Joanna has asked me to inscribe something for this part of the web site, so I thought I’d try and explain a little about what I’m doing here in Cornwall.
Yesterday the others assisted the construction on the beach of a stone circle in the form of what is called, in Welsh, a ‘caer droia’. This is an ancient ritual labyrinth pattern, found all over the ancient world. The significance not being a maze, as such, simply a spiralling path folding around itself, bringing you ever closer and ever further away from your goal in a circular journey.
This is the case for all rituals. They cannot exist merely to define our lives and routines, but also live as metaphors, through which we can order ourselves and our communities. These are not literary metaphors, they are spiritual ones, immediately comprehended and understood subconsciously.
The ritual I am recreating and creating anew here in Cornwall is just this, a taking of the old knowledge and reapplying it. If I am accused of denigrating a tradition, then it is true. The modern world does not hold these things sacred, but perhaps it can be tricked into doing so. We after all sucumb to so many tricks played out by modern civilisation.
Caer Droia
Caer Droia
