How it was primitive man was able to leave his mark in stone?

                              (In order to leave their calling card with us today, massive monuments needed to be built like Stonehenge).

The many Atlantis citadels throughout the know world were built in a way to be independent and self sustaining. Their make up was perfectly in harmony with Mother Nature as she settled down producing the ideal eco-climate for life as we know it, as well as life but not as we know it!

                                                             Written By Orion Moon (2009) as part of a forthcoming book .

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                Author information: Orionmoon. 2009  [Order Of Orion]. All rights reserved.

AVALON & Glastonbury

Of all the islands in the literature concerning the Celtic Otherworld, Avalon holds a paramount position in the Western imagination. The name is believed to be derived from the Welsh Avallach, meaning apple. The Irish called the Isle of Women, Emain Ablach, (another term for apple) because it was famous for the wonderful apples that grew there. Geoffrey of Mon­mouth describes Avalon: “The Isle of Apples was also called Fortunate Isle, because all the vegetation there grew naturally with no need of cultiva­tion the harvests were rich and the forests thick with apples and grapes” - It may seem strange to contemporary readers that the Celts placed so much emphasis on vegetation, particularly apples. Why apples? We must remember that until trade routes were established with warmer lands to the south, northern Europeans had a very limited selection of fruit, sugar, and spices. For centuries after trade routes were opened, there were still no reliable methods of refrigeration to transport perishable commodities cheaply and in significant quantities. Only the wealthy could afford exotic fruits from the Mediterranean. The sweetness and fragrance of fruit, not to mention its delicate nature, made it a rare commodity. But the hardy apple grew naturally in the northern climate and seemed to be a gift from the Goddess herself.

Avalon continues to shine in the Western imagination as a deep and richly faceted jewel, illuminating the great mysteries of human existence. It may have begun its own journey in Western spirituality as an island of apples, or the alchemical workshops where Priestesses forged Excalibur, or the temporary resting place of Arthur, but Avalon is to Western imagina­tion what Bali Hal is to the Polynesian—an image of perfection, a place of perfect happiness, a state of being. It is the Western equivalent of nirvana~ It is the dream within our dreaming. Can Avalon be located geographically? Many have tried, and failed, to provide convincing evidence. Glastonbury in Somerset, however, remains a strong contender, and even if the evidence is more whimsical than histori­cal, there is good reason to treasure this age-old power spot in southwestern England. Originally, the area was referred to as Summerland, a common name for the Otherworld, suggesting the pleasantness and fecundity of summer. At one time the area around Glastonbury was a marshy swamp. And what today is a large hill with a ruined tower, or Tor, was once an island, requiring a boat to reach it. It seems to have always been apple-growing country, as far back as anyone can remember, and it still is. An older Welsh name for the island at Glastonbury was Ynys-Witrin. the Isle of Glass. Like metallurgy, glass making was originally considered a magical skill, and for many centuries glass was an expensive and impressive commodity. It is also possible that terms for glass and crystal were used interchangeably, both having the wonderful properties of translucence and sometimes the ability to splay light into the colors of the rainbow. Indeed many people, even today, consider crystal to be solidified sunlight with mag­ical, healing powers.

             Tradition claims that the first Christian church in Britain was built at Glastonbury by Joseph of Arimethea, and so the site is intimately associate c with the Grail legends. The actual Tor is the remains of a medieval church built to St. Michael, but even more ancient beliefs hold that the tower stands above the entrance to the Celtic Lower World where Arthur and his men quested for the Cauldron of Immortality. Thus Glastonbury seems to have always exerted a spiritual pull on the Western mind, from pre-­Celtic and Pagan Celtic times through the early Christian era down to the present.  Glastonbury continues to attract spiritual seekers, New Age enthu­siasts, and modern followers of the occult and older Pagan religions. The belief that it is, or was, Avalon, or the entrance to Avalon, keeps this ancient site in the forefront of mythic consciousness. Whether Arthur is buried beneath the Tor, whether at certain times of the year the mists return and the hill once again becomes an island, whether, as some have suggested, the remains of the prehistoric track winding around the hill to the top was at one time a labyrinth used for initiations into a pre-Celtic mystery religion, we may never know. But from a shamanic point of view, and from the per­spective of Celtic shamanism, Glastonbury will remain a place wrapped in mystery where the world of time and matter meets the world of eternity and spirit. It is a place to begin the shamanic journey.

