With little regard for the grey skies and persistent rain, a very Heart-centred gathering took place at Avebury on Saturday to celebrate the Spring Equinox.  

Adrian Mieras held the space and led a gentle meditation in the Sun Circle, setting the group intention for World peace.

The focus of this intent was held around a huge, impressive Shiva Lingham stone that Adrian holds for the project Peace Across The Planet.

Shiva Lingham stones have an ancient role in sacred ceremony in the temples of India, and were traditionally gathered by monks from the bed of the Narmada River who would prepare them with wax or oil before giving them pride of place within the temple. 

Peace Across the Planet has placed a number of large Shiva Lingham stones with caretakers across the Globe who will hold sacred ceremonies to anchor a shared intent for Peace.

The powerful moment of Equinox at 5.32pm brought a sense of stillness and connectedness to the circle at Avebury and it seemed appropriate that the intense Divine Feminine vortex of the Henge was enhanced by the balancing masculine energy of the large Shiva Lingham.

After a short break, there was an evening of meditation and sound healing offered by a number of ‘Gong Masters’ who had brought together an impressive set of Paiste Planet Gongs. Each performance stilled the occupants of the room into a profound state of inner peace, evocative of a breathtaking personal journey through the Solar system.

Experiencing the gong is both intense and emotional, as it seems to penetrate every atom of the body and activate the human energy system in an all-encompassing way.

A trance-like, meditative state is very easily achieved with the gong and any sense of time and place is almost immediately suspended. This feeling of complete interconnectedness with the Universe reminds us that we are indeed an aspect of Creator and that there is a gateway within each of us to the infinite space and limitlessness mirrored in the stars, if we choose to find it. It is from this space that we can draw down pure Light from Source to assist with our Spiritual journey in this human incarnation.

The presence of the mysterious Spirit Orbs apparent in the photographs taken at this amazing Spring Equinox gathering is no real surprise, given the immense Spiritual energy at Avebury coupled with the resonance created by the gongs and the simple presence of so many Light and Energy aware people in one place with an aligned purpose.

Lets welcome the next quarter of this already eventful year with positive anticipation and embrace the changes that flow with the gift of the Spring Equinox – the creative energy of awakening.

Rhian Gibbings

With increasing awareness among pregnant women that natural birth without medical interference is better for mother and baby while intervention rates are high and caesarean remains an option in the spirit of informed choice, it’s not surprising that many women look back on their past experiences of birth and shudder.

Many women will recall their hospital photos with dismay, clearly recognising the shock and detachment in their own face, or realising they hardly feature in their baby albums because they felt so traumatised at the time, and the last thing they wanted to do was pose for the camera.

For some, the painful memories dissolve almost as soon as their baby is placed into their arms but many mothers are troubled by flashbacks of a traumatic birth, and the experience shapes their attitudes to breastfeeding, intimacy, the trust of others and even their relationship with their child. The women who fare worst are perhaps those who have been the most passionate about their role as a mother, determined to live up to the expectations they have set themselves to birth their child naturally and instinctively. 

Although the body heals with time, the shock delivered by the emotional trauma tends to remain deep rooted and the pain sits right at the core of the feminine centre, disempowering women and feeding negative concepts like low self esteem, a lack of self belief and fear of failure.

Experienced energy healers would usually agree that memories of a traumatic birth will be stored in the very cells of a woman’s body, constantly impairing the flow of their feminine life-force. If not released, the problem could eventually manifest as physical illness, most likely in the reproductive system, which is related to the Sacral Chakra. This will compound the ongoing energetic and emotional issues, leaving mothers with feelings of sadness, inadequacy and loss that are hard to ignore.

When difficult memories surface the use of self help techniques, such as formulating positive affirmations, can be handy. Admitting to a trusted friend or partner that there’s a problem is sometimes the first step in acknowledging that help is needed.

