To be enchanted is to be intensely captivated for a length of time that generally doesn’t last forever. Afterwards we may describe our having been 'under a spell' or that we were 'bewitched'. When our passions have sobered we may even find it hard to rationalise why we ever felt so much about anything. It is a fact that to experience something as wonderful is on another occasion difficult to recreate.

 

Enchanting comes from the Latin 'incantare' which means to incant or cast a magical spell. Its linguistic roots go back to Indo-European usage when it was conceived as an utterance or chant, not unlike that which is more formerly known as a Mantra. The purpose of chanting is to alter the state of mind conducive to ritual or prayer. The use of a repeated words or a single word can induce a sense of attuning that, put together with harmony, may raise an individual’s energy.

 

In the tale of Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwydneu Garanhir, a dialogue poem from the Black Book of Carmarthen, Gwyn describes himself as 'the enchanter'.  As the Son of Nudd (Nodens), the god of dreams, Gwyn has the ability of both a conjurer and a story teller. To prepare the dead for their afterlife Gwyn can amass a dream state where the dead singularly and respectfully discover they are no longer alive. By the end of what could be described as a Netherworld enchantment, Gwyn informs Gwydneu in what manner he is the ‘escort of the grave’:

 

 

The association of enchantment with death is characterised in the image of the faery. More commonly perceived as tiny light weights that can transport themselves on wings, their true history precedes Victorian pantomime by thousands of years. Other than being born of a time when our ancestors worked with gods and goddesses they originally had a more powerful and respectful meaning.

 

The Faer of our ancestors have been similarly associated with the Shining Ones and Fallen Angels due to accounts of their skills and knowledge and the descriptions of wings (or long feathered coats). With the onset of Christianity and its punishments for observing the ‘old faith’, the gods of the old ones went underground into sidh (burial mounds and barrow graves). The process was either a literal one or it may have been spiritual or metaphorical but from their descent arose the terms of Fairy Kings and Queens to replace the ancient gods and the goddesses of Britain.

 

As in the Book of the Dun Cow, the fairy queen describes her large mound as ‘the land of the ever-living, a place where there is neither death nor sin, nor transgression’, from within Glastonbury Tor Gwyn ap Nudd receives the dead. As the great God of the Dead, Gwyn became the King of the Fae and drew a strong association with the veritable host as receiving his guests to an abode of great splendour. So as it is in the tale of Gwyn and St. Collen, a charming story of pagan and Christian values, the magic in our myths and stories can visit us in our dreams. We can choose to be temporarily awakened by them or become fully aware of how they reflect our personal sense of values. Throughout the world of man, dreams and stories have been the opening for our imaginations and have directed us.  As we can all dream an empire, we can all become part of our own played out dreams. 

 

How to identify your own life dream can be revealed through Gwyn, the Enchanter. As you proceed with this part of the Gwynvyd Method you will learn to draw from your own curiosity of what is mystical and magical about life.

 

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To begin, you will:

 

1.    complete a task with no assistance.

2.    answer a series of questions honestly.

 

As the work you do is personal to your development it must be undertaken personally, including the question which are yours to answer alone. However, in respect of the Task you may enlist support in order to experience the fuller effect of chanting.

 

The Task:

 

The Chant of Enchantment - 'Gwyn'

 

As Gwyn is a name which means white, fair and blessed, it can be chanted. With harmonies added it can attain notes that resemble the peel of a bell. 

   

 Set some time aside for yourself.

 Find a room where you will not be disturbed.

 Make yourself comfortable, either sitting down or standing.

 Begin to say the name 'Gwyn' over and over again.

 Experiment with saying the name slowly.

 Try to say it faster.

 Say the name on higher notes and then say it on lower.

 If you hit a sound that you feel most comfortable with, stay with it for a while.

 If you can record your voice and then run it whilst you chant 'Gwyn' in a different manner, notice the altered pitch of sound.

 If on another occasion you can find the support of one or others, note how one sound compiled in many harmonies can enable a synchronisation of sound.

 You might discover that other than an attuning of sound you may attune all your minds as a result of unconsciously becoming in sync.

 

You are now ready to move on to your questions. When you are ready, ask yourself one of the following five questions and then become conscious of your answer:

 

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 The Questions:

 

1. Am I a storyteller?

       

Do you enjoy telling stories? Do you write stories to create your own fiction?

 

We may tell stories to children and we may have written stories or a novel. The journey of mind creativity can be incredibly satisfying as out of seemingly nothing can appear something new. Could you learn a story and tell it to a group of adults? Could you read myths from other countries and compare their themes?

 

If a man is born similarly the world he lives is by similar methods.  

 

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 2. Am I a cheat?

 

Do you deceive people? Do you think life is dull and needs lies to enliven it?  

 

If we fabricate the truth in order to make life easier for us we could be making it more difficult. If our reality always remains with us and it could become harder to deal with especially if we keep cover it up. Could you own one truth at least each day? Could you explore what is unreal through acting or writing?

 

To own up is to grow up and become a grown person.

 

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 3.  Am I a dreamer?

 

Do you drift in your thoughts? Do you remember your dreams?

 

If we run through our dreams in the expectation they will provide answers, they possibly might. As we are all born with ability to think in imagery, we each have the same template for producing a programmed but personal response. Could you consider your fantasies and what they may be saying about you? Could you observe your dreams as issues unresolved?

 

A dream is a gateway to the unconscious mind. 

 

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4.  Am I enchanting?

 

Do you charm others with your presence and abilities? Would you lie in an interview to win yourself a job?

 

When we present ourselves well we can draw attention to ourselves, but true charm is an ability to manipulate an opinion or a situation. Could you promise others what is only yours to give? Could you offer what you think you are really worth?

 

If we promise the world, we may be expected to give it.

 

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5. Could I do magic?

 

Do you like playing tricks? Do you watch illusionists and try to guess their method?

 

We may have all tried to make a coin or thumb disappear whilst watching the reaction of a fascinated child. The ability to entertain and convince is an art which can be drawn from in all merits of life. Could you be sincere in what you do, especially for others? Could you see the world as not just black and white but rainbows that encompass you?

   

What we can see in full moon is a night in true colour.

 

Well done! You may continue to phrase your own questions or if you wish, return to this area again later. Alternatively, you can now enter another area of the Gwynvyd Method.

 

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