Avalon

In the Summer country of western England, the Glastonbury Tor rises from the heather green quilt of the plain. An ancient and magnetic place, centuries have carved away the clay and limestone layers of the Tor, but not the sandstone at the top. Glastonbury is said to be the location of Avalon, the legendary lake and island country from which Arthur received his sword Excalibur and to which he was brought after his mortal wounding, where the once and future king heals and waits. Avalon is a land of apples. Indeed, the trees and orchards here draw more than water into their fruit. Two sacred springs - one red, one white - emanate from the base of the Tor. The water from these springs carries the song of the land out of the earth, rich in mineral, and charged with the clarity and potency of centuries of reverence. The red spring is fed from the Chalice Well, so named as it is said to be where Joseph of Arimathea brought and buried the cup from which Jesus drank at the Last Supper.

On November 2nd, my partner, Adria, and I met at the Chalice Well to bless the rings we would offer each other in the ceremony of our union. From the Well we walked to the Red Spring, to the White Spring, and then to the Tor. One of our guides, aptly named Tor, led us through the paired oaks at the base of the hill and then to the entrance of the arcane labyrinth that wreaths the Tor. “This is a place of powerful magic,” he said, “and in choosing this place you make your intention and commitment known to the many realms.” We entered, and began to ascend. As we walked each other toward the top, the sky began to change. Early November sunshine gave way to the elemental grey of the isle. At the top of the Tor stands the remnant of the second church of St. Michael, a bell tower built of sandstone in the 14th century. It was within the walls of the this tower that we held our ceremony.

Our other guide, Kristen, priestess and student of the stars, began with an acknowledgement of our journey and the influence of the heavens. She fastened our hands with a ribbon, which had held three circled and interlinked willow branches, gifted by the Tor on the way up. As the wind blew through and around us, we exchanged our vows and our rings. With hands fastened, we drank the cider of Avalonian apples from a crystal chalice. Our guide Tor followed with the slicing of an apple, longitudinally to reveal not only the heart-shape the core makes in cross-section, but the representation of the dagger (stem) and the chalice (fruit). He sliced the apple again, transversely, revealing the arrangement of the seeds as a five-pointed star. We shared the apple, and offered it to the four directions. Into his conch shell he blew a sound into the wind pronouncing and proclaiming our marriage across the land.

A light rain began to fall as we descended back down the Tor. Through the labyrinth again, taking care to exit with as much intention as we entered. At the sentinel oaks at the base of the hill, we took time to reflect before stepping through the gate. Once again in the mortal world, we continue to walk each other onward home.