A very, very Happy Belated New Year. As I mentioned in my previous email, I have a great feeling of optimism as we start this new decade; a feeling of a new and positive energy entering our the planet. An energy that is there for us to take on board and tap into whilst recognising that things do not necessarily happen overnight and that there still exists great unrest and disturbances in many places.
My son, Sloane who lives in Sydney has been over here on holiday which has been great. We spent a very happy Christmas with my sister in one of the tucked away West Sussex villages. The church at Sidlesham to which we went early on Christmas morning was of Saxon origin, very small and dating back to around 1200.
One of things Sloane and I often do is to visit the little Shepherd’s churches. We normally do it in summer, so this time we thought we would visit them in winter and just see how they looked and ‘felt’. As expected, the Magic - a different Magic - blended with energy also of a changed type greeted us; just as beneficial as the summer Magic. They are special places and our favourite is Up Marden in West Sussex. It is one of the Octagon Parish Churches. As you would expect from the title, they consist of eight uniquely beautiful churches, many of them several hundred years old, seven of which are still open for public worship.
The Octagon Parish is situated at the western end of Sussex between Chichester and Petersfield and within the South Downs National Park.
This rural community consists largely of farmland and is made up of the villages and hamlets of Compton, Forestside, Up Marden, West Marden, North Marden, East Marden, Racton, Stansted, Stoughton and Walderton. The Octagon contains eight.
In mediaeval times, an octagon was considered to be halfway between a circle (God) and a square (earth). It was the place where heaven and earth came into contact. That is why pulpits and fonts are often octagonal in shape.
Most of these villages are hundreds of years old, tucked away deep inside the countryside and sometimes under the folds of hills and surrounded by verdant pasture land. And as you stand or sit (depending on the weather) an image enters one’s mind of shepherds in their Sunday best smocks wending their way to these special places to speak to God. Or maybe at other times just for a moment of peace away from the hardships of daily life.
As you approach Up Marden’s St Michaels, you can immediately ‘feel’ exactly when you have entered its energy field. An energy field of such love, peace and calm that one is loath to leave and return to the mundane problems of the outside world. Simon Jenkins wrote:
“You can go to Iona or Jarrow, to Cornwall or the Welsh Marches, and you will not find a more moving witness to early Christianity than here in the uplands of West Sussex.
These churches are little more than hermitages, cells of piety amid poverty. Centuries of patronage passed them by without alteration or embellishment. Most are described as Saxon-Norman. I would call them English Early Christian. They are first cousins to the pagan wood shrines whose sites they probably occupy.”
“The Spirits of Downsmen past and present may haunt Up Marden. They may gasp up the hill, tramp through the wicket gate and kneel exhausted before their God. But more than the spirits seem to fill this clearing. More than dryads flit from tree to tree. The Downland churches have a stronger magic. The unbeliever departs them all ill at ease.”
As you may have gathered, I have a passion for little and ancient churches, for their energy and for their modesty; for their stark appearance and lack of ornamentation. Their starkness belies their strength, as they stand strong and proud, welcoming the stranger with open arms within their protective walls; a welcome abundantly rich in contrast to their humble appearance.
Winter Feasts
During the cold winter weather it is a joy watching the birds congregate round the bird feeders in my garden. This winter we have had a particularly rich variety of birds; the most numerous visitors are the Great Tits, Cole Tits and Blue Tits and a family of long tailed tits. We have a pair of pale pink breasted Nuthatches, a pair of bullfinches, the female looking quite dowdy in comparison to her brightly pink breasted mate, We have a pair of pale pink breasted Nuthatches, a family of five goldfinches, plus ground loving birds such as robins and hedges sparrows (dunnocks). In addition some unwelcome visitors such as grey squirrels who have voracious appetites and frighten away the smaller birds and who have to be discouraged.
Countryside and other Visits
On our visit to the little churches we went through some beautiful countryside and the sun and the world was shining for us.
Back from our winter rambles, I am going to give the dates of my summer tours as I have had so many enquiries already. The first tour with the optional extra of the magical private evening entry to Stonehenge (taking us right to the very stones themselves allowing us to absorb their energies). This tour is always extremely popular as indeed is the second tour on the 6th August with an optional extra of flying over ancient and sacred places such as Silbury Hill, also the important Avebury stone complex and hopefully over crop circles. You will find more information on my website (Steve please could you give the link). I also take private tours by special arrangement. I am keeping everything crossed for a really good summer and hope to see you.
I still have a few 2020 calendars left; they seem to have been going extra quickly this year.
With my love and best wishes,
Lucy.