The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘chi’

Every once in a while I am stopped in my tracks when I read a passage from a book whose description of the subtle energies is so closely in accordance with my own experience. In Chapter 3 of Serge Kahili King’s book, simply entitled “Earth Energies”, I have found just such a correspondence. Describing Baron von Reichenbach’s experiments with magnets and so-called “sensitives” (people who are particularly sensitive to energy) King makes this statement:-

“A fascinating discovery in relation to the magnet was what Reichenbach called ‘the rainbow of od“. A great number of sensitives during thousands of experiments reported a spectrum of colours appearing within the blue or yellow-tinted flames of the poles of the magnets. When not disturbed by breath or motion, these colours arranged themselves in a orderly rainbow sequence, with red at the bottom and dark blue and violet-red at the top. The top colour ‘died gradually away into a smoke-like vapour.’ The whole spectrum of colour was intermingled with sparkling points of light.”

A rainbow of od, or Odic Force. Or perhaps the rainbow of Oz? The Baron used the term ‘od’ to denote the ethericSomething tangible to the heightened senses, but invisible and beyond the normal range of everyday human senses. We use the term to describe the subtle energies that surround the human body. We also use the term “etheric” to describe the energy forms of Nature’s sentient spirit energies that can be detected through dowsing, or through deep meditation or states of heightened awareness. field that seemed closely related to Mesmer’s concept of ‘animal magnetism‘, which was later termed ‘vril‘. Other names for it are ch’i, ki, and prana. It is the life force of Nature in druidic terms. It is the subtle energyA form of energy that has so far eluded scientific definition. It is neither electric, magenetic, nor electro-magnetic, so far as our current technical equipment can measure. It does, however, exhibit many of the characteristics of magnetism and electricity in terms of its effects and properties. It may be a form of either or both of those energies that we have not yet identified. field whose flow dowsers tune into. It may be the ‘dark matter‘ that scientists have recently ‘discovered’ and theorised about.

From my perspective I am just pleased this this is yet another source whose descriptions of the qualities of this force mirror my own, non-scientific, experiences.What struck home with me were two things: the sparkling points of light and the rainbow colours. In this blog series both Kal and I have mentioned finding and testing the rainbow colours many times. One of our most recent sessions working with them was at a small ring cairn near Castle Dyserth in North Wales, where I dowsed the rainbow pattern created by Kal standing on a pre-dominantly male 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 ‘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.:

“I dowsed for the edge of Kal’s aura, his nemeton as I approached again. I found it about 12-15 feet away from the small ring cairn’s centre. I followed it around both sides and behind Kal. Behind him the nemeton was very thin, only several inches wide, but at each side and out in front it expanded into an large ellipse shape, like a pair of butterfly wings. The clouds were quickly disappearing now as the sun burned through.

I dowsed for Kal’s rainbow chakra colour field to see if it was any different from his aura. Indeed it was. His violet coloured boundary was a further ten feet beyond the edge of his aura. Again the bands decreased in width as I approached Kal. His red band was a mere inch from his body as he stood on that spot.”

The butterfly wing shaped aura was reminiscent of the field effects of a bar magnet, the very item Reichenbach was using in his experiments. As for the sparkling lights, remember my description of a visit to Cerrig Pryfaid stone circle, which is on the landward side of Tal-y-Fan, close to the Druid’s Circle formations of Penmaenmawr?

Here’s what I wrote about the energy around that site:

“As I stood there I slowed down my thought processes. I concentrated on the silence. I began to hum and softly speak a few “Awens” to relax myself – a form of druid meditation. I don’t usually make any sound, but the sound seemed to suit the silence of the hillside and the circle seemed to bounce the hum back at me even though the stones were only a few feet high. As my mind stopped being demanding for stimuli I quietened to let the silence engulf me totally. Nothing was making a sound. No sheep. No car. No bird. It was utterly silent. All I could hear was my own slow breathing. My eyes narrowed slightly and I stopped focusing them on anything in particular outside of the stone circle. In that state I was able to see sparks of white horizontal flecks that fizzled and flashed like a TV screen without a channel tuned in.”

