Sacred Earth Magic Lesson Five

8/18/2019 Sacred Earth Magic Lesson Five

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sacred-earth-magic-lesson-five 1/29

THE

avalonavalonavalonavalon

M Y S T E R Y S C H O O L

A Path to Higher Consciousness

through the Arts of Sacred Magic

_____________________

A COURSE IN SACRED EARTH MAGIC

LESSON FIVE

Let us remember the gods of the natural forces, for they have their work to do in the souls of

men and of women. Let us go back by the path of our race to the ancient wisdom;

its temples stand on our soil, and the blood remembers. The sun it worshipped still crosses the

heavens above us; the winds still blow on the hills, and the waters surround us. The earth takes

the seed in her furrow, and the fire leaps on the hearthstone . . .the soul of the race is unchanged and belongs to Nature.

- Dion Fortune



Sacred Earth MagicLesson Five

1

OVERVIEW OVERVIEW OVERVIEW OVERVIEW

1. READING AND STUDY

The Elemental KingdomThe Element Earth

Spirits of the EarthThe Earth Goddess

Magical Stones

2. INNER WORK

VisionJourney: Kingdom of the Gnomes

3. PRACTICUM

Working with Stones

4. IN THE GREEN WORLD

Healing Imbalances with Earth

Getting to Know the Earth

Meeting GnomesSacred Sites and Power Spots




2

1. READING AND STUDY READING AND STUDY READING AND STUDY READING AND STUDY

THE ELEMENTAL KINGDOM

So far in this course we have studied the spirits of plants and trees. In this and the next three

lessons, we are going to turn our attention to the Elementals and other beings associated with each of

the elements. In the great continuum of life that emanates from the One, Elementals are the

Intelligences behind the building blocks of the physical world, which ancient and medieval

philosophers believed to be Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. This concept can be traced as far back as

Pythagoras who is said to have learned it from the Babylonians. The Pythagorean world was composed

of four seasons, four stages of life and the four elements, which formed both the outer and inner

worlds. The four humors of medieval medicine and the four elements of Western alchemy and

astrology derive ultimately from this source. (Today's science uses the terms Solids, Liquids, Gases,

and Plasma.) In the Life of Merlin, the Welsh bard, Taliesin, tells Merlin how the universe was created

:

. . . the Creator produced out of nothing four elements to be the causative principle in

the making of things and at the same time to be the material for them…1

Taliesin himself went through a series of transformations in which he becomes a creature of each

element – a theme we will be exploring in Lesson Eight.

Elementals do not have physical forms: they exist solely on the astral and etheric planes. Their bodies

are composed of the energy known in different cultures as the life-force, prana or chi. These humble

yet indispensable servants of creation might be thought of as the workers on the factory floor who take

their orders from the higher Intelligences on the continuum of life, the Devas and lower angels,

translating into physical form the patterns of energy that exist only as designs on the mental and astral

planes. The great English clairvoyant, Geoffrey Hodson, spent an entire lifetime studying the spirit

world. This is what he has to say about Elementals:

My observations suggest that nature spirits use two distinct forms. One of these is the

permanent astral body and the other a temporarily materialized etheric vehicle. The astral form

consists of a spherical many-colored aura surrounding the delicate, force-built fairy form

within. The etheric vehicle is assumed for at least two reasons. One is that, when an etheric

body is worn, an added sense of individuality or entity is experienced by the nascent mind,

1 Clarke, Basil. Life of Merlin. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1979, p. 42.




3

which is normally unselfconscious and diffused throughout a group. The other is that an

increased vitality and vividness of life are attained by closer contact with the physical world,

both during seasons of plants’ germination, growth and full development, and in bright

sunshine. These experiences provide pleasure. Under these conditions nature spirits emerge

from the astral into the etheric levels where they become more easily visible and are more

generally first seen. There they dance, play, see each other, and human beings to some extent,

imitate them and on occasions become attached to those sufficiently sensitive to respond to

their presence and even communicate with them.2

The 16th century Swiss philosopher and alchemist, Paracelsus, first classified the Elementals. His

terminology was adopted by Western magicians in the following centuries and is still used today.

While Elementals are basically hive-like with little individuality, there is a directing intelligence to

these beings, which is considered their ruler, and who traditionally appears as a King or Queen. The

highest beings that overlight them are the Archangels:

Element Elemental Ruler Archangel

Earth Gnome Ghob Auriel

Water Undine Nixsa Gabriel

Fire Salamander Djinn Mikael

Air Sylph Paralda Raphael

In ancient times, Elementals were assigned to the four cardinal points on the Wheel of Life as follows:

Although there are a few Elementals in most locations, we are more likely to experience them in

natural settings or in gardens and parks where the elements are most powerful. The presence of

2 Hodson, Geoffrey. The Kingdom of the Gods. Wheaton, Illinois: The Theosophical Publishing House 1980, p. 98.




4

gnomes can be sensed in mountainous areas, especially in the

depths of caves and caverns. Undines congregate in rivers,

pools and springs. Sylphs can be discerned in gentle breezes

and high winds, while salamanders are present wherever there

is light and flame. They are constantly at work, animating the

living universe. Even if they cannot be seen, we can feel the

sense of vibrant life they bring to forests, oceans, mountains

and volcanoes. We might sense the presence of a Fire

Elemental in a spark of flame or the sudden light of a sunbeam,

a Water Elemental in a wisp of fog. An Air Elemental might

announce its presence in a gust of wind, an Earth Elemental in

the rustle of pebbles. Yet they work so much in concert with

each other that it's often hard to distinguish between the

different types amid the whirling dance of life. The best

example of this, perhaps, is at the edge of the ocean, wherethere is the constant motion and interplay of water spirits in the

waves, air spirits sweeping along in rushing currents of wind,

fire spirits sparkling on the water, and the shifting sand

underfoot. No wonder we feel so enlivened at the ocean's edge!

In previous centuries, magicians sought to summon Elementals in order to make them do their bidding.

They were often found to be difficult to confine and control, and upset many an orderly temple. Their

reputation as capricious and mischievous beings is well recorded in the annals of magical work, past

and present. Their reputation suffered also because they are the driving power behind natural disasters

such as storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and so forth. In Sacred Magic, we do not

set out to make Elementals obey our commands: We are more interested in learning about and getting

to know all the Intelligences of the great Web of Life, and discovering how to work in harmony with

them in order to create health and balance on the Earth. In this lesson, we focus on Earth and its spirits,

specifically those of the MiddleRealm.

