January 12, 2024 • 15 mins
Druids and Bards do a lot of work within circles. And pagans from many other paths create them too, to practise their own particular kinds of magic.
But Michael’s circle of trees in the Grove has leaks. How will he fix them?
While he figures it out, the Grove begins to do some fixing of its own…
* * * * * * * *
Discover AWEN – the Spirit of Creativity sought by the Bards and Druids of old. WIth music, song, and spiritual thinking shared by Michael Sebastien and Elizabeth Jardine this is the podcast of the band AWEN'S CALL, with new episodes available every couple of months.
* * * * * * * *
[CC] Episode is Closed Captioned
THIS EPISODE’S MUSIC:
Measuring the Grove: Music © 2024 Awen’s Call / Michael Sebastien
Broken Walls: Lyrics / Music © 2024 Awen’s Call / Michael Sebastien
* * * * * * * *
BUY MUSIC from this series on our Bandcamp: awenscall.bandcamp.com
Our SITE is at AwensCall.com
Follow us on INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE - @awenscall
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:13):
I'm Michael Sebastian.
And over the years I've explored a lot of spiritual paths,
but one seems most relevant in today's rapidly warming world.
The way of the Druid and the Bard and the power they seek – a power called Awen. SOUND EFFECTS - BIRDSONG, TREES, OUTDOORS
(00:39):
(VOICES OFF) 'So that's about 6.5 metre diameter west to east.
So about 20 metre circumference.
OK Let's try north to south.
(TO AUDIENCE) Every pagan likes a good circle to work in. Some mark them out with candles or crystals,
(01:01):
some cast them around in the air with a hand or a finger,
some draw them on the ground in salt or chalk! And whether they're no bigger than the width of your cauldron or they're as wide as you are tall or they're marked out by whopping great chunks of bluestone
that you just dragged in from Wales - circles are working spaces and us spiritual lot,
(01:22):
we've been using them for thousands of years now.
The circle of trees I've got here in the grove isn't exactly Stonehenge or Avebury size,
but it is more than ample for me.
I've been wondering how old these trees are? A quick bit of research on vital statistics for Lindens
And I'm down here with my tape measure.
(01:43):
Apparently it's a bit of an inexact science without actually boring into them or cutting them down.
But we're looking at a century or so.
So,
not ancient – but not teenagers.
And of course I'm not bragging here,
but I've got a circle WITHIN a circle and like any good pagan.
I can't wait to begin working in here. IN THE STUDIO
(02:08):
So,
what do I mean by work in a magic circle?
A few invocations in Latin?
I'm a bit rusty on that. .
Naked dancing on a midsummer's night? A bit rusty on that too.
Sadly,
it's not really anything quite that spectacular,
but it IS work with nature,
(02:29):
albeit of a different sort.
And like any work with nature,
it can change you. The way I approach it is
If this grove and I are gonna hang out together for a while,
then I see it as a kind of partnership and I need to learn to vibe with the grove as best I can.
Anyway,
(02:49):
it's like joining a choir.
You have to sing in the same key as everyone else.
Or you probably won't stay invited for long.
So what could any person bring to a strange relationship with a bunch of trees?
Well,
logically speaking,
that could only actually be something that's natural to that person,
couldn't it?
I mean,
(03:09):
their own vibe,
their own gifts.
So in my case,
being a writer and a speaker,
I'm thinking of creating with words to capture this particular spot.
Perhaps there are stories or mantras or chants or psalms or poetry that could be inspired by it,
lyrical pieces or rituals – might even be a podcast in there somewhere!
(03:33):
(OFF MIC) Nah...,
I wouldn't have a clue how to do that,
But I'm not quite ready to do any work yet because as I mentioned,
the circle has leaks,
there are a few trees missing which makes the whole thing just a little bit unfinished.
They'll need to be replaced at some point.
But you can't just waltz over to the IKEA Garden Department to pick up a Majestic Oak.
(03:56):
You know,
not even a flat-pack one.
