From the main road, in the blackness of night and howling wind, clinging on to my two pet dogs, a rucksack and a flickering hurricane lamp, I made my way along a muddy footpath. After crossing several fields the great Neolithic long barrow slowly came into view, perched on the brow of a hill, silhouetted against the horizon, occasionally illuminated by the stars and Moon as cloud gave way to clear sky.
As I approached the entrance to the burial chamber, the sound of music could be heard coming from inside the tomb. I squeezed past the massive blocking sarsen stones that would have once capped the grave and found myself in a small forecourt that led into a roofed passage that ran down the centre of the barrow. At the end of this passage I could see a candle lighting up a chamber and against the wall sat a young man playing a tune on his pipe, by his side a small dog and a drum. We smiled at each other, I pulled a rug from my rucksack, sat down and we talked.
It was not long before others began to arrive, soon the long barrow chambers were full. They came from near and far, individually and in small groups, some had been here many time before, for others it was a new experience. Druids, Pagans, Wiccans, believers in Earth magic, the old religion, or the just curious. This was a time to celebrate, Halloween, the feast of Samhain. For some it was a time to party for others a time of worship, all had their own reasons for being there but all came in peace and all were welcome.
Much merriment took place that evening. There were fires, flaming torches, candles, incense and aromatic oils. Some made offerings of fruit or feathers on a small makeshift alter in the tomb. Libations of magic mushrooms, LSD, Marijuana and alcohol were made in plenty. A few days previous I had collected a pocket full of Liberty Caps that grew around the site of a prehistoric necropolis and cult centre in a neighboring county, I consumed them on this night with much delight.
Standing on the crest of the barrow, below me the megalithic entrance stones, above, Orion the hunter in the North, the Great Bear in the South, Venus rising in the East and the waning Moon shining high in the sky bringing light to this sacred ritual landscape. For hours I gazed up into infinity from this front row seat on the cosmos, it truly was an awesome scene, I gave thanks to our ancient ancestors who erected this shrine a thousand years before Cheops built his Great Pyramid.
Closing my eyes produced a kaleidoscope of colours but eventually I was overcome by sleep. I awoke crouched in one corner of the mortuary chamber to find it empty except for my dogs who were patiently lying next to me. On making my exit I found a small group who had stayed the night, oblivious to the morning chill they were staring in silence to the East from the same spot where I had looked out the night before, the Sun was rising over the portal of the long barrow, a new day, a new year had begun ......
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