Winter solstice sunrise over Stonehenge is good omen for 2012, say druids

The omens are good that 2012 will be an excellent year, a druid said today, after the sun shone on Stonehenge during a dawn ceremony to mark the winter solstice.

Revellers watch druidic ceremonies near the Key Stone, away from the Stone Circle at Stonehenge as Druids and revellers celebrate the Winter Solstice, December 2009
Revellers watch druidic ceremonies near the Key Stone, away from the Stone Circle at Stonehenge as Druids and revellers celebrate the Winter Solstice,

The has sun rising over the horizon at the end of the religious service, bathing more than 1,000 people who attended in pale light, meant good things for the next 12 months.The mild temperatures and sunshine at the pre-historic site were a marked contrast to last year's solstice, when the giant stones were surrounded by a thick blanket of snow and the winter morning mist obscured the actual sunrise.Just as the ceremony came to an end the sun came over the horizon, it was excellent.'It has been a very jolly occasion. It's a good omen for the year ahead.