9

ding bat

opening the ways

Introduction

The second part of this book is dedicated to practical work, mostly in the form of rituals and meditations. Allied with the information and interpretation contained in PART ONE, it allows either individuals or groups to follow a course of magical study, interacting with the subtext of the Arthuriad. This can be both rewarding and empowering on a number of levels; subtle energies flow through and around the Arthurian legends, and it is possible, over time, to interact with these at a profound level. Simply reading a ritual can put you in touch with extraordinary archetypal energies, while a simple meditation can open huge vistas of experience.

It is suggested that you read though the whole of this part and note which rituals or meditations speak to you most deeply. It is inevitable that in a collection of this kind, containing work carried out over a long period of time, a certain degree of overlap and themes will become familiar to you as you read. This is intentional, as it helps to embed the risin energies in your consciousness; however, it is not necessary for you to complete every exercise. Choose from those you feel more drawn to or that seem needful to you at the time.

You will undoubtedly find your own way of working with this material, for which reason we have avoided the inclusion of detailed instructions except where these are necessary. Magic is a personal path and should not be too harshly proscribed by rules. All of the practical elements included here have been enacted by our own groups and have been found to be highly effective.

You will notice also that, in accordance with the idea of a year at Arthur’s court, the work included here is divided up in seasons. You begin in winter, coming to the court, where you face the challengers of the season, then move on to spring, where you encounter Merlin and the starry work he opens to you. Next, as you enter summer, you encounter the magical world of Avalon and the lake and learn more about the Sleeping Lord and the mysteries of the sword. This leads to some profound encounters with powerful companions who will lead you into the heart of the Lands Adventurous. In the fall you enter the deepest levels of the mysteries, undertaking the quest for the hallows, the sacred treasures of the land.

Despite the title of this part of the book, the work can be undertaken for longer than the period of a year. You will undoubtedly find your own pace once you begin to work, and there will almost certainly be periods when you are unable to follow the course you have undertaken due to other commitments. You should never try to push the work or yourself too hard, or try to keep going when you are feeling ill, tired, or depressed. Also note that certain types of medication and recreational drugs do not sit well with magical work. The tests and trials you will encounter on your journeys into the Arthurian world can have a powerful effect on your outer life. Be sensible and do not try to work too hard or too long; a restful break is every bit as important as another meditation or ritual. Remember that the mysteries have existed for many thousands of years and will still be here long after we are dust. Learn to work at your own speed and stop altogether for the duration of an illness. Assimilating and implementing your realizations are equally important tasks. Though this may seem to you unnecessary advice, be assured it is sincerely meant and should not be ignored.

There are many rituals in the book, some intended for smaller or larger groups. Not everyone, of course, has access to such a group or indeed can bring one together, but in ritual a framework is created that constitutes a container for the sacred powers with which you are working. The concept and power of a ritual does not originate with its writer but comes from the otherworld and the powers, allies, and contacts with whom we work magically. We both receive and send forth the power of the ritual, getting ourselves out of the way. In this way, we share what has been received with the whole world. Thus, even if you do not actively participate in a ritual but read it as you might the rituals included in this book, you are still engaging with the power that underpins the written word.

The Mysteries

We have spoken throughout this book of the Arthurian mysteries, and we have only to open almost any one of the dozens of texts that form the Arthuriad to know that we are entering the magical, transformative world where they take place. It is a world that can represent consciousness, the great labyrinth in which everything we do takes place, or the initiate’s maze, where the mysteries are born.

The mysteries are rites of passage, inner-world journeys, a transformative reality that can change your life forever. They are mysteries because we cannot truly comprehend them with the conscious mind. They are secret because what they convey are the greatest hidden wonders of the universe. Despite this, the mysteries have been spoken of, daily, since the beginning of recorded history. Not openly, in words that declare what they are about, but in the form of stories, myths, and tales that contain the essence of the teachings in a way that can penetrate deeply into our consciousness, transforming us in a subtle way, making us different to the way we were before we encountered them.

