The Chaco people marked the equinox by carving a small spiral where the rising sun bisects it with a shadow dagger, between the seasons, a powerful symbol of the middle of the sun’s journey.

Dear Friends,

At this time of year, as we see the earth revive in new growth and beauty — and amidst daily stress and turmoil — hope is stirred.

Since last year’s Spring Equinox, we’ve taken numerous trips to document the ancient monuments of Ohio, Stonehenge, and Palenque for our new film From the Mind’s Eye.

Upon returning from each trip, I am immersed in 21st-century living and am reminded of the contrast in which our modern science and super technological powers have distanced us from nature and humanity’s need to connect and respect the natural order. In this disconnect our scientific accomplishments have come to serve potential destruction and danger on a never-before-conceived scale.

It has been humbling to witness these ancient cultures’ brilliance derived from their kinship with nature rather than dominance over it, and to sense the inspiration behind the massive sites as traditional peoples’ deep reverence for earth and sky.

On a grand scale, the Stonehenge builders created a 98 foot wide avenue extending from the monument 1.8 miles toward the rising summer solstice sun.

From the Mind’s Eye draws striking parallels between four ancient cultures—separated by thousands of years and miles—as they created monumental tributes in elegant geometries to the sun and moon. Each culture responded to its unique landscape, shaping sacred structures in harmony with the land and in reverence for the spiritual powers of the sun and moon.

What distinguishes this documentary is its focus on the builders’ extraordinary capacity to conceptualize at scale. Over millennia, these cultures developed a deep attunement to the rhythms of the stars, sun and moon, cultivating a kind of spatial and celestial literacy that guided the design of vast ritual architecture and earthworks.

The ancients could not fully see the expansive landscapes and structures they gave exquisite order to, and that are revealed to us now with modern technology. For the builders, it was only through powerful envisioning from the mind’s eye — another way of knowing guided by geometry and astronomy — that they could bring them into existence. Their presence in our world today invites us to witness the depth of consciousness and connection to the cosmos behind some of the most remarkable achievements of our history.

With our filming mostly complete, we are now creating animations that link the film’s complex elements, and we will soon begin editing to complete it this year.

Your encouragement and support have meant the world to us, carrying us forward and helping us reach this great distance. Now, I am asking for your support for this final phase to complete the film. Documentary filmmaking is an arduous process, requiring hours of editing, music curation, and a million other details to ensure the final product is worthy for broadcast and of your viewing pleasure. If you can, please consider contributing to our efforts to bring the Solstice Project’s decades of documentation of Chaco’s science into this larger conceptual framework of other ancient cultures.

Warmly,

Thank you,

Anna Sofaer
Executive Director
Solstice Project Inc
www.solsticeproject.org

Last week in Santa Fe spring burst through in radiant colors and perfect geometry.
Photo by Anna Sofaer.

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