SOLITUDE

 

I will never take a trip to the Isle of Iona, that rugged island off the shores of Scotland.

I will never know its craggy terrain or rest among its prehistoric stones.

Nor will I ever walk its ancient paths where St. Columba and his monks established their abbey.

But tucked away on the wooded side of a mountain in Pennsylvania, rests a rare gem, a part of Iona brought forth from a dream.

An unexpected delight…part parkland, part megalith mystery, it is called simply, Columcille.

The park was the brainchild of William Cohea, Jr., who constructed it over many years as a tribute to what he experienced on the island of Iona.

In a terrifyingly beautiful dream, where he was surrounded by a haunting circle of stones, Cohea experienced a deep spiritual and mystical awakening.

His dream was all the more puzzling since there were no stones on Iona like the ones in his dream. But Cohea returned to Iona again and again, beckoned by the energies of the ancient isle. He resolved when he left to create his own place of solace, fortified with the energy of ancient stones.

He found that place, in 1975.  A place whose craggy, mountainous terrain is as old as the stones on Iona.  Twenty plus acres on the slopes of the Blue Mountain.

His spiritual encounter on Iona gave rise to stonework projects like the Glen of Guardians, Thor’s Gate, St. Oran’s Bell Tower and more, on those wooded acres.  It is now called the Stonehenge of Pennsylvania.

Filled with a circle of standing stones, trilithons and dolmens, a chapel and bell tower, the Celtic eye and other megalithic mysteries, Columcille Megalith Park is a place of wonder and solitude.

Follow its meandering trails over the side of the mountain and feel the mystery of the place.  Enjoy the scope and beauty of its ancient stones, quarried from a spot nearby.

In this time of pandemic uncertainty, when places that were once our refuge are no longer safe, Columcille offers another option. It is a place of reflection. For one seeking answers to primordial questions, or someone simply in need of solace, Columcille can provide the answer to both.

From the tallest menhir, to the smallest pebble, Columcille is a place to excavate and reveal your troubled heart, to look inward and find a stronger foundation on which to build a better self. Much like Cohea did when placing his mystical megaliths on the slopes of Blue Mountain.

Or, one can simply enjoy its peace and tranquility and let serenity wash over your parched souls in the sylvan setting.

Savor the solitude.