Mid Winter Solstice 2012

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21/12/2012 What a meaningful date, full of portent and significance. Apart from the media hype, it was a date to be recognised and treated with respect
Each of us feels we have moved into a new time, one of swift changes, in which we need to have addressed the fundamental question of how we can achieve our highest potential. With that in mind, and to mark the event with meaning, I set off for the sacred valley of Glendalough with my daughter and two good friends, one of whom has led many pilgrimages to the site
The day was clear and calm. We walked to St Kevin’s well, an ancient source of water with a wishing tree nearby at the bank of the river. We placed ourselves at the 4 directions then walked seven times around the well, setting our intentions for the future, finally hanging our wish ribbons on the tree
We walked to the upper lake, also known as the lake of the angels. The afternoon was still and the lake was like glass, with the reflection of the mountain very clear. The ancient oaks there are covered in soft green moss, with springs and little waterfalls pouring out of every crack in the rocks
We continued to the remains of Kevin’s cell, what had been once a beehive of stones high up over the lake. There we lit a candle and meditated in the silence and beauty of the place. We then climbed further up towards the Poulanass waterfall, rushing down through the green glen and into the lake. Back then along the bank of the lower lake in the dusk with the moon rising. We finished up at the ancient centre of Glendalough, with its ruined tower and cathedral, celtic crosses and headstones. The river mist was hanging amongst those buildings of stone, but there is such a positive energy in that place full of old souls that is a very uplifting. Imagine that in the 6th century A.D, it was considered a great place of learning and became possibly the first university in Europe, to which the King of France sent his son Clovis to be educated
It was a fitting place to spend a significant milestone in our lifetime on this planet, a place of great spirituality and enlightenment