The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘alignments’

I was at a talk recently given by Marianne Williamson, in her talk she often described various aspects of the Feminine. She related this to Earth quite effectively and I wondered whether there was any connection between this and female aligned people.

Currently I have learned the female aligned people are aligned with the moon. But it is one of them obvious questions that has never been asked directly. E.g. “Am I aligned to the moon?” Or rather is Gwas, since I am Sun aligned.

What we have kind of assumed is that since Male aligned people are also Sun aligned. So Female energy aligned people would be Moon aligned.

I did some dowsing at Avebury this weekend and came across some interesting results.

Here are the results:

• Can people be Sun aligned? Yes
• Can people be Moon aligned? Yes
• Are people who are moon aligned also female aligned? Yes
• Are people who are Male aligned also Sun aligned? Yes
• Is it the same to say that Male 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. is the same as Sun 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.? Yes

That was a good and confirmatory start, right. Now take a look at this:

• Can people be Earth aligned? Yes. Interesting.
• So there are three 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. types of people? No.
• Is there more than 3 then? No. Curious!
• Are people that are male aligned also Earth aligned? No
• Are people that are female aligned also Earth aligned? Yes.

Ah…Can it be said that being Earth aligned and Moon aligned is the same thing? I got the old half Yes answer, as if there was more. I pondered this for a while wondering what it could mean. Plus it wasn’t too fair that female aligned people got two astronomical connections! Then a thought from a far flung theory came to mind…

Are female aligned people aligned with the moon because it was once a part of the Earth? Yes.

Ah, a picture was forming. Are people aligned with the Sun or the Earth, but also the moon because it was once a part of the Earth? Yes. So, if the Moon wasn’t was a part of the Earth would female aligned people still be aligned with it? No.

A fabulous set of dowsing I thought.

Kal Malik pushing the boundaries

Note from Gwas:

I found it was with the Moon. Who says otherwise? Will check again tonight. Just because the Earth has been given a female “character” doesn’t mean ‘she’ attracts all female-aligned energies and people – that’s my opinion.

I was at the Mysterious Earth Conference this year. The conference was held at the Village Hall in the village of Grimsargh near Preston in Lancashire, England. Kal had come up so that we could go to this event together, which was very nice of him to make the effort. There were four speakers lined up, but we only found three of them to be relevant to our studies and research, so I will concentrate on the positives and tell you about these three.

This year's Mysterious Earth lectures

The three speakers of interest to me were:-

• Kevin Rowan-Drewitt – Neolithic Observatories
• Pete Knight – West Kennet Long Barrow: Ancestors, Landscape and the Cosmos
• Gary Biltcliffe – The Belinus Line & The Spine of Albion

Here is a run-down of their primary themes and some notes that I took about each of their lectures.

Neolithic observatories by Kevin Rowan-Drewitt

Kevin Rowan-Drewitt

Kevin’s talk was informative and a feast of facts. Having read many books on the subject of Alexander Thom, his Megalithic Yard, and of his convincing argument that most if not all stone circles are designed as neolithic calendars to track the movements of the sun and moon, I didn’t find too many points that were new to me. However, Kevin’s lecture was clearly delivered, well structured and well-argued, even if he was simply relating other people’s theories. For those who may have been new to the concept of neolithic astrological observatories it would have been truly enlightening.

Some notes that I made that were particularly significant for me were:-

• Bryn Celli Ddu on Anglesey has in-built alignments for tracking Venus and the Summer Solstice. You may remember that I was called there in 2009 to observe Venus, even though at the time I had no idea what I was seeing.
• Mayburgh Henge in Cumbria is aligned to the eastern sunrise
• The book ‘Uriel’s Machine‘ by Christopher Knight & Robert Lomas contains the practical workings out of the theories of ancient astrological circle structure, and they based much of their work on the ‘Book Of Enoch‘, particularly the section ‘The Book of Courses of the Heavenly Luminaries’
• In the Book of Enoch the circle-makers are mentioned as The Watchers. Rowan-Dewitt interprets this as being the Beaker People.

Personally, I feel this Bronze Age Beaker culture only created some of the last generation of megalithic structures, not the first ones, even if their structures were the most sophisticated, impressive and enduring. The astrological know-how was already in existence and evidenced by timber and rudimentary stone circles before the arrival of the so-called Beaker culture, so this doesn’t hang together for me.

• Also in that ancient text, The Nephilim are mentioned as being from the Orion Constellation.
• Newgrange, in the Boyne Valley in Ireland is aligned with the Winter Solstice sunrise but also with Venus too, on an eight-year cycle.
• The line of ‘lozenge’ shapes or crosses on the lintel at Newgrange may denote the Venus cycle, as there are eight such symbols in a row.
• Thornborough Henge in Yorkshire is aligned to Orion.
• The Sun has a 32-year cycle until it rises at exactly the same spot on the horizon. This fact is used by Rowan-Dewitt to support the idea that astrological observances and star lore must have been passed down through the generations or preserved in some fashion because neolithic people had a relatively short life span.
• Most measurements of megalithic structures are in 0.5 Megalithic Yards, or 16.32 inches. The Megalithic Yard of 2.72 feet was used for convenience by Alexander Thom.

