doktoratomik
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 08:46
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That's a teensy bit harsh. You don't need an interest in archaeology in order to appreciate the beauty of a stone circle!
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mickc
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 10:17
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You don't necessarily have to spend tne night in a carpark banging drums, performing spurious rituals, and winding up the locals to show your appreciation of the stones. Not when there's plenty of sites without a village in the middle.
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doktoratomik
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 10:19
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TE didn't make any mention of "banging drums, performing spurious rituals, and winding up the locals".
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mickc
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 10:43
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No, but the antisocial actions of a minority were where this particular thread started. My first interest in stones was sparked by a visit to the Clava cairns many years ago, and finding them still in my thoughts days/weeks later. Since then I've been trying (and failing) to understand them. Being a weekend pagan and upsetting the locals has never been a part of it for me.
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doktoratomik
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 12:01
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"Being a weekend pagan and upsetting the locals has never been a part of it for me."
That sort of comment's fairly loaded though, isn't it? Being a 'weekend pagan' doesn't have to go hand in hand with upsetting locals. And there's nothing inherently wrong with being a 'weekend pagan'. The spiritual validity or historical authenticity of such a path is an entirely different matter though ;)
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Forrester
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 13:03
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I only go to avebury once a year, on May day or nearest I can make it to then. I guess it is a sort of Pilgrimage really, but it doesn't hang on any woolly neo spiritual belief system. It is a glorious and mysterious place, and i don't begrudge people whatever spiritual solacethey may get from their visit there, even if it is misguided or flawed. That's why mystery is part of the magic of the place --- everyone can speculate about what this place was, what it may have meant etc. and everyone is about as close to the truth as the next person. I always enjoy sitting in the "Devil's Chair" (which has a convenient space to put your bottle of beer in !) and although the pub isn't all that good, and is expensive, it is quite charming to sit in the middle of a village within a circle, and watch the tourists and other visitors come and go. I'm sorry to hear that there were problems on the Solstice. Avebury isn't oriented to anything astronomical on the midsummer solstice like Stonehenge, or is it? Anyway, who cares? The point is, that as G.K Chesterton said, "When people stop believing in God, they won't believe in nothing, but in anything". I don't think we should be too tight about people who seem a bit odd in their beliefs or intuitions about these sites, because they may grow and become more serious in what they believe over time, and they probably develop an affinity with them. Ancient sites need all the friends they can get. If you want to go somewhere isolated and remote on the solstice etc. why not go to Arbor Low? Callanish! When i was a lad, i usedto go to stonehenge in defiance of the police etc. for the free festivals, and that was just about as strange and bizarre a collection of folks you could get. I was really only there for the rave up and partying back then, but as the years have passed, and i've researched things more, i've grown to love and cherish these places, and to want everyone to repect and care for them.
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doktoratomik
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 13:37
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Absolutely excellent post. Sums up my feelings perfectly.
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danielspaniel
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 14:11
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I know, the car boot sales are just as bad; druids buying all the sickles up, Hell's Angels selling bad acid.
Dunno what the world is coming to!
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morfe
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 14:28
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"what ever has happened to avebury?"
Shortest answer is: people
They always seem to cock things up for all of us!
Grumble--mutter.
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Moth
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Re: what ever has happened to avebury?
Jul 22, 2005, 15:40
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'Bout right. Gits to a man (& woman). And mebbe carparks - no bugger goes anywhere if there isn't a carpark....
love
Moth
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