The Sunday News
THE one structural component of Stonehenge relates to the incorporation of water within the monument. In some earlier article, we did refer to the significance of water in matters of spirituality. We drew on the qualities and properties of water to link it with the presence of spirituality. Water is indestructible. It will change from one state to another. That imbues it with the essence of eternity and continuity.
Further, we saw its role as a purifying liquid as happens during baptismal rituals. Some geological structures that contain water are associated with healing powers. The Spring of Lourdes in France is one such. Water bodies, flowing water, especially where the water twirl is perceived as linked to the abode of ancestral spirits and/or God. Nearer home, we have the Njelele Rain/Fertility Shrine located within the Matobo Hills. The shrine is said to contain a pool of water either at the hill summit or within the labyrinth.
Water is perceived as critical in spiritual communication. This is particularly so when water is flowing. As it does so, it generates energy that powers communication, which lies at the heart of spiritual communication. The phenomenon of communication cannot be overemphasized. In the absence of energy, spiritual sites cannot function as intended.
In this regard, I found it fascinating and confirmatory when I met Cont Mhlanga who, together with Gogo MaNgwabi, lives just outside Lupane town. We travelled together to the Shangani Pupu War Shrine at the invitation of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) to review construction work going on there.
Cont advised me that the Njelele Shrine sends spiritual communication signals to their shrine, to Manyangwa in Bulilima, to Ntogwa in Botswana and to Nebana at Goredema near Gokwe, among other shrines, which are arranged in some hierarchical order with the Njelele Shrine at the apex. Interesting too was the fact that some specific wavelength is chosen to send some signal to a specifically targeted shrine. The shrines that are not targeted are excluded from receiving the signals not intended for them.
Some animated discussion ensued in which I advised him that I am already familiar with this phenomenon as I have come across such in my researches in European, Asian and other spiritual sites characterised by megalithic structures.
These matters seem unbelievable to a point where they are perceived as mythical if not downright incredulous. No wonder therefore, researchers are coming up with all sorts of ludicrous, farcical and absurd claims about some megalithic structures as having been power-generating sites.
The site that Cont was alluding to has some interesting and apt location, which relates to the presence of water. Close to three rivers, namely Gwayi, Lupane and Bubi, the site is hydrologically significant. Such a geographical or geological phenomenon is a sine qua non for the generation and existence of spiritual power.
Another aspect that we touched upon during our short but thoroughly animated discussion was the role of trees as communicative natural flora that are embraced when it comes to spiritual communication, especially with regard to the establishment of a homestead (ukucaba umuzi) for a newly married couple.
It is well known that in the dry southwestern parts of Zimbabwe (i.e. Matabeleland) there are trees, which are used as rain-generating trees. It is not just any tree, but only those that are associated with water and sometimes cave structures.
Where the caves have acoustic properties because of the presence of chambers, the site is preferred in addition to it having water. The trees themselves contain water in their bark or their roots penetrate deep into the ground where they are in touch with underground water.
Sometimes we do not make any concerted efforts to study the phenomena of rainmaking because we see primitive associations and demonic expressions — all out of ignorance and sometimes prejudice of the highest order. Places of water deficits get water from areas of water surplus.
These are mtolo trees at the very bottom of the rainmaking natural phenomena existent at the lowest community level. The white colonists who perceived them as lying behind the 1896 insurrection maligned communicative aspects of spiritual sites. The network of communication was not just interpersonal. Instead, it embraced spiritual communication as alluded to above.
The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt is revealing, through research, that it has flowing water beneath it. Besides, the River Nile is in close proximity. That water, as indicated above, generates energy, which is connected to that generated by stone materials that were used to construct the pyramid.
The apex of the pyramid had a capstone, which emitted and transmitted energy to similar sites such as in Turkey (the Gobekle Tepe, which is now thought to be the mother of all ancient civilisations). It was constructed during the Paleolithic era and possesses Sanskrit culture.
Now we turn to the Stonehenge. We saw in earlier articles that there was a circular ditch or trench and some bank. Research seems to point to the fact that the ditch was not empty. Rather, it has evidence of a base, which was made in such a way as to minimise loss of water through percolation into the ground.
It was water so contained that was of significance rather than the ditch and bank per se. We alluded to the container and the contents and postulated that the contents were more important than the container. It made sense of course to have a container whose design was consistent with the resident theme.
For purposes of this article, we just wish to point out that water in the ditch was connected to water in the nearby Avon River. The Stonehenge had some avenue leading from it to the river. On both sides of the avenue there were ditches running parallel to it. The parallel ditches ultimately led to the river with flowing water. In the end that got to the sea, a massive reservoir of which was, back then, perceived as the abode of water sprites, ancestral spirits and God.
Once again, we are to all intents and purposes, back to Stonehenge as a spiritual site with direct benefits to the community, which created, conceived, designed, built and used the living monument at the time. Stonehenge has since lost its life, as it is no longer a living religious or spiritual site.
The Druids do conduct some rituals at the site especially during the solstices. However, these spiritual people are regarded as uncoordinated with current mainstream beliefs in England. The belief systems have been altered by the new God of Science.
The net result is that scientists and archaeologists are hard put to explain and interpret the multi-faceted edifice.
Explanations and interpretations of Stonehenge are nowhere near exhaustion. Stonehenge has to be perceived in conjunction with related cultural, geological and energy hubs in neighbouring areas.
For example, at the nearby Avebury, about 18 kilometres to the north, there are stone circles and avenues. There are the Durrington Walls and burroughs of different designs. These and a lot more have to be taken on board for us to even begin to claim that we understand Stonehenge and its purposes.
Not only can we be content dealing with related resident properties at the terrestrial plane. The site was chosen equally in regard and relation to its energy location, the existing leylines and their vortices.
These have to be understood in terms of their attributes and how they add to the overall and overarching theme. There is no way that the overarching theme which lends purposes of the site may be arrived at without giving due recognition to the cosmic dimensions.
Underground water, land with its various attributes and the cosmic bodies interact and relate their properties in such a manner that the purposes of the entire landscape begin to emerge. That demands that we identify related and sometimes far away cultural, geological and cosmic bodies to begin to see some emerging picture(s).
Critically important at the cosmological level is to get into the minds of the creators, and get to appreciate their perceptions, knowledge, intentions and objects to ever harbour prospects of meaningfully and sustainably explaining, interpreting the seemingly mystical cultural, religious, spiritual, geological and cosmic edifice.