West Kennet Long Barrow by Peter Knight

Peter Knight

Peter Knight is a well-practised and engaging speaker. His presentation was slick, precise and moved you from one concept to another easily and with a sense of passion. I am a fan of the West Kennet Long Barrow myself and have had many visits to the site mostly unaccompanied and without anyone else around, so I have been able to practise many of the things that Peter talked about in the shamanic parts of his talk. However, in the first part he went through the various alignments with the surrounding megalithic sites such as Avebury, Silbury Hill, East Kennet, and many of the lesser-known circles, tumuli and hills that form the rich Wiltshire megalithic landscape.

Some notes that I made on this talk were:-

• There are sun and moon rising or setting sight alignments from West Kennet to many of the surrounding features.
• Some of the lesser-known sites include Belas Knap chamber, Silbaby (or Woden Mound), Morgan’s Hill and Harestone stone circle.
• The long barrow itself is constructed with layers of large rubble, then fine rubble, turf, then a sarsen stone core. The layering is reminiscent of Wilhelm Reich’s Orgone Accumulator principle.
• There is an acoustic “hot spot” close to the stone called “The Skull Stone” which is considered to be a portal to the Underworld.
• Long barrows and chambers in the area are mainly aligned to the South-East (the Midwinter Solstice).
• East Kennet is aligned to the Orion constellation, West Kennet to the Gemini constellation.
• A cave was usually associated with a process of initiation or transformation.

PETER’S WEB SITE: Stoneseeker

The Spine of Albion by Gary Biltcliffe

I have been eagerly awaiting Gary’s book about this subject for over a year now. Hopefully it is due to be published soon. Gary has spent a lot of time, effort and money on travelling up and down the country in pursuit of a 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 he is calling the Belinus Line, after the ancient Celtic god Baal or Bel. The name thereafter got associated with a king of England called King Belinus, who was supposedly one of the great road-building kings, although many believe that the lack of historical evidence suggests he may be a mythical figure rather than an actual king. Certainly, it is not uncommon for people in power to associate themselves with great engineering from lost generations, for example the Romans simply paved many of the existing spirit roads that were created as embankments by the druid culture and those before them too. We all now know these roads as ‘Roman Roads’ which is testament to the power of a written historical record, rather than to the feats of engineering.

For the talk in Preston Gary concentrated on those sites which were more local to us, rather than describe all the sites along the line. Given that it had taken him 20 years to follow them, he was unlikely to get through them all in an hour!

• Seven Barrows Down is the crossing point for the Belinus Line with the Michael/Mary Line.
• The village of Dunsop Bridge is the geographical centre of the Belinus Line
• North/South ley lines are associated with physical and East/West lines with the spiritual, thus the Belinus Line is mainly a physical line with very few spiritual centres on it.
• The line goes through various centres including Lichfield, Birmingham, Manchester and Carlisle.
• DragonDragons are spirit or energetic beings that reside in sacred sites and have a particular location in them and also move throughout the day (and or season). They also leave the sacred site on occasion, which again differentiates them from Genius Loci which don’t. stories hint at the location of sacred sites such as caves, wells and mounds.
• The Belinus Line has twelve bands of energy – balanced with 6 male and 6 female.
• Guy Raglan Philips was the first to identify the line.
• The female lines are violet in colour and the male lines are gold/yellow
• The line goes through The Bridestones – formerly one of England’s largest long barrows.
• Marton church gives a unique view of the sunrise over The Cloud in Cheshire
• Shap has an avenue of stones similar to Avebury
• The Kemp Howe stone circle is on the line
• Other sites on the line are Merlindale, Knowlmere, Alderley Edge, Caverswall, The Rollright Stones, and Uffington DragonDragons are spirit or energetic beings that reside in sacred sites and have a particular location in them and also move throughout the day (and or season). They also leave the sacred site on occasion, which again differentiates them from Genius Loci which don’t. Hill and White Horse
• In Carlisle Catherdral is a stone carving of kissing dragons
• Arthuret Church in Cumbria holds a familiar title of King Arthur’s burial place, and has a well called St.Michael’s running through it.

GARY’S WEB SITE: The Belinus Line

I hope those comments make some sense to you! They are slightly out of context, but they may be more relevant if you get to see them speak for yourselves.

Gwas.

