The Gaia method.

At any point during the seven gateway initiations you will recieve one of the four gifts of the Tuatha de Danann or the four Hallows of Arthurian myth. The receiving of these four gifts is decided by your own higher guidance so can happen at any time during the initiation process and in any order. Receiving the gifts gives you the keys to certain aspects of your work with Gaia.

The gift of the Sword gives you the tools to working with the opening and closing of vortex points around the planet. My first experience of this was during a visit to Beiulieu Abbey. Fully expecting the main energy to be in the church I was surprised to find that I felt a vortex energy from the wine press room! This was where the Cistercian monks made their wine and later kept their sheep's wool. The vortex wasn't very wide but was very tangible. This was my first inkling of how the Cistercian monks 'hid' their most sacred spots! Standing on the vortex I tuned in and saw a sword, imbedded in the center of the vortex, up to its hilt. The monks had placed it there, like an acupuncture needle, to close the vortex during the dissolution of the monasteries so that it could not be used for ill. They had left it a little open rather than closing it completely.
On the ground was an energetic vesica piscis and the sword was in the centre of the intersectiing circles. I was instructed to pull it out and as I did I suddenly understood the story of King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone! As a solar king he had to be at the right level, and have the right intention of serving the Goddess/Earth, before he could open the earth vortexes. What an amazing revelation! I was so excited. I saw the whole story so differently now and finally understood why the Gaiamethod was connected to the Arthurain myths. The use of the mythical sword is an intrinsic part of the Gaiamethod system.

The gift of the Cup allows you to hold Goddess energies, and all that that entails. For me the Cup is the Cauldron and Winter. The Crone Goddess teaches me a lot. However, I always dread when I see her as she gives some of her soup from the cauldron and this usually preceeds a very deep healing process! Again the energy of death and rebirth!! Lately she had been giving me soup to give to others which feels like a huge responsibility!
If the cauldron 'appears' at a site then I know its both a healing site and a winter site connected to Cerridwen. My first experience of this was at a site in Wiltshire while I was doing an archaeological survey on an Iron Age Banjo enclosure (An circular enclosure with a long avenue, hence the name). At the bottom of the Banjo's avenue was a circular dip which turned out to be a vortex site. It was most active in the Spring so I called it the Spring vortex. Beside it was another circular clearing and the energy here felt amazing. It was about Death and how our ancestors experienced it. But their experience was a joyful one not depressing and hard. Their joy that one of their family was returning to the womb of the Goddess was awe-inspiring. It was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. I was aware of the spiral of the void, the year's end spinning into space and the possibility of new life just around the corner. Although in this case it was literally around the corner as the Spring vortex was right next door! so here we had the Spring and Winter vortex but where was the Mother? We found her months later, but that is another story......

The gift of the Spear brings the ability to create circles of light with your energy field. I was given it in a stone circle in Merrivale, Dartmoor, by a Warrior with long hair in plaits. He instructed me to point it at a stone in the circle and to use to join the energies of each stone to the next to create a circle of light. This is very useful as it allows you to 'walk' light around sacred sites both to anchor the protective light energy and to lock it in when the work is complete. It also helps to open a site up, like a key. You are normally guided as to how many revolutions are needed to open a site although usually one is enough to close it.

The gift of the Stone is usually the last gift to be given. This is because it is connected to Divine Kingship and the ability to wield power for the good of all. Again I was given the directions for this stone whilst working in a stone circle in Cumbria. I was told by the Crone of that place to go to the Western Isles and to find the sacred stone. I thought she meant Callanish but it turned out to be Tara!
At this point you are One with the Landscape, One with the Goddess and dedicated to working on awakening her where she is still sleeping. Your destiny is entwined with hers. You are the Goddess in form. The Lia fail at Tara is an initiation site for men who are attuned to the Goddess for they have to pass the sacred tests of fire before they will be accepted as representives of the God aspect of creation, capable of Divine partnership with the Goddess of Sovereignty.
This can be very interesting for their female partners!!