The Impossible Sun

All the way from Cheshire to Derbyshire was gloomy and damp. Rain was either pending or descending, and as we came over the Buxton road (A537) we hit the mist and the sheets of driving rain that I had anticipated all morning. We were bound to get wet on our travels this day, I thought. There was not one bright area in the whole sky, only dull slate-grey sheets of rain, drizzle, mist or combinations of the three. Of course, this weather report did not dampen Kal’s spirits. As I ribbed him about “inappropriate clothing” and a southern temperament he seemed to be developing, he reminded me that his confidence in his ability to call upon the Sun was born of his special relationship with the powers of Nature that he had developed since he had found his solar calling. I scoffed, despite having been shown to be wrong on previous occasions. This time there was simply NO WAY there could possibly be anything but rain for our stone circle visit. The rain continued to fall as we neared Bakewell, and continued still as we made our way up to Nine Stones Close. This time, there would not be any need for an apology – the roles would be reversed!

As we stepped out of the car the rain halted. Ah yes, I thought, but only to continue any moment! I got my wet weather gear on – waterproof trousers, coat, hat in my bag, boots. Even the sheep that we passed as we climbed besides Robin Hood’s Stride rocks seemed surprised to see anyone out on a day like this. We trudged through wet grass in the fields and made our way to the stones. As we approached I conceded to Kal that there was a tiny spot of lighter grey above us, but still maintained that this was nothing like a ray of sunshine. Could he deliver, I taunted? Seconds later the sun broke through an invisible gap in the clouds and shone right in my face…

Kal calls the Sun to Nine Stones Close

Kal nearly jumped twenty feet into the air shouting, “See! Unbeliever! Told you I could make the sun shine! You should listen to a Sun Boy!” I was shame-faced again. How had he done this? All around was leaden grey cloud, and right above us the tiniest sliver of an opening through which the sun shone on us. It was like some kind of West End spotlight that was highlighting Kal’s bizarre hop-skippety dancing as he jigged about in glee at his “win”. I promised yet again to post my shame in full view for all to see. Never ever again will I doubt his sun-calling talents. I think I said that last time, but this time I mean it. He’s never ever been beaten in four years! Even my impoverished brain can judge that this is statistically improbable.

Making friends with a healing ally

Now for the nitty-gritty, the meat and two veg of this story. With the clouds all around threatening rain there was no time to revel int he momentary sunshine. I had work to do. I got out my elemental crystal set and began to dowse as to where I should put the various crystals that I had associated with the four elements. There are five crystals in the set – the fifth element is representative of me, or my teaching guide. In this instance the fifth element was represented by a huge rose quartz crystal I had bought in France for the purpose of attracting a healing ally. You see – all things become linked on this quest, whether you realise it at the time or not!

The dowsing rods led me to one of the stones as the ideal place to put my first crystal. Then I was led to each of the other stones (not in any order) until I had one crystal left and one stone. Surely, this crystal would go at the base of this last stone in the circle? No. It would be placed at a spot in a gap representative of one of the missing stones! The final stone would be where I was asked to stand to enact the ritual – I would stand at the stone that was the only one with a series of cup-marks on it.

I say “ritual”, but it’s nothing like you’d see in a Catholic Church! My ritual involved simply being in the right place with the crystal around me, and then imagining the coming together of the four elements at a crossroads in my mind (as per RJ Stewart’s pivotal visualisation for working with the faery realm). I called upon the presence of my current guides (Stewart recommends a spirit guide and an animal totem). Then I requested that any spirit entity who was sympathetic to my wishes to work with a healing ally should come to me via the power of this rose quartz crystal whose energy they could use to make contact with me initially. That was the extent of my ritual – now I would just wait to see what happened….

The special working stone at Nine Stones Close

…about half a minute later I felt something “thud” into the crystal. It was the most odd feeling – like a quiet thump! The crystal bobbed slightly in my hands and I felt that something had happened. I came out of my meditative state and stood up. I placed the crystal on the ground and dowsed it – had there been an change in the crystal’s energy? YES. Had I made contact with a healing ally? STRONG YES. This was exciting! That was all I needed to know for now.

