The ebb and flow of the tides of the Earth, sun, moon, and stars are but repetitions of the Great Cycle, the very nature of the energetic workings of the universe. Understanding this cycle and learning to harness its energy through working within its parameters is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves … one of the greatest tools in our quest for inner growth and understanding. We are a part of the universe, not apart from it, and becoming conscious of the mechanics of the universe gives us great insight into our inner universe as well. As above, so below. As within, so without.
When we acknowledge and integrate the lessons of the Great Cycle into our work and into our lives, we can more fully participate in the promise of change and renewal that this great Cosmic Dance eternally brings. Not only can we come to better understand our own process of unfolding, we can actually, with consciousness, harness the energies that sweep over us and through us and use them to reinforce and empower our path to wholeness. Aligning our work with the Great Cycle allows us to plug into a great cosmic battery, which, by virtue of the Hermetic principle of correspondence, will energize our changes. What better ally on our quest for wholeness than the whole of the universe?
NOTE: The goal of the Avalonian Cycle of Healing is to help us recognize the unhealthy patterns of our lives and to lay down new energetic pathways in support of our personal growth and the actualization of our inner Sovereignty. The Cycle of Healing is a tool of self-exploration and personal empowerment, and is most effective when used in the context of a supportive community or in tandem with traditional therapy. Change can often be painful, and while this work can bring up unpleasant memories or trigger emotional reactions as we process and explore, these feelings should never become overwhelming or incapacitating. Should this occur, immediately stop your work and seek help from a qualified mental health professional.
5
The Station of Descent
Three things no being can be seen without: covering, movement, and shadow
Celtic Triad
The beginning of the Cycle of Healing, the Station of the Descent, marks the place in the Cycle where one turn ends and the next turn begins. Here we assess aspects of the self which are outmoded, restrictive, and are a drain of our inner resources; old, open wounds have nothing to do with the reality of the now. Here, we undertake the journey into the unconscious, the dark half of ourselves hidden from view. In this shadowy realm lies the root cause of our wounding and the ultimate treasure: the reclamation of energies tied up in our pain. It is here that we ask ourselves the grail question: Whom does this serve? If the answer is that these parts of our selves do not support manifestations of our higher self potential, it is time to look further.
Descent in the Cycle of the Year
The rites for honoring the ancestors and celebrating the lives of those who died during the last year have been performed. The harvest is complete and grain has been stored. Those animals not slaughtered and smoked are corralled and sheltered for the coming winter. The fields are bare and seemingly lifeless, surrendering to the replenishing slumber of the Dark Half of the Year. The coming stillness and silence of winter have been prepared for; with forethought and mindfulness, all reserves have been stored. Anything unnecessary has been cast aside.
Calan Gaeaf (Samhain) signaled the beginning of a time of forced inner contemplation; there would be little or no travel between the isolated Celtic homesteads during the long winter months. Rather than the outwardly focused concerns that are the primary occupations of an agrarian society, the dark time brought with it a new perspective—one that turned the eye inward, concentrating on the needs of hearth and home. How beautiful and right that the agricultural cycles mirror so very closely the tides of the soul’s journey and the endless progression of all things.
Calan Gaeaf is the gatekeeper into the Dark Half of the Year. An old cycle ends and a new one begins. The paradox of Calan Gaeaf is that it is neither of the new order nor of the old. Rather, it is the doorway through which one must pass in order to begin the Cycle anew. In the same way that the Celts considered a new day to begin at dusk, Calan Gaeaf was both the ending of the old order and the beginning of the New Year. In this way, Calan Gaeaf is the sunset of the year, the transition period into a darkness that in turn begets newness.
Portal days like Calan Gaeaf are liminal periods: experiences that exist beyond the scope of everyday life and outside the limits of time and space. Many cultures set aside days that did not appear on any calendar but were used as sacred periods to mark the transition from one year to the next. These “non-days” were filled with ritual and celebration, and some sources believe the Celts did the same. An individual within society can often be seen as a microcosmic representation of the larger whole, and we see cultures all over the world using the concept of intermediary sacred periods to mark important life transitions. Rites of passage act as bridges between the old self and the new; they ritualize the shifts in societal stature that accompany these changes. At Calan Gaeaf and Calan Mai (Beltane) we, like the Earth, pass through the liminal gateway to enter into a new phase of existence.
There is no better time to announce our intention to undertake the inner quest to the universe than at the transitional time of Calan Gaeaf—the portal through which we enter into the Dark Half of the Year—the time when the veil between the worlds is most thin. In the time leading up to Calan Gaeaf, our work is to review our inner landscape to identify ways in which any blight upon our harvest has manifested, and to seek its root cause.
The Avalonian Cycle of Healing, then, begins at the Station of Descent—in a place between the worlds that straddles the light and dark, the conscious and unconscious, above and below, the self and the shadow. Here we enter the Cauldron of Ceridwen, seeking wisdom and rebirth in the darkness of the womb/tomb. We set into motion the work of the Dark Half of the Cycle … turning our attention within to see the root of our wounding, the cause of our pain, and all that prevents us from being whole.
