The Highgate Cemetery: Myths, Magic and Legends - Part II

(Click Here to read the Part I)

PARANORMAL PHENOMENA IN HIGHGATE

Like all places of power on earth, even the Highgate cemetery was built on a Ley Line, one of these energy lines in fact passes exactly from the center of the cemetery, dividing it in half, reaching an area known for have been a Roman camp in ancient times.

In the fourteenth century Swains Lane already existed, and it was a road used primarily to lead animals to the Smithsfields market, mainly pigs (hence the name of the road itself). By the time it became the epicenter of a cholera outbreak, as a result people preferred to avoid this area unless it was absolutely necessary to go there; it soon became an infamous alley, populated by brigands and cutthroats. The bad reputation of this road lasted until modern times.

Swains Lane

In the period between 1960 and 1975 the cemetery was in a state of total abandonment, vandalism was the order of the day and the so-called "graverobbers" devastated many ancient tombs with the sole intent of stealing objects and precious metals contained in the coffins, leaving the bodies contained in them in the open air.

All this contributed to increase the mystery aura that hovered over the district of Highgate, there were numerous reports of strange events about this place near the cemetery: many people claimed to have seen ethereal figures floating above the tombs, others reported having encountered walking corpses, however, the most frequently recorded paranormal phenomenon was that of the "man in black”.

There are several interviews given to the press by the inhabitants who, once they entered the cemetery near Swains Lane, then came across this male figure, very tall and obscure, who observed them from a distance with bright eyes, and then disappeared.

One of the witnesses released this statement:

“As the light began to fail he decided to leave, but somehow, he became hopelessly lost. Not being a superstitious person or even believing in ghosts, he walked calmly around looking for the gate when he suddenly became aware of the presence of something behind him. Swinging around, less than six feet away, he saw a tall dark spectre hovering just above the ground. He found himself transfixed to the spot, completely unable to move; drained of energy by some powerful “hypnotic force” that in a matter of seconds rendered him unconscious to any sense of time or being able to recognize his surroundings. So great was the intensity of this force, that he remained like this for several minutes (or what seemed like several minutes) before the spectre abruptly vanished and he slowly regained his normal faculties.”

So numerous were reports of this entity that a group of people, members of The British Psychic and Occult Society, decided to investigate.

They discovered that two Ley Lines cross in the western part of the cemetery.

Rest of a Ritual in Highgate Cemetery

According to the theory, when two energy lines cross over a burial site they can influence the residual energies of the dead; this would explain the sightings in the places adjacent to the cemetery.

Moreover, one of the Ley Lines seems to coincide with an underground stream, which would act as an energy catalyst and would favor the emergence of these entities.

Precisely for these reasons, as well as the fact that entering Highgate at night was relatively simple at the time, the cemetery was chosen as a place of ceremony by some necromancers and their rites, who settled there for many years, they continued to attend the cemetery even after the "Friends of the Cemetery of Highgate" began the reclamation and renovation works. It is believed that the increase in paranormal manifestations is also linked to the practice of this type of ritual.

THE WITCH OF HIGHGATE

In the fifteenth century, Margery Jourdemayne resided in Highgate, also known as "The Witch of Ey", She was a wise woman and a great connoisseur of the magical arts, She was famous throughout the district for her extraordinary skills of divination and her skillful abilities to create love filters and fertility potions. Her services were in great demand, especially at the levels of the upper bourgeoisie and even of the clergy, but this elitist acquaintances were the cause of his own downfall.

Eleanor Cobham, daughter of Sir Reginald Cobham, became the maid of Jacqueline, Countess of Hainault in the 1920s, who found refuge in England after having repudiated her husband, the duke of Brabant.

Henry V, the King of England, died in 1422, leaving the young Henry VI to succeed him. The younger brother of Henry V, John, Duke of Bedford, ruled in France while the other brother, Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, was named protector of England during the regency of the little Henry VI.

Jacqueline was a very powerful woman, She had inherited the land of Hainault from her refused husband and she had possessions in Holland; this attracted the attention of Humphrey, who decided to marry her in 1423.

The couple moved to Calais with the servants, but soon her husband, worried about his English possessions, decided to return to England, leaving his wife in France and returning with the maid, Eleanor.

