Life Comes Full Circle

Gothic Horror Photography of Amanda Norman

Author: Amanda

Dance of Death
The Danse Macabre translates into English as the Dance of Death. It is a medieval allegory that reminds folk about Memento Mori. No matter what one’s status is in life, the dance of death unites all. Furthermore, this can most certainly be viewed as the origins of Memento Mori.
Don’t ask me why, but images of skeletons, skulls, and crossbones always intrigue me. Indeed, I love taking photographs of those that feature in funeral art.
On my quest to learn more about the art of Memento Mori, I came across the Dance of Death.
The Dance of Death
The Danse Macabre often depicts the highest rank of medieval living. For example, the pope through to child, walking with the dead into Hell. We also see a similar hierarchy of rank in the Major Arcana and court cards of the Tarot. As you probably know, I love reading the Tarot as a form of shadow work. Yet again, another example of my life coming full circle.
One of the world’s oldest woodcuts of the Dance of Death 1455-1458, resides in Heidelberg University. Here, I’ve included the text from the initial sermon that opens it up brilliantly. Reference and further reading is available by visiting The Dance of the Dead: –
Oh, Children of the wisdom of this world
all who are still alive.
Put two words in your heart
that were heard from Christ.
The one is “come here”, the other “go away”
Thanks to the first, the good [people] have advantage
so they come into Heaven.
There they’ll receive benefit for their good
The other leads the evil [people] to the torment,
Hell, which will also last forever.
Therefore I advice you earnestly
that you avoid idle deeds.
For time is short in this life
then there’ll be “alas and alack”
through the double Death
that brings the idle [people] in distress
when – with the screeches of his fife –
he brings all into his dance.
Then the wise [men] will be forced
to spring with the fools.
Like these painted figures,
are a perfect image to mourn over.
Heidelberg’s Dance of Death 1455-1458
Dance of Death
The earliest recording of a danse macabre, dates back to sometime between August 1424 and Lent 1425. Unfortunately, this mural no longer exists due to a wall being demolished. At one time, you would have been standing in the Saints Innocents Cemetery in Paris, observing it.
I also have another interesting fact about this particular cemetery. Due to space running out, corpses were exhumed in 1786 and the bones moved to the Paris Catacombs. Reference: Danse Macabre Wikipedia
Memento Mori Death Symbols
I am wondering if my above photograph taken in Cornwall, is a depiction of a dance of death. Apologies, but I cannot remember which church contains this fine example of Memento Mori.
We can clearly see the character of Death in the middle taking aim with the dart. However, are the male and females representing a family or hierarchy of society? It most certainly does not show all types of classes to remind us that we are all the same in death. Thus, is there any political statement to this depiction? In my opinion, the answer is no.
Last but not least, it does show some excellent mortality symbols that I will explain now.
Mortality Symbols of Memento Mori
Skeleton Holding a Dart
This skeleton is representing death and it is taking aim at a male figure with his dart. Death comes to us all no matter what our status is in life. We are all the same in death.
Skeleton Holding a Scythe
A skeleton holding a scythe or sickle commonly represents the Grim Reaper. This is a symbol of death because of its use to cut down the harvest (reap). The scythe is also mentioned in the bible, revelation 14.
And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
King James Bible
Snake Coiled Around a Scythe
In my opinion, I believe this snake maybe representing a caduceus. If so, perhaps the person who is no longer living was a doctor. Possibly, this person may have died following an illness.
The snake has an ability to shed its skin therefore, representing immortality and the transition of life. Additionally, in the caduceus, the coiled snake is representing healing. Please note, there is no caduceus in my photograph above however, the similarity of it coiling around a staff is present.
Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead
Pre-dating the Danse Macabre, is the legend of the three living and the three dead.
Many frescoes and murals from the 13th century show this legend. Here we see three young gentlemen meeting three cadavers who warn them of the following: –
What we were, you are;
what we are, you will be
Visit Medieval Blogs for further reading about the Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead
There where also books dedicated to ‘ars moriendi‘ (The Art of Dying), that were popular at the time due to strong religious beliefs.
As death can arrive at any moment, Memento Mori reminds the viewer of the following.
The best preparation for a good death is leading a good life and only that will ensure you reaching Heaven.
Back then, by placing final reminders upon headstones, people can ensure others follow in their path.
Further research shows that the Puritans of the 16th and 17th century had strong religious views following the Reformation in England.