No,
if I want to fill these spaces,
ideally,
I'd have to find something already in the grove and then replant it at the right time of year or grow a tree from a seed of one of its neighbors.
One thing's for sure,
this is all going to take some time – and which tree would I actually get a seed from?
(04:19):
I mean,
there are a few candidates,
I suppose Mother might be the obvious one.
Let me introduce you. MUSIC - MEASURING THE GROVE SOUND EFFECTS - BIRDSONG, TREES, OUTDOORS
(05:09):
Well,
I'm on the southern point of the outer circle and here is definitely the widest tree in the grove,
likely the oldest.
It's certainly got a motherly vibe,
a bit of a wise old crone in the making – three thick branches and an organic symmetry – and a resident robin! BIRDSONG - BRITISH ROBIN
(05:32):
I don't find this tree the most welcoming to be near and I,
I think she just likes her personal space.
Probably wrapping a tape measure around her was just a bit too familiar.
There's a clear line between her and the much younger Linden,
the one I was calling the Grove Guardian.
And it's on that line that I choose to sit when I spend time here – might catch a bit of gossip between them!
(05:57):
But clearly,
I'm not going to see the spaces in the circle filled by adult trees like these,
not in this lifetime.
But that's the whole point,
isn't it?
Druid thinking..
Well,
any genuine spiritual thinking – is not about me and now but about us and THEN We spiritual types are playing the long game.
(06:19):
We're continuing the work of past generations just as future generations will continue ours.
And let's be honest,
that's the only approach you can ever take where Nature is concerned.
I'm never going to see a fully completed grove.
So in the meantime,
I'm going to have to find another way to stop the gaps because I can't work in a half–finished circle!
(06:41):
So what to do?
Plant flowers?
dig holes?
put a post in? SOUND OF TROWEL DIGGING
in the end,
I decided to do the Stonehenge thing,
you know,
on a slightly smaller scale – and use a few rocks and with some rooting around,
(07:04):
I locate some pointed ones lying about the place.
Oh,
they'll do.
They're part of the family.
It's easy to work out where the stone should sit two paces away from a tree on either side.
And now there are three points standing upwards to mark the missing trees.
(07:24):
And now I can really see the shape of the circle emerging,
but I could do with one more stone,
a very particular one – flat and solid and there's nothing like it here.
It's more like the type of stone you get in an old wall.
Well,
I do happen to know of an old wall about a quarter of a mile away. SOUND EFFECTS - BIRDSONG, TREES, OUTDOORS CROWS CAWING
(07:53):
The wall I'm thinking of is this one.
It's actually the remains of what would have been a shepherd's wall once circling around a field,
probably pasture.
It's only a foot high now and overgrown with bushes.
Well,
I'll tell you more about this spot next time because it plays a bit part in this story.
But for now it's enough to know that there are hundreds of stones scattered around it.
(08:15):
Many covered with thick emerald moss.
And I'm willing to bet I'll find the shape I'm looking for right here. IN STUDIO
Sometimes when taking a new spiritual path,
you suddenly find a few jigsaw pieces of your life falling into place,
(08:37):
you know,
stuff you'd never seen before.
I've heard this called 'being given the gift of yourself'.
And it's kind of what I'm experiencing as I start to restore the circle,
as each stone gets placed.
I find myself reconnecting with the time my own spiritual journey began probably about five or six years old.
(08:59):
When we're young,
we just stumble into spirit.
We catch Awen's call,
not realising it's even a thing.
Spirituality is our natural state and hasn't been conditioned out of us or processed INto some belief system yet.
But as we grow,
it's easy to lose that connection,because life happens,
(09:20):
we get discouraged or damaged along the way.
As a kid,
the things I knew innately and the gifts and interests I brought to this life,
you know,
music,
writing,
storytelling,
entertaining an audience of my mates in the playground,
discovering myths and magic and symbolism and the spirit of nature.
I suddenly realized they were all part of this thing which
(09:43):
I'm now calling the Path of the Bard and the Druid I was trying to attain back then exactly what I'm doing now.
I'm channeling my childhood self!
