Starting with the road up the hill to a farm, we followed a footpath that led us into somebody's garden. On their doorstep sat a box labelled 'fire lighters', and we were very nearly tempted to pinch it, for that evening we were planning to celebrate the full moon with a fire. Luckily, Jas figured out that a little muddy path would take us into Flaxley Woods.

All around us towered grand evergreens. The wide forest track led us in a great curve, until we realised that we were too high up, and should be on another path, down near the stream. Bridge led us on an intrepid scramble down the leafy hillside to the bank of the stream. Realising that the path was on the other shore, Bridge and I managed to haul a log over to create a makeshift crossing. After helping everyone across, we trekked through waterlogged fields, until the spire of Flaxley church came into view.

Beside the church stood an enormous country house which appeared to have been constructed to engulf a small chapel, complete with stained glass. The design of the whole house, with its bell towers and cloister-ish courtyard, gave a grand, ecclesiastical impression. One may imagine that this is the elusive abbey, but our map indicated that it should in fact lie just over the hill, beyond a small wood. The grounds of the country house (curiously unmarked on the map) stood in our way, but as the place looked relatively unpopulated, we exercised our right to roam and pushed onwards.

Past their vineyard and up the hill, we climbed over some fences through the wood, and found ourselves in a wide open field, absent of any abbey. While it was unfortunate that our pilgrimage didn't net us any ancient Cistercian ruins, we did have the honour of witnessing a magnificent oak tree, growing unhindered for centuries. Reflecting on the monks who would have cared for this tree long ago, we linked hands and managed to circle the trunk's huge circumference.

Thanks to the oak's spiritual healing, we abandoned our thieving tendancies (although some firewood in a shed did look appealing), and resolved to stay on properly designated footpaths. The trusty path home led us back through the waterlogged fields, and then followed the stream below Flaxley Woods. Then it took us directly into someone's garden—over a gate adorned with the warning: Beware 3 loose dogs. Fortunately, only one of these fierce creatures came out to bark at us, but clearly in awe of our newfound spiritual prowess, he kept his distance and bade us passage.

Finally, we made it back home to Abenhall, just in time to gather some firewood and have ourselves a full moon fire. Back with our community, we sang, chanted, and danced around the fire together, while the flames warmed our hearts, and the full moon filled our spirits.