Stonehenge may be the top destination for travelers making their first visit to southwest of England, but even if the early morning private ceremony at Stonehenge were to be removed from the itinerary, the sacred sites tour of Britain recently announced by Body Mind Spirit Journeys would still be an experience of a lifetime. Billed as a “Journey through the mists of time from Avalon to Camelot”, the guided tour features sites associated with King Arthur and even Jesus, as the group will visit Glastonbury and Tintagel.
We predict one of the highlights will be the excursion to the Avebury stone circle. It has been said that comparing Stonehenge to Avebury is like comparing a country church to a cathedral. It is the largest stone circle in Europe, originally having nearly 100 stones, some of which weigh more than 40 tonnes — twice the size of the largest at Stonehenge. It is believed to have been built around 2600 B.C. and is one of 14 of Britain’s World Heritage Sites. You can click on the Avebury photo to the left to see a larger size image of some of the stones.
Much of Avebury was destroyed by Christian zealots. In the 17th century, John Aubrey campaigned for the site to be preserved. Today, visitors may roam freely among the stones, and — unlike at Stonehenge — touching them is not forbidden. It is more than the arrangement of the cyclopean stones that makes them unique. Many people believe human faces, animal shapes and other symbols were deliberately carved into them. Some are readily observable while others require specific angles of sunlight before they appear. Terence Meaden in his book “The Secret of the Avebury Stones” believes there are symbols representing female and male sexuality. He says that fertility, rebirth, and the eternal return of life after death are seen in the stones, as they also relate to the cycle of the sun and the return of the light at the winter solstice. Michael Dames, in his book “The Avebury Cycle,” says the henge is only one element of a larger monument to the Great Goddess, which also encompasses nearby Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow.
You can see more details about the June, 2012 tour by following this link to: spiritual UK tours.
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