From Avalon... Our pilgrimage begins at Avebury, one of the thresholds of the ancient earth energy path known as the St. Michael Line, or the Path of the Dragon. Here we enter this unique ritual landscape with its giant stone circles and serpentine avenues, including Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow. Then we follow the line down the pilgrim’s path southwest to Glastonbury, the legendary Isle of Avalon itself, once called the “Holyest Erthe in England." Here we stay for four nights in a peaceful retreat centre at the foot of Glastonbury Tor, the sacred mountain of this ancient landscape, presided over by the Archangel Michael. We will walk up the Tor, visit the Chalice Well Gardens to drink from its sacred waters and explore the mysteries of the Divine Feminine. Deepening into the Mysteries of the Holy Grail, we explore the magnificent ruins of Glastonbury Abbey with its fascinating Arthurian legends and lore and the magnificent cathedral of Wells with its sacred pools. ...to Atlantis. We follow the Path of the Dragon to Cornwall, the Celtic kingdom once known as Belerion, the Shining Land. Cornwall is a peninsula of rocky coasts, hidden coves, picturesque fishing villages and wild moors dotted with the sacred shrines of an ancient people. From our beautiful cliff-top retreat centre with dramatic ocean views, we will explore Merlin's Cave and Tintagel, the spectacular ruined castle on the ocean, King Arthur’s legendary place of birth. We visit the faery-haunted wood and waterfall of St. Nectan’s Glen, Rocky Valley with its Bronze Age labyrinth carving, and the village of Boscastle, home to the famous Museum of Witchcraft. In the following days, we experience the elemental power of Bodmin Moor with its mysterious stones, the Cheesewring and the Hurlers. In Western Cornwall, we will cross over to the magical isle of St. Michael’s Mount, and attune to the energies at the stone circles of The Merry Maidens, Boscawen-Un and the healing hole-stone of Men-an-Tol. We will view the Mermaid of Zennor, and make a pilgrimage to the holy well of St. Madron. We will be walking on the hallowed shore where legend says Joseph of Arimathea first landed in Britain with his nephew, Jesus, and soak in the beauty of hidden gardens that wind down to a secret cove. There will also be time to stroll along pristine beaches and cliff-top paths. Our return journey eastwards culminates in a special private and exclusive evening ceremony at Stonehenge, within the inner sanctum of the stones. At these sacred sites, we will work with the energies of earth and sky, star and stone, through special attunements, meditations and rituals. Throughout the journey, Mara will be telling local legends and stories of faeries, gods and goddesses, giants and saints, and teaching the Mysteries of Britain, Cornwall, Avalon and Atlantis through powerful inner journeying. .... plus Guest Presenters: in Avalon, Nicholas Mann, author of The Isle of Avalon, Energy Secrets of Glastonbury Tor, etc. will be joining us and reading tarot cards from his own deck, the Silver Branch. ....in Cornwall, Hamish Miller, Earth Mysteries expert, dowser and co-author of The Sun and the Serpent, will host us for cream tea at his home on Trencrom Hill, which in itself is a sacred site with a stone circle. Tour Itinerary: Day 1(Tuesday, May 18):We meet at London Heathrow Airport, where our private mini-bus will take us to Avebury, a unique megalithic ritual landscape of giant stone circles and avenues. We will ritually enter the great gateway stones to mark the threshold of our pilgrimage, then be free to wander among them and attune to their energies. Close by is the mysterious mound of Silbury Hill, associated with ancient harvest rituals, and the chambered tomb of West Kennet Long Barrow. Then westwards to Glastonbury to settle into our retreat centre at the foot of Glastonbury Tor. Day 2: We begin our journey into the Mysteries of Glastonbury with a ceremony at the Chalice Well, or Red Spring, to attune to the energies of the Deep Feminine. We will drink deeply of its healing waters and then pursue our own meditations in the gardens. In the afternoon, we walk over to the cave-like source of the neighboring White Spring and ascend Glastonbury Tor, a sacred centre with a seven-spiraled labyrinth topped by a ruined tower and return home via Gog and Magog, the ancient Druid trees of Avalon. Day 3: Today we explore the legends and lore of the Holy Grail, beginning with a walk up Wearyall Hill to see the holy thorn, scion of the one said to have been planted by Joseph of Arimathea, when he brought the