The Synchronous Converter

With Glastonbury 2009 approaching there is one specific product that comes to mind, sky lanterns. They have, in recent years, become an integral part of any Glastonbury-goers experience. In an interview last year the headliner’s, Kings of Leon, cited the launch of lanterns from the Stone Circle as their most powerful memory of the festival. If you do not directly release one from the tranquil Stone Circle you are likely to witness their transcendental presence as they drift up and across the roaming Somerset landscape. It is no surprise that the release of the lanterns, with their connotations of calm and optimism, have become intrinsically linked with the Stone Circle. This field is where festival goers seek rest in the dark of the night, sitting around and talking communally around fires in the open spirit that remains at the heart of the festival. As is traditional with sky lanterns, a wish is made with each one released. It is a close to numinous experience to watch from the hillside of the Circle as the wishes float across the packed festival, oblivious to the chaotic crowds beneath them, up in to the sky and out of sight. Watching the sky lanterns take this journey in to the clouds is a divine moment to reflect and escape. It is one of the reasons that in spite of its ever sprawling size, Glastonbury remains extraordinary.