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The Song in the Silence

4/6/2014

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Our interactive talk last Thursday was entitled 'Word, Vowel, Cycle, Harmony' and delivered to us by the Silent Eye School of Consciousness as part of a series of six talks that are running throughout 2014. This was the second talk. 

Sue Vincent - the fiery red-head of the team delivers her thoughts on the evening. 


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Sue Vincent
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The Song in the Silence

It is something akin to stage fright perhaps; no matter what logic dictates, there is always that nervous moment as you wait to see if anyone is going to turn up. As Steve Tanham and Stuart France had prepared the room there was little more for me to do but sit quietly with an eye on the door. With over half an hour to go, it looked like being a long wait. But we needn’t have worried. The evening began with the arrival of a poet I have long wanted to meet, followed by old friends of the School. Then slowly the circle filled and a room full of people waited for the talk to begin.

As always, Morgana introduced the evening, and introduced us also to the Glastonbury Taize singers, whose monastic chants grace the Abbey every Friday morning. That the group had been drawn to come by the title of the talk, sacrificing their practice evening to join us, was wonderful and gave an extra reason, were any needed, to make the talk a good one.

The Singers kindly agreed to begin the evening for us with a chant; such a gift to have that sacred sound fill the room with beauty! From that moment the subject of the evening, the Song in the Silence, came alive for those who were there.

PictureThe Glastonbury Unity Candle
The circle joined in opening the space with Light. For the Silent Eye this is important; a reminder that all is sacred and can be consciously seen as such, from the most mundane of tasks to the highest Working. It set the tone for the evening, where the subject we explored showed the inherent harmony in the song of life itself.

Steve is our master presenter. Years of experience within the business world, AMORC and the Servants of the Light have honed his skills for explaining complex concepts in an understandable and entertaining way. From a circle to the geometry of the Vesica Piscis, so familiar in Glastonbury, Steve presented the group with a visual guide to the unconsidered aspects of the way in which we speak, communicating with sounds that are born of inherent harmony.

Now this is all very well… but it is engaging the intellect only and we are beings of more than mind alone; understanding is born when all levels of being are brought into action. So we passed out paper and geometry sets and for the next twenty minutes Stuart showed the group how to construct the Vesica for themselves and how they could see in practical terms that inherent harmony develop. This engages the body, creativity and emotion and at one point, as the harmony became visible on paper, I heard ‘Wow!’ from one of the musicians.

We began the second half with a short meditation then continued our exploration of harmony and sound, for the harmony born of the circle is woven through the roots of life itself. By the end of the evening we had shared much, our own stories interwoven through a shared journey towards understanding. 


For Steve, Stuart and myself the evening was wonderful. It is always a joy to visit Glastonbury; we had felt welcomed and, as we raised a glass in the local pub with a number of those who had shared the evening with us, we began looking forward to the next talk in June when we will present a symbol that has become much misunderstood…
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Copyright: The Silent Eye School of Consciousness
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Yes, it's a photo from a couple of years ago, but it's when Sue & Morgy first began piloting  a shared journey ;) 
For now, however, our focus is firmly on the event ahead, as the Silent Eye annual weekend workshop in Derbyshire begins on the 11th April and it is all hands on the deck of the Hawk as the final flurry of activity begins, creating the ritual drama that will take our Companions on a journey of imagination and intent from a science fiction setting to ancient Egypt and beyond. Once again we have Companions flying in from across the world to join us for what promises to be a spectacular weekend… and the final countdown has begun.

We of the Silent Eye would like to express our gratitude to Morgana West and the Glastonbury Reception Centre for their efforts and work to ensure that the Glastonbury talks are both a success and a joy. Thank you.

Sue Vincent
Director
The Silent Eye School of Consciousness


For a copy of the programme brochure for The Land of the Exiles, click on the image below. 
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The Abbot's Kitchen in Glastonbury Abbey re-opens

4/5/2014

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Photo: Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury is going through some exciting changes at the moment. The Somerset Rural Life Museum has closed until 2016 for huge refurbishment, the new stunning wrought iron gates at the White Spring and ofcourse, our very own Reception Centre is undergoing changes. 

Yesterday the Abbot's Kitchen in Glastonbury Abbey re-opened after being closed to the public since last year. 

The following is from www.glastonburyabbey.com. 


Described by historians as an architectural masterpiece, it is an extremely rare example  and one of the best preserved medieval kitchens in Europe.

