MEGALITHOMANIA CONFERENCE & TOUR 19th to 24th MAY 2017
ARRIVAL & DAY 1 STONEHENGE TOUR
My experience at Glastonbury, Stonehenge, Avebury, Dartmoor and Exmoor a tour organised and run by megalithomania.⛤
AMAZING WEEK OF AWAKENING!
On Thursday 18th of May in the afternoon at 1.30pm or thereabouts, me and Chris both excited about the week ahead set off for Glastonbury in my small Citroën car packed with all our camping gear. The journey down was uneventful, it was a lovely day with sun and scattered cloud. I pulled in to a service station just before Manchester and stretched our legs. At this point Chris took over the driving, I can assure you this journey is better shared, at my age anyway. It was good to get a break from driving. Just sitting staring out the window not thinking of anything or even seeing anything, just being present' or absent might define it better lol. Do you ever go on a journey and on arrival at the destination we look back and can't remember areas we know so well and should have seen? Well pretty much that's my life story, it even happens when I'm driving, not that I tell people that haha. Yes, we are definitely multi-dimensional beings able to enter timelines with our thoughts while still in the present. On arriving at our destination called Larks rise campsite we were welcomed by Linda the owner of the site. The campsite had nobody on it at all. It was perfect. Linda gave us an area to pitch and told us that Deer can be seen in the fields surrounding us! It was getting dark and the fields on the slight hill where masked by the darkness of the night. Linda said that there was also a family of owls that came out at night usually about "MIDNIGHT" that did it. Me and Chris both looked at each other and I knew this was going to be a great adventure. This time midnight and its number are very sacred to me, many of my experiences have happened on and around this time. In this case my experiences with midnight owls came in which I’ll post after this post if interested in reading of them. Isn't synchronicities the most perfect way of spiritual guidance from above. We set up camp and sat in the night relaxing after the 9 hours or so journey. The owls were there spot on time just after midnight as Linda had predicted.
WE HAD ARRIVED!
The next morning, I awoke around 6am to a beautiful day the sun was out and blues skies were visible throughout the fluff like clouds that adorned the Glastonbury sky. The sun broke onto the hill where two fields were sectioned off by a line of mature trees some 400meter in front of me. One field was short and green the other was a golden colour which on looking closely I saw a Deer, well the top of its back anyway! I realized the grass was very long as every now and again the Deer would pop its head up for a moment then go back to its grazing. Every morning i was greeted by this sight even the one or two not so nice mornings from a distance i watched them, the energy I received each day just to see these great beast's and to hear the owls as I fell into a peaceful sleep was bliss. "PERFECT" The evening and the morning, the first and the last the alpha and omega nature's blessings of living in the now moment. It was late morning or early afternoon when we left the campsite to explore woodhenge, we came down the main highway that will be converted into a tunnel in the near future, this road has been in many disputes as to where it sits on the landscape and the destruction of pristine areas of a sacred land. Enough said! We drove up the road till Stonehenge came into view in a field on the left-hand side. ""WOW"" what a site, Chris told me it was coming up on this road and when it did it was something to see. We stopped in at an entrance area leading to some fields. Where we spent a few minutes taking photos of the henge and surrounding landscape. Where I saw my first nature spirit revealing itself on one of the giant megaliths of Stonehenge. To me it looked like the head of a king with some sort of Armour-ed helmet or hat on. The countryside had barrows all over it, it was a beautiful site on a warm sunny day.
(Walk in the footsteps of your Neolithic ancestors at Stonehenge – one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe. Explore the ancient landscape on foot and step inside the Neolithic Houses to discover the tools and objects of everyday Neolithic life. Visit the world-class exhibition and visitor centre with 250 ancient objects and come face to face with a 5,500-year-old man.)
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, 2 miles (3 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. It consists of a ring of standing stones, with each standing stone around 4.1 metres (13 ft) high, 2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in) wide and weighing around 25 tons. The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds. Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the first bluestones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BC. One of the most famous landmarks in the UK, Stonehenge is regarded as a British cultural icon.[6] It has been a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument since 1882 when legislation to protect historic monuments was first successfully introduced in Britain. The site and its surroundings were added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage; the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust. Stonehenge could have been a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. Deposits containing human bone date from as early as 3000 BC, when the ditch and bank were first dug, and continued for at least another five hundred years.
Folklore
"Heel Stone", "Friar’s Heel", or "Sun-Stone" (The Heel Stone lies north east of the sarsen circle, beside the end portion of Stonehenge Avenue. It is a rough stone, 16 feet (4.9 m) above ground, leaning inwards towards the stone circle. It has been known by many names in the past, including "Friar's Heel" and "Sun-stone".At summer solstice an observer standing within the stone circle, looking north-east through the entrance, would see the Sun rise in the approximate direction of the heel stone, and the sun has often been photographed over it. A folk tale, relates the origin of the Friar's Heel reference. The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!" A friar replied, "That’s what you think!", whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable attributes this tale to Geoffrey of Monmouth, but though book eight of Geoffrey's Historia Regum Britanniae does describe how Stonehenge was built, the two stories are entirely different. The name is not unique; there was a monolith with the same name recorded in the nineteenth century by antiquarian Charles Warne at Long Bredy in Dorset.
