Winter Solstice 2012 at Anglezarke

This day had been on my mind for many years. I can remember the first time I heard of the year 2012, and what it might mean for mankind. It was in the summer of 2006, at a talk by Daniel Pinchbeck, author of his book 2012.

For the next six years I held that date in my mind as I explored what it might mean, reading different opinions and seeing what sat with me, what to keep and what to discard. With an open mind I explored my spirituality during this time, and eventually found my way to shamanism, picking up a valuable toolkit on my way, as well as meeting like-minded souls who were to become life-long friends.

So it came to sunrise on December 21st 2012 and I found myself on a hilltop with Jason in his ancestral land of Anglezarke, on the edge of the West Pennine Moors. We opened up our twelve chakras and welcomed in the sun, both getting separate messages about what Christians would call the second coming – the coming of the Christ consciousness.

Still finding our way, being guided one step at a time, we were aware that we had a role to play in this, which would unfold over time. The sun greeted us behind clouds on this cold, crisp morning, where the stillness in our minds echoed the stillness of our surroundings.

As the precise time approached we moved to a stone circle we had dowsed the location for and built earlier further down in the valley, hidden within huge Beech and Sycamore trees, in the ruins of the home of Jason’s great, great grandmother. We chopped wood, as would have been done by his ancestors many years ago, and lit a fire to keep out some of the cold.

A circle of candles formed the centre of our mandala, with representations of each element places in the four quarters, an athame for Earth in the north, crow wings for Air in the east, a red candle for Fire in the south and the Green Man goblet for Water in the west. We opened up the quarters with our drums and welcomed in the elements, our guides, power animals and anyone who wished to join us.

We saw Buzzard fly over in the distance, such a common sight during our work he never seems to be too far away. We meditated, connecting in with our friends at Gorton Monastery who were doing likewise, and welcomed in the Light. We sang, drummed, celebrated, and gave offerings to our guides. Cernunnos spoke through Jason and talked of the importance of the Green Man in coming years. We sipped mead in his presence, and gave a tonic to the Earth we had prepared earlier to protect the Ash trees from dying.

As a final thought we each pulled a card from my Earth Magic deck, I was given the Faeries card and Jason the Shaman card, just in case we needed a confirmation!

We closed the circle, made sure as ever that we left no trace of where we had been, and left feeling elevated, off for a blissful three days with our friends at shamanic camp in Roeburndale, Lancashire. A perfect way to spend the winter solstice weekend.

I couldn’t possibly have known how I would have been spending this important date even just a year ago. If I had have been told I would have never believed it. But I couldn’t let it go, it was constantly there, as I was guided on my journey. I do not know exactly what happened on Earth, to our planet that day. I didn’t feel any different, I didn’t sense any change. But as I watch events unfold in 2013, and sense the subtle changes I am in a place of hope, not despair for the future, and I trust, I know that we are being looked after, guided to create a better world, a place that we can call Heaven on Earth.