Neanderthal Mistakes and Wondrous Weavings

Don't save face; and be astonished

Aug 03, 2024

Hello, and happy August!

I began writing this article on my flight back from Scotland two days ago; I'm finishing it from the coolness of our community adobe kitchen in New Mexico. Today is a day of restoration after two months of travel and before two months of my book tour that begins on Tuesday.

Yesterday I went to bed at 6 pm and slept until 5 am. In the cool hush of morning I hiked as the sun rose. So far I've taken three long naps. It is now a little after noon. Another hike, more time in the hammock with a book, and another nap or two are in my future before the sun sets.

The last two weeks I was so consumed with launching my newest book that I didn't write my usual weekly Out of the Fire posts. I'm happy to be back this week and to get back to a steady rhythm of writing.

Today I want to share about a wild synchronicity from my travels that happened last week at the Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.

But first I have an embarrassing confession.

Ever since I first came to the Outer Hebrides last year on a personal pilgrimage to connect with my ancestors I've been telling people that the standing stones at Callanish were built by Neanderthals.

Indeed, the stones are old, 2,000 years older than Stonehenge. But they were not created by Neanderthals, who died out, oh about 40,000 years ago.

Nope, the creators were Neolithic, not Neanderthal.

Somehow my brain, in its enthusiasm for finding the old, latched onto Neanderthals.

Now I know why people kept giving me funny looks when I shared that bit of impossible news.

My friend Gini course corrected me last week. “Honey, I want you to stop saying something because it is not true...” she started.

At first I argued. But it is true! I read it!

The truth was this: I had mixed up the words Neolithic and Neanderthal and then created a whole fantasy that my Neanderthal ancestors (my maternal DNA shows that this current human incarnation, besides springing from the Outer Hebrides, is over 4% Neanderthal) had built Callanish (also known as Calanais).

Wrong.

It was Bronze age, late Neolithic peoples who built the Callanish Standing Stones 5,000 years ago, and spent 2,000 years worshipping at this site. From clan.com: https://clan.com/blog/solving-the-mystery-of-the-calanais-standing-stones

This complex arrangement of over 50 stones takes the form of a cross with a central circle at the center of the cross. These central stones form the heart of the formation, with 13 stones standing between 8 and 13 feet tall. These central stones surround the tallest stone on the site. At 16 feet high and weighing over 5.5 tonnes, it's not difficult to be impressed.

And from visitouterhebrides.com: https://www.visitouterhebrides.co.uk/see-and-do/history/calanais

These stones of 300 million year old Lewisian gneiss - some of the oldest rock on the planet - were chosen, hauled, and precisely placed by our Neolithic ancestors using only stone tools, strength and great skill.

Here is an amazing drone video my friend Maarten took:

The Callanish Standing Stones were build around 2900 BCE:

300 years before the pyramids of Egypt

300 years before Stonehenge

1,500 years before Machu Picchu

Over 9,000 years after the oldest temple found to date: Gobekli Tepe in Turkey

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Why am I telling you this? Because I think it is important for us all to stop trying to save face and just admit when we are wrong.

When someone has spinach stuck in their teeth, or is saying something scientifically untrue, it is a kindness to gently point out the green or the mistake. And it is a self-kindness to clean up the stuck part or learn the truth.

I think sometimes we don't want to admit our mistakes because:

We are afraid people will judge us, think we are stupid, or not trust us
We are afraid of our own self-punishment

What if we just took responsibility when we were incorrect about something, cleaned it up as needed, and moved on without hugely defending ourselves or beating ourselves up for our mistakes?

As Maya Angelou writes: When we know better, we do better.

But in order to know better we need to admit we were wrong, or misguided. And then we need to take new actions.

On the other hand — we don't want to get all self-righteous and demand that people believe in our truths. This is not about punishing or correcting others like we are a god-fearing 1940's nun with a switch and an attitude.

People get to believe what they believe.

People get to make choices we may not agree with.

People get to make mistakes. And those people include you and me.

Close friends, and sometimes strangers, can open-heartedly help us get closer to telling ourselves, and others, the truth. We can also help each other unhook the toilet paper from the back of our pants, point out the chocolate stain on our chin, and remind someone to close up their zipper.

And now for my beautiful story of wild synchronicity.

Last week I spent two nights sleeping in my rental car next to the standing stones.