Section 2. Dowsing and Earth Energies

A lot of work was done by Kal in particular this year relating to the modification of energy centres within houses. Some people call this “house dowsing” or “healing sick houses”. It relates to a concept called “geopathic stress”, but we have found that this “stress” has more causes than simply a water course running under the house. There was a fantastic checklist produced by a British Society of Dowsers member in the December issue of the group’s quarterly magazine ‘Dowsing Today’, which lists these causes, and I will post more on that soon, because I think the information bears repeating and distributing.

I was lucky enough to spend a day at Carnac in France this summer. It was a most glorious day and highly productive, but I absolutely must go back to spend longer there. I feel there is more to be learned still from this massive and impressive site. Other interesting sites this year include: Druid’s Circle above Penmaenmawr; also Nine Stones Close and Nine Ladies stone circles in Derbyshire. I will publish a full list of sites as one of the summary posts in this series.

Here are some of things we learned about dowsing and earth energies this year:-

2-1. House dowsing:

• We can dowse houses accurately, either locally or remotely
• We can either send and receive energy to specific points in the house, providing the house has not been “sealed off” and permission is given
• We can modify the energy formations on site
• Crystals can be used to repair this energetic state, and to change unhelpful or misaligned energies into helpful and aligned ones
• Plants can be asked to contribute to this
• The beneficial effects take some time – depending on how far the energy has to convert from harmful to beneficial, this can take from hours to weeks to achieve. Also dependent upon the amount of new positive input into the formation(s).
• The Moon or Sun can also contribute to the energetic change, acting as a catalyst for the change, and also providing either male or female energetic input.

2-2. Flat recumbent stones attract female energy (moon), whilst pointed stones attract male energy (sun). We don’t yet know which elements of a site attract star or planetary energies, but we know they are present at sites, especially stone circles.

2-3. Kal found that certain geologically faulted locations with water running through them can pin energy to a place.

2-4. Ironwork and iconography (in the case of stones in Brittany I found that it was Christian crosses) can restrain the energy of a standing stone, reducing its aura (field of effect).

2-5. Earth energy spirals are created from sacred geometrical principles and number. Even manifestations created by us have the same properties. Of particular significance has been the discovery that stone circles are based upon sacred geometry in their design. For exmaple, Moel-Ty-Uchaf stone circle in North Wales is based upon a pentacle,or five-sided shape. I have found that this is linked to specific “deities”, but more importantly, that these deities are actually one of the planets. The pentacle therefore is associated with Venus, which itself describes a five-sided geometrical figure around the earth in its annual travel.

2-6. Power centres are the central point of two cones of energy- one going up into the air, the other going down into the ground. Also confirmed by Viktor Schauberger’s research.

2-7. Avenues or rows of standing stones have male and female energies intertwining, and travelling the length of the line of a stone rows of standing stones.

2-8. Tumuli can provide a terminus pointfor energy to sink back into the earth. As an example, I found this double mound pictured below was a terminus point for the energy running through the Kermario avenues of standing stones at Carnac in France.

2-9. Cup-marked stones often provide a rising point, a focal point or source of earth energies entering into sacred sites. Some standing stones that are cup-marked are a map of the energy power centres nearby.

2-10. “Hand spread” patterns of energy fields can be dowsed on the side of circles where energy is being dispersed out of the area. They indicate areas of high fertility energy.

2-11. Many neutral 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. leys travel the length and breadth of lands, and have accumulated sacred sites and churches along them. I suggest this is similar to the geometirc patterns that many dowsers and researchers have discovered overlaying the British Isles, and some say, the whole of Earth (cf. John Michell)

2-12. “Martin”, “Margaret” and “Anne” are other synonyms for the male and female energy lines surrounding national leylines, as well as the better-known “Michael” and “Mary” energies. This year I traced what I call The St.Martin Line running from South-West England through France and into Italy.

These findings should be viewed in the context of the complementary section coming soon on our findings at Ancient Sites. I hope next year to concentrate on water dowsing, or rather, dowsing the energetic properties of water, sap and blood. Next in the series – Part 3 – I will be summarising our findings relating to tree energies, elemental spirits and death energy.

Gwas.

Keswick, Cumbria – 27th September

In the first part of our day-long epic journey into the vast wilderness of the Lake District in search of the sacred circles we had heard so much about Kal and I began by visiting what must be one of the busiest circles we’ve ever stepped foot in. Not a moment’s peace was to be had at Castlerigg on a Sunday morning, despite the fact that we pitched up at 9:30am. There was barely a parking space left amid the camper vans, mobile homes and country capable cars that lined the sides of the small road on the edge of Keswick town.

Were we not in the middle of nowhere of note? We were. Still, on this day it seemed like every man Jack and his dog was visiting this sacred site, and not many of them were being very sacred. There was a photographer or three knocking about positioning tripod in awkward positions, parties of American tourists with overly-white hair and bright clothing milling about in herds like bewildered dayglo sheep, and families with hyped-up kids clambering all over the stones. A motley bunch. Then we arrived looking for peace and solitude to bathe in the morning mist that clad the site and surrounding hills. Not a chance, lads. Not today.

