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Offerings at stones
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Littlestone
Littlestone
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Re: Offerings at stones
May 09, 2006, 22:20
Perhaps we sometimes forget how far down the megalithic road we are.

Perhaps the 'Little Pony' stuffed into a tree was the cherished belonging of a child who had given it to that place, to that tree; perhaps it was among his or her most cherished possessions? I'm not sure either that I agree with, "The great contemporary pagan writer Gyrus..." that, "...when you arrive at a site clear it of all litter..." if litter in this context means 'offerings'. Why? because there's little doubt in my mind that the people who leave such 'offerings' don't see them as litter, and in my opinion to remove them is just displacing one belief system with another.

Certainly, most of us here object to 'offerings' being left at places we care for because we know they can damage the site and offend those who come after. But let's not forget that there are people just starting out on their megalithic, pagan, spiritual, call-it-what-you-like journey; people just finding their way from the empty insanity of modern life. I'm not defending those who leave 'offerings' at megalithic sites, and I dislike seeing them as much as anyone else here, but I suspect most of the time such 'offerings' are done in a spirit of respect for the site and that's a start isn't it - something to build on perhaps?

And if we've learnt anything at all, bantering this way and that on public forums such as this, is it not that we learn from one another and move forward a little with each lesson? And do we not have some responsibility to pass on what we learn to those just coming up rather than stomping on them for not doing it in quite the same way as we would like it to be done?

Bet you this, the folks who leave 'offerings' at 'our' megalithic sites would probably be among those protesting if those sites were under serious threat (as many of them are) while the academics and incompetent bureaucrats continue to walk around with poles up their arses doing sweet F all. As for Kurt Vonnegut, who you quote as saying, "...that's another basic flaw in the human character; everyone wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance'. Let's do a little maintenance." Well, I've spent more than forty years 'maintaining' works of art to last for a few more years, saving them from the deity of inevitable decay for a little while longer, and for the pleasure and edification of mankind (and there are thousands of other conservators out there doing the same thing on a daily basis). Perhaps Vonnegut and his ilk have forgotten about us?

Chuckle, still good to have an iconoclastic rant once in a while ;-)
In reply to:
Offerings at stones (Merrick)		 Replies:
Re: Offerings at stones (nigelswift)
Re: Offerings at stones (moss)
Re: Offerings at stones (jordy)
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