Magical Isles ~ Sacred Seas

We have the opportunity to attend services and take a tour of the Rosslyn Chapel. “Dedicated in 1450 as the Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew, Sir William St. Clair founded the chapel for his family… Collegiate chapels like this were intended to pray for the soul of the founder and to spread intellectual and spiritual knowledge.”

rosslynchapel.com

It remains the place of worship for the St. Clair Family and while it is closed to the visiting public during Sunday services, we can join to enjoy the remarkable energies while meditating with the people of the area. Many of you know that both Jesus and Mary often appear to me during Dancing Hands sessions when the session or circle merits it, so while I don’t preach on these tours, (I am for all beliefs), this is my beloved lineage.

The Rosslyn Chapel is filled with historically and artistically spectacular religious art, as well as many mysterious carvings (which took over 40 years to complete) and codes including the 13 fascinating cymatics.

Many carvings harken to Gaia and the pagan roots of Scotland. Other carvings may invite reflection on our current connection with the worlds above, below, and within. There are over 100 carvings of the Green Man alone. Some believe that the Holy Grail is hidden here, also the ark of the covenant and bits of the true cross upon which Jesus the Christ was crucified, too, as many believe the Knights of the Templar had fled to Scotland with great treasure of gold, silver, jewels, great secrets, and significant religious relics. It may help explain the carvings of maize and aloe – botany not discovered in the New World for 400 years after the completion of the chapel? Perhaps? The village of Roslin, where the chapel sits, is considered to be a “thin place,” where the line between the worlds is gentled. Lynda shared that the peace within the lower space is astonishing, so we shall hopefully experience this together. And yes, it was the setting of the Da Vinci Code movie (2003) and I’ll share more about that when we are together.

On the architrave joining the Apprentice Pillar there is an inscription:

“Forte est vinum fortiori est rex fortiores sunt mulieres super omnia vincit veritas:
Wine is strong, a king is stronger, women are stronger still, but truth conquers all.”
(1 Esdras, chapters 3 & 4)

Important Note from Jane:

On the Dancing Hands tours, when traveling outside of mainland USA, I am led to honor the land through which we travel and the longstanding spiritual traditions of the local people as we did in Hawai’i with our Kahu, in Tonga with the priest, and in Peru with the qero. I start by praying and asking permission to join together with local folk in prayer for peace (dancing or otherwise), and give thanks as I am invited by a spiritual elder. I welcome you to join me here. This is one day on our trip I may suggest nicer attire.

• 8:00 AM Breakfast to begin our day.
• 9:45 AM Meet Lynda Low, our beloved Scottish guide on this adventure, in the lobby.
• 9:30 AM. Be in the van ready to go – church service in 15th century Rosslyn Chapel.
• 10:30 AM Church Service
• 11:30 AM Walkabout and stretch to Rosslyn Castle ruins and gardens
• 12:00 PM lite picnic (weather permitting)
• 12:30 PM Private tour of Rosslyn Chapel
• 1:30 PM return to the van and off to lunch break together
•  3:35 PM leave for Real Mary’s Close
•  4:00 PM arrive at Real Mary’s Close
•  4:14 PM Real Mary’s Close Tour – Here we also journey back in time through the stories and underground Edinburgh along the famous Royal Mile, Edinburgh’s only preserved 17th century street following the footsteps of former residents.
• 5:30 PM free explore or power nap
• 6:30 PM meet for lite dinner
• 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM JDH Welcome Quanta Circle -our first Jane’s Dancing Hands Circle

  **This is a normal pace for this JDH tour. I leave this here all to see how we roll – some days more, some, less depending on where we are, the weather, the group, and Source’s direction, but I will only share the lodging & timetables for each day, as well as the deeper research with those signed up for our Sacred Scotland group from here on out.

  The continuation of our itinerary is woven between Jane and Lynda. See if you can tell who is writing what and know more will be revealed as we get closer to our journey:

Leaving the Auld Reekie (Edinburgh) behind for now we are off for mid-morning munchies at Pillars of Hercules, our favorite organic farm shop and cafe. Need natural products or especially healthy groceries for the week? Pack a reusable shopping bag – this place is country nirvana. Next, a drive through the Cairngorms and a quick stop in Glen Coe as we make our way to the northwest coast of Scotland. We’ll pop into Eilean Donan Castle, perched on the point where three sea lochs meet, and delve into its history before crossing the bridge to the Isle of Skye, where we will stay for the next three nights.

