Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women's Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual traditions that nurture the soul.
Taking my granddaughters with me on a trip to Scotland to attend The William Glasser International Conference in Edinburgh in 2008 was and remains one of my best decisions.
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| One of at least a dozen pictures of the misty Scottish hills |
While my ancestry is thoroughly English (Edward Rawson came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony from Gillingham, England on the next boat after the Mayflower), I've a bit of Irish and Danish mixed in too.
When it was announced that the next European Conference was going to be in Edinburgh, I grabbed the opportunity to not only take me to the United Kingdom but also expose my granddaughters to international travel in a venue with which they were familiar.
When it was announced that the next European Conference was going to be in Edinburgh, I grabbed the opportunity to not only take me to the United Kingdom but also expose my granddaughters to international travel in a venue with which they were familiar.
London's Heathrow airport was where we arrived. We spent several days London and the surrounding area seeing the sights but this post is about Scotland so...
We traveled by train to Edinburgh. Found our lodgings and jumped into the conference.
I'd made arrangements for a couple of tours: Castles, the Highlands and Loch Ness which we took after the conference.
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| Inverness Castle |
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| Yep, Nessy made an appearance for us |
During the conference, the kids (hate to call a 12 and 18 years old children) toured Edinburgh Castle, the old town, the world renowned Edinburgh Zoon and swam in the Olympic Pool, as well as other activities all under the supervision of adults. It's one of the best things about William Glasser Institute Conferences, there is something for the kids (7 - 18 or so) during the day.
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| Roslyn Chapel was being restored when we visited |
A group of us, including Sister Elizabeth, a Catholic nun from Ireland, were talking about what to see and do on a half-day off from Conference activities. We all decided to visit Roslyn Chapel, less than an hour away.
You may remember Roslyn Chapel from Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code.
I was enthralled. There was no way we could do everything we wanted. Every inch of the interior was carved with symbols, motifs and figures. Of course we saw the major draws like the Apprentice's Column but we did not have time to go down into the vault/catacombs.
Sister Elizabeth and I stood together in the center taking in the magnificence.
"Do you feel something?" she asked.
"Yes, I do."
We remained for several minutes in the same place with a buzzing sensation flowing through us.
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| Judith outside Roslyn Chapel |
What was interesting to me is that other's in our group and other tourists did not sense anything even though standing exactly where we stood. It is said that there is an old source of energy upon which Roslyn Chapel was built. That rings true because virtually all Catholic churches stand on areas that were considered sacred sources of power to the indigenous people or pagans who originally lived there.
If or, hopefully, when I return to Scotland, I'll plan on spending a day at Roslyn Chapel.
If you are a fan of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books you are most likely aware that the STARZ network is televising the series - 2016 is Season 2. And Outlander is set, in part, in Scotland and is all about the Jacobite Rebellion and Scotland's fight for independence from England.
If or, hopefully, when I return to Scotland, I'll plan on spending a day at Roslyn Chapel.
If you are a fan of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books you are most likely aware that the STARZ network is televising the series - 2016 is Season 2. And Outlander is set, in part, in Scotland and is all about the Jacobite Rebellion and Scotland's fight for independence from England.
Since April 18th Romancing The Genres has hosted Michele Monkou's reviews of Season Two of the Outlander STARZ series. There are two remaining episodes (July 4th and July 9th). To celebrate we are sponsoring the following Facebook Event: Hunting Outlander, an Outlander STARZ Scavenger Hunt and a "Who's Your Favorite Scottie Hottie" (with pictures) contest.
We'll be posting details here on Monday, July 4th including re-posting links to the Facebook Event page. The Scavenger Hunt will begin on Tuesday, July 5th and end on Wednesday, July 13th. Winners will be announced Friday, July 15th.
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| Judith Ashley |
Check out my Windtree Press author page.
Follow me on Twitter: @JudithAshley19
© 2016 Judith Ashley
What an amazing trip! Thank you for sharing your experience in Roslyn Chapel. Loved the pictures, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about the Hunting Outlander game and Favorite Scottish Hotties photo share! Something new and different.
Being a Scot, I loved your blog post about your experiences. I'm a firm believer in those ancient energies.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah. I love the pictures too. Sometimes I just scroll through them to take me back in time.
ReplyDeleteAnd, only a couple more days until the Hunting Outlander game and Favorite Scottish Hotties photo share!
We're going to have such fun!!!
Maureen, Thank you for your kind comments. I also am a firm believer in those ancient energies. Because you are a believer in them, you may enjoy my Sacred Women's Circle series and my JudithAshleyRomance.blogspot.com posts. I'm in the middle of a series about personal totems, totem animals, house totems and living and protection shields.
ReplyDelete