all. There’s more activity coming from the resident spiders than any apparent ghosts” That’s when I realise that I haven’t actually said any of this in my head at all, it all came out, and came out very loudly too! There is sudden silence, no more gasps, nor more ooohs, the whole herd turn in unison to look at me with faces ranging from disgust to shock and utter horror. Investigators Dopey and Dipsy look like they might actually spontaioulsy combust; well at least if they had, that would have been some sort of activity that would make the ticket price worthwhile, I think to myself. And that’s when it happened. Now whether the resident arachnids were in agreement with me or dis-agreement with me is still a debatable subject. The only thing I do know is that the spiders sent an envoy, of the monstrous kind; what at the time appeared to be the biggest, hairiest spider I have ever seen and it decided to communicate with me by dangling down on its silken thread right into my face! Now it could be that the spidery envoy (who may have been quite small and friendly), completely agreed with everything I had muttered, thought and said that night, or it could be that it thought I was in fact a total idiot who should learn to keep the things in my head, actually in my head. But what happened next really gave the herd and the investigators complete value for money. So as I said, the arachnid envoy communicated with me, in a way that I really did not want to be communicated with. I suddenly became an expert ninja, swiping out with my hands, arms and legs, shrieking louder than any of the other guests had done that night. I did my best running on the spot impression whilst flapping my arms above my head and as I was doing so, missed my footing, tumbled and slid most inelegantly, head over heels, arms and legs twisted out at odd an-gles all the way to the bottom of the spiral staircase, where I landed on my bum to a rapturous applause from the herd, Dipsey and Dopey. Not only was I aching and physically bruised but my

ego was bruised even more. My friend dragged me unceremoniously up from the floor and out of the building, shouting at me for ruining her evening. So the moral of this story is…….Sometimes it is really best to keep your thoughts to yourself, your big mouth shut and to learn to say no to friends, no matter how desperate they are for you to ghost hunting with them.

Cheryl Waldron

Saturn Devours His Children

With razor blade fangs he tears at the lace wings, crushes pitiful limbs, spits out shreds of

foetal dress. The helpless sparkles of Life die on his bloodied lips, fade to black like

glowworms giving their last breath. He chews loudly, sickening with monstrous

indifference, and the clouds shudder and the stars recoil in horror at the absurdity of his

hunger.

He is the Empty Pit, the Black Hole, Primeval Indifference. He is the cavernous

Mouth of the World that swallows all into oblivion.

With time-suspending despair Medea contemplates the

ruins of her garden, never to bloom again :

the black orchids withered, the snapdragons faded; the canker on the stem of the

lifeless rose, yesterday's bud doomed to rot, its fragrant hopes brutally silenced.

Her wound gapes like a mouth SCREAMING

with blood stained teeth, the blackened tongue protruding

like that of a hanged man, and

from the womb of her Abyss of Grief

harpies are born, and gorgons, and cyclops, a nightmarish brood of shadows to

haunt thenight air with the wails of her torment :

INSIDE ME IS CHAOS

NIGHT

WASTE

NIGHT

WASTE AND VOID

WASTE AND VOID

WASTE

VOID

Louise Lisse

Diary of the Hedgewitch

Ah, autumn softly

sweeps in, almost

unnoticed in the dry

silent, still, sticky warm nights and the

days that still blaze with heat into October.

Fluttering crisp leaves, flickering sparks

ignited by sunlight, slowly spiral gently

downwards, bronze, orange, red and gold

hues, falling with the ever deepening

darkness, a breathing-in, and the first

aroma of earthy decay is felt, the delicious

scent of life spent.

Crescendo has peaked in the voluptuous

curves of fruit ripening in the deep lustre

of the autumnal Sun; in the purple gleam

of sprawling rampant blackberries, in

blood-red haws splat-

tered in wild aban-

donment, in shiny

brown chestnuts

crunching under car

tyres, in juicy scarlet

tomatoes, far from

their native South

America, still ripen-

ing well into the au-

tumn in this year’s

heat, and in the glow-

ing roundness of rosy

apples falling in their

fullness with a thud; all heavy in gestation

of their most precious accom-

plishment: seeds that bear the trinity of

past future and present that exist forever

now; future seedling imprinting onto the

fruit of the past. Beginnings and end-

ings are eternally embraced and alive

within, fertilised and ready to begin an-

other loop in the wild dance of becoming,

dying, begetting and devouring.

