Download - the Chalice Well

Journal of the Companions of the
Chalice Well
Issue No. 22 • Summer 2008
“The sky was of that deep indigo blue often seen at Avalon – a blue that should be seen through the boughs
of an apple tree in blossom.”

Editorial
On a bright April morning fifty years ago, in 1958, Margaret Salmon and her husband
were standing in Well House Lane, preparing to drive back home to Devon after a visit to
Glastonbury. They were standing near to a gate outside the Tor School when a man came out
from the school-house and said, “Good morning.” They chatted for a moment and then the
man unexpectedly started to say that he was troubled concerning the Tor School property
and grounds. He told them he was the Headmaster of the school and was about to retire
and that he was anxious in case the property fell into the hands of developers or those who
had no reverence for the grounds in which lay the ancient Chalice Well. Margaret’s husband
immediately responded by saying, “Do you really want to be put in touch with the right man
who can advise you?” “Yes,” came the reply. “I think I can do that for you,” said Mr. Salmon,
“I can contact Major W. Tudor Pole.” On returning to Devon they contacted WTP in London
and the rest, as they say, is now history.
So here we are, nearly fifty years later, preparing to celebrate, in 2009, the continuance of
W.T.P.’s vision. A vision where Tudor Pole made it clear that Chalice Well was preserved to
provide a keynote for the coming era of Aquarius. Joy, unity and service were to be what he
called “the sign manuals” thus creating a gateway for the entry into human consciousness of
transformational energies which would turn “duality into unity, sorrow into joy, conflict into
peace and ignorance into understanding.” He believed the Trust’s primary objective was to
re-establish Chalice Well as one of the most important and revered shrines in the British Isles,
as a centre of peace and inspiration.
On page three of this issue our manager, Natasha, gives details of all the exciting new
projects that the Well is giving birth to at this time. Also, we continue the story of previous
Guardians of the Trust, looking at the time of Leonard and Willa Sleath from 1986 – 1996.
Following on from Nicholas Mann’s article in the last ‘Chalice’ we hear from Hamish Miller
about the intentions of the Parallel Community and Nicholas reviews their DVD for us. There
is the usual selection of pictures and news from the events and the garden, and details of this
year’s Companions’ Day. We also include an unpublished Alice Buckton poem which we came
across in the archives while researching for the forthcoming Chalice Well book, plus Jennifer
Wakefield tells us about the making of the new ‘Trinity of Holy Thorn Essence’. We hope you
have a joyous and peaceful summer.
Paul Fletcher
Front Cover: A glimpse of the Tor through the apple blossom in Buckton’s Orchard. Photo by Tony Arihanto.
Quotation: Dion Fortune, ‘Avalon of the Heart’ p 62.
Back Cover: Candle lit offerings at the cascade in King Arthur’s Court. Photo by Michelle Macauley Haines.
The Chalice Well Trust is a registered charity, founded in 1959 by Wellesley Tudor Pole and a group of
friends. It is dedicated to preserving the ancient spring and surrounding gardens as a living sanctuary for
everyone to visit and experience the quiet healing peace of this sacred place.
The Trust welcomes donations to maintain Chalice Well and gardens including Little St. Michaels retreat
house, and to further its work. Voluntary contributions towards upkeep are therefore greatly appreciated.
Any person who wishes to support the Trust’s purpose by making an annual subscription may be registered
as a Companion of the Well.
For further information contact
The Chalice Well, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DD UK
Tel: 01458 831154 Fax: 01458 835528.
Email: info@chalicewell.org.uk Website: www.chalicewell.org.uk
Registered Charity No: 204206
Published by The Chalice Well Trust, Chilkwell Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 8DD, UK
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Birthing the New
A number of projects have been in gestation over the past few months and, like shoots in
springtime, are finally ready to emerge.
One of the Trust’s aims is to ensure that the writings of Wellesley Tudor Pole remain
available to a wide audience. Our archivist, Paul Fletcher, is working to bring some of TP’s
booklets, which have been out of print for some time, back into circulation. We anticipate that
these will be available in the latter part of this year. As next year marks the 50 th anniversary of
the founding of the Chalice Well Trust, it seems fitting to capture the story of Chalice Well in
a celebratory publication. A group has formed to research and co-write the story of Chalice
Well and we anticipate that the resulting book will also be available later in the year.
During recent months, we have given much time and attention to revising and updating
the content and visual style of our literature and communications media. We will shortly
be introducing a new letterhead with a Chalice Well logo designed by local Companion and
graphic designer Bernard Chandler. Bernard has reproduced the well lid in his design, and
we feel that accurately replicating this symbol with all its elegant and geometric proportions
serves to convey its true power and presence. At the same time, the Trust commissioned
Birmingham jeweller and designer Richard Price to reproduce the well lid in the form of a
brooch and pendant. You will find further details about this on the closing pages.