The Puritan belief was that only a select few could reach heaven. Thus, the remaining will simply rot following death. Also, they believed that those buried nearest to the alter within a church, would make it to Heaven. This clearly couldn’t be sustained as the churches were running out of space. Burials began taking place outside of the church walls, which led to headstones and the artistic expression of Memento Mori.
October 29, 2023
Cemetery Death Heads
Cemetery death heads, is my look at the changing fashion of a skull and crossbones in funeral art. Therefore, if you wonder why someone would like a skull and crossbones on their headstone, then look no further. But first, let us begin with the classic skull and crossbones that most of us are familiar with.
This skull and crossbones is a modern death head symbol that we are all familiar with. Moreover, it is a warning for poisonous substances, which is classified in the European 2008 Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulations. Can you tell that I used to be a Health and Safety, Compliance Manager?
But, what are cemetery death heads I hear you asking?
Cemetery Death Heads
Cemetery Death Heads on a Memento Mori headstone
The above headstone showcases two fine examples. You will find this one in St. Cuthbert’s graveyard in Edinburgh.
The cemetery death heads we see today on headstones are common ‘Memento Mori‘ symbols from the 16th to 17th centuries. They warn us that no matter what our status is in life, we are all the same in death. In addition, live life for today as death is always lurking in the form of plagues or disease.
Of course, death heads are not always featuring two crossed femurs (known as the crossbones), behind or below the skull. Sometimes, you may only see one femur such as the example above. Also, there are skulls gnawing on femurs of which, I am yet to see.
The skull or head, represents death and is influenced by the ossuary’s or charnel houses of the early centuries.
An ossuary is a building containing lots of skulls and bones, and was used when burial space was scarce. Bodies would be buried for a number of years in order to fully decompose. Following decomposition, the skeletal remains were placed into a charnel house or ossuary.
A crude example of a cemetery death head
Firstly, the earliest examples of skull and crossbones feature a crude skull with femurs crossing. In addition, the fashion of this type of cemetery death head, depended on the skill of the craftsman.
Fashion and religious beliefs also dictate such imagery and sources of reference include wood carvings, architectural motifs, plaster work, books including the Bible and the customers requests.
A fantastic place for finding cemetery death heads is in Edinburgh and also Northumberland. Furthermore, I have numerous photographs of stunning headstones that deserve their own post.
Changing Fashion of Cemetery Death Heads
Few headstones exist from before the reformation in the 16th Century. This is why I especially love visiting Edinburgh and Northumberland. I am planning on exploring more of Scotland in the future. That said however, there are some exceptional cadavers in Ireland. Although rare, these date to the 14th and 15th centuries and if you are a taphophile like me, you need to see them. Of course, the wealthiest in society could easily afford such a monumental display.
Irish Cadaver Stone
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the winged skull, the skull and crossbones and the winged cherub head adorned lots of headstones. The wings represent the ascension of the soul into Heaven or regeneration of the soul.
An example of a winged skull on a headstone from Edinburgh
The Winged Head and the Soul Effigy
During the Regency period, the skull and crossbones fell out of fashion. Replacing the skull with a softer image of a cherub’s face was a lot more pleasing on the eye. Also, replacing the femurs with wings gave the overall death head a softer feel. Wings are representing the souls ascension to heaven. We refer to these as winged heads and in America, they call it a ‘soul effigy‘. [Ref: City of Boston – Iconography of gravestones]
It also relays an important message that those who find grace, might win Heaven. In England, the cherubs face is similar to the face of the Renaissance putti, which is child like.
Twin cherubs soul effigy
Referring to the image of the twin cherubs above, we can see that foliage is now replacing the wings.
The Neoclassical period in Europe for visual arts began c. 1760. It was highly influenced by the arts of Rome and Ancient Greece. This period also coincided with the 18th century, Age of Enlightenment. This was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe. Many art students ventured on a grand tour of Europe and returned home from Italy with newly discovered Greco-Roman ideals.
Summarising Cemetery Death Heads
Since COVID-19 struck so many lives, the message these cemetery death heads portray is surprisingly, still relevant.
In my opinion, I believe it is more relevant now than it has ever been. This is because, a lot of us, including myself, take life for granted. We take medical advancement for granted and we never believe that the plague or flu can take so many lives. Well, we certainly had a wake-up call didn’t we?
