“What does it mean?”: Rock Stacks

I spent last weekend camping with a group of friends, and made rock stacks with some of the children and other adults.

Photo: Suzana Blaze

It seems to be what you do if you are spending time in a creek on holidays.

Photo: Suzana Blaze

 A young boy of about 4 from another group came up to me later in the day as I was enjoying looking at the creations and asked “What does it mean?” I answered by saying that I was making towers like you do with wooden blocks for fun, and that indeed they did look very special. I knew he could sense that they held a sense of power and meaning that I myself was not fully aware of. He was satisfied, stated he was going to make one of his own and went to the business of finding some suitable rocks. The question lingered with me and I decided to find out more about the meaning behind rock stacks. 

I have a little one of only 3.5cms high for my sandplay therapy shelf made by Martina from Nature’s Art Melbourne  The location of where it sits on my shelf also indicates the sense of the meaning it holds- in my spiritual section.

There’s joy  and creativity in making things from the materials directly in your environment. Artists such as Andy Goldsworthy make this into an artform.

Andy Goldsworthy

Here’s how to make one:

Ironically the next morning when I walked down to the creek it was the precariously balanced rock tower made by the girls that was left standing. Maybe the mysterious ‘rock knocker’ had respect for the skill used in that tower, and you’d want to watch your toes too in their tumbling.

Update 29/03/13 I’m now on Pinterest and have a rock stack board there for more pictures.