THE ELEMENT OF EARTH

Earth is the most dense of all the elements, and has a downward movement, as signified by the

elemental symbol of the inverted triangle and cross-bar. It associated with everything that is physical –

the force of gravity, the planet itself and all bodies, including our own human body. Its vibration is

slow and steady, and has the effect of calming and soothing the human mind. Sitting on the Earth,turning the soil in our gardens, walking among mountain scenery, all serves to help us get in touch

Ocean Deva seen by Geoffrey

Hodson

An ocean deva seen by

Geoffrey Hodson




5

with its enduring quality. We feel supported and held, blessed by our first Mother, the Earth itself.

In our lives, the element of Earth rules everything to do with structures, boundaries and limitations,

and the qualities of strength, security, persistence, loyalty, and steadfastness. Earth assists us in

becoming practical and down-to-earth. It helps us ‘get real’ and to know which of our ideas (Air) and

desires (Water) are likely to actually manifest on the physical plane and actually work. Earth teaches

us how to survive, work, make money, and thrive in the material world.

SPIRITS OF THE EARTH

On the great Continuum of Being, Earth Spirits may be categorized as follows:

KingdomKingdomKingdomKingdom TypeTypeTypeType FormFormFormForm

OverRealm Archangelic

Planetary

Auriel

Earth, Saturn

MiddleRealm Elemental Landscape DevasGnomes

Earth ElementalsUnderRealm Chthonic Giants,

Earth Goddesses

This diagram should be regarded as a simplification, for there exist many other beings within the

Continuum of Creation which resonate with the qualities of Earth. These are the most prominent ones

within each of the Three Worlds with whom we will be dealing in this course, although you may, of

course, come across others as you work with this element.

Within the MiddleRealm are Earth Elementals, Gnomes and Devas or Angels of Earth. The distinction

is important. Earth elementals are the forces that exist at an atomic level and represent the living

essence of the solid state. Gnomes are more complex and individualized beings that act as stewards of

everything to do with the Earth element within which they have their existence. They also can be more

easily sensed by human beings and have a history of dealings with our race. Landscape Devas are more

individualized Intelligences that preside over different areas and bio-regions of the Earth, for instance

there may be a Landscape Deva overlighting a mountain range or desert.




6

A Dwarfsmith by Arthur

Rackham

Toadstool Goblins by Arthur Rackham

Gnomes and their Cousins

Their close connection with the Earth means the etheric

body of the Gnomes tends to be more dense than other

spirits, making them more easily visible to human

beings. Perhaps this is why there are more stories about

gnomes and their cousins: dwarves, brownies, kobolds,

and goblins, than others of the Elemental family. Their

name is probably derived from the Greek genomus,

meaning earth dweller, for they inhabit all the places of

earth: holes, caves, caverns and mines. The Elemental

ruler of the Gnomes is called Ghob, hence the name

‘goblin.’ Their work is with all aspects of the earth

element, from the crust all the way down through the rock

strata to the iron core of the planet. Some Gnomes work with the mineral kingdom, fashioning crystals

in the rocks and developing veins of ore – think of the transmutation of a lump of coal to a diamond asbut one example of the work of earth Elementals. This has given rise to all the folktales about dwarves

who hoard vast stores of treasure in underground caves. Gnomes are also found above the Earth,

particularly around or beneath rocks and stones, in earthy hollows and tree roots, as well as in human

gardens, hence all that garden gnome statuary! If we look further up the continuum of creation for

other spirits of the earth, we come across the mighty Devas of gigantic boulders, rocky outcrops, cliffs,

canyons, and mountain landscapes.

Because Gnomes and their kin dwell for the most part in dim

caves and gloomy forests, and are associated with the North on

the Wheel of Life, the direction of darkness and death, theirtemperament is often described as dour and saturnine – after the

planet, Saturn. As they deal with the dense earth element, they

themselves are old and slow, and go about their work with great

patience and deliberation. This is reflected in the way they

traditionally appear to human beings as squat and sturdy old men

with gnarled limbs and wrinkled faces, often sporting long

beards. They wear rough, coarse clothes in earthy tones of brown

and black. Folktales describe the underground variety as

unfriendly and suspicious in their dealings with humans, if not

downright treacherous and dangerous at times. These talesprobably arose out of people's experiences mining the Earth of its

treasures, an activity which is not only dangerous in itself, but if




7

done with customary human greed and rapaciousness, naturally enough arouses the wrath of its

Elemental guardians. Yet other stories attest that when their confidence is won, Gnomes can be loyal,

true and steadfast helpers of the human race. Unfortunately, with modern quarrying and mining

practices, not to mention the blasting of roads and leveling of the landscape for development, the

Gnomes usually have little choice but to leave the devastated area altogether. Gnomes and dwarves

consider themselves servants of the Earth Goddess, which is the real meaning behind the story of Snow

White and the Seven Dwarves.

Celtic Earth Spirits

People living in the Celtic lands were familiar with many earth spirits akin to the Gnomes, among them

being brownies, fridean, a faery from the Scottish Highlands who lives under stones; hobs, hobgoblins,

and spriggans. In Cornwall, a rocky land with a long history of mining dating back to the Bronze Age,

is a group of faeries called the Knockers or Buccas. They make their homes in the tin mines as well as

in springs nearby. In old times, miners found them very helpful, as they often led them to the best

lodes or away from dangerous areas by making loud knocking noises. Associated with thesesubterranean spirits are the Spriggans, who as well as frequenting the mines, are often to be seen at the

stone circles, standing stones and Neolithic burial mounds scattered over the Cornish moors.

Brownies, (broonies in Scotland) hobs, hobthrusts and hobgoblins are household faeries. This may

seem like a strange thing for an earth spirit to be involved in, yet for centuries human beings lived in

caves where the indwelling spirit would have formed a working relationship with them. So to them,

our houses are the modern equivalent of caves. Up until fairly recently country people were fully

aware of the helpful household spirits and made a point of leaving offerings of milk, honeycomb or

oatcakes for them every night, in exchange for their help with the chores while the family slept.

Cousin to the Brownies are the faeries called simply the Good Neighbours. They lived nearby, usuallyunder the earth beneath a hill or burial mound, and helped the family's land to grow bountiful crops.




8

The Earth Goddess

In our discussion of spirits of the earth, we must also acknowledge the Earth Goddess herself. In pre-

Christian times, the Celts viewed the land as an aspect of this primal, creative force. Ireland was seen

as the goddess, Eriu, whose name became Eire. In southwest Kerry, two hills like great breasts are

named the Paps of Anu, another of her names. In the north she was the goddess, Macha, in the west,

Maeve, and in the east, Brighid. In northwest England, Brigantia was the mother goddess of the

Brigantes tribe. In Wales, she was known as the Modron, meaning 'the Mother.' Many aspects of the

Celtic Earth Goddess are explored in the first course in this series, so we will just briefly touch on the

subject here. One of her most enduring aspects is the ancient mountain mother known as the Cailleach

(the Old Veiled One) in Scotland and Ireland, where she has her royal seat of stone on the rocky

summits of the mountains and hills that she birthed from her own womb. In some places she appears as

a stone herself, such as the Hag of Beara, a large limestone boulder shaped like a woman's head in the

southwest of Ireland. In a Scottish legend, she whips up winds and storms during the winter time, but

spends the rest of the year disguised as a tall standing stone. The Sheela-na-gig, a stone carving of an

ancient-looking woman holding open her vagina, found surprisingly on walls of medieval castles andchurches throughout Britain and Ireland, is also a reminder of the enduring presence of One who is

both womb and tomb.