Visitors to the Well are now given a full colour information leaflet, with pictures of the well
and gardens and an illustrated map, with their ticket. Producing the new leaflet has resulted
in the additional benefit of sustainability: not only does it significantly cut paper usage but it
also reduces costs. We are keen to get this leaflet translated for our visitors from overseas. So
if you are fluent in another language and would be willing to translate the leaflet then please
contact Natasha at manager@chalicewell.org.uk
Previously, the Trust had engaged the services of various
flower essence producers to make the Holy Thorn Essence
on its behalf, and this essence, sold in the Chalice Well Shop,
has always been very popular. Last year, however, a small
group of people, each of whom is closely connected with the
Chalice Well and who had been feeling a strong calling to
work co-creatively with the elemental and devic realms of
Chalice Well came together to perform this service. Their
intention was to create and bottle the ‘Chalice Well Essences’
here, in the heart of the Well, and to collectively share the
practical and spiritual responsibilities of such a project. The
creation of the first essence: the Trinity of Holy Thorn, took
The new flower essence bathes in
the early morning light.
place on a radiant Easter morning in 2007. The story of its creation is told by a member of the
group, in this Chalice.
Finally, we are looking forward to the imminent launch of the Chalice Well website. We are
working closely with web-design company Crisp-E Business to create an integrated site which
is not only simple to use, but is a reflection of the many facets of the Well and the activities of
the Trust. It is designed using a content-management system that allows the team to directly
upload news and pictures onto the site. There will be a special area for Companions, and it
will now be possible to buy tickets for our concerts and events online. If the new website is
not online by the time this newsletter reaches you then we will email you as soon as it up and
running. Please take a look, we hope you like it, and we welcome your comments and feedback.
As we approach the 50
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th anniversary of the Chalice Well Trust it is heartening to see the
continuing energies of the Well emerging in all these creative endeavours. As the flame was
kindled at the last Winter Solstice, so it will be carried into the year of celebration.
Natasha Wardle

News from the Well
A Three Day Ceremony
It became apparent to the Events Committee that the rare coincidence of Spring Equinox on
Good Friday, a full moon in Aries, World Water Day and Easter Sunday offered a wonderful
opportunity to create a three day cycle of ceremony that embraced people of goodwill and
heart from all paths and faiths. The three days were to be a journey of inner reflection
beginning with an act of offering up or making sacred – the original meaning of the word
‘sacrifice’ – and completing with a rebirth or resurrection from the ‘waters of life’.
On Easter Friday, over two-hundred people gathered at the Wellhead for a quiet, reflective
and meditative ceremony. An accompaniment of three crystal bowls sounding the aum, soulfull
overtone chanting and spontaneous singing from the gathering, provided a heart-felt
beginning to the three day cycle. A chalice of well water was carefully passed around each
person, who quietly gave their thoughts and blessings whilst everyone sat enjoying the stillness
and peace of the wellhead. The day had begun ominously with black clouds and rain, but as
the ceremony began the skies cleared, so that all were blessed by golden sunshine. A chant
with Islamic origins “I am love, lover and beloved,” was sung by a gentle, clear voice and was
soon taken to rousing crescendo by all.
A space of silence was held in
the Meeting Room and a steady
stream of people passed through
during the course of the day. It
is clear from feedback received
from those who participated
that holding this silent space
was much appreciated and we
hope to do this again.
On Easter Sunday, inbetween
showers, a small
gathering in Arthur’s Court
participated in the washing and
anointing of feet. Accompanied
by the sweet voice of Muriel
singing, “How would you treat
yourself if you knew you were
sacred,” it was a tender and healing experience. All were moved by a woman who, we were told
by her family, some weeks previously had been diagnosed as unable to walk again. With quiet
grace and support she was able to enter the waters of the healing pool; her family wept while
her feet were anointed and her head was blessed with water from the well.
Beltane
We danced between sun, wind and rain on the 1 st May, our hearts stretched by the drums, as
the Beltane fire was lit and the ribbons woven around the May Pole. The rain held off and
the sun shone as people poured into the gardens from the town or came down, fresh-faced
from the Tor to hold the circle of celebration. The theme was union: not only of male and
female, but of all beings, of earth and spirit – the sacred marriage. Our prayer was to be in
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In the stillness of Easter. Photo by Tony Arihanto.

Jumping the fire, Beltane 2008. Blessing the crown of the May Pole, Beltane 2008.
Photos by Saul Macauley Haines.
balance with all. The crown of red and white flowers on the top of the pole was anointed as
a representation of the crown upon our heads and the opening to spirit; the opening in the
ground made to receive the pole was anointed as the earth; and the May Pole itself was blessed
as the symbol of their union. The pole became the bridge or the axis mundi between all worlds
– that is also represented by ourselves, our dance and our prayers. Many thanks to all who
came and made the event possible.
Forthcoming Events
We would like to remind you that tickets are now on sale for the concert with Lucinda Drayton,
formerly of Bliss, and the Summer Solstice concert with Nigel Shaw and Carolyn Hillyer. The
concert with Lucinda will be on Sunday 8 th June, the day after Companions’ Day, and will
be under cover in the marquee. The concert will start at 8pm with gates opening at 7pm;
tickets are £14 for Companions. The Summer Solstice concert with Nigel and Carolyn will be
on Saturday 21 st June, outside, on the lower lawns. Tickets are £10 for Companions and the
concert will also start at 8pm. There will be light refreshments available for both events. There
will be a Summer Solstice ceremony earlier on the day at 4:00pm led by Carolyn Hillyer.
