by Tim Prevett

Megalithic sites are addictive. Megaraks (prehistoric anoraks) will tell you that without much encouragement.

It’s not just the stones’ age, geology, or situation. It’s not just the weather, company, or your mood during a visit. Astronomical, solar, lunar and landscape alignments certainly contribute. The stories of a given place can add further depth: giants, witches, devils and fairies roam the mists of time that hang over some ancient sites.

Something unseen affects some visitors to ancient sites. There is a primeval stillness to the stones which touches those who visit; those who have ears to hear will know they have encountered a special place.

Our environment affects our life and speaks into both our conscious and subconscious, most of the time without our realising it. Any location can affect us in unseen ways; indeed one could argue many paranormal experiences could be down to subtle influences between humanity and surroundings. Megaliths seem peculiarly powerful locations.

Over a decade ago, a personal experience at Down Tor stone row and circle on Dartmoor put these special locations firmly within my psyche as places of fascination and renewal. I believed I could learn from their stillness.

These stones are often removed from modern settings and give a sense of entrance into a space set aside for a specific use – a sacred space, where something ‘other’ meets our usual life. Somewhere people come to invest their thought, time, feeling, and to remember. Given the right time, a place where we hear the quiet noises we so easily miss.

We need to grasp the sense of place, and the relation of the stone with its environment. Recognise that the ancient site is within the context of nature. Those who built it placed it at that location for a reason, relating it to other features – such as other stones and burial monuments, hilltops near and far, or astronomical events. The whole landscape, and even the heavens, become interconnected, invested with ancient meaning. You may feel terribly small, but suddenly you feel a part of it all: participating in something local but plugged in to the universe.

Some people feel called to these ancient sites. I certainly do. When you get to one, and if the moment is right, be still and allow the feel of the place into your being. Remember it at the right time. The stillness of the stones speaks volumes; they may enrich your life and change your way of seeing the world. Try listening and see what you hear.

Tim Prevett is a lifelong lover of the paranormal. He is a founding contributor of The Megalithic Portal website (www.megalithic.info); he runs Crewe and Nantwich Ghost Walks (www.crewetours.com), and his first book, Roads and Trackways of North Wales is published by Landmark later in 2008. Tim is pictured crawling into the Cuween chambered tomb in Orkney.

Other articles you may be interested in: