Solstice - The Goddess Awakens

‘Fairies?’ snorted Lola, as her emerald eyes tried to catch the tiny dots of light that flitted around the hawthorn tree. But Daithi and Aibgrene didn’t share her humour, as they left her alone to go and join the rest of the group. The wedding guests were beginning to settle down around the large bonfire, the Lughnasadh celebrations were underway.

‘You’re not having another one of your episodes. Are you, Lola?’ said Sean as he stood beside her looking towards the tree with a large grin on his face. ‘What’s so interesting over there?’

Lola looked at him as though it was obvious what she was looking at.

‘Can’t you see the light?’ enquired Lola hopefully, until she realised how crazy she must be sounding, immediately changing the subject. ‘Oh, it’s nothing, must be the light from the fire catching the crystals on the tree. Are you heading over to the bonfire then?’

Walking towards the rest of the group, Sean fell into step beside her. Lola realised he was tall, but standing beside him she was able to get a true sense of his dimensions as he towered above her. He was very good looking and spoke with a soft southern Irish accent. Sean looked familiar, but Lola couldn’t quite place his face, she was sure she had seen him somewhere before, but that had been happening quite a bit since she arrived at Tara.

‘I never really got the chance to say thank you, Sean, for looking after me, so thanks.’

‘Don’t be silly, Lola; I love all that damsel in distress stuff. I’m glad you’re okay. You really scared me up there. You look a lot better today mind you.’

‘I feel a lot better an’ all. It’s been a great day, they make a perfect couple, don’t they?’

Lola and Sean looked over to where Daithi sat with Aibgrene in his arms. Sitting down across from them on a large log, Aibgrene caught Lola’s eye and, nodding towards Sean, gave her a knowing wink. Lola laughed off the implication. The small group that had gathered around the fire sat talking quietly until the priest stood to address them.

’Today some of you have been joined in marriage, and others have come to celebrate this joyous occasion. As always, Lughnasadh is a very important day in our calendar and we have gathered here around this eternal flame to continue a tradition that is as old as the hill we sit on. For generations our kind has kept our oral traditions alive through stories passed from family to family, from generation to generation, over millennia.

‘Tonight our bard is no other than Sean O’Neill, an international rugby player by day, and esteemed orator by night. If you would all put your hands together for Sean.’

Standing to receive his raucous applause, Sean was quite embarrassed, and quickly sat back down again.

‘Aren’t you a dark horse,’ teased Lola, who recognised him now.

She had seen him on television a few weeks ago playing rugby for Ireland, he had scored the winning try. According to the pundits he was the next big thing. Had it been football then she would have recognised him immediately, but rugby was never her thing. The hum of the crowd quietened down and the only sound now was the crackling of the fire, its flames lighting the faces that sat around it waiting eagerly for Sean to begin.

‘Some say they came from the sea in the west, others believe they descended in the high air from the north. However they arrived here in the mystical Boyne Valley, one thing is for sure, the Tuatha Dé Danann, or the People of the Goddess Danu were the most advanced race ever to come to Ireland. With them they brought four extremely powerful and magickal items from their homeland. From the city of Falies in the north, they brought the Lia Fail or the Stone of Destiny, which still sits at Teamhair to this day. This ancient stone holds such powerful energy and magick that only a true descendant of the Dé Danann can activate and control it. For millennia the high kings and queens of Ireland stood upon it waiting for its mighty roar to confirm them as the next rightful ruler.’

Lola’s mind was racing now, she could see that Aibgrene had been looking at her, perhaps for some sort of reaction or eureka moment. The stone had spoken to her, of that she was sure, but surely this didn’t mean that she was a descendant of some mystical race from the annals of Irish mythology. She had heard all the stories about the Dé Danann from Arthur, but she had always believed that it was folklore and nothing more. Lola listened intently as Sean continued, his voice growing more animated as he spoke.

’From the city of Gorias in the south, they brought with them the Sword of Virtue, which legend has it was passed down from the Good God Dagda, to his daughter Brigid, the Goddess of fire and healing. It is said that when battling the forces of darkness Brigid used her magick to ignite the sword with a silver flame, protecting all those around her. From the east and the city of Fiats came the Spear of Victory, a spear so powerful that no one could defeat it.

