Our trip in 2017 to UK was planned to spend some quality time with my parents in law. We had no idea that while we were taking a short weekend break at Swinton Estates in Yorkshire we will see something interesting like a DRUID TEMPLE.
The name druid temple was exciting for both Saurabh and myself..so we asked the hotel guyz to arrange for the trip. We had done the Stonehenge trip in 2016 and were fascinated by the massive structures at Stonehenge and when we reached the Druid temple we found similar stone structures. Giving you a glimpse of the temple.
Who are the Druids??
The place is very mysterious and lots of natural flora fauna. One can feel as if they are on the sets of movie Indiana Jones 🙂
The mysterious stone circles across the globe are a phenomena still being demystified. Being around this place was a very peaceful experience and I got an opportunity to click some interesting pictures.
The picture outside a cave at the temple. While connecting with the place , there was an urge to click some pictures and the results were fascinating. I was really excited to share these pictures in the blog.
View of the Heel Stone at summer solstice sunrise, as seen from inside the Stonehenge monument. Image via mysticrealms.org
This year we decided to take a trip with our little one to UK so that she could meet her grandparents. This was Samaira’s first trip abroad so the itinerary had to be carefully planned to suit the little one’s comfort. While planning for the trip we decided to stay in London for a few days as the vacation planner of the family I was very keen to check if I could make the trip to the so called “Heart Chakra” of the planet Earth the mysterious area of Salisbury, Glastonbury and Avebury. I looked at a number of itineraries and tours but none were baby friendly or I must say infant friendly. Then I happen to come across Pat Shelly, Pat is an experienced guide and conducts private tours of Stonehenge. I mailed Pat to find out if he could accommodate an infant on his coach tour of Stonehenge and I received a prompt reply from him that he would be more than happy. I booked a private viewing of Stonehenge on 11th August 2016 for three of us.
This was the only tour that we could take with Samaira considering that she can not travel more than 4-5 hours in a coach and as we were informed there will be lots of walking required and the terrain is not baby push chair friendly we will need to carry her we just decided to cover Stonehenge in this trip. There is something compelling about these trips which are full of excitement and mystery. A similar experience was Delphi in Greece last year where we visited the Temple of Apollo it is also considered as the Navel Center of Earth. You can read about the Greek Sojourn a journey with nearly 5 months of pregnancy. This year it was the journey to the Heart center of Gaia. My husband is not too much into esoteric journeys but has been a co traveler in many of my trips and thanks to it I am able to get some lovely shots of the place.
A lot has been written about the Stonehenge however in this blog I will be sharing my own experience of the place. I had the company of Pat Shelly an amazing tour guide however I was not able to be with him to hear the archaeological discussions as I was busy ensuring Samaira was warm and well comforted as the winds were very strong. Here is some Wikipedia information on Stonehenge to brief you all so that you understand why it was such a compelling journey on my to do list. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, 2 miles (3 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. Stonehenge’s ring of standing stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England. Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the first blue stones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BC…………. Wow that is really really long time back and it is really amusing to see them standing tall and strong even today.
