A Callanish Calendar
The core plan
Like Stonehenge, Callanish (Calanais, or Turusachan) has a well-defined structure that uses many of the same geometric values.
In particular, the role of the 'Golden Year' (Metonic Cycle) is especially well defined. Mentioned by the greek Diodorus in 55BC as '..there is also on the isand... a notable temple which is... speherical in shape... the moon, as viewed from this island, appears but a little distance from the earth... the god visists the island every nineteen years...'
13:5:19
Thirteen stones in the central ring likely define the celtic alphabet's
thirteen 'consonants' of thirteen months. Leading south
from this circle a line of five stones define the 'controlling vowels',
while to the north - pivoted on stone
number 9 - is the full 'Golden Year', symbolised in the avenue of nineteen
stones which contain the full 'alphabet'.
(This number also connects to the east-west 'wings' of nine stones that have 33A and 23 at their outer points.) The line through 9 and 34 defines the major moonrise.
Station stones
Although nowhere near the significance of the station stone rectangle at
Stonehenge, Callanish has a 'station romboid' defined by stones 10, 35,
23, 33A. This romboid actually contains two slightly separated triangles (stones
33A, 34 and 35 face east, while stones 9, 10 and 23 face west), and the gap
between the two forms an inner romboid.
Cup and rings?
When five concentric circles are drawn outward from the stone circle, and
a further line is added that is aligned to the avenue and winter moonset, then the
resulting shape of 'circles with a tail' harmonises the lines of east, west
and north stones. However, these harmonise not only to the Golden Year, but also
have curious similarity to typical 'cup and ring' marks. Such cup and ring
marks are found throughout the north and particularly in the Kilmartin area of
Argyll... Coincidence!?