On Saturday 18th March 2006, an Alternative Health Fayre took place at Bath Place Community Venture in Leamington Spa, organised by Richard Brayne of Gaia Wholefood Shop. Connected to this, I had the idea to create a Goddess altar in the hall as part of the Fayre to promote my Priestess work, and to organize a Water Ceremony for the Leamington Spa Healing Waters.
The beautiful water monument outside the Royal Pump Rooms has spoken to me ever since I moved to Leamington Spa some 18 months ago. It always struck me as sad, that the once revered healing waters that were responsible for the growth of a small Warwickshire village into a prosperous town now appeared superfluous and neglected. The once glorious Royal Pump Rooms and Bath, where many visitors hoped to soothe various ailments by bathing in pools filled with the salty spa water was sadly turned into a library in 1996. All that remains of the Spa’s former glory is an admittedly charming, but rather insignificant stone monument with a tap outside the Pump Rooms. It feels as though the town consciousness has forgotten that it was the waters that made it prosperous in the first place.
The beautiful water monument outside the Royal Pump Rooms has spoken to me ever since I moved to Leamington Spa some 18 months ago. It always struck me as sad, that the once revered healing waters that were responsible for the growth of a small Warwickshire village into a prosperous town now appeared superfluous and neglected. The once glorious Royal Pump Rooms and Bath, where many visitors hoped to soothe various ailments by bathing in pools filled with the salty spa water was sadly turned into a library in 1996. All that remains of the Spa’s former glory is an admittedly charming, but rather insignificant stone monument with a tap outside the Pump Rooms. It feels as though the town consciousness has forgotten that it was the waters that made it prosperous in the first place.
One morning in a meditation, the idea to perform a healing and reclaiming ceremony for the Well popped into my head. Ever since I visited and decorated Brighde’s Well on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides at Imbolc 2004, I felt an ancient intuitive connection to these wells, and have recognised the importance of caring for them. I have since learned about the old Pagan Well Dressing Traditions, in particular in the nearby country of Derbyshire. Whenever I perform a little ritual at an old well, or decorate it with flowers, I can feel that the well really appreciates these honourings. It is a way to give thanks for the supply of fresh water, something that is often taken for granted and yet is so vital to our survival. It is also a way to reclaim and honour the healing aspects of water, physically as well as symbolically and emotionally.
Hence, I acted on my intuition and announced the ceremony via a few flyers and local mailing lists. I had a visual image in my mind to decorate the well monument with beautiful flower garlands and offerings, and went to measure up one evening with Toby and Richard, who thought that a little flower arrangement in the actual monument would look nice, too. The next day, I explained my ideas to Louise from Interflora in Regent Street, and she created the most wonderful 3m long flower garland for us, with lots of yellow and blue flowers, as well as a little flower arrangement that fitted perfectly into the tap area. In addition, I also bought two bunches of muscari flowers to hand out to participants.
Fellow Priestess of Avalon Jacqui Woodward-Smith had kindly travelled from London with her partner Colin to assist me with the ceremony, so on the day at we proceeded to the Well with a huge box of flowers and three photographers in tow!
By 12 pm, nine people were present in total: Maddie, Jo, Helen, Mr Brayne, Juliet, Colin, Jacqui, a Druid from Wales called Chris, and I. We started by decorating the Well with the flowers, a candle in a blue glass, incense and a card in honour of the Well, and by handing out a flower to each of the participants, into which we asked them to focus their healing wishes and blessings. After holding hands and speaking our intentions for the ceremony, we called in the Four Directions, as well as the Lady of Avalon, the Goddess of the Leamington Spa Waters, The Divine Feminine, the Spirits of Place, and various Western EuropeanWater Goddesses that Jacqui found out about.