Hypnosis can be useful in releasing any past trauma, and an experienced Hypnotherapist can gently regress the woman to the circumstances of the difficult experience so that they can revise their attitudes towards the memories when they surface. There are other kinds of ‘journeying’ therapies that can also help, whereby the woman is guided into a trance-like state so that negative outcomes can literally be transformed into positive ones through accessing the unconscious mind.

Reiki and Seichem practitioners or those who use crystals to promote energetic balance find that a relaxed state is easily achieved during healing sessions. They might guide the woman through a gentle meditation while allowing the energy healing to catalyse a much needed vibrational shift. Crystals like Moonstone, Apache Tears or Jade might be selected to help heal the trauma of a difficult birth while Garnet, Carnelian or Red Coral might be chosen to help strengthen and re-energise the feminine centre.

If you’re the thoughtful type, it might seem interesting that through negative past experiences of birth, many women have the chance to understand the depths of despair that accompany the ‘feminine wound’ before they tread the path of re-empowerment. For those who choose to question why life has thrown this particular challenge in their face, maybe the answer is that they’ve been given the opportunity to re-birth themselves as part of the process.

Be honest, it’s hard to deny that our children offer us a huge opportunity for personal growth and change as they are catapulted into this world, whether it’s by fair means or foul. And in the end, the fact that we’ve chosen to grow through the tough life lesson of a traumatic birth becomes immaterial – to be granted a ticket to travel through the Divine Feminine Void and emerge reborn with self esteem, feminine courage and pride in the simple fact of one’s existence is a priceless gift indeed.

Rhian Gibbings

On International Women’s Day, the annual occasion designed to highlight the economical, social and political achievements of women past, present and future, the media has been quick to remind us of the extreme highs and lows experienced by women across the globe.

But while the WAGs and glossy celebrities from the world of entertainment never lack media attention and there are always worthy campaigns to address inequalities, discrimination and abuse that deserve all the publicity they can get, I didn’t need to look too far today to find examples of truly incredible women who have overcome adversity, risen to the challenge and proven themselves as completely inspirational – just by finding their way through the ups and downs of ‘normal’ life.

One of my loveliest friends is single-handedly raising an autistic child, having strived for the right diagnosis, battled for schooling that meets his needs and maintained her sanity through the breakdown of her relationship. During this time she’s continued to run her own business and supported a sick relative, yet whenever we meet she glows with a beautiful smile and remains unquestionably motivated and driven to carry on.

I’ll never cease to admire another fantastic woman I’ve known since 2001. Despite facing some incredibly tough health issues and being the unfortunate victim of workplace bullying several times in the last few years, she’s always been there for me when I’ve needed someone to talk to, effortlessly putting her own worries aside. In her working life, a commitment to helping vulnerable people has pulled her through. She does a tough job with a challenging client group, and she never loses the motivation to be there for those who need her the most. This woman has no idea how much she’s admired, and I, for one, honour her for the times when she’s been there with her listening ear and unfaltering support. Respect is due.

There’s also a third beautiful lady I have to tip my hat to today. Having lost nearly everything of any material or emotional value in a drawn out, traumatic divorce from an adulterous husband, her self-esteem journey has been almost tortuous, and it’s been one step forward, two steps back. Yet this lady oozes unconditional love for her friends and family, and she’s one of the most generous people I’ve ever met.

Looking around at my female friends, I could easily write a paragraph about each and every one as testimony to what fabulous, incredible, strong, beautiful women they are. What amazes me, though, is that not one of them fully realises it. Perhaps acknowledging that unique inner Light we women have is something we all need to do a bit more of, though, because it’s what really sets the ‘Feminine’ aside as ‘Divine’ – our ability to find the depths to continue to strive, to continue to love and to continue to reach out to the world without even questioning it.

So here’s to all ‘my girls’ on this special day, and here’s my final thought – we don’t need a special occasion to acknowledge what we’ve achieved; we’re doing a brilliant job every day just being US – together we mirror the infinite faces of the Goddess, and yes, we are all things to all men… We women are fabulous, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

 Rhian Gibbings