Grail to Glastonbury. Then on to the evocative ruins of Glastonbury Abbey to view the beautiful Lady Chapel and reputed grave of King Arthur and Queen Guenevere. Tonight, Nicholas Mann will join us to talk about the sacred astronomy of Avalon and will give readings from his tarot deck, “The Silver Branch.” Day 4: We make a pilgrimage to the magnificent 12th century Wells Cathedral in the smallest city in England, with its resplendent architecture, Gothic carvings including Green Men and a rare example of a Green Lady. There will also be free time for you to explore the Bishop’s Palace, which is surrounded by beautiful trees and sacred pools, and wander through the old streets of this fine old town. This afternoon is free for your own enjoyment: You may wish to explore more of Glastonbury, swim in the heated pool,relax in the sauna or have a massage or healing treatment at our retreat centre. A special meditation tonight will help us integrate all our experiences in Avalon. Day 5: We drive down to glorious Cornwall to visit the castle ruins of Tintagel, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur, dramatically located on top of a promontory by the sea. We will see the chapel of a female Celtic saint, ruins of the mediaeval halls, and King Arthur’s footprint in the rock, a symbol of rightful kingship. At low tide, we’ll enter Merlin’s Cave, an extraordinary portal to the Otherworld. There will also be an optional walk to the mediaeval church of St. Materiana. In the village, you may want to visit King Arthur’s Great Hall, once a Masonic temple dedicated to the Arthurian Mysteries, with a beautiful collection of stained glass. We spend the next four nights in a lovely cliff-top retreat centre by the sea. Day 6: This morning we will visit Rocky Valley to view what may be unique examples of Bronze Age labyrinth carvings. Afterwards, we wander through the magical St. Nectan’s Glen via a Celtic saint’s chapel and holy well. We will also explore its faery-haunted woods and waterfall, where the Grail knights were said to ride, and visit the hermit's cell. Then on to the little harbour village of Boscastle for lunch and an optional visit to the Museum of Witchcraft. Tonight we will explore the inner Mysteries of Merlin and Atlantis. Day 7:We journey down to West Cornwall, and cross the water to the rocky island of St. Michael’s Mount, called by the Celts, “Din Sul,” the Mount of the Sun and a focal point of Cornish Earth Mysteries. Here we visit the castle and gardens of a former Benedictine monastery. Later, we visit two exceptional stone circles: The Merry Maidens, still used today by the Cornish druids for their assemblies, and Boscawen–un, a site which resonates with high spiritual frequencies. We end the day with a pilgrimage to the holed stone of Men-an-Tol, which has healing properties and the beautiful holy well of Madron. Day 8: As a contrast to Cornwall’s wild western edge, today we visit the sheltered southern Roseland Peninsula and the village of St. Just with its medieval church and old holy well on the shoreline where Joseph of Arimathea was said to have first landed on Cornwall with the boy Jesus. A walk over the cliffs takes us to St. Mawes, a harborside village with an old castle, for lunch. This afternoon, we take the ferry over the River Fal to another haven of peace and beauty – Trebah, one of the 'Great Gardens of Cornwall' where a steeply wooded ravine garden sweeps down from the eighteenth-century house to the beach. Day 9: Leaving Cornwall, we travel eastwards, stopping on the way to visit a lovely holy well on the edge of Bodmin Moor. Our final destination is Stonehenge, once the focal point of the Mysteries of Britain in ancient times. At sunset, we will gather for our private and exclusive ceremony within this ancient national Temple of the Sun and Moon, a pivotal experience and climax to our exploration of the magical southwest. We celebrate our journey with a farewell dinner at our four-star hotel in the historic city of Salisbury. Day 10: Breakfast, hugs, and fond farewells as we return to Heathrow Airport for our flights home. Price Includes: - Accommodation in twin or double rooms, with a few single rooms available on request for an extra $300 per person - Breakfast and dinner for 10 days - All ground transportation, including service from and to London Heathrow airport. - All presentations by Mara Freeman and guest speakers - All entrance charges to sites - All applicable taxes and cover charges. Notes: For customers in Europe and the UK, the price is €1995 or £1795. 
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