The climax of fullness and abundance

turns to withering and decay in the dank

mustiness of autumn as the longing for

change brings death and the vital transfor-

mation of life.

The vibrant deep hues and richness of col-

our upon lush green dew drenched grass,

the long dark shadows cutting a sharp con-

trast; the otherworldly glowing

blues, orange, purple and reds of flowers

that still bloom; the glinting of sunlight

upon the precious harvests of fruit that

seem lit from a glow within, all become a

monochromatic grey as the stark cold dark

months of winter creep in.

The stillness and silence of autumn and

winter mark the end of the concertos and

hums, swooping, fluttering, and twittering,

the lustiness and frantic height of creation,

the breathing-out of the summer. In

autumn the world inhales. And like the

contracting into seed, the migrating flocks,

the burrowing into earth of hibernating

creatures, and the intricate geometric

snowflake, a drawing into community

occurs as we gather together.

In my area of rural Dorset, the apple

harvest brings together generations of

apple and cider enthusiasts, some

gnarled like the old apple trees, some

brimming with the vitality of youthful

spring, and small children scrambling

and slipping among the half rotted

fruit that lay crushed beneath feet.

The old cider barn with its sweet and

acid smell, the scent of fermentation as life

turns and transmutes. Smashed green and

crimson apples lay smeared and sloshed

brown upon the press, as it creaks and

groans and gushes juice; happy faces

animated by the glasses of last year’s cider

glinting pale orange in the low shafts of

sunlight; laughing children playing

amongst the swaying forest of the legs of

adults, dogs with

wagging tails salivat-

ing at the banquet

laid upon a rickety ta-

ble.

Cheer and gladness

abounds as the season

embraces rural folk

on the cusp of the

harshness of winter to

follow, as they do each year, sipping the

elixir of last years’ harvest, whilst crushing

its progeny in the ancient press, and clasp-

ing their own fruit, babes in arms, as the

ritual continues generation after genera-

tion; all made and ripened by the earth,

wind, heat, sunshine, and whirling water

which pulsates in the fire of the blood and

sap. Colourful jewels upon Indra’s Net.

The apple is a good companion, a symbol

for the transition from hunter-gatherer to

the culture of the garden, paired with the

initiation and evolution of humanity, and

of that greater precious fruit and wisdom

that is our birth-right.

Over and over, again and again, the cycles

and rhythms that mark time spin, again we

enter the stark frozen bareness and desola-

tion of winter, warmed by Hope for the

spring, and the love that burns and crack-

les in our hearth and the fire of our hearts;

each thought and desire cascading out-

wards like the evening mists that glide

from the vales and like the wood smoke

that billows, a nostalgia to the nostrils, to

disappear into the drab greyness of winter

skies and transmute, creating anew and

eternally, perpetually, alive.

October Sowing Chart

November Sowing Chart

Sowing Calendar for last half of October

Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

2pm 7pm A 6am

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

4pm

x all day x all day

10pm 1am

26 27 28 29 30 31

12pm

1am 3am

Key to Astrological Symbols

Capricorn Cancer Dark Moon A Apogee Element Symbols

P Perigee Earth

Aquarius Leo 1st quarter North (ascending) node

Air

Pisces Virgo Full Moon South (descending) node

Fire

Aries Libra 3rd quarter

x No sowing Water

Taurus Scorpio Highest Moon

Gemini Sagittarius Lowest Moon

Crops to Sow in October

Root/Earth Flower/Air Leaf/Water Fruit/Fire

Onions Overwintering salads Broad beans

Garlic

November Sowing Calendar

Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat

1

11am

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

3pm

P 0hrs 3am 10pm

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

3pm

11pm 3pm A 2am

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

9am x

all day

8am x all day 1pm

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

3pm

x all day

8am P 11pm 10am

30

Key to Astrological Symbols

Capricorn Cancer Dark Moon A Apogee Element Symbols

P Perigee Earth

Aquarius Leo 1st quarter North (ascending) node

Air

Pisces Virgo Full Moon South (descending) node

Fire

Aries Libra 3rd quarter

x No sowing Water

Taurus Scorpio Highest Moon

Gemini Sagittarius Lowest Moon

Crops to Sow in November

Root/Earth Flower/Air Leaf/Water Fruit/Fire

Onions Overwintering salads Broad beans

Garlic

Journey –

The music….