Experts say along with the work currently ongoing on the Lady Chapel the conservation is the most significant for a century.

It was closed last year to allow extensive conservation work to be carried out and now the kitchen is being redisplayed to give visitors a better idea of how it was used in the early Tudor period,when Glastonbury Abbey was one of the wealthiest and most influential abbeys in the country.

Janet Bell, Director, said: “Along with the Lady Chapel, this has been the most significant and comprehensive programme of conservation at the Abbey in the last 100 years.

“The Abbot’s Kitchen is surviving evidence of the wealth and influence of Glastonbury Abbey. As head of the richest monastery in England after Westminster, the abbot lived and entertained in considerable splendour.

“The conservation programme was informed by a survey of the kitchen, undertaken in 2013. This was the first detailed survey since AWN Pugin recorded the building in the 1830s. The latest technology was used to produce a three dimensional digital model, which helped us to understand the building’s complex dimensions, volume and structure.

“Vulnerable stonework was identified and required a full programme of stabilisation by professional conservators. Archaeological recording and analysis was also carried out alongside the conservation and  has increased our knowledge and understanding of the building’s history.

“Peter Brears, a specialist in traditional English cookery, has advised on the new display, using historical evidence found inside the kitchen itself and from his extensive knowledge of other medieval kitchens. 

He found that the remains of two stone piers in the north and south walls inside the kitchen suggested there may have been an arcaded gallery from which the Kitchener or head cook could supervise the staff – the Gordon Ramsay of his day.

“A modern gantry has been installed between the piers to indicate the position and size of the gallery. It also carries the lighting and overhead heaters to prevent any damage to the medieval walls. It has not been possible to reconstruct the gallery as it might have been as we have no evidence for its original appearance or construction.  Authentic reproductions of kitchen equipment of the period will be used to illustrate to visitors how and what was cooked.
PicturePhoto: Glastonbury Abbey
“The project has been part of a wider programme of conservation which also includes the Lady Chapel, Crypt and Galilee. The work is being funded by the Abbey’s Rescue Our Ruins Appeal,  Viridor Credits Environmental Company and other grants.”

The Star and Dove Tavern in Bristol which specialises in historic dishes has adopted the Abbey’s Rescue Our Ruins Appeal as Tim Denny, joint landlord explains.

“We are a nation built upon foreign empires, colonization, shared culture and a truly international history.

“Our gastronomy is an amalgamation of these events and experiences, which has ensured this exceptionally small Isle is a melting pot of some of the most interesting and culinary diverse fusion cookery in Europe.

“For this reason we deem the rejuvenation of the Glastonbury Abbey kitchen as an essential component in connecting the past with the present and a triumph for not just the South West but all of Great Britain.

“We have been sifting through our books of Middle English, High French and Latin as we have put the finishing touches to our new downstairs tavern menu.

“Every dish has been taken from one of the first registered cook books of Britain "The Forme of Cury, 1390". Incidentally one can only assume that many of the ingredients, flavors and techniques used would have been extremely similar to what would have been delivered at the Glastonbury Abbey kitchens given the close proximity of the era, give or take 20 or 30 years. 

“Dishes include fire roasted mallard (wild duck) with black pudding bread sauce and pheasant cooked with Riesling, pine nuts and dates. These combinations are extremely pleasant to eat and not as alien as one might think.”

A cook book to co-incide with the re-opening of the Abbey has been produced featuring recipes from celebrity chefs including Michelin starred Josh Eggleton, Tom Kerridge and Martin Blunos as well as Rick Stein, the Hairy Bikers, and Michael Caines.

It will be on-sale at the Abbey Shop for £5 with all proceeds to the Rescue Our Ruins Appeal.

Entry to the Kitchen is included in the Abbey’s normal admission price.

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New  gates for the White Spring

4/4/2014

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For many years, visitors to the White Spring have entered through doors to gain access into the building. The morning of February the 14th of this year saw a violent act of vandalism destroy the doors with great force. 
The stone dragon at the doorway was shattered, yet the shrines were all untouched and the Brigit flame inside left burning. 

Today a new gateway was fitted, thanks to those who donated and raised funds for a place they love. Instead of doors, stunning new wrought iron gates, made by Millstream Forge, will open tomorrow.

The design allows, for the first time, the energies to flow out, even whilst closed. 

 Great job everyone! Wonderful symbolism in the design. Well done
. 

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