In North Yorkshire within the ancient Ure-Swale plateau lies
a plethora of Neolithic monuments consisting mainly of Earthworks.
The most magnificent by far are the three huge henges at Thornborough
and the Gritstone megaliths of the Devils Arrows. Needless to
say a visit to these ancient sites of the Goddess Ure is indeed
worthwhile.
These sites have been visited by myself along with two other
Priestesses, Sarah and Bobby on two occasions. The first was
occasion was in Summer 2004 and it was then I began to remember
the Goddess as Ure. The next visit was in December 2004. Here
are the notes from these trips.
The Story
of Our Visit
The Devils Arrows are gritstone megaliths standing on the outskirts
of the town of Boroughbridge in North Yorkshire. Three stones
remain of an original five. They are weathered and the tops
riddled with arrow like vertical ridges giving them their name.
We began our visit in the company of the one stone by the road
side, sitting with our backs against the rock, feeling the energy
and power of these sleeping beasts. I immediately became aware
of the natural life around me and the hum of the A1 a stonesthrown
away faded. Rabbits and birds busied themselves, the horses
in their stables whinnied and I heard the angry snarl of dogs
guarding a nearby territory. With this I was reminded of Annubis
and cloaked myself in protection against energies hungry for
human contact. The stones brought to me visions of an ancient
time when they were placed there under instruction from Priestesses
and Priests of old as markers for celestial events. These were
tribal people with a natural intrinsic connection to the Divine
Heavens. It was all part of the calendar they said, marking
the gateways to the stars and the heavens. Portals for communion
with the ansestors and travel to the unseen places. I asked
what they meant and who they were and She answered, "I
am She, I am Ure, I am their Goddess".
Later that day we found ourselves at the Thornborough Henges
and a trance like energy came over me. I stood in the middle
henge with Sarah at the opposite end and drew down the energy
of the Starry Mother, the Shekinah. Ure stirred and with creaking
bones and back bent from years of sleep she came to us and taught
us her chants of old. She came to us from deep in the belly
of the Earth Mother and taught us that this was her place to
manifest into the physical. She told us that the name of the
Old ones of this place had been forgotten and so showed me Benu
Osiris, and taught me how this site was linked to the Orion
constellation. She told me of times when she was worshiped and
venerated here and that her sanctuary was slowly washing away.
She taught us what to do in order to protect the sanctuary and
to come more to this land and quicken her again.
We both felt a desire to visit the River named in honor of the
Goddess, the River Ure, and so we found ourselves near Ripon
swimming in the deep brown peaty waters of Her. It was the river
who made the valley and gave fertility to the land, it was her
blood and her emotions and it was not clear water in which we
swam. We poured all our laughter and love into that swim and
saw that the river like us played as it flowed. A group of local
boys were also swimming, young men of between 11 and 15, so
at ease with their youth and full of vitality (as well as cheek!)
Their energy reminded us of the new age, the new generation
born free from some of the mental bondage of our own generation.
Ure stood and watched us, She remembered community and the place
She had in our hearts and saw that that was returning, and She
smiled and She left us with a Rose bud for our new blossoms.
