conglomerate stone changes appearance from the rich pink of dawn , to orange at noon , to a radiant ochre at sunset .
The myths and mystery of the Rock and its surrounding terrain derive firstly from the Dreamtime or Tjukurapa which is the foundation Anangu culture , and secondly from the palpable ‘ sense of the sacred ’ that pervades it , perceptible to any modern-day visitor who approaches it in the right frame of mind . There are wellknown locations in Britain referred to as Thin Places and it could be argued that Uluru and Kata Tjuta lie in Australia ’ s version of such a region .
Furthermore , there is the notion that this Rock might constitute an Axis Mundi connecting the Earth to higher realms , or what the Greeks considered an Omphalos stone or ‘ Navel of the World ,’ the most famous of which was at Delphi . Man-made variations of such Earth Navels exist in the Temple of Jerusalem , Easter Island , Thebes , Cuzco and numerous small versions in Cambodia and Thailand . But for its impressive size , natural formation and central geographic location , there is piquancy in the contemplation that Uluru serves as an anchor point for an otherworldly umbilical cord .
Take Nothing Away
The land ’ s traditional custodians , as well as the present-day rangers who patrol the area and act as tourist guides , are all emphatic that nothing should be taken away from Uluru – not soil , rocks or pebbles , plants or other mementos . While it has occurred to some that this is reminiscent of the ‘ curses of the mummies ’ wrought by ancient Egyptian priests , the Clever men among the Original peoples do not lay claim to curses . More than thirty-five people have died while making the climb to the top , aircraft have crashed in the vicinity and , of course , there was the disappearance of baby Azaria Chamberlain in 1980 ( murdered or taken by a dingo ) - but none of these events attributed to a curse . Rocks form the area do , however , seem to be imbued with an active frequency of energy , as discovered by researchers Steven and Evan Strong .
The following was reported by writer Belinda Cranston in National Geographic 2 : ‘ At the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre , where the local lore of the Anangu is explained in detail , there is a ' sorry book ' filled with letters sent from people all over the world who - in a fit of guilt or perhaps superstition - have returned souvenired rocks .
“ Many of the letters are from people who maintain they had no idea it was an offence to remove rocks . One person returned a rock 20 years after removing it . " I have had nothing but misfortune since then , and I ' m returning it ," he wrote in an accompanying note . Another note , along with a rock that was returned two years after it was taken , reads " It needs to go home . My guilt and Karma can ' t take it anymore ."’
While it may not be the actual result of an imprecation by the Original Elders , there certainly does seem to be a negative vibration emitted from the monolith itself which somehow affects
2
http :// www . australiangeographic . com . au / travel / d estinations / 2010 / 08 / the-otherworldly-aspects-ofuluru