Level IV of Celtic Earth Magic was shared under the magnificent beneficent gaze of Mount Fuji.
The weather was glorious, and unlike last year, when he showed himself mysteriously and intermittently through the clouds, he positively glowed in the sunlight.
The meals in the retreat hotel were delicious – lots of small dishes, and a pescatarian’s dream for me! The veggie meals were scrumptious too.
When the mountain erupted a thousand years ago the lava destroyed the forest around the area. The trees burned away, and what is left are huge caves and tunnels, where one can still see the shape of the tree bark in the walls. One of these caves is sacred to a princess who it is said, became pregnant after going deep into the womb of the Earth. It’s a bit hard going to enter these tunnels, but well worth the effort.
The weekend finished with the students giving readings using the powerful tree symbols of the Celtic Ogham. They created their own Ogham runes from branches of Japanese cherry.