Some of you know that I was out in California the past couple of weeks visiting family. One of the places that I was lucky enough to visit while I was there was the Donner Summit Petroglyphs. A Petroglyph is an image that has been carved into rock. The Petroglyphs at this location on Donner Summit are believed to have been carved by Native American tribes between 1500 and 4000 years ago. Incredible right? I couldn’t believe that you could just walk up to them.
If you look at the picture above the Petroglyphs are located in the rocks that you see in front of us. Just beyond that single tree that is almost centered in the picture.
Here is one of the many examples found in that location.
I tried to go over it a bit to help you see it. We thought it might be a seashell with a net. They are a bit hard to see but if you spend time looking in this area you will find them.
This is another picture that I took that will give you a better idea of the area. You can see all the white marks in the stone. Those are the petroglyphs. There are so many of them!
This is another one of my favorites. So many of them for you to find. If you look closely though you will see a spiral near the top. I drew a circle around it for you to help you to find it. I would have tried to get a closer picture but you aren’t supposed to walk on the areas where the carvings are and I wanted to honor that. I was honestly surprised that the area wasn’t more protected.
At the site of the Petroglyphs you will find this. It says the following:
Sacred symbols from Ancient Times
The Donner Pass Petroglyphs
The rocks here are carved with ancient symbols called petroglyphs created by carving the surface of the stone with a tool called a hammerstone. These petroglyphs are thought to be several thousand years old.
Similar figures are found in many places in the Northern Sierra Nevada, usually on gently sloping granite polished by glaciers. Shapes
such as circles, zigzags, and wavy lines are common. Human and animals
forms such as stick figures and tracks are less common. Some sites contain only a single element, while others, such as this one may contain hundreds
of individual elements.
No one knows what these symbols mean. Current studies suggest petroglyphs are linked to the spiritual and ceremonial life. Who created them. What do you think they mean?
Ancient Washo People, Wa She Shu, created these Petroglyphs. This pass is the main corridor for travel to and from Lake Tahoe. Gathering places were numerous in the Sierra Nevada. Trade of foods, arts & crafts, clothing materials and other essentials took place in prominent places along the trail
Preserving the Past for the Future: Do you have a spiritually significant place? This sacred for the people who created these figures. Please treat it with the same respect you would have for your own place of worship.
This is a closeup of the drawings that you will find there as depicted on the plaque that I just showed you. You will recognize the spiral that I showed you and what I was calling the shell with the net.
If you live in the area I definitely recommend taking a stop by. It’s a beautiful and honestly quite incredible place to visit.
If you would like to learn more the Donner Summit Historical Society has a great page with some additional information.
I hope that you have an amazingly magickal day!
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Jasmeine Moonsong