Other dates for your diary are Friday 18 th July when there will be a Full Moon concert with
singer Kellianna beginning at 7:30pm; a Love & Thanks to Water Day on Friday 25 th July and
a Lammas celebration on Friday 1 st August; both these ceremonies will be at 12 noon.
Finally, and following the success of previous Healing Weekends, we are once again
devoting the August bank holiday to offering a full range of holistic therapies in the gardens.
All the healers are Companions who wish to share and work with the energy field of the Well.
The gardens are open as usual to all. On Saturday 23 rd August the appointments will start at
midday and on Sunday and Monday from 10.30am. Further details will be displayed on our
website or are available from our office.
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Companions’ Day 7 June 2008 - Programme
9:00 Arrival: Tea, Coffee and Biscuits
10:00 Opening Meditation around the Vesica Piscis Pool
10:30 Welcome by Joint-Chairs Tyna Redpath and Joanna Laxton
10:45 Presentation and Review by Staff Circle followed by Companion’s Question
Time
11:45 Short break
12:15 Invoking the Devas of the Well: A Musical Meditation with Muriel
1:00 – 2:30 Lunch to share
2:30 “Vibrational Medicine: Co-creating with the Nature Kingdoms” a talk by
Sophie Knock and Sabrina Dearborn.
3.30 Creating an Essence together followed by Closing Meditation around the
Vesica Piscis Pool
4:00 Tea and Cake
5:00 – 6:00 Gardens open to the public
The theme for this year’s Companions’ Day is born from the co-creative relationships
being cultivated with the devic, elemental and vibrational energies here at the Well. This
was a subject close to TP’s heart and so it feels fitting that this year we come together in a
heartfelt way to reaffirm that connection.
Keeping the spirit of ‘Lunch to Share’ alive, we would like to try something a little
different. We are asking Companions to bring a dish, sweet or savoury, that can be served
cold for 4-6 people to share in a ‘pot luck’ lunch. The dish can be stored in the Meeting
Room during the morning’s activities, then collected by you and taken to a table to share
with other Companions who also will have collected their respective dishes. We hope this
gives another opportunity to meet each other. There may have to be some table hopping
if everyone turns up at a table with a dessert (or not)!
The Trust will provide all refreshments in the morning. From lunchtime onwards
there will be a refreshment stall where you can buy cakes and cream teas.
New Staff Member – Introducing Chaia Forster
When the copy for the last Chalice was due I had only been working here for a week. Now
I have been here for nearly four months I feel more confident about contributing to our
newsletter. My name is Chaia Forster and I am the new manager of the Chalice Well Shop. I
started on the second of January this year and feel I am settling in well.
It was a rocky start in January. As many of you know, the office has been reorganised.
This meant the builders were still in while I was trying to get to grips with everything. It does
however mean we now have shop space in the office and we no longer have to unpack and
price everything in the shop itself. It also means that ordering and all the book-keeping can
be done in the office. I find it a wonderful gift to have that space.
It was also a rocky start for me to get used to the subtle energies of the Well and its shop. I
spent the previous four years running a toy shop in Glastonbury. The energy of the children
and the energy of downtown Glastonbury are more lively and bolder than the spiritual
energies of the Well. It took me a little while to make that shift in myself and it has been a
fascinating journey.

In February things kept going apace. Natasha and I attended the Birmingham Spring Fair,
where we found lots of beautiful new gifts and jewellery. We concentrated on items that were
ethically made and sourced. I am glad to say we succeeded. We now stock glassware made from
recycled glass and jewellery made in decent working conditions. This often means working
with small suppliers who know their product and their factories.
After we came back we started interviewing for a new shop assistant. Tricia, who worked
so hard in the shop last year, felt it was time to move on. She introduced several unique
products to the shop and we will continue those. We look forward to seeing her at celebrations
in the Gardens and wish her lots of luck in her new endeavours. Early in March Muriel Bührs
started as our new shop assistant. She is settling in well and the shop team already feels like
a well-oiled team. Saul is still here and, besides working in the shop, he is busy helping to set
up the new website.
On the Spring Equinox the new Chalice Well Essence was
introduced in the shop and I look forward to carrying more
essences that hold the energies of the Gardens in due course.
Working in the Gardens is a joy. The crab apple in front of
the shop is in full bloom. The daffodils have been a blanket of
green and yellow. I have seen the storm-winds in the trees and
the sunlight on the water. What makes it best is the people. I have
found a team of colleagues who have warmly welcomed me and
helped me settle and learn. The visitors have been wonderful. I have
The May Pole crown.
had many interesting conversations and lots of laughter. Warmth
and kindness has been given to me by so many. It is a blessing.
I do hope to keep working here for a lot longer. I look forward to meeting many more
Companions and greeting again those of you I have met before.
Garden News
Ark Redwood
Well, quite a lot has happened in the
garden since my last contribution to
‘The Chalice,’ including one or two
minor structural changes, all carried
out by our landscaper and handyman,
Martin. Firstly, the exit pool pipe (which
flows to a manhole on the other side
of the wall) has finally been replaced.