Arthurian legend In the twelfth century, Geoffrey of Monmouth included a fanciful story in his Historia Regum Britanniae ("History of the Kings of Britain") that attributed the monument's construction to the wizard Merlin. Geoffrey's story spread widely, appearing in more and less elaborate form in adaptations of his work such as Wace's Norman French Roman de Brut, Layamon's Middle English Brut, and the Welsh Brut y Brenhinedd. According to Geoffrey the rocks of Stonehenge were healing rocks, called the Giant's dance, which Giants had brought from Africa to Ireland for their healing properties. The fifth-century king Aurelius Ambrosius wished to erect a memorial to 3,000 nobles slain in battle against the Saxons and buried at Salisbury, and at Merlin's advice chose Stonehenge. The king sent Merlin, Uther Pendragon (King Arthur's father), and 15,000 knights, to remove it from Ireland, where it had been constructed on Mount Killaraus by the Giants. They slew 7,000 Irish but, as the knights tried to move the rocks with ropes and force, they failed. Then Merlin, using "gear" and skill, easily dismantled the stones and sent them over to Britain, where Stonehenge was dedicated. After it had been rebuilt near Amesbury, Geoffrey further narrates how first Ambrosius Aurelianus, then Uther Pendragon, and finally Constantine III, were buried inside the "Giants' Ring of Stonehenge". In another legend of Saxons and Britons, in 472 the invading king Hengist invited Brythonic warriors to a feast, but treacherously ordered his men to draw their weapons from concealment and fall upon the guests, killing 420 of them. Hengist erected the stone monument—Stonehenge—on the site to show his remorse for the deed.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge
We got back on the road and went around to woodhenge only a few miles away.
(Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class II henge and timber circle monument located in the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Stonehenge in the parish of Durrington, just north of Amesbury. Woodhenge was identified from an aerial photograph taken by Squadron Leader (later Group Captain) Gilbert Insall, VC, in 1926. during the same period that an aerial archaeology survey of Wessex by Alexander Keiller and OGS Crawford (Archaeology Officer for the Ordnance Survey) was also being undertaken. Although some sources attribute the identification of the henge to Crawford, Crawford himself credits its discovery to Gilbert Insall. However the site had been previously found in the early 19th century and described as an earthworks and thought to be a disc barrow. It was originally called Dough Cover. Maud Cunnington and B.H.Cunnington subsequently excavated the site between 1926 and 1929. confirming that it was indeed a henge. Pottery from the excavation was identified as being consistent with the grooved ware style of the middle Neolithic, although later Beaker sherds were also found. So, the structure was probably built during the period of cultural similarities commonly known as the Beaker. The Beaker culture spans both the Late Neolithic and Britain's Early Bronze Age and includes both the distinctive "bell beaker" type ceramic vessels for which the cultural grouping is known as well as other local styles of pottery from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. While construction of the timber monument was probably earlier, the ditch has been dated to between 2470 and 2000 BC, which would be about the same time as, or slightly later than, construction of the stone circle at Stonehenge.[8] Radiocarbon dating of artefacts shows that the site was still in use around 1800 BC.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodhenge
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=332
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/…/durrington-walls-stonehe…
It was very peaceful although there were some tourists it was nice and the energy was good. We sat in the middle for a time enjoying being there. A half hour or so and I decided that I would go up to the cuckoo stone at the top of a field not far from woodhenge. Chris drummed in the circle and set a grid of crystal out including an amazing skull he had made from a number of materials, the end result is a mixture namely orgonite, and "neo" is the name of the skull. Chris has worked with this material now for many years and quite the expert in this field. Chris also can capture any audience that may pass his field of energy with his mesmerizing stories, a sage I am in no doubt. I walked out of the henge and up towards the cuckoo stone,
(The Cuckoo Stone is a Neolithic or Bronze Age standing stone. The stone, which is now fallen, is in a field near to Woodhenge and Durrington Walls in Wiltshire, England (grid reference SU14654335). It is part of the wider Stonehenge Landscape. The Cuckoo Stone is a squat sarsen stone which lies on its side. It the same type of stone as the largest stones used in the Stonehenge circle. The site of Woodhenge is around 500 metres to the east of the Cuckoo Stone, with Durrington Walls to the northeast. Stonehenge is around 2.5 kilometres to the southwest. The Cuckoo Stone was recorded by Richard Colt-Hoare on his 1810 map of the Stonehenge landscape. The nearest other known sarsen stone is that found within Woodhenge during excavations in 1926-28.[ The site was excavated in 2007 as part of the Stonehenge Riverside Project. The excavations revealed the pit in which the stone once sat immediately to the west. The stone was originally a natural feature, which sometime before 2000 BC, was placed in an upright position. A posthole was found in the pit, indicating that a wooden post had been placed in the hole for a time before being replaced by the upright stone. Around 2000 BC the Cuckoo Stone became the focus for several nearby cremation burials. In the Roman era a rectangular building was constructed southwest of the Cuckoo Stone. The presence of pits and a scatter of coins suggest that the building was a small shrine.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuckoo_Stone
(A fallen sarsen stone, a short detour off the path from the Great Cursus to Woodhenge. About 6 feet in length. This is one of the stones spoken of as being dropped by the devil, having fooled the old lady in Ireland from whom he took Stonehenge, dropping some of the stones in the area of Stonehenge.)
