Summer Solstice at Stonehenge

While the true nature of Stonehenge remains unknown, many anthropologists argue the prehistoric structure is intrinsically linked to astronomy, specifically the summer and winter solstice. Monuments for the heavens can be found all over the world, from the Egyptian pyramids to Incan temples of Peru, though Wiltshire’s Neolithic stones are particularly intriguing due to the mystery of the origins and people.

Many theories say the complex was used mainly for ritual purposes, and while it was abandoned sometime during the Iron Age, Stonehenge has become a sort of Mecca in modern times, attracting a variety of druids, hippies and Pagans who feel a connection to the ancient rites that took place thousands of years ago. During the 70s, it hosted the Stonehenge Summer Free Festival as a gathering of alternative culture before police shut it down. The site’s caretakers eventually agreed to open the complex free of charge on auspicious days of the year. Today it receives as many as 20,000 pilgrims searching for positive vibes and spiritual connection. Unlike the rest of the year, visitors are allowed to actually touch the monument on solstice, intensifying the spiritual connection many people feel at Stonehenge.

Not everyone who goes is a New Age religionist. Some find meaning in its archaeoastronomy (the study of how past civilizations understood the heavens) while others believe it’s the work of ancient aliens or some aspect of the supernatural. No matter the reason, these visitors arrive at Wiltshire in search of the same truth its creators were looking for, a testament to Stonehenge’s presence in humanity’s collective psyche.

Stonehenge, United Kingdom © Ronald Callaghan | Dreamstime