Initially I met up with Grahame and began

discussing exactly what was involved in the

shipwreck project. I understood that while

they were diving they were also mapping the

Dorset coastline which I thought was

absolutely brilliant. I also had the pleasure

of seeing the images being photographed

during these dives and being able to see this

totally different world.

This was a whole new world that previously

I had never really looked into before, but I

found that it was just as intriguing as

looking into space. It was just as fascinating

and beautiful as the cosmos yet here it was

right on our doorstep!

And of course you can’t just leap in the

water and go exploring these depths, divers

require a lot of professional training in order

to do this. I see this in the same way as

astronauts going into space.

As the conversation with

Grahame unfolded I learned

more of his dreams and

aspirations and how from

childhood he’d had a deep

fascination with the sea which

had stayed with him

throughout his life and

eventually had led to his

setting up the shipwreck

project.

The thing that impressed me the most was

his immense passion as he recounted the

stories behind the shipwrecks around our

coastline. As Josh and myself listened to his

stories we decided we wanted to write an

album dedicated to his work, something

that would help from a musical aspect to

map out his journey.

Throughout the album we endeavoured to

capture moments of passion, tension and a

whole host of thoughts and feelings that

have been and would be experienced on this

journey. It is rather like writing the music

for Peter and the wolf, not in sound or

melody but in as much as the music needs

to translate the images conjured up by his

stories. It’s something I totally love about

making a concept album.

As we worked on the album we got deeper

into the music and as we talked more with

Graham, so we began to expand more upon

our original ideas. There is a saying among

the band members of the Dolmen that

albums take on their own persona and

although this was solely a Taloch

Jameson/Josh Elliott production we are

both Dolmen members so that ‘Dolmen’

feeling and emotion was still very much

present when working on this album.

It is that feeling and emotion that enhanced

our interpretation of the passion felt within

the shipwreck project. For us it is great to

centre an album around an individual life in

this way especially when we look at his

achievements within the shipwreck

project - The history it brings to light, and

indeed to life, the photographed images and

although Grahame is the founder there is a

whole team working alongside him equally

as passionate as he is and we too wanted to

be able to contribute in some way and

writing the music to accompany the film

footage became quite a quest. We didn’t

want to just write some pretty sounds we

wanted something that would bring the

shipwreck project to life and show Graham's

determination and strength.

While living by the sea plays some part in it,

ultimately we are historians and we like to

keep history. We did the same thing with

the Pirate and Crabchurch albums and we

have also done the same thing with the

witchcraft albums because this is our

contribution to keeping history alive. We

write about the things that matter to us and

for those who appreciate and enjoy our

music and of course our historical values.

Journey, likewise captured our imagination

and fell in line with our love of history and

in particular our own local history. The

shipwreck project is dedicated to bringing

forgotten and lost history back to the people

by finding these shipwrecks, photographing

and recounting their stories.

In fact it is fair to say we have learned a lot

about our own maritime history whilst

working on this album and what makes it

even better is that Grahame Knott is a

brilliant character whose friendly and

humorous personality is inspiring. The

Shipwreck Project is brilliant and we hope

that it will be well supported by people not

only in the local area but everywhere

...The album

Journey is a truly unique experience, written, performed and

produced solely by Taloch Jameson and Josh Elliot.

There can be no doubt as to the talents of these two men as

singer/songwriters, musicians and producers as can be seen

by their success with the Dolmen.

This album however is a far cry from the rebel rock style of

the Dolmen. Journey has subsequently evolved into

something unique that captures the very essence of those lost

at sea and the wrecks that tell their story.

On Journey Taloch Jameson and Josh Elliot demonstrate

their rare ability not just to translate stories into music, but

music that has the ability to awaken the imagination conjuring up images that bring to life these

historical seafaring tales.

As an album it is flawless, deftly weaving sublime harmonies with the stories behind the music

to create something both uncanny and beautiful. Journey will appeal to just about anyone.

Diane Narraway

www.thedolmen.com

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/the-dolmen/id203275495

…And the Shipwreck Project

The album was

written about

my journey

leading up to

the shipwreck

project. I’ve

been a diver

and boat

skipper for

thirty years

and I got tired

a long time

ago going to

the regular

dive sites and doing the regular dive stuff

that everyone’s been doing. I also had

another job which involved working with

Ultra Electronics in connection with

their sonar and navigation equipment.

From this I became interested in side

scan sonar and immediately saw the use

we could put that to when looking for

wrecks.

