Solstice Energies of Newgrange and Dowth
/♧ Newgrange ♧
Newgrange Monument is our most visited heritage site and widely considered to be much more than just a tomb, rather a sacred temple. Built in alignment with the winter solstice sunrise, Newgrange was one of the largest projects in prehistoric Europe and its construction involved an investment of superhuman proportions.
2022 winter solstice sunrise circle
It is also obvious that the men and women who built Newgrange possessed an innate cosmic wisdom and maintained a worldview that appreciated the divine sense of connection in all things. The people who built Newgrange understood their place in the grand plan of the universe by living intimately with the flow of the Solar and lunar cycles, and cosmic movements of planets such as Venus and the star constellations such as Orion, Cygnus and the Zodiac.
♧ Dowth ♧
Dowth monument is only a 10 minute walk from Newgrange and is nearly the same in size. It gets its name from the old Irish word ‘Dubhadh’ which means Darkness.
It’s south chamber is aligned with the setting sun of the winter solstice.
This alignment marks the longest night of the year and the period of greatest darkness.
The ancient celtic and pre-celtic people considered the beginning of night time to be the start of any day and therefore it is most likely that they would have celebrated the letting go of the darkness at Dowth at sunset before walking down the road to Newgrange the following morning to celebrate the rebirth of the light that marks the lengthening of the evenings.
By celebrating at Dowth we honour, give thanks and ritually let go of the year just past…