Our own Western mysteries take many forms. They are present in the myths of Greece and Rome, in ancient Egypt, in Mesopotamia, in Europe. But the most detailed, specific, clearly worked out versions that have come down to us are through the stories of Arthur and the Grail.

We can, for the sake of convenience, divide the myths of Arthur into categories, though anyone who studies them at length will find their own patterns. For us the working out of the Arthuriad is best seen as follows:

Each of these categories provides us with a transformative set of signposts that lead us ever more deeply into the heart of the myths.

The Enchantments of the Land revolve around Arthur himself and his relationship to the realm over which he rules. It tells us about Guinevere, the Flower Bride, and Morgan, the Dark Goddess. And it teaches us about Lady Sovereignty, who holds the keys to Arthur’s realm just as he holds the magical sword known as Excalibur.

Over the centuries Arthur has assumed the role of a dying and rising king, the king who was and the king who shall be. His life is closely related to the Wounded King of the Grail story, that ancient monarch who is wounded but cannot heal. Arthur himself can be seen in this light, and it is his failure to love the queen and to establish a proper relationship with the land that make him so.

The Enchantments of Love take us from Arthur and Guinevere to Lancelot and Elaine to Merlin and Nimue, who is not just an enchantress but also a sister, lover, and empowerer. It takes us to the observatory, the tower with seventy windows built for Merlin by his sister, who was perhaps a greater seeress than he. And Merlin’s story too is a love story, though a less straightforward one than we might understand at first.

In the other great love triangle of Tristan and Isolt and Mark, the entire lineaments of earthly love are laid bare. This is love in its purest form, love that transcends death, life itself, and the vagaries of human flesh and blood. Lancelot and Guinevere are different. Lancelot worships at the throne of a goddess, acknowledging the queen as Sovereignty and replacing Arthur because someone is needed to balance the power of the land.

The enchantments of the otherworld are all about the way the two places touch, interleave, and affect each other. If it were not for the Faery women like Morgan and the Lady of the Lake, Nimue, and many more, there would be no Arthuriad. They affect the outcome of things in a hundred ways—taking over young untried knights and turning them into heroes, providing Arthur with a sword, and Merlin with his esplumoir, the cave of the mysteries, to which he will retire when Arthur becomes king.

The mysteries of the Grail form the ultimate quest story, one that leads everyone to follow a dream, to move from the ordinary into the extraordinary, to cross the divide between the human and the Divine. The real Grail mystery is even deeper—a true reflection of our humanity and its final transcendence.

In the first of the recognizable Grail stories, the Conte du Graal of Chrétien de Troyes, Perceval begins in a state of darkness and ignorance of the world, protected by his mother, overshadowed by the power of the Goddess in her. But he breaks away, decides to find his own path, and in pursuing a wandering way—driven by a desire to find out the truth about the Grail—he learns about love (Blanchfleur), war (Gorneman), spirituality (the Grail), and death (the Fisher King). At the end he is truly transformed, ready to take up his own burden of guardianship. For us the Grail can stand for anything we search for deeply: any truth, any peace or hope or aspiration that lifts us fully into life.

In all of these things there is a theme of search, of the desire to break out from the ordinary and to enter into the realm of wonder. Along the way the heroes and heroines of the Arthurian stories are challenged at every level. Look at just some of the names and natures of the places and beings they encounter as they move through the vast dreamscape of the forest and the Lands Adventurous:

And the things that happen:

All of these are mysteries in themselves, and all are part of the greater mysteries that are graven onto the land itself—each place offering new and more powerful transformations, ever-greater awakenings. Without such things we cannot change, and if we cannot change we may as well not exist.

The mysteries of the Arthuriad challenge us to change, to answer the call of Arthur. They offer a path of transformation and wonder that points the way to a whole new series of mysteries that we are still exploring. Let us go forward together.

