Mystique & Magic In Avalon
The alarm clock is sounding, dragging me out of the vivid dreams which have no doubt been triggered by the need to rise early. Funny, for most of my working life a 5:10 alarm after about five hours’ sleep was the norm for 25 years or more – now, after three years of retirement, 6:30 feels like early morning and there is a glue holding my eyelids in place.
Cold water on the face, caffeine in the gut, and we’re off. We’re up and about for a reason, not only are we travelling down to our beloved Cornwall for a week, but we’re detouring en route to Glastonbury, just over half way to Padstow, and just maybe a little more than half way to a different planet.
All three of my children attended Glastonbury the festival at some point, one of those life experiences which I regret not having had for myself, it’s a kind of missing link in my life story. Still, at least I enjoyed it vicariously through their experiences. I doubt though that any of them saw anything of Glastonbury the town, which is so worthy of a visit regardless of whether or not it’s festival time.
This little town in the Mendip Hills is legendary, mythical, magical…different. Everything about society is shifted just a few sidesteps away from the English normal here, this is where the spiritual hold sway, the myths are believed, the divine lives on. Where everyday life is less important than the soul or the spirit, where the shops are filled with incense sticks, astrological candles, tarot cards, colourful flowing clothing. Ganesh statuettes stare from shelves, ethereal music drifts out of darkened doorways into the outside air, rising toward the sky on the tails of the clouds of cannabis smoke.
Advertisements for shamanistic studies adorn the walls, leaflets on spiritual wellbeing are handed out on each corner, long hair and psychedelic clothes dominate as people float rather than walk along Glastonbury’s streets, so much so that in our sweatshirts and blue jeans we feel very much the odd ones out. Maybe I should have worn my Haight Ashbury “summer of love” T shirt.
There are, naturally, reasons for all of this. Glastonbury is of course a mighty centre of myth and legend, for centuries a spiritual magnet for Pagans and Christians alike, and like so many places rich with legends, the lines between history and fantasy are endearingly blurred. Is this really the Isle of Avalon, where King Arthur is said to have spent his dying days after his last battle?
Are we really standing above an entrance to the unknown, a cave through which there is access to a fairy kingdom where the Lord of the Celtic underworld lives alongside the Cauldron of Rebirth? Is this really the spot where a young Jesus Christ was brought by his uncle as they arrived to engage in trading in tin? Such was the strength of this last legend that it is the basis for William Blake’s “Jerusalem”….
And did those feet, in ancient time, walk upon England’s mountains green…?
At whatever point myth becomes legend, legend becomes history, you cannot help but be swept along with the spiritual influence, such is the character of this remarkably different little town. One of those places where even the least of spiritual people (us!) can be intrigued and engaged and just start to think, what if…
We pass through Glastonbury with just a few hours to spare but there is something absorbing about its character. We speak of returning when there’s time to climb the Tor, maybe even at the revered summer solstice, learn about shamanism, let those tarot cards be read.
But we move on, maybe we’ll return, maybe we won’t, and just three hours later we are looking out across the so familiar sights of Padstow harbour, the lights of Rock reflecting in the estuary, boats bobbing on the darkening water. The warm interior of the pub is calling.
A thought occurs, maybe due to passing through Glastonbury today: if my spirit and soul belongs anywhere, it’s here, in Padstow.
22 Comments
Alison
Very lyrical today Phil
I don’t think I’ve ever been to Glastonbury, love those old shops though. I do like Cornwall very much and haven’t visited as much as I’d like.
Phil & Michaela
Oh but surely I’m always lyrical?!! Glastonbury is so worth a visit!
Alison
I’ll keep an eye out for more lyrics in your future posts!
Monkey's Tale
I have read many King Arthur/ Merlin books. I’d love to visit Glastonbury! Thanks for the quick trip today Maggie
Toonsarah
I find Glastonbury fascinating – it takes me back to my teenage years when I wanted to go to San Francisco and wewr flowers in my hair, while the nearest I could get was to burn incense sticks in my bedroom against my mother’s wishes!
Phil & Michaela
It’s definitely fascinating. Nice to visit places at home as well as around the world huh…
Toonsarah
Yes, but not instead of, as we were driven to doing for a while! Funny enough, Wells and Glastonbury was one of our staycation choices during that period
wetanddustyroads
Glastonbury looks like a very picturesque town … but also a little weird. I think I would feel more at ease in Padstow though 😉.
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
Only reference about Glastonbury is the town namesake in Connecticut. As many New England cities and towns are name after England places. Looks very charming.
Mike and Kellye Hefner
I wasn’t familiar with Glastonbury before now, but I intend to do some more reading about the city. It sounds intriguing. I look forward to hearing more from you about Padstow. If its sunsets are that pretty, I wonder what else the place has to offer.
Phil & Michaela
Oh it’s wonderful. Not sure how much posting we’ll do from here though Kellye as we’ve done a lot of posts before about Padstow and Cornwall in general.
Andrew Petcher
Looks delightful. Never been.
grandmisadventures
Oh what a delight to read on this place where history, legend, and magic meet! Definitely a place I would love to visit 🙂
Phil & Michaela
You can get in touch with your spiritual side there, that’s for sure
leightontravels
Like you, I have never been to Glastonbury Festival, despite having had several plans to over the years. It just wasn’t meant to be. I’ve heard good things about the town, and your post adds plenty more to that. It looks like the kind of place Sladja and I would have enormous fun shopping in to kit out our home with a bit of mystique. You know, if we actually had a home. Music in the streets is always good, as long as that old guy wasn’t singing Ed Sheeran.
Phil & Michaela
Now had could you possibly know of my pathological hatred of Ed Sheeran’s music?!?
leightontravels
Call it a hunch. Or an educated guess.
Phil & Michaela
I’ll go for the latter!
WanderingCanadians
Glastonbury looks like a neat spot for a detour and to get sucked into the myth and magic from the legends about King Arthur. Hopefully you’re able to visit during the festival someday.
Christie
Glastonbury sounds very intriguing, I would love to visit one day such city, where the myths, legends, and history meet.
Dave Ply
Sounds like this was hippy central before hippies were a thing. Did the Druids have a history here?
Phil & Michaela
Oh yes, Druids too – still a Druid destination today