In pre-Christian times, the Earth Goddess was honored and revered as the

tutelary spirit of a tribe's territory. Without her approval and consent, the

land would not flourish and the harvests would fail. In order to win her

favor, a Celtic king or chieftain had to undergo a ritual marriage with her

to show that he truly loved and cared for the land. Often she would test

his worthiness by appearing as an ugly old hag. A typical story is that of

Neill of the Nine Hostages, the High King of Ireland who gave rise to thegreat O’Neill dynasty of kings at Tara.

Legend has it that Neill and his nine brothers were out fending for

themselves in the forest, perhaps on an initiatory journey as part of the rite

of passage into adulthood. At nightfall, they made camp and went to seek

water. Before too long, they found a clear, bubbling spring but it was

guarded by an old woman who was monstrously ugly. As each of the

brothers in turn approached the well, she said she would only give them

water in exchange for a kiss. One by one, they declined in disgust, until it

was Neill’s turn. Out of compassion for the loathly hag, he embraced herwillingly, and they made passionate love beside the spring. When it was over, Neill found he was

holding the most beautiful woman in the world, whose hair ‘was as gold as Bregon’s buttercups and

An Irish sheela-na-gig




9

lips as red as the lichens of Leinster.’ She told Neill that he would become High King over all Ireland,

and his seed after him.

Neill passed her initiation test, because he showed himself to be a suitable consort to her, willing to

embrace her both in her foul aspect as well as her fair – in other words, the land in winter as well as in

summer, showing himself to be mature enough to rule the land wisely in hard times as well as in times

of ease and plenty.

Merlin and Nimuë

A similar tale is hidden in the stories about Merlin and the faery woman called variously, Nimuë,

Vivienne or Niniane. In Arthurian legend, it is told that in his old age, Merlin became besotted with

love for a beautiful young woman, who led him on until she had learned every one of his magical arts.

Even though his gift of prophecy told him what was about to befall, he was unable to forestall his fate.

She, wearied of his constant attentions, trapped him under a great stone – or in some versions, a tree, or

a prison of glass – in which he remains confined throughout eternity.

In one variation, Merlin's burial place is described as a chamber hewn in the rock, a place that had

previously been used by two lovers who were also buried there.

So the 'stone' under which the enchanter was buried seems to have

been a dolmen – two upright stones capped by a horizontal one

forming a doorway which led into a stone-lined cavity that was

then covered with soil. Such structures, dating from Neolithic

times, are found throughout the Celtic countries, and in Ireland.

They are often known as the beds of the famous legendary lovers,

Diarmuid and Grainne. As we saw in Lesson Three, Merlin'sdolmen still exists at Paimpont in Brittany, within the remnant of

the once great forest of Brocéliande. Close to this spot is a lake

where Merlin tells a similar legend about the Roman goddess

Diana, who was said to have killed her earthly lover, a prince

called Faunus, by interring him in a stone coffin.

We do not have to look too deeply into these legends to realize

that they are later versions of the ancient myth in which the Earth

Goddess slays her lover, the vegetation god, who comes back to life

each spring. Diana was originally a goddess of wild Nature, andFaunus was a Roman woodland deity – in other words, a Green Man. In Arthurian legend, Merlin the

Wild assumes the role of the slain god. The original myth was actually enacted ritually in the classical

The Beguiling of Merlin




10

era at the sacred grove by the lake of Nemi, near Rome. This place was dedicated to Diana

Nemorensis, Diana of the Glade. Sir James Frazer made this rite famous in his book, The Golden

Bough, where he described how the priest to the goddess, who presided over the grove beneath a

sacred tree, and only held the role of Rex Nemorensis, or King of the Glade, for a limited time, was

eventually slain by a new contender for the priesthood, who would take his place as Diana's consort.

As Jean Markale points out in his book, Merlin, Priest of Nature, in none of the medieval legends does

Merlin actually die within his stone tomb – he is merely described as imprisoned, which leaves the

reader with the impression that one day he will be released, just as in the original myth the god always

returned to life with the greening of the new year.

Merlin’s Many Graves

Many other caves, mountains and stones in the British Isles and Brittany are associated with Merlin.

One of the most well-known of these is Merlin’s Cave at Tintagel in Cornwall, which is on the beach

below the ruined castle where Arthur was conceived, according to the legend. Even though crowds of

tourists visit it each summer, it is still a place of numinous power, perhaps because it is a sea cave,open at both ends, perpetually regenerated by the ebb and flow of tides. A more remote cave is in

southwest Wales at Dynefwr (anglicized as Dynevor and pronounced dun-ev-or), not far from

Carmarthen, (in Welsh, Caerfyddin meaning 'Merlin's Fort'.) In his poem, The Faery Queene, Spenser

described it as:

a hideous hollow cave (they say)

Under a rock that lies a little space,

From the swift Barry, tombling down apace

Amongst the woody hills of Dynevor;

This cave is not easy to reach, being halfway up a mountainside where two waterfalls cascade down asteep cliff, but is a truly magical place when viewed from afar. Carmarthen is surrounded by Merlin

sites, such as Merlin’s Hill, which became the site of novelist Mary Stewart’s famous Merlin trilogy,

The Crystal Cave. The hill overlooks a field in which stands a pillar known as Merlin’s Stone. Not far

from here is Myrddin's Quoit, a pair of Bronze Age standing stones about 4,000 years old.

Other places that claim to be Merlin’s burial place range as far apart as Merlin’s Mound, a smaller

version of the nearby Silbury Hill in the grounds of Marlborough College in Marlborough, Wiltshire,

and Drumelzier, a village in southwest Scotland. At the latter, Merlin is said to lie buried beneath a

thorn tree, thus fulfilling an old prophecy: ‘When Tweed and Powsail meet at Merlin's Grave, Scotland

and England shall one monarch have.’ It happened that, in 1603, the day James VI, who united the twocountries, was crowned King of England, the River Tweed overflowed the banks and joined with the

River Powsail at the site of the grave, an unusual occurrence that has never happened since.