This is all very intruiging. Kal and I have come to discover most of the information we have gathered through intuitive responses and off-the-cuff experimentation. Often the results have been above and beyond expectation, and often they have been contrary to any ideas we may have been harbouring. Yet here, in this book as with others I have read recently, I am finding a large degree of correlation in the descriptions of their work with the subtle energy fields.

I feel as though the theoretical side is finally catching up with the wealth of experiential evidence that we accumulated in 2008. This year is shaping up nicely for a mind-blowing collaboration between the two!

Gwas

Following in the footsteps

If you remember, I had got to the end of a good day’s dowsing with Kal and was parked ready to walk to another site when I realised that I had forgotten my staff. I slightly panicked, but quickly quelled it. Oh la merde. Where had I left it? A quick flick through recent stopping points…at the caves above Dyserth Waterfall. I had put it into one of the adjoining cave mouths and I remembered thinking, “Don’t leave that here or someone will take it for definite.” I wouldn’t do that. I wanted fizzy pop and ginger beer, and the sun was shining. What could possibly go wrong? It doesn’t matter how many horror films you watch, the human mind has an incredible happiness-overrides-sense-of-impending-doom capability.

We could go back for it after we had finished looking for the Golden Grove. Right. What to do in the meantime so that I didn’t have it dominate my thoughts and block any dowsing potential? I would try to connect to the staff and protect it somehow. I had no idea how, but I went with whatever would come to mind. I relaxed and prepared my mind for a moment to have a think. As my brain waves altered I unfocused my eyes and imagined the staff. I could picture it clearly where I had left it. It was like looking at a cartoon of it, a photo-realistic cartoon, like the imagery in the film “A Scanner Darkly“, if you’ve seen that. I saw it bathed in a light blue glow from top to bottom, a Ready-Brek glow. The fact that I could see it so clearly, and that it was ‘alive’ with energy made me feel confident about the next bit.

Staff Leaving Place

I focused my attention on the staff, saying to it that if anyone picked it up they would find that it made their head spin, and that this feeling would make them feel a bit sick, like taking a corner too fast in a car. They wouldn’t be able to hold their attention and would feel compelled to drop the stick to stop the feeling. I could feel that feeling, and although it was a bit nauseating it wasn’t too unpleasant – just unpleasant enough. It felt alright to do this, if slightly awkward about the need to do it. I hoped no-one had found it since we had left a half-hour ago.

An hour later Kal dropped me off in a narrow steep and muddy lane as I attempted to find a quick route back to the top of the waterfall. I found a path across the fields on the top of the waterfall and made my way down its steep clay slope until I found the caves again from above. I rushed straight to the lunchtime spot …. no staff. It had gone. What now? I stopped to calm down. “It was just a stick. You can go get another one.” I wasn’t prepared to let it go that easily. I walked around by the river to the other cave entrance for a look. Around the corner, there it was, lying with other much smaller sticks, looking intact. I stopped before it and laughed.

Staff Finding Place

I didn’t know what to say so I didn’t say anything. After all, this is all nonsense and coincidence. You make of it what you will at the time. I picked up my staff and almost pole-vaulted myself back to Kal’s car in a proud and happy moment that rescued the day for me. Something had returned my staff to me. Our adventure continues.

Theory: Over the next few days I considered how this kind of thing came about. What I resolved was that an opportunity arose in the form of an event in time that revealed a potential for me to effect change. Once I had decided, or believed, that I could generate a protective thought-form around the staff, once I had that intention that grew out of concern, then the visualisation of that event emerged in my mind. Powered by a measured flow of loving vibes this protection seems to have been enacted upon the staff such that it did indeed have a shield around it, and this may have caused the person who took it to drop it rather shortly afterwards, leaving the staff in plain sight next to the river. Whether that did indeed happen is sort of irrelevant, because the outcome was the desired effect.