After a short moment of silence, we invited the participants to offer their flowers to the well and speak their healing wishes, thanksgivings and blessings either aloud, or silently. This was beautiful and moving to behold, as each person did it with grace and honour. Some also placed individual offerings such as bracelets and rings in the well. Amongst other things, I wished for the well to regain its rightful place of honour and respect, and for healing to come to our town. I also asked the Goddess of the Spa Waters to make herself known, and show us how to connect with her again. The ceremonial atmosphere felt very sacred and special throughout. According to the photographers, our little ceremony attracted some attention from passersby on a busy Saturday afternoon, but I didn’t notice it – I was too immersed in the sacred space.
Jacqui then read an enchanting poem (see below), and I poured a libation of water onto the monument, after which we shared a drink of water from the Chalice and blessed each other. To finish the ceremony, we sang the song ‘We will never ever loose our way to the well, of Her memory and the power of Her living flame, it will rise, it will raise again’.
To close, we held hands again and spoke our thanks, and we left the directions open for the healing energies to stay around town. It was a simple ceremony, but to me, it felt so special. People seemed to appreciate it and more than one person said that it had been long overdue.
Unfortunately, by the next morning, the flower garland had disappeared, as had the offerings and candle, and somebody had placed an ominous cross with the words ‘Forgiven’ into the little flower arrangement. I suspect that this initiative came from a group of Christian healers I had invited to the ceremony – and I felt sad that they found it necessary to do this, rather than openly joining the ceremony. Synchronistically, on the Spring Equinox the following Monday, I felt guided to visit the Malvern Hills, and the first thing I came across was ‘Malvhina’, a water monument by the sculptor Rose Gerrard. She is a stone and bronze figure representing a Celtic princess – or Goddess, and there was a plaque next to her talking about the Celtic trinity, as well as the Christian trinity. This felt very inclusive and healing, in particular in view to the hostile reaction I experienced when I tried to invite the Christian healers to our ceremony.
A day later all the flowers had disappeared, but it didn’t really matter – we had honoured the well, and the memory will live on in our hearts, as well as in the many photographs that were taken!
Janet Alty, a local woman, suggested that we make this an annual event, including a procession, because apparently there are seven original wells hidden across town. So, what started as a small spontaneous idea this year might become a bigger tradition by next Spring Equinox. I feel it would be good to perform this as a healing ceremony of the town also, because, as Janet points out, the North and South of Leamington Spa have got so separated over the years, and the split is really prevalent.
The rest of the Health Fayre went well, too – Jacqui and I created two delightful altars on Bath Place’s stage; one big Wheel of Brigit-Ana, and a smaller Water altar, with little chocolate Eostre eggs for people to take away, as well as Mermaid & Dolphin oracle cards, and a mass of information. It looked and smelled lovely, and many people came by to talk to us. Later in the afternoon I led a Water Goddess Chakra meditation to round off the day.
It was a really good experience to do this, and I think it would be great to add more luscious Goddess beauty to events like Health Fayres, and our communities!
Hence, I acted on my intuition and announced the ceremony via a few flyers and local mailing lists. I had a visual image in my mind to decorate the well monument with beautiful flower garlands and offerings, and went to measure up one evening with Toby and Richard, who thought that a little flower arrangement in the actual monument would look nice, too. The next day, I explained my ideas to Louise from Interflora in Regent Street, and she created the most wonderful 3m long flower garland for us, with lots of yellow and blue flowers, as well as a little flower arrangement that fitted perfectly into the tap area. In addition, I also bought two bunches of muscari flowers to hand out to participants.
Fellow Priestess of Avalon Jacqui Woodward-Smith had kindly travelled from London with her partner Colin to assist me with the ceremony, so on the day at we proceeded to the Well with a huge box of flowers and three photographers in tow!
