Stonehenge

The New Seven  Wonders of the World

In  October 2006 and June 2007, all the major druid orders comprising  the Council of British Druid Orders, worked together with Stonehenge  Archdruid Rollo Maughfling, to create and present Britain’s entry  for the new 7 wonders of the world competition, based on the idea of  Stonehenge as a living temple.

In  a pageant of music, song and invocation, we presented the ancient  story of the three rays of light entering the cauldron of fertility,  and the marriage of sun and earth, from whence all life  proceeds.

Tony  Jameson (Taloch) of the Dolmen Grove wrote the official New Seven  Wonders song, used throughout the whole 9 months of the event and  the 21 countries that were the finalists in the competition. Keri,  his daughter, wrote the beautiful and moving “Song for Stonehenge”,  featured live in the recording.

Although  we did not win, huge ethnic groups from China and India for instance  commanding many more million votes than Britain, nevertheless our  presentation was second to none and very firmly placed druidry back  in the context of world religions, from its proto-druidic origins  co-terminus with the founding of Stonehenge, nearly 5000 years  ago.

STONEHENGE--  SUMMER SOLSTICE

Stonehenge  is the Council of British Druid Orders' major success story.

Although  the Glastonbury Order first started working there in1988, it was  closed that very same year due to the authorities inability to cope  with the large number of pilgrims who wished to take part.  Unbelievably, the closure was to last for another ten years.

During  this time, the GODS (Glastonbury Order of Druids) assisted by LAW  (Loyal Arthurian Warband) held traditional seasonal ceremonies on  the side of the A 344 road that runs past Stonehenge- at Autumn  Equinox, Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox.

The  Summer Solstice, however, was more problematic, with participants  risking arrest at the time of the infamous so-called exclusion zone.  As more and more media attention was brought to this impasse, the  Council of British Druid Orders resolved to negotiate with English  Heritage, who administer Stonehenge, to bring about a re-opening in  time for the milennium.

To  cut a long story short, by taking on the stewarding and health and  safety issues involved, CoBDO, has, with others on the Stonehenge  Round Table, enabled English Heritage to open at the summer solstice  these days to 24,000 people, with smaller public celebrations of a  few hundred at the other quarters of the  year.

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