Stone Circles

Lesley's Blog

In my last two blogs I wrote about circles and stones and now I will be putting those two images together into Stone Circles, some of my most favorite places to visit in Britain. Mysterious and enigmatic, these amazing structures were built thousands of years ago, mostly in what is known as the Bronze Age. No-one knows why they were constructed or what they were used for, although theories, myths and folk stories abound. Many of the stone circles have associated burials and they often have some of the stones aligned to certain astronomical events, such as the sun or moon at the summer or winter solstices. The stories of faeries, dancing maidens, stones moving at night, healing and magic being associated with some circles are entertaining to read.

During the tours that I led, the women had fun tracking energy with divining rods but some of the individuals were able to feel the special energy at many of the circles by touching the stones or simply being within the circle. Personally I am not very sensitive to energy but I love being at the stone circles in a special way that I cannot explain. I feel somehow connected to a sense of ancesters, over thousands of years, people who were different and yet in many ways the same as myself. There is an experience of being related to all people, then and now. Energy connects all beings and all that is and to really know that, if only for moments, allows judgments to dissolve and love to take root.

I am also intrigued that those peoples so long ago seemed to be searching for ways to make sense of their world and their lives, just like we do. Even though we understand things that they did not, so much of life remains puzzling. They like us learned to live in the mystery.

The rest of this blog will be more of a brief travel log which can be titled "Stone circles I have visited and loved", not something that everyone will be interested in so, if that is you, just stop reading here.
   
There are literally hundreds of Stone Circles throughout the United Kingdom, in varying states of disrepair, and wherever I visit I try to find one of those wonderful ancient monuments to experience. For many American visitors to the United Kingdom, Stone Henge is the only stone circle they have heard of and it is one of my least favorite to visit.

(Stone Henge)
 

The size of the stones and the intricacies of the circle are impressive, as is the fact that some of the huge stones were moved from South Wales and Malborough Downs, many miles away. But it's fame prevents an intimate experience with the stones and there are usually many visitors moving around the well defined perimeter. A view from afar but don't touch experience.

There are other stunning large stone circles but they are off the beaten track for most visitors. On the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, a beautiful and impressive stone circle was constructed, probably in several phases, at Callanish.

 





(Part of the Callanish circle)

 

Several smaller stone circles are close by and well worth the visit. On another island, Orkney, off the east coast of Scotland, one of my all time favorites is the Ring of Brodgar, another large circle overlooking the waters of the lochs of Stenness and Harray.



 

(Parts of the Ring of Brodgar) 

When I visited with one of the women's travel groups there was no-one else there but us. It was idyllic being able to simply sit against the stones or gently walk around the circle, absorbing the atmosphere of peace and serenity. The energy was wonderful and palpable, even for me.



(Midmar)

 

Also in Scotland is a recumbent circle at Midmar Kirk, inside the churchyard, a charming juxaposition of symbols, both of which would have had deep meaning for those who built them. 

(Clava Cairns)



Further south, evening is a delightful time to enjoy the two cairns and stone circles at Balnuaran of Clava. We did just that and giggled at the "spookiness" while we followed the energy patterns with divining rods. The moon shone brightly and we could imagine ourselves as those ancient peoples so many thousands of years ago, honoring what did feel very much like a sacred place.

(Ri Cruin) 

 



On the opposite coast of Scotland, a few miles south of Oban and close to the small village of Kilmartin, is an astonishing series of burial cairns and a lovely, well preserved stone circle, Ri Cruin. As with the other monuments that I have noted already, these ancient constructions are easy to access. 

We again visited in the evening and as the light began to fade a few of us visited a small group of stones, some fallen, surrounded by trees, so that it felt hidden away.

