The photo I have taken from Paul's blog 'The Heritage Trust', when I talk of Avebury it is with the memory of how we got together. This photo shows what I think is one of Paul's grouses, the sheep leaving a lanolin line on the stones, where they had rubbed their fleeces, scratching their sides. Avebury is the heart of the new paganism, the one where true worshippers of stones go to meet.
Yes. Stonehenge has been attacked by orange powder a couple of days ago, but as the Chief Druid said on the radio today, it will easily wash off with the rain. Viva - the Earth ;)
But I came across an article I had written about Avebury/Awbury and one of its 17th century inhabitant and his family moving over to America. He was a dissenter, and the Quakers were moving out of this country. In the Victorian age, a young American girl came to visit Awbury, as it was called and wrote a poem about this little village.
So here is the article. And the last two verses of Mary S. Cope poem 'Awbury'.
The hamlets seem to lie at rest
Upon the common’s ample breast,
Secure in loneliness of space
From aught that could the charm efface
Of innocence and old-world grace
Worn by ancestral right.
Home of sweet days and thankful nights,
Fair fall on thee the morning light,
Soft fall the evening dews.
Wild winds perchance may sweep the wold
But age, untouched by storm or cold,
In memory’s sight thou standest there,
Encircled by serenest air,
In changeless summer hue.
Mary S Cope, 1886
And perhaps some music from a temple in South Korea, though we need hardly be reminded of rain. But tomorrow I am going to a talk on Pantheism - the all encompassing!
Guest election blog - Conservatives by Stephen Moss - Wild Justice
Nice to sit here with the windows open and see someone else's rain!
ReplyDeleteSomehow I imagined Climate change in Britain would be a bit like that though. Warmth and rain but it has been freezing cold John.
DeleteIt is surprising that the Avebury stones are not more visited. Perhaps they are on private land.
ReplyDeleteThe Avebury stones are very well visited Andrew, and they are free to visit, the car park is a bit expensive though.
DeleteWe could use some rain here, Thelma!
ReplyDeleteYou are perfectly welcome to ours Ellen, though today we have 20C warmth and no rain.
DeleteA friend of mine was tasked with removing spray paint from a stone at Avebury - with a giant laser which took off the paint only, leaving the listed lichen behind. I think I have already told you about that. The Just Stop Oil lot are a silly and naive bunch.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought;) But The Just Stop Oil lot are getting you all niggled - isn't that what they set out to do? I can't see many bloggers joining the London march today.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes me angry is the notion that everything would be fine if they did just stop oil. No it wouldn't. What could happen is that we would have to import it - at even greater expense - from dubious countries in order to make all the plastics etc. that Just Stop Oil use if we did not allow a highly regulated exploitation of our own resources. Phase it out, yes. 'What do we want?' 'Gradual change!' 'When do we want it?' 'In good time!'
DeleteP.S. I'm not defending the oil companies. Just the reverse.
DeleteI do believe that is the right answer Tom, "gradual change" unfortunately it might take too much time. Paul Avery (Rewilding Britain) thinks the answer is in nuclear. But whatever, the first thing we could do as a country is use less electricity individually and learn to save it.
DeleteI wandered off for a read about Pantheism. That would be a dream come true, wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes, though the trouble is always interpretation Debby. Sadly he hardly mentioned it during the talk. See above.
ReplyDelete