Froggatt Edge 2013 – Circle of Horny Power

On a hot summer evening after work we drove through the back end of Derbyshire to head for a stone circle that we only rarely visit. The circle (also known as Stoke Flat) stands upon the imposing cliffs of Froggatt Edge. The walk up is delightful through the birch and oak trees, with the sunlight shading your ascent. Even so, we arrived at the bottom of the section used by climbers and our clothes were sodden – the heat was still very strong even getting close to six in the evening.

We stopped for a moment to admire our efforts and the accompanying views. All around us were the scoured and shaped forms of sandstone weathered by the ages, and producing the most incredible features. Almost everybody we met stopped off to have their picture taken with one of them as a backdrop.

At this time of year finding the Froggatt Edge stone circle isn’t easy. It’s well hidden in the tall ferns, so we were lucky that I remembered the location from a previous visit. I hurried ahead to locate the path and take some pictures before the sun dipped down too far for a good photo. Only the tip of the tallest stone was visible from the path.

Inside Edge

I needed to cool off first. Both Kal and I took some time to find a location to “detox” from the energies of daily life, and to bring our vibrations into synchronisation with the energy of the surroundings. I chose a place close to the path where the sunlight was filtering through birch tree branches but a single spot of sunlight lit up a perfect seating area. I was so hot I took off my shoes, socks and t-shirt – hanging the shirt up to dry on a branch in the evening sunlight.

Then I walked barefoot into the circle. I was pleased to see that Kal was also barefoot (something he’s doing more often now). This allows us to connect much more quickly with the sacred places we visit – we don’t have to ground and centre if we’ve approached a site barefooted. This speeds up our work immensely. Not that it needed speeding up, or that these things can be rushed, but we’re busy people, you know? More can be crammed in if we’re efficient.

There were two locations for me to work at. One was to energise, and this was to one side of the circle. Once energised I was moved to the central pillar stone where I was required to sit on top of the stone, I felt. I thought this would be very uncomfortable, judging by the serrated edges, but actually I seemed to fit just nicely. I must have looked odd – barefooted, bare-chested and perched atop a stone like an over-sized goblin, but it felt right. I card not what the passing people on the path thought. That was their business. This as mine.

The Guessed Quest

In all the excitement of my recent Lunasa (Lammas) adventures I had forgotten that day to ask about what my activities should be for the coming six weeks until Autumn Equinox. Sitting on top of this circle in the midst of my favourite plants (ferns) with the sunlight keeping the air warm just nicely – well, this seemed Like the right time and place to ask. I went into a light meditative state, carrying with me the intention to speak to the Spirit of Place here at this circle, and asking what my quest should be…..

“Find the stag!” …

… “Raise the Horns of Power!”

The two things seemed connected. I felt I needed to find The Stag first, then I would raise the Horns of Power (whatever they were) afterwards. Was this a metaphorical stag, or a real one?  How would I know how to raise these Horns of Power? Did I have to cut some antlers from a live stag!!!!  My imagination began to cogitate wildly and I took a few deep breaths to centre myself again. All in good time. I would surely find out somehow in the coming weeks.

Kal looked like he’d finished his work too, and he seemed very excited. You can read about his intriguing discovery in his associated post soon. We lit some incense and I teased Kal for borrowing a lighter again (yet again). One day, he’ll have his own. Delightful scents driften into the light cooling breeze and we made our way to my original power centre to gather our things and to see whether my t-sirt had dried out in the sun yet.

The Delightful Descent

On the way down I stopped regularly to take photos of the unusual stone formations – they were much better lit with the sun behind us. Here is an example of the amazing stone sculptures Nature has created on Froggatt Edge:

The walk down through the trees with the sunlight “just right” made the whole experience even more magical. At almost every turn of the path there was a chance to capture the sunlight dreaming through the trees and illuminating this plant, or that tree. There were several moments where we gasped at the beauty of the place.

Near the bottom of the path there was a small standing stone. I took some pictures and pointed out a delightful effect to Kal. He then went and took the best shot of the sun glinting over the stone on his iPhone. I couldn’t seem to convince my camera to produce the same effect! How he laughed. Here’s my version:

Well-deserved evening meal at the Chequers Inn. What a superb place to eat! Really, if you’re anywhere in the vicinity I’d recommend making your way there for food. I had the best burger I’ve ever had anywhere at the Chequers. It was probably the stag that I’ve been seeking, stuffed between a bun, but my word it was tasty!

So, a beautiful walk on a hot day, perfect photography weather, and with some insightful information into the forthcoming quest too. All topped off with some great food. What a good evening!