Life has changed dramatically!
Conspiracy theories are rife and war is present. So much destruction that shows life is fleeting.
Moreover, we need to be living life to the full, each and every day we are able to. The decline of our mental health is worrying and many people are not aware how to maintain balance of mind, body, and soul.
As a spiritual person, I have incorporated the practicing of mindfulness and gratitude into my daily life. This is how I achieve balance as I am fully in the present moment. I am living life by using my senses, fully aware of what is happening around me. At one time however, I was solely stuck in my head! The present didn’t exist as I was too busy ruminating about my past or catastrophising about my future. If you are intrigued, visit my Gemstone and Tarot blog and begin your spiritual journey today.
October 16, 2023
Victorian Death Photography and their Superstitions
Victorian death is a fascinating topic to explore that will incite lots of conversation. How much do you know about their superstitions and rituals following the death of a loved one?
Deceased girl sat to the side on a chair so that a stand can support her body.
The Victorians certainly had their fascinating customs when it came to death. I’ve included a few of my favourites below and I would love to read your feedback.
Photographing their loved ones following their passing was a common practice for the Victorians. To them, it’s not weird or strange to have and cherish a memento of your loved one. Mind you, as a photographer myself, would I be happy photographing someone’s loved one following their death?
I find the whole concept of memento mori fascinating and for the most part, I do think it’s a shame that an art form is lost.
I find these photographs intriguing. On the one hand, I feel like I should be appalled, but on the other, I’m feeling the love. After all, to want a keepsake like this, their feelings of love remain strong. You can feel their grief!
Can you imagine propping up your loved one like the girl in this photograph?
Her eyes are not open. Painting their eyelids to make it appear that their eyes are open was also a common practice. You would think she was a normal Victorian girl simply posing for her photograph. The time and detail of creating this portrait is testament to their skill and respect of people.
The Victorian girl pictured above more than likely died of mumps, which was a big killer in the Victorian times.
Victorian Death and their Superstitions
The Victorians had lots of superstitions surrounding death. Indeed, when reading through these below, you can see where ideas for horror films come from. I find these Victorian death superstitions truly fascinating and I wonder how many of you uphold any of them?
As soon as there was a Victorian death, all the mirrors in the home would be covered. They believed that the spirit of their loves one may become trapped in the glass.
Not stopping a clock from telling time will bring bad luck.
The custom of ‘waking‘ was to watch over the body every minute until burial, which would last 3-4 days. This would also serve as a safeguarding should a person be in a coma. Thankfully, we don’t have to worry too much about this today.
This next superstition was still in use long after the Victorian period ended. Drawing curtains to prevent the soul from leaving before the funeral was common practice. I remember this from being a child back in the seventies but I didn’t know that it was to prevent the soul from leaving.
More Superstition
Carrying the dead out feet first will prevent the spirit from looking back into the house and beckoning others to follow.
‘Saved by the bell‘ comes from the fear of being buried alive. Some coffins have a bell connected to a chain so that one who wakes can sound an alarm.
Flowers will bloom upon the grave of someone who has a good spirit or had a good life.
Hearing a clap of thunder following a burial indicates that the deceased’s soul has reached Heaven.
If you smell roses when there are none around, someone is going to die.
If you don’t hold your breath whilst walking past a graveyard, you will not be buried.
A bird pecking your window or crashing into one, is a sign of death. Oh dear, I’m in trouble as wood pigeons commonly fly into my patio doors.
If a picture falls off the wall, there will be a death of someone you know. From personal experience, I don’t believe this.
A single snowdrop in a garden foretells a death.
It is bad luck to cross a path of a funeral procession. If this cannot be avoided, you should hold tightly onto a button to ward off some of the negative effects.
Concluding Victorian Death
The BBC has a wonderful report to read about the unsettling art of death photography. I highly recommend reading it. Victorian Cemeteries and my thoughts is also worth reading.
September 23, 2023
Moon Magic and the Tarot
In this post, I bring together three of my favourite things. Moon Magic, Tarot and of course, photography.
I’ve always been captivated by the moon and her beauty, but it wasn’t until recently that I discovered how to use her energy. Furthermore, she has helped me to transform my life with her beautiful magic.
Be guided by Moon Magic
To begin with, let’s take a look at the The Moon and her meaning in a standard tarot deck.
The Moon in Tarot
Do you succumb to fear, or do you allow the moon to guide you forward?
