Visiting Dion Fortune

It was the final day of our pilgrimage through the south part of England, and we still didn’t know how we would spend our day. It was in true fashion of our entire trip, being led by spirit, the moment and our intuition that we would yet again not know what the day would bring. Up to this point, I wasn’t sure if I would include a visit to Dion Fortune’s grave, although it was brought up to me several times by multiple people. I didn’t know why I had such resistance. Maybe it was because I didn’t see her fit into the already heavily faery influenced journey or because I was in such denial of a connection between she and I and the mysteries. Regardless of these reasons, she was in the back of my mind as I watched for a noticeable sign that she would slide in and become part of the pilgrimage.

That morning, my friend and I discussed our plans and came to an acceptance that one of our desired destinations, the White Spring, was no longer in our plans, since the website said they would be closed. In that moment I received the nudge to make space for a visit to Dion’s resting place. Before heading there, we went back into the small shopping town of Glastonbury followed by a visit to the Saint Margaret and Mary Magdalene Chapel. Once we were done, we made our way to the cemetery of Dion’s gravesite which was just up the hill. My friend did some research online and found the best guidance to find her. Turns out that many people have been known to take hours to find her resting place without it.

So, there we were, parked across the street of the cemetery scurrying through the trunk of the car trying to decide what to bring. It was cloudy outside and started to sprinkle. This was the first day of rain after a record-breaking heat wave that had taken over London for the duration of most of our trip. Because of this, I decided to put on my hoodie, bring the bottle of sacred water that I had collected from Sancreed Well and my deck of Tarot cards. Something told me I would be doing a reading near her headstone. We closed the trunk of the car and made our way across the street into the cemetery.

Immediately arriving I could feel the sense of magick take over by just looking over the archway entrance and the grayness in the air. The liminal space was upon us, and we moved forward as I read the instructions on the website identifying the landmarks described such as the yew trees, the hedges on the left, and the two chapels on our right. We found the wooden bench at the end of the walkway and began identifying headstones and landmarks on our way slightly up the hill until finally finding the headstone with the name Violet Mary Firth (Dion Fortune) written across the top. I could feel a gentle nudge move across my heart in reverence of this finding.

Just as the rain began to fall, I was told by an unknown power to prepare the ground to do a tarot reading. I spread out my towel, kneeled beside Dion’s grave and began to pour some of the sacred water in an empty cement vase resting over her body while affirming the following words “I offer this sacred water to you. May this water affirm the connection I am weaving between me in my new embodiment, the school of 22 Teachings, and your wisdom and legacy.” After this, I began to lay out my tarot cloth and pulled out my tarot deck. I was then instructed to scoop up the energy from Dion Fortune’s headstone and place it upon my cards before shuffling them. I then proceeded to shuffle with the following question on my mind “What do I need to know about my relationship with Hermetic Qabalah?”

The reading unfolded into four petals. The first petal that rested above represents the overarching energy, the second petal (second row, first card) represents what to embrace, the third petal (second row, second card) what to let go, and the final and fourth petal (second row, third card) the forward and direct message from Dion. The overarching energy was the Knight of Wands that first appeared in reverse but came through as a cyclical always revolving and turning card. The energy to embrace was The Lovers card that was shown to me as an emanating force always surging and growing. The energy to let go was The Fools card that came through as an energy sinking down into the earth ready to be devoured and transmuted. Finally, the forward message from Dion was the reversed Ace of Swords shown to me with a gravitational magnetic force coming down upon my crown.

The message was very clear. To be a student of the mysteries is to be under the influence and flow of stop and go. There’s a time to run towards the lesson and the teachings and there is also a time to run with the enlightenment towards the new open doors of wider perception. But, there’s also a time of stuck-ness and halt signaling a phase of giving the teachings space and time under integration. It is in the favor of the seeker to stand on all sides to truly take in the complete lesson of teachings. In other words, if there is a teaching that makes itself clear by standing on the right side, take the time to view it from the left, the front and the back, as well. It will assist in the full understanding and is something that takes time and patience. It is not true that the student comes into the teachings knowing nothing. In fact, the student has a lifetime of lessons upon their shelf to help assist in the process of understanding and expanding their consciousness. Therefore, it is in the favor of the student to let go of the identity of “The Fool” in its most demeaning form when embarking on the path of the seeker of the mysteries. And, finally, the expansion of consciousness is inevitable if one applies themselves and makes the decision to show up. When the expansion appears, be forewarned, it will come through as a force to be reckoned with.

To my surprise, while doing the reading, I began to channel Dion which was something I did not expect. In fact, I was taken back by her presence, said nothing, and took the opportunity to listen. In my mind’s eye I could see her at her most powerful and beautiful stage of her life. In that moment she had few and powerful words to share. She said, “I offer to be your teacher. Allow me to guide you down this path.” I was shocked at the offer and very aware of the honor it was to receive it. It took me only but a second to say yes. By then, the rain really started to come down so I quickly wrapped up my belongings and headed back to the car. This time with a new teacher and ally on the other side.

Since this encounter, Dion has made her presence known by nudging me to attend AM Lodge again and feeling her stand behind me during the entire convergence. She’s beginning to point at small things where I can identify threads that are familiar and flow at the frequency of synchronicity. I’m just taking it one moment and one message at a time. I am so grateful and very glad I made the choice to visit her resting place and I look forward to seeing how our relationship will unfold.