Was thinking about going tomorrow morning to celebrate the true mid winter festival. Has anybody ever been – what’s it like? What time do you need to arrive, what’s the parking like and how busy is it?

My Mrs went to summer solstice a few years ago and said it was horrible. Full of drugged up weirdos, was the phrase she used.

Why not Avebury? Actually scrub that, why not go to Windmill Hill, West Kennett Long Barrow, the Wansdyke etc ? Lot less of Joe Public!

Mrs M has been to Avebury winter solstice several times, & said it was pleasantly eccentric. fewer than 100 people, very inclusive, Terry the druid is a top bloke.

I don’t think you can be certain that there’s anything happening up there tomorrow morning although I may be wrong about that..
I was born on the summer solstice and have trekked up there a number of times to discover the place deserted with the celebrations having taken place the previous night to herald the dawn of the solstice..

That said, the times we’ve made it in recent years there has been ample free parking with a big security operation and searches to stop various items being taken down the stones (think no tents and restrictions on amount of alcohol) with an intriguing mix of tourists, sightseers, druids, druggies, hippies, crusties and pikeys which could be a little intimidating if you’re not used to that sort of thing

It’s ace.. pretty intense but I understand the winter event is a more chilled affair

Of course, the supposed deliberate “alignment” of the Sun with this particular arrangement of old stones is no more significant than it’s alignment with the Avenue of the Americas in New York City, although that’s a more recent coincidence, obviously.

Although, some people on drugs have described it as “magical”, so I suppose it keeps them herded up and away from the rest of us for a bit…

Which us nice.

Of course, the supposed deliberate “alignment” of the Sun with this particular arrangement of old stones is no more significant than it’s alignment with the Avenue of the Americas in New York City

you got any proof of that?
being a solstice baby I’ve always taken a vague interest in any research about the stones, nothing much seems very concrete..

also being a solstice baby I am blessed with mighty powers and can curse you or smite you at will, so your evidence had better be good

Yeah, it’s all completely coincidental, just like Maeshowe…. 🙄

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeshowe

Yawn. Your example doesn’t actually say the burial mound is “aligned” with anything, so I don’t quite see your point.

Er, oh wow. Like…

Edit: “It is aligned so that the rear wall of its central chamber held up by a bracketed wall,[5] is illuminated on the winter solstice.[6] A similar display occurs in Newgrange.”.

Oh.

How long does it take the “alignment” of the Sun to shift over time, I wonder?

Only believers will be taken into the mothership when they return.

How long does it take the “alignment” of the Sun to shift over time, I wonder?

Precession? Approx 26,000 years. Don’t see how that would affect our relationship with the sun though.

Can you not think of any reason why a ‘civilisation’ in transformation from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more fixed agricultural one would want to know when winter solstice was happening?

I don’t understand how people are still amazed by ancient stone circles et al. Clearly the were times when the passage of the sun was a hugely important feature so it’s no surprise that structures should be built with particular events in mind. The winter solstice would I imagine have been right up there with things to celebrate knowing how the sun was responsible for, well, everything. Much better than making up stories about imaginary beings.

None of that would make me want to visit any of these sites to celebrate the solstice though. I know it’s happening, I’m warm and have a nice glass of wine.

Went past on Friday and lots of vans parked up on the green lane.

Can you not think of any reason why a ‘civilisation’ in transformation from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more fixed agricultural one would want to know when winter solstice was happening?

Oh sure. Seems a bit elaborate though. They could have just put up a signpost…

They could have just put up a signpost…

What, you mean a bit like Woodhenge?

Problem with that is of course is that it’s not particularly permanent is it? I mean you know what students are like. Pretty difficult to **** with a 50 ton rock.

I don’t understand how people are still amazed by ancient stone circles et al. Clearly the were times when the passage of the sun was a hugely important feature so it’s no surprise that structures should be built with particular events in mind. The winter solstice would I imagine have been right up there with things to celebrate knowing how the sun was responsible for, well, everything. Much better than making up stories about imaginary beings.

