Ireland - November 2021 (5)

 

   I sat in the blessing of that morning in Bray and discovered that the cellphone store opened at 10. I did some work on my computer until we could drive over to the Three store, where I acquired my sim card and got my unbridled internet access (barring the nooks and crannies we found with no service high up in the hills or out in the boonies), meaning access to maps! And the ability to call people and places around the country, which came in handy many times. 

    The sim card cost €20, with the ability to top up (fill it back up) and is really the best option for people traveling and wanting wifi access outside of hotspot areas. With all the ground we were covering, I knew it was the only option for me. There was no way I wanted to pay international roaming and keep my US number while I was there. On the down side, anyone who texted or tried to get a hold of me on my US number while the Ireland sim card was in my phone had no way of leaving me a message. I'll have to look into using a forwarding message for my US number or something next time. Apologies to anyone who never heard back from a text during that time!

    With my newly functional cellphone, the first place I programmed into maps was the ancient monastic ruin of Glendalough, though I could've gotten there without it. Glendalough is a place that has always pulled at me, even from the first time I heard about it well before I ever came to Ireland. It is already populated with profound stories from my life, and now being the beginning place of the journeys, will undoubtedly gain many more.

    It was around 10:45 a.m. when we pulled up and walked onto the settlement ruins. I had an appointment at 11:30 at a nearby Hermitage Center, but wanted to reintroduce myself to the land before the appointment. Walking around the monastic settlement, I became aware of how good it felt to be back there. Familiar sites and lovely memories with friends and family are connected there for me, as well as a more ancient feeling of connection that will forever draw me back.

    After a short walk around the grounds, I realized I needed to stop by the Upper Lake first, as well. The Upper lake parking lot wasn’t busy when we arrived, and after accidently cutting off the vehicle that should have been in line in front of us, we payed for their admission into the car park, and made friends with the extremely pleasant young man tasked with watching the gate and having a card machine ready for all those who did not have a two euro coin to pay the gate. He was so kind, no matter the countless times we saw him run over from the little concession shop to assist someone at the gate who had gotten out of their car, wondering how they’ll get in without a coin. He told us we’d be welcomed back in without having to pay twice when I mentioned we had an appointment to run to, and he remembered us when we returned. My brother and I were both grateful to have been there on a day he was present.

    When we parked, I made a short trip to the lake, touching the sacred ground and waters. I had a moment to sit facing the sun, letting the light and the energy and the warmth of the place soak into me. The air hummed around me and I sat within a space separated from the physical world for a matter of moments, connecting. It was a deeply moving experience to allow everything of the past 48 hours to drift away and be completely present in these sacred energies. I knew it was aligning me for the entirety of the journey, and can still feel its resonance today. I sat in gratitude and peace, then thanking the worlds around me, got up and made my way back to the car to honor my appointment.

    My appointment was at the Glendalough Hermitage Center, to meet with Peggy, a wonderful caretaker and overseer of the space. She welcomed me in and showed me around the small hermitage center, complete with reading room, kitchen, and a gorgeous prayer room whose window seemed to welcome nature and the trees right into the room. We agreed that this may not be the correct place for what I was looking to do, because the spaces here, and single cottages behind, are more geared for the solo seeker to have a sacred place to be. She luckily did direct me to another place down the road, called the Tearmann Spiritual Center, however I was unable to reach someone that day to see it in person. 

    The main reason I had contacted Peggy at the Hermitage was not for accommodation, though. It was to see the labyrinth I heard was there. She told me, yes, there is a labyrinth next to the church right in back of the Hermitage, and I was told our groups would be welcomed to use it while we were there, and to just contact the church to let them know when we’d be stopping by. I thanked Peggy and left her at the Center to hike up a short path to the church and saw the low hedge labyrinth. My brother joined me and we marveled at the beauty of the area. Going within myself, I quietly walked the labyrinth's turning path, opening up this journey of discovery and beginning of the creation of the tours I hope to provide. In profound gratitude for the experience I was having and the experiences I was calling into form, I completed the labyrinth with a sense of stirring within my innerself. An awakening of something that had been patiently laying dormant, waiting for my awareness, attention and curation. It felt like welcoming home a dear old friend, while simultaneously meeting someone new who charges you with the electricity of possibility. I was charged with the energy of this land, and the intention of my purpose here. And although I hadn't slept in more than 24 hours, I felt alive.