GLASTONBURY

The soft rounded Chalice Hill lies beside the Tor, held by many to be the burial site for the Holy Grail, that ancient mysterious vessel sought by the Knights of the Round Table, signifying the human Quest for spiritual understanding

Seen from a great distance rising enigmatically above the flat Summerland meadows.

There are many myths and legends associated with the Tor - it is the home of Gwyn ap Nudd, the Lord of the Underworld, and a place where the fairy folk live. Over the last few years there has been discussion about the significance of the terracing of the Tor. It was proposed first by Geoffrey Russell and then expanded on by Geoffrey Ashe, the well-known Arthurian scholar, that the terracing on the slopes of Glastonbury Tor is the remains of a great three-dimensional Neolithic labyrinth, a ceremonial way dedicated to the ancient British Goddess.

Whether it will ever be proved that the labyrinth was constructed in the Neolithic era or not is a matter for future archeology, but since it was first suggested many thousands of people have walked it in a sacred manner. And this is no mean feat since it takes from 4-6 hours to walk in and out of the labyrinth. It provides the perfect setting for a present day ceremonial journey whether it was or not in the past. The Tor is now owned and cared for by the National Trust and there is free access to the public at all times.

Glastonbury is a very spiritual place and people from all over the world travel there to view the famous Tor and Glastonbury Abbey where the reputed graves of King Arthur and Lady Guinevere lay.

It's a small market town of some 8,000 people in the county of Somerset in England. It is a thriving conventional town but is also a world famous spiritual centre of Pilgrimage. 

On another level Glastonbury is a unique sacred site that has been recognised as such for millennia. It has different meanings for different people. For some Glastonbury is the mythical Isle of Avalon, an otherworldly Paradise spoken of in myth and legend.

Pilgrims journey here to feel and experience the numinous spiritual energies which lie very near to the surface of things.

For them the veil that separates the visible and the invisible worlds is particularly thin all around the Glass Isle. For Christians Glastonbury is the revered site of the first Christian church built in the British Isles by Joseph of Arimathea. For others it is the resting place of Arthur and the home of the quest for the Grail and all the legends that surround it. For some Glastonbury is a special earth-sacred site where many ley lines - the energy meridians of the earth - meet, entwine and diverge, moving outwards from this, the heart chakra of the planet. For many who come here after reading Marion Zimmer Bradley’s book "The Mists of Avalon", Glastonbury is the ancient home of the Priestesshood. For younger people Glastonbury is perhaps most famous for the Glastonbury Music and Performing Arts Festival held annually five miles away at Worthy Farm in Pilton.

As well as being rich in legends and historical remains, the present Glastonbury is a magnet for pilgrims of many faiths and beliefs, who are drawn from all over the world by what are felt to be the special spiritual energies of the place.

Altogether a rich and magical melting pot where pilgrims and visitors alike are welcomed.

The above page is made up from extracts from Glastonbury's home page and Glastonbury's web link. 

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