Midsummer celebrations have been held in Britain at the time of the solstice for thousands of years and every year it attracts 1000s of visitors at Stonehenge and near by Avebury stone circles. Stonehenge is believed to have been used as an important religious site by early Britons 4,000 years ago. The Stonehenge Free Festival was a British free festival from 1974 to 1984 held at Stonehenge during the month of June, and culminating on the summer solstice. The festival was a celebration of various alternative cultures. The Tibetan Ukrainian Mountain Troupe, The Tepee People, Circus Normal, the Peace Convoy, New Age Travellers and the Wallys were notable counterculture attendees. (Source internet)
We reached this amazing site at 7.45 pm in the evening and then navigated through the grasslands inside the stone circle. The amazing serenity of the place, the crisp and pure winds , the large expanse of sky and amidst it stands this secluded circle of humongous stones. The sight actually awe strucks you , standing among these chalk stone slabs which have stood through the ages felt so familiar may be who knows this monument was visited or built by people I knew 🙂
Some people say it was an ancient timeclock, some a temple , others a passage from life to death but for me this place has something to feel within.The monument is only a landmark ,there is much more to be understood and decipher.I spend some time looking at the massive chalk stones and I was really amused just as most of the people would be as to how these Trilithons (the two vertical stones topped by a horizontal stone) were installed in that age where each stone weighed more than 15 tonnes??. Imagine the kind of vision and leadership needed to encourage thousands of people to work together to set up Stonehenge. Even if it was Super beings who did it as believed by many , they have surely left a mark on the planet that has undergone the test of time and still stands magnificently
A giant helps Merlin build Stonehenge. From a manuscript of the Roman de Brut by Wace in theBritish Library (Egerton 3028). Dating back to the second quarter of the 14th century, this is the oldest known depiction of Stonehenge. (Source :Wikipedia)
There have been many theories around Stonehenge just like the pyramids of Egypt but for travelers like me who are looking to experience these sights there is much more to experience and questions than only how they were built, why they were built etc. When I sat down to meditate inside the circle I could feel impulses of energy throbbing within the heart and as I closed my eyes I could feel that a lot of energy work had been done in this place.The only thing I wanted to do as an appreciation was a blessing for the creators and contributors of this interesting monument, it is because of these mysteries in the world we realize life is much more than what we are living.
You think because you understand ‘one’ you must also understand ‘two’, because one and one make two. But you must also understand ‘and’.
Rumi
Do write to me and share your experience would love to hear and connect.
And now planning my next destination…….
credits : Summer solstice at Stonehenge By Deborah Byrd in EARTH | HUMAN WORLD|June 22, 2016 ; Wikipedia and internet for few images
Travel is a calling for me an inner invitation something I am unable to justify to myself and even my family. Our travel to Greece was nothing but a calling as many of you have appreciated our photos and I am sure are motivated to visit the country as well. The thought came to me last year August when I saw a picture of Santorini and decided to share on my FB cover with a title “Destination Next”. That year we did a trip to Europe (Swizz Paris n Uk) a pleasure trip totally and the plan for Greece was a dream. In September I went to Pune an annual trip with Delhi Arhatic practitioners to the GMCKS Ashram a beautiful and spiritual place. We had to create a vision board for 2015 and I ended up sticking a picture of a plane with a tag “vacation to Greece”
The Snapshots of the Beauty of Greece
I had no idea why I was so fascinated by the place, none of my friends had gone there and being a Mediterranean climate country my husband would not have agreed to travel with me in August (our annual vacation month). But there was no doubt in my mind about how it will materialize however soon the vision board was shelved on top of my Almirah and I got busy in business as usual.Later on in Feb 2015 I started searching more on the sacred sites in Greece and I was fascinated to see there was so much mythology and culture in this country. I ended up finding more and more interesting reasons for visiting Greece and the thought became powerful. I booked our tickets for August 2015 knowing it will be hot and peak season for tourists , I just went ahead with my bookings following my heart. This year June -July Greece was going through economic crisis, strikes and unrest and our families were very concerned of our trip they even pushed us to cancel the bookings. However in my heart I was sure all will be well as it is not my plan and it is being worked by someone who knows it better than me :).
During the July full moon meditation a thought was absorbed that I need to conduct a group meditation session and bless the country of Greece using the Universal Prayer The Great Invocationand the timing was actually perfect as I had to travel on 3rd August and I ended up starting a 21 Day Prosperity Healing Event 12th Jul – 1st August and was guided to use the The Great Invocationprayer to bless Greece for financial stability and safety of its people. I had no idea that a dream a year back will actually have an elaborate plan to it and I will be an instrument for blessing this country and encouraging so many to do the same. It is very difficult to share these coincidences with anyone but I am sharing because so many of us get these callings but not sure if we are able to search for deeper meanings.
