Light filters through the western window, St Magnus cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney
I’m just back from a few days on the Orkney Islands, part of a wonderful trip with master dowser Michele Fitzgerald. I’ve learnt a lot in just a few days, and if you are serious about consciousness, health, and personal transformation, I can thoroughly recommend her work.
Weatherwise it was a week of contrasts, with balmy sunshine one day, followed by two days of gales, and high seas (with consderable fresh snow at home on the Cairngorm mountains), and finally a day getting sunburned in the garden.
With the stormy weather it was just beautiful watching the constant play of light across the orkney land-and-sea-scape. During the bursts of sun the sea turns from blue to turquoise with every shade of grey, with rainbows arching over the wide expanse of sky. With a month to go until midsummer, there is currently 18 hours between sunrise and sunset, so the quality of the northern light is incredible. It was fun too watching the many seabirds playing with the wind – I really connected with the joy they experience.
This photo was taken in St. Magnus cathedral in the main town of Kirkwall, with the sun streaming in through the western window, flooding the pillars with rich colour. I find the cathedral to have a great presence and power.
The Northern Sky
Orkney turns upon poles of light and darkness.
A summer midnight, the north
Is red with the two lamps of dawn and sunset.
– George Mackay Brown – from Haiku for the Holy Places