When The Moon card appears in your tarot reading, it’s time to use your intuition and trust your gut instinct. There is a lot going on around you involving deception, and illusion.
Are you deceiving yourself of your dreams?
Are you allowing fear to prevent you from doing what your heart is pleading for?
Before my transition to become a professional tarot reader and life coach, I was 100% deceiving myself of my dream. As a result of this, I wasn’t happy with my life and as a consequence I succumbed to ANXIETY in its worst form. If you would like to find out more about me, please visit my About Amanda page.
I allowed fear to hold me back
I feared not having the job that gave me no fulfilment. Also, I feared not having any money to pay my bills. Consequently, the feeling of lack in my life grew so much that it became overwhelming, hence the anxiety. I wasn’t following my inner calling, and I was afraid to follow my intuition. Consequently, I was allowing my fear to control me.
When you see The Moon card in your tarot reading, she shows you a glimmer of hope.
Allow her to guide you away from the dark and into the light so that you can see the possibilities that surround you.
She speaks from your subconscious via your dreams and fears, to reveal what you must attend to.
Generally, your fears and insecurities are illuminated for you to face at this troubling time.
Don’t be tempted to put off those ideas and dreams that make you feel uneasy.
Your strength lies in facing them to understand what is real and what is irrational. Additionally, putting steps in place to prevent your worst case scenario from happening will allow you to move forward.
If you avoid your fears, the negative feelings and energy will grow around you with momentum and generate more fear. I found that practicing Moon Magic most certainly helped me to transform my life.
What is Moon Magic?
Practicing Moon Magic at the right time during her lunar phase, most definitely helped me to manifest my dreams. In fact, understanding her energy and how to use it is key, plus it can also build you a positive mindset.
The New Moon is a time for setting your intentions.
Have you ever wondered where the words lunacy and lunatic come from?
Research shows that for some of us, the energy of a full moon can have a dramatic effect on our mental health. Furthermore, speak to emergency professionals and you will find that accidents and violent crime increases on a full moon. BBC – Does a full moon make people mad? This is just one example of the energy that I’m talking about.
Would you like to join me on a moon magic adventure?
It would be my absolute pleasure to take you on your very own journey of positive thinking and manifestation. You can read more about my aMOONda workshop here.
Finally, if you would like me to do a tarot reading, please click here.
Don’t you just love the moon?
July 20, 2021
My love of Gothic horror inspires my photography
My style of Gothic horror photography consists mainly of photographing graveyards, creepy locations and alternative portraits. Furthermore, the sense of peace and freedom I get from photographing these locations, is a form of self-therapy. Take for example the photograph below titled, The Beauty of Daresbury.
When visiting this graveyard and looking around, my senses are intrigued by what I see. Looking at this particular tomb, it clearly stands out and it looks withered from time, and the elements. Furthermore, the proximity of what I call, The Tree of Arms, maybe significant.
I begin pondering about the person buried here and if they chose this spot of beauty. Also, you can gain an idea of the wealth of a person, or their family and friends from their grave. This particular little graveyard is quiet and you can hear the birds chirping away. Again, I am using my sense of sight as I look at the contrast of light and dark. In addition, I’m also feeling the environment, the warmth and I’m thoroughly enjoying the sounds.
Mindfulness and Photography
This is my therapy as I am at one with nature and my surroundings. I am clearly in the present moment and loving it while practicing the technique of mindfulness. In addition, I am nurturing my soul with peace and calm. As a result, I’m raising my vibration that of course, makes me feel exceptionally well.
The remarkable aspect of this is that at the time, I didn’t realise exactly how good it was for me. I was finding my own space and freedom from stress, and anxiety.
The beauty of Daresbury
Inspired by my love of Gothic horror
Owing to my love of Universal Horror Movies and Hammer Horror, I am highly influenced by what I want to achieve. I love their graveyard scenes with vampires and other creatures lurking in the mist. Lots of shadows add to the effect, creating a sense of dread or anticipation.
Originally, the film studios creating Gothic horror didn’t have CGI capabilities. The creators tapped into your senses using sound and vision with the ultimate aim of scaring you, with the unknown. I’m inspired by Gothic horror due to the possibility of ghosts, demons, vampires etc being real. In my opinion, a true art form was lost when CGI became a reality.