Due to excessive build-up of calcite
deposits the pipe was constantly getting
blocked-up, and causing delays with
draining during the weekly cleaning
of the waterways. All being well we
should have no further problems from
now on. The weeping birch which had
been growing there was successfully
transplanted to a site at the bottom of the meadow. Secondly, another improvement has been
the deepening of the grooves in the arms of the vesica piscis pool, which means that the water
there now flows evenly, looks and sounds better, and no longer overflows down the sides,
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thereby causing the bottom of the rockery bed to become regularly saturated. This had meant
that most plants growing in that area would often suffer from root rot and perish. Now that
the problem has been solved I will be planting up the area at the bottom of the flow form with
a fresh batch of true alpines, which should flourish in the drier soil.
Sadly, the robinia tree, which had been planted in January 2006 to replace the weeping
willow, has died. It never really thrived there, although I must confess that the responsibility
for its demise must ultimately rest with me, because after its first year I failed to check its tie,
which secured it to its post, and the result was that the majority of the bark underneath the tie
rubbed-off as the trunk increased in size, and the all important cambium layer, which carries
the nutrients, was lost through abrasion. So, I’ve certainly learnt a lesson that annual routine
tasks should never be neglected, however busy one is. As for a replacement for the robinia the
policy is to tune in and wait for inspiration, rather than rushing in with a ‘quick fix.’ It may
well be that we leave the space open. We shall see…
One tree which has been planted recently is a liquidambar which is now located up near
the hurdle fence on the lower border of the meadow. Given that it is a relatively upright and
narrow tree it should fit in nicely between the already-established Judas tree and the spindle.
Companions may well remember that we used to have a semi-mature liquidambar situated
on the bank above the chakra borders; until its demise a few years ago it was the tall columnar
tree with the gorgeous early autumn colours.
Actually, in that same area this spring, visitors
would, I’m sure, have delighted in the magnificent
display of the white Narcissus ‘Mount Hood’
which had been planted last autumn. They
certainly surpassed expectations, especially as
they had first emerged looking like an ordinary
yellow daffodil, leading me to ring up the nursery
to query whether they had sent me the correct
variety! They assured me that the flowers would
gradually whiten as the flowers grew, and sure
enough that’s exactly what they did, and they
were definitely worth the wait!
The new front garden at Vine Cottage is
currently being filled up with plants, and should
any day now be displaying the first floral displays.
White Narcissi ‘Mount Hood’ above the The style is most definitely ‘cottagey,’ and I hope
Sanctuary. Photo by Tony Arihanto.
to fit in as many different varieties as possible, in
an attempt to define ‘sumptuousness!’
The physic garden, next to the gardeners’ lodge, is gradually being populated by lots of
medicinal herbs, all accompanied by their requisite labels. Amongst the many additions
(I’ll be kind, and spare you the Latin) include: Siberian ginseng, white horehound, wood
betony, golden seal, barberry, astragalus, gingko, apothecary’s rose, agnus castus, agrimony,
peony, arnica, rhodiola, chamomile, ephedra, goji berry, spikenard, wild quinine, milk thistle,
meadowsweet, rue, bergamot, lady’s mantle, pulsatilla and an olive tree. I am very excited
about this project, and hope to add more and more healing plants in times to come.
Finally, according to Anthony Ward, our orchardist, the apple blossom this year is good
news for Tom Done’s bees. The two remaining hives in the corner of the orchard have plenty
of new pollen sources to pollinate and feed on, and already the bees are filling the soupers in
their hives with honey. After last year’s disastrous wet and cold summer which kept the bees
from flying and one hive from recovering at all, Tom is optimistic that the hives and the honey
will do well this year.
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Old Runic Healing Song
Draw crimson dew from the hair of the
Elf-frightened wild rose,
Gather the sweat from the root of the
Blue-sick oak tree,
Press milk of spurge, and the drop of
The night-black berry,
Call, that the red wound be bound to
The great grey ash tree.
Make him a bed of the pale woven
Knot-thread dodder,
Summon the wind of the dawn-rustling
Grass grown knee-deep,
Sing him a song of the hills, and the
Far low pipings.
Gossamer roofi ng be-curtain his head,
In sweet sleep.
Alice Buckton
Unpublished poem probably written at Chalice Well
in the late 1930s.
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The Story of the Guardians of Chalice Well
Part 2 – Leonard and Willa Sleath
In the last issue of ‘The Chalice’ (no 21 Spring 2008) we looked at the years when Taras and Moya
Kosikowsky were custodians of the Chalice Well from 1979 – 1986. Now we turn to the story of the
next set of guardians, Leonard and Willa Sleath who were resident at the Well from 1986 – early
1996.
When it came time for Taras and Moya to move on from Chalice Well there was again a
link with the Findhorn Community in Scotland. This was where Leonard and Willa Sleath
were living and working in 1986 when they were contacted by the then Chalice Well Trustee,
Tom Welch who sent Willa a postcard suggesting that Leonard may be interested in “coming
home” to the vacant post as warden of Chalice Well.