The first morning I woke up at 6 am and walked around the stones playing my drum and chanting. Then when the rains came I sat in a little rock nook and listened to the birds and the sheep munching grass all around.

At around 7:30 am I heard voices, and saw two men opening the gate and entering the site.

I'm not one to talk to strangers, especially when I'm doing ceremony or am in a sacred site. But somehow I started chatting to one of the pair about the marvel of Callanish and the joy of being up early before the tourists arrived.

Then he asked me a question. “What year were you born?”

“1966,” I replied.

“Oh, so your a fire horse! I'm a rat. Rats and horses don't usually get along. Do you know why? There is a story about the Buddha naming the animals where the rat tricks the horse. Do you want to hear it?”

“Yes!” I responded.

And so James launched into the story of how rat tricked the horse so it was named by the Buddha first.

As he spoke I quietly pondered: Why were these two here so early? Why had they come back for a third time as they had shared when tourists usually only come to places once? And why did he know so damn much about Chinese astrology?

“How do you know so much about Chinese astrology?” I asked.

“I was raised in Asia,” he said.

And here is were things got wonderfully weird.

“I was raised in Asia, too,” I said.

We both started listing where we had lived as his friend John came over and joined in.

And it turns out that all three of us had lived in Thailand as kids and where alumni of International School Bangkok.

What are the chances?!?

All three of us had been to the ISB reunion a few years ago in Dayton, Florida. They were 70's kids, I was an 80's kid, but we knew some of the same families, had some of the same teachers.

The day continued to be a confluence of connection: my friend Maarten from the Netherlands showed up for a planned meeting at 9 am. He was traveling for three weeks through the Scottish Highlands and the Western Isles on his motorcycle, and we had worked out our schedules so we could have a day together on the Isle of Lewis. Late the previous evening I had sent him a dropped pin of where I was.

And then the final fun connection: After James and John left Martin and I started chatting with two women who were visiting from the Washington state.

“What part of Washington are you from?” I asked.

“You've probably never heard of it: Tri-Cities,” she responded.

I just started laughing at the play of the Universe.

“I'm going to be going to Tri-Cities for my book tour!” I said delightedly while I literally jumped up and down.

So now I'll get to meet Camila and Noel in Tri-Cities at Adventures Underground on Friday, September 20.

Isn't the weaving of the world wonderful?

Share in the chat a time you had a spontaneous synchronicity... and check out my tour schedule below, I'd love to see you at one of my book signings!

Wild, Willing, and Wise Book Tour 2024!

All the deets at wildwillingwise.com; list of venues and dates below

August Tour Dates

Tuesday, August 6th: Santa Fe NM at Iconik Red
Friday, August 9th: Austin TX at Unity of the Hills with Bookwoman
Saturday, August 10th: San Antonio TX workshop at Insight Events Retreat Center
Sunday, August 11th: San Antonio TX at Celebration Circle
Wednesday, August 14th: Atlanta GA at Phoenix & Dragon
Saturday, August 17th: Chapel Hill NC at McIntyres Books
Sunday, August 18th: Fredericksburg MD at Curious Iguana
Tuesday, August 20th: Boston MA at Trident Books
Wednesday, August 21: Indigo Girls and Melissa Ethridge Concert!!!!!
Sunday, August 25th: Woodstock NY at Golden Notebook
Tuesday, August 27th: Cansfield OH at Ursuline Mother House
Thursday, August 29th: Chicago IL at Picnic Wine & Provisions
Saturday, August 31st: Madison WI at Helios and Luna Healing Center

September Tour Dates

September 6 - 8th: Sedona AZ Shamanism and the Divine Feminine workshop
Tuesday, September 10th: Sedona AZ at Global Center for Christ Consciousness
Thursday, September 12th: Phoenix, AZ Changing Hands Bookshop
Saturday, September 14th: Ojai CA at Magic Hour Tea House
Tuesday, September 17th: Davis CA at International House
Thursday, September 19th: Portland OR at New Renaissance
Friday, September 20th: TriCities WA at Adventures Underground
Sunday, September 22: Boise ID at Rediscovered Books
Tuesday, September 24th: Salt Lake City UT at Golden Braid Books
Thursday, September 26th: Denver CO at Tattered Cover
Friday, September 27th: Boulder CO at Boulder Bookstore
Friday, October 4th: Santa Fe NM at Unity of Santa Fe with Arc Bookstore