well i am back!
we actually came home last thursday but its taken me this time to unpack (there are still clothes in the camper!), sort out the garden...its looking overgrown and gorgeous!...and generally come down from the high i always get from being away with my Stonewylde Tribe.
we had a whole week away~some folk only stayed for a few nights, a small group of us stayed the whole week.
it was just wonderful~for a few days the weather was cloudy and decidedly chilly with rain one night, then on the monday the clouds cleared and it became blazing hot...by wednesday it was too hot to move and the temperature reached the 100's.
as usual i am~and i know others are~suffering the post gathering blues.
it feels weird to be living in a house, sleeping in a 'proper' bed and not having my tribe around me all of the time.
some of us have known each other from 2007/08 when the old stonewylde forum started up and since then we have grown into a small but perfect little community.
our very first little gathering, just for a day, was at avebury in 2009 and our first camp was in 2010 and its just snowballed.
last year because of the book launch we had two camps and we all wish we could have two every year.
of course as we are all scattered over the country we have small met-up's in our areas~in fact we are travelling up to
conisbrough castle in august for the 'northern tarts' (tarts as in
bakewell tarts~swampy and i come under the 'southern belles umbrella!)) picnic and in three weeks we are travelling up to yorkshire for the birthday party
of our gorgeous faerieface.
anyway it was wonderful, we had a handfasting at the recumbent stone at avebury and of course a trip to glastonbury...
anyway enough words, have a look for yourself...
Pretty Pagans new interior~looking very cosy with the red curtains...
the 'solstice cafe'~swampy and i started this last year, providing water, kettle, teas and coffees to all of the group. this year people kindly added to the supplies and we bought the sign...
i like shots like this~fist night camped up with willow, ian, kit and mr.b...
sujee and bilbo's beautiful bell tent...i still want one!...
mismi checking out the field...
we are so lucky to have some very talented musicians among our friends~bilbo and chappie with sujee looking on...
flynts friend isabeau...
good morning bilbo!...
on the morning of the handfasting swampy and i arrived in avebury early to make sure we could get a parking space in the shade as we would not leave mismi at the campsite.
we put the kettle on and was having breakfast (ahhh the beauty of a home on wheels) when this american lady, mary, approached asking what was in the cage and what we were doing there...its not often you see someone in medieval dress in a car park!
we explained the whole week and as it turns out is a tarot reader, reiki healer and crone priestess and i took her e-mail...well of course you would, wouldn't you?!....
as usual we had the use of the little village hall to take the weight off, enjoy cups of tea and wait for bilbo to lead us where the ceremony was to be held at the recumbent stone...
these were the people who slowly gathered to see why a huge group of gorgeously dressed people were gathering...
after the handfasting it was time to take photos~yours truly with jez, bilbo and kit...
the handfastee's with the quater callers~fliss, sujee, swampy and bilbo, tilli and chappie who performed the ceremony and kit who wrote the basis of the ceremony...
the recumbent stone...
a real camp fire...this year the new manager was a young chap who has taken over from his father and he allowed us to create a fire pit and even provided plenty of wood...
swampy and i took ourselves back to avebury on the monday...
this bell tent with its canopy belongs to seawitch who makes the most amazing soaps.
i have one of her new ones 'hippy daze' which is the most wonderful patchouli 'foam' soap which i now wash my hair with...
sunset was just behind us and glorious...
on tuesday we went into glastonbury to meet up with our friends crystal and the welsh wizard who had returned home on sunday.
we had left early because the olympic torch was going through glastonbury and we had hoped to park up before they closed the road.
no such luck.
after skirting the centre twice and getting stopped in a line of traffic to let the olympic buses through we took shelter in a super market carpark until the road was opened...
a froggy fayble in the window of 'lilith'...
this chap had set himself up selling the assorted bags, pouches and necklaces...
i admired the teeny pouch he was wearing around his neck and luckily for me he had a solitary one for sale...i am now wishing i had one of his necklaces too...
occupy glastonbury...
a sight that fills my heart...
mismi taking glastonbury in his stride...
on wednesday it was just too hot to move and i spent the day chasing the shade...
but the evening still became chilly and it was time to try the new incense i bought from star child...
this frog had made a cool, damp home under our awning...
our final 'brew' before making our way home...
when i see
old sarum (remember my last ancestor post and the map?! see? i just imagine my pre-history ancestors here!) and the spire of
salisbury catherdral i know we are not far from home...
when we see the animals roaming free then we are home...
