Encountering standing stones

All standing stones seem to me to invite touch. The careful placing of hands on rock has always been part of how I respond to these ancient sites. Touching and tracing the contours with affection and respect, mindful of the wellbeing of lichens and other such spirits of place.

Some taller stones invite you to stand with them or lean on them. Others are good for sitting with. Yesterday at Avebury I sat, and leaned my back against one of the large stones. When I tilted my head back I found that the shape of the rock supported my skull perfectly.

Avebrury is the most tactile stone circle I have thus far encountered. Each stone seems to welcome physical communion, having shapes that support and hold an array of body parts and postures. My first visit, more than half my lifetime ago involved a great many discoveries about how my body could be held by that space.

It is tempting to think that these stones may have been selected and stood up with consciousness of their tactile powers.

I find Avebury to be a welcoming place. Simply being there is nourishing and inspiring. There is magic in just showing up and letting the place happen to you, without assumption or intent.

Last time I visited back in March I could hardly see anything and had to be guided to a stone I could touch. Yesterday the stones were visible to me, appearing in the strange mists of my vision as otherworldly giants, more alive to me than ever. Even as my perception shift costs me in many ways, it offers back unexpected gifts, too.