…

To begin with, you need to create a place that will be the center of your work on the Arthuriad. It may be that you already possess such a place—a shrine or altar or circle within which you practice the mysteries according to your personal beliefs. If this is the case, then you should decide whether you wish to incorporate the Arthurian teachings that you follow into your everyday practice or create a separate space in which to work. However you choose to proceed, the notes that follow offer guidelines to help you create a center for the practices outlined here.

Creating an Arthurian Altar and Temple

(VC)

Whether you are working outdoors at a sacred site or a place associated with Arthur (see the list of sites in Part Three) or indoors in a designated space, it is important that you have a place to focus your work and demark it from your everyday life. Working inside or out is your choice, but an indoor area is good for meditation, and outdoor rituals can work well.

Those who already belong to an active magical group already may have access to a temple but wish to establish a sacred space of their own where they can work. The extent of any such creation depends on a variety of factors—notably space, time, and resources. Some suggestions follow, beginning with a simple and easily created altar around which you may celebrate the mysteries, and moving beyond this to the creation of a more permanent temple.

The simplest form of shrine or altar is a small table in whichever place you decide to work regularly. This may contain blessed or sacred objects such as a candle or statue(s) or picture(s) of a particular Arthurian artefact or character with whom you feel a strong resonance. Such an altar is portable and may be set up in whatever space you deem appropriate or taken outside. This becomes a focus of your celebration of the Arthurian mysteries.

The first thing you need to do is work out the points of the compass by which you will orient yourself and your work. These relate to the elements and, in time, to the powers you will call upon to underpin your work. They also relate specifically to the four hallows, which are at the heart of the Arthurian Grail mythos. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the following directions are those most widely used:

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, an alternative is as follows:

Adapt the rites seasonally to your weather rather than adhering to the customs of others.

As with any shrine dedicated to a magical purpose, an Arthurian altar is a sacred space reserved for connecting with the Arthurian Mighty Ones. Your Arthurian companions should be and undoubtedly are your personal companions to whom you turn for guidance and wisdom. Your altar will also be unique to your experiences and energetic connections to the Arthurian world.

That being said, what follows here is a matter of personal preference; it is intended only as a guide to the building and arrangement of an altar or a temple using the Arthurian hallows and connecting them to your personal companions. A simpler shrine with a stone or selected image is sufficient, especially if you share space with others who do not share your particular focus.

Is an altar or temple necessary? In a word, no; but, like other magical tools (such as the hallows) that you may employ in your Arthurian rituals, a sacred space used only for ritual or meditation can become a very powerful conduit for walking the Arthurian path. Just as a ritual grows in power as it is performed regularly, so too will an altar or temple begin to resonate with the Arthurian energies. With frequent use and proper tending, your place of working can and will become strongly connected to the mysteries. As we said in the notes on mediation on page 13, this is a means of reconciling heaven and earth, spiritual and physical, gods and humans: “It is the breathing in and breathing out of the universe that we acknowledge so that all within the cosmos partakes. It is an essential circuit of the gift of life. Mediation is one of the first requirements of any priest or priestess since they are not there for their own gratification but are rather in service. Mediation is their primary work, bringing needs before the Divine and mediating divine help or wisdom to earth”—and much, though not all, will take place in the sacred space prepared for it.

Your shrine does not have to be ornate, nor should its creation be driven by price or quantity of statuary or other Arthurian objects. Starting simple is best, and then as the connection to the Arthuriad is strengthened, the altar will become more personal and the energy more potent.

For the altar itself, since it is the foundation of the sacred space, a solid, strong, and earth-based material is a good choice. Wood or stone will most certainly suffice.

Calling the Arthurian energies and powers to connect with your personal altar can be done with a simple consecration ritual. The hallows can be represented with statuary, symbols carved or painted onto the altar, imagery with which you personally connect to the Arthuriad, everything mentioned here or none at all.

