AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
You start to realise your job is a bit odd when it takes you into a Brentwood woodland community of pagans who declare you "a bit of a pervert".
That was the (incorrect) verdict of a Tarot card reading I received last week at the Hallowed Spiritual Sanctuary on Mores Lane, Pilgrims Hatch.
The mystical denouncement of my character was one of many extraordinary moments in my encounter with Rowan McCrory and Mandy Flynn, who launched the sanctuary in January.
They talked of witchcraft, wands, fairies, candle magic, healing spells and energy manipulation.
Most Brentwood residents would probably agree these aren't exactly buzzwords around the town, which makes for a peculiar home for the Hallowed.
The spiritual centre is easy to miss, tucked away off a winding road through the woods.
Saint Paul's, the church just across the road, is a monument to the kind of organised religion Rowan and Mandy feel at odds with, though both were raised Catholic.
Rowan McCrory performs a Tarot reading at the Hallowed Spiritual Sanctuary
The proprietors first met at a pagan event in Grays around four years ago.
Rowan, from Thurrock, managed a community centre at the time, while Mandy, from Hainault, worked at a beauty salon.
They became friends and decided to start a business based on their pagan practices and love of nature, though the initial plan was to open a shop on Brentwood High Street.
Eventually they found the Mores Lane site, a small building they rent from the residents of a bungalow next door.
Rowan said: "We realised it is more important than just being a shop. We wanted to build a community."
Mandy added: "The woods were a big part of why we chose this. We need a green place.
"As earth-based practitioners, we need to take ourselves away from the hustle and bustle of city life."
The women accept that Brentwood is not the most obvious choice of location for their centre.
"Brentwood is home to some beautiful people," Rowan said. "They have got a TV show.
"It's a very young and funky place to be. That is not to say we can't be here as well.
"I would say it is not a hotspot for people like ourselves. This was a concern at first, but the centre has been popular."
Around 20 people per week visit the Hallowed to meditate, make oils, discuss paganism, attend craft workshops and celebrate events like the Summer Solstice. Mediums also conduct readings occasionally.
The centre offers a range of unorthodox treatments which cost between £20 and £45.
One example is shamanic healing, which involves drums, rattles, chimes, chanting and burning herbs or incense to "spiritually cleanse and bless" the area.
The proprietors believe there are many inaccurate preconceptions about paganism.
"We don't run naked in the woods," Rowan joked.
"With us it is more of a craft. It is not really a religion, just a way of life."
Mandy added: "People don't slow down enough to listen to themselves. It is about people looking after themselves."
Inside the sanctuary
Neither of the women believes in literal gods, but they worship nature and practise various forms of magic, which they describe as "energy manipulation".
They say candles can be used to make your desires come true.
Rowan said: "If you want something, you can put an oil on the candle and beckon it towards you.
"If you want to get rid of it, you do it the other way. If you wanted a healing spell, you could put sage or rose petal in the candle."
Noting my blank expression, Rowan laughed and told me: "It is hard to explain without sounding like a complete nutjob. It is about a positive attitude."
Mandy said: "It is like looking for a new job. If you want one, you can't just sit at home. You have to do something positive about it."
Rowan showed me some wands made from twigs by children during the Harry Potter-themed week of workshops held at the Hallowed recently.
She said: "A wand is an extension of your power finger. They give you a tool to focus your intent.
The site can be found on Mores Lane, Pilgrims Hatch
"They encourage play and imagination."
Rowan revealed one of the wands is intended to bring out fairies.
"You have to appease them with some honey or sweets to keep you on their good side," she added.
Rowan also performed a reading of my Tarot cards, which can reveal subconscious truths about a person, she believes.
I had to shuffle a pack of the cards and sort them into three piles, before telling Rowan which pile most caught my eye.
She then drew a series of cards from it, showing a devil, a fool, the sun and several cups.
"The devil is normally addictive behaviour," she told me. "Maybe you are a little bit of a pervert.
"You might be in debt and bad with money. You could be working towards an end goal which I think you don't need.
"I think you have put a lot of thought into your decisions. It is all going to work out for the best."
Feeling a little perturbed, despite Rowan's insistence this was a positive reading, I quizzed her about the children's activities.
The Harry Potter week was attended by eight children who took part in quidditch, flying lessons, decorating brooms and casting spells to "get rid of monsters".
I asked Rowan whether she is concerned that it might be unhelpful for children to be told monsters exist.
She replied: "I hear what you are saying, but children, no matter how old they are, have a fear of something.
"My son is 11 and has a fear of heights. I let him create an invisible string that will help him get up the stairs.
"As much as you want to protect your children, there are monsters out there."
Rowan, who has Asperger's syndrome, says her spirituality has helped her overcome self-doubt and anxiety.
She also revealed that her 18-year-old daughter works at the sanctuary.
"I didn't bring my kids into paganism, because when I was quite out there in the 90s, I didn't want someone thinking I was going to brainwash my children," she added.
"People thought I would make a terrible mother. It wasn't until my daughter had finished college that I let her work here.
"I have been judged by people in the past. I had a lot of negative stuff when I was at school."
Rowan developed an interest in paganism at an early age, getting her first pack of Tarot cards at 13.
"I went to a Roman Catholic boarding school and I didn't like any of that," she said.
"I don't like organised religion."
Mandy added: "I do have a real issue with authoritarian religion.
"Why would I need to believe in an outside source? If you have enough belief in yourself you can accomplish anything."