The common belief round here is that

everything of interest has been found but

it hasn’t. Up until now most of the survey

work that has taken place has been

looking for larger shipwrecks that could

be a navigation hazard. No one has done

a really close examination of the sea bed

which is what we are doing with high

frequency sonar and of course Portland is

particularly difficult to survey because of

the number of ledges and rock out crops

off shore so you need to know really well

and also the fishing gear etc. This means

we are currently surveying areas that

have never really been surveyed before

certainly not in so much detail.

Over time I gradually distanced myself

from what I call the ‘holiday diving’ and

moved more towards this more

‘specialised’ diving and it’s this year that

it’s all really come together. We now have

a display at Underwater Explorers, the

website is up and running, we have the

album and TV companies and other

media are showing an interest in what we

do.

We have now thrown off all the shackles

of the holiday diving and we are now

explorers, shipwreck hunters and most

importantly story hunters. People

sometimes accuse us of being treasure

hunters but we are not, if we were we’d

be worth a fortune and have packed it up

by now. It is the story that is the most

important to us. Every shipwreck tells its

own story.

Each wreck is a time capsule that tells us

when it sank and there are so many

indicators within that wreck that tell us

what happened to it, who built it, the

people that were on it and what was

happening at the time it sank.

One of the best things about this is,

especially with the wartime wrecks is

that sometimes their stories continue

right up to the present day when people

contact you trying to locate their fathers

or grandfathers ship or we contact

them/make an appeal for family

members. In all these cases people are

really happy to know what happened to

their relatives and find out the full story.

It is the stories that drive us because as

much fun as it is we don’t make any

money out of it. This year the two of us

mainly involved pooled our resources and

bought a survey boat. We are not rich by

any stretch of the imagination but we

wanted to follow our passion for history

and shipwreck exploration and are

prepared to give it a go and see where it

leads.

The website has been quite a big thing for

us because we are trying to use

membership fees from that

to partly finance the project

because up until now we

have covered all the costs

ourselves and it has been

incredibly expensive.

We also provide talks which

include images from the

shipwreck project; the

diving, the equipment and

of course the shipwrecks.

The idea was to have music

to accompany the talks which generally

take place at the dive centre although

there will be some at the ‘Old Town Hall’

Weymouth, the first of which will be on

20th December 2014 which is part of a

party where Taloch will be playing at the

end of the day. There is also a talk

planned in London and the intention is

to provide more talks especially during

the winter months in clubs, universities,

and colleges and of course schools

because the interest of younger people

make it worthwhile. Of course the

shipwreck project is not just about telling

the stories of shipwrecks but about

engaging the public and hearing the

stories told by locals.

At the Waterfest we put on an exhibition

aboard the survey boat where we showed

some film footage of Cannons we had

found and how we use the sonar

equipment and the boat was jam packed

all weekend with members of the public

who were fascinated by the project.

The Journey album came about because

we had put a lot of film footage together

and we felt we needed music to go along

with it but we needed the music to work

with the images which of course it does. I

approached Taloch and tried to explain

what I required but it wasn’t until I

showed him the footage that it began to

take shape. The most

amazing thing was how

Taloch could see exactly

what I see which was almost

spooky and when I listen to

some parts of the album

today it is quite unnerving

to think he knows what’s in

my head. Taloch has seen

these underwater places

exactly as I have without

ever going down there and I

am as in awe as he is when I am diving

but there is also a technical side to it

which I have to be mindful of in order to

stay alive. Nonetheless I am amazed as to

how he sees it the same way and

although it has taken a while to finish it

has evolved to exactly what it should be.

Dive Photographs by S. Brown

A Book Review

Treasure of the

Golden Grape

Whilst I must declare my interest

and fascination in local ship-

wrecks, this is an absorbing tale

of the wrecking of the Dutch

merchant sailing ship ‘ Golden

Grape’ on Chesil Beach on 11

December 1641 that should

appeal to a wide variety of read-

ers.

It has been well researched over

many years by a local amateur

maritime historian who I know

has also been diving these waters

for the past four decades in the

continuance of his researches.

His enthusiasm for the subject

manifests itself in the readability

of this book with its engaging

style of narrative.