None of that would make me want to visit any of these sites to celebrate the solstice though. I know it’s happening, I’m warm and have a nice glass of wine.
While I’m not inclined to get up at stupid o’clock to drive thirty-odd miles to Stonehenge on a cold, windy, damp morning, I can understand why some would want to, and if you’re not amazed by the fact that a bunch of people spent decades dragging chuffing great stones twenty-odd miles, (the Sarcens) or a hundred or more, (the Blue Stones from the Prescelli Mountains), or digging e huge circular ditch, than dragging huge stones a couple of miles from Fyfield Down and arranging them in an enormous circle and two avenues a couple of miles long, then you, sir, have no bloody soul.

Just how much do you think the stone on the left of this pair weighs, and the effort required to drag it from the valley the other side of the Ridgeway down to this point, about 2-3 miles?

Woppit does indeed not have a soul, but I do and I’m still not that amazed by it. I mean, it’s cool and all, and it must’ve been hard work, but humans are industrious and hard working so why not?

amazed by the fact that a bunch of people spent decades dragging chuffing great stones twenty-odd miles,

I’m more amazed by micro-surgery or the invention of graphene, to be honest.

I’m more amazed by micro-surgery or the invention of graphite, to be honest the dreads on some of those Yunki types that gather at this kind of thing .

Sticks tongue out at Yunki and his ne’er do well mates. 🙂

Graphite!! 😳

Er, well yeah go on then that too because afterwards, they were able to just draw a map and have a big arrow pointing at the place where the sun went down. After they’d invented written language, of course. Also impressive.

An old school mate of mine (Hi Oli) jumped ship and headed South to join a Hippie colony a stones throw (cough) from Stonehenge back in the late 80’s.. I caught up with him (introduced by my little Sis) 6 years ago..

Questioned his departure from treading the boards like us lot and he said “spent 8 years on my arse, smoking, drinking, weaving hats, eating thrown out food from skips behind Sainsburys, getting cold, wet, sleeping in other peoples Vans and dancing around fires”

He was heading up a Hedge fund of all things when I saw him.

So, he slept in a Hedge, near Stonehenge, then heading up a Hedge fund..

🙄

True story folks.

Yunki and his ne’er do well mates

‘ere!! I resemble that remark

True story folks.

god loves a sinner come to repentance. 😆

I’m just sour because I can no longer grow hair. 😥

Whilst I have slept in several hedges but don’t now head up a hedge fund..weird init!

Investing in..

Bio Chem’s..

I guess with all his “experience” handling them it seemed fitting for him 🙄

Nice pic CZ. 😀

Go outside now. The moon hasn’t risen yet and Orion has just risen in the east. The sky is spectacular on any clear night but tonight it’s the middle of Winter and there’s a clear sky thanks to an anticyclone – it’s spectacular. Now imagine you lived a few thousand years before light pollution and astrophysics.

Now imagine you lived a few thousand years before light pollution and astrophysics.

You’d be thinking, ‘shiiit dude, whats all that stuff in the sky’

Or words to that effect.

Maybe I wasn’t clear. What ancient man did in erecting these structures was hugely impressive, on a par with the great cathedrals. That doesn’t explain why some visit them now with “a sense of wonder”. We know what the sun does.

Now imagine you lived a few thousand years before light pollution and astrophysics.

Well, you’d have grown up with it so it would be a part of life just like the trees and the winter snow.

As for figuring out where the sun sets on the winter solstice – you’d have been able to observe it year after year, so given a bit of thought and a lot of free time, it’s not surprising.

Like I say – cool, but no cooler than loads of other things. I suspect that if I were a druid 5,000 years ago I’d find today’s prevalant attitude to the achievements of the ancients deeply patronising 🙂

I’ve always taken a vague interest in any research about the stones, nothing much seems very concrete..

Theres plenty of concrete ones about – but alignments of concrete menhirs are usually referred to as ‘bollards’ 🙂

Let’s not forget the vibes from the stones. I ran a marathon that started at Avebury and finished at Stonehenge, the power of history was awesome.

That’s the biggest load of bollards I’ve seen for a while.

Ah, the biannual singletrack solstice thread.

Lots of posts, lots of opinions. And woppit showing us why it’s good to have feelings.

See you in 6 months!