stones in my bones at the winter solstice

So my mate Helen from Shop Norman Road, suddenly asks if I fancy a trip to the stones for solstice? Having never been I said sure so this morning at 2am we set off with her mate Dano to hit the Henge and get cosmic with the dawn sun and the rocks. Thank the pagan gods for Waze. It took us round the back avoiding the massive traffic jam queueing to park. We drove to the overfill carpark and took a free bus to the new visitor centre now located a mile and a half from  the stones. This means the monuments are now much more an area of outstanding beauty. Just gotta deal with the road now and then you’ve a genius world heritage site.

So today being the shortest day is the actual event the stones were built to mark and so English Heritage opens the site fully for those wishing to attend. This means no barriers and very little light as we all gathered to greet the sun. But most importantly you can touch the stones.

I loved it. I hummed and toned heart chakra pitch to the ancient monoliths and the ground vibrated beneath my feet. It was so amazingly special.

I watched a guy so happy and emotional as the sun rose that I asked him to hug me and it was a wonderful moment. His energy was huge and so alive with joy. I then sang a heart chakra tone through his chest as he faced the sun. It was like singing into a fog horn. His chest cavity was so alive with happiness that he amplified my voice tenfold. The vibrations travelling down my legs again and into the sod beneath our feet. I hope he reads this blog and gets in touch as I would love to give him a full sound healing shower. What a lovely guy to connect with on Solstice he seemed so overwhelmed with the occasion that he was like a beacon of pure light energy. (update – Vincek Chaosak has said hello. He is an artist so check out his website ChaosCompany. I am looking forward to sharing a sonic shower/sound healing session with him in the New Year.) I felt totally heroic at the Henge with all the love and happiness all around.

There were many wonderfully dressed celebrants all around the place. Each there to worship or just chill with the stones. People were lying on the ground drinking in the vibrations. I must say that every time I hummed a full body tone people stopped and stared and drank in the sounds eminating from my body. I felt quite magical because I am. That is my gift.

All around there were happy gorgeous people all enjoying the energy and the moment in their own ways. People were dressed in such wonderful outfits too and some bravely wore very little.

Many choosing heavy wool fabrics but some were more creative and were adorned with ivy and other winter greenery. This Ladyicorn was especially wonderful as she trotted round with the wind dancing in her mane.

These two women were teeming with poise and nobility. A journalist interrupted us asked them why they were there? “It’s the solstice!” one parried.

So he asked if they’d like to come and do an interview? “We here to worship!” she replied with a deft riposte. I kissed and hugged them for their fabulous attitude. They were right to refuse. I too was asked later to chat on camera but I too said no. I think because I was carrying a funky wand curtesy of David @ Shop House Hastings that he made for Helen but that I couldn’t seem to stop waving around. I’m such a big fairy. I would have chatted with my mate Anna O’Neill from the BBC but I didn’t realise she was there.

There was a great atmosphere all round. There was a subtle police presence but they mainly stuck to their patrol cars. They did however send in the Police Chaplins just incase anyone got too overcome with the pagan love and needed an emergency dose of Christ.

Singing, dancing, performing sun salutations and drumming. I will just beg drummers to not use plastic drum skins though the oceans choked with every plastic beat. Trouble is I’m not too keen on dead animal skins either but I’m not here to judge the choices of others either. Many musical instruments traditionally use bits of animals I’m just not comfortable with dead animals being used for music. Though I am aware that this is somewhat appropriate as on the longest night the veil between this world and that of the dead is at its thinnest. So perhaps the deadbeats are the perfect choice – just not the plastic ones, pretty please…..!

And then it finally happened. The sun rose on the shortest day of the year and the winter solstice turned into the oddest, brightest summer morning all winter. It was glorious. And it shone through and between the stones in that magical way that a camera can’t capture. 

Then as quickly as it began they began to clear the area of the revellers. It was all too short and many would have stayed all day to drink in the energy of the Henge.

On the way back towards the visitor centre I decided to walk through the fields and woods as the main stream of people were all trudging the tarmac to get back or hopping on the new 80 seater buses (I did take a bus to the stones and will just say that the voiceover commentary says that the entire area is “owned” by English Heritage. Please don’t say that. It is not anyone’s to own. You are the custodians surely?) and I wanted to keep walking with the grass and soil beneath my feet. Once in the woods I was like a child playing fantasy games with nature.

I couldn’t stop running about singing and shouting and laughing. What a wonderful time I was having away from the crowds and feeling fully charged up.  Back at the visitor centre I stopped to admire the round houses and felt I could easily live in a single room dwelling. Any house is better than no house at some point in life.

Getting all cosmic is a great way to lift the spirits. It’s all the fun loving honest folk there too. What wonderful people they are. Thanks everyone who attended for making me feel so very welcome.