ON THE FLYING SCOTSMAN TRAIN from London to Edinburgh in late June, there was never a dull moment with the church choir I was traveling with… especially on the train. I on the other hand was more introverted and easily drawn to the passing scenery. The further north the train chugged, the lighter my heart felt. Just before crossing the border into Scotland, the North Sea came into view and the train followed the coastline. It was glorious!
When I stepped on to Scottish soil I was warmed by a strange current of energy pulsing through me. It was a feeling of coming home. Suddenly my weary body came alive with a sense of joy and comfort and a depth of peace I’d never experienced in Texas. (In coming years, I would understand more fully that different lands carry different vibes & personalities.) I definitely carried a torch for Scotland.
I remember my first night in Scotland like it was yesterday, with seemingly unending dusk, then twilight with sunrise at 4:30 am. I joined friends in fearlessly exploring High Street to Holyrood, Greyfriars to Haymarket, Prince’s Street and beyond. There was so much to cover and so little time…
It was a crush of DNA proportions… and would be verified in my genealogy and ancestral connections. A friend of mine reminded me just recently that “blood attracts.” And this 6th generation Texan and 10th generation American was made a believer. Scotland was the second ‘hit’ in my connection to past vibes, with Hungary being the first… There would be more to come. I would return to Scotland many times for restoration, research in Templar history and to pursue my writing treasure hunt. But at a deeper level, I was tuning into my soul’s beckoning to awaken. This quickening was only the beginning and the geographic location of Scotland and its vibes naturally facilitated my internal explorations.
In the years to come, I would embark on my research into Scotland’s history, lore, and Templar studies, while doing my best to unravel threads of seemingly disparate clues hiding in plain site at every turn. Symbols splashed across buildings and carved into collegiate chapels called to me of solving and salvation. The answers lay in long suppressed and disenfranchised stories, which even the Scots were destine to lay aside in the name of progress and Roman church inculcation.
At any rate, this was my beginning… My heart still speaks at the mere thought of Scotland and my soul connection. The Templars were the vehicle ~ my horse, so to speak ~ for moving me from one point in time to another ~ a common thread that grounded my mystic quest to the earth. But the Templars also WERE the link in common between places and events that spanned beyond medieval history… yes, I said beyond… but that is another story.
L.S. Berthelsen 