 (Faded light-a sacred experience)

 



We stayed for a while in silence and then slowly began to walk away one after another as if in a procession. It was a powerfully sacred experience and later that evening we spoke of how we had felt. For all of us it seemed as if we had been together at that place before, and had walked in a procession in just the same way. Fanciful it might seem but to us it felt very "real". When I returned to the U.S. I wrote a short story about how we had lived hidden lives together during the transition time from the old pagan religions to Christianity, until forced to separate in fear of our lives. I have always loved that story.

In Cornwall visiting the Merry Maidens circle we were again alone and had a very different experience. It was a lovely day, warm with a delight about it that filled us all with joy and laughter. Some of us decided to lie in the middle of the circle, feet towards the center making a circle that mirrored the pattern of the stones, sort of. Gazing at the blue sky we sighed deeply and giggled, made "snow angels" in the grass, luxuriating in the energy and serenity of the day and that moment. How restful and restoring it was. 



(Merry Maidens) 

The restored burial cairn and stone circle at Bryn Celli Ddu, on the island of Anglesey, provided us with yet another experience. But that is for another blog!



(Bryn Celli Ddu)

 

On a hill above the town of Keswick in the Lake District is Castlerigg, another easy to access circle but its ease and closeness to the county town lends it to being rather busy with visitors. The setting is idyllic and the circle beautiful so ignore the other people and pretend to be alone.

(Castlerigg)

 



My sister and I discovered another much smaller circle during one of our hikes in the south part of the Lake District. It stood lonely and numinous on a heather covered hillside. The stones had a lovely view over the landscape and I'm sure they had watched it change as the centuries rolled by until it was not even recognizable as the place where they had once been placed so long ago. Only hikers see this sweet circle as there is no road access and I do not even know its name.



Next week I will be leaving for my homeland to spend time with my sister (and while I am away Eric's brother will come to Oklahoma to see him). When I visit her we always have a vacation for part of the time and this year, as with several previous years, we will be staying in that glorious place, The Peak District. I love hiking there and it also has many special stone circles to enjoy. Arbor Low, is a recumbent circle, accessed through the farm yard and across the muddy field with the cows - very special. It's different but no less atmospheric. It is the only circle that I have not been able to locate on a photograph!! 

The two others circles I want to mention from the Peak District require a short easy walk, well worth the effort. The Nine Ladies, placed in a wooded area on Stanton Moor, is a simple affair but lovely and beckons you to linger a while.



(Nine Ladies)

 

On nearby Harthill Moor is another set of Ladies, the Grey Ladies. Only four stones remain but whereas the Nine Ladies are short, the Grey Ladies are tall.

(Grey Ladies) 





Like all of life, the contrasts make it all the more interesting.

Just like us, the builders of the circles had different creative styles, there was certainly no "one size fits all". There are dozens of circles that I have not seen and each one will be different in design and have it's own unique energy and fascination. So if you ever give yourself the gift of visiting my homeland, consider visiting one of them.                                         

 

 

WHY?

Eric's Blog

WHY

 

?

 

Christians fight Muslims

Muslims fight Jews and each other

All in the name of God

Why

 

Millions go hungry each day

And millions more are homeless

Why

 

The top 10% of income producers

Own 50% of the money

Why

 

There are no good answers

It doesn't make sense

 

 

The inequities and atrocities that are part of the human condition puzzle me. Killing each other in the name of God is at the top of the list. Would any God or Goddess really have us kill each other in their name? I doubt it.

 

 

 

It is also incongruous to me that many of our multi billionaires play on their gadgets and fly on their private airplanes without any thought for the homeless and hungry millions who have nothing. If this is capitalism, then maybe socialism carries a better solution and more compassionate equality.

 

 

 

Sometimes things don't make sense. They are not rational. I need to stop trying to make sense of them.  

