Everyday magic in Wiltshire
Published: Mon, 11/11/13
On Friday morning I drove to Oxford to do some work for a client.
The best route from South Somerset first thing in the morning is
along the A303 and then North on the A34. This journey takes me
through Wiltshire and past Stonehenge. There is a good view of the
stones from the A303, sometimes a very long look as the traffic
often jams at that point because the road is single carriageway.
I left just after 0600hrs and it was a fine morning. It got light
over the first 40 minutes of the journey and the low lying fields
were covered in white mist. When I see the fog lying like that it
always seems to give the landscape a kind of fairytale quality. I
wondered what Britain's most famous monument would look like
and, sure enough, the huge stones were wreathed around the bases in
a blanket of mist. Stonehenge is an amazing enough sight at any
time but add the mist at dawn and there is something quite magical
about the view.
I didn't see anything that isn't always there in one sense.
The countryside of Wiltshire doesn't change that much (at
least they haven't built any wind turbines there, not yet
anyway). Stonehenge has been there for thousands of years as far
as we know. But by getting up and leaving before dawn on the right
morning I got to see views which, to me anyway, were rather special.
For me Stav is a bit like that. Stav doesn't deal with
anything that is inherently unfamiliar. Everyone has to deal with
issues to do with health and well-being, personal security,
relating to the natural world and engaging with other people. In a
way these things are so mundane that most people hardly give them
conscious thought. The same people then wonder why they have
health problems, or become victims of crime, or just don't seem
to be getting anywhere in life. The main reason is that they are
not consciously aware of being part of the web of life, of their
own personal wyrd and how the orlog is playing out for them.
Developing this awareness isn't particularly difficult, it is
just a matter of being willing to open your eyes and see what is
around you. But you do have to make some effort and maybe even
suffer some discomfort. By getting up early to begin my journey I
avoided major traffic problems and saw something rather wonderful.
Stav is very accessible too, but you still have to make the effort.
Next Saturday for example you could had a day training in Stav in
Evesham. The course is will take place, I will teach to the best
of my ability, you will be able to go away afterwards and work with
what you have learned. It is all possible, just as seeing
Stonehenge in the mist was possible, but I was there driving past
it, most people were not. Most people don't learn Stav, they
could, but they don't, what about you?
More details for Saturday http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/train.html
regards
Graham
PS The online library for Ice and Fire is developing nicely,
yesterday I posted a video showing self-defence applications of the
Fe Stance. Next week I will add another staff drill and I have
footage ready to post of the Ur galdre stances. New magazine out
very soon too. See http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/join.html