Apparently our brains are programmed to quickly establish cause and effect relationships, although whether they were always so is another matter. This is not the first time I have noticed that acts of natural magickThis is a system of belief that is often defined as being the appropriation and re-use of naturally occurring forces for the purposes of healing, transformation, communication, or a host of other subtle effects. The natural elements of the magick can also be seen by the under-pinning concept that the use of these forces should be co-operative rather than coercive. work most effectively providing the conditions are right. Such conditions as I have uncovered I will list:-

• Intention must be honest, if only to yourself
• The desired effect cannot be commanded, it must be negotiated, or asked for respectfully
• To contrive a circumstance in order to display an effect will guarantee failure, if not abject humiliation
• Your abilities are limited by your desire to learn, and the depth to which you can form a trusting relationship with Nature
• A degree of humility is required to execute natural magick, and smugness at a positive outcome will garner no respect.
• Conviction and sincerity make the relationship stronger, and the outcome more defined. Leave your intention fuzzy and a fuzzy event will occur which only partially fulfills the intended result.
• Results come when they should be delivered, not when you want them to be. Again, tied to the concept that the forces of Natural Magick will not be ordered around. They may co-operate under the right circumstances, but take offense at being expected to deliver.

These are part of The Rules as I have uncovered them so far. I’m sure there are many more, like in any complex system. Yet so far the outcomes I have seen and experienced from using these principles has more than enhanced my life – they have changed my worldview, and made me much more interested in the wonders of our world. Perhaps they may do the same for you.

Update: I went walking this week along the Sandstone Trail. A robin greeted me from a position two feet away as I began the walk and I stopped to listen attentively, although I didn’t understand what he wanted to communicate. Nevertheless I made it known that I was delighted by the encounter, and walked on after he flew off. An hour or so later ,as the circular walk wound back around Bickerton Hill, I turned a corner to find three pieces of a fallen beech tree branch. One piece was a useful 5′ tall, straight and in good condition. I took hold of it and it felt sturdy and supportive. As I walked it moved easily and swung truly. It would appear that I have found a spare staff! Even in Winter, Nature provides.

Gwas

Retracing my footsteps

Delamere Forest, Cheshire:  Sunday 18th January 2009

Let me set the scene: a cool but calm Winter’s day, two fools with copper rods and petrol station sarnies in backpacks wander purposefully and expectantly towards a specific place. All around the sometimes leafless trees flick from deciduous to evergreen and back again as they pass hesitant hordes of fresh air fans who are cycling, jogging or walking without so much as an upward glance at the majesty around them. Occasionally one or other of the fools stops to remark upon a tree’s shape, its size, its qualities. Children hooked to parents are pulled by at a mildly-exhilarating pace, pedalling reluctantly.

Such was the scene as we headed deep into Delamere Forest last weekend. I guided Kal towards a place in the forest where I knew two trees that grew side by side – a tall elegant pine next to a sturdy and established beech that leant over the main path. As we arrived Kal walked between the two and spent a moment feeding his energies. I smiled because I had been there before and knew why he had chosen that spot. Like Don Juan Matus in Carlos Castaneda‘s books, Kal had instinctively located the most energetic place where the energy of the two trees melded and swirled in a little 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 ‘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. of a female vortex of life force. He seemed reluctant to be drawn away from it, but we had work to do.

This part of the forest, although on a main path, was unusually quiet and calm. Only occasionally would we be disturbed by bemused and slightly anxious families, or the rare smile of someone who was either amused at our activity or knew what we were doing. We were dowsing again. The first ‘proper’ dowsing field trip of the new year. And this year we had guaranteed ourselves was going to be one hell of an active twelve months! ‘Proper’ because we had been dowsing in our houses, creating and relaying our manifestations to each other, and then the day before we had been on an only partly successful trip out to North Wales. Details to follow on that one. That’s going to make interesting reading, is all I can say about that now,  if only for the things it didn’t show us, as much as for its revelations. Kal, of course, blames The Trickster – his anthropomorphic embodiment of a prankster spirit that is wholly accountable for our occasional failures. Frankly, though disappointing at the time, our failures are often as revealing as our findings.