Not today Kal!

The mist quickly cleared off to the higher ground, but the crowd only grew thicker. We realised that whatever we were going to do here was going to draw attention. By this stage in our dowsing and spiritual development this mattered little to us. Kal immediately set about determining whether there was anything in particular that we should be doing here – perhaps to re-balance the energies, or ourselves, or what? He found that it was all down to me this morning. A convenient finding, I thought, but that’s how it goes.

I was in no rush, however, having an agenda of my own in terms of dowsing. I wanted to see whether I could answer a few questions that had been buzzing around my head for the last few days. These questions were:-

1. Could the site be considered to be “active” in terms of energy?
2. How accurate were the visual alignments between the stones and the surrounding landscape, that I had seen depicted in Paul Devereux’s book “Earth Memory“?
3. Did any of the stones display a magnetic charge when a compass was held near to them?
4. Were there any dowsable emissions of radon or radioactive energies coming out of the stones?
5. Was there a “dream seat” at the site?

In “Earth Memory” Devereux tells of a shaman who takes a man to a place where there is an ancient stone seat that shamans sit upon. When they attune to the spot the seat produces visions and dream states where the shaman can experience “shamanic flying” or out-of-body experiences. I liked this idea, and it reminded me of the two similar “seats” at Avebury that are such intruiging shapes:

I went in search of a Dream Seat at Castlerigg and an obvious candidate emerged, worn smooth by the number of people who had leaned against it observing the view. I elected to try it out shortly.

All these questions plus the usual suspects concerning the discovery of the uses for the site were uppermost in my mind. As it turned out Kal beat me to the punch with the “use of the site” questions. He had over heard a tour guide telling the tale that the site had perhaps once been used as a place of barter for tradesmen – a kind of market meeting place. Spurred on to test this he got his dowsing rods out and began his own investigations. Was the site constructed for the purpose of trading? NO. So, it may have become a trading post, but he didn’t feel as though that’s how it started out. Of course not – why would there be so many celestial alignments and carefully placed stones if the purpose was to create a trading space?

I began my own investigations to answer my new questions.

• Was the site energetically active? YES. Was it still functioning? YES.
• Did any of the stones show any magnetic charge? YES, four of them moved the compass needle slightly away from North. These stones were on the South-Western end of the circle. This did not correspond with what I had read in “Earth Memory” where one stone at the Western cardinal point had registered for magnetic charge.
• Were there any radioactive emissions coming out of the stones. NONE. I checked them all. But then I wasn’t using a scientific device, I was using a copper rod. Perhaps no surprise then!

I then went on to check some of the alignments. The most obvious one could be seen from….the Dream Seat stone! No wonder many people had sat on it – the 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. was both obvious and sublime:

I’m afraid I didn’t get the angle just right for the photo, but trust me – it’s a perfect fit with the two foreground hillsides. I carried on with my questions regarding the purpose of the site now that I had found the Dream Seat:-

1. Was it an astral observatory, and aligned to celestial bodies? YES.
2. Was it used as a calendar to track the position of the Sun and Moon at specific times of the year? YES.
3. Were any of the stones used as: an altar – NO. A grounding/cleansing stone – YES. I found one such stone. An energising stone – YES. I found three of them.
4. Did the circle draw energy into it? YES, from the sun, moon and stars.
5. Did the circle push energy out? YES, into the surrounding land.
6. Was the circle used for communication of any kind? NO.
7. Was there a specific entrance? YES, for me it was at the South cardinal point.
8. Was there a 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. running through the site? YES, in a NE to SW direction.
9. Was there a specific path required to be followed to activate the energies of the site? YES.

This ‘ritual path’ (as Stone Dowser terms it) was particularly interesting. The energy path for me to follow was through the southern entrance, to the Sanctuary enclosure for some cleansing and statement of purpose, then out the eastern edge to the Dream Seat to see what needed to be done, then back out the eastern edge again to finish.

The South Entrance

This last piece of information was particularly interesting as it encompassed the Dream Seat. I had wanted “a go” on it anyway, so here was my chance. Despite the endless stream of visitors I told Kal what I intended to do, and he said he would “observe”, which meant that he was going to have a laugh at me trying to make something happen here.

It took two attempts to make my meditative connection work, but I finally attuned to the site and had a vision sitting on the Dream Seat. In the vision I was spinning around above myself, hovering over the stone circle. From there I could see myself, and I could see that I was “spineless”. In other words, my spine was hollow, but nothing was flowing through it. I ‘knew’ I had a blockage in my chakras, and that it was glowing softly red at the base of my spine. The root chakra needed some work, I surmised.

My power centre in The Sanctuary

After two attempts to unblock it I succeeded eventually. Much to everyone’s amusement I’m sure, watching a man with a stick moving from place to place around the circle and meditating for a while at each spot. In the end I felt “dreamy”, like I had awoken from a deep sleep – a feeling that didn’t really leave me until the end of the day on the way back home!

