17/12/2025
Tonight’s Special Event.
Today, 17th December, is the traditional starting date of Saturnalia, the great Roman festival of Saturn. It is also considered to be the date in 1273 (Gregorian) of the day that Jalal al‑Din Rumi, the great Sufi mystic and poet, transitioned into the arms of the Great Mystery. In the Mevlevi tradition this date is celebrated as his “wedding night," the night of union with the Beloved, and celebration and devotionals are held in Konya.
Appropriately to the above, 17th December is the birthday of John Greenleaf Whittier (b. 1807), an American Quaker poet and abolitionist whose work braided religious conscience, social justice and a sense of the land’s moral imagination. And on the 17th December 1790, the Aztec Calendar Stone (Sun Stone) was rediscovered in Mexico City’s main square, bringing back into view a vast cyclic cosmology of suns, ages and sacrificial time that has since inspired artists, occultists and scholars alike.
So, with all that cosmology abounding, we are EVEN more so looking forward to this tonight!
An Evening with Alan Royce.
Alan Royce has spent many years in Avalon attuning himself to the living spirit of the landscape. Through deep communion with its plants, trees, and unseen presences, along with a profound understanding of history, he is known to be one of Avalon’s most quietly wise and inspiring guides.
This evening, Alan will share reflections and gentle insights into the unseen and otherworldly forces that continue to shape our connection with this land. Among them are ancient powers and presences that, though hidden from ordinary sight, are still felt to move deeply through the life of Avalon.
Alan’s understanding of history is felt through the land itself, through memory, myth, and direct experience. What he shares will open us to wonder, insight, and a deeper sense of connection with Avalon’s unfolding mysteries, and this will be a unique evening that it is a profound honour to host within our circle.
Goddess Hall, Benedict Street.
Doors open 6.30pm for 7pm start.
Suggested £10/8.
Space according to availability.