Today, in the depths of the forest, and with renewed vigour and intent, I felt something was going to kick start our dowsing year, and so it proved to be. As we dowsed we only had the remnants of the previous day’s torn-up question sheet to remind us where we were headed with our work. As we were surrounded by trees, and I was still intent on finding out what effects the time of year was having on the natural energies, we started asking questions about energy paths, tree nemetons (or auras) and our typical topic – colour bands.

Here are some of the things we found that afternoon:

Tree and Earth Energies

• The trees emitted female earth-sourced energies, which described circles that spiralled into a hollow or gap in the bark of the trunks of the two big trees, and which flowed in a clockwise direction.
• The beech tree spiralled five times, whilst the pine only three.
• Both trees had nemetons that extended as far as their respective canopies stretched, and which were shaped in the same manner, i.e. the nemeton of the beech tree was not circular, but ovoid, elongated outwards across the path in line with the branches that extended over the path too.
• The trees had a narrow 12-18 inch band of neutral energy pooled around their trunks, which dowsed as being static (i.e. having no flow).
• The source of the energy spirals was defined as the earth’s own energy. The neutral pool came from the tree’s own energy systems.
• The aura of the tree emerged from a point at the height of the green heart chakra level.

Rainbow Colours

• The extent of the rainbow colour bands was greater than the radius of the trees’ nemetons. The rainbow colours extended some 20 feet or more, whilst the nemeton only reached 9-10 feet. Curiously, a decaying wooden signpost marked the nemeton’s reach for the beech tree.
• The rainbow colours were the same radius as the roots of the trees. When we dowsed for the edge of the root system it reached the exact same marker we had been using to mark the edge of the violet colour band.
• The source of the rainbow colour band energies was dowsed to be water. This gave us a real “D’oh!” moment when we suddenly put roots, water, nourishment, and energy conversion together and came up with the bleeding obvious again!
• The colours were in the same rainbow prescribed order of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.
• The bands were wider in turn as they moved from red to violet. The red band was only 6 inches wide, but the violet band was 5-6 feet wide.

Ch’i  Energy

• The stars give off chi – er – isn’t that obvious now that we have discovered it!!
• Chi energy is given out by each of the radiant energy sources of  star, sun and moon. It enriches the tree’s energy system.
• The amount of chi energy radiating from the stars, sun and moon is dependent on, or related to, the times of the year – which in turn may be related to astrological events. This year’s calendar dowsing should help us to confirm or confuse ourselves again!
• Both auric barrier and colour barrier could be energetically pushed.

Yes, pushed. I have been returning to my martial arts studies, but this time from the internal energies angle. Consequently, I wanted to see if I could feel the chi energies, so we tried a little experiment. I stood with my back to Kal and concentrated on my own nemeton. Kal then walked towards me dowsing for its edge. When he found it he pushed it with his hands. When he did that I involuntarily swayed forwards, feeling like a had been gently pushed in the back! I put my hand up to indicate that I had felt it and swivelled to find Kal crouched with his hand in position and looking slightly startled. He had seen me sway as he pushed.

We tried again, this time using my colour-band field. I concentrated on firming the outer edge of the violet band of my energy field. After a few seconds I felt the gentlest of pushes and put my hand up. Again, Kal confirmed the dowsable range he had marked, and was holding his hand at that exact point, transfixed in position. Stunned, almost.

Curiosities and confirmations

• The power centre between the trees – was it the interference patterns caused by two energy systems so close together, or the crossing of underground water. Could it have been the energy from the water in the root systems?
• The energies seemed very weak compared to stone circle dowsing – was this because of time of year (season, moon phase, time of day), or are they inherently so?
• All dowsing was confirmed by both dowsers. We checked and re-checked each others findings as we went along, and for some of the energy paths we got the same shapes but slightly differing positions for the energy lines (by a few inches only).

