The Hedge Druid

Archive for the ‘News article’ Category

In an attempt to appear well-read and topical I have gathereed together a series of news articles that have garnered my interest this month. They are on a wide range of topics, some environmental, some energy-related and some beyond those. Here are some stories that roused my interest this month:-

1. Wi-Fi is killing trees

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1332310/Is-Wi-Fi-killing-trees-Dutch-study-shows-leaves-dying-exposure-Wi-Fi-radiation.html

Comment: Nothing riles me more than stories about the abuse of trees. This was bound to “push my buttons”. I think that our headlong leap into new technologies has always happened without proper consideration of the consequences – that in itself is one of the consequences of our Aquarian quest for The New. However, once we have identified a potential issue like this, surely we should be considering the wider effects on us too? Some dowsers have been raising this issue for a while in the health forums, but of course no-one takes dowsers seriously.

Here are some useful links on this topic:-

1. Glastonbury’s reaction to being bombarded by wifi signals: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3966373/Alternative-health-capital-turns-its-negative-energy-on-pioneering-wi-fi-system.html
2. The GeoPathFinder site’s explanation of the elements involved in this discussion: http://www.geopathfinder.com/9801

2. We CAN predict the future, study shows

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1330596/Humans-psychic-powers-New-study-proves-future.html

Comment: Some of us have known this for a long time. Those of us who have had experiences of time distortion already know that time is a mutable and flexible concept. This study is once again demonstrating that we have the everyday ability to warp time in order to sneak a peek at the near future. Those who communicate with entities who are outside of our normal scale of time will also know that time is an elastic concept which only becomes solified under common concensus. Here, at last, is some definitive scientific proof that will get swept far far underneath the carpet, and then trampled down for good measure. You heard it here, folks.

3. Giant Energy Structure at the centre of our Galaxy

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GLAST/news/new-structure.html

Comment: Is this a recognition of the emerging energy that will shape our consciousness in the next few years? Is it the light that will signify a transition into a new Age of Aquarius as it reaches us? Keep your antennae twitching, sensitive folk, this could be interesting!

4. Ball-bearing theory of Stonehenge creation

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1330917/Stonehenge-builders-used-ball-bearings-giant-slabs-stone.html

Comment: Balls being the operative word here. The article is pure speculation, but it’s a step up from the rolling logs theory. However, it only take a few seconds thought to imagine that it would have been one hell of a job for them to contain the spherical objects they used to prevent them from rolling awa out of the sides as the rocks were moved up and down slopes.

5. Druids alive and kicking and promoting Tory values on Anglesey

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2010/11/20/anglesey-blogger-the-druid-reveals-himself-55578-27683549/

Comment: If he was truly a druid he’s be independent, not allied to any party. Cheeky beggar! Using the Druids’ good name for his own personal benefit. Grrr!

Gwas.

Isaac Bonewits (1949 – 2010)

I only had a passing interest in the work of Mr.Bonewits. I heard a lot of things said in praise of his early work to promote the concepts of magic. I heard even more praise for his work on promoting modern druidry via his organisation the Ar nDraiocht Fein, or “A Druid Fellowship” (ADF).

My reason for wishing to recognise his contribution is my appreciation for the work he did in his book that I read recently, called “Real Energy“. I have also just ordered his earlier work “Real Magic” which is considered by many as a seminal work on the subject.

“Real Energy” is one of those books that you wish you had read when you had first encountered the subject of energy. It takes many of the philosophical and scientific questions that underpin those questions which we all have regarding difficult concepts such as “energy”, and it goes through each one in turn explaining how it fits into the larger picture. Often, Isaac and Phaedra bring in their own personal experiences to substantiate certain arguments too. 

I found the book to be one of the best summaries that I have read of the concepts of energy, magic and the forces that underpin them, and it is a book that I heartily recommend to anyone who intends to begin working with energy in any of its subtler forms.

I wish all those who knew him or were influenced by him my condolences as I am sure they will miss his presence.

Gwas.