11

Sacred Stones

Stones are the bones of Mother Earth. Rock and stone are the oldest, most enduring substances on

Earth. While water constantly flows into new forms, forests rise and fall, and desert sands shift, stone

is the last part of Earth's body to change. Like the bones of our bodies, stones remain behind when all

else has dissolved back into specks of dust. When we touch a stone, we make contact with something

we know has been there for millennia, and will continue to be there for millennia to come. Like the

stars from which they originally came, they speak to us of eternity. Perhaps this is why, throughout the

world, people have used stones as receptacles for the sacred.

In the landscape of Britain and Ireland, the religious

practices of our ancestors are still written in stone.

On many hills and mountains in Scotland and

Ireland are stone seats, some natural, some shaped

by human hand, which were regarded as the throne

of the old Mountain Mother, the Cailleach. Thesewere once holy places, especially for women, who

would make pilgrimages there to pray for her

blessing of good fortune and fertility. The Cailleach

still lives on in a remote valley in Perthshire,

Scotland. Here she has dwelt for centuries with her

family: her husband and daughter, all three of them

represented by human-shaped stones, housed in a

special thatched shrine-house. Every Beltane, the

local people came to wash the stone family, leave them offerings and re-thatch their house, where they

still live today.

The ancient ritual landscape of northwest Europe is also remarkable for its burial mounds, some of

them built as long as five thousand years ago. Many of these were the work of the Neolithic (New

Stone Age) people who were originally from the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe, where a Great

Mother goddess was celebrated. These chambers were known as weems (wombs) in Scotland. In

many of them the only entrance is through a long narrow passageway that opens up into a wider

circular chamber. It is widely believed that these mounds represented the womb of the Earth Goddess

into which her children returned at death. They may also have been used as places of ritual, judging by

the kinds of artifacts found in some of them. Although they were built in prehistoric times, they were

used extensively by later Celtic tribes. Many of these feature intricately carved stones, art work whichreaches its apotheosis in the monuments of the Boyne Valley in Ireland, with their sculpted spirals,

lozenges, sun-wheels and other mysterious sigils. Recently, some archaeologists have suggested that

The House of the Cailleach




12

these patterns represent the visual images experienced during deep trance states, perhaps by the ancient

shamans who used these chambers for magical purposes.

There are also a number of stones connected with the king's contract with the goddess of his territory,

which, as we saw above, was necessary before he could rule. Some of these stones show the carving of

a footprint into which a new chieftain had to place his foot to show his pledge of fealty to the sacred

land. In the days of the High Kings of Ireland, the

new king had to undergo the test of the Lia Fáil

(pronounced lee-uh fawl), or Stone of Destiny,

which stood on the royal hill of Tara. If he was the

rightful heir to the throne, it would cry out under his

touch. The most famous of these is the Stone of

Scone which served as the throne for many

generations of Scottish kings before it was stolen by

the English King Edward I in the 13 th century. Itwas set into a seat of oak wood which was used as

the English throne from that time forward.

Recently, however, the stone was returned to

Scotland.

A single stone was also used to mark the middle point of a tribe's territory.

Often rounded at the top, it acted as an omphalos, or navel, that marked the

sacred centre of the tribe's world. Ireland's navel stone was known as the

Stone of Divisions and stood at Uisnech in County Meath. It became the

assembly place for the chief Druids of Ireland. It is still possible to find'contract stones' – pillar stones with a hole in the top through which two

parties would clasp hands to seal a contract, including marriage

agreements. In northern Scotland, the Picts erected standing stones and

inscribed them with intricate carvings of symbolic designs and animals,

which may have been the totem beasts of the various clans. Other stones in

the ritual landscape show designs whose meanings we can only guess and

which seem likely to have been the focus of magic rituals, like the Tree-of-

Life stone on the West Yorkshire moors with its mysterious cup and ring

markings in the form of a tree, that was once visited every May Eve.

Perhaps the most enigmatic of the ancient stones of northern Europe are the circles of standing stones,many of which remain intact despite thousands of years of farming, and more recently, industrial

development. What were these ancient circles used for? Modern research still has not come up with

The Turoe Stone – an

Irish omphalos

Neolithic Art in the Boyne Valley




13

The Stones of Callanish

any answers. In the 1960's the astrophysicist Gerald Hawkins, using computer technology,

demonstrated that many of them were deliberately positioned with amazing mathematical precision to

align with astronomical events involving the Sun, Moon, and constellations. The most famous

example of this is, of course, Stonehenge, whose giant trilithons can be clearly seen to align with the

Summer Solstice sunrise and the cycles of the Moon. While some historians believe that Stonehenge

and other similar circles were built as observatories to determine the calendar for the agricultural year,

the esoteric view is that Stone Circles were built to be receiving stations for direct influences from

heavenly constellations. In the view of Dion Fortune, the megalith builders came from the sunken land

of Atlantis, and worked with the indigenous peoples of those lands to try and re-establish Atlantean

technology in a new land. They were scientist-priests who used the circles to control the weather and

to link with spiritual energies from the stars.

Perhaps it was a memory of these Atlantean survivors that gave rise to the legend of the magnificent

standing stones at Callanish on the Isle of Lewis in the

Outer Hebrides. As late as the 17th century, peopleliving nearby still told stories about many ships that

sailed in bearing a priest-king, a group of lesser

priests, and a gang of black men who erected the

stones. The chief priest always appeared with a flock

of wrens flying around him, and the priests wore

cloaks of coloured feathers. Only one hundred years

ago, certain local families were said to be “of the

stones.” Though ministers of the church expressly

forbade visits to old stones on old festival days, they

went in secret, saying “It would not do to neglect thestones.”

Some esoteric thinkers nowadays view the circles as interlinking parts of a national, and probably

international, magical technology that we are only just beginning to rediscover. Another modern theory

has been put forward by dowsers and others sensitive to earth energies. In their view, stones are like

giant acupuncture needles that stimulate and amplify the energy of the earth and focus the influence of

the heavenly bodies to create energy for harmony and healing. We will be studying Earth Energies,

which relate to the Fire element, in the next lesson.

Magical StonesOur ancestors also used individual rocks and stones for sacred and magical purposes. Boulders carved

into the likeness of a male head and face can still be found in remote places, sometimes set within the




14

wall of a field or a dwelling. They may have represented the guardian spirit of that place. Certain

stones were used for wishing, blessing and cursing. The Celts did not use mined crystals, but favoured

chunks of white quartz for magical use. A common practice was to dip them in the water of a holy

well to make them more efficacious. Then they were placed on the stone altar and ceremonially turned

in a sunwise direction for blessing, and the opposite way for cursing, while prayers and incantations

were chanted. A special type of stone was known as a ‘Speaking Stone,’ and gave oracles. Some of

these still exist in Ireland and Wales. A famous one stood by a river near Waterford, Ireland, and was

called the cloch-labhrais (pronounced clokh lowrish, meaning ‘speaking stone.’) It was consulted on

many matters in pre-Christian times, but stopped speaking when a woman appealed to the stone to

witness her truthfulness when she was really lying, whereupon it split in two and never spoke again.