Followers of Kal’s up-and-down relationship with trees may wish to hear that Kal spent a nice afternoon in the presence of these most kindly beech and pine trees. I had been lead there the previous summer whilst arrogantly commanding the rods to show me the most energetic and powerful tree in the forest. Well, it had worked at Alderley Edge, so I thought I was on to something. Little did I understand The Rules back then. Now I am much more humble in my approach!

I knew this beech tree to be easy to work with, and honest in its responses. Sounds mad, but if you get into this dowsing stuff, you may find yourself being lead astray on more than one occasion, and it pays to learn a little respect and humility early on if you don’t want to end up panting, covered in sweat, and lost in the dark heart of a forest whilst you try to extricate yourself from a fool’s errand.  “When she was good, she was very very good, and when she was bad, she was wicked.” Isn’t that how the rhyme goes? So true.

Gwas, with helpful notes from Sideshow Bob (Kal)

Following the lesser known path through the forest.

Kal has fairly comprehensively listed the possible types of energy that we could be dealing with at stone circles and other sites. I wanted to just go through each point and see how I felt about each of the possibilities. Perhaps something will come out as a strong contender, whereas other may be rejected. Let’s see how this pans out!

1. 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. Lines

Having seen some pictures from Japan of the alignments of buildings and gardens that follow the principles of being placed upon Dragon Lines I can relate those formations to the energies we are calling ‘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’.

Such lines are straight. They form geometrical shapes of a relatively large size. They cross terrain to form alignments with other sites. They are affected by the large scale geography of the areas they travel through, but ignore the smaller elements.

The lines extend in a criss-crossing network of straight lines that form energy grids with no discernible pattern, other than that they run through areas of geological upheaval and fault lines. In the most geologically active regions the lines form many crossing points, seeming to particularly prevalent in rock types with large crystalline structures like granite.

VERDICT: I think that Dragon Lines are neutral alignment leys and we dowse these all the time.
I don’t think these energies are the same as the Hartmann or Curry grids, which have a very regular rectangular or square formation.

2. Chakra Energies

I’m not altogether sure that the energy generated by the human body is the same energy as flows through the earth. If it is it means we’d all assuredly feel more connected to the earth than we do most of the time! A compatible energy, for sure. When we visit a sacred site we have the opportunity to set the frequency of our body energy to that of the site, and thereby form a connection with it.

We are also connecting with something else too, I feel, not just the energy formations of a stone circle. I always feel I am connecting with Nature too. Nature herself (i use gender here to denote her primary directive of being a nurturing force) is involved to make the connection.

The state of mind required to make such a connection is very similar to the state of mind I experience when I was meditating with a Chinese lady who was trying to guide M and I through a relaxing session. By the end of her ‘emptying the mind’ and visualisation routine I was flooded with purple. She recognised this as the third eye chakra colour. At that moment I also felt extremely balanced.

I feel that dowsing is the same frame of mind – a balancing of the left and right hemispheres with external direction, or inspiration I would rather say. It’s more of a suggestion than a directive. An idea that you can disguise as your own but which you know did not come from you.

The rainbow colours we dowse at sites, and which are distanced and arranged according to how we are at the time, may correspond to the various chakra points on the human body, and be the interface points for connecting to a site’s energies. We should watch for which points in our bodies respond when we walk over the various bands of coloured energy. Is there a correlation and therefore a response of any kind?

VERDICT: I therefore see that chakra energy is a mapping of the crossing points of the body’s energy paths, and in a state of balance the practitioner is able to generate and mobilise their own internal energies. Additionally various parts of the body that correspond to chakra points may connect with various wavelengths in the spectrum of coloured energies that form the site’s nemeton.

3. Auric Energies

I think what Kal is describing here is the outer edge of a band of energy that forms a kind of protective sphere around a site (including rocks, trees or any other energy source). I refer to this as the nemeton of the object (more can be found about nemetons in other posts. (See ‘Glossolalia: The nemeton described‘).

