With its many groves blending into the urban landscape, Glastonbury looks like a forest town. "Free from my responsibilities, I was able to devote myself to my search for spirituality, and so I passed through the three stages of the druidic path, that of the bard, the ovate and finally the druid," said the woman who has since developed a close bond with trees. Billington naturally moved to Glastonbury with her family. With such a strong connection to the plant world, they were trailblazers" - Penny Billington, druidįifteen years ago, when it was time to retire from her career as an English teacher, Ms. "The forest was a place of life and recollection where the Druids practiced meditation and performed ceremonies and celebrations. Officially recognized as a religion in Great Britain since 2010, the close-to-nature spiritual movement is currently experiencing a revival in Europe. It is around this medieval monument that large druidic celebrations take place throughout the year. Michael's Tower is a further source of local mythology. Perched on Tor, a hill overlooking the town, the enigmatic St. Dion Fortune, occultist author and magician, used to call the town the "English Jerusalem." For many people, Glastonbury represents above all Avalon, the mythical island of Celtic tradition where the tomb of the legendary King Arthur is said to rest, not far from the 1000-year-old yew tree. This city in Somerset county is at the crossroads of various religions and spiritualities, from Christianity and paganism, to Druidism and witchcraft. Read more Article réservé à nos abonnés 'Bathing' in the fir trees of the Vosges region, far from the madding crowd Hippies on their way back meander through the small stores of the main street that sell incense, precious stones, fantasy objects and esoteric books. This is Glastonbury, a small town in the southwest of England, famous for its music festival, which attracts huge audiences every year. The wacky scene made the English druid Penny Billington smile: "Ah yes, dozing off in the trees is not uncommon here! A lot of us share a very carnal relationship with the nature around us." Details of a Yew tree ('if' in French), an important tree for Druidism, in the park of Glastonbury Abbey, June 9 VASSILI FEODOROFF POUR « LE MONDE » Moments later, a man emerged from the cavity of the giant conifer, looking sleepy. As we got closer, we were startled by a thud emanating from the tree. Its branches look like multiple twisted arms, as if ready scoop up the first passer-by. Majestic and imposing, this one has a trunk so thick that a gaping hole divides it from top to bottom. Sacred to the Celts, the yew is now a protected species in Great Britain. Near an old English abbey in ruins, a yew tree has stood the test of time, for over a thousand years. In the southwest of England, the druid Penny Billington is fighting to keep Celtic tree traditions alive. Glastonbury, the British town where druids commune with trees By Anne-Lise Carlo Published on August 7, 2022, at 5:00 pm (Paris), updated on August 7, 2022, at 5:00 pmįeature'The Heralds of the Forests' (4/6).
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