Eleanor, who was very beautiful and ambitious, did not miss the chance and seduced Humphrey, becoming his mistress and later his wife in 1428.

In 1436, Humphrey raised the noble title of Eleanor and made her the Duchess of Gloucester. Meanwhile, Brother John died, as a result Humphrey became the next in the line of succession to become King of England, since Henry VI was still very young and childless; in this way Eleanor was also one step away from becoming Queen.

The Conjuration from Henry VI, John Opie, (1792)

Despite the firm opposition of the entire council in making Humphrey King, Eleanor's ambition grew.

In the medieval courts, the nobles used to rely on expert magicians and astrologers, who consulted for the future to be predicted, and Eleanor was not far behind.

Although she was no longer young and already had two illegitimate children from her current husband, she wanted to have another one, legitimate one, to strengthen her position. She then turned to Margery Jourdemayne for a fertility potion; it is said that the two ladies already knew each other, as Eleanor would have asked the services of the Witch of Ey to obtain Humphrey's love.

Also, to get some clues about his ascent to the throne, she asked two famous local astrologers, Roger Bolingbroke and Thomas Southwell, to make a prediction about the future of the King. They predicted that the King would have suffered from a chronic illness throughout his life. 

This news reached the ears of the King himself who, uneasy, asked his astrologers to refute this prediction, which they promptly did. In this way, the previous prediction appeared not much a way to interpret the future, but as a kind of curse on the King.

Boilingbroke and Southwell were then accused of heresy and practice of necromancy and sentenced to death, during the interrogation they gave the name of Eleanor, in this way she too was arrested with the same accusations. Eleanor, during the trial, only admitted that she had accepted a fertility potion from Margery, who was promptly arrested and accused of witchcraft. In Margery's house were found fetishes in wax, partially burned in the fireplace, which theoretically would serve as a ritual to make Eleanor conceive a child, but it was instead considered further evidence of a targeted attack on the King.

The fact that the duchess herself admitted to having resorted to the "dark arts" was a more unique and rare case and contributed to decreeing her fall.

Margery, condemned to death by the Archbishop of Canterbury, was burned at the stake in Smithfields market square (yes, just the same place that was reached through Swains Lane), Southwell was imprisoned in the Tower of London and, to escape his terrible destiny of suffering, took the poison and died in the cell, while Bolingbroke was hanged and quartered.

‘The Penance of Eleanor’ by Edwin Austin Abbey (1900)

Eleanor was more fortunate, despite the opposition of her husband was forced to divorce him, they would never see each other again, and she was sentenced to "life imprisonment", a condition that, however, thanks to her husband who tried to protect her, she never suffered and was instead imprisoned in a court. Three days after the sentence, she was ordered to make a public apology for her sins: she was forced three times to walk through the streets of London carrying a candle, which she would then light in the main cathedrals of the city. She was then first transferred to Cheshire, then to Kenilworth Castle, then to the Isle of Man and finally to Wales, where she died in 1452.

"There was a Beldame called the wytch of Ey,

Old mother Madge her neyghbours did hir name

Which wrought wonders in countryes by heresaye

Both feendes and fayries her charmyng would obay

And dead corpsis from grave she could uprere

Suche an inchauntresse, as that tyme had no peere."

♄Unornya

Per leggere questo articolo in Italiano clicca qui.

Sources:

http://hidden-highgate.org/

Glastonbury - Part III

After seeing the majestic Tor and the lush gardens of the Chalice Well, heavy with their esoteric charge; the journey continues not far in the White Spring Temple.


Literally on the opposite side of the road, we find the Victorian building that houses the waters of this sacred spring: unlike the sunny Chalice Well, where the dominant presence of God reigns, the sacred masculine, the rubes; inside this temple we can breath a different atmosphere: rich in mystery, like a comforting uterus in the bowels of Mother Earth. Dark, dimly lit by candlelight, lulled by the perennial bubbling of the waters that flow and flood the floor, it is the reign of the Goddess, the mystery, the albedo.


Click here to read the Tor article.
Click here to read the article on the Chalice Well.

THE WHITE SPRING

THE SPRING

Like the Red Spring, the White Spring also originates from the Tor. Geologists from all over the world wondered for years how it was possible to have two sources, so different in colour and substance, originating from the same aquifer, despite not coming from underground waterways or from thermal springs.