I could have seen all this coming.
I wish I had because (here comes the damage I mentioned,)
by the time I was 20 every area just listed had been discouraged and pretty much crushed out by people who try to put me on the RIGHT path.
(10:10):
And I spent the next few decades discovering that there never WAS any other path!
And I was right all along. Like my dry-stone wall
When we look back,
we can see stretches of our lives which have fallen into disrepair or sometimes been wilfully broken down by others.
Bottom line is we all need part of us rebuilt.
(10:34):
And this is one aspect of spiritual awakening that doesn't get talked about so often Spirituality isn't all trips to the yoga center and positivity,
love and light and baby unicorns.
There's a cost when you call on Spirit and say,
'well,
I'd like a deep experience,
please.
Something genuine.'
And spirit goes 'OK.
(10:54):
But here's how it works.
You're going to get broken so you can get healed and then you'll be able to heal others.
Oh,
and by the way,
it's going to take a lifetime.
Still want it?' SONG - BROKEN WALLS
(11:31):
I can't recast your storyOr overwrite your path Find some meaning in your pain, Some reason for your path
I am no better angelWho'll steer you to the light
(12:05):
Adjust the faulty brushwork ,
Bleach the canvas white
.
(12:26):
But I’ll lay a promise downAnd set it in stone To rebuild your broken walls
(13:01):
To ford your past experiencesWalk behind you as you cross Lest the fear of failure follow Lest you lose yourself in loss
And I’ll lay my banners downAnd my hopes disown To rebuild your broken walls
(14:22):
This broken wall is going to help me restore something that's important to me,
namely my grove and what it represents,
there must be a hundred stones lying beside it here I select the largest I can carry.
And with an effort,
I lug it a quarter of a mile back to the grove,
moss and all.
It's a bit of a sweat.
But I don't mind.
It's my part of this partnership.
(14:43):
Something I can do that.
The trees can't,
at least I hope they can't.
And I'm going to set it right at the center where it can be easily seen ready for decoration because of course,
the large flat stone is something else.
Every pagan likes an altar.
It's time to put the magic back in the circle!.
(15:13):
Awen Calling is written composed and lived by me,
Michael Sebastian.
The singer was Elizabeth Jardine and Gina Griffin played fiddle.
The music mix was by Louis Janota and mastered by Mia Sowden.
Follow the links in the show notes to our site and social,
our music and videos and our live shows and thanks again for all your great reviews and comments.
(15:37):
We really appreciate them all.
You can find them on our site too www.awenscall.com and don't forget to follow the show!
I'm Michael Sebastian.
And over the years I've explored a lot of spiritual paths,
but one seems most relevant in today's rapidly warming world.
The way of the Druid and the Bard and the power they seek – a power called Awen. SOUND EFFECTS - BIRDSONG, TREES, OUTDOORS
(00:39):
(VOICES OFF) 'So that's about 6.5 metre diameter west to east.
So about 20 metre circumference.
OK Let's try north to south.
(TO AUDIENCE) Every pagan likes a good circle to work in. Some mark them out with candles or crystals,
(01:01):
some cast them around in the air with a hand or a finger,
some draw them on the ground in salt or chalk! And whether they're no bigger than the width of your cauldron or they're as wide as you are tall or they're marked out by whopping great chunks of bluestone
that you just dragged in from Wales - circles are working spaces and us spiritual lot,
(01:22):
we've been using them for thousands of years now.
The circle of trees I've got here in the grove isn't exactly Stonehenge or Avebury size,
but it is more than ample for me.
I've been wondering how old these trees are? A quick bit of research on vital statistics for Lindens
And I'm down here with my tape measure.
(01:43):
Apparently it's a bit of an inexact science without actually boring into them or cutting them down.
But we're looking at a century or so.
So,
not ancient – but not teenagers.
And of course I'm not bragging here,
but I've got a circle WITHIN a circle and like any good pagan.
I can't wait to begin working in here. IN THE STUDIO
(02:08):
So,
what do I mean by work in a magic circle?
