Summer Solstice 2012 - Information

For everyone who is planning to attend Summer Solstice this year we bid you safe journey and a happy solstice, & hope to see you there!

English Heritage have now issued details (pictured right).

It is important to note that the solstice car park opens at 7pm Wednesday 20th June. Access to Stonehenge starts at the same time. Pagan groups usually hold a ‘sunset ceremony’ although in previous years have not always not waited until sunset which happens this year at approximately 9:20pm.

Due to crowd pressure in centre circle at sunrise, pagan ceremonies are held by the heel stone (NE of the henge circle in the direction of sunrise) and to the SW of the henge near to the ancestor statue. Sunrise will be approximately 4:50am.

This solstice, 6 months ahead of the new age and solar calendar, is very important spiritually. The Earth is in crises and in reaction to this and to prepare the way to a brighter future, representatives from other ancient cultures will be attending as special guests of the various Druid groups. Please, if you encounter such people be polite and welcoming. The peoples of the rainbow are starting to come together with important work ahead.

Every year the future of open access depends upon you. It is so important that nobody gets hurt and everyone has a positive and special experience to take away.

The conditions of entry really do matter.

For this reason please do not treat Solstice as a place to come and ‘get wasted’, you will not enjoy it fully or experience all that it has to offer if you do, and you may spoil it for others. Respect is for everyone!

The future of this wonderful free spiritual event depends upon all of us making it work.

About the Ancestor.

What is he?

The ancestor is a six ton steel statue of an ancient man raising his hands to the sun. He was designed and built by Andy and Michelle who run ‘The Forge’ in Amesbury and who are specialists in traditional metalworking and sculpture. They built him to symbolise the people who achieved great things, like working out some serious astronomy and building Stonehenge, yet who were appreciative of nature and examples to us in terms of their imagination and courage.

Since he was built in 2010 and completed just in time for summer solstice he has become a focal point for the local community of Amesbury and has brought people together of all walks of life to explore and develop our culture and community. Frank was asked by the ancestors creators if he would give the statue a Druid blessing, but delays getting permission to locate him beside the A303 where he resides today, meant that Spring Equinox (the date planned) was missed.

The Ancestors first visit to Stonehenge in 2010

Frank had the idea to invite the Ancestor to Stonehenge for summer solstice 2010 on behalf of the Aes Dana Grove of Druids, and English Heritage agreed to this on condition that there was no advanced publicity. If it leaked out in advance, he could not go. So for 3 months while the entire town of Amesbury knew about the plan and helped with preparations this great secret was maintained. On the Solstice he surprised and delighted celebrants but failed to achieve the notice from the media that he deserved. Very few press attended solstice that year.

2012

He is returning to Stonehenge summer solstice this year with a fantastic new crown, an addition to mark the fact that this year we have a royal jubilee and we are hosting the Olympic games. The logistics of dismantling the six ton giant and moving him to Stonehenge in time for the solstice is being done with the kind help of the Army based nearby in Durrington.