By Suzanne Cordrey
A Spanish priest reported that he fled from the local native tribes and escaped atop Enchanted Rock, where he was swallowed up by the massive granite dome. To his amazement he tells of seeing many spirits in the tunnels within the Rock. He was gone for two days before the Rock released him. This was about last 200 years ago.
Enchanted Rock had been given its name long before that, as the native tribes knew that it was a portal to other worlds. Sacrifices were made in its honor and for various other reasons. Footprints seen are said to be of a maiden who was sacrificed by her father, a Native American chief. Now she is said to haunt the Rock forever. Noises heard by presentday travellers spending the night at the nearby campsites, are said to be the cries of women and warriors who are still haunting the area. Tales like these exist far back into the past 11,000 years when inhabitants have been known to occupy Enchanted Rock. Over and over again, similar scenarios replay the life and death stories at the Rock, reminding us that history does indeed repeat itself.
Yet the power of the unusual pink batholith radiates a kind, loving energy that heals and releases as well. Just being there confirms that. Like a cosmic magnet, it draws hundrreds of thousands of people to it for as many reasons as there are people. And their perceptions of the Rock vary according to their spiritual understandings and what their soul wants them to experience at the time they are there.
The ancient granite formation is around 1,000 million years old and the sedimentary rock around it eroded over all this time to expose it at the surface. Walking on top of it brought back memories of climbing up the fabulous Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the center of Australia. The summit of both are vast and open, yet indented and curved with places to hide and get away from the wind. But Uluru is not a granite batholith but a sandsone formation called an island mountain. Still, the magic of both places is undeniable. Both harbor a feeling of being so sacred, so otherworldly, that it is easy to see how so many generations held them in awe. They radiate with a subtle flow of energy, sort of like taking electrolytes after a dehydrating day of hiking. You feel measurably better, grounded, yet touching the sky. All of a sudden being on the planet is meaningful, like coming home to yourself.
It does not take long to hike up the 425 feet slope to the summit. And on a clear sunny day, the glint of the facets in the granite glitter like diamonds under your feet as you walk across the rock. In any direction, no trail needed, you can see the parking lot below until you cross the summit and face the other direction. The deep rich pink color of the rock is flecked with black and looked radiant against the irridescent blue sky. Once the summit is reached, there are many places to hike that go deep into the pockets of rock where little hidden forests occupy the indentations. Ledges and plants grow, vernal pools thrive, even in the dry season, they are home to tenacious plant and animal life that find the Rock a welcome home. These cozy green secret forests made peaceful rest stops. Time to turn attention in after such an expansive view outward in all directions. The vernal pools are known to harbor the rare fairy shrimp, but our visit was in the dry season. And we did not get to see the ringtails, foxes, bats, squirrels or lizards that inhabit the Rock. Dusk would be the right time for their entrance. As well as the bird life that live there. From roadrunners to orioles and buntings, to tiny vireos, there are numerous avian beings who grace the area with their magic. I wonder how the animal life interprets the sensation of the granite as it radiates out into the universe.
Enchanted Rock, in central Texas is not alone in its existence on the planet. There are granite domes elsewhere, think of Half Dome in Yosemite. And not all granite domes are batholiths. There are batholiths in Chile, Rio de Janero, Iceland, etc. The world is rich with amazing magical formations that draw us to them. Do you really think that is a coincidence? Lift the veil between the worlds and take a peak with multi-dimensional eyes at what else is there. Bring a bit more joy into your life.
Photos: Suzanne Cordrey