JDH Circle(s) TBD

A day to truly awaken all your senses and connect with the sacred islands of Scotland. Listen for the whispering of the elementals, smell, and feel the purity of nature and DANCE, DANCE, DANCE with the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock and its thunderous waterfall, the Trotternish region, and the Fairy Glen of Uig.

In the Trotternish region, we will see Flora Macdonald’s grave. She was famous for her part in the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie over the sea to Skye following his defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Her role in helping the Bonnie Prince is remembered in The Skye Boat Song.

“Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing.

Onward, the sailors cry!

Carry the lad that’s born to be King

Over the sea to Skye.

Though the waves leap, soft shall ye sleep,

Ocean’s a royal bed.

Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep

Watch by your weary head.” (The Skye Boat Song)

Folklore is dependent on stories, customs, and songs being passed on through families and friends, eternally. Stories of water spirits, fairies, ghosts, prophecies, and healing stones are still whispered here alongside tales of many legendary characters.

Throughout our tour in Scotland, but here, too, we are all invited to chat up the locals, listen to the words of the folksingers, search maps for fairy hills and knolls, visit the region’s ancient rocky landscape, old gravestones, and castles and seek out sites, and keep open for spontaneous adventure. We are fluid as we go.

JDH Circle as suggested TBD.

You will sleep well tonight as you’re always guaranteed a gid nichts sleep after a day in the hills.

On our second day exploring the Isle of Skye, we will visit Dunvegan Castle, Giant Macaskill Museum, and the picturesque lighthouse at Neist Point before circling back to Portree.

On our final day on the Isle of Skye, we will visit the Fairy Pools and their mesmerising whorls and eddies before we travel back to the Auld Reekie (Edinburgh). We will have a final dinner with the lovely Lynda and rest for our flight to Ireland the following morning.

After a quick coffee & tea, we will head to the airport for breakfast and a short flight to Dublin, Ireland. Arriving at midday will leave us plenty of time to check into our accommodation and visit Brú na Bóinne and the Hill of Tara.

For our first full day in Ireland, participants will have the option to join a morning yoga practice to help stretch out any travel-weary limbs. We will spend the day visiting the Loughcrew Cairns and a nearby Dolmen, or a portal tomb, from Neolithic times. In the evening, we will adorn ourselves in goddess garb and mystical finery for a traditional Beltaine Fire Ceremony atop the hill at Uisneach. This ceremony is a celebration of light and life, marking the first days of the summer.

We’ll make an early start to travel west to Galway and the Cliffs of Moher. We have arranged for a tour of the Cliffs from above and below. This will allow us to explore the Visitors’ Center and learn about the history, significance, and composition of the Cliffs, before boarding a boat to see them from the best vantage point – the Atlantic Ocean. We will also have the opportunity to explore Inis Oírr, the smallest of the Aran Islands and home to an old shipwreck, a stunning lighthouse, and ponies and carts that may be rented for a trot along the beach and the unpaved roads. This may be where we choose to have a dance, to celebrate both Mother’s Day and the ninth anniversary of JANE’s Dancing Hands. Once we’ve returned to the mainland, we’ll stop in Galway for dinner and spend the night in a darling B&B.

From breakfast in the B&B, we will travel south, heading towards Kerry and Cork. If we find that we have time, we may choose to visit the Dingle Peninsula or take a little drive around the Ring of Kerry. Our aim for the day, however, is to see the Drombeg Stone Circle – an ancient circle of standing stones where we may dance and connect with the powerful ley lines running beneath our feet.

As this will be the final official evening of the tour, we will dine together and toast to our shared magical experience across these mystical isles.

In the morning, we will travel together to the airport in Cork, where some may choose to return home and others may decide to pop over to London with me for a Reintegration Day. It can be difficult to dive straight back into the busy world after a retreat such as this one, and this optional extra day provides people with the opportunity to ease themselves in. More details on this day will be decided based on interest and numbers.