Self has been fascinated by Stonehenge for a very long time. Finally, in April this year, she got to make the trek to the site.
From the English Heritage Guidebook in the visitor centre, self learns about the alignment of the stones.
“Stonehenge has an axis — an alignment that runs north-east to south-west.” This axis is closely tied to “the way the sun moves through the sky during the course of the year; the sunset at the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, occurs on exactly the opposite side of the horizon from the midsummer sunrise.”
“So the alignment of Stonehenge works for both the summer solstice and for the one that happens in winter. But there is increasing evidence from other Neolithic sites such as Newgrange in Ireland and Maes Howe in Orkney, as well as closer by at Durrington Wells, that the winter was the more significant. At Durrington, there is evidence for feasting and celebration at just this time of year.”
Stonehenge, April 2014: What you see between the stones is of equal importance as the stones themselves.
Pat Shelley, who led the Stonehenge tour self took, standing between the stones to give a lecture on the significance of the stones and their positions.
Fascinating to think that the stones were positioned to control what one sees BETWEEN them.
Stay tuned, dear blog readers. Stay tuned.
