I'm a lover of rocks and 'rock solid' type personalities. I personally don't fall into the category of solidity, I'm more of your ethereal type. Except I don't have wings, if I did I wouldn't be nursing a damaged shoulder cuff... As fate would have it I became a rolling stone, obviously I don't fall into the the rock 'n' roll variety, I fall into the rolling down the rock embankment one!
The incident occurred while I was taking photos of boulders... I placed a foot on a boulder and ended up at the bottom of dry creek bed... sure footedness is not my forte... I'm learning to be grounded. Maybe my fascination with rocks is really just wanting to be more like them... sturdy and fixed in the moment.
My relationship to rocks has been a life long journey, and a rocky one at that (pardon the pun). This rocky path led me to Magnetic Island and her stone monoliths...
During my walks I began to befriend the Island's giant granite boulders, and in doing so I recaptured a synergistic magic from my childhood. Over time I developed a reverent connection to them. I am in awe of their prominent power, and I humbly consider some of them as my 'pet rocks'.
I remember rock collecting as a child while I was on holidays. As tokens of my journey they would end up in the boot of my mum's holden sedan. She didn't seem to mind that they added extra weight to the luggage. She was a rock solid type, nothing ever seemed to phase her.
Rocks remain as magical to me now as they were in my early years. Living within an ecology of rock formations keeps my spirit young and allows me to maintain the enthusiasm of my youth. I adventure, play and explore the rocky terrain of my Magnetic Island home.
Through child-like vision I sense an ancient wonder belonging to these stones. The indigenous dreamtime myths are fortified and imprinted within their granite matrices. They are emblems of secret knowledge shared since ancient times. These rocks are sacred and so is this land that I walk upon, it is the ceremonial ground of our sovereign people.
Granite has been renowned for its beauty and strength since time immemorial. It is one of the hardest substances in the world, used to build icons such as the Statue of Liberty and the Egyptian Pyramids. Now it used for our humble bench tops. But there is nothing humble about this stone, as it is the oldest igneous rock on the planet. It is also unique because earth is the only known planet that is made up of granite.
Monumental granite boulders line the coastal regions and inner landscapes of Magnetic Island. They appear as custodial guardians overseeing this majestic land. My active imagination sees these stone figures like those of Easter Island, or other mythological beings such as dragons and giant serpents. I see other creatures too that were formed deep beneath the earths crust such as snakes, sharks, turtles, owls and lions. These monoliths were birthed from the earth through a climactic eruption to form magnificent mounds of solidified molten. The primitive stone sculptures shaped by the hands of nature are nestled among towering hoop pines. The great beauty of this landscape reminds me of a macro-cosmic version of a Japanese Zen Garden.
It has been speculated that the granite rocks on Magnetic Island emit a magnetic energy. The Island was named 'Magnetical Island' by Captain Cook when he voyaged here in 1770. According to his historical account he believed that the boulders possessed a magnetic force that interfered with his compass.
Modern day testing has debunked his theory. Yet I would theorize that there is a mysterious magnetic attraction associated with this Island, and it has something to do with its rock formations. Granite produces natural occurring radioactive frequencies, as do many stones and minerals. It has been found that higher readings of electromagnetic radiation are found where large amounts of granite lay.
Experiments have shown that electromagnetic energy of granite is higher when it is dry and gives lower readings when it is wet. Research suggests that electromagnetic interference can be caused by the natural radiation of rocks. Captain Cook arrived here in June, that is right in the middle of our 'dry season'. Therefore the granite would of been giving off higher electromagnetic emissions due to the dry weather. So maybe the magnetics of his compass was effected by this natural phenomena.
Granite can weather the effects of time and climatic conditions, this hardened stone is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar. It can also contain small amounts zircon, apatite, mica, magnetite and other minerals.
When I discovered that magnetite is found in granite, this intrigued me because it is a naturally occurring magnet. Another form of magnetite is lodestone, its magnetic qualities was discovered by ancient peoples. It has the ability to align itself with the Earths magnetic grid, and it was used as one of the first known compasses.
There are times that I have been accused of 'having rocks in my head.' I can validate that statement is indeed true and also literal. We all have 'rocks in our head' in fact there are crystal clusters of magnetite formed within tissue of our human brain. Magnetite chains also exist in the brains of animals too. The magnetic property of magnetite within the brain behaves as a internal compass. Research studies have shown that brain receptor cells respond to the earths electromagnetic field. This explains migratory abilities of birds and whales and how they use the earths magnetic field to navigate. Humans too have been known to have these highly adaptive senses. Australian Indigenous people are renowned for their innate navigational skills. They would sing the song-lines and traverse the earths electromagnetic grids like human sonars.
My internal compass has led me to my true north. Here I am settled among the rocks of Magnetic Island. This Northern Coral Sea sanctuary keeps drawing me back. The Native Americans say "go north for wisdom'. I came to the north and discovered the wisdom of natures magnetic force. I am magnetized to the beauty of this place. My feet are magnified to the unfathomable energy of this ancient land.... I can sense a deep underlying current....a surging enigmatic receptive power... syncing with the synergistic field.
Removing our wired bodies from electrical fields of technology and re-aligning with nature is a reboot that our systems need. Our true north can be found through attuning our brain frequency to the earths electromagnetic frequency. This would lead us back to the heart of the earth through our own moral compass. We have the ability to fine tune and sync with the earths heartbeat and therefore the heart of our own humanity... rewiring our homing instincts and finding the path to walk each other home... along the stepping stones of an enlightened future...
Matt Whitton is a talented Magnetic Island local. I discovered his poem "My precious stone" a few weeks ago. He also did the filming and it is narrated by Fairlie Sandilands... https://youtu.be/WqhVF1yKqAM