Glastonbury’s Temple of the Stars: A Magical History
King Arthur with the Isle of Avalon in the distance. Unkown artist, unkown date. Woodcut.
Flora Knight, July 2, 2024
Glastonbury, a town steeped in mysticism and legend, serves as a remarkable microcosm of the history of witchcraft. This enigmatic place bridges the gap between ancient practices of White Magic and modern Wicca, weaving a rich tapestry of magical heritage that has captivated the imagination for centuries.
At the heart of Glastonbury's magical history lies the Holy Grail. Integral to the Arthurian Legend, the Grail symbolizes the fusion of Christian spiritualism with contemporary magical thought. Central to this legend is Merlin, the wizard who conjures King Arthur into being, embodying the archetype of the magical practitioner. The Grail literature, steeped in mystical lore, enriches the tradition of magical dynamics, with the Grail itself often depicted as a powerful and elusive artifact.
Joseph of Arimathea Preaching to the Inhabitants of Britain, c.1796. William Blake.
The Grail's origins trace back to the Celtic Cauldron of Ceridwen, a mystical vessel believed to produce healing potions and the elixir of life. In Arthurian legend, the Grail is frequently associated with the cup used to collect the blood of Christ at the crucifixion, brought to Glastonbury by Joseph of Arimathea. According to legend, Joseph built the first church in the area, burying the Grail beneath it. King Arthur is said to have sought the Grail extensively and was brought to Glastonbury to die.
Another variation of the story suggests that Joseph of Arimathea brought the infant Jesus to Glastonbury, where they constructed a small church of mud and wattle. This humble structure evolved into the now-ruined Glastonbury Abbey, as it expanded over the centuries. The legendary Isle of Avalon, often identified with modern Glastonbury, is not only the resting place of Excalibur but also the Grail—two of the four most significant tools in modern witchcraft.
In addition to the Holy Grail, modern Wicca acknowledges another mystical vessel in Glastonbury: Cerridwen’s Cauldron of Wisdom. This cauldron, associated with dark knowledge and crucial to Welsh magical tradition, represents another facet of Glastonbury's deep connection to witchcraft and ancient magic.
Beyond its Arthurian connections, Glastonbury is renowned for its earth effigies—vast structures shaped like figures and believed to form a celestial temple. These giant effigies, visible only from the skies or the top of the Tor (the original Isle of Avalon), are thought to represent zodiac figures. Each zodiac figure holds deep symbolic meaning in both magic and the Grail legend.
The Glastonbury Zodiac is of a series of mounds, paths, streams, and rivers, coming together to form terrestrial representations of the 12 horoscope constellations. These earthly structures correspondent to the celestial zodiac, exerting spiritual power across the landscape and all who pass through and over it.
A map of Glastonbury with the Zodiac earth effigies superimposed above.
The Zodiac symbols found in this mystical temple and their Arthurian representations are as follows:
Taurus (Earth) – King Gurgalain
Aries (Fire) – Messire Gawain (The Sun in the second quarter)
Pisces (Water) – King Fisherman
Aquarius (Air) – King Pelles/Sir Perceval (The Sun in the first quarter, the Phoenix)
Capricornus (Earth) – King of Castle Moral
Sagittarius/Hercules (Fire) – King Arthur (Sun in the east, last quarter)
Scorpio/Libra (Water/Air) – Calixtus (The Scales of Death)
Virgo (Earth) – The Damsel, Sir Perceval's Sister
Leo/Cancer (Fire/Water) – Sir Lancelot (The Midday Sun, Third Quarter)
Gemini (Air) – Lohot, King Arthur’s Son (The Sun in the West, the setting sun, Orion in Effigy)
These celestial symbols, intricately linked to the Arthurian legend, guide the way to the resting place of the Holy Grail, weaving a profound narrative that merges the earth and the heavens. It is no coincidence that the world’s largest music festival, now in its fifty fourth year, is spread across this spiritual landscape. The ley lanes that cross the fields bring with them potent energy and each year, hundreds of thousands of revellers gather to walk through Glastonbury’s temple of the stars.
Flora Knight is an occultist and historian.