       The triple death was originally the shaman’s death, and only later attributed to kings and heroes. For in causing the shaman’s death, the elements of nature symbolically announce that they have closed the three worlds in which the shaman journeys. The worlds are now hos­tile; the journeying is over. The Upper World of stars and sky falls upon the shaman’s head. The Lower World beneath the sea rises up to drown the shaman. The Middle World cracks open and swallows the shaman. There is to be no more “walking between the worlds.” The shaman becomes a per­son without a spiritual country. And yet how fitting that the regions of the shaman’s otherworldly jour­neys into non-ordinary reality serve as the midwives of the shaman’s birth into the next life, providing the final passage for this last journey. The triple death closes off the elements of nature once and for all, so the shaman is forced to go farther than on any previous journey of the imagination. Now the shaman must truly go beyond the upper and lower regions of nature, even beyond nature herself, beyond creation, seeking the journey for which all the others were preparation—the Journey into the Great Beyond. The triple death has haunted the Celtic imagination for good reason, for the Celtic imagination is intensely shamanic. On some level of con­sciousness, the Celtic spirit knows what the shaman knows: that beyond the beauties and terrors of the three worlds of nature lies another world that is our real home; that as hospitable, stimulating, satisfying, and adventurous as nature has been for our earthly sojourn, it is not our final destination. The migration will and must continue, as we search for our place of resur­rection. The destination called Avalon is always just beyond the reach of myth and memory. For in the final analysis, Avalon is not a geographical spot, nor a spiritual retreat from the hardships of life. It is the song of hope in the human heart calling, “Come away. Come away.”

Taken from the book  ‘Fire in the Head’ by Tom Cowan ISBN 0-06-250174-7 £9.99 (Celtic Shamanism & Spirit).

 

    Anti-war Ritual within Glastonbury Tor on the New Moon 20th Aug 2009

 

                  

 

       How true these quotes from the book 1984 = "WAR IS PEACE  -  FREEDOM IS SLAVERY  -  IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."

 

Alistair Crowley’s friend was fellow witch, Gerald Gardner who led a ritual in the summer of 1940 in the New Forest where they practiced, near the Rufus Stone, involving a group whose advancing years had left them few opportunities for participating actively in the war; they planned to invoke a cone of power to try to end the war ASAP. In the same spirit today the O.O.O. (Order Of Orion) last week performed a similar Ritual on Glastonbury Tor, in the tower itself. This location was chosen because it is one of the key points where Ley Lines cross, a power point and ancient Pagan site before Christians chose to site not one but two full churches, both destroy by earth quakes in the 1200,s. Only the tower of the second church remains on the very to of the Tor which is a massive earth mound of around 600 feet high. Also that area has become the place where a stream of coffins, of our brave war dead return. (My heart goes out to the grieving families). I hope the ultimate sacrifice has not been in vain and Peace will return not only to the Middle East but to the whole planet once and for all. It won’t happen unless we ALL do our bit, All religions pull together and stop these war monger politicians who never lead from the front but stay safe and sound feathering their nests at the same time.

In our Rite last week on the Tor I included and changed some words from John Lennon’s brilliant Anti-war song in our Ritual as follows:

                      "Imagine there is no country, it isn’t hard to do.

            Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too.

        Imagine peaceful living, and the world can be as one.

            When all life is respected, our job will be done.”

 The song Imagine was a very powerful reminder of what we should be aiming for in the 21^st century, not dropping bombs but dropping aid to those who need it most, respect works both ways and that is the ONLY way to stop terrorism and they know it. Blessed Be the peace makers.   

   Here is the Ritual as it happened within the Tor, There was a gale blowing through but just outside still?

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BASIC ORDER MISSION STATEMENT:

The Order Of Orion Group Mission Statement is to practice modern and ancient forms of witchcraft and Magick as a spiritual Path, for the good of the members and the general well being of all.

 Covens (On-line and actual) are eclectic closed Circles that on occasion hold open Circles especially for very interested parties (by invite only).  At the open Circle only standard and well-known Magical Rites will be displayed.  All other Rites are for the closed Circle members who meet privately. No standard fees are required.  Any member is free to leave at any time without fear of reprisals; we only ask that members are discreet once left the coven.

The coven (On-line and actual) is a degreed, incorporating 3 degrees of learning to aim for.  The year and a day rule apply in most cases (but this may be flexible depending on the circumstances & the individual.) Initially to join in a simple self-dedication ritual (or group dedication) when the student is ready. If desired one can stay at any level but initiation is required to become a 1st degree level Wiccan at least. 

The coven does not exist to indoctrinate, manipulate or control anyone.  Members are allowed to be in other covens, religions and Magical organisations, where there’s no conflict of interests. Female and Male members have equal status within the OOO.