E08

Earth Temple

Wednesday 27th July 1994 (approx 9:30pm)

Earth Temple Air Temple Water Temple Fire Temple

Barry: The image of the Green Man seems very strong.

Rob: It is night, the moon lights the circle.

Barry: The Green Man's eyes shine. The smell of vegetation is very strong.

Rob: There is a sense of calm - silence. The air is still.

Barry: The stag and boar stones seem more alive. They vibrate with energy, like the wolf and kestrel stones. Maybe it is time to contact the green Man again. There are sticks laid for the fire between the maypole and the cave entrance. The Green Man masks are hanging from the maypole.

I put the sticks together and fire rises.

Rob: It rises straight up. The air is very still and there is a pregnant silence.

Barry: I take a Green Man mask from the pole. Then I sit close to the fire, its warmth is comforting. I put on the mask.

Rob: I move to stand behind you, to guard you.

Barry: I can see the carved eyes shining out through the smoke. The vegetation is thicker and more alive. The Green Man is standing in a circle of trees. Snow covers his hood and the ground around him.

He is in a holly grove, holding a rock in each hand. One rock is very dense, containing metal, iron ore perhaps. The other is soft chalk and sandstone. He rubs them together, showing that the sandstone and chalk are easily rubbed away. There seems to be two things that he is saying. These rocks represent two opposites. The very dense rock represents our magical work up to now, which should be compacted so that it cannot be eroded, particularly when we move to water.

We should be open to receiving new wisdom. He forms his hands into a cup shape - this is the cave - the heart of the green - the womb - the Goddess. This is a place for rebirth and deep contemplation. Winter is the time for this process.

His figure fades.

Rob: Moonlight brightens; there is a figure in within the circle.

Barry: She wears a crescent moon.

Rob: She appears to be young.

Barry: There are stars on her robe. The moon shines on her dark hair. She and the man are part of the same force.

Rob: Though we are exploring the Earth element, we are also utilising powers of imagination and these fall into her realm. Though winter is a time for contemplation we should be aware of the Lunar cycle with its active and dark phases. Though we have focussed on the Green Man, we must not forget Mother Earth, it is fruitful and brings forth abundance.

She points to the cave and is gone.

Barry: Inside the cave is warm. It is lit by many crystals on the walls and roof. The cave is small and compact. There is a depression in the middle of the floor - the runes of the ten power animals are roughly scratched into the sand around the depression. They are in a small clay pot that gives off a pungent incense. I feel myself rolled tightly into a ball.

Rob: One of the themes of Tamelin is rebirth, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen. Throughout time followers of the mysteries have undergone rebirth.

Barry: Rebirth always seems to take place in the form of a closed container - the Cauldron - Christ's cave.

Rob: A cocoon. Before one is liberated, one must experience restriction. The same thing but opposite. We should be doing something other than this, there are lessons we need to learn physically.

Barry: I feel the runes quite strongly. They seem a way of contacting Earth directly, as that is where they came from. Incense represents reaching out of the spirit. One of our problems is that we look for obstacles, and not for the gaps.

Rob: Power is without a concept of good or evil. The powers of Earth are deep and strong, what they lack in subtlety, they gain in strength. Power is available to us, as we choose to use it. The potential for harm or good is considerable. This is why the power is not easily obtainable. It takes self-discipline. Those with weak will power are deterred by this.

I am outside the cave now.

Barry: I am hanging the Green Man mask back. The leaves of holly and other greenery around the cave entrance is thick. The energy in the circle grows and vibrates from the known stones. When we know all ten stones the energy will be complete. Then it will be time to construct the totem.