The most probable explanation comes directly from the Jurassic Age. As we saw earlier, Somerset was originally submerged by the ocean; during this phase the sea floor gave shape to the current formation of the ground: the different sediments, over the millennia, shaped the current structure of the Tor. The rains, over the years, brought the minerals from the most superficial layers deep into the soil, forming compact sediments that resisted the erosion of the surrounding soil giving shape to the characteristic hill.

Part of these primordial rains formed the iron-rich aquifer, flowing into the Red Spring of the Chalice Well. The superficial part of the hill, on the other hand, made the upper part of the calcium-rich aquifer, thus forming the White Spring.

Great Britain is known for its rainy Atlantic climate, so the abundant rainfall make the reservoir permanently saturated and feed its constant flow. These sacred waters and the Tor created each other, as a kind of natural alembic (another strongly alchemical symbol) and making this place unique.


THE TEMPLE

Unlike the Chalice Well, the White Spring was left undisturbed until the dawn of the twentieth century. Before the construction of the building in which it still erupts, it flowed in a natural clearing between ivy, moss and ferns. Unfortunately there is no photo or graphic representation, we can only imagine it thanks to the testimony of George Wright (1896) - local inhabitant: "And what was Glastonbury like then? One thing that clings to me was the beautiful Well House Lane of those days, before it had been spoilt by the erection of the reservoir. There was a small copse of bushes on the right hand running up the hill, and through it could be, not seen, but heard, the rush of running water, which made itself visible as it poured into the lane. But the lane itself was beautiful, for the whole bank was a series of fairy dropping wells – little caverns clothed with moss and vedure, and each small twig and leaf was a medium for the water to flow, drop, drop, drop into a small basin below. This water contained lime, and pieces of wood or leaves subject to this dropping became encrusted with a covering of lime. For a long time I attended those pretty caverns with affectionate care, and Well House Lane was an object of interest to all our visitors"In 1872, following a cholera epidemic, the current structure was built in order to provide clean water to the population.


Over time, the well fell into disuse and the water was brought in the village by conduits from outside Glastonbury. It was not until 1980 that it was cleaned out of the layers of calcite and reused to provide drinking water in the adjacent shops and premises; the well itself was reinvented as a bar. In 2004 it was acquired by the foundation Companions of the White Spring and used as a sacred place as we know it: it was stripped of the pipes, plasterboard, paint ... bringing out its fantastic original structure.

In 2009 were added the pools, designed according to principles of sacred geometry, in order to collect the sacred waters and permit to the pilgrims to immerse themselves fully in the sacredness of this place.


THE ALTARS

Once the eyes are accustomed to the darkness of the temple, we can see several altars illuminated by the dancing light of the candles. Enriched by the offers and talismans left by the pilgrims, they are set up seasonally by the volunteers to reflect the inexorable gait of the Wheel of the Year.

Located in secluded niches and lulled by the lapping of the waters, they immediately infuse an arcane sense of sacredness.

On the side of the sacred basins, we can find two altars dedicated to two important figures of the British tradition. The first, framed by a wooden arch, is an altar dedicated to God in his aspect as the Spirit of Nature. 

The beautiful painting exudes pride and strength: adorned with pelts and antlers, the God is depicted here as the King of the Wild Hunt.

The painting rests on a tree stump, which recalls the forest theme again and acts as an altar at the same time - enriched by the offerings of travelers.


The Horned God is an ancient figure, who has been haunting our imagination since the dawn of humanity: the first representations can be found in France on cave paintings dating back to 13th Millennia A.C. Lord of Life, War and Fecundity, he is an archetype common to many cultures - some very distant from each other but with the same matrix. 
From Cernunnos, to Faun to the figure of Pashupati up to the controversial depiction of the Baphomet of Levi.

A little further we can find the altar dedicated to another key figure in British culture: the goddess Brighid, an icon so deeply rooted in the traditions of this land that she originated the name Britain. Goddess of the flame of creation, protectress of blacksmiths and poets, she also protects the water sources and the numerous sacred wells that can be found on these green islands. An altar dedicated to her, in one of England's most sacred places, was a must; where her elements Water and Fire dance with each other.

Click here to read about Brighid and Imbolc.

