Big Changes at The White Spring, Glastonbury

There has been a huge transformation at The White Spring in Glastonbury. We were going to keep it under wraps until we were a bit further along however, there is so much excitement among our global community. Teasing images have been found on social media to suggest that there are big changes at the White Spring. Companions and friends of the sanctuary have been getting in touch from all over the world to find out ‘What’s happening?’

Well, here’s the low-down.

From www.whitespring.org
“The White Spring continues to evolve as a potent sacred site in Glastonbury.
Forever unfolding and growing in beauty; being led in due season by spirit,
this living temple is constantly changing in subtle and sometimes more obvious ways.”

 

Early days

A New Garden is Emerging.

We are now building a beautiful water feature and garden.  For months, we have been planning and visioning a new garden. Members of the fellowship team, as well as members of the community have graciously contributed their time, talents and insights to this wonderful project. Consequently, this summer is bringing in big changes at The White Spring.

This is a vision that has taken a long time to come into form. It has long been held – waiting for the right time, the right people, the resources and more importantly, the right impulse. Now is the time. Everything is in place, and stone by stone, the garden is being built.

The inspiration behind the new garden is to return more nature and brightness to the courtyard, to allow the water more places to play in the sunlight and more than that, to honour the water and the spirit of the White Spring. We are at a potent part of the process; realising and releasing the power and magnificence of this sacred space on a whole other level and encouraging it to blossom outside the structure of the temple. Many pilgrims, tourists and locals have commented on the raw, True Divinity they experience within the temple and shrines of The White Spring. The inspiration is to extend this magic into a new garden with delightful reverence.

 What has been done.

First flows the water

For the garden to be possible several crucial things needed to happen. First was Wellhouse Cottage’s generous donation of its car park space so the whole area could be redesigned. Second involved sorting out the complexities of moving the waste pipe from inside the Temple building, a situation left over from the building’s earlier commercial use. The final stage, moving the waste pipe out of the courtyard and under the road, was completed in May 2019.

These changes have cleared a remarkable amount of stagnant energy from the courtyard area and created a larger area for The White Spring Garden to become a reality.

The new design includes seven dropping pools, echoing the pools of the original valley where the reservoir was built. Some of Glastonbury’s ‘Green Men’ have been working hard to build the water feature. Jim and John have taken great care to align the bowls and secure them on blue lias stone posts to blend in with the rest of the structure.

Going with the flow

Magic, Intent and Manifestation.

Every step in the creation of this magnificent garden has been undertaken prayerfully with great regard to the spirits of place. We are blessed with such wonderful synchronicity and harmony in the unfolding of this project. It is pure magic that Seamus Joy, who created the moss wall and pools in the late 80’s has returned to work on the garden, bridging time and tradition to create harmony in nature. A large planting area has made way for beautiful rowan trees, holly, broom, ferns and flowers. Seamus will be following the procedure previously used at the back of the courtyard to achieve the same mossy effect on the giant planter.

From deciding which materials to use, what plants are most appropriate and the intention we are bringing in, we have given all aspects of the garden due consideration. The fellowship, comprising of custodians, founders, and benefactors, has consulted with key people in the community. Equally, the fellowship has taken time to align with otherworldly beings. The whole process has involved visioning, ritual, healing, moving on, difficult choices and lots of discussion. All of us taking care to assure we are working with the true nature of the space and listening carefully to what is emerging here.

 

Delightful and reverent

A Prayer.

This garden is offered as a prayer
of love and appreciation for
the gift of pure water
emerging from the living earth.
We give thanks.

This is a sacred garden to compliment the White Spring sanctuary. Beautiful, safe, harmonious. A place to delight and lift the heart. A sacred space loved and cared for by locals and pilgrims alike. As with all new things at The White Spring, the building of the garden involves experimenting to see what works in this evolving and occasionally challenging, sacred space. Now the final touches of the main structure are in place. The rowan, moss, broom, holly and ferns will grow and the seven pools will soon look like they have been there forever. Water flows naturally all around the garden and echoes with a beautiful sound.

 The Fellowship of the Spring, comprising custodians, founders and benefactors, and the dedicated keepers of this sacred space, are committed to continue working with the Divine nature and physical structure of this wonderful garden as it continues to transform.

‘For the Love of It’.

 

The White Spring continues to be run
“For the Love of It,”
there is no charge to the public,
nor will there ever be.
All who come in peace are welcome.

 

I can hardly believe it has been ten years since we helped create and build the magnificent pools inside the sanctuary.When the pools were completed in 2009, we had a ‘party’ to celebrate. There was no charge for entry, nor any magic hat asking for donations. Gill Atkinson, founder of the Temple and Sunbird, of Earth-heart fame, talked about the need for money. Sunbird asked why we were not asking for contributions. We do it ‘For the Love of It,’ Gill said.

We trust that we will be provided for, and we are. There is no need to hold out a hand for donations when you are already taken care of. Since we got involved in 2006, this has always been a founding principle of how the sacred space is managed. Contributions are of course gratefully accepted, but no one is paid, no-one is charged and there is never any expectation of reward.

Get Involved.

If you would like to get involved we’d be delighted to hear from you. Additionally, if you have an afternoon free each week or fortnight, please consider becoming a keeper of the White Spring and opening regularly for visitors. We do require financial support for the day to day running of the temple and to initiate new projects. Gifts and contributions are most welcome. If you would like to make a contribution to running costs or future projects or if you can organise a benefit event, please contact us. You can write to the fellowship at The White Spring Cottage, Wellhouse Lane, BA6 8BL – or find more details of how you can support The White Spring here.

Loving Well

The last time there were such big changes at The White Spring was when we designed and installed the new gates.

I wrote this poem during that time and it still holds true. You can find more poems and articles about the White Spring at Wizard News.

A heart is held enthralled by stone and water,
It’s beating pulse is fed by constant flow,
In face of threat or danger, it won’t falter
And even when disaster bucks the bow.

Once, twice, thrice, by strife, a love is tested,
This love requires utter sacrifice,
Lay down my self, my life, at once invested,
Embraced and held by otherworldly sighs.

Defying definition,
Oh my love,
To make of me the novice and the brave.
Release all inhibition, not enough!
To walk into the darkness of the cave.

Living on the edge of a cold chasm,
Allowed to put the grapes upon the vine,
Driven by an archetypal passion,
Swallowed by the taste of love divine.

And hidden in the shadow cast by candles,
A heart trips on the strings of pure delight,
And bidden by the hallows of the deep well,
It brings a loving presence to the light.

Lisa Goodwin, Elder Chaired Bard of Ynys Witrin

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