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Once upon a time in Ireland a faction of the Christian church didn't have anywhere to practice their faith and so the moved to the fields and worshiped at stones known as mass rocks. As soon as it was legal to be a Catholic they quickly abandoned tis practice, bought land and built more 'appropriate' temples.

I've often wondered why modern pagans don't do similar. Surely one great way to show that you're serious, both to other people and to your gods is to dedicate the time and resources to erecting a temple yourself. I am amazed that more hasn't been done in this way. I have nothing against people having ceremonies at sites unless they leave litter or stop other people enjoying the place - and by this I mean things like telling folks to piss off from public places and getting aggressive because there's a ceremony on or something ... and I've had this happen.

I'd love to see some new Oak groves planted or new stone circles built if that's what folks want to do. The modern ones built throughout Wales for the Eisteddfods etc are great (as long as it's made clear that they're modern and why they were built.

So, come on all you pagans. Do some lovely temple building.

Good points FW.

Sometime ago, on another site, I suggested that a new circle be constructed where people could go and do their thing without being harassed. People replied by saying that stones could be donated by folks in different parts of the world. Looking back now on the suggestion it seems more than a bit naive. How many stones? How do you align them? Where do you do it? Not to mention the nightmare scenarios associated with insurance, health and safety etc. If it's ever going to happen perhaps it'll only happen because one person has the vision and the means to do it.

Meanwhile there's the little matter of tradition. All belief systems have a place where their belief was born (Bethlehem, Ganges, Ise, Jerusalem, Lumbini, Mecca etc) and associated places where those beliefs have been followed for hundreds of years. These places become sacred and places of pilgrimage where fellow believers meet and share their belief.

Modern paganism in the West is still trying to find it's feet, and it's not surprising that modern pagans look towards Avebury and Stonehenge as focal points for their beliefs. It's all too easy for us to say, "Nah, they've got it all wrong, Druids and pagans never were there." But you know, at a place like Avebury, their really is room for latter-day Druids and pagans to do their thing on a few days each year while the residents get on with their lives for the rest of the time.