Monday 21 June 2010

solstice sunrise at stonehenge


we had to weave through thousands of people in the blackness but we found a place against a bluestone. i pressed my back up against it and it felt like water. it moved with me and it buzzed and hummed and sang. we sat still for six hours. i sat in the darkness as people around me beat drums and danced and cheered. every once and again a cheer would begin and grow and roll about the crowd and get louder until it died off in a wave. everyone was grinning. people held hands and kissed. i sat still. the rocks were moving.. they were living... they said "here and now" and "peace" and everything else seemed small and far away. it was like dying, like letting go but still being attached... i was clutching a small bag filled with knitting, little lights, water, bread and m&ms.. but i didnt need anything. i dropped my bag below me and opened my hands. i had whatever was coming from the stones and the people humming through me. my hands and legs were buzzing... despite every bit of strangeness that was there around me... (polite englishmen tripping on acid: "oh excuse me and please do pardon, i seem to have taken a bit of LCD and now my spacial perception is a tad askew.. i certainly would not have stepped on you otherwise, its because i have taken drugs you see." security men in bright yellow jackets standing like boulders and flashing yellow fire in a thousand camera flashes... teenage girls in miniskirts and rave bangles with smeary makeup and mumbled accents.) it was all there... and the stones sat ancient and held us all. we were picked up in a mouth like kittens, we mewed and screamed.. some of us fell down... but the stones, like grandfathers, rocked us and sang to us like we were rolling in a giant gaping baby cradle. and they just watched on... rooted... observing it all unmoving with equal love and detachment. i didnt move. i didnt need to move. i didnt touch any of the other stones. i didnt walk around in a circle. i sat against my stone plugged in like a little blackberry. it was mine. and how many others have felt the same! now that i am home, it is still mine. my battery is all full and my legs are still humming. ruby is sitting on me and wont leave. we keep joking that she is in the henge-glow. i didnt know that would happen! i didnt believe anything would happen. i was only going to sit on a blanket and watch the sunrise. what a gift. and now i know, stonehenge is a baby cradle.

heh heh look at ruby's henge eyes. shes got the proper glow
she keeps pressing her head to my legs. ♥ kitty ♥

26 comments:

stephanie dosen said...

ps. for anyone who may not know, stonehenge is roped off and people are not allowed to touch the stones or get very near to the site. once a year on the summer solstice, they open up stonehenge and take down the ropes. the people are allowed to go in and touch the stones for just over 12 hours to watch the sunrise... the stone i was leaning against dates back to 3000 BC. recently scientists have discovered that stonehenge may have been a place for healing... i am very surprised that this has anything to do with me, but i suppose now it does! ♥

Mother Moon said...

a beautiful post. How I wish I could have been there with you this morning yet your retelling made me feel as if I were. blessed Summer solstice

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Amazing to think how many others have felt this before you on this longest day of the year.

Bea said...

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful experience with us! I got goosebumps reading it. One day I hope to see stonehenge, too.

Valerianna said...

Wow, wonderful! Someday I want to be there... A friend told me his story of standing stones moving and speaking to him.... And, yes, my kitty sure does love getting his "glow" on - sitting in the center of our ritual circle after we have departed, sitting on me when I'm meditating... he's a magnet to this energy... ruby sure looks blissed out!

Emily's Moose - Karolina Kubikowska said...

Such an amazing experience! I think I would have loved it too..

Harlow Darling said...

What a magical and other worldly expierience, you are a lucky one, wow...

Ps
Your sweet kitty looks just like a twin of my little Duchess, only with green eyes instead of blue :)

Jo Potter said...

Lovely post. It sounds like a you had a perfect moment in time at Stonehenge. Very magical!
I think Ruby was there with you in spirit and had a little mystical trip of her own. She has a far away look in her eyes!:)

xxx

Ϩtεℓℓα said...

how beautiful! i´ve always felt attracted by that place, but never been there yet. Seems so magical...

Love!!

Chelsea said...

Lots of people were talking about stonehenge this weekend and how super busy it gets, i'm glad you managed to find a little space to truely enjoy it! I think I am going to try and get there for the winter solstice this year when it is slightly less hectic but open.

stephanie dosen said...

im definitely going to go back for the winter solstice too! i will see you there!

thanks everyone for your comments.
i tried to put a little henge-glow in the story
so that you could feel it while you were reading.
i wanted to store some here... not like a horcrux
or anything! hehehehe :)

i realized after doing some study that
we were up against the bluestones..
the very oldest stones at the site..
they are small and unassuming..
but they are the originals from wales
brought for their healing properties..
no one seemed to pay them much
attention... they arent what you
picture when you think of stonehenge...
the are the silent heros.
sometimes the magic happens in
the smallest places. in the quietest
rooms and in the most lowly of circumstances ♥

stephanie dosen said...

ps. most of the festival crowd seemed to stay outside of the stones.. the people that wanted to stay inside the whole time were very small in number comparatively!

Chelsea said...

Thankyou for lovely comment, and you should definitely try to come in future i think.
I do hope I make it along to see/sit against the stones this winter, huddle with furry coat and thermos flask.

(haha,It did take me ages after first hearing je veux te voir to actually twig anything she was singing about :P)

Anonymous said...

I loved you description! Made me jealous that I hadn't thought of going...
By the way, I've just nominated you for the beautiful blogger award over at my place : )

geekspawn said...

Mm this is lovely. I have to do this before I die, it's official. :)

Shell said...

Amazing. I wish I could have been there with you to feel the Henge-glow!!!

Jess said...

Oh how magical! You're charged now with spiritual energy to keep you going all through the year and back! Your writing is wonderful.xx

brandi said...

~the last time i was over for a visit...there were no songs on your side bar and well your dear friend joanne shared a video with us...ever so beautiful is your voice...takes you far away from where you are...etheral and magical...warm wishes and bright full moon blessings~

brandi said...

~the last time i was over for a visit...there were no songs on your side bar and well your dear friend joanne shared a video with us...ever so beautiful is your voice...takes you far away from where you are...etheral and magical...warm wishes and bright full moon blessings~

Fleur said...

stonehenge looks so amazing! I have only seen the stones in books, never with my own eyes.
Really wonderful you did have seen them and even touched them!
Wow! :D
xx Fleur

Jocerane said...

Wow....!!!!!
I'm so happy for you that you went through this!
I'm a bit envious or jalous, but those are not good words, compared to such an adventure!

Is all that in good english? I'm not so sure, lol!

Laura said...

precious. <3 xoxoxoxoxo

Unknown said...

That was so beautiful!
I've always wanted to visit Stonehenge. I was heartbroken when I found out about the rope, that you could not get close. But to hear that there is a time when the rope is removed... How magical! This has renewed my longing to visit...

Josephine Tale Peddler said...

How powerful and beautifully written. I loved Stonehenge but the stones that spoke to me the most were the Rollright Stones. They inspired some of my first fantasy books. xx

Leah said...

i'm in love with this
xx

phoebe said...

that sounds absolutely amazing. i really want to go some year.