Adding to all the surprises I was also expecting around 4th month and my husband was really concerned if I could travel and do so much of site seeing but fingers crossed the plan was intact and we landed in Greece.I did keep asking myself why me? and why now? waiting for my answers as I was not sure why am I doing this? My itinerary though was a mix of pleasure, luxury, pampering and quality time together it also had a higher agenda of visiting Delphi; a 4 hour drive from Athens one way ;one of the most hectic site seeing tour considering my swollen feet and a hot sunny day it was our last site seeing tour.
The Temple of Oracle of Apollo
About Delphi:
One hundred miles northwest of Athens, soaring high above the Gulf of Corinth, stands the holy mountain called Parnassus. Nestled amidst the pine forested slopes and rocky crags of the sacred peak are the beautiful and exceptionally well-preserved ruins of Delphi. A city of wondrous artistic achievements and grand athletic spectacles during the flowering of Greek culture in the first millennium BC, Delphi is best known, however, as the supreme oracle site of the ancient Mediterranean world.Delphi was considered the center of the earth by many ancient Greeks.Delphi, is also known as the ”centre of awareness” .
An omphalos is a powerful symbolic artifact made from stone. Considered the ‘navel of the world’, the central point from which terrestrial life originated, an omphalos was an object of Hellenic religious symbolism believed to allow direct communication with the gods.
Navel of the world at the Temple of Apollo, Delphi, Greece
Apollo was the “god of oracles,” One of his most celebrated temple is found at the Greek site of Delphi, seat of his famous oracle.The Greek god of the sun and oracles, Apollo, possesses important attributes in common with the Jewish savior Jesus, including his status as the son of God. As Jesus was titled “the Christ” or Christos, so too was Apollo purportedly styled Chrēstos, chrestos appears to have been the title of “perfected saints” in various mystery schools or brotherhoods, associated with oracular activity in particular. Apollo was the god of oracles, and was supposed to impart the gifts of healing and divination.
Statue Of Apollo At Delphi Museum
My experience of the Site: Our guide gave us a 30 minute introduction of the site which was a lot of theory including details of mythological stories about Pythia the Oracle of Delphi.However I just wanted sometime alone to experience the place energetically to connect with all the great souls that walked the same land and breathed the same air. It is really exciting to imagine one self being present in the same era it is actually an awesome realization.
Sadhguru a mystic of our times visited this site and had something interesting to share too here is a video clip from Delphi:
Finally after some time there was time to meditate with the Oracle of Delphi and ask for guidance 🙂 from the Oracles. I think it was the only reason for being in Delphi.One phrase that was echoing during the meditation was KNOW THYSELF. Later on when I tried finding more about it I came to know this is the best known Delphic injunction and it was carved into the lintel at the Temple of Apollo: GNOTHI SEAUTON, meaning Know Thyself.
“These words may have originated in Apollo’s response to a question Chilon of Sparta asked:“What is best for man?” The reply, “Know thyself,” is similar to the one believed to have been given to the Lydian king, Croesus, when he was told that he must know himself if he would live most happily.”
GNOTHI SEAUTON, Know Thyself and I somehow knew this was the message I had to take with me as a gift from Greece, something that I should write about and remind myself and others that the best way of living our life is by knowing our own self rather than spending days, months and even our life understanding things outside of us. There is a whole universe of knowledge within us we just need to connect with our self.
At this point of time when our Planet Earth is going through a transition all she needs is more and more people who can help her in this transition…. The rise in collective consciousness with the help of ascended masters n spiritual teachers is no coincidence. Most of us who are balancing the act of our lives managing our inner calling with the material responsibilities understand how we are being gently guided in taking up responsibilities which we had never thought of … Whether it is about contributing in encouraging people to connect to their own higher self or by using ourselves as instruments in charging the Earth centers by visiting the places that call us. It is beautiful to know you are not alone in this journey but there are many who are inspired to follow their calling at this point in time.
When you get a calling to visit a place listen to it.
Sargam Mishra 