And so to Cornwall ….
During the next phase of my journey my intention was to visit Tintagel (legendary birthplace of King Arthur and Merlin’s Cave), Lands End, St Michael’s Mount and as many of the ancient standing stone circles and sacred sites that time permitted.
I made my way firstly to north Cornwall and to the small town of Boscastle.
Here in north Cornwall the scenery is truly stunning. There are beautiful churches, historic buildings and winding country lanes bordered by Cornish hedges.
Boscastle village is a tiny port, set in a ravine and is very picturesque to stroll around admiring the thatched cottages with their whitewashed walls.
A notable attraction right by the inlet is the famous Boscastle Museum of Witchcraft . Sadly this was no longer open when I arrived late in the day but I did get this shot of the exterior and can only ponder on the exhibits within!
I was booked in to stay at The Old Parsonage which is a beautiful Georgian house just a two minute walk from the spectacular North Cornwall coast path.
The pretty little church of St Symphonian’s which dates back to Norman times, was literally just across the lane and from there one can access the coastal path and the Forrabury Stitches which are a series of fields that have been farmed since medieval times. They are divided into ancient “stitchmeal” cultivation plots and are still worked using the original crop rotation method.
My dawn walk took me through these fields and along the path to some spectacular coastal views as I looked southwards in the direction of Tintagel.
When in peak season in Cornwall it is always best to arrive at your preferred destination early, in order to beat the crowds and more importantly get a parking place! So having parked in the village of Tintagel, I made the short trek down the path to the entrance to the castle ruins.
I have long desired to spend some quiet and contemplative time alone in the legendary Merlin’s Cavewhich is set into the cliff below Tintagel Castle. It was to this cave that I made my way firstly, before the crowds arrived. I had no expectations as to what I would discover here in the cave where the Druid Merlin is believed to have lived, and by some accounts, plucked the baby Arthur from the sea. In other accounts, Merlin’s Cave was believed to be the hiding place where the great wizard kept the newborn Arthur safe from potential harm by enemies of the Pendragon crown. I was not disappointed by my own experiences in the legendary cave of the Master Druid.
The cave fills with water at high tide, but has a sandy floor and is easily explored at low tide, which fortunately it was when I arrived. The cave goes all the way through the rock, and there is a smaller cave off it that can be entered on the southern side.
On entering the cave I felt the energy shift dramatically and took some photos – to my astonishment and delight I discovered that I had taken a few photos with an energy orb in them…. here is the first one I took. 
Just to check that I was not deluding myself, I wiped my camera lens and tried again and it was still there . Truly an awesome sight.
Inside the cave I could see in my camera lens another orb that preceded my steps and led me further into the cave to the opening at the other end where the sea was receding.
Merlin’s cave is a magical place energetically and whilst there I was joined by a couple of fellow spiritual travellers. The man sat on a rock deep inside the cave and proceeded to play a hauntingly beautiful melody on his pipe/flute while his wife and I quietly listened with our eyes closed and our hearts open.
When he had finished his beautiful tribute to the cave and its famous inhabitant of yore , we spoke of our connection to the cave and I showed them my orb photos. They in turn showed me their pic’s from the previous day when they had visited a nearby ancient grove – they had hundreds of tiny orbs in their photos in contrast to my one big one.
My time in the cave in the high frequency gave me a huge energy surge and with it I almost ran up the many steps to the castle ruins perched high above me.
As I entered the fortress one of the guardians of the ruins was there teaching dowsing to the tourists who had now begun to arrive. I had a bit of fun with him as we did “duelling pendulums ” at twenty paces to find the keys to the castle ( literally his castle keys). He told me of the well that was to be found in the ruins on top of the headland. So I set off to find it and to connect it energetically with the now growing number of sacred wells around the world that I have visited.
Joined to the mainland by a narrow neck of land, Tintagel Island faces the full force of the Atlantic. On the mainland itself, the stark remains of the medieval castle represent only one phase in a long history of occupation. 
Even before Richard, Earl of Cornwall, built his castle in 1233, Tintagelwas already associated in legend with the conception of King Arthur by Uther Pendragon, the result of his seduction of Queen Igraine. Resulting in TintagelCastle being considered in legend as the birthplace of the “once and future” King Arthur. Richard’s castle was probably deliberately built to reinforce his connections with Arthur and the ancient rulers of Cornwall. This Arthurian connection was later renewed by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in his Victorian ‘Idylls of the King’.
The remains of the 13th century castle are breathtaking. Steep stone steps, stout walls and rugged windswept cliff edges encircle the great hall, where Richard, Earl of Cornwall, once feasted.
Climbing up the pathways through the ruins and looking out at the spectacular views made me realise what a stronghold this would have been – unassailable to an enemy. It was said that due to the narrow access to the headland two men could defend the castle entrance against an army.
After over two hours of exploring I realised that with the arrival of so many more people. the energy had shifted, so I made a last quick trip all the way back down to Merlin’s Cave to leave a gift of crystals I had brought with me from Australia and then made my way back to the village and my car.
It was time to move on to my next adventure further south.
I look forward to sharing the next part of my journey with you.
Until then, blessings,
Ruth
