Visitation

I am not comfortable with this eyewitness account rather I am so deeply a part of it, that the totality of my five senses has been redefined.

And we begin…

Knowing that the day trip would be once in a lifetime, my daughter and I boarded the train from Cardiff to Salisbury, Wales in anticipation of a spiritual connection.  We were going to Stonehenge.  The scenery passing was familiar; countryside, pastures groomed by the thousands of sheep.  Village church steeples defined each pocket of row housing with the occasional farmhouse, well kept and manicured on the in-between spots.  There were community gardens where you wouldn't expect them and natural hedges overgrowing the attempts at fencing.

The two-hour journey landed us at the station where we connected with our tour bus.  The prerecorded audio guide highlighted the history of the city of Salisbury as our bus headed to the second pick up point in the town centre.  Learned about the commerce industry and of course the brutality of public executions (all too common a theme though out the United Kingdom).  For me, personally, they could have left that part out.

Stonehenge is not visible from the road.  Signage is minimal and all efforts to film the approach were thwarted by the sudden appearance of the car park and visitor's center building.  There's nothing but fenced pasture for acres upon acres in all directions.  City life has encroached the perimeter and hikers with burdensome backpacks and staffs traversed the fields without care as to the neolithic stones nearby.

We waited on the bus while the driver submitted paperwork to the staff of the National Trust and soon we were on our way.  There were options, walk the mile path or take the shuttle. Option 2, please.

Up a short incline, cameras at the ready, we stood at the world heritage site in a non-ceremonious manner.  Most visitors were busy selfie documenting their arrival or taking advantage of a stranger's help to photograph themselves there.  Some just stood. We did a little of both.  Sometime in the seventies, direct access to the stones had been stopped.  Special requests by guided astrologists to visit at dawn are still viable.

We circled the path and headed back to the shuttle queue which was well orchestrated by staff who counted heads and directed lines to each awaiting vehicle.

The shuttle back was much quieter.

Time for snack or memento shopping.  Snacks please.  Fifteen pounds for muffin, hot chocolate and juice.  We spotted seating at the counter along the outer edge.  Found two seats and sat and then I found myself up and asking a person in costume why they were dressed that way and what they were doing.

Initially, I thought "a theatrical troupe"; maybe a monologue or a guided tour of the sacred places.
I was up for it.

My life changed, right then. . . at THAT moment.  She said, "I am the Shaman."

Without revealing the intimacy of our encounter, I will say that I've never been on a journey of that caliber ; solely of the mind and heart.  I learned how to redefine the universe and it's not what I learned in school.

Once in every lifetime, the opportunity comes to step outside of your personal comfort zone; to open your mind to possibilities.  I am not who I was and I am grateful.

Seeking for answers lead to an unplanned reveal. I didn't know it, the universe did. It has been confirmed since my return, by persons who study the metaphysical, that my journey there was not by chance.  It was not just another day trip in a two-week itinerary across two countries. It was my destiny.

How I go forward and live out my remaining years, months, days or hours has validation. I understand
that the intricacies of my daily existence are not mundane. They are amazing gifts to share.

My life changed when I least expected it; 4,000 miles from my front door. I will revisit this place; this mecca for those who are seeking truth beyond all understanding.  In the meantime, I will ponder
the teachings and begin to connect with my Archangel Ariel who revealed herself to me in the person of the Shaman of Stonehenge.