By Kerry Greenaway
When we first received the Spirit message regarding the sacred well, I had absolutely no idea that the journey would lead to so many churches. Personally, I’ve always had a soft spot for religious and historic places – thank you Mum and Dad, but my faith is not based in the church of England even though I was brought up in the faith through the education system. I knew and understood the fundamentals of the religion, but it had no depth to it. I certainly didn’t make a habit of visiting and attending services.
The very first church we visited was St Mary’s in Runwell, unfortunately the church was shut on this day so we explored the graveyard, examining head stones, wondering about the history of those names we could read, admiring the church itself but not particularly anything to do with the faith itself. Our focus was on what Spirit had to tell us when we were there.
Our very first service as a quest team was after we had been berated in the Tarot cards by the Virgin Mary and she asked us to be more dedicated, when we asked her how she told us to think outside the box so to speak and the link of the 1920’s came up in Richards oracle deck. So, we had a little search and found the stunning St Mary’s Church in Great Warley. The church was designed by Mr. C Harrison Townsend and Sir William Reynolds Stephens (another William) and the contemporary Art Neveau decor is an absolute stunning testament to their skill.
When we first arrived, we were met with a woven star at the gate, it was Christmas time, so this was no surprise and slightly nervously we entered the church for a service. It was a morning service, and I can honestly say it was the perfect church for our first service experience. It was the 29th of Dec a perfect still misty winters day, dew drenched the graves and the foliage, but the inside of the church was warm and welcoming. The overriding theme to this church is Love, from the stunning Rose Window in the West wall to the words above Christ in the East. The muted reflection from the mother of pearl decoration softens the impact of the setting and it is akin to having the safe warm nurturing arms of your mother around you. Here I felt the warmth of a shared faith within a community, a passion for their church and desire for preservation for all that it stands for.
I don’t recall what hymns we sang or the specifics of the sermon, but I do remember the peace I felt within this place, where for the first time my personal faith met face to face with the power of the established church and rather than be at conflict with each other they overlayed perfectly. The historic divide between the ‘Church’ and ‘Witch’ has long since dissipated It only lives on through collective trauma and historical records. Time has softened the edges of the church and stands testament to the power of faith. It may once have been a hard rigid master but now it is a warm, compassionate hand. Its roots have always been in service, and those roots are now bearing fruit.
In spiritual circles there is a thing called ley lines, these are lines of energy that run across our landscape and where these lines cross it creates an amplified energy, a point of power. You will find a lot of our historic churches have been built on these nodes. When you step into the energy of these nodes it holds a very specific palpable energy. In Great Warleys case it was pure unconditional Love. The whole place speaks to you; it’s a lively vibrant inclusive energy. Check out the pictures to get a glimpse of what this Church offers.
I urge you to visit and view this stunning church and when you’re there please place a monetary offering in the coffers. The stunning Rose Window needs restoration work, and it falls to the community to help raise the funds, and as they say every little helps.