Green Magic
Energy Secrets of Glastonbury Tor# 2004 by Nicholas R. Mann.All rights reserved
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any formwithout written permission from the author except in the caseof quotations in articles and reviews
The photographs and pictures in this bookare by the author unless otherwise stated
This edition is published byGreen Magic
The Long Barn
Sutton Mallet
Somerset
TA7 9AR
Typeset by Academic Technical, BristolPrinted and bound by Antony Rowe Ltd.
Cover image by Nicholas R. Mann
Cover design by Chris Render
Cover production by Tania LambertISBN 0 9542 9635 4
INTRODUCTION
Ten thousand years ago, as people stood on the edge of the broad vale thatwas to become the Summerland, the Somerset Levels, and looked at thedramatic hill in its centre, they knew what it was. They understood thesignificance it held as they felt its presence, its power and its compellingpull on their minds, hearts and imaginations. They began to leave theirmark upon the hill as they sculpted it closer and closer to the ideal appropriate for such a place. They, and the subsequent generations that dwelt inthe area, understood the hill perfectly: It was a natural temple, a cosmicaxis, a world mountain and a gateway between the worlds.
For them, the island with the Tor at its centre had extraordinaryenergetic qualities. It was a place of power, not to be idly visited. Itwas an earthly paradise where this power was focused and increased,and where communication was made between the worlds. It was theplace of transition for the soul, and they knew how to contact andwork with this exchange. Their hearts, minds and bodies were attunedto the elements, to nature and the stars, and they knew the times ofinflow and outflow, of the systole and diastole of life, death and creation.The Tor gave them an altar, a fulcrum, a point of leverage within thecosmos, where they could gather at appropriate times to harmonisewith and influence the subtle but powerful forces of life.
When I saw the Tor for the first time, I sensed this power. And thelonger I lived here and the more I learnt about the mysteries of Avalonthe more I realised that a practice was maintained here that spanned thousands of years. This practice was concerned with the knowledge of soultransformation and transition and, at times, a school, an Order, flourishedupon the island to teach these mysteries and carry out its tasks. Theoriginal rule of the Order of Avalon was to build nothing upon the island,to do no harm to the wild nature of the place, including the sacred herdsand flocks of animals, and so preserve and enhance the natural law andprimordial harmony that facilitated the journey of the soul.
I learnt about all this because it was in existence when the firstchroniclers came to the island. They encountered the traditions and practices of the Order of Avalon, recorded, and continued them in their ownway. For the Christians, the island became the place where the Son ofGod walked and where the first (and subsequently the greatest) churchdedicated to the Mother of God was built from nothing but the mudand reeds of the marshes. The tradition developed among mythographersand historians and Avalon became the place where the sword of thesovereignty of the land, Excalibur, was forged and then returned to itsmaker. It became the place where its greatest king, Arthur, beheld thevision that led to his victories and it was where he returned, whenmortally wounded, to cross over to the other side. It became the placewhere the font of life itself in the form of the Holy Grail was buriedand with it, the transforming blood of the alchemists. Eventually, justto be buried in the soil of the Abbey cemetery, the holyeste erthe ofall Christendom, meant salvation; and many are the seekers who stillcome to Avalon to discover the extraordinary treasure buried in theearth here.
Today, many who come to Avalon share the same appreciation andawareness of the power of the place as those people in the past. Avalon,with the Tor at its heart, still opens itself for those who open themselvesto it. Many I have spoken to, on hearing the ideas expressed in this book,say that it puts into words what they already know what they felt whenthey saw the Tor for the first time. I do not take this as a criticism for mylack of originality but as verification of what I have written. I have triedto put into words appropriate for our times the long-standing knowledgeof the Tor as a soul portal a powerful vortex of natural and spiritualpower that can transform lives. I invite you to enter this book, to see ifthe message contained within resonates with your understanding of theIsle of Avalon.
Please note the book proceeds in three sections. The first section sketchesout the energy of the Tor and its nature as the gateway between theworlds. The second section fills out the details of the history, geographyand traditions of the Tor. The final section builds upon this base toprovide a description of the energy of the Tor and the function of thePart 1Imagining the Unimaginable
~ The Somerset Levels. This map locates Glastonbury in Britain and shows itsrelationship to the area of the former inland sea. Although peat marshland andraised bog conditions predominated by 4000 BCE, people were attracted to therich natural resources of the area. They built ritual monuments, they constructedwooden trackways over the marsh, their ships found passage along the waterwaysand eventually lake villages, hill forts and trading ports flourished. The SomersetLevels formed a neutral zone on the borders of the surrounding Celtic tribes. TheRomans began the first serious drainage of the Levels and as large areas are only afew feet above sea level, drainage continues to this day.
soul portal. The boxes spread throughout the book provide additionalinformation, which although relevant to their location in the text canbe read separately. Finally, please note that CE, the Common Era andBCE, Before the Common Era replace AD and BC respectively.
~ The Isle of Avalon. Once known as Ynis Witrin, the Isle of Glass, theisland consists of three hills dominated by the Tor, while a fourth hill forms alimb out to the southwest. Once surrounded by waterways and difficultmarshland, a narrow strip of land made the only dry connection with themainland to the east. This entranceway was cut across by a massive ditch andbank known as Ponters Ball; this effectively ringed the island with water. Thepattern of roads is largely determined by pilgrims paths running to and fromGlastonbury Abbey; although at least one, Dod Lane, running due eastwest, ispre-Roman.
PART ONE
IMAGINING THEUNIMAGINABLE:DEFINING THE DYNAMICOF THE TOR
THE NATIONAL TRUST VISIT ATLANTIS
In 2002 the National Trust, who own Glastonbury Tor, placed new signson the recently improved approaches. The signs say the tor has been aplace of pilgrimage for over 10,000 years. I was excited by this claim,as I have never found any firm evidence to prove that people with spiritual intentions were here at this early time. Had the NT found somethingnew? No, alas, they had not. Inquiries revealed they meant to say thatthere was evidence for people first being present in the area about then,but they didnt actually have any proof that the peoples reasons forbeing there were for pilgrimage. I was disappointed; doubly so as thenew signs, unlike the old, said nothing about the Tor being the castleof the King of Fairy. The National Trust play it safe once again, Ithought; but somehow, inadvertently, they were entirely right. Tenthousand years ago visitors did conduct journeys for spiritual purposesto the Tor.