Although Leonard had spent
many years in banking and twentyfive
years as a probation officer,
they had lived an ‘alternative’
lifestyle while raising their four
children and Findhorn was the
third community they had lived in,
previously exploring the teachings
of Gurdjieff and J.G. Bennett at
Coombe Springs and living in
Oxford following the path of
Subud. By 1980 they were tiring
of the urban city life and after an
‘experience week’ at Findhorn they
Leonard Sleath beside the well head, early 1990s.
made a decision to go and live there.
They bought a bungalow at Pine
Ridge opposite the weaving studio and began to participate
in community life. Leonard took up sacred dancing under
Bernard Wosien and Willa was involved in the guest
department, the Universal Hall and the Sanctuary.
When the postcard arrived saying there was a vacancy
at Chalice Well they had no intention of leaving, but when
Willa visited a seer in northern Scotland she was told, “you
have to be the gatekeeper”, “it’ll come to pass soon”, and
she was shown an image of flowing water and the letter C.
They decided to visit and were interviewed by the Trustees
in Little St. Michael’s. Willa’s initial impressions were that
it was freezing cold and on a noisy and busy main road;
although there was the feeling of a link with the old,
esoteric order serving humanity. Despite any misgivings
they decided to accept; they became Wardens on the first
of October 1986.
Their background experience brought many skills to the
Willa Sleath in the gardens, late 1980s.
task. Leonard had co-founded a therapeutic community
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Leonard and Willa enjoy lunch in the marquee on Companions’ Day 1988.
for ‘maladjusted’ teenage boys, a hostel for homeless women and a factory employing
disadvantaged school leavers. Willa had trained as a nurse before bringing up the family and
now at Chalice Well she was to take responsibility for the garden and the retreat house while
Leonard looked after the administration, the properties and the bookshop. They had both
recently been drawn to the ashram and teachings of Sathya Sai Baba in south central India.
They followed the pattern of the previous Guardians producing one newsletter a year
called ‘The Chalice Well’, publishing numbers 10 –19 between Spring 1987 and Spring 1996.
From 1 st November 1986 a full time gardener, Pim de Grijff, was appointed and he initiated
considerable maintenance work on the borders, paths and the long boundary fence along
Well House Lane. With Willa he re-introduced a vegetable garden behind Little St. Michael’s
containing a herb section and a small plot for cut flowers for the house.
During their time at the Well, Leonard and Willa oversaw forty-five improvement projects
including the republication of ‘The Silent Road’ by Tudor Pole. They also witnessed quite a
change on the Board of Trustees. When they arrived Antonia Yates and Cynthia Howles had
joined and the link with the ‘old order’ of WTP’s time was still intact. Gradually, as the Trust
developed and became better known, the ‘opening’ that had started under Taras and Moya
developed quite quickly. By 1988 there were 31,000 visitors a year and over 800 Companions,
which meant that staff had to be employed to maintain standards. Frances Coxwell, who
had worked with the previous Wardens, helped Leonard in the office and looked after the
Companionship. There were a succession of gardeners including Pim, Catherine Carter, Ian
Sargeant and finally in this period Stephen George, who joined the team in 1991. However,
there were still no paid cleaners or shop staff; Leonard and Willa carried out much of the work
themselves, always aided by copious numbers of volunteers.
They began to spend money on upgrading the accommodation and work was carried out
on Vine Cottage and Little St. Michael’s including the building of a sauna room on the ground
floor of the retreat house. Office equipment was also upgraded and the use of computers
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egan. There were the usual stresses and strains of being Wardens of a sacred site. During
1990 they had to introduce new guidelines for access and use of the Upper Room; there was
a spate of burglaries to the shop, and Leonard could often be found patrolling the gardens
at night, lovingly ejecting any unwelcome visitor! There was always an international aspect
to their work and they travelled far and wide, to Russia and India for instance, welcoming
Russian visitors to stay at the Well in 1988.
When the Wardens needed a break, Arthur and Pip Bourne were still around to take over
on relief duty. Arthur died towards the end of 1988 and Cynthia Howles paid tribute to his
dedicated service to the Well: “his spirit will be indelibly impressed upon both the gardens
and the Trust, because he was never a man to flinch from working with his hands as well as
with his heart and mind.”
In the garden there were two big changes. The first was the conversion of the old open
barn at the bottom of the garden into a gardener’s centre to house tools and equipment. This
building would also double as a tea and coffee bar on Companions Day and special occasions.
Secondly, John Wilkes from Emerson College in Sussex was employed to create a ‘flow-form,’
whose water would fall into the Vesica pool.
The idea behind a
flow-form is that it is a
design which induces
vortices that water itself
is always trying to create
in its natural flow. Each
form allows the water
to flow left and right
around two carefully
proportioned dishes or
cavities in a figure of eight
pattern. Each flow-form
is positioned above or
below another to create a
series; theoretically there
can be as many forms in
a series as you like, just
as there are in natural
streams. The frequency
Shrubs and other alpine plants laid out beside the newly installed flow-form
in 1993.
of the rhythms of the ‘vortical’ flow varies with the size of each flow-form, whilst the character
of the movement depends upon its shape. Longer-term rhythms can also be registered within
the series of forms. The sevenfold ‘metamorphic’ cascade installed at Chalice Well induces
complex rhythms into the flow of water which purify and enhance the ‘subtle energy’ content
of the water. It is one of only two known such systems installed into a natural stream. Willa
wrote in the newsletter, “In John Wilkes’ flow-forms at Chalice Well, a flow of water moving
into a shallow bowl is diverted by a tiny ridge to create a continuous pulsating current that
moves from one side to the other until it gathers sufficient momentum to flow over the lip.