I think that the auric edge is the edge of the ‘influence’ or boundary of the energetic extent of the object, whether it be a site, a tree or a rock. The aura flows in a particular direction. The bands of coloured energy within it also flow in particular directions, some contrary to each other. We have worked with re-directing the outer edge of the nemeton, but have never been directed to look at the inner coloured bands yet.

VERDICT: I feel that the nemeton is an enclosing spherical force that is composed of bands of coloured energy (light?) that denote the energy’s frequency of vibration. The size, strength and direction of the bands seem related to the relative health of the energies at the site, but we haven’t got any way to assess this yet.

4. Prana, Ki and other variants

This is the same as Chi and Chakra energy described earlier.

5. Reiki

When I went through a Reiki session I was a complete skeptic. Nevertheless the session relaxed me, and again I experienced the purple flush of light in my mind during the session. I therefore connect Reiki with the same state of consciousness as the deep meditation states. Instead of visualising the energies for yourself, however, you are allowing someone else to obtain, channel, and direct the energies from either within themselves, or some external source.

I find this practise to be very similar to the natural magickThis is a system of belief that is often defined as being the appropriation and re-use of naturally occurring forces for the purposes of healing, transformation, communication, or a host of other subtle effects. The natural elements of the magick can also be seen by the under-pinning concept that the use of these forces should be co-operative rather than coercive. that I have been trying to get to grips with. The too is a connection then a drawing of energies from other sources as well as yourself in order to direct them elsewhere through intention and/or visualisation.

VERDICT: Reiki offers a form of altered consciousness for the practitioner that puts them in connection with the same forces a druids connect to, i.e. Nature itself. From that state they can direct, energise or dissipate energies according to the requirement of the treatment. This energy is therefore Natural energy being transmuted into body energy via chakra points. By transmuted I mean slowed down or speeded up to the right frequency to connect with the correct chakra point. Again, a form of attunement of mind and body in order to work with the energies.

6. Reflexology

When I knew nothing at all about healing , energy work or druidry, I had an innate knowledge from I know not where of how to do reflexology. I could just tune into my subject (usually a girlfriend, you’d be amazed how far this can get you!) and sense in their feet where a hot spot or tender area was. I could then “see” up that pathway, through the body, to find where the destination of that pain or tension was. It was then a simple matter to massage that pain away.

I used to play a little game with myself. I’d see if I could guess where the subject would describe the pain and then see how close I was with my guess. I soon gave this game up as I got it every time. I can’t tell you the number of freaky responses I got from people I did this on, usually phrases like, “But how did you know that my left shoulder was aching?”, or “I can feel the tension flooding out of my neck when you rub my toe there.”. I would have taken it further as a study but frankly it made my hands ache rubbing feet for half an hour or so. They just didn’t want it to stop!

I never asked how it worked. I never wanted to know how I knew. Now I do.

VERDICT: I think Reflexologists are simply tuning into the energy paths of the bodies they are working on. These are the same energies described in the section about Chakras above, even if the paths through which the energies travel may map differently between such skills as reflexology, reiki, massage, yoga, acupressure or acupuncture. Differences between mapping energies in such disciplines is cultural and conventional.

7. Homeopathy

The question homeopathy raises about energy is: does water have the capability to store and transmit energy? From the experiments done by Professor Emoto in Japan on the ability of water to react to language and intent it would seem that it does have a storage capacity, or at least transforms its structure to reflect the energy transmitted to it.

We also hear from seasoned dowsers that water is the energy carrier for sacred sites, although we can find no evidence that water courses follow earth energy paths. The shapes of paths are too regular and geometric for them to be simply a reflection of or emission from water courses.

VERDICT: Essenses may incorporate a form of holographic imprint of energy directed at it (whether intentionally or not). As a holographic imprint the amount of “source” material need only be a minute amount in order to transmit the energy pattern of the “host” of the essence.

8. Crystal energies

Like Kal I think there’s a lot to be said for crystals. I placed some quartz crystals on top of the major electrical devices in my house and dowsed a before and after picture of the energy at those places. Before the crystals were placed on them the televisions and a microwave oven dowsed very strongly for an unhealthy energy form. After the crystals were placed on the equipment the reaction to the question of unhealthy energies either diminished drastically or completely.

