Events on Site - The Stones and the Stars: Building Scotland's Newest Megalith - page 246

F IG . 8.18 First attempt at lunar major standstill northerly rise. The Moon
becoming visible over Sighthill Cemetery, too long after the event to plot
the rising point (Photo by Mark Runnacles, November 5, 2005)
it seemed the weather might allow a glimpse of an event, and not
a one did we see. At the minor standstill in 1997, I was working
as a Precognitions Agent, taking defense witness statements for
Angela Mullane, solicitor wife of my old friend Chris Boyce. It was
valuable experience for a writer - “You meet all kinds,” as they
say - but it made it impossible to plan my life around moonrises
and sets. When Tony Crerar came up from Wales, hoping to whisk
me off to the Highlands to help verify predictions of Thom's, the
most he actually could do was drive me to the West End in search
of a recalcitrant witness.
For 2006-2007, I planned a campaign with Mark Runnacles
of the Daily Record , extending our 'window' to a year on either
side of the major standstill. After several setbacks with clouds
(Fig. 8.18 ), we managed to photograph the Moon setting at furthest
north, and at furthest south (Figs. 8.19 and 8.20 ). I saw the Full
Moon rise at furthest south, precisely on the predicted alignment
(Fig. 8.21 ) with perfect clarity on a night when Mark couldn't be