Other stones were connected with Faery beings, and were marked with depressions into which

libations of milk and ale were poured by the local people. Archaeologists call these cup-and-ring

stones or basin stones, but in Scotland they were

known as dobby stanes, ‘dobby’ being a kind ofbrownie, or Leac na gruagach, (pronounced lack na

groo-a-gakh) referring to the beautiful feminine

spirit known as the gruagach who protected the

livestock. Hollowed stones were often considered

sacred, especially if they were filled with rainwater.

In Ireland these were called bullauns, and they

could be used in weather magic by placing a stone

on the side of it from which a wind was wanted.

Specific stones were used for healing. In Geoffreyof Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain,

Merlin brought the stones of Stonehenge to Salisbury Plain from Ireland, where they were known as

The Giants’ Dance. Of these stones, Merlin says:

They are mystical stones, and of a medicinal virtue . . . (they) make baths in them, when they

should be taken with any illness. For their method was to wash the stones, and put their sick

into the water, which infallibly cured them. With the like success they cured wounds also,

adding only the application of some herbs. There is not a stone there which has not some

healing virtue.3

3 Quoted in Black, George F, Scottish Charms and Amulets. PSAS, vol. 27, 1892-3, p. 520.

Moonrise at Stonehenge




15

Merlin is describing actual healing methods that were practiced until quite recently in Scotland.

Specific stones in the landscape became centers of pilgrimage. Among these were the Clach-bhan,

(pronounced clakh-vahn) or Wife Stone, near Braemar, which was visited by pregnant women to

ensure a safe and pain-free labor. On the Hebridean island of Bernera, women rubbed their breasts

against a local stone to keep them healthy. In Perthshire, Scotland, are the healing stones of an 8th

century Celtic saint, St. Fillen. He had a set of stones, each resembling a part of the human body. After

the saint's death, they were kept by a series of women who became the hereditary guardians of the

stones down to the 19th century. When sick people came to seek her help, the guardian rubbed the

stones around the diseased body part three times one way, three times the other, and three times the

first way again, while she intoned a Gaelic incantation.

Another kind of stone was known as a 'hagstone:' a small stone with a hole in its middle. This was

used for scrying by those who practiced the art of seership. Hagstones also had protective powers and

were often worn around the neck as a charm or hung from a bedpost to ward off nightmares. In thenorth of Scotland, archaeologists have found some intriguing painted pebbles, which seem to have

been used by the Picts for magical or healing purposes. They are small rounded pieces of quartzite

from the beach, painted carefully with magical symbols, including the pentacle, crescent, arc, triangle

and circle-cross. Smaller stones were used in Scottish healing practices until quite recently. They

might be carried as charms in the pockets, or worn around the neck as an amulet. Families passed

these charm stones down through the generations. A famous amulet called the Ball Mo-Luidhe

(pronounced bahl mo louie) of Arran, was a round green stone, described as the size of a goose-egg. It

was placed next to the affected part of the sick person in their bed. If the patient died, the stone left the

bed of its own accord. The Arran stone was also used for the swearing of oaths, and was taken into

battle where it was thrown down in front of the attackers, in the belief that they would be filled withfear and flee.

A Hagstone




16

2. INNER WORK 2. INNER WORK 2. INNER WORK 2. INNER WORK

VISIONJOURNEY: KINGDOM OF THE GNOMES

She is not any common earth,

Water or wood or air,

But Merlin’s Isle of Gramarye

That you and I will fare.

– Rudyard Kipling

The VisionJourneys you will be taking in this and the next three lessons are open-ended workings

for which you will not need a CD. If you find it difficult to Journey on your own, try the following

suggestions:

1. Record the script on a tape and play it while you do the working. After a couple of times, you

probably won’t need to use it.

2. If you have difficulty with imagery in general, start a collection of the kinds of images you will

need from magazines, books, calendars, the Internet, greetings cards, and so on. If you are a

systematic kind of person, you might want to file them in categories such as landscapes,

buildings, animals, etc. (Note: Avoid pictures of those innerworld beings that you hope to

encounter as illustrations of fairies, angels, etc. can be false and misleading.) To prepare for a

particular journey, read the script and select the images you will need from your collection.

Study them in detail, then close your eyes and practice conjuring them up in your mind's eye.

Do this until the inner image stabilizes somewhat in your inner vision. It does not have to be

perfectly clear, and it may look slightly different every time you do this, but the important thing

is to have a fairly clear astral structure with which to work.

3. If your mind wanders a lot while doing the Journey, stand up and move around in your sacred

space. Mime the actions as they unfold, just as you may have played 'Let's pretend' as a child.

For instance, act out wading across water, climbing a steep hill, dancing in a ring, lying on the

grass. Apart from anything else, this will keep you awake and alert if you're feeling sleepy.

But it can also have the effect of making your VisionJourney much more vivid and real,especially if done through half closed eyes in a room filled with shadows and candlelight.




17

This series of VisionJourneys is designed to take you in turn to each of the kingdoms of the

Elementals. What you will learn there will not only be invaluable for an understanding of the inner

workings of our Earth, but for yourself as well, as you too are a microcosm of the planet on which you

live. The four elements correspond to four aspects of being, which blend together in a unique

combination to create each personality, as shown by the table below. The last two columns show the

personality imbalances that can occur when there is too much (+) or too little (-) of that element

present.

ELEMENT CORRESPONDENCE

IN THE

HUMAN PSYCHE

BALANCED

PERSONALITY

IMBALANCE + IMBALANCE -

EARTH The Body: Sensing,touching, doing,making, acting

PracticalHard-workingOrganizedConscientious

Reliable

Greedy; overlymaterialistic;pessimistic;stubborn; inflexible;

stuck; depressed

Impractical;ungrounded; lackingin common sense;money problems;

physically weak

FIRE The Will: Intending,planning, creating,motivating,expressing

ConfidentCreativeExpressiveEnthusiasticOptimisticGenerous

Domineering;impatient; 'driven'personality;ruthless; over-competitive;'workaholic’;irritable, angry

Lacking confidence;lacking motivation ora sense of purpose;difficulty in expressingoneself; unassertive;blocked creativity

WATER The Emotions: Feeling, intuition,dreaming, desiring,reacting, responding

SensitiveImaginativeIntuitiveEmpatheticKind

Oversensitive;overemotional; over-imaginative; lackinginterpersonalboundaries; living ina dream world;fearful, timid

Cold; insensitive; outof touch; rigidinterpersonalboundaries;unimaginative

AIRThe Mind: Thinking,studying, talking,hearing, inspiring,choosing, deciding,clarifying

PerceptiveCommunicativeBroad-mindedFlexibleObjectiveOpen

'Spaciness;' toomuch 'in one’shead;' indecisive;confused; scatteredthoughts; irrational;impractical ideas;opinionated;

restless; anxious

Lacking perspective;humourless; narrowoutlook and attitudes;obstinate; rigid,dogmatic thinking




18

Preparation for the Journey

Place your altar in the North, or if this is not possible, sit on the North side. When you have done the

Practicum and found a special stone to work with, this should be placed on top of the altar at the north.

