Alive & Thriving: Glastonbury Town

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Back home there seems to be a lot of independent businesses and shops going under, affected by COVID, inflation, lack of workers, and being taken over by large companies. I was so cheered to walk round Glastonbury and find this place not only still alive, but just as vibrant as ever. There seemed to be even more shops, and hardly any chain shops at all - even Boots had gone.

As we walked down from the Tor, we must have seen at least five hypnotherapy places. Glastonbury is known to be a place where you can get your tarot read or get some kind of healing. It's full of 'spiritual' folk from druids to witches to self styled gurus. Perhaps that is partly the reason it's thriving - after COVID, we need this kind of thing more than ever?

Certainly, you'd have a place to park your broomstick. There was more than one shop selling witchy things. You could buy a spellbook or candles and herbs, and everything else you needed for witchy things.

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Some of these shops have been around for years. I remember them being here when I lived here fifteen years ago. Some of them are newer. One of our favourite shops is Starchild where you can buy books, natural incense and perfumes, essential oils and dried herbs. We bought two tubs of incense and some charcoal.

There were a heap of books I would have bought if I had money, but truth be told I know so much about their content these days, from trees to mushrooms to herbs to ogham. Lots of practical books. There's a number of book shops in Glastonbury, particularly estoric ones.

It's definitely the place to come if you want crystals as well. You can also get good vegan and vegetarian food. There's a great vegan bakery down one of the lanes. There's also about six charity shops - UK is amazing for 'chazzas' as we call them (op shops in Australia).

We went into the health food shop there which is huge and extensive. Lots of yummy vegetables, dried food, drinks, cereals, breads, natural cosmetics and so on.

We were thrilled enough with the CBD chocolate and drinks, which you can't get in Australia (yet). We had a lovely CBD brownie and a fizzy drink with CBD. For the record, we were offered 'space cakes' in the street but declined.

This definitely won't be the last time we're in Glastonbury this year. I look for any excuse to climb the tor and absorb the energy of this place if I'm honest. It definitely calls to my hippy heart.