I see that a combined team of Manchester and York University archaeologists have uncovered Britain’s oldest house to date in the ever-more-fascinating Star Carr site near the seaside town of Scarborough in the North East of England. Julian Cope was referring to Star Carr many years ago, long before many people were even aware of its significance (check out his S.T.A.R.C.A.R. track off the Autogeddon album). Talking of album references – the title of my post is a passing reference to the title of The Fall’s latest album, which I recommend to anyone from Bury. I’m not from Bury.

Back to the thin strand of information that I refer to as “the plot”. The plot thickens. This old house that they have dug up contained some well-preserved items in the trench that they sank into the coastal soil, and what they pulled out of the treasure trove were some interesting items, from a druid’s perspective.

1. An antler headdress

This dates the use of ritual antler horn headwear to around the age of 8,5000 B.C.E. That’s quite some precedence for a ritual that only recently dwindled in popularity! Some would say that it is still continued in the concept of the “stag” weekend that prospective grooms undergo throughout the northern hemisphere cultures.

“The site has yielded far more possessions than would have been acquired by bands of hunter-gatherers on the move. They include a boat paddle, beads, arrowheads and antler headdresses, suggesting rituals developed alongside domestic life” (source: The Guardian)

Milners of Britain display their summer range

To me this backs up what a lot of Celtic shamanism writers have said about the rituals of early tribal shamans. It would appear that the rituals (that may have included dance, drumming, initiations and rituals) are about as old as the post-Ice Age human civilisations that began to re-establish themselves in the northern hemisphere after the retreat of the ice caps. Shamanism from the outset, it would seem. Magic at the heart of social life.

John Matthews has this to say about the deer totem:

“The importance of the deer among the Celts is testified not only by the number of appearances it makes in the mythology, but also by the astonishing number of words used to describe it. It was also seen as a magical creature, which could lead one into the Otherworld, and often appears in the guise of a beautiful woman who can take the shape of a deer at will…There is evidence of a deer cult, in which the animal was worshipped as a goddess. The deer thus represents travel to the Hollow Hills or the faerie realm, shapeshifting (the perception of the world from different viewpoints), and the natural deer-like qualities of grace, swiftness and keen scent.” (source: Chapter 3, ‘The Celtic Shaman: A Practical Guide’)

2. A preserved tree stump

The discovery of a large trunk from an old and sizeable tree shows us that the veneration for trees is also as old as the hills.
Again, this reverence for trees hints at some form of shamanistic lifestyle, and who knows how long that lasted, for the Druids of these same islands carried those same items of devotion through into their history, such as we can understand it.

“The population also appears to have respected venerable trees. One of the team’s other startling finds is the trunk of a large specimen with the bark still intact, which was spared from the flints used to carve the rest of the settlement’s timber.” (source: The Guardian)

Delphi's belly button

We have no information yet as to what type of three it might be, but it would not surprise me that it was a yew tree, possibly one of the trees that symbolised the concept of The World Tree – the omphalos or navel, the central point around which a settlement was constructed. Rather than this being something left alone, it could have been the centre of attention. Just a thought.

Gwas.

CropCircleConnector – the site that I trust to deliver sensible and timely information about the location and circumstances of the latest crop circles – has posted pictures of the first 2010 circle to appear. Yet again it has started in Wiltshire, and again the location is significant to those of us who watch for such things. The bigger question though is – what does it signify?

That has been a difficult question, but not one to which I have placed much of my attention, time or focus over the last year as I casually observer their appearance, and equally casually admired their form. This time, however, the formation seems to be particularly relevant to my researches at this very moment. Timely in a spookily coincidental way – the kind of coincidence that makes me prick up my ears and have a good sniff of the flow of consciousness as it passes.

Here’s what it looks like (courtesy of CCC’s site):

Old Sarum's consciousness map

What this means to me

My reading of this formation is entirely personal, and I urge you to make your own reading to suit yourself. This is in no way relevant for anyone else, but in case you’re interested, here’s what it means to me. Remember that this eighth part of the year I have recently found to be concerned with the study of how to investigate, understand and utilise the seven chakra energies that can be produced from the white light of neutral light energy? There was also the suggestion that I work at uniting the two energy centres of the lower and upper energy stores in order to work towards this understanding of the seven energy powers.