As you have no doubt seen by now, my Gothic horror photography emulates the old days. Undoubtedly, I find myself naturally drawn to creating emotive photography by playing in the shadows.
Shadow work is my self-therapy
Are you constantly fearing darkness or do you like the challenge of facing your fears?
More importantly, what is real and what is irrational fear?
Shadow work is a form of self-therapy. Previously, I was believing that I was only using the medium of Tarot cards to delve deep into my subconscious. Obviously, combining my love of Gothic horror and photography was an additional method.
I have recently been absent from my photography and this website. It is currently September 2023 and I’m revealing my hidden truths by revisiting my work. I’m drawn back here for a reason, and I am learning so much about myself. My shadows are well and truly alive with opportunities for personal growth.
Let us live life for today!
Since meeting Mark in 2013, he has taken me to some fascinating graveyards and cemeteries. I am wonderfully lucky to meet someone who shares similar interests.
Scotland and Ireland are two magnificent countries that I cannot wait to return to.
Be mindful and present and be happy
In Edinburgh, they have the most beautiful carved headstones full of mortality symbols. These consist of skull and crossbones and skeletons that just have to be seen. Moreover, Edinburgh is a perfect setting for Gothic horror photography. In Ireland, they have cadaver stones that depict a rotting corpse wrapped in a shroud. This is to remind the living, to live life for today as tomorrow it may end. So very apt since the onset of COVID!
Vampires are my number one love of Gothic horror
Vampires are my favourite element of Gothic horror and their presence inspires my work, especially when I find myself in an old graveyard. Of course, I am not seeing one however, I am fully inspired by the graveyard scenes of Hammer Horror. Rightly or wrongly, as a teenager, I remember the feeling of fear when they would rise from their tomb. Additionally, there were also feelings of excitement and suspense, especially when Christopher Lee rose to the occasion.
Perhaps Hammer Horror were inspired by the Gothic scenes featured in the Universal Horror movies. Who knows?
Nevertheless, old castles, decaying mansions and mist filled abandoned graveyards, bear feelings of intrigue, and wonder for me. Undoubtedly, there is no better setting for Gothic horror photography. I think it is the unknown element that attracts me as I find myself wondering if these creatures exist. Also, there IS something alluring and sexy about vampires.
In the beginning, I remember the feeling of shock when witnessing a vampire being beheaded. Yes, of course this was in a film!
Subsequently, I began falling for them and willing them to survive, especially The Count. I have such fond memories of Hammer Horror and the scenery. I will admit to wishing to be a vampire so that I can seduce anyone I want.
Mr Barlow of Salem’s Lot
Gothic horror at its best!
At first, I did find it frightening to watch Hammer Horror films but this changed when I was introduced to Mr Barlow. Now, this type of vampire is truly hideous and terrifying. I’m sure that you can see what I mean? In addition, once seen, never forgotten! The original version of Salem’s Lot with David Soul is the one you should watch if you haven’t seen it. Again, made with no CGI! Gothic horror at its best!
You’ll enjoy Mr Barlow, and he will enjoy you!
Mr Straker played by James Mason in Salem’s Lot
Shadows of my mind
I wholeheartedly believe that there are things hidden in the shadows however, what is real and what is irrational?
What experiences have we faced and is our perception of what happened, true?
Distortion in NLP is one of the three major processes (including Deletion and Generalisation) on which the Meta Model is based. Distortion occurs when something is mistaken for that which it is not, when things are incorrectly included in our Internal Representations.
For instance, when you are looking for a certain piece of wire in a cupboard and you thought it was a grey colour, the wire you are looking for may not be there. But when you just looked, you found it (because it actually wasn’t grey). Or you see a snake moving in a desert and you run because you think snake! But it was a piece of discarded rope.
NLP World
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a fascinating topic to explore however, I won’t bore you with it. Thankfully, as part of learning hypnotherapy, NLP was included and I have a great example of a distorted memory.
Death of the Massive Spider
As a small child, about the age of maybe six or seven, there lived a hideous spider in the trees of my garden. Me and my sisters commonly hid in these trees when playing hide and seek, but this suddenly stopped. This massive spider, which was the size of a dustbin lid, guarded the trees.
As a result, we were scared of walking anywhere near it. I remember crying because I was so scared of it. Then, one day, our step father had enough and went into the trees with a knife and killed it. Subsequently, we had our trees back and I never forgot about the death of the massive spider.
