SLIMBRIDGE DOWSING GROUP REPORTS
Avebury Stone Circle - A guided tour with Maria Wheatley
Today's Druids celebrate the solstices and equinoxes at Avebury each quarter of the year. The original Pagans worshipped nature, and fertility - of the land, crops and animals as well as people - was of paramount importance. Photo by Peter Gibson.
If you didn’t have a watch, or the local church bell to chime the hours, how would you tell the time? Ancient man managed very well by tuning in to the sun, moon, planets and stars. He built many stone circles that tell not just the seasons, days and hours, but the precise minute the sun rises on certain dates. And, almost 5,000 years later, they remain accurate to this day.
The longest and shortest days (the solstices) fall on 21st June (longest day) and the 21st December (longest night). The equinoxes, when daylight and darkness are equal, fall on 21st March and 21st September.
Avebury Ring in Wiltshire, built some 5,000 years ago and older than Stonehenge, is a fine example. We visited on 25th September, the Saturday closest to the autumn equinox. Consequently there was a large number of pagans (worshippers of nature) in the stone circles which, although interesting to see, did prevent us from going to the very centre.
The day began with a tour of the stone circles, guided by Maria Wheatley and Busty Taylor, co-authors of the book ‘Avebury, Sun, Moon and Earth’. Using her dowsing rods, Maria indicated the seven energy bands on the large stones and their alignment with the sunrise and sunset of the winter solstice.
She also explained the interaction of the famous Michael and Mary ley energy lines as they traverse the country from Cornwall to Norfolk, intertwining like serpents.
We were amazed at how, five thousand years ago they managed to transport such huge stones, and dig holes over 11 feet deep to set them in position. It is calculated that there were between 500 and 600 stones when the circles were complete, surrounded by a deep ditch and high bank.
Over lunch discussion continued as to dowsing techniques and what we were going to look for during the afternoon. We began with a visit to the Church where we detected four ley lines and strong energies coming from the font.
Finally we spent time amid the remains of the northern inner stone circle, investigating the double spiral energies around the huge sarsen stones and finding that, as Maria had said, the spiral energies reversed direction. One member found a slim cone of energy on the Mary line that seemed to be the trigger for this reversal.
OK, telling the time is easier with a digital gold Rolex, but not half as interesting.
Slimbridge Dowsing Group members with Maria Wheatley
Previous visits to Avebury
February 2010June 2009