Renatus Derbidge’s new book, Spiritual Stone Bothering, invites us to ask questions. Its subtitle, “An Intimate Guide to Scotland’s Sacred Places,” invites us to engage in intimate self-reflection.
In many stories and fairy tales, a journey begins with a farewell. Something inside us calls us to leave the cozy familiar and set out into the unknown. Derbidge’s book prepares us for a spiritual journey. For this, we need, among other things, good maps, good footwear (rubber boots may be more helpful than expensive hiking shoes), and clothing for any situation—you never know what the capricious weather will decide. And perhaps a mobile phone in our pocket to show us the way when we get enveloped by fog.
It’s about discovering on foot—getting to know people and the intimacy of a location, and in doing so, getting to know ourselves. Therefore, the search for a place is often part of the journey, because we encounter something we may not have been aware of before: we let the place reveal its presence to us. The atmosphere of a site dawns on us. If we want to awaken our sense of awareness, the author provides practical guidance. He shows how, over time, we create an instrument of more refined inner perception, stimulated by experiencing the inner side of the world around us. The encounter with the stones does not have to be spectacular, but when the soul attunes itself to their presence, the composition of the site evokes a profound and intimate experience. Sensory perception augmented by empathetic awareness proves to be a remedy for our global crisis. Our metropoles bristle with an overstimulation of the senses and, at the same time, incarcerate us in our isolation.
The key to encountering the stones is a Goethean way of perception. This is the first step, followed by using precise imagination to experience the mood and atmosphere, and kindle life within ourselves. This means—and it is not so easy to achieve—allowing the imagination to be guided only by what is perceptible. If we allow it, the surrounding environment resonates, echoes, and shapes its essence within the experience of our soul.
Once we find access to the spiritual stones, the title of the book takes on a new meaning. “To bother” means to care, for example, for a suffering child. And by “bothering,” Derbidge paves the way to an intimate revelation of Celtic culture. Later, he elaborates on the stark contrast between Celtic and Roman Christianity. While Roman Christianity emphasizes form, hierarchical order, and fixed doctrine, Celtic Christians build on personal experience. Their holiness stems from their caring relationship with nature, which they experience very intensely as God’s creation.
Following the introduction, the book takes us to specific locations, including Iona and Staffa. We learn about the history of each place, read about extraordinary individuals associated with them, their way of life, and their teachings. By cultivating a personal relationship with the spiritual, these people saw life as a path—many saints travelled from teacher to teacher to further their spiritual development.
Accessing the menhirs and passage graves proves somewhat more challenging. The stone circles in particular call for a correction of the common misconception that they were merely calendars. Each stone was chosen for its character and stands in relation to the others. The intention becomes accessible through their arrangement. We can assume that they were positioned so that the constellation could serve the community for the celebration of a cosmic event. This is particularly evident in the stone circles of the Orkney Islands, and Derbidge’s descriptions conjure the megalithic culture to life, imbuing it with meaning and significance. Their temple-like character can only be understood through the profound connection the Celts cultivated to the cosmos and nature. They did not require enclosed houses for their religious practice, yet such structures existed, as seen in the passage graves. These were originally initiation sites and were often built so that the rising or setting sun of the winter solstice, the Yule season, sheds its rays into their innermost chambers. They turn inwards, whereas the stone circle opens up to the surrounding nature.
In the remaining sections of the book, the characteristics of individual stone arrangements are presented, inviting exploration and empathetic re-experiencing. Each circle has its own message, especially when several are located close together.
I recommend this book to every reader seeking a holistic approach to a phenomenon that is only partially “present” physically, but exhibits an even stronger presence in the “otherworld” that borders our own. Derbidge’s Spiritual Stone Bothering offers guidance for practical experience. When reading, even without knowing these places from personal experience, the atmosphere is described so vividly that it’s as if you were on the journey yourself.
Book Renatus Derbidge. Spiritual Stone Bothering. An Intimate Guide to Scotland’s Sacred Places. Sacred Isles Press. 2025.