As an adult, I always struggle with this memory because logically, it cannot be true. Spiders that size don’t exist in England, but funnily enough, my sisters remember it like me. Heightened emotions were firmly planted in our memories causing a distortion of the facts. Again, I know that logically, it was not that big however, even now, I’m visualising how I thought I saw it as a child, and it was HUGE!
Changing the subject, do you believe in ghosts or spirits?
I myself have experienced situations that I don’t have an answer for and trust me, I am very sceptical.
For fun, I would leave my body
Again, about the age of five or six years old, I used to play a game were I would lie face down on my bed. Subsequently, I would enjoy leaving my body and floating through it, to lie on the floor. Furthermore, my experience was genuine as the dust particles would tickle the insides of my nostrils.
Clearly my mother wasn’t good at cleaning the carpet underneath the bed. I can’t remember how long I would stay on the floor for. Most importantly, if I heard someone coming up the stairs, in a flash I would be pulled back to my body, safe and sound.
Ghostly encounters
Furthermore, I remember being scared of going down the stairs. I had a feeling that an old man was about to peer over the banister and do something horrible. To get myself down the stairs, I would edge down slowly with my back against the wall, keeping watch. Once I was half way down, I would run the rest of the way.
What made me this scared?
Years later my daughter had an imaginary friend and I would often hear her playing with him. His name was ‘Kenny’. At the same time, I often saw a shadow darting past out of the corner of my eye. There was no explanation for seeing this shadow!
As an adult, I was once in a cemetery when I got a strong powerful feeling of being watched. I turned around and I can only describe it as a kind of heat shimmer moving past me, but I wasn’t terrified. Nervous yes!
Since my spiritual awakening, my psychic abilities are growing stronger. Before you say it, I do take this seriously and I practice protection.
St Peter’s Church in Heysham near Morecambe
Are you a descendant of Old Chattox, a Pendle Hill Witch?
I will always wonder if I am an ancestor of a Pendle Hill Witch named Old Chattox, (Anne Whittle). Indeed, my memory of my Grandad telling me this will never leave me. Unfortunately, she was sadly hung for witchcraft in Lancaster on the 20 August 1612.
Sadly, I don’t know how true this is, but I have tried to do my family tree. Going beyond the 18th century is difficult and I struggle due to a lack of information. Moreover, I do strongly believe that healing is in my ancestral roots.
Who inspires your Gothic horror photography?
Finally, oh the joy I felt when I discovered the late Sir Simon Marsden.
It began one night when I was flicking through the TV channels. Suddenly, I was well and truly in awe while watching a man walking through some creepy woods. Not only did the imagery capture my attention, it was his unmistakeable voice that eluded to something scary.
This TV program titled, The Twilight Hour introduced me to the late, Sir Simon Marsden who will forever remain the master photographer of this genre, for all eternity. http://www.simonmarsden.co.uk
February 28, 2021
The Tree of Souls is Calling
The Tree of Souls draws me in every time I visit Heysham. Also, it stands tall at the edge of a graveyard and silently calls out to me. I often wonder why. Equally important, my latest meditation has unexpectedly provided me with the answer, which leaves me in complete awe.
This is Amanda Norman’s tree of souls from Heysham
The tree of souls draws me in
To begin with, the Tree of Souls is very old and stands firmly rooted in the graveyard soil. Furthermore, its shadow looms over the graves beneath it, shrouding them in darkness.
When standing within its presence, you cannot mistake the feeling of strength, gritted determination, and the feeling of safety. I also know that I’m not the only person this tree calls too. Since before my time, plenty of people have carved their initials into this tree. Perhaps they have been doing this for decades, if not centuries.
In 2020 following lockdown, I revisited my childhood haunt. It was the first time we could escape our homes mid-pandemic. I suggested to Mark a day out to Heysham, just so that I could be here, feeling safe. Without a doubt, the Tree of Souls definitely provided me with what I was seeking.
Tree of Souls Heysham
My ancestral roots are in Heysham
My ancestral roots are in Heysham Village and it’s where my Blacow family are buried.
As you may have already gathered, I love returning here when I need to get a sense of myself. Of course, you will find me writing about Heysham a lot. This is simply because it allows me to make sense of my current state of mental health.
More importantly, it is where my childhood trauma began. However, it’s important for me to remember that I was wonderfully happy here before that happened.