Your consecration preparation should include selecting the location of your altar as well as the altar itself. Recipes for all oils and incenses mentioned here will be found in Part Three of this book should you wish to use them. Cleanse the chosen area with sage or clearing incense and then do the same to the altar. Place the altar in the north (some traditions use the east, but the choice is yours) and place both of your hands upon it, saying:

Here lies the way to Camelot

Find here the Table Round

Here gather the Ancient and Mighty Ones.

Then moisten your fingertips with Green Chapel oil and place your hands on the northern quadrant of the altar, saying:

Herein lie the mysteries of the stone.

Draw a symbol of the chapel or write the word chapel or whatever vision may be given to you with your fingertips upon the altar.

Now moisten your fingertips with Spear of Destiny oil and place your hands on the southern quadrant of the altar, saying:

Herein lie the mysteries of the spear.

Draw a symbol of the spear or write the word spear or whatever vision may be given to you with your fingertips upon the altar.

Now moisten your fingertips with Grail oil and place your hands on the western quadrant of the altar, saying:

Herein lie the mysteries of the Grail.

Draw a symbol of the Grail or write the word Grail or whatever vision may be given to you with your fingertips upon the altar.

Now moisten your fingertips with Excalibur oil and place your hands in the eastern quadrant of the altar, saying:

Herein lie the mysteries of the sword.

Draw a symbol of the sword or write the word sword or whatever vision may be given to you with your fingertips upon the altar, then say:

This altar is now consecrated as a path to the Arthurian mysteries.
I ask the elders, companions, and Folk of the Lake to bless this space
with their wisdom, power, and protection.

Empowering the Altar

Using your altar regularly will strengthen its connections to the Arthurian mysteries, as will the use of the hallows in rituals and meditations that involve using the altar.

To strengthen your communion with the Arthurian spirits of the north, an earth-based symbol for the altar is most appropriate. This represents an aspect of the stone in the Arthurian mysteries, amongst other things the Round Table, the stone that held the Sword of Britain and made Arthur king, the earth as foundation, even the comet from whence came the Skystone that some believe was fashioned into Excalibur.

Whichever symbol calls to you, consecrate it with an earth-based oil and speak the words:

Here is a key to the mysteries of the earth.

To strengthen your communion with the Arthurian spirits of the south, a fire-based symbol for the altar is most appropriate. The spear represents change, sacrifice, and awakening. Whichever symbol calls to you, consecrate it with a fire-based oil and speak the words:

Here is a key to the mysteries of fire.

To strengthen your communion with the Arthurian spirits of the west, a water-based symbol for the altar is most appropriate. Whichever symbol calls to you, consecrate it with a water- based oil and speak the words:

Here is a key to the mysteries of water.

To strengthen your communion with the Arthurian Spirits of the East, an Air-based symbol for the altar is most appropriate. The Sword represents commitment, alliance, and strategy. Whichever symbol calls to you, consecrate it with an Air-based oil, and speak the words:

Here is a key to the mysteries of air.

Once these things are accomplished, your Arthurian altar will be active and fully operational.

Arthurian Mysteries Temple

If you have the space, indoors or out, that you can dedicate to your communion with the Arthurian archetypes, erecting an Arthurian mysteries temple can be a rewarding endeavor.

You will need to identify the directions of the room or outdoor space and perform a spiritual cleansing of the space first and foremost. If the space has been used for esoteric practice before, a good smudging with white sage or incense of your choice is in order. If the space was already Arthurian or had some connection to the Arthuriana in its previous use, you may want to consider allowing some of those energetic ties to remain. It is a personal, instinctive decision to make before completely cleansing a spiritual space.

If you are building an outdoor temple that some call a sacred grove, you will need to take some mundane precautions with your altar and any statuary or other temple items. Wooden altars are lovely, but they will need protection from the elements; similarly, any temple items will need to be sturdy in the elements. Otherwise you are going to be replacing temple items after hard rains, storms, high winds, etc. After years of use, many items will need to be replaced and new, more enduring items find their way into the forest. There is a high level of commitment to an outdoor temple.