Yet again the Nine Stones Close circle had been a perfect space for meeting allies. It is a perfect place to work as a threshold between worlds – a place where human and non-human can interact together.  Since then I have found out more about this ally – a name, how to call it, and how we can work together. I’m looking forward to an opportunity to begin working with it’s healing properties, particularly performing earth healing. The arrival of this ally has reconciled in me one thing: If I am to be a healer, then it is earth healing that I will mainly do. I feel this to be true, and now I must put this into practise in a major way, not in the minor haphazard way that I have done so far. It is time to begin a major project of earth healing.

Gwas.

The series of large megalithic structures concentrated in the Boyne Valley was the target of our first full day in Ireland. We were stationed nearby at Duleek, so getting to the Newgrange complex was a breeze, and we were properly fuelled by a hearty breakfast including locally-reared produce and home-made soda bread and jams.

We followed signs for Newgrange, knowing that this was the popular site and that it probably would lead us to the rest too. Sure enough as we aprked in the jazzy new car park at the Visitor Centre and walked down to the main door, we knew we were in for the full tourist treatment. Even knowing that didn’t prepare us for the officialdom that was to follow:-

• visitors are directed to state which combination of the sites they want to visit: Newgrange only, Knowth only, or both. Clearly, most went for both or just Newgrange
• a sticker was placed upon you in a visible location indicating your bus time, and then you were directed to the cash point to pay 5 Euros per site (actually, 6 for Knowth becuase it’s a tad further)
• you paid and then were informed about how to reach your first bus, which was a 200 yard walk through the centre, out the doors, across the Boyne, along a winding path, and then up to the circular bus pick-up point.

To say these guys had this regulated was an understatement! Although initially appalled by this we were actually quite grateful that this system, which only permitted a group of around thirty people at a time in a site, actually allowed everyone to enjoy the site’s features without bumping into people all the time. It made sense, even if it was far from what we were used to. It reminded us of visiting Stonehenge.

Rock Art as Energy Symbols

One of my objectives for visiting these popular megalithic sites was to get a comparison of the famous rock art shapes with those that we had discovered through our dowsing adventures over the last few years. Did any of them match? Would we be able to make a sensible guess at the forms and shapes, the symbols and swirls that our neolithich ancestors had taken so much time and trouble to inscribe into rock?

As we waited for our bus I took pictures of the rock art displyed in photographs and pictographs in the free exhibition in the Visitor Centre. On arriving at Knowth half an hour later (after listening to a few minutes of the guide’s useful commentary then making our excuses) I went around with my camera taking snapshots of all of the rock art on the base supports of the large mound. I wanted to compare our energy findings with the shapes represented in the stone. Here are some examples of the interesting symbols. In a subsequent post more of these symbols are explained, but for now, here are the ones we could identify immediately:-

Spiral of seven rings between two standing stones acting as portals

If one looks at the image above as a two-dimensional depiction of a three-dimensional energy field then things become a little easier to understand. The spiral is, of course, what we would call a “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.” – a point on the earth where the energies of the earth emerge and merge with the radiant solar and lunar energies. The most ‘sacred’ of these types is the 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. that merges the three ‘alignments’ or types of energy – male, female and neutral.

The two arcs on either side of the spiral are the neutral entrance and exit arcs that we have begun to discover at numerous sacred places, usually stone circles. These arcs form ‘spaces’ in the energy field through which poeple and spirit energies can pass without ‘interfering with’ or being affected by the overall energy field, because to pass through the energy field around a site is to interact with it. These neutral entrances and exits seems to be a bypass to that trip-wire effect, possibly to allow for the ‘safe passage’ of spirit energy through the site, unhindered by the site’s design and potential.

Seven levels of radial energy

It is entirely possible to read too much into the decorative swirls and shapes that adorn the rocks surrounding Knowth’s major mound, and yet one gets the sense that they are not purely decorative. After all – someone has gone to a lot of time and trouble to do this work, and even today we rarely decorate in stone just for the sake of it. Stonework usually has some kind of symbolic significance at least, even if only to express a wider design concept in keeping with our culture. So, it is with some hesitance that I point out the desing of seven concentric circles in the stone above, and mention that this might have a link to the seven chakras. Then, in the stone below, we see five circles. Five pathways for the incoming energies into the human body, according to C.W.Leadbeater in his book “The Chakras”. Again, perhaps the information is for me only to interpret in this way, but 7 and 5 are cropping up again at a site that is associated with human consciousness transformation processes.

