The Temple of the Avalon Priestesses

You are seated on a small cushion on a shiny flagstone floor. You look down and you see that you are dressed in a simple white robe. The air around you is heavy with incense. You look around the space, dimly-lit by candles. It seems that you are in a stone-walled temple. You are not alone - there are others like you, fourteen women, all dressed in white, seated in a semi-circle. You can’t see their faces clearly, but you know in a flash…

Tears start to slide down your cheeks. Wave after wave of emotion starts to pour through you as you begin to openly sob. Others are crying too, around you. These are not tears of sadness, but deep gratitude, reverence and relief. You are here at long last. You are home.

When I first started to work with Sophie Bashford, it was the autumn of 2020; such a heightened year for all of us, and I was also navigating the imminent death of my dad from cancer. Sophie’s work was the thread of magic that wove it’s way through the daily hardships that were coming my way.

I had never connected with the work of the Divine Feminine before and certainly felt that anything to do with the ‘Goddess’ was for other people - not me. But I was so firmly nudged in the direction of Sophie’s work that I also knew better than to ignore it. On my personal spiritual path, there have now been several occasions where I have been presented very clearly with the next step - often one that is slightly (or more than slightly!) out of my comfort zone. I have learnt to drop preconceptions, often with a wry smile, as I embark on something that doesn’t quite make total sense at the time. So often, it becomes clearer much later on, but only when I’ve taken that first, trusting step.

With Sophie, I found myself on a nourishing, healing and supportive journey spending two years working with her online groups, the Moon Temple and then later, the Sacred Circle. As well as the incredible experience of being in the group, I was inspired by and connected to women who were already walking, or waking up to their true path. It was wonderful to be able to openly share with others who were also on a similar journey.

To be able to finally meet some of them in person, a couple of weeks ago, in mid-Wales was nothing short of magical. These women had come from all over the world - USA, Canada, Australia and all throughout Europe - to be there. I felt so grateful that I had only had to take two trains! Among them were several women who had previously, or still were, working in a corporate world - a medical doctor, an accountant, an ex-real estate agent, marketing director and business owner. Those highly-charged and competitive worlds had either lost meaning for them, burnt them out, taken too much from them or simply didn’t feel wholly ‘them’ any more.

The world we live in is a bit like that. We have followed capitalism and consumerism as our new Gods and now we find ourselves at crisis point. We have come so far out of balance between the yin and the yang, the masculine and the feminine. And this is the message throughout Sophie’s teaching - making way for the feminine.

This is not about gender or sexuality. It’s about the masculine and feminine energy we all carry within us - the masculine for decision-making, planning and action and the feminine bringing collaboration, connection, listening and nurturing. When these energies are in balance, so are we. But most of us, women included, have stepped much further into the masculine, and the balance is tipped. This has led to a toxic masculinity that promotes greed, competition, separation and individualism. We may crave rest, a slowing down, a deeper connection to the Earth or each other, but we have been so conditioned to see that is unnecessary, weak, not productive enough. So we ignore it, as we have ignored the crumbling of our ecosystem for so long. The work of the divine feminine is a step towards change.

Sophie had created a beautiful and sacred space in one of the converted barns where we were staying. We spent four days there as she guided us deeply using meditation, sound and healing, working together and alone. Those days became a blur as we all navigated our past wounds, connected with the spiritual realms, and were given clarity on our gifts, our roles, our next steps. It was a lot to take in, and I know that it’s going to take me quite some time to make sense of it. But there was also things that made perfect sense and I started to realise that the path to arrive to this point had started a very, very long time ago.

It was also pure medicine to be in a space where deep spiritual connection was the norm. On this path of growth and change, I have kept much of it to myself, understanding that for most people, it’s too much. So, to be able to freely share, listen and express was wonderful for all of us. There were tears, but also such a lot of laughter, storytelling, dancing, joy and pleasure. Wow! I felt so very fortunate to be there. And so at home.

So now, back in my life and over time these things will settle into place. The work that I am meant to be doing becomes clearer, new ideas emerge. But there is no rush. I have waited lifetimes, so a few more years won’t hurt :-)

I’d like to end with some words from Sophie, written to mark the end of the retreat:

‘The Healing Tents are back. The Priestesses are returning. The sacred callings are being answered. All the divine feminine mysteries are unfolding now. This is our time.’

If this makes your spine tingle and you’d like to speak to me more about this, please send me an email - lorna@lornaclansey.com