Consecrating the Temple

Indoors or out, the temple consecration is the same. First, consecrate the altar as described earlier in this chapter. Then, walk to each quarter and dedicate that quadrant to the Arthurian Ancient and Mighty Ones:

Earth: Visualize the stone as you face the north. If you wish, place a symbol for the Arthurian connection to the earth element. Speak aloud these words:

Here is a gateway to the mysteries of the stone.

Fire: Visualize the spear as you face the south. If you wish, place a symbol for the Arthurian connection to the fire element. Speak aloud these words:

Here is a gateway to the mysteries of the spear.

Water: Visualize the Grail as you face the west. If you wish, place a symbol for the Arthurian connection to the water element. Speak aloud these words:

Here is a gateway to the mysteries of the lake.

Air: Visualize the sword as you face the east. If you wish, place a symbol for the Arthurian connection to the air element. Speak aloud these words:

Here is a gateway to the mysteries of the sky.

Back at the altar, raise your arms and speak:

Here lies the way to Camelot.

Find here the Table Round.

Here gather the Ancient and Mighty Ones.

We call upon Arthur, Merlin, the Knights,
The Ladies, and the Folk of the Lake.

We dedicate this space to our communion with you.

We dedicate this space to be the crossroads wherein we may meet.

This is the sacred ground, the gateway, the threshold to Camelot—to the lake.

Two Altars

figure 8:
Two Altars

A basic cubic altar, left, and an altar of the Grail, right. Altars and shrines are an essential aspect of your working space. An altar, properly dedicated and set out according to the required ritual setting, can help focus the energy of the magical work. When setting up a shrine or creating an altar you will have your own ideas as to how it is done, what should be on it, and how it should look. Here we provide images of two altars, one circular, the other cubic, which are set up according to standard practice within the Western Magical Tradition. You do not have to follow this exactly; look for your own way to celebrate and focus your magical work.

Companions of the Way: Working with the Archetypes

Throughout this book, as elsewhere in your regular practice, you will be working a great deal with archetypal powers. These are, simply put, accretions of energy that have coalesced around certain characters, themes, and places, both in and out of this world. Thus you might take a character such as Merlin, a priestesses of Avalon, or one of the knights as a guide and mediator of knowledge. Or you might seek to plumb the depths of a particular hallow of the Grail myth, or you might choose to focus on a place in the landscape that holds particular meaning for you or has spiritual resonance. In each case, even including the last named, you will, in most instances, be working at a magical level that draws upon the power of the archetype itself—the energy of the character, the thing, or the place. These are what we call the companions—inner-world beings who act as contacts between this world and the other.

Essentially you are seeking to earn a place amongst the Fellowship of the Round Table. Such a place is not easily come by, and its importance should never be undervalued. You are following in the footsteps of the great archetypal figures from the Arthuriad, one of whom will become your companion. A list of the chief amongst these characters, with a brief account of their function and purpose, will be found in Part Three. It is suggested that you read though these before proceeding, allowing one or more of these characters to speak to you. They may, if they so choose, and if you are in agreement, serve as sponsors and companions as you approach your chosen role within the framework of the mysteries. Of course, you may wish to choose a character that is not listed. This is a matter of personal choice and should be dictated by instinct. It may also suggest their choice of you!

However, you may find you resonate best with Sir Gawain or Guinevere or Arthur himself (do not be afraid to aim for such key figures; in the inner realms all are accessible). Be guided by the area you wish to explore—Arthur or Guinevere or Sir Kay the seneschal or Bedivere the butler would be particularly suitable in the instance of the court, although of course any knight or lady may travel from and to any house or castle. Galahad, Perceval, or Bors lead naturally into the lands of the Grail. Do not feel constrained by the idea of crossing gender boundaries; a man may learn a lot about his feminine side by taking on a female inner guide, and the same is true for a woman with her masculine self. Also, do not imagine that knights are reserved for men and the ladies for women. The Celts had an established tradition of female warriors and, as we saw in the first part of this book, the women of the Arthurian world played an important role in the events that unfolded there. Remember also that, as we have seen in the foregoing chapters, many were otherworldly women to begin with who consequently have a deep understanding of the inner realms.

