The winter solstice will be celebrated on December 21, 2020.
This year’s Winter Solstice will be a major turning point of the times, when the Great Conjunction will occur and we will change from the [Earth] into the [Air], which has lasted about 250 years.
Incidentally, it is said that in the “Air”, there will be an increase in polarization, and the material society, where visible things have been important, will be replaced by an age in which invisible things and spirituality are more important.
The miracle of being born on this earth in this precious transition of time!
I’m looking forward to the coming days of Air!
Hi!
How are you doing?
It’s Betty!
Stonehenge.
A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in England.
Ceremonies are held at Stonehenge on the summer solstice, winter solstice, spring and autumnal equinoxes every year.
And only on these special days, Stonehenge is opened to the public free of charge, attracting many people from all over the world.
You can get close to the stone circles, which are usually inaccessible due to a rope.
As we happened to be near Stonehenge on the winter solstice last year.
We thought, “This is a rare opportunity for us to participate in a winter solstice ceremony!”
In this article, we would like to report on the situation.
At the same time, I found some very interesting information about Stonehenge and the Celtic peoples and druids, so I’m writing about that as well.
What is a sacrificial ritual?
- What is Stonehenge that is still shrouded in mystery to this day?
- What’s special? Celebration? A ritual? Winter Solstice Stonehenge
- How to get to Stonehenge on the winter solstice, entrance fees, notes, etc.
- Stonehenge Winter Solstice Report and Van Life Information
- Sacrifice? Devil worship? What is a druidic ritual? Relationship with Halloween
- Winter Solstice Stonehenge with Van Life / Summary
What is Stonehenge that is still shrouded in mystery to this day?
The ruins of a circle of megaliths located near Salisbury, about 200 kilometers west of London.
It is said to have been built during the Neolithic period, about 2,000 to 2,500 years ago.
Various theories have been proposed as to the purpose of the site, such as a sun worship site, an ancient observatory and a Celtic Druidic chapel, but no conclusion has been reached yet.
This site and the surrounding area were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1986 as a group of sites associated with Stonehenge and Avebury, together with the Avebury sites, some 30 km away.
Translated from Japanese wikipedia
So, when, who, why, and how it was built is still a mystery.
In Egypt, when the pyramids of Giza were being built.
In Japan, Stonehenge was also built during the Jomon period, and it is very impressive to think about the fact that it has been here since that time.
What’s special? Celebration? A ritual? Winter Solstice Stonehenge
stonehenge winter solstice
Stonehenge has been revered as a sacred place since BC.
It is also thought to have been a sun-worshipping ritual site and observatory…
The summer solstice is designed so that the sun rises from an extension of the Heelstone a short distance from the Stone Circle and rises into the center of Stonehenge.
And the Winter Solstice Ceremony ‘celebrates the shortest day of the year’.
A ceremony to celebrate the sun at the turning point of the four seasons is held every year at Stonehenge.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, Stonehenge is usually surrounded by ropes that prevent visitors from getting close to the megaliths (stone circles).
However, during the ceremonies on the winter solstice, summer solstice, spring and autumnal equinoxes, it is open to the public for free and you can touch the giant stones.
How to get to Stonehenge on the winter solstice, entrance fees, notes, etc.
The Stonehenge Visitor Center has a large parking lot where you can park your car and walk to Stonehenge.
The distance from the entrance to the stone circle is about a 1.5 km, and a free shuttle bus is available.
Normally there is an entrance fee and parking is free, but on the winter solstice, summer solstice, spring and autumn equinoxes, Stonehenge is open to the public free of charge.
The dates of seasonal milestones seem to be different from the regular business days, so the notes are also written.
How to get to Stonehenge on Winter Solstice
You can easily get there using a navigation app such as Google Maps.
Here is the location.
Park your car at the visitor center, and the gate is also located here.
Winter Solstice Stonehenge Prices
During ceremonies such as the Winter Solstice / Summer Solstice, the entrance fee, which is usually around £20, is free.
So there is no entrance fee, but there will be a charge for parking, which is normally free.
I think it was about £5, if I remember correctly.
Stonehenge winter solstice hours and what about this year?
On the winter solstice, before the sun rises, from early morning until around noon.
The summer solstice is open from night until around noon the next day.
Check the English Heritage website below for detailed hours.
And unfortunately, this year’s Winter Solstice Ceremony has been cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Although it has been cancelled, live streaming on the day of the winter solstice will be available on the official Stonehenge website from early morning, and the rising sun will also be broadcast live.
The empty dawn of Stonehenge sounds mysterious, doesn’t it?
The winter solstice of 2020 is December 21.
You can watch the live streaming from the official website below.
The event will be streamed live from English Heritage YouTube-and Twitter on the day.
The link is also on this page.
Stonehenge Winter Solstice Report and Van Life Information
stonehenge ceremony
What’s going on at Stonehenge on the winter solstice?
Information about Van Life and Stonehenge Winter Solstice, including what happened on the day of the event and what was different from usual.
Where we stayed the night before
As we arrived at Stonehenge early in the morning, the day before, we asked the attendant if we could park the car directly in the parking lot and spend the night in the van…
You won’t be able to get into the parking lot until tomorrow morning, on time!
See you tomorrow!
So we decided to look for a place where we could stay overnight in a nearby area.
We were looking for a place to stay ｗith camper’s app, Park4Knight.
The day before, all of the small roads around Stonehenge were closed off, and we found out that we couldn’t stay in any of the nearby spots where we could see Stonehenge.