The third and last altar is in the left wing of the building, under a dome of thickly intertwined branches; as to resemble a secret hidden in the brambles of the forest. You can see a vibrant flame, standing out clearly against the darkness of the niche. It is the altar dedicated to the Goddess in her aspect as a primordial female archetype, an obscure and ancient mother like the Earth. This altar, in particular, was the one that struck me the most the first time I visited Glastonbury: an obscure vision of femininity, including the entirety of the sacred feminine. A powerful vision that, in Christian culture, is amputated only showing the submissive part of the woman. Here the pilgrims are invited to sit in reflection, in the silence interrupted by the sacred flow of the fountain and the tinkle of prayers hanging from the leaves.

The reflection certainly is not missing in this corner of the world cut out from time; a window on the world of the oneiric that projects us on a journey towards our unconscious in contact with ourselves and the divine.

There would be a thousand others things to say about a place like Glastonbury; but our journey ends here. If you want to know more, I warmly invite you to go personally to this place among the most esoteric in Europe and of the entire world.

♃Ludna

Clicca qui per leggere il post in Italiano,

Sources:

White Spring Website

The Red & White Springs of Avalon: A Guide to the Healing Waters at Glastonbury  - by Nicholas Mann and Philippa Glasson.

Glastonbury - Part II

One of the biggest mysteries of Glastonbury are the two different water sources which flow under the Glastonbury Tor, gushing a few meters apart: a red one (due to the high iron content) and a white one (due to the high calcite content); both renowned for centuries for their healing qualities. 

THE CHALICE WELL

The Chalice Well is a place out of time, sacred and eternal, rich of arcane symbolism; a place where you can be influenced by the palpable energy that lingers in the air.
Walking along the path, under the arches of twisted plants, there is a feeling of being out of the ordinary world and entering an enchanted place. This place has been a pilgrimage site for thousands of years, and only by visiting it one will understand why.
Since the dawn of time, water sources were considered sacred: they flow underground like the veins of the human body and become a gift of Mother Earth to us, nourishing our body and soul.

The Chalice Well is in fact a source of natural origin and it never stopped flowing; it is a symbol of eternal force of nature. Archaeological findings have suggested that the well has been in use for at least two thousand years: in the vicinity of the source, numerous spearheads dating back to the Palaeolithic, pottery from the Stone Age and from the Roman era have been found. 
Our ancestors saw the pits as portals to the spiritual world, where the veil between the human existence and the spirit one disappears, where it was possible to communicate with the gods and the spirits of nature.

Adjacent to the well, there is a pentagonal room of irregular shape that most likely dates back to the sixteenth - seventeenth century. Its purpose is still a mystery, its geometric proportions are related to units of measurement used in Ancient Egypt, suggesting that perhaps it was used in some initiation ceremony. 
Nowadays it is not accessible, but its entry can be seen looking inside the cavity of the well.


The lid, made in English oak, is surmounted by a wrought iron structure in the shape of vesica piscis: a symbol of ogival shape, obtained by two circles of the same radius  intersecting in such a way that the centre of each circle lies on the other circumference. 
The name literally means “fish bladder” in Latin. As intersection of two circles, it represents the communication between two worlds, two different dimensions, the union of heaven and earth, spirit and matter, conscious and subconscious, male and female. 
The geometry of this figure form the basis of harmony that is found in balance in the natural world.
The figure is crossed by a spear. Based on a medieval design, it is a gift by the famous archaeologist, Frederick Bligh Bond, in 1919. He was very interested in sacred geometry, which can be seen in many places of spiritual importance in the world. 

The union of two symbols, the lance and the cup (the well itself), again represent the union of male and female. The shaft also represents the Holy Lance, soaked with the blood of Christ. That same blood which, according to legend, was collected in the Holy Grail and then immersed in the Red Spring, donating the healing properties and the its characteristic reddish colour. 

The union of the masculine and feminine is a recurring theme in Glastonbury, as we mentioned before. The same well, a cavity coming from the bowels of Mother Earth and with its scarlet waters, is a representation of the blood and at the yoni. A short distance away from the Tor, which is - with its tower - the sacred masculine par excellence, on the intersection of the lines of St. Michael and St. Mary. 

In addition to the famous Chalice Well, one can see a series of other sacred symbols, full of esoteric meaning, set like jewels in the maze of lush vegetation (here the map). 


