Category Archives: symbolism

The Temple Church II: Talking heads…

Posted on November 14, 2018 by

It is difficult to say what you see first when you step inside the church built by the Knights Templar in the middle of London, over eight hundred years ago. What you notice first, though, is a complete disparity in … Continue reading →

Posted in albion, alchemy, Churches, Spirituality, Stuart France and Sue Vincent, symbolism, Templars, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Heart to heart…

Posted on November 6, 2018 by

“I don’t get it,” said my son. “We’re an island… how can we be short of water?” I had been telling him about the shocking state of the Derwent Valley reservoirs. I have seen them very low before, but never … Continue reading →

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The Marsh King’s Daughter… Stuart France

Posted on November 5, 2018 by

‘…Hi-ho the Carrion Crow, Fol-de-rol-de riddle…’ * Although the second longest of Anderson’s Fairy Tales, The Marsh King’s Daughter is relatively little known and perhaps, even, considered to be one of his ‘lesser’ tales. It is a huge, sprawling epic … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, symbolism | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Living in edit mode

Posted on November 1, 2018 by

There are piles of books on the table as usual… some of them with my name on the cover, which still feels rather odd.  The running joke in the family is that they look like ‘proper books’. Which, of course, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, symbolism, writing | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Missing the mark

Posted on October 21, 2018 by

A new footpath has been installed close to the village, running for a few miles through the silent, empty fields. One of its entrances gives onto the road I travel every day and I have watched with mild curiosity as … Continue reading →

Posted in Photography, Spirituality, symbolism, The Silent Eye | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

North-easterly: Sunday best…

Posted on October 20, 2018 by

We were right about the church; St Mary’s, Sledmere, was well worth a look, though not for our usual reasons. We normally visit the older places of worship by choice, seeking within their hallowed walls the stories and symbolism that … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, albion, Churches, france and vincent, History, Photography, Stuart France and Sue Vincent, symbolism | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

North-easterly: Sidetracked again

Posted on October 8, 2018 by

It doesn’t matter where we go, the habit of rising early for work seems to follow us, so it was no surprise that on the Saturday morning of our recent trip north, we were up and out a long time … Continue reading →

Posted in albion, Churches, Photography, Sacred sites, Stuart France and Sue Vincent, symbolism | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

North-easterly V: Layers

Posted on September 30, 2018 by

A short walk along the coast from Craster is another of the most iconic sights on the Northumbrian shore…Dunstanburgh. The castle has inspired artists and poets over the centuries; Turner and Girtin both painted the ruins, and so did I, … Continue reading →

Posted in Spirituality, symbolism, The Silent Eye | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A Thousand Miles of History XXXIX: The balance of power…

Posted on September 10, 2018 by

The church in St Cleer may be dedicated to St Clarus, the missionary saint who fled to France to escape the importunate advances of an amorous noblewoman, but at first glance, that seemed to be one of the few nods … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, albion, Books, Churches, Don and Wen, dragons, Goddess, historic sites, Photography, Stuart France and Sue Vincent, symbolism, travel | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

A Thousand Miles of History XXXVIII: Toeing the line

Posted on September 8, 2018 by

One of our main aims in taking the Cornwall trip, quite apart from the sheer beauty of the place and the fact that it is strewn with more ancient and sacred places than you could visit in a lifetime, had … Continue reading →

Posted in adventure, albion, Ancient sites, Books, Churches, Don and Wen, History, Photography, Stuart France and Sue Vincent, symbolism | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments