Today I have just returned from the Chalice Well Wellbeing weekend in Glastonbury,UK, where I was offering healing and sharing in the sunshine of the day. A beautiful day in a special place, and a blessing to be there.
Chalice Well is one of those sacred places in nature which is a true gift to all who visit. But there are many other places also unique in nature, if only we seek them out, which can support us on our journey. Chalice Well is a famous place, and has hundreds of visitors each year, all coming to share in the nature, the energies and the water. I have always found that offering healing at the well enhances what I offer, as the spirits of the water, plants and earth support all healing. I have been part of their healing weekends for over six years now and never fail to be inspired. But I do also find this in other places.
When I visit a place of nature, I try and connect deeply to the spirit of each place, and each part of it. If I visit a wood, for example, the trees are important to connect to. I used to have a circle of three trees in Cumbria where I visited almost daily, and these trees became close friends! They spoke to me, in their own language of course, and supported my walks, healings and life. At that time I took Ebony, my dog with me, and I am sure she knew when I was communing with the trees as she would just sit quietly or gently rummage around, not doing her usual antics of chasing and running! These trees became companions, not just when I was visiting and sitting under them but occasionally they would then enter my meditations and give me gifts and wisdom.
Another favourite place was a lake, and here, I was communing with the vast expanse which is Crummock Water. This lake, in the Lake District, holds a special energy for me, and again, it enters both my every day life, or did when I lived near, and in my meditations.
Nowadays my connections to nature come in my regular visits to a nearby village to meet with the trees and wild flowers there, and I also have at least one favourite tree I meet with regularly. I have also reconnected recently with the wild sea, and this is a joy to me, offering as it does, the vast space and horizon line, and the ebb and flow that such expanses of water share. These aspects of nature support my growth, and my spirit, as well as reminding me to make more essences!
Nature has vital gifts to offer for those of us who seek. It can offer connection to the natural world, reminding us of the beauty we live in, and our own beauty reflected in it. It can support and hold us on our journeys in life. It can give us wildness and remind us of our true nature, which is not tame, and can often feel limited in our everyday busy lives. It offers freedom and a sense of expansion. Trees can often give us a true connection to our roots,, our ancestors and our bodies, though different trees have different messages for us.. Flowers can give a myriad of gifts and senses, as flowers are particularly important for our sense of wonder and beauty in a refined way. Occasionally nature can reflect for us, our fears, such as when there is a steep climb up or down, and can help support us in facing these fears. And ultimately nature reminds us of who we are: Human beings on a beautiful wild, fragile planet, sharing together the same energy, breath and cosmos – as within, so without is my motto when thinking of nature.
I recommend finding a special place to go which feels right for you – each person’s place will be different, though of course there are the universal places like Chalice Well which attract many people. Tune into your body and senses in this place, feel the strength, beauty, peace, wildness, or whatever quality it is you feel and breathe it into you. It will enhance your life and give you gifts untold.NamasteAnna