Where Sunlight Meets An Ancient Tradition: The Power Of Stonehenge
Worshippers, including Druids, Wiccans and other pagan groups, have gathered at England's Stonehenge for 6,000 years — and this year was no different.
As the sun crested over the horizon, shining its first rays into the Stone Circle on June 20 and marking the summer solstice, thousands of worshippers gathered.
Amanda Hart from Druidry, specifically the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids, said the different groups that gather at the site do “their own thing.”
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“The most aggressive and noisiest groups tend to get into the center,” she said. “It can be very chaotic, and very theatrical. Many go for the spectacle rather than the deep spiritual element.”
It is a situation that has attracted considerable controversy in recent decades. These are incredibly ancient stones, as is the landscape surrounding them. The area, about a two-hour train ride from London, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Landscape, and there is a need to ensure Stonehenge is protected and conserved from any damage. Creating a happy medium among public access, worship and preservation is not easy.
During the 1970s and ’80s, the event attracted New Age adherents who were photographed climbing on top of massive stones, causing damage to the circle. There were complaints about trespassing, damage to property and drug taking. It became increasing a focus for conflict, and attempts were made to prevent access for solstice festival attendees.
In 1984, the authorities sought a High Court injunction. A year later, a four-mile exclusion zone was set up by the police, which included road blocks on surrounding roads and even rings of barbed wire surrounding the stones.
This didn’t deter festival goers, with many arriving in the area via what they called “peace convoys” well ahead of the solstice. There was even a standoff between attendees and riot police resulting in considerable damage and 420 arrests. Twelve people ended up hospitalized.
In 1986, the U.K.’s Public Order Act was invoked, ensuring that groups of people found inside the exclusion zone were regarded as violating the law and could be arrested with the prospect of a three-month jail sentence.
Such confrontations occurred during every summer solstice. One protester, who renamed himself King Arthur Pendragon, was arrested every year and launched a court battle over public access to Stonehenge. In 1998, he took his case to the European Court of Human Rights.
The first hint of change in attitudes occurred in 1999. English Heritage, a charity responsible for Stonehenge and over 400 other monuments, buildings and places around the U.K., introduced limited access involving a ticketing system.
Wikipedia Commons photo
By the time the summer solstice of the year 2000 took place, the situation had eased dramatically and systems were in place to giving greater access for ticketed groups at special worship times. Although there is still a limited police presence, the solstice has become far less controversial. Groups have to book in advance for free access to the parking lot and Stonehenge itself.
Participants, however, are expected to show respect for the site, with no climbing allowed on any of the stones, whether fallen or still standing. Amplified music is forbidden, likewise the use of drones. No alcohol or drugs are permitted. All garbage has to be taken away by the attendees.
Not everyone seeks to attend on the same day, which typically falls between June 20 and 22 each year.
“The solstice actually lasts for three days ,during which the sun is at its zenith, ending at midsummer,” Hart said. “Most Druids prefer to visit when it is peaceful and quieter. We book in for midsummer to hold our celebration. Druids are an earth-based group, and Stonehenge is a sacred place in the landscape. We celebrate with a night vigil and a dawn ritual. We see the sun rising and acknowledge the sacredness of the circle, blessing it. … All the people present are members of the group or are friends. We then close the circle, and everyone leaves. It is a very polite experience.”
While the summer solstice attracts the most attention, together with the greatest numbers of attendees throughout the three-day period, smaller and lesser known celebrations within the stones also take place at other times of the year.
Groups like Druidry book special access at the winter solstice, which will take place this year on Dec. 21. The weather can affect numbers at other times — the winter solstice can be a very cold event, especially given the open landscape for miles around.
At the same time, increased interest in druidry and other nature-based religions has undergone a renaissance in recent years. In 2010, the Druid Network was granted charity status by the Charity Commission, making it the first faith/pagan organization to achieve public recognition within the U.K.
According to the 2021 U.K. census, there were 74,000 pagans in England and Wales alone. At the same time, there has been an unsuccessful petition to the British Parliament to make paganism a recognized religion.
This rise in interest is partly due to the growing awareness of the impact of climate change and the effects on the environment. The impact of the recent pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns led to greater understanding of the way people are affected by the natural environment, particularly with regard to mental health.
“We are seeing a lot of people showing interest, especially people aged 30-plus,” Hart said. “Younger people start with Indigenous cultures, and then move on. They want to support the environment, spend time within nature. We see people coming to us concerned about the landscape, about their links with ancestors, the sacred places in the landscape. There is a spiritual connection to the landscape.”
Angela Youngman is a freelance journalist who has written for a wide range of British and international publications.