Watching the Summer Solstice from Home

Image by Howard Walsh from Pixabay

All my life, I've wanted to go to England and watch the sunrise on the Summer Solstice through the stones at Stonehenge. I'd read about it as a teenager and have spent years reading all I can about the alignment of this site. I just wanted to witness that for myself just once. Well, today I sort of got to have that dream come true.

I would like to personally thank those with English Heritage for doing a live feed on Facebook. I didn't get to watch the live feed of the sun setting at Stonehenge, but as I was sitting here getting ready to write this post, it dawned on me that I could still catch the sunrise. 

Though sunrise is still several minutes away (as I write this), watching the feed has given me some sense of what it was like to witness this event throughout the ages. Not just during the time of those that built the monument, but all those who came afterward and had no explanations for those stones.

As I watch, I feel the eerie silence as you wait for that moment when the sun is in its peak position. The skies are cloudy, casting an ominous vibe. You can see a chilled mist in the air, blurring the horizon beyond the stones.

There are only a few people scattered about as officials try to keep the world safe while still allowing the magic of this morning to spread throughout the entire world. It's an amazing feeling. 

I have to admit that I thought there would be a little more excitement to it, but I can't complain. I know that this is the only way someone like me could ever see an event such as this. I also can't say that even if I did manage to see this in person someday, that I wouldn't be standing in the wrong place anyway. 

Thank you again, English Heritage, for allowing people such as myself, to witness the beauty of this ancient rite.