For me, it was a wonderful experience, and despite the heavy tourist traffic, very peaceful and calming. I went on to enjoy the rest of the sites that day. Out next stop would be Long Meg and Her Daughters and the companion site Little Meg.

Gwas

Floating on air.

Tuesday 12th May - Lampouy, Brittany

Another unexpected opportunity to do some dowsing, thanks to the wonderful “Megaliths of Brittany” guidebook from Aubrey Burl. We were supposed to be heading our to Rennes to have a look around the town, but because of the variable weather, and a lack of enthusiasm, we actually changed our minds half way there! So, out with the guide book – which sites may be nearby? Oh – the Lampouy Alignments, which, according to Burl, are “”second only to Carnac in importance“. Supposedly a collection of standing stones in four sets that were aligned to a main tall standing stone. Well, an opportunity not to be missed, even if the dowsing time may be limited due to an impatient passenger!

We veered off the N12 towards the Lampouy alignments and eventually found them. It seems as though, in Brittany, if you are heading in one direction you get good signage – but if you’re approaching from any other direction then there are no signs at all, or they are facing the wrong direction!

The first thing you see as you arrive is The Pierre Longue stone. I didn’t have a lot of time here. After ten days of menhir-hunting I was testing my spouse’s patience to the very limits – “what about our holiday” was the constant refrain. This WAS a holiday for me! Anyway, I was going to be quick. Too quick it turns out. I should have read Burl’s account properly before I started because I missed the southern-most stone, or “white stone”. Next time.

Anyway, to make the most of time I hurried along to the Pierre Longue stone which stood alone in a field of newly-sprouted crops.

The stone did not seem to have the neutral 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. ley going through it that the sign indicated may be present (linking Mont St.Michel to Carnac), but instead I found a male line going out towards the set of aligned stones that were the most intact, the largest, and in the most beautiful setting.

As Burl explains there are four sets of aligned stones on the south side that look like four longboats rowing towards the Pierre Longue. This male line from the Pierre Longue stone was coming out of the rough dark patch of the stone that was facing south-east, and is facing us in the picture above. The picture below shows the direction.

Next stop was the alignments themselves. I rushed down to the first 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. row. The four 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. rows were in various states of repair. Some were covered almost completely by grass and bushes, others seemed to be quite derelict in the shape and position of the stones, and whether they were standing or recumbent. As I moved from one to the next the situation improved. I wondered at the possible reasons for four sets of aligned stones – was this too a form of energy generator, like I have theorised Carnac to be, or did they form some sort of channel, ensuring that energy lines that crossed the country were funnelled through this point?

At the first set of aligned stones I dowsed for the types of energy. It had a male and female energy stream (white streamA flow of positive energised and healing subtle energy. The white streams usually emanate from a source of good energy such as a holy well, a sacred site, a power centre or a place of worship of good intent. We have found that white stream energy consists primarily of male and female energy combined in a balanced and harmonious blend, such that the two streams “play” with each other, warping and wefting in a dance that invigorates and enlivens everything that comes into contact with it. If a human stands in such a stream then they will feel positive, happy and energised, warm even.). There was no 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. ley here either. They “felt” good (I was beginning to tune into the energy patterns by now, and beginning to imagine I could feel their qualities – whether beneficial or detrimental). There was nothing I wanted (or had time) to do other than get a feel for them, check their 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., dowse for what types of energy were within them (or they were on top of) and trace a quick pattern around them following the male or female energy lines. The energy between the stone linked them together, but somewhat randomly (sometimes a stone would be missed out by a female line, whereas the male lines were more consistent). I moved on to the next 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. eagerly.

The second 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. was even more derelict than the first, and was quite difficult to spot as most of the stones were small and hidden beneath grass or ferns. I spotted them edging a groove in the ground that snaked away into the far fields beyond the farmhouse half a mile or so away. Energetically there was nothing interesting to note. On to the next, with the hope that it was more intact.

The third 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. was hidden in a row of trees and had stones that diminished in size as they went northwards. In the picture below the view of looking south towards the larger stones. Most of the stones had been felled, but they nestled conveniently between the line of trees and seemed to form a counterpoint rhythm to the line that the trees had grown on.

Testing for a 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. (a neutral energy lineThe direction energy takes when moving. It may be straight or curved, in several dimensions and be composed of one or more different types of energies, i.e. negative, positive or neutral. Energy lines can be found at standing stones and ancient sites but are a general feature in all energy fields.) running through it I again found nothing. The tourist information sign seemed to hint that there was a line somewhere around, though. Was I just not finding it? Was I being too quick and not thorough enough? I asked the rods the kind of question that makes Kal wince, “Is there a neutral 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. 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. running through the Lampouy site somewhere?“. YES. Right, it was here, I just had to find it. Next obvious question for the rods, “Please lead me to the nearest place where I can find a neutral 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. ley.” – hoping that there weren’t loads of them, as I was short of time! It took me further to the east, along a trail that seemed to be heading towards the furthest set of 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. stones.