At Descent, we prepare ourselves for the journey within, casting away that which will prevent us from having unobstructed sight. We gather our strength and pull our energies within, so that we may reclaim the energies tied up in shadow. We announce our intentions for wholeness and peel the first layer of energy away, getting deeper and deeper to the core. We must look behind at what was—honoring the ghosts of our past—and then move forward to begin the work of what can be. This is both a beginning and an ending … the death of the old self and the re-creation of the new.
It is important to remember that the shadow cannot be eradicated; it is a vital part of who and what we are. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only change forms. The work of the Dark Half of the Cycle is to uncover and understand the hidden ways in which the shadow has co-opted our personal energy—energy that would otherwise be available for growth and positive manifestation of our potential. By removing this energy from the lower self, the shadow is disempowered and the freed energy resources can be redirected into becoming the women we were meant to be.
This Station is where we set into motion the work of the Dark Half of the Cycle and commit ourselves to seek the truth of the inner self. Descent is aligned with the energies of solar Scorpio, the conscious regeneration of a lower energy into a higher energy, and lunar Taurus with its earthy chthonic energies directed within.
Descent in the Cycle of the Moon—Third Quarter
The moon is in her third quarter from the seventh through the tenth day after the full moon. During this phase, the left half of the moon appears to be illuminated by direct sunlight. The third quarter moon rises in the east at midnight, is at its apex in the sky at dawn, and sets at noon past the western horizon. Energetically, this is a time for descending into the darkness and seeking inner balance.
Self-reflective Questions for the Station of Descent
Take some time to meditate upon these questions while
in a clear and receptive space. Use your replies to help form a focus for the work of the Station of Descent. Be sure to record your thoughts in a journal—this will help you chart your process of growth and change as you do the work of the Avalonian Cycle of Healing.
What perspective, situations, persons, and things in your life cause you pain? What things stimulate guilt? Sadness? Anger? Remorse? Embarrassment? Fear?
In what areas of your life are there inequities of energy exchange—where your personal energy is being expended without being replaced? How does this make you feel? Would you like for this to change? Why has this been permitted to occur?
In looking over the grand scheme of your life, what destructive patterns of behavior can you recognize? What effect do these patterns have on the quality of your life? In what ways would your life change if these patterns no longer existed?
Think about yourself as a child and the life you imagined you’d have. What would you be doing? Where would you be living? Who would be in your life? Compare these aspirations and their natural growth and modification to your life at this very moment: Where are you in attaining these goals? Are you satisfied with your progress? What could you be doing differently? What obstacles have gotten in your way? How have you dealt with them? What prevents you from being the person you wish to be?
What prevents you from manifesting your dreams and realizing your potential? When did you come to accept your limitations as unalterable? How much of this perspective is your own? How much of it did you learn from the people and experiences in your life? What keeps you anchored to this belief? In what ways would your life be different if you could change your mind about your worth and your abilities?
The Avalonian Landscape—The Red Spring
alternative names: Chalice Well, Blood Well, Blood Spring
cycle of healing: Station of Descent
cauldron transformation: Salmon/Otter
elemental alignment: Water
energy center: Womb
We enter the manifested Cycle in Avalon’s Sacred Landscape through the holy waters of the Red Spring. The physical landscape of old Avalon changed significantly over time. What was once simply a spring bubbling forth from the ground has undergone many transformations to become the healing garden and holy well so lovingly cared for by the Chalice Well Trust in present-day Glastonbury. What is today the shaft of Chalice Well was, in actuality, a well house built in the late twelfth century to protect the spring (then the main water supply for Glastonbury Abbey) at its source. This artifice disrupted the free flow of the stream that carried away the erosive silt, causing it instead to build up over the centuries. Ultimately, the silt buried the Well House in its entirety. The Well, then, is formed by the medieval Well House structure with the capstones removed.
Yet, even in the seemingly mundane, there remains mystery.
It can be no accident that here, in the power spot that is Glastonbury, we see the upper realms imprint themselves upon the lower realms—that physical form comes to reflect spiritual energy. Consciously constructed or no, the well shaft is adjacent to a pentagonal chamber, whose most elongated angle points west—the direction which, like Avalon herself, is associated with the Otherworld. The number five features prominently in the Avalonian Tradition; it is number of the quest, the number of goddesses honored by the Sisterhood of Avalon, and the number of seeds comprising the five-pointed star hidden in the apple so sacred to the Holy Isle.
Assailed by the forces of persecution, restriction, and co-option, the essence of what makes Glastonbury holy has survived over time, albeit through embracing new form. Once honored and free flowing, the Red Spring reacted to containment attempts by submerging herself and her mysteries deep into the sheltering Earth. There, protected, sustained, and robed in a new garment, she continues to flow and her energy remains intact, awaiting those who seek her. No longer only the Cauldron of Ceridwen, she is also the keeper of the Holy Grail—the sought and submerged power of the Sacred Feminine.