When Kal placed some crystals atop the stones at Nine Ladies in Derbyshire we got a very strong dowsing reaction around Kal as he sat in the circle. With their help he felt energised to perform some visualisation and healing work – his own flavour of natural magick.

VERDICT: Crystals can focus energies to a point. I also feel that they somehow coalesce the energies of a site to be harnessed for use by the practitioner. It also seems important what kind of stones are used to form stone circles and other sacred sites. The more crystalline, and the larger the crystals, the more powerful is the focusing and empowering effect.

I therefore feel that crystals act as a form of lens through which energies can be harnessed and focused.

9. Earth Electromagnetic Field (EMF)

The EMF, or GMF (Geomagnetic Field) fluctuates in strength. The nemetons (or auric extent) of stone circles fluctuates in synchrony with it. I don’t know enough science to continue with any further comparison of these two energies. I also have no way of measuring the EMF – I simply accept what I’m told about it with an air of dissociated interest. I may never know much about it. So here’s a link to a study of them and if anyone understands it – good for you. Perhaps you could tell me how it fits in. The study at least recognises that variations occur depending upon the time of day.

VERDICT:Fluctuation according to time of day is as close as I get to correlating these two forces.

10. Emotional energies

When working with energies at sacred sites one of the ‘keys’ to allowing this energy to operate has been demonstrated to myself and Kal on many occasions to be the emotions of love and gratitude. Love is the force that, through its generation in the human body and mind, can be unleashed in order to provide the impetus for action or change to occur.

This is, of course, impossible to prove. So, I invite you to try it for yourself. You will find that emotional energies of a specific type have particular effects. Without that emotional involvement you are merely sitting in an arrangement of stones.

Once the work is complete, and before you awaken, we have found it profitable (i.e. no negative side effects occur, like you start being clumsy, or unfortunate things befall you) if you break the connection with an emotion of gratitude for the experience. Call it politeness. Call it irrelevant. I call it the fostering of good relations. This is, after all, a relationship with Nature itself, and the most worthy attainments deserve a nod of appreciation.

I am unsure as to the purpose, but like a child I don’t need to understand the warning to heed the advice. Love and gratitude seem to be the entry requirements and the exit strategy for energy work in stone circles or anywhere else.

VERDICT: The energies of the emotions of love and gratitude are allowing some form of transition to an attuned mental state wherein it becomes possible to visualise and direct energies.

11. Esotoric energies

I think the phrase “esoteric” doesn’t capture the undoubted intelligence innate in these presences. Tribal shamans consider these ‘spirits’ to be ancestors – a term that perhaps does not translate well. Yet the word ‘ancestor’ certainly hints at something beyond our capacity to ordinarily interact with it, possibly because it’s in a different frequency outside our normal range, and something once human, but now possibly only retaining soul or mind without a physical body.

Terence McKenna’s tales of encounters with mushroom intelligence, Carlos Casteneda’s many books about his contact with magical ‘allies’ that are often the genius lociGenius Loci means 'spirit of the place' and refers to the geological/gaian spirit of place. It is transfixed to a place – being an embodiment of the collective intelligence of the place. contained within entheogenic plants, Gordon Wasson’s reportage of shamanic encounters, Mercia Eliade’s work with tribal shamans the world over who, though isolated from each other, report similar experiences in the other dimensions. To coin McKenna these are true hallucinations involving man and nature spirit.

VERDICT: Esoteric techniques to alter states of consciousness demonstrate that other worlds can be glimpsed for short periods of time. In those other worlds or dimensions there are intelligent entities. Some travellers manage to return back through the gateway with immense creative hordes, and tantalising theories and knowledge that they were simply not able to conjure otherwise.

12. Dark matter

Not a topic I would choose to end on. I don’t understand dark matter, and I don’t think it is understandable. In the same way as quantum mechanical theory keeps uncovering ever smaller levels of sub-atomic energy, I think that space is also fractally extensive.