’Wars have been fought over its possession and when the Dé Danann was finally forced to retreat to Tir Na nOg it was because they had lost the Spear of Victory to the shadow masters of fear and deceit. Masters that are still at large today. Now, more than ever. They have been in possession of this object for the last two millennia.

‘Some believe that it was the very same sword that pierced the side of Christ himself and later fell into the hands of Napoleon and Hitler. The final object, and possibly the most important, is the Cauldron from Muitas in the west. The Cauldron of plenty was the Dagda’s greatest gift to his people. A source of eternal sustenance and life, no party ever left feeling hungry again. As we all know the Cauldron represented true alchemy, the transformation of the spirit back to its natural state of pure light and divinity. The legend of the Tuatha Dé Danann tells us that they will once again return to Ireland and this realm and, like the true Aquarians they are, they will usher in a new dawn for mankind.’

Sean fell silent for a moment, gazing into the orange and yellow flames that were dancing and swaying in the cool night air. Lola followed his gaze towards the bright fire that crackled and shifted, completely immersed in his every word. She had been struggling to make a connection between the Dé Danann and Arthur, to connect the dots, and yet this ancient site had yielded more questions than answers. Sean moved to his feet and gestured towards the druid who sat perched on a log at the opposite side of the pyre from her. Lola hadn’t noticed him until then as the old man had traded his ritual robe for an inconspicuous pair of brown corduroy trousers and a cream aran sweater. His moses sandals were quite worn and his grey wiry hair was windblown and dishevelled. He had the distinct look of someone who lived by the sea. Lola guessed he was in his late sixties and despite his weathered and unkempt appearance she could see the knowledge and wisdom housed in every laughter line and wrinkle. Using the light from the growing fire Lola traced her eyes along the man’s violet aura. She had never seen one like that before, it was so strong. With surprising agility, he jumped to his feet, giving Sean a gentle nod before he began to introduce himself. His textured voice was a soft and raspy hum that seemed to flow in rhythm with the dancing flames.

’Thank you, Sean! For those that do not know me I am Darragh Blaney and I’m from the West Country. I come from the Isle of Innis Mor, but have been living here at Teamhair for many years. In that time I’ve seen the fear machine and its mechanisms at work, played out on an international and local level. I know that opinion is divided on the times we are living in but we need to wake up.

’Some believe that the return of the Tuatha Dé Danann is only a child’s story, a myth. But there are those amongst us that know that this time is very near. The signs are everywhere – if you know where to look. In the past ten years there has been a significant shift and increase in the intensity of this battle that is being waged by this sinister group. Their aim is to keep each of us in spiritual bondage.

’Some believe that this concept of an elitist agenda behind our wars, violence and lack in this world is but a conspiracy theory, concocted by some crazy old man like myself. But the truth is, they do exist and they are not just interested in power, they want our souls. They know the universal laws, they know our true divinity and they know what we are capable of, and this is what terrifies them. Because if we too realised this, our world would be transformed in the blink of an eye, and their power and control would be extinguished, forever.

’They can’t allow this to happen, so they create and fund war, which in turn creates death and hate, and while we are busy hating and killing each other we are blind to the divinity that resides in each and every living thing on this planet. The light-workers have returned to our plane, and some sit here amongst us tonight. You might not yet know your true purpose, but in the coming days, months and years you will.

’There are more and more light-workers awakening from their slumber. They are aware that the time has come to stand up and help humanity accept and acknowledge her true nature – which is that of light and love. But in this dark night, we have much to do before the dawn of the new epoch can begin.

’These forces will stop at nothing to get what they want. They hide behind politics and the highest offices in the land. They hide behind big business, the law and organised religion. We only have to look beyond this hill to see their dark scar. How they have forced a motorway through our sacred lands here. We can switch on the television any time, day or night. Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan – even our own island has been ravaged by thirty years of neighbour against neighbour.

‘Fear and greed breed hate, which in turn spawns violence and war. It’s no co-incidence that it’s raging at one of the most powerful energy lay-lines on the planet. By creating fear and hate, by slaughtering innocents, by waging war at such a powerful site, this resonates throughout the world, and we can see evidence of this everywhere. All of the world’s conflict is controlled by a relatively small number of people – known to us as the Hell Fire Club.’