Pagans Flock to Stone Henge Solstice

Newser ^ | 6-21-10 | Kevin Spak

[mlizzy]

(NEWSER) – Thousands of New Agers and neo-pagans danced and whooped in delight this morning as a bright early morning sun rose above the ancient stone circle Stonehenge, marking the summer solstice. About 20,000 alternative-minded revelers crowded the prehistoric site in southern England to see the 4:52am (11:52pm EST) sunrise, following an annual all-night party. They waited for dawn at the Heel Stone, a pockmarked pillar just outside the main circle that aligns with the rising sun.

Unlike previous recent years, when the sunrise has been obscured by cloud, the bright sun bathed the monument in orange and gold today. As the sun rose, a woman climbed a rock in the circle center and blew a horn, welcoming in the longest day of the year north of the equator. Drums, tambourines, and cheers reverberated in the background. "One time in maybe 10 we get a decent sunrise," said a volunteer for English Heritage, which manages the site, "and that was a good one."

[mlizzy]

A grotto; much better ... we now await "the spring."

[the invisib1e hand]

chesterton wrote something to the effect that the religious impulse in people drives them to do the craziest things and that the guidance of the Church is therefore a God-given moderating force. As usual, he gives voice to the self-evident.

[glide625]

Sorry, but the mental picture of the modern day crazies at Stonehenge just makes me laugh out loud.

[the invisib1e hand]

Sorry, but the mental picture of the modern day crazies at Stonehenge just makes me laugh out loud.

when the smear themselves with crap, that's when I chuckle.

[Huskrrrr]

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

creepy weird freaky people

[glide625]

O.K; TMI!

[Mr. K]

Pewrsonally, I am all for this type of stuff.

It would be so hard to get the stupid people to stamp a big red ‘S’ on their forehead so we can recognize them, but this they do all on their own!!
(face rings too)

[Never on my watch]

creepy weird freaky people

I'll be that was the salutation on the invitation to the event.

I am sure they would take that as a compliment

[Never on my watch]

I’ll be ... I’ll bet

[beethovenfan]

Worshiping the creation rather than the Creator. Romans makes it clear what the end result is.

[TSgt]

I bet this guy was there...

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

They probaby would....

[RnMomof7]

They look just like the people waiting to see a vision of mary in a plate glass window or some "vision" they have been told happens regularly

[Pyro7480]

They look just like the people waiting to see a vision of mary in a plate glass window or some "vision" they have been told happens regularly

LOL! How predictable...

You can't tag that as a "Catholics only" phenomenon.

[Ditter]

I visited Stone Henge about 47 years ago. There was no one there except me, my mother in law and the man who drove us there. It was a spectacular thing to see.

[Clemenza]

Sorry folks, but that image of Mary is just an oil stain, and that voice telling you to smear yourselves with crap is just me behind the trees.

[ETL]

A month or so in New York's Central Park I came across this group of loonies chanting to the ancient Egyptian obelisk 'Cleopatra's Needle'. It was actually creepy. It reminded me of an old devil-worshiping movie I saw as a kid.

[antiRepublicrat]

the religious impulse in people drives them to do the craziest things and that the guidance of the Church is therefore a God-given moderating force.

Yeah, it is a moderating force to keep people from doing crazy things like self-flagellation, self-crucifixion and venerating displayed body parts of corpses.

[RnMomof7]

You can't tag that as a "Catholics only" phenomenon.

Is there really a huge difference with a 'spiritual experience" in front of some old stones and a spiritual experience in front of a window or pancake or a statue or in the the grotto ?

Of course it is not a Catholic only experience the flesh always wants an idol of its own making one that they can tell what to do and how to work

"If you know how not to pray, take Joseph as your master, and you will not go astray." - St. Teresa)

If one does not know how to pray maybe there is no indwelling Holy Spirit to lead them :) Christ has to be our Master to have that indwelling Holy Spirit