A few invocations in Latin?
I'm a bit rusty on that. .
Naked dancing on a midsummer's night? A bit rusty on that too.
Sadly,
it's not really anything quite that spectacular,
but it IS work with nature,
(02:29):
albeit of a different sort.
And like any work with nature,
it can change you. The way I approach it is
If this grove and I are gonna hang out together for a while,
then I see it as a kind of partnership and I need to learn to vibe with the grove as best I can.
Anyway,
(02:49):
it's like joining a choir.
You have to sing in the same key as everyone else.
Or you probably won't stay invited for long.
So what could any person bring to a strange relationship with a bunch of trees?
Well,
logically speaking,
that could only actually be something that's natural to that person,
couldn't it?
I mean,
(03:09):
their own vibe,
their own gifts.
So in my case,
being a writer and a speaker,
I'm thinking of creating with words to capture this particular spot.
Perhaps there are stories or mantras or chants or psalms or poetry that could be inspired by it,
lyrical pieces or rituals – might even be a podcast in there somewhere!
(03:33):
(OFF MIC) Nah...,
I wouldn't have a clue how to do that,
But I'm not quite ready to do any work yet because as I mentioned,
the circle has leaks,
there are a few trees missing which makes the whole thing just a little bit unfinished.
They'll need to be replaced at some point.
But you can't just waltz over to the IKEA Garden Department to pick up a Majestic Oak.
(03:56):
You know,
not even a flat-pack one.
No,
if I want to fill these spaces,
ideally,
I'd have to find something already in the grove and then replant it at the right time of year or grow a tree from a seed of one of its neighbors.
One thing's for sure,
this is all going to take some time – and which tree would I actually get a seed from?
(04:19):
I mean,
there are a few candidates,
I suppose Mother might be the obvious one.
Let me introduce you. MUSIC - MEASURING THE GROVE SOUND EFFECTS - BIRDSONG, TREES, OUTDOORS
(05:09):
Well,
I'm on the southern point of the outer circle and here is definitely the widest tree in the grove,
likely the oldest.
It's certainly got a motherly vibe,
a bit of a wise old crone in the making – three thick branches and an organic symmetry – and a resident robin! BIRDSONG - BRITISH ROBIN
(05:32):
I don't find this tree the most welcoming to be near and I,
I think she just likes her personal space.
Probably wrapping a tape measure around her was just a bit too familiar.
There's a clear line between her and the much younger Linden,
the one I was calling the Grove Guardian.
And it's on that line that I choose to sit when I spend time here – might catch a bit of gossip between them!
(05:57):
But clearly,
I'm not going to see the spaces in the circle filled by adult trees like these,
not in this lifetime.
But that's the whole point,
isn't it?
Druid thinking..
Well,
any genuine spiritual thinking – is not about me and now but about us and THEN We spiritual types are playing the long game.
(06:19):
We're continuing the work of past generations just as future generations will continue ours.
And let's be honest,
that's the only approach you can ever take where Nature is concerned.
I'm never going to see a fully completed grove.
So in the meantime,
I'm going to have to find another way to stop the gaps because I can't work in a half–finished circle!
(06:41):
So what to do?
Plant flowers?
dig holes?
put a post in? SOUND OF TROWEL DIGGING
in the end,
I decided to do the Stonehenge thing,
you know,
on a slightly smaller scale – and use a few rocks and with some rooting around,
(07:04):
I locate some pointed ones lying about the place.
Oh,
they'll do.
They're part of the family.
It's easy to work out where the stone should sit two paces away from a tree on either side.
And now there are three points standing upwards to mark the missing trees.
(07:24):
And now I can really see the shape of the circle emerging,
but I could do with one more stone,
a very particular one – flat and solid and there's nothing like it here.
It's more like the type of stone you get in an old wall.
Well,
I do happen to know of an old wall about a quarter of a mile away. SOUND EFFECTS - BIRDSONG, TREES, OUTDOORS CROWS CAWING
(07:53):
The wall I'm thinking of is this one.