The Vesica Pool

The theme of the vesica piscis recurs in Vesica Pool, where the waters of the garden are collected, guarded by two magnificent Yews. These two trees were probably part of an ancient path or a ceremonial grove, being yews sacred trees in the Druidic tradition.

Yews are trees charged with a deep esoteric meaning: influenced by Saturn, they are considered sacred in many Northern and Celtic cults, in Ireland are one of five sacred trees (Ross Tree or Eo Ruis). Guardian of our graveyards also nowadays, it is a tree associated with death and rebirth, divination, astral travel, and anything related to communication between worlds. Its wood is indicated to make Runes, Ogham, scrying mirrors and ouija boards. I take the opportunity to specify that Yew is toxic if ingested, so it should not be used to manufacture chalices, cups etc.


The Healing Pool

Following the path that leads to the Well (the climax of this initiatory path),  the next stop is the Healing Pool: built in the 18th century, one can clearly see the ferrous deposit of the water, pouring in the basin from a waterfall. 

One of the junctions of the two Ley lines is in the proximity of this point of the garden: as suggested by the railings, you can soak in the pool to fully absorb the regenerative properties of the spring or recharge your magical tools.







The Lion's Head  

Continuing along the path, you will come across another fountain: the Lion's Head, the only spot in the garden where the spring water can be drunk. The lion is not a random choice: this feline, sacred to the Egyptians, marked the beginning of a new kemetic year. 

Not only the Leo constellation was showing in the sky the hottest period of the year (which was marking the beginning of summer for some ancient tribes), the lions themselves used to leave the desert to look for a cool place in the shade nearby the Nile - which overflowed, setting a new agricultural cycle. The kemetic people used to carve a lion's head on their bridges, to celebrate the appearance of this sacred animal. A symbol that we still see today on our fountains.

- Click here to read the first part (Glastonbury Tor)

- Click here to read the third part (The White Spring)

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♃Ludna & ♄Unornya
Clicca qui per leggere questo post in Italiano.

Glastonbury - Part I

Glastonbury, known to most as one of the esoteric destinations for excellence in Europe, is a bucolic little town in the green Somerset (England). A well-deserved reputation, thanks to the many legends that surround it: the Isle of Avalon, King Arthur's tomb, the Holy Grail and the miraculous waters of the White and Red springs.

The hill overlooking Glastonbury (Glastonbury Tor), with its iconic tower, is located on the Michael Ley Line, one of the energy lines that cross the surface of our planet. The same energy that would have worked as a catalyst for the legends and mysteries that permeate the atmosphere of this magical place - by many identified with the Arthurian Avalon. 

In the book The Sun and the Serpent, Hamish Miller and Paul Broadhurst deepen the enigmatic array that correlates hundreds of Neolithic and Celtic archaeological sites to Christian places of worship in Southern England- alignment mentioned in the mid-60s by academician John Michell. Miller and Broadhurst, after years of study, found two distinct lines of energy, both roughly 300 miles long and almost parallel: the line of St. Michael and the line of St. Mary. They were so named because of the many churches dedicated to St. Michael and the Virgin Mary lying respectively on both, although these trails are well older than Christianity itself.

The Archangel Michael is associated with Light, Mysteries and the Other World - qualities also attributed to other gods, prior to Christianity, like Thoth, Mercury and Bel. 

The psychopomp deities were often associated with the spirit of the earth, whose mysterious forces  were represented by serpents and dragons. According to Chinese tradition, the earthquakes are generated by huge dragons that move underground. Along these landlines, places of power were marked by monoliths, temples carved in the rock or shrines up the mountains, where it was believed dragons used to live in them... Places that, thousands of years later, were replaced by shrines dedicated to St. Michael, the angel represented in the act of killing a dragon and then taken as a symbol of Christian suppression of the old religions. 

Not surprisingly, the majority of Christian churches dedicated to St. Michael, especially from the Middle Ages, are located on the highest points of the villages.

During their researches, the authors made a sensational discovery: the energy lines appear to intersect, as in an intimate mating ritual, in three specific points in Glastonbury: the Tor, the Chalice Well and the Abbey ruins . 
In these three places, the energy is balanced and you have an immediate feeling of peace and harmony. 