If an authentic local tale of

treasure, smuggling, piracy and shipwreck served up with a dash of slavery, conspiracy, exe-

cution and the English Civil War is not enough to grab the reader’s attention the author,

Selwyn Williams, even manages to include James Bond in the tale! The book is well illustrated

with 70 black and white and colour images and its usefulness as a reference book for other re-

searchers is supported by five appendices, a chronology, glossary and a comprehensive index.

David C.

http://www.deadmansbay.co.uk/

Symposium: Gathering of the Clans

On July 12th 2014, representatives of a number of the largest and most prominent Pagan organi-

sations took part in an historic event, a "symposium" hosted by the Pagan Federation in London

which is thought to be the first time that so many organisations representing so many Pagans had

gathered together in one place to talk about the Pagan community and its future.

The symposium was held in a spirit of setting aside past differences and looking for ways to work

together and collaborate in the future on a wide range of issues giving the Pagan community, per-

haps for the first time, a real and organic sense of unity. Some of the issues covered were accurate

and coherent representation of Pagans and Paganism in the media, protecting Pagan heritage and

the sacred landscape of the nation (and indeed other nations) and caring for the wider community in

matters of education, health, social care and interfaith.

Mike Stygal, president of the Pagan Federation of England and Wales, opened the meeting, quoting

from a similar introduction by Doreen Valiente, from the inaugural Beltane meeting of the 'Pagan

Front' in 1971 (which later became the Pagan Federation in 1980). We were all struck by the con-

tinued relevance of her words:

“Unity is strength, and I welcome the fraternal unity of all sincere people of goodwill who follow

the Pagan path. We may not always agree with each other, but we must support each other, in our

struggle for our right to follow the religion and life-style of our choice in the modern world.”

The symposium concluded with agreement that further meetings should take place. The size of this

meeting was limited solely by the size of the venue. And we hope future meetings, buoyed by the

success of this one, can be held in larger surroundings with an even greater range of

representatives.

Meanwhile attendees have agreed to collaborate in a number of side projects, not least this, the first

public statement on behalf of the symposium. We asked all those taking part to let us know their

feelings on taking part in this historic event. Here’s what they had to say:

On July 12th cats were herded in London - representatives from many Pagan organisations decided to work to-

gether. Some may be pessimistic about this, but this time I really think it will work. No one organisation is trying to

take this over and it looks like being an equal collaboration for the good of Paganism generally. The areas we dis-

cussed included sacred places, media, ceremonies, and community support and mental health. Sharing knowledge

and expertise is good. More Pagan groups are already becoming involved. Provided we each remember it’s not

about us, or our individual organisations, the future looks bright.

Andy Norfolk

Pentacle magazine

http://pentaclemagazine.co.uk/

ASLAN (Ancient Sacred Landscape Network)

www.facebook.com/AncientSacredLandscapeNetwork

The Centre for Pagan Studies and the Doreen Valiente Foundation feel privileged to be a part of the first steps on a

road to possible unity among the modern Pagan community. The day was characterised by a real spirit of willing-

ness to sensibly engage with each other. Finding common ground and playing to each group's strengths could see

Paganism soon develop the coherent voice it has lacked for so long. This was a historic day and there is a great

deal of good yet to come from the ‘green shoots of this fledgling ‘group of groups’.

Ashley Mortimer

CENTRE FOR PAGAN STUDIES / DOREEN VALIENTE FOUNDATION

www.centre-for-Pagan-studies.com

www.doreenvaliente.org

An historic meeting of groups and of minds representing the spectrum of Pagan and Pagan-like beliefs. This assem-

bly was an example of how much we have matured and grown in our relationships with each other. No group rivalry

or politics, instead pragmatism and a willingness to talk frankly and constructively about those matters which we

deem of inherent importance to all our futures. A spirit of co-operation and open minded sharing of ideas and opin-

ions in a spirit of friendship and good natured camaraderie which was a model for all inter-Pagan relationships from

now on. Superb!

Tam Campbell

CHILDREN OF ARTEMIS

www.witchcraft.org

I arrived unsure what to expect but with high hopes for the future of Paganism. It became apparent that although

each group in attendance was dedicated to making a positive difference in the Pagan world, by pooling their

knowledge and resources, so much more could be achieved. It was humbling to be part of this first meeting where

despite the diversity of groups in attendance a real sense of unity could be felt as we all took the first steps to mak-

ing a real difference to the future of Paganism and heathenry in the UK if not worldwide.

