Really, TALKING STONES?

The SUPERNATURAL in Christianity and Beyond

Few realize it, but supernatural powers have often been attributed to stones, including in fiction, like Ali Babi and the Forty Thieves written in the 1800’s with secret word of access, “Open, Sesame.”

Nations recognize talking stones and the sensational regularly, however. Among them would be Scotland, Ireland, Lhasa in central Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Israel. Under the temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem lies a foundation stone held to be the spot of either the Holy of Holies or the Outer Court of the First Temple. Stones credited with supernatural powers are legendary. Scotland’s Stone of Destiny, snatched as a spoil of war by Edward in 1296 is said to be where Jacob slept, receiving the vision from God of angels descending on a ladder. Jesus used mute rock to symbolize indifference to him, proclaiming that rocks would cry out to point to him, if necessary.

Supernatural is at the heart of Christian and Jewish history with the Ten Commandments emblazoned on stone tablets directly from God, to include angel visitations, inception of Mary by the Holy Spirit, a virgin birth, appearance and vocalization of God at Jesus’ baptism, three years of major miracles by Christ and his disciples then and beyond, His resurrection, the rolling away of the stone entry to Jesus’ tomb, conversion of Christian-killer Paul through a public vision making Paul blind, speaking of thousands in unknown tongues, the raising of the dead. Over the years traditional denominationalism gave way to evangelicalism which has now imploded, and everyone is looking for a new moniker.

Tradition often leaves little room for the supernatural.

Mainstream Christians fail to realize that top religious entities, the Catholic Church for one, have documented provisions for supernatural visitations of aliens, a controversial arena shut down by the ‘median voice’ of believers of many faiths. Others believe the final days will explode with supernatural visitations touching Earth. Whether God origins or no are issues resurfacing for free-floating Christians at large who have distanced themselves from the many ecclesiastical bodies.

Re-enter one such Stone–stolen by England’s Edward in 1296 as a spoil of war and returned to Scotland in 1996–a stone on which Scotland’s royals were crowned, and after 1296, was England’s coronation stone, a stone reputed to speak. Some argue that Lia Fail designation was meant only for Ireland’s stone by the same name which bears a totally different look, located on the hill of Tara instead of on Moot Hill. Others say that name still applies to Scotland’s Stone of Destiny under guard at Edinburgh Castle with the crown jewels, brought in on November 30, 1996 in a motorcade to great fanfare.

Back home, now, in Scotland–or is it? Prominent Scottish citizens like Alex Salmond are quoted as questioning Edinburgh Castle Stone’s authenticity.

Diana Gabaldon uses a stone in Scotland for the fictional entry of her character into a fantasy historical past. She uses the history of my ancestor, Farquhard Campbell, in her books that started with Outlander. My romance novel and thriller is based on a Scottish stone as well, but one this author speculatively posits a future for that is based on its history. Stone of Her Destiny’s heroine has direct lineage from that very real but difficult-to-be-traced Farquhard Campbell and his wife Isabella McAllister Campbell whose story bears on this debate in a startling enough way that it might wake the the dead.

Ever since the Stone of Destiny was liberated from its throne chair in the wee hours of November 14, 1996, in Westminster Abbey, the public have wanted to hear every possible detail about the stone’s journey. Since the stone’s vitae contains a history of thefts as well as coronations, one asks a bold and valid question. And now on the eve of destruction, perhaps the ancient stone which one legend holds is the stone that carried the arc of the covenant of the Hebrew children for 40 years in the wilderness, the very stone Jacob lay on when he received a vision from God. Perhaps the stone wants to speak again.

Perhaps it wants to name the true Monarch of the World. The real Stone could resurface just in time to speak once more and shake the Earth.

Follow Kenna as she involves Scottish Laird by the name of her ancestor and his son Lane of Blackheart Heights in a history-propelled search through current-day Scotland into the world of the supernatural to find the Holy Grail, the Stone of Her Destiny.  You can buy this book in the special promo right now at the link. Look for a new promotion first thing in the new year.

Belief in supernatural activity of stones recedes to early folklore and Babylonian culture. Perhaps even for today it is not so strange a belief. A speaking stone could act as pivot point for people of faith, to forever unify or divide.