A lovely episode with Dr James Canton, who talks about his new book Grounded which was published in February 2023. A lovely gentle read, it really made me think differently about our countryside, and the ancestors that have gone before us. I was really interested in the obviously spiritual sites of our village churches, often built on old pagan sites, and how those spots have seen years of worship in some form or other. You can feel the many energetic layers of worship and prayer in the churches. This is in contrast to the less obvious spiritual sites where we may sit and think about someone we have lost, or meditate or pray. In fact all countryside can be seen as sacred, unless it has been desecrated. Its a fascinating read, and a fascinating conversation, showing us how we are still connected to our Ancestors even in this modern world.
James Canton takes us on a journey through England seeking to see through more ancient eyes, to understand what landscape meant to those that came before us. We visit stone circles, the West Kennet long barrow, a Crusader round church and sites of religious visions. We meet the Dagenham Idol and the intricately carved Lion Man figure. We find artefacts buried in farmers’ fields. There is history and meaning encoded into the lands and places we live in, if only we take the time to look.
· James Canton’s previous book, The Oak Papers, was selected as a Radio 4 Book of the Week and has had a strong critical reception. Grounded builds on Canton’s reputation in nature writing but has a broader appeal.
· Grounded opens up the sacred spaces of the past and shows us how amongst the frenzy of the modern world we can find spaces of quiet reflection and learn to stop and slow down.
· Grounded is also in part a personal journey, as James tries to make sense of his father’s death from twenty years ago. As well as the public and ancient monuments he visits on his journey, he also invites us to consider the private markers in the landscape which are sacred to individuals and which connect us to the people from our past.
· Dr James Canton is Director of Wild Writing at the University of Essex. He is the author of The Oak Papers (2020), Ancient Wonderings: Journeys into Prehistoric Britain (2017) and Out of Essex: Re-Imagining a Literary Landscape (2013), which was inspired by his rural wanderings in East Anglia. He has written for the Guardian, reviews for the TLS and Caught by the River, and is a regular on television and radio.
@jamescanton | @jrcanton1 | jamescanton.co.uk
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlight
License code: ZTXJPK8BA5WMLKSF
My new novel The Red Magus has recently been published in conjunction with the Unbound Press. An entralling mystical adventure set across time and space, where past and current lives converge. Find it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
A call to action to help us keep spreading the spiritual ripple xx
Be a Compassion Crusader!
Please like, share and subscribe!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1827829/supporters/new
Natasha Joy Price
www.dandeliontherapies.co.uk
Facebook - Dandelion Therapies
Instagram - natashapriceauthor
Books:-
Freedom of the Soul - available on Amazon UK
The Red Magus - available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