Light a candle, and prepare yourself for the journey, paying extra attention to your grounding cord.

Focus on the connection your feet make to the floor. Feel the solidness of your body, feel the Earth

beneath you as your home and foundation.

Breathe to a fourfold rhythm: Inhale for 4 counts; hold for 4 counts; exhale for four counts; pause for 4

counts. Do 25 – 50 times or more until you feel very calm and centered.

Open your power centers by performing the Fountain of Light exercise. (Course 1, Lesson 4.)

Chant the elemental vowel sound for Earth: OOOOOHHHHHHH (rhymes with toe) deep in your

body, feeling it reverberate in the ground beneath you.

After a while, see a mist form before your inner gaze. Then let the mist become a ribbon of water

gleaming before you, and see yourself standing on the shore of a lake. Merlin is beside you and you are

both looking across the water to the island in the center of the lake. This is the sacred island known as

Merlin’s Isle of Gramarye.

After you have greeted each other, Merlin tells you that he is here to help you cross over to explore the

Kingdom of the Gnomes. He raises his staff and points towards the water. A narrow bridge of light

appears, shining like the blade of a sword, connecting the mainland with the island. You step onto the

bridge, noticing that your body has become light and free. When you reach the other side, you canhear faint sounds of drumming coming from the northern region of the island. You follow the

drumbeats through a valley which soon turns into a deep gorge where a shallow stream runs noisily

over pebbles. You pick your way over the stony path and eventually arrive at a region of rocks, cliffs,

and caves. In the mouth of one of the caves, you see a circle of Gnomes seated within a circle of grey

standing stones. One of them beats a large round drum, carved with runes. As you approach, the drum

beats stop, and the Gnomes turn their heads to look at you. One of them, larger than the rest, rises

from a throne-like seat of stone. This is Ghob, a squat, sturdy figure like an old man with a peat-brown

face and long grey beard. He is clothed in a coarse jacket and trousers of russet, grey and brown. He

gazes at you unblinkingly from bright black slanting eyes. You must humbly introduce yourself to him

and ask him, in Merlin’s name, to allow you to meet with him and his people; to show you around hiskingdom and to learn about the work they do.




19

If you are allowed to proceed, try to absorb and remember everything you learn about them and their

work with the element of Earth in their world and in our own. In return, ask them what they need from

you as a representative of the human kingdom, and see if you can lend your aid.

When you have both finished, give thanks and return in peace across the bridge of light. If you choose,

you may spend more time with Merlin, during which you can ask him to clarify or add anything that

you have learned here. Do this journey a number of times – you will find that your knowledge and

understanding of the element of Earth will grow considerably.




20

3. PRACTICUM 3. PRACTICUM 3. PRACTICUM 3. PRACTICUM

WORKING WITH MAGICAL STONES

Stones have been used as sacred and magical tools by shamans and magicians for thousands of

years. Even the smallest, most humble stone can act as a portal into another dimension of the Web of

Life, both visible and invisible. Now it is time for you to find your own sacred stone or stones.

Finding the Stone

• Look for a stone out in Nature, perhaps by a river or on a beach. Seek one that you can easily

hold in your hand and which feels pleasant and rounded to the touch. If you are lucky, you may

find a hagstone – one with a hole in the middle.

• When you find one, sit down and hold it in your hands. Ground and center. Feel the solidness

of the stone and let it guide you to an awareness of your connection with the planet beneath

you.

• Now let the stone draw your awareness to the stars above you. There is an old esoteric saying:

‘The Stars are in the Stones,’ which has many layers of meaning. Ponder on that now.

• Run your hand over the planes and surfaces of the stone, and notice its texture, shape and

weight. Let your gaze wander over any patterns and natural markings. Do they remind you ofanything? Let your imagination go.

• Now, in a daydreaming kind of way, let yourself sense back into the history of the stone.

Imagine it is sending you information from its memory that travels up your arms and into your

mind, where it is translated into images, feelings, or streams of thought. Don't judge what

comes up: just flow with it. This is called psychometry, the art of diviniation through touch.

• If you are near a natural water-source, wash the stone. Otherwise take the stone home and

wash it there, preferably in natural water or water that has been blessed.

• Place it on your altar at the North. When you next journey to the Kingdom of the Gnomes, take

the astral equivalent of your stone with you, and ask Ghob for a blessing on it.




21

Attuning to the Stone Spirit

Sit with the stone in your hand, close your eyes and enter the Silence. See yourself shrinking until you

become very, very small. You are gazing at the Stone, which now appears as an enormous boulder. See

a door appear in the side of Stone. Ask permission to enter. Once through the door, see a crystalline

light at the center of the stone. Make for the light and find yourself in the Crystal Cave which is at the

heart of every rock and stone, connecting it with every other member of the stone family. For each and

every stone, however small, is a hologram that contains all the information of the archetypal Stone.

Within the Cave, you will meet the Spirit of the Stone. Ask for any information about this Stone and

how best you can use it. You may also want to ask for a sigil or sacred design that you can paint on the

stone. Ask if there is anything you can do in return. Thank the Spirit and take your leave.

FURTHER WORK WITH ROCKS AND STONES

Do one or more of the following workings with stones during this lesson period:

1. Releasing Stress with a Stone

A stone can be a very grounding influence in your sacred space. If you live in an urban area, holding it

or placing it at your feet during meditation can link you to Earth’s energies. Some people report this

helps them feel more present to themselves and their surroundings, more ‘in the body.’ Stones also

remind us of the enduring nature of our planet, which can make our own daily worries and concerns

seem insignificant in comparison. Attuning to the energy of the Stone can remind us of the power of

the North, and help us stand firm on important issues with confidence and steadfastness, to gather our

strength and courage in times of trial.

An old Druid practice involved lying on the back with a stone placed on the chest or belly in order to

go into an altered state. This is also helpful for releasing stress. Lie down and place the stone on your

navel. Take some deep breaths, making each one sound like the rise and fall of ocean waves. Relax

deeply with each exhalation. Imagine you are breathing out all anxiety, stress, worry and fears from

your body and into the stone through your navel. When you breathe in, imagine you are soaking in the

calm, relaxing power of the stone. Breathe out stress and worry; breathe in the calm power. Keep doing

this until you feel that the negative emotions have eased and your body feels soft, warm and relaxed.

