Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, Then and Now

Official waves away Summer Solstice interloper at Stonehenge

 “Immediately after the suffering of those days

the sun will be darkened,  and the moon will not give its light;

 the stars will fall from heaven,  and the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Jesus of Nazareth Matthew 24:29

Ah yes, COVID-19. Even the Summer Solstice has been affected by the deadly coronavirus. or at leas the gatherings to celebrate the longest daylight hours of 2020 have been. In recent decades thousands have gone "full Druid" and gathered for the solstice at Stongehenge, the extraordinary Neolithic thing-ma-jig on the Salisbury Plain in Great Britain. Research suggests that the massive stones used to create it were dragged a great distance at least 2,500 years ago to create this remarkable seasonal clock, of a sort. The reasons for the site, the engineering required to transport the stones and build the structure before the wheel,  and the actual purpose of the circle are lost in the mists of time. This hasn't stopped the wannabe Druids of our time from flocking to Stonehenge every for both the Winter and Summer Solstices.



Druid at Stonehenge

I often look at the photos of these celebrations and the participants appear rather, how to say...goofy. Lots of folk in "druid drag" even though they probably reject the trappings of liturgical Christian churches. Still, I've come to appreciate that there is something innately human and profoundly spiritual about observing the seasons and celestial movements across the skies. Astronomy was one of the earliest sciences, and of course we have that story of the Magi in search of the toddler Jesus. The bible has lots of "signs and portents" connecting what happens in the heavens with the God of Heaven. 

We are aware that the Druids of Ireland made connections between their faith and the faith of the Christians who came to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. In turn the Christians found ways to intertwine the two traditions in the earthy expression of the earthy faith we now term Celtic Christianity. 

As churches empty and congregants age we might consider that half a million people signed up for the Virtual Stonehenge, the online observance of the solstice. They even invited Clonehenges, inviting participants to create their own faux stone circles at home.

Hey, before we knock it, maybe we need to ask what is being touched here and how we celebrate the goodness of Creator and Creation.