Once you feel a resonance with a particular character, read everything you can find about him or her. If the present book has little or nothing to say of your choice, reference the books listed in the further reading section to help you look further. When you feel that you really “know” your chosen companion, begin to meditate upon them, using the following suggested formula or one of your devising.

Build in your imagination a room, a building, or an outdoor scene. Then, when you have established this firmly in your consciousness, introduce the character of your choice into the scene. Sit down and talk with him or her or, if appropriate, go for a walk. Begin to explore the landscape of your imagining; you will soon find that the inner character will begin to take you to other places that you had not planned to visit. This means that your inner guide is firmly established and you should be able to work with him or her for as long as you both wish.

Always remember that the men and women of the Arthurian tradition are archetypes, each with a different degree of power. Some may be less easy to work with than others, but you can always choose to work with another character at any time by simply taking formal leave of whichever inner guide you are with and then building again from the beginning.

On some occasions you may find yourself “passed on” to another companion. This is an entirely normal process and may result in some interesting or profound relationships. Always remember that these people will become your friends in exactly the same way as people in the outside world, and they will respond in a similar manner according to the way you treat them.

Should you ever find yourself in the position of wishing to discontinue working with the guide you had chosen but find for some reason that he or she refuses to leave, you should abandon all meditation for at least a week, and then begin again by consciously building the image of a new guide.

The resulting knowledge gained from this exercise will enable you to interact more fully with each strata of the Arthurian tradition as and when you come to study it. There is, in the end, no substitute for reading and work, but your inner guide will open to you an ever-deepening appreciation of the subject. Your companion may not always be consciously present in the workings that follow here, but they will almost certainly remain in the background and may choose to offer comments or illumination whenever this is needed.

The Round Table was a meeting place for those of like minds who desired to share the insights deriving from their adventures. So, too, should it become for all who answer the call of Arthur. The practices that follow are designed to enable the construction of an inner place where you may invite friends both inner and outer to share your experiences and intuitions, and where you may walk and learn and study as you progress upon your path.

The Meditation of the Ring

(CM)

The following meditation brings you into the presence of Arthur himself. It is a good way to begin your magical work with the Arthuriad, giving you resources to draw upon in further meditation and ritual. It also prepares the way for becoming part of the Fellowship of the Round Table, as set forth in chapter 10. The companion who escorts you here may return to you again or introduce you to a new being, as we mentioned above.

…

Dim the lights in your space. Light your candle and meditate upon the flame. Formulate a request in your heart to understand and participate more deeply with Arthur’s fellowship. When you feel the call, visualize stepping through the candle flame and into the world beyond.

Storm winds are blowing as you step through. It is night, and you find yourself beside a high standing stone in a bare landscape. Lying before you is a great blue slab pocked with many symbols and lines, on which kneels a fierce-looking warrior, his hands stretched out to the teeming sky.

The warrior turns to behold you expectantly. You summon up courage to ask his name. He replies, “Iddawg (ith-owg) am I. Bound to wait at this slab for my misdeeds. I kindled strife between Emperor Arthur and his nephew at the Battle of Camlan, mixing the messages that sped between them. I am better known as the Churn of Britain among men for my evil intervention.”

Embarrassed by this disclosure, you remain silent. Iddawg asks, “And what is your name? And what is your quest to disturb my penance here?” You reply that you wish to understand the world of Arthur more deeply and participate in his fellowship.

Iddawg considers deeply, then says, “It may be that you are the sign I have been awaiting of my king’s pardon. Is it truly your wish to come into the presence of Arthur?” You reply. For answer, two wild moorland ponies burst out of the stormy night and stop, panting, by the stone. You each mount a pony and ride through the stormy night until, as morning dawns, you come to a fording place by a great river.

