Glastonbury, Somerset, England
The only words that ever satisfied me as describing Nature are the terms used in fairy books, charm, spell, enchantment. They express the arbitrariness of the fact and its mystery.
—G.K. Chesterton (1874–1936), English essayist, novelist, and poet
Rising above the wispy fog like a delicate prayer veil that covers the face of the English market town that is its namesake, Glastonbury Tor soars 557.6 feet above Somerset and has been a holy site, perhaps since the Neolithic era, according to anthropologists. At the top are the ruins of two old churches of Saint Michael and a fifteenth-century tower so tall you can view three English counties—Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire.
Whether you are interested in self-discovery or want to feel the powerful transformational energies of Glastonbury Tor, visit England’s smallest city and its environs, which include an abbey long associated with Arthurian legend, the relics of Saint Patrick who ended his days at the abbey, and Joseph of Arimathea, who purportedly took his nephew Jesus there on pilgrimage.
Walk in silence along the steep path or follow the complex labyrinthine course to the summit of Glastonbury Tor. Sit and listen to your breathing as it slows. When you are completely calm, feel the subtle vibration of energy around the site and pray to the ancients for close attunement with the infinite and progress toward self-realization.
The discovery of two bodies in coffins dated to 1191, supposedly those of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, has spurred the belief that the legendary court of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table may have been here, but the site is also associated with the religion of the Iron Age Celtic people.