The fourth 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. was the most interesting. It had the largest stones and had the 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. ley I had been searching for. Apparently this 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. links Mont St Michel in the north-east with Carnac to the south-west of Brittany. You can just about see the line drawn in this photo:

I dowsed around as usual and found some very strong lines running around, into and through the large stones in this 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. set. Soon I put the rods down and just wandered in and around the stones.

The 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. seemed to draw me from the southern end to the northern end, weaving around each stone, following what I felt to be the female line. Trying to feel the energies again I did indeed feel the “motorway” of the neutral ley running through this section, and I felt the sinewing power of the male and female lines as they inter-wove around the 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.. It was quite thrilling, and emotionally charged. I felt a frisson of energy and was smiling, even in the face of the light drizzle that had started.

Time to get back to the car. As I was about to take my hiking boots off I spotted a stone that had been lying in the back of my car from a previous site visit months ago. For some reason I couldn’t stop looking at it. I decided it wanted to remain here, and that the Pierre Longue stone was a suitable new home, but I also had another idea for it rather than just leaving it – I would make an energetic bridge between this leyline and my power centreA place where a person of a particular 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. (see ‘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.’) feels particularly comfortable and empowered. The place is an energetic centre where a particularly beneficial combination and formation of energies is formed into a pattern that is harmonic with the person for whom it can be called a power centre. back home! After placing the stone and doing some energy work I dowsed the stone – yes, it recognised a link with my house. Good. Done. Time to go and get on with our holiday!

Gwas.

Leaving a marker.

Carnac, Brittany - Friday 8th May

The 8th May is a public holiday in France. There are loads of them in May, and it seemed like a good day to be heading down to the seaside, so we packed for a trip to the greatest megalithic site of the whole of France – the legendary fields of aligned stones that constituted Carnac. Carnac is a small town on the south-west coast of Brittany, between the towns of Vannes and Lorient. As I checked the map for a route I noticed that almost every village in that area began with the prefix “Ker“. This prefix means ‘horn’ , or the symbol for a crescent moon. It was going to be a two hour drive to the coast at least so I let M have a go at driving to give me a rest, and to allow me to pick the places I wanted to see, and to navigate – badly as it turned out.

The journey didn’t start well. We got diverted almost immediately and my blood boiled at being unable to get us onto the road that would reduce our journey time by half an hour (not yet into the relaxing part of the holiday). Instead we were forced to go miles out of our way. Luckily the rest of the journey was quiet and trouble-free, through small Brittany towns and villages, and down beautiful stretches of toll-free dual carriageway. After two and a half hours we were approaching Carnac and the excitement was mounting (well, for me anyway). We dived into Carnac town and got a site map from the Tourist Information to work from before heading back out to park at the Ménec centre.

Phases of megalithic building in Europe

The fields of stones are effectively divided into three parts – Menec, Kermario and Kerlescan. Each site is bordered by paths through beautiful woodland, and boasts its own particular interesting element in addition to the fields of aligned stones, as if they weren’t enough to be impressed with! 

We started at Ménec near the visitor centre. The weather was threatening to be warm, but clouds kept rolling over the sun spoiling the photographs. Walking into the tiny hamlet of Ménec we were greeted by our first full view of the field of aligned stones and it was a truly amazing sight. Silence. Standing. Staring. Open-mouthed. Into the distance were eleven rows of stones, some ten feet high, most around four or five feet in height. They just went on and on, snaking slightly with the shape of the land into the distance. Now what is to be made of that? It was my mission this day to try to find out.

View along Ménec field

I had read the various folk tales, myths and archeological theories about their presence, but as with so many other sites they were simply nonsense, or had little substance to them other than being quaint stories. The ideas that have been submitted are:-

1. They are Roman soldiers turned to stone by St.Cornelius as he was cornered by them at the coast whilst trying to escape
2. They are gravestones for every person who has died in the area in ancient times, the larger ones being the rich people and the smaller ones the poorer.
3. They are a solar and lunar observatory used as a calendar to mark specific sacred times of the Celtic year

For me these “explanations” mean nothing. They add nothing to our understanding of the value and immense effort that was engendered into the Carnac sites. The idea that literally thousands of stones would be placed in an East-West 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. along a shelf of granite simply to act as a calendar is laughable, and even more so when you’ve actually visited the site. A simple stone circle would have achieved such a calendar function if that was what was intended. It’s clearly only a mere fraction of the site’s purpose. However, I’ll come back to the purpose of the site later. It suffices to say at this stage that these myths do not take into account the energetic intention of the construction. I, on the other hand, had this uppermost in my mind as I strolled along the fenced perimeterof the Ménec field.

