Time Stands Still

Subtitled 'new light on megalithic science', this is the revised and updated edition of a beautifully illustrated book about the sacred monuments of Neolithic peoples. The author begins by pointing out that there is no traditional society that does not have four components: a complex verbal language, use of arithmetic and a number, the practice of geometry reflected in the layout of buildings, and 'a full commitment to a spiritual reality which is invisible to the material or sensorial world.' This last component is missing in the official worldview currently prevalent in the West, and as such represents an anomalous cultural experiment. Keith builds on the pioneering geometrical work of Professor Alexander Thom, while adding his own geometric and metaphysical understanding. The monuments considered are part of a pattern of relating individuals and societies to the cosmic scheme of things, which includes but is not limited to astronomy. The centre or vertical axis of these circles represents an opening to the transcendental, while the human being is the energetic mediator between the forces of the cosmos and those of the earth. The circles embody archetypal number patterns underlying creation, and are aligned to the significant positions of sun and moon rises in the cycle of the year: hence the created order is the outer expression of underlying archetypal principles, both in terms of sacred space and time. A special chapter is devoted to the examination of platonic spheres, where Keith shows that the geometrical understanding predates Plato by several hundred years. In his conclusion, Keith reflects upon the findings of Mircea Eliade that religious symbols reveal a pattern of existence bringing meaning to human existence through understanding the unity of human and cosmic structure. The corresponding role of humanity in our time reflects what Thomas Berry calls the Great Work in forging a new way of living that balances our needs with those of other species on the planet. For our ancestors, it seems that this was fully understood and now needs to be