So if you want to participate in the ceremony, you’ll have to stay a little farther away from the Stonehenge, so be sure to plan your schedule well in advance.
How the morning of the day
Early morning of the day (hazy memory, around 5:00 am?) the parking gates would open at the time.
Anticipating that there would be a lot of people coming, we left so that we could get there before it opened.
There were a lot of people with the same idea near the parking lot at Stonehenge, and by the time we arrived, there were already a lot of cars lined up on the street.
Can we get it in properly?
Is it okay?
But the parking lot is large and there was still plenty of spaces, so even if you arrive after the opening, you can still find a space to park, so you’ll be fine.
After the parking lot opened, there was still about an hour to go before the gates of Stonehenge opened, so we stayed in the car.
As everyone around us was starting to move, we decided to take it easy and head to Stonehenge.
It was still dark, so it would be better to bring a headlight.
By the way, it’s quite a walk from the gate to the stone circle.
What’s going on at Stonehenge on the winter solstice?
I knew there would be a ceremony, but…
At the center of the Stone Circle, the Druids were celebrating the shortest day of the year with a ceremony.
But…there were too many people to see it at all!
I could hear the instruments playing, but I didn’t even understand what was going on inside.
I wish I could have seen it!
So, if you want to see it properly, you might want to try to get in as soon as the gates open and you’re the first one in.
Since we couldn’t see the ceremony, we gave up and passed the time by touching the giant stones and circling around.
In a sacred atmosphere, the feeling of emptiness that everyone there was waiting for the moment of sunrise was somewhat inspiring.
There were a lot of people outside the Stone Circle, and everyone was having fun with their instruments.
There were people dressed in Druidic costumes/hippie/jack sparrow outfits, and it was fun just to watch the people there!
The scent of sage and incense wafted everywhere, and although for me it didn’t make much of a impression, the atmosphere was filled with an atmosphere of ”I’m sure it’s a sacred ceremony for those who are involved.
And then the sun rose, and when satisfied, it seemed like everyone was going home.
Sacrifice? Devil worship? What is a druidic ritual? Relationship with Halloween
While researching what goes on at Stonehenge and the winter solstice, I came across a lot of interesting information that I would like to share.
What is the Celtic people to begin with?
What is a druid?
What are rituals and what do they do?
History of the Celtic Peoples and the Druids
The Celtic people believed in reincarnation and were nature worshippers.
I found a video that explains the history of the Celtic and Druid peoples in detail.
It is quite interesting.
From TED-ed
The role of the druid is to offer sacrifices as a ritual to the gods.
There is also a fertility ritual, in which the Druids seem to have a deep connection to trees.
Sacrifice is a real ritual, isn’t it?
Devil worship? The relationship between the druids and Halloween
And next, when I was researching the Celtic and Druids, I found a lot of information about their relationship with Halloween.
According to these information, [Halloween is a devil-worshipping event], and the origin of Halloween is the Druid sacrifice ritual.
The next video is a video of Halloween and Druidic sacrifice rituals.
This one is also very interesting!
Around 4:39, the story of the Celtic people, the Druids, and Stonehenge comes into play.
(it’s English speaking)
From SWAMIANAD GITAM
I guess that’s why I’ve never been interested in Halloween personally.
I don’t think i will celebrate in the future after seeing this!
More than 4,000 human bones have been found by archaeologists in the ground at Stonehenge, so sacrifice was also practiced at Stonehenge….
Druids Wicker Man and Burning Man
The Wicker Man of the Druids
Photo from wikipedia
The Wicker Man is a giant humanoid, braided cage made of willow.
Live humans and animals that are sacrificed are trapped inside it and burned.
I don’t know if this is true, occult or urban legend, but if the story is true, it’s a pretty brutal sacrificial ritual.
I didn’t know it was called the Halloween ‘apple game’…
This Wicker Man sacrifice ritual is said to be the origin of the apple game.
… Scary.
And the Burning Man event is held every year in the desert of Nevada, USA.
Burning Man is a big event where tens of thousands of people gather, and it is also famous for burning a huge human figure.
A few years ago, a total solar eclipse and Burning Man coincided, and I wanted to participate in the event, but I couldn’t due to various reasons.
The origin of Burning Man is said to be this Druidic sacrifice ritual Wickerman.
What is Burning Man?
Burning Man is an event that takes place for a week in the middle of nowhere in the desert.
During the event, a city called “Black Rock City” was built by the participants, and the rules are completely off-grid and no money is allowed to be spent, and the participants live in a communal camp for a week in the desert.
It is an event that respects cooperation, mutual aid, the spirit of GIVE, and consideration for the natural environment, and is a place for learning through art, music, performances, yoga and meditation, and xxx classes, etc., etc., etc., created by all participants.
And on the last day of the event, they burn the aforementioned giant human figure.
Burning Man…an event I’d love to join at least once before I die!
Winter Solstice Stonehenge with Van Life / Summary
stonehenge winter solstice
So that was the Winter Solstice at Stonehenge and an interesting story about it.
I knew that ceremonies are held at Stonehenge during the winter solstice and summer solstice and other seasonal changes, but I didn’t know much more than that, so it was very interesting to find out!
On the day of the event, I didn’t really understand ”what was going on and why,” so if I had known in advance, I might have experienced a different feeling.
If we get the chance to attend again in the future, I would like to make sure that this time we have a place to watch the ceremony that takes place in the circle.
We made a video of the day, so check it out!
Well, thank you for reading to the end.
See ya！
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