The Geo Group

The Original Ellis Hollow Stone Circle - Created 1977

The New Ellis Hollow Stone Circle - Updated 1997

 

The Geo Group
Ellis Hollow Stone Circle

Ellis Hollow Stone Circle, Ithaca, New York

The Ellis Hollow Stone Circle is a small, beautiful stone circle with a tall standing stone and a recumbent stone in the middle of an ellipse of small boulders. This stone circle is a place of power and a wonderful place to meditate. The Circle was designed according to ancient design principles to symbolize spiritual wholeness. Special stones in the circle are aligned to point to the place on the horizon where the Sun rises on the Summer Solstice, the day of longest light being chosen to reinforce the spiritual aspects of the site.

The Ellis Hollow Stone Circle was designed and built by the Chuck Pettis, Mike Sweeney, and the Cosmic Monument Study Group of the Foundation of Light. The Ellis Hollow Stone Circle and the Foundation of Light are located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Ellis Hollow Road and Turkey Hill Road in Ithaca, New York. The address is Foundation of Light, 399 Turkey Hill Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.

The Foundation of Light is a non-profit organization and spiritual center for meditation, study and self-expression. Its overall purpose is to promote spiritual understanding and practice as found in all great religions in accordance with Cosmic Law.

Every year on or about June 21 at 5:30 AM, the Foundation of Light presents a Summer Solstice Sunrise Ceremony at the Ellis Hollow Stone Circle.

Ellis Hollow Stone Circle, Ithaca, New York

Ellis Hollow Stone Circle Addition Coincides with
Passing of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa

Ellis Hollow Stone Circle, Ithaca, New York

Ellis Hollow Stone Circle Expansion

The Global Picture
September 1997

Six new stones were planted in the Ellis Hollow stone circle on September 6, 1997, the day of Princess Diana's funeral and the day after the passing of Mother Teresa. The soft rain that began in Ithaca soon after Diana's memorial service made it appear that the world itself was weeping for the loss of these two great women. We came together at the circle mourning their loss, but choosing to celebrate the spirit and power of two very different embodiments of the Divine Mother.

These deaths were especially poignant because soon after the stones were selected at Summer Solstice, we identified a 'Mother stone'. Further, our initial date to install the stones was postponed due to a scheduling problem with the quarry. The postponement caused disappointment, but also a recognition that when you are working with spiritual energies 'our' plan is not necessarily 'the' plan.

We could not have imagined the events that triggered a world-wide opening of the heart and an outpouring of emotion unlike anything ever experienced. Nor could we have anticipated what may have been one of the most significant planetary events of all time: the joining together, during Princess Diana's memorial service, of tens (perhaps hundreds) of millions of people around the world saying the Lord's Prayer aloud. One world, one voice, one prayer. In an outpouring of love for the Divine Feminine. The world shifted in that moment. That these events coincided with the placement of six simple stones in the Ellis Hollow stone circle is humbling and awe-inspiring.

But these are the energies, powers and world events that were present in Ellis Hollow on September 6. We joined together to imbue the circle with the love, compassion, warmth and grace of both Mother Teresa and Princess Diana. We brought our open and vulnerable hearts to the circle that day, and reached out to become a part of something very much larger than ourselves: the world-wide realization of the power of a loving touch, kind and gentle words, a warm laugh and a welcoming glance. This embracing love, this commitment to giving and living from the heart is now, and forever will be, a part of the Ellis Hollow stone circle.

The Local Picture

The original circle, created in 1977, was an ellipse of 8 small boulders surrounding one standing and one recumbent stone which mark the two centers of the ellipse. Chuck Pettis, one of the designers of the original circle returned to Ithaca over summer solstice in 1997 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the circle and to lead a Sacred Space workshop. It was decided during the workshop to add more stones to the circle, and we selected seven new stones from the quarry. A poem read at the solstice celebration this summer recalled the children and families present when the circle was created. There were no children at the celebration this year, and a 'child' stone was specifically selected to invite the children to return. Later, a 'Mother' stone was identified, and these two now form the main entry into the circle. The new stones are all standing stones, and have been added to the ellipse, between the existing stones. The male energy of the new stones blend with the female energy of the existing stones to create a powerful sense of balance and harmony..

Buried beneath each stone is a crystal. See Important Note Below A friend blessed us with a gift of Herkimer crystals which he had mined, and the morning ceremony of September 6 included dowsing which crystal should be placed with each stone. A ritual dance was performed as each crystal left the sunlight to return to the dark richness of the earth. Two crystals were placed under the Mother stone. In the afternoon, the front end loader arrived from the quarry to move the stones into place (unfortunately our levitation skills leave a little to be desired in this lifetime). A lot of sweat equity went into digging the holes for the stones, and maneuvering the stones, each weighing about half a ton, into place. We thank the God/dess for heavy equipment and upper body strength!

In our closing meditation after the stones were placed, we were each profoundly moved by the feeling of the space we had just joined in creating and expanding. Warmth, safety, are a higher vibration are some of the first impressions. We will be placing a blank book in the stone circle asking visitors to record their impressions of the new space.

When I visited the circle a few days later, and was looking at it from my 'normal' perspective (which, for me, means viewing the perfections and imperfections - and worrying especially about the imperfections!) I gradually grew to realize that every stone was just as it should be, and that the deeper message, for me, was simply this: 'There is a place for everybody here'.

We invite people to visit the Ellis Hollow stone circle. There are no rules or prescribed rituals to be followed. Simply come into the circle. You may sit, stand, touch, lean against and hug the stones, be quiet, talk to yourself, listen and watch. Empty your mind, or explore. This is your space, as well as our space. Enjoy it, and let us know how it feels!

Lydia Pettis

Important Note: Ancient monuments should not be altered in any way. Stone fragments or other "souvenirs" should not be taken. Crystals or other objects should never be buried or hidden. In addition, do not dig or disturb the site in any way so as to show our respect for the original builders. We need to preserve the sanctity of these ancient sacred places for future generations. When my son Bre and I visited sites in England a few years ago, he taught me that the only thing we should change at ancient monuments is to pick up the garbage, which we did at every site. I encourage you to do the same. For more information on the above subject, see the Charter of Responsible Megalithic Webmasters.



Copyright 2000, Chuck Pettis and The Geo Group. All Rights Reserved.
Revised February 14, 2000