Don't fence me in!

Guerilla Dowsing

Yes, fenced. It was all fenced off. Like Stonehenge, apparently we simple souls can’t be trusted to keep our sticky mitts to ourselves and would be hacking away at the stone for souvenirs if we were allowed to, or we would be clambering all over them and felling them left, right and centre if we were permitted access to them. Only a guided tour at specific times of the day (and considerable cost) would allow anyone access to the stones themselves. However, I had not come a hundreds of miles to this place merely to walk along the edges. It was time for some Guerilla Dowsing, i.e. dowsing in places where you were clearly not encouraged to do so and may be arrested for trying to. I did so. I picked a quiet spot, then hopped the fence with my rods and began to take some readings.

Here’s what I found out at Ménec:-

• Two lines of energy run in and out, and in between the stones. One is a MALE energy flowing close to the stones in the usual way, i.e. not deviating much from the most direct course between stones. The second line is a FEMALE energy, as one might expect this energy deviates wildly between the stones, sometimes going up to several feet away from the 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. of the stones. The female energy will also often miss out flowing around one of the stones in the row and be pulled back into a path around the next stone. This is unlike the male energy, which seemed to flow regularly past each stone in turn (although my sampling of this was limited to the occasional sneaky raid over the fence).
• There are 11 rows of stones in each ‘field’ (Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan) and the energy paths of the male and female energies flowed in one direction down one row, then in the opposing direction for the next row. So, if the 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. is East-West the first row flowed West to East, then the next row flowed East to West, then back to West-East, and so on across all the rows of stones.
• Some stones were MALE (pointed shape) and some were FEMALE (flat-topped stones). The male stones were drawing down SUN energy and transforming it into the male energy lines that I had dowsed between and around the stones. The female stones were drawing down MOON energy as well as drawing up female earth energy, transforming them into the female energy that I dowsed flowing more vigorously along the aligned rows of stones.

That was all that I dared to do at first because there was a constant stream of visitors walking up and down the path that we were on, and I felt guilty about breaking the rules. I didn’t want to be escorted away from the site at this early stage, so I bided my time until I could find a place that was a little quieter. Next time I will book a guided tour, although I’m not convinced the tour guide would appreciate having to stop every few minutes for me to dowse around! Having got to the end of the first field of stones I was eager to see what the next set looked like.

The sun was alternately popping out and back in again behind clouds, which threatened rain, but we walked across the main road towards the next part of the Carnac site – Kermario. As we crossed a stranded field of stones made me wonder how much the roads and the traffic were affecting the power of the sites, but it was too dangerous to dowse whilst dodging the cars!

Gwas.

Following rows upon rows of stones

IMBOLC

This year I have decided to see what impact each of the pagan festival dates – the eight points in the solar year – have upon the earth energies we have been investigating. My aim is to try to coincide with the times when the earth energies are at the peak of their powers, when the sun and moon are at their strongest. My aim is to see what difference that makes to the strength of the dowsing and druidry experience at some specific sacred sites whose qualities match those of the festival that marks them. I will attempt to repeat experiments at later (not astrologically significant) dates to obtain a comparison (although there are many factors involved). Just what can I expect to happen if I’m paying the right kind of attention at the right time? I aim to find out!

I’m not going to pretend I know what the old Celtic festivals were all about. I have been reading Paul Broadhurst’s “The Green Man and The DragonDragons are spirit or energetic beings that reside in sacred sites and have a particular location in them and also move throughout the day (and or season). They also leave the sacred site on occasion, which again differentiates them from Genius Loci which don’t.“ book, so I have a good background on the myths of some of those dates, and the ways that they have been celebrated and venerated going back to the start of recorded history and beyond. However, our aim is to discover for ourselves whether the festivals have these mythical qualities for a reason, and specifically by reason of the qualities of the earth and celestial energies at those particular points in the cycle of sun and moon over the year.

So, here are some quotes from other people concerning the background to the Imbolc Festival.

Wikipedia:

“Imbolc is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar, celebrated among Gaelic peoples and some other Celtic cultures either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. Most commonly it is celebrated on February 2, since this is the cross-quarter day on the solar calendar, halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere. Originally dedicated to the goddess Brigid, in the Christian period it was adopted as St Brigid’s Day. In Scotland the festival is also known as Là Fhèill Brìghde, in Ireland as Lá Fhéile Bríde, and in Wales as Gwyl Ffraed.”

From Sig Lonegren’s Mid-Atlantic Geomancy site:

If the Quarter Days start a season on the cycle (Winter Solstice starts winter, Spring Equinox starts spring, etc.), the Cross Quarter Days mark the high point of each season. For example, here in Vermont, the old-timers say that you should have half your hay and half your wood by Candlemas (Imbolc). We also have our coldest nights (40 to 45 degrees below zero) just before the first of February. High Winter.