Over time, this ostensibly female object changed from cauldron to cup, from the Womb of the Goddess to the Holy Grail of Christianity. Accordingly, the Red Spring of Avalon transformed over time to the Chalice Well of Glastonbury. Hidden in the well by Joseph of Arimathea, legend tells us the Holy Grail stained the waters red, recalling Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Again, the water’s healing properties are reflected in the Grail mythos—when found and lifted to the lips of the Wounded King, one sip returned vitality to the wasteland.
The many stories and traditions that have come to be associated with the Red Spring over the centuries have spun the many layers of archetypal garments now worn by the site. Interestingly, each overlay is connected to and builds upon the rest. Whether spiritual metaphor or psychological symbol, the Chalice Well embodies the urge to reconnect with the universal matrix of creation—the Source to which all things return.
The Red Spring has been venerated since time immemorial as holy to the Goddess. The water’s high iron content stains red every fountain, basin, and sluice in the gardens, thereby evoking Her sacred blood mysteries. This obvious menstrual connection serves to further the message: we must shed the old to make way for the new—from death comes new life. The waters of Chalice Well have never been known to fail; they have sustained Glastonbury through various droughts over the centuries. These icy waters have been revered for their healing properties and have been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years.
The Chalice Well of modern times is sacred to spiritual seekers the world over, and has come to be symbolized by the vesica piscis, wrought into the well cover’s ironwork. This image figures significantly in the sacred geometry of Glastonbury Abbey, as noted by Fredrick Bligh Bond in the early twentieth century, and it was he who commissioned the cover for the Chalice Well Trust. The interlocking circles of the vesica piscis, representing the duality of nature on a myriad of levels, create a yonic (suggestive of female genitalia) gateway, an apt symbol for this deeply feminine holy place of Descent and Transformation.
Immram to the Red Spring of Avalon
The Red Spring is related to the Station of Descent in the Avalonian Cycle of Healing. Stepping through the portal of this Station, we commit ourselves to the inner voyage of transformation this healing dance can bring to us. Use this holy site to help you clarify those things that hold you back from manifesting your authentic self. Clear away those things which block your sight so that you may honestly see where your fears and patterns prevent you from recognizing your wholeness.
Entering the shadow work of the Station of Descent takes great courage, for it represents a death of sorts as we enter the Otherworld in search of inner treasure. Know that you are supported in your journey, and that the universe will never reveal to you that which you do not have the means of handling. The work is uncomfortable, but should never be incapacitating; it is important to know the difference between the two and to seek the help of a professional counselor or therapist if you become overwhelmed with what surfaces. Having a good support system is always important when doing inner process work; part of personal empowerment is knowing when you need some help and then learning how to ask for it.
Perform the Immram to the Island of Avalon as described on p. 55. After disembarking the Barge to Avalon, proceed with the rest of this working.
The Journey
It is dusk. Stepping out of the Barge that transported you across the glassy lake to the Holy Isle, you meet your guide waiting for you on the shores of Avalon. Greet your guide and share your reason for undertaking this journey and your desire to visit the Red Spring; ask to be guided there.
The sharp scent of distant hearth-fires and the sickly sweet smell of fermented apples fill the air as you are led through the orchards. Nearby, you can hear the rooting of wild boars as they devour the last of the over-ripe fallen fruit. Time passes so differently here. Through the twisted branc
hes of the nearly bare apple trees, you can already see the autumn stars twinkling in the velvet of the darkening sky.
The hilly terrain slopes up and down again, finally causing the slumbering body of the Tor to rise gently over the landscape. Take note of what you see along your path as you follow your guide, neither to the spiraled hilltop nor to the pregnant earthen mound silhouetted against the moonlit sky, but to the valley between these two hallowed promontories.
Softly at first, then growing louder as you approach, your ears pick up the gentle burble of flowing water. It is the Red Spring, fountaining out from a cleft in the spongy Earth, spilling the life-blood of the island, and making the air heavy with the tang of iron. Surrounded by red-stained stones creating a small dolman-like enclosure, it is guarded by ancient, brooding yew trees whose bark seems to shift into patterns of ancient symbols the longer you stare into them.
Red ribbons hang in the branches of these venerated trees, the tokens of those who have come before you asking guidance from these holy waters and giving thanks to the Goddess. Your guide hands you one such ribbon. Take your time and infuse the ribbon with the intention of this journey. When you are ready, and after asking the tree’s permission to do so, tie it onto an empty branch. Feel your request being received into the night.
Gazing again at the simple beauty of the waters springing forth at your feet, you feel an inner thirst unlike any you have ever experienced, and are drawn to drink of this holy elixir. Although you feel that you are standing in a place pilgrims and priestesses have visited for countless ages, you see no cup or vessel with which to collect the water. Your hands begin to tingle, and you understand you are to put your hands directly in the spring; no human-made vessel, no matter how finely wrought, is worthy enough to touch these healing waters.
Avalon Within Page 9