Thankfully, I am presently in good shape with my mental health as I write this. During lockdown, I enjoyed gaining so much-needed peace and clarity. Above all, it most definitely put me in the right frame of mind to begin building my new, self-employed career.
Meditation and the Law of Attraction
Firstly, I am working on creating my new career of healing and becoming a professional tarot reader. Also, to be successful with my quest, I need to be feeling good. Since learning the technique of meditation, I have found my method of feeling at one with myself.
Secondly, I have recently completed my meditation teacher training and therefore, I’m putting it to good use by creating my happy place meditation.
Finally, my quest therefore, is to visit my happy place via mediation to feel wonderfully positive and happy. Of course my happy place is Heysham.
Undoubtedly, feeling good about yourself is an important aspect when manifesting your dreams. When we act and feel good, we attract good things into our lives.
Additionally, meditating can bring profound wisdom. Subsequently, this was an additional benefit of my meditation and the reason why I am creating this post. What started out as simply a visit to my happy place, I ended up gaining so much more. Above all, not only was I working on manifesting my new career, I was also discovering why the Tree of Souls is significant.
One last thing!
The Tree of Souls is my name for a tree in Heysham, so please don’t go looking for it.
Do my ancestors feed the Tree of Souls?
So, you know now that my happy place for meditating is visiting Heysham. More importantly, I like to visit a place known locally as The Barrows, which is situated above the graveyard.
My route of reaching The Barrows is walking past the graveyard and the Tree of Souls. Therefore, during my latest meditation, I am making my way there when I stop at the Tree of Souls.
Again, I’m drawn to it as I admire its amazing canopy of leaves so high up. I feel like hugging the tree as I instinctively know that it will give me comfort and stability. As a result, I can clearly see why people hug trees, but why does this tree draw me in?
Slowly I start visualising the roots of this tree, which have been growing for hundreds of years. How far deep within the earth do they go unseen?
How many bodies have fed and nurtured those roots?
Only now do I realise that maybe the bodies of my Blacow ancestors have nourished this tree?
Profound wisdom?
Is this the reason why I’m drawn to it?
My journey becomes more fascinating as I realise that this meditation is turning out to be a root chakra healing. Subsequently, I’m feeling strong and stable like the tree. I am feeling wonderfully grounded, but intrigued. My research reveals the following conclusion.
Meet Polly Blacow
As a child, my grandad told me that I was a descendant of a Pendle Hill witch. As a result, my lovely Mark has been working on my family tree to see if this is true, but sadly to no avail. However, we have been exploring my grandmother’s side of the family, the Blacow’s. The Blacow’s history is one of mainly farming.
Following my meditation, I began looking through my photograph of Blacow graves. To my surprise, buried in the grave near to the tree of souls, is Polly Blacow’s grandad!
Polly Blacow, a Mussel Gatherer of Heysham
My great, great aunt Polly Blacow is pictured above and it’s thanks to Heysham Heritage and Katherine Gregson that I’ve learned so much about her.
She is known as the last mussel gatherer of Heysham and just thinking about her life allows me to feel proud. It’s bloody cold out on the Bay and out she went, gathering mussels. You wouldn’t catch me eating them.
More importantly, are my ancestors communicating with me via the Tree of Souls by way of feeling?
Is this the answer as to why I am drawn to this tree?
I believe the answer is yes!
Clicking here will take you to the article written by Gregson that you can read. Her thoughts are below.
After writing about Polly, my thoughts are that during her life she was not recognised for her achievements in her very hard working life, but now through this knowledge, everyone will understand for future years ahead what life was like for a person like Polly
K. Gregson November 2010
I hope that you visit Heysham sometime and experience the beauty of this place. In addition, I also hope that you’re inspired to take up meditation as it’s a wonderful method of healing.
Dreams of Heysham
St Peters Church in Heysham
Polly Blacow of Heysham
The graves of Heysham overlooking Morecambe Bay
Graves of St Peter’s church in Heysham overlooking Morecambe Bay
Graves under a tree
Shadows in Heysham
An ancient Saxon cross shaft
Ruins in Heysham
Rock cut graves
Polly Blacow of Heysham
When you explore the duality of life, you will no longer feel fenced in
Fairy tale grave in Heysham
Heysham tombs with railings
Consecrated Ground at Heysham Village
Saxon cross shaft
Photographs of Heysham
January 24, 2021