The line of Mary (the feminine, yin) meets the line of Michael (the masculine, yang) in a cupped shape (Tor) - topped by the phallic figure of St. Michael's Tower. An evocative image, powerful symbol of the universal alchemical fusion of opposites.

The other point where they intersect is the Chalice Well Garden. At the entry of the gardens, there is a bas-relief representing a cross with two vials; according to legend, the golden vial would contain the blood of Christ, whilst the silver one contains the sweat. 
According to the laws of alchemy, blood is the masculine energy, whilst silver is the feminine. 

The two energy lines intersect within  the Glastonbury Abbey, right in the point where today lies the tomb of King Arthur and Guinevere, buried together as if to represent the union between the masculine and the feminine. 


THE AVALON ISLAND AND GLASTONBURY TOR

One can not talk about Glastonbury without mentioning Avalon - the mythical island of Arthurian cycles. 

The Isle of Avalon appeared for the first time in the Historia Regum Britanniae, the manuscript by Geoffrey of Monmouth: written in year 1136, retracing 2,000 years of British history and its various dynasties; including the discussed figure of Arthur. 

Avalon means "Island of the Apples" from the Breton aval and Welsh afal (apple); according to the legends the Tor would be inhabited by Gwyn ap Nudd, the Lord of Annwn; who later became the King of the Fairies and Lord of Avalon - an island full of wild apple trees, vineyards and wheat; an idyllic island where people could live without the need of cultivating the land but simply harvesting its spontaneous fruits.

This magical place would also be the location where Joseph of Arimathea came on a pilgrimage with Jesus when he was still a boy; and then returning, after his crucifixion, to found the first church in Great Britain- where is rumored to be the hiding place of the Holy Grail, buried with the remains of Joseph. 

Once he arrived at Glastonbury; Joseph, exhausted after a long pilgrimage, planted his walking stick to rest, which took root in the ground to flourish into the legendary "Holy Thorn", the Glastonbury thorn; a plant that grows only in the surrounding areas of this town.

Avalon is also the place where Arthur is buried, transported on the island on a boat driven by his sister Morgana. According to the legend, Arthur would rest on the island, waiting to return to the world when his people need him again. 

Since the eleventh century it was said that Arthur was buried in the Glastonbury Tor, which was once surrounded by water: the surrounding plain was a marshy land which was becoming a proper sea, depending on the tide.

During the reign of Henry II, the abbot Henry of Blois commissioned a research, that would bring to light a massive oak coffin with an inscription: " “Here lies buried the famous King Arthur with Guinevere his second wife, in the Isle of Avalon.”
 The remains were placed in front of the main altar in the abbey of Glastonbury, during a great ceremony which was also attended the royal family. 
The place became a pilgrimage destination until the period of the Protestant Reformation. It was later discovered that the tomb is a fake, concocted by the diocese to raise funds - and it can still be admired in the remains of the abbey, among  the ancient gardens and fruitful apple trees.

What is certain is that the Glastonbury Tor was a point of interest and a sacred place long before the so-called discovery of the tomb, in fact, artifacts were found dating back to the Iron Age and the Roman Empire: a forge for working iron; two tombs from the sixth century, fragments of amphorae, animal bones and a bronze element - probably an ornament that was part of a Saxon spear. These findings suggest that the hill had always been an attractive outpost, perhaps due to the fact that it was surrounded by swamps and therefore unlikely to be reached by enemies. 

The origin of the name "Glastonbury" itself is not clear: apparently it derives from the archaic Glestingaburg, Glestinga (probably a Celtic word) and - Burg (Anglo-Saxon word to define a fortified place); while "Tor" comes from the Old English "torr" (rocky hill). 
Another name for Glastonbury was Ynys-Witrin - The Isle of Glass.

One of the unsolved mysteries of Tor are the seven terraces that line the hill, of uncertain origin: it is unclear whether it is a natural configuration or man-made, it is just known that they date back to the Neolithic Age. Some believe it is an initiatory path, thousands of years old. Following this intricate and winding path, we would tune with the energies of this sacred place; where the sky and the earth meet.

- Click here for the second part (The Chalice Well and the Red Spring).

- Click here for the third part (The White Spring).

♃Ludna & ♄Unornya
Clicca qui per leggere questo post in Italiano.