Diane Narraway

DOLMEN GROVE

www.dolmengrove.co.uk

From the first moments as everyone arrived, the prevalent attitude was positive. Smiles and greetings, hugs between

friends and new introductions. As the day went on, the smiles grew wider and the laughter louder.

The key word that keeps coming back to me is 'enthusiasm'. We were all so keen, so full of ideas - but not just

dreams, real practical and achievable plans. From the basic hope to have Pagans working together, that spark ig-

nited, and very tangibly so. We all felt the excitement, that history was being made right now... and our responsibil-

ity within that.

Cat Treadwell

THE DRUID NETWORK

www.druidnetwork.org

Thank you Mike for the vision of this group. The day went far too quickly, always a good sign, showing a general

engagement! In future, we look forward to days where we focus on particular aspects. Meredith and I found the day

pleasant and interesting and were especially impressed with the contributions from Andy Pardy and Ashley Morti-

mer, and want to hear more of their ideas. We also want to thank Morgana for giving the International perspective,

highlighting the very serious issues they are facing. We think it's good to be up to date with the Pagan scene interna-

tionally. Meredith was impressed with the Moon Temple delegates, and the idea of what CAN be done.

Caroline Wise, with Meredith MacArdle

FELLOWSHIP OF ISIS

www.fellowshipofisis.com

My participation at the Pagan Symposium was multi-fold. Firstly, it was as organiser and then as General Secretary

for the Pagan Federation as well as the ‘eyes and ears’ for the Glastonbury Goddess Temple (who were unable to

attend due to an important dedication ceremony that day). It was a privilege to be a part of it. My thought on the day

was ‘Unity through diversity’, and how powerful it will be that Pagan organisations are coming together in this way

to support one another. The genuine friendship be-tween organisations on the day was truly wonderful. May it long

continue.

Elle Hull

GLASTONBURY GODDESS TEMPLE

www.goddesstemple.co.uk

When Mike Stygal invited me to this event I did have my doubts as to how effective it would be; I was expecting that

there would be egos clashing and territorial rights being waved like battle-axes. Nothing could have been further

from the truth. There was a great diversity of organisations represented amongst the small number of people there,

and a total and unconditional willingness to give and share information and experiences. I heard many times that

day people commenting that it was a ground-breaking and “historical” meeting that would open up a new phase for

the Pagan community, for us to become a Pagan community! If the spirit of that day can be nurtured and carried

forward into the future then it surely will be a day to be remembered with pride! Was-sail!

Phil Parkyn

KITH OF YGGDRASIL

www.kithofyggdrasil.org.uk

All Dolmen Grove Moots hold regular meetings where people can find out more about Dolmen Grove membership, ethos and upcoming

events including camps, workshops and talks.

Portsmouth – The Heathfield Arms 116 Blackbrook Road, Fareham po15 5bz Every second Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm onwards

Lonsdale Road,

Essex - Scout Hut, Cromwell Road, Grays, RM17 5HT Weekends

Weymouth – Old Town Hall High West Street DT4 8JH Weymouth, Dorset (The Dolmen Grove’s oldest and most established moot) Every

second Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm onwards

Portland - The George Inn 133 Reforne, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2AP Every last Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm onwards

Cornwall - Polgooth Inn Ricketts Lane, Polgooth, St.Austell, PL26 7DA Every first Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm onwards

Berkshire (Bracknell) - The Boot Public House Park Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 2LU Every 3 third Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm

onwards

Poole - The Kings Head6 High Street, Poole, Dorset BH15 1BD Every third Tuesday on the month 7:30pm onwards

Moots are advertised regularly on facebook

www.dolmengrove.co.uk

Further information on the Dolmen Grove Magazine, including back issues, up and coming

features, and article submissions can be found on

facebook..

http://www.facebook.com/DolmenGroveMagazine?fref=ts

Editor Diane Narraway

Further information about regarding membership, courses, up and coming events and ceremo-

nies (including membership enquiries) is available through The Dolmen Grove – website

www.dolmengrove.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Or through Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolmen-Grove/110124449082503

Further information about music from The Dolmen including c.d. purchase is available at

http://www.thedolmen.com

Email UK the [email protected]

Email USA [email protected]

Or through Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolmen/250111806234

Email UK [email protected]

Or through Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolmen-

Grove/110124449082503

Further information about music from The Dolmen including c.d. purchase is available at

http://www.thedolmen.

Email UK [email protected]

Email USA [email protected]

Or through Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolmen/25011180623