Imbolc – This day is sacred to the Celtic fire-Goddess Brighde, “the Bright One” also known as Bridget, Brigid, and Bride. Other cognates are Brigantia and Britain. Bride was a Sun Goddess who presides over the hearth and smithy, over the inspiration and skill of sacred art and craft, and over the world of crops, livestock, and nature. In particular she is important to sheep who (on the British Isles) begin to lamb at this time of year. The starting of their lactation is a sign that Imbolc is near. Milk has always been important to Bridget. You can see her above the south western door of the tower on Glastonbury Tor. She is milking a cow.

Another “holiday” around the time of Imbolc is Groundhog’s Day. While perhaps it might not seem that way on the surface, there’s something very ancient about this one – especially because it has to do with the Sun and whether it shines or not, and whether the groundhog sees its shadow. In the context of sacred space, this is very interesting. There are shadow paths that have been found in Britain where, due to the gently downward curvature of the land, a single standing stone casts a shadow that is half a mine long! Shadows and light play an important role in any sacred space, and the lowly American groundhog has become the recipient of a much older, I suspect European, tradition. Another connection between Groundhog Day and Imbolc has to do with weather prediction aspect of this day in early February. The major role this simple herbivore plays is to give us the answer to a most important question in northern climes: “Will winter end soon or will it drag on?”

Properties associated with Imbolc

Wikipedia:

“Imbolc is traditionally a time of weather prognostication, and the old tradition of watching to see if serpents or badgers came from their winter dens is perhaps a precursor to the North American Groundhog Day. A Scottish Gaelic proverb about the day is:

‘Thig an nathair as an toll
La donn Bride,
Ged robh tri traighean dh’ an t-sneachd
Air leachd an lair.’

‘The serpent will come from the hole
On the brown Day of Bride,
Though there should be three feet of snow
On the flat surface of the ground.’

Fire and purification are an important aspect of this festival. Brigid (also known as Brighid, Bríde, Brigit, Brìd) is the goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft. As both goddess and saint she is also associated with holy wells, sacred flames, and healing. The lighting of candles and fires represents the return of warmth and the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months.”

There are several factors that I am considering may affect the timing of these visits:-

1. The 11 days difference between the original calendar and that imposed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.
2. The nearest appearance of the full moon to these festival dates
3. Whether there is a coincidence of a full moon already on any of the festival days as it falls in 2009.
4. The site must be conducive to, and relate to, the traditions and supposed qualities of the time in question – e.g. a male deity worshipped at a site that is aligned with the sun will be best suited for solstice days.

My working theory is that because the energies of the earth respond to celestial proximity and strength that this will determine the best times to visit the sites. Here are the dates for 2009:-

(from Pagan Calendar site)

As the current Gregorian calendar is most closely aligned with the movements of the sun I will have to work to those, however if the nearest full moon is taken into account then the dates shift to a lunar 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. like this:-

So, which dates are correct? The first set, the second set, or mixtures of both? I honestly don’t know. We’re going to have to dowse on those days as we go through the year and see what happens. When does it feel right, and when are the energies particularly active?

How many times do the sun and moon align this year? First Quarter moon on 1st May 2009. Balance at the Beltane festival. No moon showing for Summer Solstice. New moon next day.  Moon perigee and new moon day after 21st July (Lammas -11 days). 2nd November (the day after Samhain) is a full moon. It seems the modern calendrical dates for the cross-quarter days of Beltane and Samhain will have strong moon influences this year (balanced, then full).

Imbolc goddess

I would hope that the male energies would be more active on the days of solar worship such as Summer Solstice, or the Equinoxes. If we get sun in Britain on those dates then we have a chance to test this theory out by visiting some of the sites we went to over this Winter period, when the energies seemed distinctly quiet and weak, with no evidence of male energy activity at all. On active solar days we would expect to find the qualities associated with maleness – protection, transformation through initiation, and the manipulation of energy.

The festival dates when the moon is very present coincide with the lunar festivals of the cross-quarter days (Beltane and Samhain) this year. That’s lucky for us and we can report on the status of the female earth energies at sites on those dates. We expect that the traditionally female aspects will be in evidence on those dates, that is fertility powers, sanctuary and healing.

We hope to be able to answer whether the times of year of the festivals correlate to a particular quality of the powers of the moon or sun at that time. The White Virgin (the first stage of the goddess) is linked to Spring. Are fertility powers stronger at Beltane and Spring Equinox? May Day was always seen as a fertility festival. Imbolc is associated with Brigid and healing. Are the healing energy frequencies strongest at this time?

It’s perhaps a foolhardy quest to try to answer this in one year of dowsing and druidry work. Nevertheless, we like challenges, so we will report back soon after Imbolc with a report of where we went and what we found there. Is the forecast for snow? Ha!

Gwas Myrddyn

Following the sun and moon.