[Morris] Sticks and Stones

With everything back up in the air again I never know whether plans we've made will come to fruition or not. Thankfully the invitation from the Cotswold Order of Druids asking Mythago to perform at their annual Alban Arthan [winter solstice] ceremony in the circle at Stonehenge came good.

It's been two years since our last trip and boy have I missed it. What an absolute privilege to experience that subtle change in atmosphere as I crossed the threshold and entered the liminal space. Previous trips have taught me to wrap up warm as it's bitterly cold with the wind whipping across, but it was calmer on Sunday. The all day fog really did add to the ethereal quality of the celebration. Normally we take the bus out, but with no amps allowed and dry conditions, we all decided to walk it instead. It added another dimension to the experience being surrounded in that huge sacred landscape peppered with ancient burial mounds. As ever, spirituality aside, the cafe did very well out of us....despite our scary black kit [someone called us the Mordor of Morris recently!] Mythago peeps do love a cuppa and a big slab of cake. It's an important part of the wind-down process once we've finished [or that's what I tell myself!]

Having got there with plenty of time to spare I was able to take a few shots to share here. For obvious reasons we're not allowed to take photos in the stones whilst the ceremony is on, but there are a few minutes at the end which we all take full advantage of. It's not often that we get to pose in quite such a magnificent setting. I might not be at ease with  the commercialisation of the site, but you cannot strip away the magic of the place or the awe at the sheer size and human effort that drove our ancestors on to build this magnificent monument.

Solstice blessings to all those who celebrate the Old Ways.

Arilx