The Moon and the Stones

Dramatic lunar alignments were incorporated into the megalithic architecture of Stonehenge, Avebury and Callanish stone circles. We will explore what the ancients saw and how the Moon played a major role in night time ceremonies. Callanish stone circle is shaped like a Celtic Cross and positioned so that the Moon would rise at the exact centre of the circle and no other stone circle has such an extraordinary alignment.

Stonehenge is world famous for its annual summer solstice alignment, yet the Heel Stone aligns more accurately to the Moon is an overlooked fact. Likewise, at Avebury lunar alignments cast shadows and silver light that created a breathtaking Neolithic theatre that occurred once every 18.61 years. We will explore the visual effects of the Moon and the Stones and recall what our ancestors once viewed thousands of years ago.