Relax and keep breathing for as long as you wish. Afterwards, cleanse the stone by rinsing it with

water. Visualize the released negative feelings washing away from the stone and flowing out to the

ocean, where they will be neutralized. Give thanks to the spirit of the stone and replace on your altar.




22

2. Seership with Stones

If you are struggling with an elusive question, problem, or a decision that has to be made, seek the

wisdom of the Rock People. Here are two tried and true ways:

Stone Gazing: Go out into nature and let your self be drawn to a particular rock or stone.

Remember exactly where it is located, because you will return it to that spot and thank it for its

help after you have used it. Contemplate a question or decision that needs to be made. Pose

your question to each side of the rock or stone. Gaze at each side and see one or more images

on its surface. Ask yourself what the rock could be telling you with each particular image about

the answer to the question. Pool all the images from all four sides of the rock to get the answer

to the question.

Dreaming with Stones: Go to a stream that marks a boundary and, with closed eyes, take from

the water three stones between middle finger and thumb. Carry them home carefully and place

them under your pillow. That night, ask for a dream that will give you guidance or a solution toa problem, and the stones may bring it for you.

3. Altars of Stone

For thousands of years, people have used stones to mark sacred places. To lay down a stone is a sacred

ceremonial act, an invocation to the Earth Spirit, a way to acknowledge the power and presence of the

living land. Here are some ways you can carry on this tradition. (Do one or more.)

Cairns : Go for a walk with sacred intent in the countryside, being aware with each step you take

that you are treading on the bones and body of Mother Earth. When you reach a suitable place for a

pause, place a stone by the side of the path or trail. As you do so, say a silent blessing for the Earthand all her creatures. Do this walk regularly so that the pile of stones become a cairn – an altar to

the Earth.

Standing Stones: If you have a garden or land in which to work, attune to places that have a sacred

or faery feeling, and position stones to act as sanctuaries to the resident spirits. Let your intuition –

and the faeries themselves – guide you in their placement: it could be a single rock, a small circle

or triangle of pebbles, a little stone ‘house,’ or other configuration.

The Hearthstone : A hearthstone was originally the large flat stone which formed the base for the

fire in times gone by. Because of its vital role in the home, it was regarded as an object ofnuminous power, which marked and anchored the sacred center of the home. Although most

modern houses don’t have them any more, you can establish a hearthstone in your home as a




23

dedication to the Earth Goddess. Choose a large, flat stone with a roughly circular or lozenge

shape. Bless it by sprinkling it with natural or holy water, then position it in your fireplace or next

to a woodstove. Pray to the Mother, asking her to bring blessings to your home, hearth and family.

The Wheel of Life: Indoors or out, fashion a Wheel of Life from stones. Start with a stone for each

of the four directions. Then add other stones to fill in the circle. At the center, place a special

stone. Don’t rush this: Let yourself be guided to the stones over a period of time until you find just

the right ones. You can also add other objects as you go that relate to the four elements, for

example, a feather for Air in the East; yellow flowers for Fire in the South, a shell for Water in the

West, a piece of bone or antler for Earth on the North. Just see what gifts the Earth will bring you.

The Wheel of Life has many uses:

• It can serve as an altar and as a centering device. It can be particularly useful when you

are feeling out of balance. Sit in the direction of the element whose qualities you need,

send a prayer to the Earth Goddess and to the Elemental King or Queen in question,and open yourself to receive the energy.

• It can also be used as a portal into the Otherworld, especially if you use two stones at

each direction to act as a gateway to the caer , or faery kingdom, of each direction

through which you can take the inner journey.

• It can also be visualized as a door into the Earth itself. Visualize it opening to reveal a

spiral staircase down which you can travel to the UnderRealm.

The Wheel of Life




24

4. IN THE GREEN WORLD4. IN THE GREEN WORLD4. IN THE GREEN WORLD4. IN THE GREEN WORLD

HEALING IMBALANCES WITH EARTH

If you tend to get “stuck in your head,” feel ungrounded, unstable or anxious, bring more Earth energy

into your system by spending more time with this element.

• Take long, steady-paced walks, really feeling the earth beneath you with each step you take.

• Stand or sit against any natural large rocks in the landscape, sink back, and enter the timeless

realm of stone.

• Work with soil by planting a garden, or just a few flowers or herbs in pots or window-boxes.

Plunge your hands deep into the soil; smell it, feel it, run it through your fingers. Ponder on

what made the substance you are holding in your hands . . . where it could have come from. . .You too are made from the same elements . . .

GETTING TO KNOW THE EARTH

• How much do you really know the earth beneath your feet? Find out the geology of the area in

which you live and learn a bit about the rocks, clays and gravels that you walk upon every day.

• Tune into the Gnome kingdom by going on walks in rocky places, among trees (where they can

sometimes be found around tree roots) and in damp, earthy hollows. To do this, use a shorter

version of the Faery Star process, (see Lesson Two) or simply sit down and see if you can sense

their presence in your surroundings. Greet the Gnomes, send them love from your heart, andtell them you want to get to know them more. If you see any images with your inner eye and

like to draw, sketch what you see and send in the result with your report.

SACRED SITES AND POWER SPOTS

Although all the Earth is sacred, there are places on the globe at which particularly strong energies can

be experienced. These are ‘liminal’ or ‘threshold’ areas, which the Irish called “thin” places, because

the veil that parts the worlds is particularly thin here. Thin places are portals to the Otherworld and

may be found at ancient barrow-mounds where the bones of the ancestors lie, in caves and in

mountains. A lone tree, especially the hawthorn, a tree sacred to faeries, is a likely portal, as is a circle

of stones or single standing stone. Water often marks a sacred spot, especially at the shoreline whereland and water meet, the banks of a river, a ford, or where two or three streams converge. Others may

include large rocks, natural springs, the summits of hills and mountains, islands, and faery glens.




25

Sacred sites can also be shaped by human hand. Especially in Europe, many naturally liminal places

may have had buildings such as Christian churches erected over them, within which the sacred

energies are still contained. A knowledge of how to work at such places is essential to the practice of

Earth Magic.

Finding a Sacred Site

Try to find a sacred site in a natural setting where you won’t be disturbed. You may find old maps

helpful. If you live in a place once inhabited by indigenous tribal people, you may be able to find

information about their sacred places from the library or by talking to old people. Practice how to sense

the energies at different places. Learn to tell the difference between a site – or a building – that is so

charged with sacred energy that it almost shimmers or crackles and one which feels energetically

stagnant, dead or asleep. Some traditional sacred sites may not be sacred any more, having been

purposely shut down long ago. Some are plagued with too many visitors and the spirits have long since

fled. If you can, pay several visits to an ancient site – I have known one or two that seem dead to

suddenly pulsate with power at certain times of the year, due to the cycles of planets, Stars and Moon.If you don’t know what the site was used for – and the archeologists won’t be of much help here –

spend some time quietly sitting there and ask your inner self and allies what it was used for: Fertility?