You can visit the centre's website at www.thehallowedspiritualsanctuary.co.uk
Source: Meet the pagans who have launched a sanctuary in Brentwood
You start to realise your job is a bit odd when it takes you into a Brentwood woodland community of pagans who declare you "a bit of a pervert".
That was the (incorrect) verdict of a Tarot card reading I received last week at the Hallowed Spiritual Sanctuary on Mores Lane, Pilgrims Hatch.
The mystical denouncement of my character was one of many extraordinary moments in my encounter with Rowan McCrory and Mandy Flynn, who launched the sanctuary in January.
They talked of witchcraft, wands, fairies, candle magic, healing spells and energy manipulation.
Most Brentwood residents would probably agree these aren't exactly buzzwords around the town, which makes for a peculiar home for the Hallowed.
The spiritual centre is easy to miss, tucked away off a winding road through the woods.
Saint Paul's, the church just across the road, is a monument to the kind of organised religion Rowan and Mandy feel at odds with, though both were raised Catholic.
The proprietors first met at a pagan event in Grays around four years ago.
Rowan, from Thurrock, managed a community centre at the time, while Mandy, from Hainault, worked at a beauty salon.
They became friends and decided to start a business based on their pagan practices and love of nature, though the initial plan was to open a shop on Brentwood High Street.
Eventually they found the Mores Lane site, a small building they rent from the residents of a bungalow next door.
Rowan said: "We realised it is more important than just being a shop. We wanted to build a community."
Mandy added: "The woods were a big part of why we chose this. We need a green place.
"As earth-based practitioners, we need to take ourselves away from the hustle and bustle of city life."
The women accept that Brentwood is not the most obvious choice of location for their centre.
"Brentwood is home to some beautiful people," Rowan said. "They have got a TV show.
"It's a very young and funky place to be. That is not to say we can't be here as well.
"I would say it is not a hotspot for people like ourselves. This was a concern at first, but the centre has been popular."
Around 20 people per week visit the Hallowed to meditate, make oils, discuss paganism, attend craft workshops and celebrate events like the Summer Solstice. Mediums also conduct readings occasionally.
The centre offers a range of unorthodox treatments which cost between £20 and £45.
One example is shamanic healing, which involves drums, rattles, chimes, chanting and burning herbs or incense to "spiritually cleanse and bless" the area.
The proprietors believe there are many inaccurate preconceptions about paganism.
"We don't run naked in the woods," Rowan joked.
"With us it is more of a craft. It is not really a religion, just a way of life."
Mandy added: "People don't slow down enough to listen to themselves. It is about people looking after themselves."
Neither of the women believes in literal gods, but they worship nature and practise various forms of magic, which they describe as "energy manipulation".
They say candles can be used to make your desires come true.
Rowan said: "If you want something, you can put an oil on the candle and beckon it towards you.
"If you want to get rid of it, you do it the other way. If you wanted a healing spell, you could put sage or rose petal in the candle."
Noting my blank expression, Rowan laughed and told me: "It is hard to explain without sounding like a complete nutjob. It is about a positive attitude."
Mandy said: "It is like looking for a new job. If you want one, you can't just sit at home. You have to do something positive about it."
Rowan showed me some wands made from twigs by children during the Harry Potter-themed week of workshops held at the Hallowed recently.
She said: "A wand is an extension of your power finger. They give you a tool to focus your intent.
"They encourage play and imagination."
Rowan revealed one of the wands is intended to bring out fairies.
"You have to appease them with some honey or sweets to keep you on their good side," she added.
Rowan also performed a reading of my Tarot cards, which can reveal subconscious truths about a person, she believes.
I had to shuffle a pack of the cards and sort them into three piles, before telling Rowan which pile most caught my eye.
She then drew a series of cards from it, showing a devil, a fool, the sun and several cups.
"The devil is normally addictive behaviour," she told me. "Maybe you are a little bit of a pervert.
"You might be in debt and bad with money. You could be working towards an end goal which I think you don't need.
"I think you have put a lot of thought into your decisions. It is all going to work out for the best."
Feeling a little perturbed, despite Rowan's insistence this was a positive reading, I quizzed her about the children's activities.
The Harry Potter week was attended by eight children who took part in quidditch, flying lessons, decorating brooms and casting spells to "get rid of monsters".
I asked Rowan whether she is concerned that it might be unhelpful for children to be told monsters exist.
She replied: "I hear what you are saying, but children, no matter how old they are, have a fear of something.
"My son is 11 and has a fear of heights. I let him create an invisible string that will help him get up the stairs.
"As much as you want to protect your children, there are monsters out there."
Rowan, who has Asperger's syndrome, says her spirituality has helped her overcome self-doubt and anxiety.
She also revealed that her 18-year-old daughter works at the sanctuary.
"I didn't bring my kids into paganism, because when I was quite out there in the 90s, I didn't want someone thinking I was going to brainwash my children," she added.
"People thought I would make a terrible mother. It wasn't until my daughter had finished college that I let her work here.
"I have been judged by people in the past. I had a lot of negative stuff when I was at school."
Rowan developed an interest in paganism at an early age, getting her first pack of Tarot cards at 13.
"I went to a Roman Catholic boarding school and I didn't like any of that," she said.
"I don't like organised religion."
Mandy added: "I do have a real issue with authoritarian religion.
"Why would I need to believe in an outside source? If you have enough belief in yourself you can accomplish anything."
You can visit the centre's website at www.thehallowedspiritualsanctuary.co.uk
Source: Meet the pagans who have launched a sanctuary in Brentwood