If situated above a pool, this curtain of water then falls, creating a series of ‘musical’ notes.”
Work on the flow-form was completed in March 1993.
During their time Companions’ Day featured many inspiring speakers including Donald
Reeves, Satish Kumar, Marigold Freeman-Attwood, David Lorimer, John and Caitlin Matthews
and Sir George Trevelyan who talked about the great Companionship of Chalice Well: “I think
back to the enterprise of our friend T.P. – with his vision of this place, of its potential, the
water flowing but neglected, and realising the supreme significance of this spot for Britain,
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for Albion and for the world; and then bringing together the Companions. The Companions
are on many levels. Let us welcome all of those who have been released from the body – how
many! – those who have known and loved Glastonbury through the ages.”
On 27 th October 1990 Prince Charles visited the gardens privately and although Leonard
and Willa were away the volunteer on the Gatehouse Nina Coulias presented him with copies
of WTP’s ‘The Silent Road’ and ‘A Man Seen Afar’. Curiously she had written to the Prince
several times over the years and always received a courteous reply.
Another big change was the retirement of Lord Grey as Chairman of the Trust after
twenty-five years. He decided to step down after his 90 th birthday in 1993 and Roy Procter,
who had joined the Board two years earlier, became the new Chairman. Cynthia Howles and
Marigold Freeman-Attwood stepped down as Trustees and Martin Oliver, retired Warden of
Abbey House, and business consultant Barry Taylor were added to the Board. A review of all
aspects and activities at Chalice Well was carried out over 1994-95 and financial strategies
were strengthened.
By 1993 Leonard and Willa had passed retirement age and they began to think about
stepping down. They had overseen nine years of gradual development, rising visitor numbers
and Companions, and the time was approaching to move on. Leonard wrote: “In its philosophy
Chalice Well is universal, embracing all genuine faiths ands helping to remove the barriers
between them. It fosters spiritual growth and spiritual fulfilment by being open-hearted and
open-minded, very clear and very tolerant. We hope it will always remain thus and be a source
of inspiration.” Willa wrote: “It has been very rewarding meeting people in the garden and the
Retreat house. Strange is the path of love, which has nourished me in the flowing of our time
here. Perhaps we shall meet with our backs to an ancient yew and the sound of running water,
or just to browse. I hope you will all be nourished in this glorious place. Keep listening to the
real sound inside yourselves.”
Leonard and Willa handed over formal responsibility as Wardens on January 20 th 1996.
Willa outside Vine
Cottage before the
present entrance
to the gardens was
created.
This article is based on a recent interview with Willa and also draws on newsletters and records
of the time. All photos in this article are courtesy of Willa Sleath. Leonard and Willa continued to
live in Glastonbury town. On February 2
13
nd 2003 Leonard died after a period of illness – “he went
forth upon his journey softly and gently”. Willa continues to volunteer at the Chalice Well and can
be found on Gatehouse duty on most Saturday mornings.
Paul Fletcher

Parallel Community
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by Hamish Miller
Parallel Community was triggered by the wisdom of many ancient people around the world,
but in particular by the wise ones of the ancient Waitaha in New Zealand. During our
researches in that stunningly beautiful country, my partner, Ba and I went through a cathartic
experience which led to a deeply moving communication with some of the Waitaha elders.
The old people expressed their profound concern about what has happened to humans in the
last few centuries. They feel that although most of us are still warmly capable of love and care
towards each other and our beautiful planet, we have allowed ourselves to be influenced by
“leaders” who are working with an entirely different agenda. They are in despair at the way
we choose our leaders. In their time such people were born under the right stars, in the right
place, at the right time and were perfectly capable, because of their wise ancestral lineages, of
making compassionate and just decisions for everyone.
Yes, of course, there were fewer people in the past; but the Waitaha were a mixed race
who lived in harmony with the earth and each other for a thousand years with no concept of
war. They are particularly worried about our current profligate waste of the earth’s precious
resources in manufacturing unnecessary products purely to satisfy commercial appetites;
about medical practices which do not accept mind and spirit as part of our living being; about
an immoral financial system geared to greed and totally dependent on war; and a negative
world communications system devoted to fear-management. Their list of concerns, in fact,
was long and it opened many doors for us to see what has been happening to humanity over
the years.
Our own experience is that the world is full of loving, caring people who laugh and enjoy
each others company, and who experience quiet, deep joy in their appreciation of the natural
and spiritual worlds. They are already “Parallel Community” people.
Our logo is an
infinity symbol with all
that it implies: a perfect
balance between male
and female energies;
a zero point at the
centre from which all
things can grow; and a
manifestation of earth’s
natural energy system at
the crossing points of its
powerful energy lines.
We will not waste
energy confronting
existing systems. They
are patently not working
for the benefit of
ordinary people. We
will concentrate on
connecting people toge-
Infinity symbol: the logo of the Parallel Community.