In the middle of the ford stands a small island upon which Arthur stands with the chief members of his court. What you have wished for is now before you, and you draw back, for this scene is bigger, brighter, and more real than your imagination could ever paint. What you thought of as time past is time present here.

Arthur’s keen eyes perceive you both on the shore, and Iddawg kneels. “My lord, I bring you the one whom you have called hither, and I ask your pardon.”

“Iddawg, you have served seven years upon that stone, and now you have my pardon. Come hither with your guest.”

Iddawg conveys you across the shallow waters to the island, where you kneel before Arthur. He extends his hand, upon which is a large and curious ring, for you to kiss. “You are welcome to this place. Take refreshment now and rest after your journey.”

After you have kissed Arthur’s ring, you are led to one side where food and drink are brought to you. Iddawg says, “Did you mark the ring upon the hand of the emperor? It is one of the properties of that stone that all who look upon it will remember what they see whilst in its presence. What happens here today you will never forget.”

You hold the remembrance of Arthur’s presence in your very body, as well as your mind.

You ask about the wonders unfolding around you, and Iddawg points out to you those who are present on the island with Arthur and tells you about the things that you see here.

The sword of Arthur is brought to him, the sun glinting upon the blade that is drawn from the scabbard so that it seems that two serpents or dragons flame forth from it. It is so bright that it is hard to look upon. Iddawg tells you, “This sword is one upon which all oaths are sworn by those who follow the emperor Arthur.” It maybe that you will swear upon that weapon one day, when it shall come, but, for now, you may watch.

Another page brings a carpet, spreading it upon the ground; at each corner of it glints a golden apple. “Gwenn is the name of the carpet,” says Iddawg. “Whoever stands upon it cannot be seen, yet he can freely see in wherever direction he looks.” The carpet spreads under your feet, and you experience this for yourself. When you stand upon it, you can see Arthur and his court, but when you step off of it, you cannot.

Then the travelling chair of Arthur is brought for the emperor to sit upon. “This has the property of showing the sitter whatever he wishes, wherever in the world it may be,” says Iddawg. “The chair is big enough for three warriors to sit upon it, yet it will always be supportive to the one who sits therein.”

Finally, a magnificent gaming board and its pieces are brought out; this is the gaming board of Gwenddolau ap Ceidio (gwen-THO-lie ap kye’theeo) with gold and silver pieces upon a checkered board of richly inlaid holly wood. “The pieces can play by themselves,” informs Iddawg. “Whoever wishes to know the next move can consult them, for the board is an emblem of the very land itself.”

While you watch, one of Arthur’s chief war leaders, Cei, steps forward, rallying those who stand nearby and on either shore. “Whoever will follow Arthur, then let him gather at the pass on yonder mountain tomorrow. Whoever will not, let him be opposed to Arthur, for he stands outside our truce here at the ford.”

A great shout of acclamation arises as warriors beat their swords upon their shields. So loud is the tumult that you begin to pass from this place, returning to your own time and place. Iddawg raises his hand to you. “Tomorrow at the pass—!” he reminds you.

Now step back through the flame of the candle into your own time and place. Be aware in your body of the remembrance of this scene and all you have experienced.

These marvels may enable you in the days ahead. Whatever you need to recall, the ring of remembrance will show you; whenever you need to remain concealed but observant, then the carpet Gwenn will be beneath your feet; whenever you need to travel to places far distant, you can sit in the travelling chair of Arthur; whenever you need to plan your next move, the chess pieces will show the direction. In the days to come you may swear allegiance to Arthur upon his sword, but for now you return to yourself.

…

This meditation is one that may continue activating itself on subsequent sessions. Iddawg may accompany you as guide. The next place of meeting may be announced before the meditation ends, for it does not necessarily return to the venue of your last session. The framework of the meditation is taken from the “Dream of Rhonabwy,” which you can read in its entirety in the Mabinogion. It prepares you for the days to come, where you may enter the service of Arthur and take the oath of the Round Table.

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