I could go on to talk about many many of the symbols that we saw displayed in the exhibition in the Visitor Centre, all taken from parts of the Knowth site. Kal and I went through them all and had reasonable and rational correspondences with shapes we had dowsed, or energy formations that we had traced, for almost every shape on display. Some did seem purely decorative, but I wouldn’t say that we had a full vocabulary of all possible dowsable patterns yet either. On epattern in partucular, the zig-zag pattern, would reveal itself to us soon enough, as it happened.

An Insight Into the Transformation Process

Clearly the central mound at Knowth – the huge mound constructed of interlaced layers of rock and earth materials – was the major feature of the site. That much was obvious. However, it was not central to our investigations on either this first visit or `the next. Not to say that it wasn’t worthy of investigation, but we had so much more to look at first. There were smaller and more available mounds of different types, there were the remains of different shaped buildings, there were grave-like mounds, pits, grassy enclosures, a timber circle and much more! We can come back to the main mound at the end.

We began by looking at the smaller mounds – the satellite mounds that were seemingly randomly scattered around the main mound’s periphery. In fact they were not randomly sited – they were placed upon particular places where the earth energy was coming out of the ground most strongly. That was what determined their siting. Then their entrances were positioned so as to avoid the ingress of the sun where possible. That was the case for those mounds that were used as sensory-deprivation chambers, and whose energies were suitable for transformation of the human chakras, or whatever the neolithic people would have called these personal energy centres – these joining points with the Other dimensions, these energy centres involved in the raising of human awareness and consciosness, of opening the mind up to other dimensions.

One of the first things we found here was that no ley lines come into or cross Knowth. In fact, that was repeated at all of the Boyne Valley sites too. Why? Good question. We worked it out eventually. It was because the sites around the Knowth mound were used as transformation chambers, an initiation process into the higher spiritual consciousness brought about by sensory deprivation and communingAn interaction with an invisible and natural sentient force that is independently identifiable, even if it cannot be named or classified. The interaction takes place at the level of a subtle amalgamation of the mind of the perceiver such that a dialogue or transference of feelings may occur between the two sentient parties. The interaction that is ‘communing’ is purposefully initiated by the perceiver for the express purpose of learning or simply to transfer feelings in a sympathetic manner. with the spirits of ancestors whose ashes and bones may have been deposited in the mounds specifically for that purpose. The energy of ley lines somehow disturbs the Knowth setup – either because the neutral energy travelling in straight lines disrupts the energy work being done there, or because it would allow the energies to travel in a way that was not desirable, that did not assist the transformation process.

Although we didn’t actually dowse the big mound (I have no idea why – I think it was because we were time-pressured each visit with about 40 minutes to follow whatever train of thought we could) we did find out something about its relationship with the surrounding mounds. The big mound was constructed of interlaced layers of earth and rock materials (very much like Wilhelm Reich’s Orgone Accumulator concept). The mound, we decided, was used by the higher-ranking spiritual leaders, or those shamans who had been through all of the other initiations that the Boyne Valley sites offered. We will come to discuss the purpose of the other sites as we get to them.

We were intrigued by the idea that ley lines had been prevented from coming into the sites. How had this been done? The way the megalith builders guarded against the intrusion of ley lines was firstly to site the buildings in the crook of a fast-flowing river, but additionally they also treated the river with the placement of energised stones in order to form a magical barrier against the ley lineThe term used by many British dowsers to describe an energy leyA straight line of neutral energy linking two or more sacred sites or other energetic centres. This is often confused with Alfred Watkins’ concept of the Ley Line. Strictly speaking a ley line does not necessarily mean a neutral energy line, only a sight alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. between notable places, whereas an energy ley is like a radial spoke in a wheel, with energy flowing outwards across the land in a straight line. It has sometimes been found that the energy ley can be diverted from its strict straight path by changes in the landscape or strong attractors that pull it away from its original course. Energy leys may have inter-twining streams of male and female energies weaving along them, as though the energy ley is an attractor, a pathway or a conduit for the male and female energies.. It is easily confused with ley and therefore its use is not recommended by dowsers. energy.  We found later that houses close to the sites have very tall aerials to pick up TV reception! All mobile phones are practically useless in the area too (but that’s probably because they can’t site masts in the UNESCO world heritage area).

