We needed a cuppa (that is, a pot of tea). So we head off to a nice quaint tea shop, as they all seem to be here. Sitting sipping on my, like, tenth cup of the day. We hear joyful festive music coming closer and closer. It was coming up the cobble stone road towards us. Oh yes it’s the “Goddess Fest” today. Then not a moment later, a parade of color headed our way. Bright floral dresses, flowered headbands, braded dreadlocks and lots of bells and glitter… these were the goddesses of Glastonbury. Drumming, singing, and dancing. Busty maidens and glamorous witches, everything seemed to go here. After all it is Glastonbury, the isle of Avalon, home of the medieval maiden and the psychic seers. This appeared to be quite the norm in this part of the world, apparently I missed the Zombie parade earlier in the year.
The quaint village of Glastonbury ekes psychic and mysterious. With shops like “The Psychic Piglet” and “The Spell Shop”, you’ve entered a completely different mysterious realm. In fact you can get a psychic reading or a goddess cape more easily than a newspaper. Stop by to get a quick spell or a magic potion on your way to the grocery stop. This goes with a certain laid back hippie attitude. One shop had a sign that read, “Open today when we feel like it, check back later if we’re not here.”
We stopped by to meet Liz Williams, successful author and The Druid of Glastonbury. She was busy in her shop “The Cat and the Cauldron.”
We were greeted by the oversized stuff bat Barry hanging over the door. A sign attached to him read “not for sale.” Shame, I was quite interested in having him hung from the chandelier in my bedroom. I’m only slightly kidding; I happen to have quite an affection for bats since my guide “Seeing Eye Bat” made an appearance as my animal spirit.
Liz had agreed to be our druid guide the next day. Very well spoken and knowledgeable, with an air that reminded me of an oxford scholar. Yet hardly stereotypical, dressed in druid robes arranging her magic spell books.
Liz is actually quite an accomplished author of many novels but clearly her passion is pagan craft and the art of wicker. Liz would be our historian through the Glastonbury abbey and then perhaps she would bless us with a druidry demonstration from the Pagan realms.
