The portal is barred
Unknown adventures await
Beyond the threshold
The 13th century door of St Michael and All Angels Church, Horsenden, England. We had tried to get into the church before but had always found it locked. What we didn’t know on this occasion was that there was another door in use, so hearing voices, we had tried the handle of the main doorway in the porch. It is not used for visitors, being so old… but it was opened for us to enter, which seemed symbolic of everything we were doing on our adventures at that time. A rare privilege.
“…This is not how we started out by any means but we now assess the outside of each church like medics examining a patient. Even so… even though we already know, or at least strongly suspect, that there will be energy disruption inside… the door is still a threshold, fraught with tension…
A threshold which may, or may not, yield…unimagined spiritual treasures or the forbidden potentialities of dream.”
“As we approach the South door, I can hardly contain my excitement and take the lead. I can hear voices within… there is some sort of tour going on in there.
“…and to your right we have the South door which is the oldest working church door in Buckinghamshire…” I twist the door handle and lean into the door fully expecting it to open onto the interior of the church which it does not. “…since 1211…hold on a moment there… the door is barred. I’ll just open it for you.”
There is a heavy thud from the inside of the church and then a scraping sound and slowly the door creaks open to reveal the aged but very friendly face of the tour guide…
“…the door was barred, I’ve just unbarred the door for you,” he smiles and then nods somewhat knowingly and resumes the narrative of his tour, “Further to your left…”
I cast a cursory glance at his charges, three elderly looking tourists, two male and one female who are doing their best to affect an air of nonchalant acceptance of our unscripted entry. I glance too at Wen who has skipped into the church and whose mirth appears palpable.
Suppressing my own mirth and sense of triumphalism at gaining entry to the church I head for a most impressive stained glass window depicting our old friend George with his Dragon and Damsel and… I am instantly transported…”
Extracts from The Initiate, Sue Vincent & Stuart France
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
That’s a door and half, at least!
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It was a very special moment when the bar was drawn back 🙂
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How cool is that! Stepping through time 🙂
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That’s exactly what it felt like 🙂
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What an entrance! The door and yours!
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The door was quite something, the moment very special 🙂
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Wow!
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🙂
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I imagine that you could in a sense get transported in such a place. I have a tough time looking at beautiful ancient things with other people around, they get impatient. “Friends or family are like comon, hurry up,” and I’m like, “shush, be vewy,vewy qwiet, I’m hunting wormholes.” And I’m not speaking of the kind made by squishy tubular insects but the quantamy, hyper-dimensionish kind. They sometimes like to hide in the corners of ye olde things and wait to share secrets with us. Things that don’t always fit with what most people are told. I bet you would be very good at finding quantumy thingies.
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Funnily enough, we know exactly what you mean, Leeby… and once inside this church, odd things occurred… all in the book 😉 We do seem to stumble into some odd places, times and stories.
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Can’t wait to read it! I’m halfway through a novel but dammit, can’t hold off any longer. I’ve generally got half a dozen books going at any given time, so one more wouldn’t hurt!
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I know that feeling 😉
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However often when I do get that inspiration to pick up a certain one of my books at a certain time, usually has a very clear sychronistic message for me.
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Those kind of promptings should always be listened to, there are some real gifts to be found that way.
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That second one is amazing! Thanks for playing this week 🙂
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It’s the same door from the inside… where you see its true nature, Norm. I’d play along nore often…I have oodles of doors… I just forget what day we’re on 🙂
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love the arches!
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The whole church is well worth a visit.
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Amazing old doors, how wonderful that you got to see inside.
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We were as excited as children at Christmas when we finally got in there, Jean 🙂
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