The land speaks to us if we are quiet enough to listen.

I am fortunate enough to live in the heart of Dartmoor, which makes lockdown just about bearable. This does however mean that I cannot go on any sea kayaking adventures.

I am stuck at home with two small boys who are 7 and 8 and consider themselves to be intrepid travelers on a Viking quest at all hours of the day!!!

“Where are we going today mummy?” It is not even daylight, but these bundles of energy do not care if it is day or night, they went to sleep last night with adventure on their brain and mummy has promised adventure…

Today we hike out into the moor and we explore Grimspound, I grab the essentials for any adventure with small ones, waterproof trousers, gloves, hat, coat. Essential chocolate and dried mango, action man, and bunny. We are ready for action.

A few years ago, I did a witchy wild retreat, and we did a pilgrimage to this sacred site to reconnect with the ancestors of the land. When I woke up this morning Grimspound was calling me.

So, we set off into the moor, but it seems we had forgotten something and we had to go back to the car three times, first for gloves, second for chocolate and the final time because we left action man behind… Finally, we're off!

I am greeted warmly by a Hawthorne, her energy is so sweet, and she welcomes my touch on her Lichen laden bark, as I am having a moment with the tree, the boys are lying on the floor looking at me wondering what I am whispering! It is cold this morning at -1c, the boys grumble, I tell them to run ahead and see if they can see any wild ponies.

As we enter the pound it is eerily calm and serene, there is a tangible difference in the energy within the stones. I felt such a pull to be here today, and I feel the land welcome me. She wanted us here. I head over to the small circle which feels to me like the spirit house, I enter offering up a prayer to the spirits of the land. I leave an offering of chocolate, my youngest is talking to his action man and my eldest follows me closely, he takes his turn and enters the little stone house and has his own moment with the stone people, then he sits and starts to meditate. What a glorious morning.

Grimspound is a late bronze age settlement consisting of 24 little hut circles within a low stone wall, there are a few different beliefs as to who settled here, some believe it is a Viking settlement, and its name Grim would suggest that. Grim is an old Norse word that translates as Grimr which is an alternative name for Odin. Odin is the highest and holiest god of the Norse Gods, he is God of universal wisdom, battle, and victory. Odin has a raven perched on each shoulder named Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory). At Odin’s feet sits two faithful Wolves named Geri and Freki.  (Guerber, 1909)

We are alone out here today. It is early and I imagine everyone still tucked up in their beds. We hike up the hill to Hookney Tor so we can get an ariel view of Grimspound. It is deeply majestic and I am in awe, I feel grateful to live in such a deeply magical place. We sit on top of the tor and eat raw chocolate watching the sun come up over the hill.

Works Cited:

Guerber, H., 1909. Tales of Norse Mythology. New York: Barnes and Noble.