Healing? Burial? Birth?

If you don’t know of a traditional sacred site in your area, go on a walk and find a natural place which

feels special to you in some kind of way. For some, this might be in a forest, by a stream or on a

mountainside. Perhaps you feel especially calm and peaceful there – or more alive and vibrant with

energy. You may feel like you can communicate with the birds and animals in the place, or get a sense

of unity with the whole web of life. You may not know why, but you always come away feeling

refreshed in body and mind.

The Guardian

The first thing to know about any sacred site is that it’s likely to have a resident Guardian or genius

loci (spirit of the place.) The Guardian may be the spirit of a Faery being or an Elemental, or a human

being who was associated with the place. It acts as a gatekeeper to the inner location of the site.

Always bring an offering for the Guardian to any sacred site you visit. In fact, it's a good idea to do

this whenever you travel to somewhere new. Acknowledging the spirits of any place with respect

extends your awareness of your new environs, can help you feel more grounded after a long trip (it

helps with jet lag!), and in general, makes you a more welcome pilgrim on Planet Earth.




26

Read the following in preparation for working at a sacred site:

1. Take with you your offering and, if you are not confident of your ability to locate the cardinal

directions by the sun, a compass.

2. If possible, walk either all or part way there. Make it a pilgrimage in which you tune in to the

earth on which you tread, and really open all your senses, inner and outer, to your surroundings.

This will help you arrive in the right state of mind.

3. Locate the natural gateway of the site. Ask permission from the Guardian before you enter.

4. If you receive permission, walk around the site three times sunwise, if the terrain allows. The

first time around is to sense where you are and get your bearings. Be aware of your feet; be

aware of the earth. Notice what you see and hear. The second time around, deepen from

looking to seeing, and from hearing to listening. Touch any stones, trees, etc. that you pass. Thethird time around, begin to ‘move into’ the energy of the place.

5. Stand in the central place. Sense your position in the cosmos and silently or quietly affirm the

seven directions: the four cardinal points, the sky above, the Earth below and the center within.

(See diagram below.) You can use the following or put it into your own words:

I salute the East: Air, Dawn, and Springtime.

The South: Fire, Noon, and Summer.

The West: Water, Evening, and Autumn.

The North: Earth, Midnight, and Winter.Above me the Sky, Sun, Moon, and Stars,

Below me the UnderRealm, the Ancestors and the Sidhe.

Within me the Center where burns the Sacred Flame.

6. Say a blessing and place your offering to the Guardian and any other spirits of the place at the

base of a stone or tree. (See the Faery Star in Lesson Two for suggestions as to what to bring

and what to say.)

7. Spend time in this place as you wish. You may want to ask the Guardian all about the place and

what it was used for; you may wish to commune with any other beings present, such as stone ortree spirits.




27

8. Enter deeper into the sacred site by visualizing an imaginary circle in the ground. Sit down,

relax, ground, close your eyes and enter the Silence. Let the circle become a trapdoor that leads

deep into the UnderRealm. Visualize it opening up to reveal a spiral staircase below. Take a

VisionJourney down the staircase to explore this place. On your return, dissolve all images.

9. Give thanks and a blessing before you leave the site.

Important Note: It’s also good to be clear about what not to do at sacred sites! Especially in the British

Isles and Ireland, many ancient sites that lay undisturbed for centuries, visited only by a few locals or

grazing sheep, have now become tourist destinations overrun with noisy crowds, especially in the

summer months. Some of these visitors bury crystals, chip off pieces of the stones for souvenirs, walk

over tree roots, and even light fires in their midst. It is not uncommon to find standing stones and earth

chambers defaced with chalked symbols or covered with candle wax by people who think they arecarrying out pagan or New Age rituals. The spirits of these places have generally either fled, or

sometimes, especially in the case of burial mounds where Victorian treasure-hunters and

archaeologists have removed the bodies, are still in the area in great distress.

Remember the saying, “Take only photographs, leave only footprints.” Anything else is not Sacred

Earth Magic.

EARTH SIGIL FOR THE STAFF

During this lesson you will have encountered many aspects of the Spirits of the Earth. From the sum of

your experiences, choose a symbol that for you most signifies this Element, then carve or paint it on

your Staff.

The Seven

Directions




28

Suggestions for Further Reading

Celtic Sacred Landscapes by Nigel Pennick. London: Thames & Hudson, 1996.

An excellent book by a modern pagan scholar about all aspects of the sacred landscape.

The Earth Goddess by Cheryl Straffon. London: Cassell, 1997.

The author has been involved with Earth Mysteries and in particular, the sacred feminine in the Celtic

landscape, for many years.

The Stars and the Stones: Ancient Art and Astronomy in Ireland by Martin Brennan. London: Thames

and Hudson, 1983.

A seminal book when it was first published, written by an art historian who was the first to recognize

and interpret the meaning of the art and astronomical alignments of the Boyne Valley monuments in

Ireland. Beautifully illustrated with the author’s line drawings of the stones.

A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland, and Brittany by Aubrey Burl. Yale U. Press, 1995.A practical and informative guidebook written by the acknowledged archaeological authority on

Northern European stone circles today.

Symbolic Landscapes: The Dreamtime Earth and Avebury's Open Secrets by Paul Devereux.

Glastonbury : Gothic Image Publications, 1992.

Earth Mysteries researcher, Devereux, explores in depth the ritual landscape of Avebury, showing how

it can be viewed through altered states of consciousness, the 'Dreamtime' manner of the ancient world.

Twilight of the Celtic Gods: an Exploration of Britain's Hidden Pagan Traditions by David Clarke

with Andy Roberts. London: Cassell, 1996.A truly fascinating account of authentic survivals of the Old Ways in Britain, very readable and well

illustrated with line drawings and photographs.

Spirits of the Stones: Visions of Sacred Britain by Alan Richardson. London: Virgin Publishing, 2001.

Difficult to find, but worth the effort, this is a unique collection of interviews with modern seers, and

occultists of Britain, who recount their visions and psychic experiences among the megaliths.

By Standing Stone and Elder Tree by William G. Gray. St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications, 1990.

Originally published as The Rollright Ritual, this is an absorbing first-hand account by one of the 20th

century's major occultists of his magical experiences at the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire.

© Mara Freeman, 2006. No part of this material may be reproduced.

Sacred Earth Magic Lesson Five

Documents