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=15494
(From a letter to The Times, Wednesday August 13, 1930: I feel that topographical sighting or alignment is certain in the near future to become an important agent - preceding the spade - in antiquarian research[..]
Five years ago I saw on the 6in. Ordnance Maps near Stonehenge the almost straight 1 3/4 mile northern bank of the Circus aligned through a stone - the Cuckoo Stone - quite near. I marked this line on the map, but, not visiting the spot, did nothing further.
Then last year I found by the maps in Mrs. Cunnington's brilliant book on Woodhenge that my line not only went through the centre of [that] monument, but was marked by Mrs. Cunnington on her map, for she had found proof in certain "extra post holes" of an alignment (possibly seasonable) which went to the Cuckoo Stone. Yours truly, Alfred Watkins.)
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/…/3255/cuckoo_stone.html
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/…/durrington-walls-stonehe…
I sat beside it and did my own bit of drumming and had a practice with my flutes. This is who I am, I like to wander off and be where the spirit leads me to. It was a great hour sitting alone with this megalithic stone, 3 or 4 people passed by and an acknowledgement was exchanged for a moment as we interacted with each other’s presence, this is how I like it when out visiting sites. Love is passed from a glance and a head nod with a smile. Some of course will snuff at this but 99 percent are good with it, those that are not I send them even more love lol it works! I hooked back up with Chris who had an amazing time himself, taking a few people on a drumming journey. It was time we started to head over to Stonehenge for our first tour with the megalithomania tribe. The wind was getting up and the clouds were thickening beyond Stonehenge. As we arrived ten minutes later it started to pour down it was a nice site but in my world with my last Stonehenge tour it didn't bode well with me. It was coming on 16.15 pm and the meeting time. We got out and put our rain gear on and got to the visitor centre where we were met by a great guy called Simon he was to be our guide for this part of the tour, Hugh Newman arrived and things got started. The visitor centre was busy but nothing like the chaos I experienced two years before. We got on a small coach that took us halfway up to the henge where we got out and the tour guides took us through a woodland walk where we were introduced to some barrows hidden from site. We walked the half mile or so from there to the outside of the henge where we got on a bus and travelled back to the centre for a coffee and to pick others up that had booked the private access we had into the henge itself. We got on two buses and arrived a mile or so up the road at the Stonehenge bus park. Well here we go I thought! (not a good thing to project but it's been there for two years now when I ‘'cried for the land'' is how I describe it, the feeling I got was of utter sadness the like of which I never felt before, I went off and sat on my own as I do knowing the presence of tears isn't the manly thing to do. I couldn't hold back I had no idea what was going on inside me, mark our guide came over and asked if I was OK and handed me a shaman’s drum. He sat down and urged me to have a go, as I did I closed my eyes and instantly the chamber of people hustling and bustling around the henge stopped dead. Everything became silent and I was aware of the land that spoke to me and said, "I AM WELL”. The feeling of pure elation was amazing, from so low to so high in a few minutes I came back round to mark playing the flute and the hustle and noise still going on around me the group gathered and preceded to head round the stones for the tour and photos. I decided to head off up to one of the barrows where I met silence and could gather my thoughts.) We were welcomed at the bust stop by the Stonehenge mi5 crew who preceded to warn us not to touch or lean on the stones and two other ridiculous rules. Anyway, we got into the middle of the stones where professor Terrance Meaden gave a talk on the solstice alignments etc. I got told to take my smudge stick or as I like to call it my shamanic rattle off the stones by Simon and rightly so as I was putting the full group in a place that could have got us all kicked out. Chris done the sensible thing and got a friend involved and when they were keeping the guard occupied Chris sat neo on the stone nearer to the ground arrhhhh why did I not think of this lol anyhow I got up and went outside the circle and took the photos I’ll post after this post beside this. The rain had stopped before we left the visitor centre it was a lovely evening spent with a nice group but I'll never be back to Stonehenge itself again. I know the stones are working their magic in the landscape. I need not get involved in this commercial sham. We met a lot of nice people at Stonehenge and looked forward to the next day’s events at the conference. We got back to camp and shortly after the owls started to hoot. I slept well this night.
The highlight of the full day for me was that time I spent alone beside and on the CUCKOO STONE. I'll leave this open for your own interpretation lol I believe I'm sane anyway some would tell you otherwise .
Love & light
