'An Ancient Place' - Summer Solstice in Ireland
Today marks the Summer solstice, or midsummer; the longest day of the year.
The cycles of the sun played an integral roll in Celtic tradition, where people marked significant moments with large festivals held at prominent and sacred locations in the landscape, such as the Hill of Tara and Newgrange in Co. Meath. The festival was celebrated a number of days before and after the solstice, when the sun appears to rise and set at the same point on the horizon. To this day, there are people who still carry on these ancient traditions, gathering at such sites to reconnect with our distant past.
As a former archaeologist, I have always found these places endlessly fascinating. The way in which people lived in tune, and revered nature seems like an almost foreign concept now in today’s modern world. I believe we all still have that primordial interconnection with nature within us, and we just have to remember to tap back into it. It can be a profound and grounding experience when we consciously do so.
There is a densely canopied woodland on our farm, where a tributary of the Erne meanders through, and it feels as though I am venturing back in time. The smell of the damp earth, the whispering of the leaves, golden dappled light, and the sound of the rippling and trickling of gentle flowing water ignites that connection within me.
It’s a place that inspired me to create the Isle of Danu. I love how just being steeped in my surroundings can inspire me to create something. It feels very natural, genuine and of its place.
I hope I captured some of this magical place in this short video below. Have a wonderful solstice! -Gillian x