Tuesday and I’m back in sunny (for now) London. My last 2 days in Ireland were by far the best, especially Sunday. In the spirit of vast Irish hospitality, I was treated to journeys to the ancient ruins at Newgrange, Knowth and Tara by a new friend, Hilary, a friend in turn of Mary Langdon. (We became good friends in maybe the first 10 minutes and I would hope to know Hilary forever!) First, especially on Sunday, the weather was endlessly sunny and the skies the clearest blue. 

The cairns, the burial chambers that are thousands of years old held so much Silence and Light. They were surrounded by 100s of petroglyphs, especially spirals of the kind you can find all over the southwest. Spirals are journey symbols and these spirals were talking about a journey home. In SW terms, home meant to the stars, to this or other galaxies. . .or dimensions. . .etc. I felt like I was in another world entirely. Like Chaco Canyon, they are built to align precisely with the movements of the sun and mark the solstices. In fascinating ways, they were able to engineer the structures to channel the sun at these most important days through narrow openings and right into the cairns. A world within a world. Then at Newgrange, we were able to walk into a the cairn and its inner chamber. Of course, I would have loved to sit and meditate there for hours. But even a brief time was a gift. It was designed, again, to allow a shaft of solstice sunlight into the chamber, which was clearly built for ceremony. It had 4 side chambers with altars and huge stone bowls. At one point, the guide turned off the electric light they had installed so that we could experience the total darkness—and then the gradual entrance of the sunlight as it must have been thousands of years ago. There was huge subtle Light (that is, not man-made) pouring in from the capstone above and I wondered if something had been built into the structure, like the series of uninhabited rooms at Chaco that reflect and maintain the underlying energy grid that is there. The guides said no, only layers of rock and earth. But something was there. . .

Built high up, both sites have a view of the entire surrounding area, which is gorgeous. But it must also have been one way to enhance the ceremony that was done there and inspire the people.

Final part of a glorious day—back to Tara—this time in full sunlight. Tara, among other things, was the site of initiation and crowning of the High Kings of Ireland. Again, built high up with a full sweep of the land, it is said that Tara, Newgrange, Knowth and similar smaller sites are all connected energetically, with Tara at the center of things. Such deep peace there and the power of Silence and the nourishing and strengthening gifts of the land, enhanced no doubt by centuries of ceremony. 

I do feel changed by it all, but am still integrating. First thing  I have noticed, tho, is a huge huge sense of freedom and  completeness with all things to do with life on Earth. 

More later on Saturday’s events, but this was definitely the grand climax of the trip.

Photos later. . .