So, I look at this picture and I see the eye in the lower half – the observant eye – the eye that is looking at the seven circles – the seven vortices – the seven chakra points. Above it I see the upper wider eye symbol, which I take to be the third-eye – a stylised and symbolic eye, more perfect and with wider vision than the lower “real” eye. Through that third-eye flows five lines of energy, that may either be passing through, emanating from the power point, or flowing into it. Perhaps all three directions at once?

I think the five energy streams are five levels of consciousness through which I have to pass as a result of working with and understanding the seven forms of vibrational energy form that can be diffracted from the white light energy source of the neutral energy form. That’s about as mad and esoteric as it needs to get, right? Clearly, I’m cracked and ought to have voted Monster Raving Loony. But there’s one more thing…

The formation is reputedly laid out on the ley lineThe term used by many British dowsers to describe an energy leyA straight line of neutral energy linking two or more sacred sites or other energetic centres. This is often confused with Alfred Watkins’ concept of the Ley Line. Strictly speaking a ley line does not necessarily mean a neutral energy line, only a sight alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. between notable places, whereas an energy ley is like a radial spoke in a wheel, with energy flowing outwards across the land in a straight line. It has sometimes been found that the energy ley can be diverted from its strict straight path by changes in the landscape or strong attractors that pull it away from its original course. Energy leys may have inter-twining streams of male and female energies weaving along them, as though the energy ley is an attractor, a pathway or a conduit for the male and female energies.. It is easily confused with ley and therefore its use is not recommended by dowsers. that Danny Sullivan documents in his book “Ley Lines” on page 199, and which he credits to Sir Norman Lockyer and Alfred Watkins, calling it perhaps the oldest identified ley (by modern man). He names this as being the “Old Sarum Ley”.

It passes through the following sacred sites:-

1. Durrington Down tumulus [link]
2. Stonehenge [link]
3. Old Sarum [link]
4. Salisbury Cathedral
5. Clearbury Ring [link]
6. Frankenbury Camp [link]

That’s a lovely North-South line, and it comes close to a line that I identified as passing through Arbor Low as it travels further up north. I will see whether I can get anything more about those five lines of consciousness change. I have a draft post that I was already preparing about the numbers 7 and 12. Well, I don’t need to point out to you that 7+5….. Things just keep knitting together in this line of work!

Gwas.

There’s a really pithy and poignant article on the idea of disengaging from news on Philip Carr-Gomm’s blog at the moment. I highly recommend it as a means of finding your true path. One of the may methods you should consider is to ignore news sources, and his post and quotes explain why.

See: http://philipcarrgomm.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/no-news-is-good-news/

Gwas.

Saw an article today about one of the latest crop circles in Wiltshire which suggested it might be a sigil in terms of the way it is designed. An interesting idea. Another site suggested a form of calender or time-based interpretation. Already this year’s designs are provoking thought and allowing us a view of something wonderfully confusing: what do they all mean as a phenomenon? Well, hopefully in a few months Kal and I will have a go at working that out along with everyone else as we dowse some circles ourselves.

In the meantime we’ll have to content ourselves with this month’s circle gallery on CropCircleConnector.

Gwas

Following the yellow crop spirals.

This article was found on the New Scientist web site. The concept is still being studied for better correlations and more data, but their conclusion so far is:

“freakier dreams occurring on days with the least geomagnetic activity“.

(http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16871-sweet-dreams-are-made-of-geomagnetic-activity.html)

The article reminded me of some work by one of the speakers at last year’s British Society of Dowsers conference, Dr. Serena Roney-Dougal. In her lecture last September she mentioned that she had also been trying to correlate GMF activity with sleep patterns, with dreaming quality and with the psychic abilities of people. Her results were almost the same as those in the New Scientist article:-  

• When the GMF is strong (or active) due to earth changes (seasons, tide, sunspots, moon phase, geology, earth’s magnetic core) then poltergeist activity and healing work is stronger.
• When the GMF is weak (or less active) then remote viewing and telepathy is stronger.
• At 3AM (“The Witching Hour“) our brains naturally produce more triptamines and start releasing them to induce dreaming.
• Certain structures such as long barrows (which have a layer of organic, then inorganic substances) seem to act as shield against the effects of the GMF on “psychic” abilities.

You can read more about the conference speakers and the notes we took in THIS LINK.

Gwas

Following tomorrow’s chip paper.