The Winter Solstice is celebrated in the northern hemisphere on December 21st each year. Traditionally, it is a festival that marks the shortest day and longest night and is synonymous with the demise and rebirth of the sun. It is prevalent in many cultures and has various customs and traditions linked to it. Standing Stones erected by ancient civilisations can still be seen today and there are many to observe around sites in Britain; the most famous being Stonehenge. Multitudes gather in these places to celebrate and honour – in a reflective way – the return of light and hope.
Yet I can imagine not many are aware – as it is of course a very well kept secret – of the Sitting Stones of Conside. Legend has it that they are made of lapis lazuli, which is a semi precious crystal. Used by elven folk in their rituals the crystal comes into its own at this special time of the year. Allegedly the stones are visible to the human eye between sunset on winter solstice evening and sunrise the following day. Placed in a circle in a woodland glade the stones are a deep blue in colour with a hint of gold and are said to be connected to wisdom, truth and enlightenment.
To herald the return of the light an elven throng sit on this circle of stones to contemplate and welcome back the sun into their lives.
Conside – an earlier name for Consett – comes from the Latin verb to sit down and reflect, so it is reasonable to speculate that the name of the town we live in came from these sitting stones.
As we greet Advent at the beginning of December and prepare for all our Christmas celebrations, perhaps at sunset on the shortest day, we may notice a visible bright indigo golden haze on the horizon. Are the elven community reflecting while perched on their ancient sitting stones?
Why not go outside and investigate!
by Lorraine Weightman, Illustration by Fr J Bagnall
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Full story: https://consettmagazine.com/2025/12/08/sitting-stones/