Each smaller mound has an area outside of it, often close to the entrance, that is a 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. for naturally-occurring subtle earth energy. The mix of this energy is male + female + neutral = the ideal combination, and hence we dubbed these areas White Power Centres due to the pleasant and empowering nature of that combination.

The Transformation Process

Intrigued by our initial findings we wanted more detail on exactly what these “initiates” had to go through. Did they just sit in the dark until they couldn’t stand it any more? How did it work? The process that the initiate went through was to be placed into the small mound for three days when the moon was full (one day either side the full moon). After three days he would emerge cleansed and stand on the white 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. and would have his energy field transformed within four minutes. The initiate may have fasted during that period to enhance the experience.

Our final finding related to this process was that the smaller mounds could be used whenever the moon was full, but the main mound was primarily used at the Equinoxes, presumably by some of the more enlightened drudes. Possibly it was for all of them enlightened ones at that specific date – a communal transformation, perhaps?

Finally, can we tie the patterns on the stones to the ritual process? Unfortunately we couldn’t find any specific link. We had discovered that the energy formations depicted on the stones showed energy forms that we were familiar with, and that the initiates who had been taken through the rituals at these sites had used the smaller mounds regularly and may have sought to attain entry into the main mound once they had succeeded.

Gwas.

This year has been the most fascinating year of my life. I have embraced areas of study that I has only ever fantasized about being involved with. I have learned things that I never believed in before, and have travelled further along my spiritual path than I thought I could. I am more aligned with my life purpose through the work I have done this year than I expected to be. I have visited places that I never thought I would see, and am more in touch with earth energies as a result of it.

In the following sections I answer some general questions that I posed to try to encapsulate this progress. Also included is Kal’s interpretation of those same questions – you will find these in the last post in the series. I hope that by the time you finish reading our summary of this year you will see just how far we have travelled in such a short time span. Some people we meet still pour scorn on our relative “youth” in these subjects. Of course they are right, we never know enough, but when you see how much information we are consolidating from so many sources, I think you will see that we are working hard to cover all aspects of 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. research, and our work is fast-paced, thorough, considered and wide-ranging. Compared to many of those we meet, who seem to have a part-time dalliance with these subjects, I’m sure you will agree our work is fast, deep and meaningful, and everything we learn we gain from direct practical experience.

In the light of the amount of information produced this year I have divided the summary of the year into NINE posts, which I will be releasing for the rest of this month up until Christmas. Between Christmas and New Year I hope to reveal the results of the work that we were supposed to have undertaken this year – to find out whether earth energies do respond to specific times of the year. I think we have our answer already, but I’m going to wait for the Yule Winter Solstice to cap that research off.

What have I learned this year?

I learned so much this year that I almost feel as though my life’s education has started again. When I wrote it all out I found that I had accumulated so much information that I have had to divide it up into separate posts. The topics I chose to organise them into are:-

1. 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.
2. Dowsing and Earth Energies
3. Tree, Spirit and Death Energies
4. Astrology and Astronomy
5. Ancient Sites
6. Miscellaneous
7. Highs, lows, surprises and disappointments
8. A list of all the sites we visited this year
9. A summary from Kal’s perspective

Please forgive the inevitable cross-over between these categories – I have tried to place the information into the category that was most pertinent, with the inevitable “other” or “miscellaneous” bucket to catch the overspill.

A big growth topic this year was that 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., as was the Tree,Spirit and Death Energies category. It seems that Kal and I have had many of our preconceptions overturned and have had to eat our words on many occasions as a result of some detailed dowsing work and an open mind in researching those areas. I will start off with 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..

Section 1: 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.

The following information can loosely be classified as “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.” – the use of nature’s own energy forces and human creative potential to produce new effects and visions. My definition, as you can see, is quite general – I don’t include the usual categories associated with Natural Magic, such as herbology, spell-making, and the like. I started out the year by defining the rules of working in this manner, and the additional information is supplementary to that, and only limited by those rules and the human creative potential, it would seem. The information is on no particular order, other than being grouped here.