Whilst we spend trillions attempting to extend our vision ever smaller and larger through the sub-atomic to cosmic realms we are taking our collective eye of the ball – the ball of earth upon which we are stood. The dark matter that is said to inhabit “space” also inhabits inner space. It inhabits all spaces. It must. It cannot be a property of one level of a fractal but not the other. Only the shape of a fractal changes – not it’s composition or properties.

VERDICT: Dark matter is all pervasive. It is inevitable that it is a constituent part of the energies we seek to work with, but I don’t see that it is dark matter alone that is being evoked, transmuted or dissipated. I also think that it is not energy itself that is changed, only its form.

So there you have it. Some random musings covering my current thoughts on energy in many of its classified forms. Given that most human classification systems are temporary at best, I suspect there is room for re-classification and revolution in the field of matter (no pun intended).

Gwas

Follow a true path.

I used to describe myself as an Energy worker but then the realisation came that we are all workers of energy, whether we know it or not – and so the term went into retirement.

This blog is all about the energies that are found at stone circles – although we have digressed slightly into energies at graves and in woods and tree energies. I do come to wonder though if these energies are related to or are the same as other forms of energy.

So, here are some of the known forms of energy we could be dealing with:-

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. lines – these are the energies that surround the world of Feng Shui and are not only present on a geographical perspective but also on a local – in your home – perspective too. I would argue that the energy lines we dowse herein are the same as Dragon Lines. One particular instance comes to mind when Gwas dowsed the energies coming from the Nine Ladies circle down the side of a cliff/ravine. This is in line with what a Feng Shui geomancer would discover.

Chakra energies – closely related to – if not the same as Dragon Line energies – this energy or Chi in Chinese is the energy that flows through the body. Well more accurately chakras are vortices caused by the flow of Chi – but hey – same difference! Is this energy what we are dowsing too?

Auric energy - we have dowsed each others auras in terms of finding the boundaries – but whether the aura is formed by Chi or some other energy? Questions questions!

Prana, Ki and other variants – these I would lump in with Chi – Ki is the Japanese form and Prana indian.

Reiki - Are practitioners channelling the same energy we dowse? This is definitely an area that we could explore. Some stome circles respond to questions and practises related to healing.

Reflexology - contrary to some opinions is based on an energy form rather than some bio-chemical/nervous system type theory. Is this the same as the energy we dowse? By the way – reflex points don’t correspond to acupuncture pressure points and so Reflexology and Chi don’t map onto each other.

Homeopathy - is based on the energetic residue of stuff that is enhanced and captured by the energies of water? Scientifically loopy but…what’s the relationship with our energy?

Bach Flowers – again using the energetic properties of water to capture the energetic essence of plants and sunlight. Is this the energy that we are dowsing? Perhaps we can dowse some Bach flowers? An interesting area to experiment with. Tree essenses also fall into this category.

Crystal energies – We have played with the energies of crystals a little and my feeling is that here we have some really interesting and related work to the stuff we do at stone circles – stones are crystals are stones? Many stone circles employ specific types of geological rock that may have properties associated with their crystalline structure.

EMF - going into the scientific realm – a lot of dowsers suggest that what is being detected is some kind of electro-magnetic force or such a force created by faults or running water? Baloney? Or something in it? Hugh Newman’s “Little Wooden Book Of Earth Energy Lines” (and many others) explores this concept with some good illustrations of a geopmagnetic survey of Stonehenge.

Emotional energies – T.C.Lethbridge said that emotional energies can be left in places to be picked up later by dowsers – is the energy we are detecting left by ancient (wo)mans work?

Esotoric energies – here I include angels, entities and any other kind of self aware energy. Is this what we are playing with. Is it directing us? Or are we just detecting its presence.

Dark matter/energy – are we tapping into what scientist say most of the universe is made of i.e. dark matter/energy? Why not?

Others may come to mind and will be added as soon as I invent them

Kal