Earthing The Dragon By Adam Stout Unveils The Spiritual Roots Of Glastonbury’s Enduring Energy

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, Discover the mystical origins of Glastonbury Festival in Earthing the Dragon: Glastonbury and the Sixties, where cultural historian Adam Stout reveals how 1960s counterculture, ley lines, earth energies, Arthurian legends, and visionary figures like John Michell converged on this ancient sacred landscape to awaken its spiritual power and birth a legendary celebration designed to energize the Earth itself.

Glastonbury, a small market town in Somerset, England, has long held a reputation as one of Britain’s most mystical places. Its landscape, steeped in ancient legends, has drawn seekers of spiritual truths for centuries. In his latest book, cultural historian and archaeologist Dr. Adam Stout delves into a pivotal chapter of this history: how the countercultural movements and spiritual experimentation of the 1960s transformed Glastonbury into the site of what would become the world’s most iconic music festival.

The Allure of Glastonbury in the Swinging Sixties

The 1960s were a time of profound social and cultural upheaval, marked by youthful idealism, experimentation with psychedelics like LSD, and a growing interest in alternative spirituality. Amid this era, Glastonbury emerged as a magnet for those disillusioned with mainstream society. The town’s ancient myths—tied to King Arthur, Joseph of Arimathea, and early Christianity in Britain—resonated deeply with a generation eager to reconnect with a sense of sacredness and community.

Seekers arrived drawn by ideas of earth energies, ley lines, and sacred geometry. Concepts such as the Glastonbury Zodiac—a supposed landscape zodiac etched into the surrounding hills—gained traction, alongside beliefs in UFOs and portents in the sky. By 1967, early New Age Travellers made their way to the area in horse-drawn caravans along ancient greenways, guided by these mystical signs. Their journeys marked the beginning of a convergence between counterculture and the town’s inherent spiritual aura.

Key Figures Shaping the Mystical Revival

Several influential thinkers played central roles in elevating Glastonbury’s esoteric profile during this period. Geoffrey Ashe contributed through his explorations of Arthurian legend and the idea of King Arthur’s symbolic return, infusing the landscape with renewed mythological significance. Wellesley Tudor Pole emphasized spiritual renewal, linking the town to figures like St. Michael and broader themes of divine presence.

John Michell stands out as a particularly prominent voice. His writings on ley lines, earth energies, and sacred geometry helped popularize the notion that Glastonbury’s terrain formed part of a larger energetic network. These ideas intertwined with activism, dreamers’ visions, and the era’s philosophical shifts, creating a fertile ground for new ways of understanding place, belief, and human connection.

From Spiritual Quest to the Birth of the Festival

The culmination of these influences arrived with the Glastonbury Fair of 1971, often regarded as the first “proper” iteration of what evolved into the modern Glastonbury Festival. Far from a mere music event, it was conceived as a joyful ritual to awaken and stimulate the Earth’s energies—described metaphorically as energizing the planet’s nervous system through collective celebration.

The festival’s origins lie not in commercial ambition or celebrity culture but in the idealism of the preceding years. West London bohemians and fashion-forward individuals brought the Sixties ethos to this offbeat town, blending it with local mysticism. The result was a unique fusion that laid the cultural and spiritual foundations for the gatherings that followed.

A Lasting Legacy Grounded in Place

Stout’s work highlights how Glastonbury’s true power stems from the land itself—its myths, history, and perceived energies—rather than any single event or performer. The spiritual and countercultural strands woven in the 1960s continue to define the town’s allure today, attracting visitors from around the world.

As a focused, well-researched account, the book draws on diverse sources to trace these interconnected histories without descending into speculation or overly academic complexity. It offers an accessible narrative that captures the joyous, transformative spirit of the time while providing valuable context against the broader backdrop of 1960s global changes.

For those curious about the deeper forces behind one of the planet’s most famous festivals, this exploration reveals that the real headline has always been Glastonbury itself—a place where ancient legends meet modern dreams, sustaining its unique energy across decades.

Adam Stout

Glastonbury today is world famous not just for the festival but also because the town is now a major New Age centre, and both grew out of the Sixties. “The Kings Road ran straight to Glastonbury in those days”, wrote Barry Miles, doyen of London’s Swinging Sixties.

This book explores and explains how it all came about. It looks at the West London bohemians and fashionistas who took the Sixties ideal to this offbeat market town, and the transformations that occurred when they did so, culminating in the first ‘proper’ Glastonbury Festival in 1971. Wellesley Tudor Pole, Geoffrey Ashe and above all John Michell are the stars of the story but the cast-list includes Marianne Faithfull and the Rolling Stones, and many lesser lights as well.

It’s the fruit of a lot of original research, as well as interviews with surviving 60s pioneers who came here searching for the hippy dream, all spun around a thread of post-imperial angst and the quest for national redemption. This is social and cultural history with a twist.

–Adam Stout

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