It's actually the remains of what would have been a shepherd's wall once circling around a field,
probably pasture.
It's only a foot high now and overgrown with bushes.
Well,
I'll tell you more about this spot next time because it plays a bit part in this story.
But for now it's enough to know that there are hundreds of stones scattered around it.
(08:15):
Many covered with thick emerald moss.
And I'm willing to bet I'll find the shape I'm looking for right here. IN STUDIO
Sometimes when taking a new spiritual path,
you suddenly find a few jigsaw pieces of your life falling into place,
(08:37):
you know,
stuff you'd never seen before.
I've heard this called 'being given the gift of yourself'.
And it's kind of what I'm experiencing as I start to restore the circle,
as each stone gets placed.
I find myself reconnecting with the time my own spiritual journey began probably about five or six years old.
(08:59):
When we're young,
we just stumble into spirit.
We catch Awen's call,
not realising it's even a thing.
Spirituality is our natural state and hasn't been conditioned out of us or processed INto some belief system yet.
But as we grow,
it's easy to lose that connection,because life happens,
(09:20):
we get discouraged or damaged along the way.
As a kid,
the things I knew innately and the gifts and interests I brought to this life,
you know,
music,
writing,
storytelling,
entertaining an audience of my mates in the playground,
discovering myths and magic and symbolism and the spirit of nature.
I suddenly realized they were all part of this thing which
(09:43):
I'm now calling the Path of the Bard and the Druid I was trying to attain back then exactly what I'm doing now.
I'm channeling my childhood self!
I could have seen all this coming.
I wish I had because (here comes the damage I mentioned,)
by the time I was 20 every area just listed had been discouraged and pretty much crushed out by people who try to put me on the RIGHT path.
(10:10):
And I spent the next few decades discovering that there never WAS any other path!
And I was right all along. Like my dry-stone wall
When we look back,
we can see stretches of our lives which have fallen into disrepair or sometimes been wilfully broken down by others.
Bottom line is we all need part of us rebuilt.
(10:34):
And this is one aspect of spiritual awakening that doesn't get talked about so often Spirituality isn't all trips to the yoga center and positivity,
love and light and baby unicorns.
There's a cost when you call on Spirit and say,
'well,
I'd like a deep experience,
please.
Something genuine.'
And spirit goes 'OK.
(10:54):
But here's how it works.
You're going to get broken so you can get healed and then you'll be able to heal others.
Oh,
and by the way,
it's going to take a lifetime.
Still want it?' SONG - BROKEN WALLS
(11:31):
I can't recast your storyOr overwrite your path Find some meaning in your pain, Some reason for your path
I am no better angelWho'll steer you to the light
(12:05):
Adjust the faulty brushwork ,
Bleach the canvas white
.
(12:26):
But I’ll lay a promise downAnd set it in stone To rebuild your broken walls
(13:01):
To ford your past experiencesWalk behind you as you cross Lest the fear of failure follow Lest you lose yourself in loss
And I’ll lay my banners downAnd my hopes disown To rebuild your broken walls
(14:22):
This broken wall is going to help me restore something that's important to me,
namely my grove and what it represents,
there must be a hundred stones lying beside it here I select the largest I can carry.
And with an effort,
I lug it a quarter of a mile back to the grove,
moss and all.
It's a bit of a sweat.
But I don't mind.
It's my part of this partnership.
(14:43):
Something I can do that.
The trees can't,
at least I hope they can't.
And I'm going to set it right at the center where it can be easily seen ready for decoration because of course,
the large flat stone is something else.
Every pagan likes an altar.
It's time to put the magic back in the circle!.
(15:13):
Awen Calling is written composed and lived by me,
Michael Sebastian.
The singer was Elizabeth Jardine and Gina Griffin played fiddle.
The music mix was by Louis Janota and mastered by Mia Sowden.
Follow the links in the show notes to our site and social,
our music and videos and our live shows and thanks again for all your great reviews and comments.
(15:37):
We really appreciate them all.
You can find them on our site too www.awenscall.com and don't forget to follow the show!
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