Tina ThrussellLast week I teased you a wee bit by saying I had a brush with Druidism. Then I said, “But that’s a story for another day…” Today is another day!
There’s a lot of background story, but let’s just say that through a remarkable set of synchronicities, my mom and I found ourselves at the Grange Stone Circle – one of two places that I really wanted to see while we were in Ireland.
We had caught a ride to the Grange Stone Circle with a couple named Susan and David, who overnighted at the same B&B that we did. (Misnomer, as there was only a bed; no breakfast!) We felt this couple was very brave to have rented a car to drive around Ireland! The roads are incredibly narrow and winding, and have no shoulder, like our roads do.
They were both over 75 years of age and like us, are accustomed to driving on the right-hand side of the road in a car that would have a stick shift on our right. In Ireland, they drive on the left side of the road, and the stick shift is on the left. (Renting an automatic is unthinkable. The lowest rate I could find was over $500/day!)
Anyway, Susan got us safely to the Stone Circle and we were off to explore. The circle was huge, and there was a very large tree at the top of the circle of stones. As we walked around the inside of the circle, the energy was very calm and peaceful.
We ventured through a closed gate into some bush that opened up to a clearing where someone had set up a firepit with benches (one painted with a notice that this is a sacred place and no alcohol was to be consumed here) and a make-shift kitchen that was outfitted with cups, pots, etc. It looked like the perfect set-up to prepare mushroom or cacao ceremonies.
We took a few pictures and then I spied a smaller stone circle in an adjacent cow pasture. Susan sw the look of longing on my face and asked, “Would you like to visit that circle, too? You run along and your mom and I will wait here for you.” David had already gone back to the car.
I literally ran across the pasture to the smaller Stone Circle. There was a large gap in the stones directly across from the tree at the head of the circle, so I stepped through the opening into the circle. I immediately sensed Faerie energy! I was so excited! Upon closer inspection, the tree had several ribbons and trinkets tied to the branches that hung over the inside of the circle. I would have been happy to simply stay and lap up the energy there, but I was consciously aware of the others waiting for me.
When we got back to the Grange Stone Circle, I was inexplicably excited to see a gentleman standing in the center of the circle in bare feet. The minute I saw him, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought to take off my own shoes and socks! I quickly whipped them off my feet and shouted, “Thank you for the inspiration!”
He calmly replied, “There is strong healing energy here.” I walked over to stand beside him as he continued, “There is a lay line here that comes all the way from England. It’s a powerful place. Did you see the circle in the other field?”
“Yes, I did. I ran over there.”
He nodded his approval and added something like, “That’s the important stone circle.”
He went on to talk about the Druids and their belief in the power of nature. “They believe everything depends on nature. Nature is all there is.” Then he told me about – and showed me – the birthing tree just outside of the stone circle with its hollowed-out trunk where women in labour would go to give birth to their babies in safety.
“Would it be sacrilegious to take a picture of this?” I sked him.
“No, it would be fine,” he replied.
As I turned away from the birthing tree, I saw a tree directly across from it with a hole in it and a little shelf cut about a foot above that hole. I walked over to investigate. As I stuck my ace as close to the hole as I could and looked upward, I exclaimed, “It’s a chimney!”
“Yes, they would have built a little fire in the hole…”
Mom exclaimed, “They built a fire inside the tree? Isn’t that a little crazy!?”
The gentleman explained, “It would have been a very tiny fire.”
When we stepped back into the stone circle, he lifted his sleeve and pulled a copper bracelet off his arm. “Do you know what this is?”
I nodded and excitedly replied, “Yes, it’s a copper bracelet!”
He said, “Healers use them to help people with their pain. Joints can be healed with the help of copper.” And with that, he opened up the bracelet and slid it onto my arm, squeezing it closed again!
I was about to protest, but then decided to keep my mouth shut and graciously accept the gift. I thanked him profusely and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Nile.”
“I know you’re a Brit, but may I hug you?”
He laughed and said, “I suppose so.”
I gave him a quick squeeze and fondled my new bracelet. “What a blessing!“ Then I looked at him and said, “What a blessing to meet you, Nile.”
With a twinkle in his eye, he said, “Perhaps we were brought here today to meet.”
“Yes, perhaps we were,” I agreed.
I would have been happy to stay there all day, but I suddenly became aware that Susan had returned to the car. I awkwardly said, “I’m so sorry. I would love to stay longer, but we’re riding with that couple, and they seem anxious to get going.”
“Travel well,” he offered, and I scampered off to the car to continue our journey to the next town with Susan and David. As we drove away, I sat in awe of what we had just experienced… a brush with Druidism that I will never forget!