Photograph by Frances Watts.
ther to create a world without fear. It’s perfectly possible if enough of us are prepared to
take back our absolute right to live in peace, and if we are prepared to ignore the insidious,

depressing, negative agenda
of the mainstream media.
Parallel Community
started in Cornwall just over
a year ago and we have a
steadily growing number of
enthusiastic supporters in the
UK, Europe and many parts
of the world. We invite you to
come with us and help us do
positive things to bring back
the simple joys of living and
laughing. We owe it to our
children and grandchildren.
There are hundreds of
thousands of groups all over
Photograph by Frances Watts.
the planet working almost in
isolation with similar goals.
Through the “web” of Parallel Community we would like to enable these separate groups to
come together so that a collective voice will be clearly heard.
Our aims are clear and are stated on the opening page of our website:
• Parallel Community has been formed to create a platform where people can express their
positive contribution for change.
• It is our collective responsibilty to care for and have compassion for all life and the earth
we live on.
• All human beings have the right to live in peace and to claim that right for themselves.
• Peace begins with each one of us living in harmony with our local community.
• War need not be the inevitable consequence of diplomatic failure.
• Millions of people across the world feel exactly as we do and we need to unite to make our
voices heard.
Hamish Miller
Parallel Community Web www.parallelcommunity.com
Email parallelcommunity@hotmail.co.uk
PO Box11 Hayle Cornwall TR27 6YF UK
The Parallel Community DVD Review
Author and staff member Nicholas Mann gives a personal view of
this DVD.
In the mid-nineteen hundreds the visionary architect Buckminster
Fuller was an advocate for the renewal of house and city planning
and also for social change. Perhaps most famously he stated that it
was better to focus attention and energy on building the new than it
was to try and change the old. Inspired by this thought, the Parallel
Community was born in the early 21 st Century, which seeks social
change, not by being against anything that currently exists, but by
building something parallel to it that is new.
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Criticism of existing social mores is, however, implicit in the wise and heartfelt words of
Hamish Miller, blacksmith, author, dowser and a leading light of the Parallel Community.
On the eighty-three minute DVD released last year, Hamish is quite willing to say that things
need to change, that some things are just plain wrong – especially the use of war – but he does
not dwell upon them, for like Buckminster Fuller, Hamish is motivated by a new and quite
extraordinary vision for the future.
Inspired by two near-death experiences, Hamish is convinced that the way ahead for
humanity is to turn to the earth and love it. It’s as simple as that. To build a new way of life
on earth where there is peace, he says, we must care for the earth in the places where we live,
and love and care for the people, the communities, within them.
The idea of co-operating with earth energies or entities is, of course, not new; it was
developed by the Findhorn community. But Hamish and the Parallel Community take it to
the next level. Perhaps because of the wish to not appear negative or political, none of the
speakers on the Parallel Community DVD mention global warming, peak oil, environmental
degradation, species depletion, human overpopulation, animal rights and so on, but it is easy
to see how they are natural bedfellows; and perhaps what the Parallel Community may inspire
in movements such as Transition Towns and Optimum Population, or indeed, in the Green
Party and here at the Chalice Well, is a reminder that love and care for each other and for all
the communities that form life on earth is what its all about.
At the time of writing, we understand that a shortened version of the Parallel Community
DVD is being made. Copies of this and the DVD reviewed above are available from the
Chalice Well Shop.
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“Truly Divine”
Light Heart Flower Essences
Weekend Workshop
Part One with Rose Titchiner
30 th - 31 st August 2008 10am – 4.30pm
at the Meeting Room of the Chalice Well Gardens,
Glastonbury, Somerset
Cost: £120 (includes lunch and teas each day)
Drawing on the inspiration of the Light Heart Flower Essences we will
explore the dynamics of self-nurture, integrity, self-worth, relationships, love,
forgiveness, expression and creativity, empowerment and more.
For booking info please contact:
Michelle Macauley Haines tel: 07920 107477
email: michelle.macauley.haines@googlemail.com, www.lightheartessences.co.uk

‘In the Heart of the Well’
2008 Chalice Well Trust Retreats
SHARED PERSPECTIVES – AN INTERFAITH RETREAT
15 th – 18 th September 2008
This will be an opportunity to explore Christian, Buddhist and Hindu contemplative
practices. Invited guest speakers will share their insights. There will be time for refl ection,
dialogue and meditation. This is the fi rst in a series of Chalice Well Trust Interfaith Retreats
intended to highlight the shared perspectives at the heart of all spiritual practice. Our aim is
to foster respect and understanding for all paths of goodwill.
Facilitated by Mary Priest-Cobern and Serena Roney-Dougal with guests.
Cost £345 Residential (including food & accommodation)
LIVING SANCTUARY RETREAT
7 th – 9 th November 2008
Experience the profound peace of the living sanctuary that is Chalice Well and gain
understanding of the vision that has manifested here over the last fi fty years. The weekend
will be spent in meditation both indoors and in the landscape, interspersed with the story
of Chalice Well. We aim to provide an enjoyable mix of refl ection and discourse by setting a
rhythm to the short days at this time of year.
Facilitated by Joanna Laxton, Philomena Houlihan Wood
and Paul Fletcher.
