Stay tuned for information relating to the upcoming trip - August 16-21 2006



Sacred Steps: Pilgrimage to England's West Country August 5-13, 2004

Details

Discover Glastonbury, ancient Isle of Avalon and heart chakra of Earth, the marvels of Stonehenge, the awe-inspiring landscape of the Avebury Complex, and more.

Our purpose is to introduce you to these magical places, acknowledged as holy ground in the ages before history. We will blend guided and informational tours, meditation and ritual, play and rest, and explore the energies found at the sites as a way of awakening the Sacred Feminine within each of us.

Please join Mary Teti of “Hands from the Heart” and Connie Fenty of “Your Nature Connection Seminars.”  Mary and Connie have over 10 years of combined experience in designing and presenting workshops on Reiki and Magnified Healing, Avatar, Earth Spirituality, Nature Connection,  Labyrinths, Peace Making,             Ancient Goddess Beliefs, and Women’s Wisdom Circles.  Mary is a certified Massage Therapist and has extensively studied and explored England’s sacred sites.      Connie teaches Elementary School Physical Education and has presented Labyrinth workshops locally, nationally, and internationally.   

www.handsfromtheheart.com or www.yournatureconnection.com                                                         

Cost: $1899.  Deduct $100 if paid in full one month prior to departure.

 $150 deposit due May 1.                                                       

This includes accommodation for seven nights, all ground transportation*, two meals daily, all entrance fees and presentations and materials. 
*Air fare NOT included.

Itinerary   (schedule subject to change at the discretion of the tour planners for purposes of creating an even better program)

Day one – August 5 

Flight to London’s Heathrow Airport to be arranged by individual participants.

Day two – August 6

We gather at London's Heathrow Airport.  From here we will enjoy a scenic ride to England's West country, destination Glastonbury. Enroute, we see the Neolithic stone circle of Stonehenge, followed by a pub lunch at The Royal Oak. Upon arrival in Glastonbury, ample time will be available to settle in at Little Saint Michael's, a charmingly furnished retreat house with some sections dating back to the 16th century, yet with all modern conveniences. This is a special place where we can leave the hubbub of our lives behind (no televisions, radios or cell phones) and renew ourselves nestled in the sacred gardens of Chalice Well www.chalicewell.org.uk. Additional accommodations next door at Barachah Bed and Breakfast also offer a retreat like setting and over look the gardens. We will all eat our evening meals at Little St. Michaels.  Catering being provided by Glastonbury Gourmet which has come highly recommended to us.Chalice Well is so called because, according to legend, Joseph of Arimathea hid the Chalice (Grail?) of the last Supper in the well chamber, hence, the red stain the water brings to the well and basin walls. Of course, it was revered before Christianity as the place from which the healing blood of the Goddess, the lifeblood of Earth, flowed. You may wish to book an aromatherapy massage with Lynn, co-guardian of Chalice Well, during our stay. An orientation walk of the town will fuel our appetites for dinner, and a restful evening.

Day two – August 7

Our spiritual journey begins with a very special labyrinth walk. After breakfast, we head for Glastonbury Tor to walk the labyrinth path carved into its hillsides millennia ago. Glastonbury Tor, surrounded by apple orchards, is considered by many to be the Isle of Avalon, gateway to the Otherworld... a place of transformation. With this walk into the labyrinth we bring that which we wish to change, to create, to release in our lives, and meet the Divine Feminine.  After our walk, we will have time for lunch. The afternoon takes us to Glastonbury Abbey, reputed burial place of Arthur and Guinevere, and quite possibly the site upon which the first Christian Church in the British Isles was built by Joseph of Arimathea. After dinner, we will depart for a private tour of the sacred stones at Stonehenge.  Normally we would not be able to enter the circle or touch the stones.  This will be a special event as we will have the site all to ourselves for ritual and meditation. Joining us on the trip is harpist, Tami Briggs who will play her Celtic harp at this event.   

Day four – August 9                                                                                                           

After breakfast, we begin a day excursion to Wells, England's smallest city, and Bath, England's "Garden City", revered by Romans and ancient Britons for its healing waters. The city was dedicated to Sulis Minerva, who was a blend of the Celtic Goddess of water Sulis, and the Roman Goddess Minerva. We will enjoy a meal in Wells before our return to Glastonbury.  As a farewell on our final evening in Glastonbury, sunset on the Tor is unforgettable, then a final private walk through the glorious gardens of Chalice Well.

Day five – August 10                                                                                                                      

We depart Glastonbury after breakfast, heading northeast to Avebury, Wiltshire. Avebury is a huge ceremonial site of which a stone circle and henge (inside sits most of the Village of Avebury) is only a part. We begin our exploration, breaking for lunch, then continuing our discoveries of the Avebury Complex. We then drive a few miles down the road to the quaint market town of Marlborough, where we will stay at the Castle and Ball Hotel www.castleandball.com.   Keep your eyes open, as this is crop circle country!

We make an early morning trip to West Kennet Long Barrow. Here we will symbolically rebirth from the womb of Mother Earth to a new day.  Harp music will accompany our ceremony.  We also view Silbury Hill, constructed 5000 years ago and representative of the pregnant belly of the fruitful Earth. After breakfast, we will drive to the enigmatic Uffington White Horse (dragon?). Like the Nazca Lines of Peru, the Horse can only be seen in its entirety from the air. The 3000 year old chalk figure is most likely in honor of Epona/Rhiannon, whose totem animal is the horse. From there we move on to the Rollright Stones, a stone circle of magic and mystery not far from Oxford. Our daytrip takes us through the picturesque Cotswolds as we view quintessential English villages and countryside all around! We return to Marlborough for dinner.

We board our bus and depart the West Country for a tour of London.  Our tour bus will then drop us off to check into the Ariel Holiday Inn where we will be easily able to shuttle to the airport the following day.  The afternoon and evening can be spent back in London, an easy “tube” ride from the hotel. 

Day seven – August 13

We bid farewell to this wonder-full West Country of England, and make our way to Heathrow Airport and home, unless you decide to extend your pilgrimage making your own arrangements to stay longer.