 



Stones

Lesley's Blog

Stone is amazing stuff. Over the centuries humans have used stone to form axes for hunting, have sheltered in caves of stone and then used stone to create shelters of their own design. We have marveled at sculptures made out of stone, both by the natural hands of wind and water and by creative human hands. Cathedrals were made exquisite by the designs carved into the stone by stonemasons who worshipped God by their creations. Precious stones have adorned the bodies of women and men throughout the centuries and humans have challenged themselves to climb the stone of cliffs and mountains for the sheer joy of doing it. Cairns made of stones piled one on top of another throughout the ages have guided climbers, hikers, travelers and pilgrims safely along their ways.   

Symbolically, stone is associated with stability, reliability, being impenetrable and the eternal. But stones, even the hardest of them, are vulnerable to erosion and movement by other elements such as glacial ice. Over millions of years tranformation is complete. Stone becomes soil, ground into fertility by the sufferings of its life. And so it is with us. We might think we are, as the song by Bob Segal says, "Like a Rock", but we are all vulnerable to the trials and tribulations of life which mold and form us eventually grinding us down. Whether that grinding results in fertile soil depends on how willing we are to surrender to the process. For to become ready for the new growth we must release our "stoney face" and our beliefs that we have "cast in stone" so that over time we allow overselves to soften our harsh edges and judgments and embrace the law of love. And the transformation reminds us that, much as we long for it to be different, nothing is permanent, all comes and goes, and with it waves of delight and grief.



(Mountains and rocks painted by Lesley in Oriental Brushwork style)

 

There are many other "plays on words" associated with stones and it can be fun and enlightening to wonder how these apply to ourselves.
Do we "leave no stone unturned" when we are seeking something including our inner truth?
Do we cast the first stone instead of waiting for the facts with non judgments?
What is just a stone's throw away that we might not have noticed?
Do we throw stones at glass houses?
How do we tend to stone-wall, be stone cold or think that things are set in stone?
But are there certain "written in stone" values like the Ten Commandments or freedom for all beings that you would adhere to no matter what the cost?
What is your touch-stone?

Many people love rocks and these "rock hounds" have large collections of beautiful and extraordinary stones. Others can feel energy emanating from stones and stones have had a sacredness for some religions.

But our love of stone can have a dark side that challenges us to look at our values and actions. Many have watched the movie "Blood Diamonds" with horror at the violence and destructiveness of the diamond mining and trade in parts of Africa. In Wales, many decades ago, the mining of slate, for the adornment of the houses of the wealthy, sent men, women and children underground into damp and dangerous conditions. And prisoners on the chain gang were punished by the mind and body crushing stone crushing.



(A stone wall in Ireland)

 



In our modern world, natural forces are not the only actions that change stone. As the popularity of hiking increases, the number of human feet that traverse the pathways is causing erosion and damage to the landscapes. And the number of climbers on Mount Everest has risen to such a level that the mountain is being littered by equipment carelessly left behind by the expeditions. It is sad that we have lost the connection to the sacredness of the stones.



(More rocks painted by Lesley in a different style of Brushwork)

 

On a more positive note, I want to recount a couple of incidents that occured on the tours that I led to Ireland and Wales. In Southern Ireland, I had arranged for a local farmer, who supplemented his income by guiding tourist around the area, to be with us for a day. After we had explored the limestone pavement along the seashore, he took us on a walk to the hermitage and well of Saint Colman. It was a profoundly peaceful place but when we arrived at the well some of the structural stones had fallen and the well was in disrepair. In Britain and Southern Ireland, the landscape in many areas is defined by stone walls, that have in some cases survived for centuries. The building and therefore repair of these amazing structures is no simple task and requires a high degree of artistic skill. Our guide casually began to rebuild the well wall and, watching him, we were filled with wonder. It was a magical moment.

Also magical was an event on a walk to Aber Falls in North Wales. One of the women who was on the tour had suffered a devastating loss in her life and on the walk she found a lovely heart-shaped stone which she felt had significant meaning for her. Later in the day we joined her in a lovely ritual that helped her release some of the pain of the loss. 

So, maybe from now on, a stone will not be just a stone.