Cost £285 Residential (including food & accommodation)
NEW YEAR SILENT RETREAT
2 nd – 7 th January 2009
A time of silence for inner refl ection and stillness.
Cost £400 Residential (including food & accommodation)
WORKSHOPS
We will be hosting the following teacher at Chalice Well in 2008:
July 18 th – 20 th 2008
A Soul Recognition Residential Workshop with Flo Aveia Magdalena, author of
‘I Remember Union, the Story of Mary Magdalene’ & ‘Sunlight on Water’.
Cost £285 Residential (including food & accommodation)
For More Information and Retreat Brochures,
please email info@chalicewell.org.uk or ring the offi ce on 01458 831154.
17

The Trinity of Holy Thorn Essence
There was a sense of perfect timing when, following weeks of planning, the newly formed
Chalice Well Essence Group finally gathered to create a first essence on Easter Sunday 2007.
Our intent was to work collectively as a group to manifest this essence and allow the making
to be guided by inspiration.
We met at 7.30am. The morning was cold yet it had a stillness and brightness about it. It
was exciting to be there, enabling nature to gift to us and we took ourselves to attune under
the large Holy Thorn tree just above the Vesica Pool. As soon as we went into the garden we
received the full attention of a very vocal male blackbird. He kept flying in and out of the
thorn tree the whole time we were there.
It felt like an auspicious sign and he was
definitely involving himself in the process!
Sitting in silence we inwardly invited the
Spirit of the Well and its attending Deva
to be present. We then each asked which
of the three Holy Thorn trees wished to
be the source of the essence. There are
three Holy Thorn trees in the garden,
all were in full blossom: the largest
aforementioned growing beside the Vesica
Pool, a smaller tree above the Lion’s Head
and a third young sapling in the meadow.
The unexpected answer received was that
it should be made from all three trees. The
spring water was poured into a beautiful
crystal bowl, dedicated for the purpose
and as it swirled it gave off the most intense
light, and an emanation of pure joy.
This was to be an energetic essence.
It did not require that any part of the
tree be either cut or placed upon the
water. Instead, the bowl was placed in the
bough of the tree, cradled perfectly in the
branches as we meditated and wrote down
whatever thoughts came through. This we
did with each of the trees and each had
their individual qualities and presence, yet clearly they related one to the other, and so it was
that the ‘Trinity of Holy Thorn Essence’ was born.
Afterwards, we returned to the first Holy Thorn where we each in turn had a first sample of
the essence. I tasted the sweetness of nectar and experienced an intense feeling of happiness.
We bottled most of it, but were felt drawn to return some to the tree. As I emptied the
remainder onto the bough where we had rested the bowl I received an impression of the tree
feeling a renewed life force. We meditated and gave thanks to all the energies and beings
present.
The essence was tried and tested in the following months and became available for
distribution in the Chalice Well Shop at Easter 2008. In time, the Essence Group hopes to
make more essences as they feel guided to do so by the energies and devas of Chalice Well.
18
The essence rests in the boughs of the Holy Thorn on
the lower lawns.

About the Holy Thorn
The Holy Thorn tree is associated with the legend of Joseph of Arimathea, the uncle of Jesus.
On arriving in Glastonbury, after the crucifixion, Joseph was said to have planted his staff
in the ground of Wearyall Hill where it miraculously took root and blossomed. This tree
(Crataegus Monogyna) is not native to Britain but grows in the Middle East. Its biennial
flowering with white blossoms and red berries at Christmas time and Easter is a source of
wonder to many.
Introducing the Trinity of Holy Thorn Essence
For Calm, Clarity & Heart Support
The essence offers support during times of change and transition, bringing
clarity and a centeredness of being. Created on an Easter morning, the Trinity
of Holy Thorn carries the wisdom of surrender and through its cleansing
and purifying energies assists with the transformation of suffering.
It empowers the healing journey, bringing steadiness, steadfastness and
a gentle encouragement to open the heart. Tenderly, it guides and holds
whilst giving qualities of peace, calm and solace.
The essence acts as a catalyst to connect to the divine spark, revealing
the radiance of the light within the heart and the eternal presence of
oneness.
Available from the Chalice Well Shop, or, shortly, online at www.
chalicewell.org.uk/shop - price £7.95 (plus postage £3.50 UK and £4.25
overseas).
A new Chalice Well Brooch and Pendant
We are pleased to announce the creation of a Chalice
Well Brooch and Pendant by Birmingham Jeweller,
Richard Price. Richard has produced jewellery for
Aspreys and Tiffanys and this design is a faithful
re-creation of the original Chalice Well lid design
with all its intricate details that was made for the
Well in 1919. Measuring 45mm by 35mm, in 925
sterling silver, the pendant is also available inset
with four diamonds from ethical and conflict-free
sources (www.conflictfreediamonds.org). The
silver pendant is priced at £28.00 and £70.00 with
the diamonds and the brooch is £32.00. These can
be ordered from the Chalice Well Shop either by
telephone or email. Postage costs are £2.50 to the
UK and £3.75 to the rest of the world. Cheques
should be made payable to The Chalice Well
Bookshop Ltd. More designs and stone variations
will follow in due course.
19