Autumn Equinox at Cairn Holly. To catch it I was up before first sparrow fart and off along the A75 with the moon in the west as my guide.

With Cairn Holy stone age workings less than fifteen miles from my door it didn’t take me long to get there.

It was very atmospheric alone on that dark hillside in the footprints of stone-age man and for once I was blessed with a virtually cloudless sky.

With the moon due west and the rising sun still hidden behind the hill to the east I was able to enjoy the changing light —

as the morning grew brighter —

and brighter —

Soon the sun came over the horizon —

bringing many shadows into play on the old stones —

By this time my New Yorker friend Joseph on the right had arrived to continue his five year study of the stones and the hidden meaning of their many markings —

While Ken on his left had brought his dowsing rods over from Rockcliffe —

I tried my hand with the rods and like the slug on the stone I soon had a whole new world of confusing signals to decipher. Our slimy friend was finding it very difficult to cross that vertical line on the stone – and – as with many more markings at Cairn Holy it is a line that is only visible to the naked eye when the sun is in a certain position —

But with the Isle of Man emerging from the mist across the Irish Sea I can think of worse places to be than enjoying my flask of tea and sannies at Cairn Holly on a warm September morn 🙂

Autumn Equinox