By 12 pm, nine people were present in total: Maddie, Jo, Helen, Mr Brayne, Juliet, Colin, Jacqui, a Druid from Wales called Chris, and I. We started by decorating the Well with the flowers, a candle in a blue glass, incense and a card in honour of the Well, and by handing out a flower to each of the participants, into which we asked them to focus their healing wishes and blessings. After holding hands and speaking our intentions for the ceremony, we called in the Four Directions, as well as the Lady of Avalon, the Goddess of the Leamington Spa Waters, The Divine Feminine, the Spirits of Place, and various Western EuropeanWater Goddesses that Jacqui found out about.
After a short moment of silence, we invited the participants to offer their flowers to the well and speak their healing wishes, thanksgivings and blessings either aloud, or silently. This was beautiful and moving to behold, as each person did it with grace and honour. Some also placed individual offerings such as bracelets and rings in the well. Amongst other things, I wished for the well to regain its rightful place of honour and respect, and for healing to come to our town. I also asked the Goddess of the Spa Waters to make herself known, and show us how to connect with her again. The ceremonial atmosphere felt very sacred and special throughout. According to the photographers, our little ceremony attracted some attention from passersby on a busy Saturday afternoon, but I didn’t notice it – I was too immersed in the sacred space.
Jacqui then read an enchanting poem (see below), and I poured a libation of water onto the monument, after which we shared a drink of water from the Chalice and blessed each other. To finish the ceremony, we sang the song ‘We will never ever loose our way to the well, of Her memory and the power of Her living flame, it will rise, it will raise again’.
To close, we held hands again and spoke our thanks, and we left the directions open for the healing energies to stay around town. It was a simple ceremony, but to me, it felt so special. People seemed to appreciate it and more than one person said that it had been long overdue.
Unfortunately, by the next morning, the flower garland had disappeared, as had the offerings and candle, and somebody had placed an ominous cross with the words ‘Forgiven’ into the little flower arrangement. I suspect that this initiative came from a group of Christian healers I had invited to the ceremony – and I felt sad that they found it necessary to do this, rather than openly joining the ceremony. Synchronistically, on the Spring Equinox the following Monday, I felt guided to visit the Malvern Hills, and the first thing I came across was ‘Malvhina’, a water monument by the sculptor Rose Gerrard. She is a stone and bronze figure representing a Celtic princess – or Goddess, and there was a plaque next to her talking about the Celtic trinity, as well as the Christian trinity. This felt very inclusive and healing, in particular in view to the hostile reaction I experienced when I tried to invite the Christian healers to our ceremony.
A day later all the flowers had disappeared, but it didn’t really matter – we had honoured the well, and the memory will live on in our hearts, as well as in the many photographs that were taken!
Janet Alty, a local woman, suggested that we make this an annual event, including a procession, because apparently there are seven original wells hidden across town. So, what started as a small spontaneous idea this year might become a bigger tradition by next Spring Equinox. I feel it would be good to perform this as a healing ceremony of the town also, because, as Janet points out, the North and South of Leamington Spa have got so separated over the years, and the split is really prevalent.
The rest of the Health Fayre went well, too – Jacqui and I created two delightful altars on Bath Place’s stage; one big Wheel of Brigit-Ana, and a smaller Water altar, with little chocolate Eostre eggs for people to take away, as well as Mermaid & Dolphin oracle cards, and a mass of information. It looked and smelled lovely, and many people came by to talk to us. Later in the afternoon I led a Water Goddess Chakra meditation to round off the day.
It was a really good experience to do this, and I think it would be great to add more luscious Goddess beauty to events like Health Fayres, and our communities!
Vigil at the Well
A rock ledge. A dark pool.
Pale dawn and cold rain.
And a woman alone
holding three coins.
She circles the well
three times in the rain.
She offers the coins
to a great ancient tree
then bends to the pool.
A glimmer of silver.
Dawn striking the pool?
A fish in its depths?
The pool stills again.
The sky blazes red.
The woman gets up.
Nothing seems changed.
But the next day a wind
blows warm from the sea.
(Patricia Monaghan)
posted by Warwickshire Spiritual Network @ 8:49 AM
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