1-1. Some rules 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.:

• Intention must be honest, if only to yourself, in order to succeed
• 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 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., 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 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. will not be ordered around.

First stated early February. I have not been able to contradict any of these as the year progressed.

1-2. The historical/mythical figure of Merlin is a significant totem figure for me. He is like a form of spirit guide, but not personally connected to me. I encountered his presence at the ancient site of Dinas Emrys, near to the mountain of Snowdon in Wales – a place traditionally associatesd with Merlin.

1-3. Totem animals: Kal has the crow, I have the dove/pigeon/eagle. Theysometimes indicate significant events, sights or show us direction, and can guide our intuitive responses when we go out to sacred sites.

1-4. A pilgrimage may seem like an old-fashioned concept, something that may only be a religious remainder. Our experience of inadvertantly making such a journey was something quite profound: a spiritual journey through the chakra points, each one awakening at the special places we visited, and each one progressively opening up channels to higher spirituality and connectedness.

1-5. This year saw the emergence of the double helix of energy in my meditations. I now began to connect using two threads – one male and one female. This seemed to echo my progress into the second stage of Druid development – the Yew Stage.

1-6. Following a path with a heart has opened up my life to influences that have enhanced my well-being and desire for life. A path with a heart may be defined as being acts or intentions, decisions or choices that one makes that are instinctively right, and not based upon the usual rational characteristics of what is sensible, beneficial, rewarding, or easy.

1-7. Some sacred sites promote the ability to perform magical acts, such as telepathy. I encountered this particularly at sites that were less “famous”, i.e. less visited, and yet which still maintained a strong energy. The covered alleyway at Créhen in Brittany, in particular, demonstrated to me how easy it was to transmit information to another person whilst there.

1-8. Seeds or fruits containing seeds seem to serve as perfect gifts or things to leave at sacred sites. I felt from the outset that something ought to be given in return for gaining skills, visions or information, but the usual trinkets (ribbons and the like) did not suit me. Instead I have found that, for me, a seed, an apple or a pine cone, or something similar always gets a positive response when dowsed as to whether it is a suitable or fitting gift to leave at a site.

1-9. Sigils, often dowsed as manifestations of a site’s energy signature, can be found and used as means to gain entry into an energetic relationship with a site.

1-10. Cup-marked standing stones within stone circles have been found to be maps which can unlock the power centres within the circle for energy work. This now needs to be tested at a greater number of sites, but for several already this has proved to be accurate.

1-11. Setting up protection before doing any energy work in a new place is essential to self preservation. I now have to thank the unusual small man whom I met in Alderley Edge a couple of years ago – you were right and I was wrong – thanks for your advice!

1-12. Overcoming fear in a forest or other natural space allows you to be as one with the place, and this opens up the range of possible experiences, as animals will not be frightened of you. I now want to discover how being fearful may change one’s energy field.

1-13. I was shown a vision of an ancient magician performing a ritual in which the circle’s energy was activated and he was in charge of the energy. The elements of his work are things I will now have to put into practise myself next year. I have learned that rituals have their place, but that their paraphenalia is not for me.

1-14. Sigils and crop circle formations ought to be meditated upon to act as keys to the entry into the Otherworld. This was the lesson of the Knighton Hill maize circle. I have yet to discover anything from these patterns, however, so can’t confirm this.

1-15. A dream seat can be found at major stone circles used for transformation – this promotes shamanic flying, or out of body experiences of the profoundest kind. The Llangernyw experience definitively proved this to me, as did the Castlerigg stone circle.

The most magickal experience of the year

Glastonbury at Summer Solstice when I felt integrally connected to the whole area’s energies and felt like I was in an increasingly mystical state of mind.

Gwas.

This was a difficult post to write. Here, for the first time, I got an insight into how a stone circle may have once been used. My issue then was, how much of this speculative information do I pass on? Given that Kaland I had detected energy working at the circle that we didn’t agree with…should I then go on to reveal this information, and potentially provide such people with what I feel is one of the keys that unlocks the power of Nine Stones Close? Do I have that right? With that in mind you will notice that I don’t go into detail about some things. If you’re really interested you’ll have your own methods of filling in the detail.

Stanton Moor and The Corkstone

This visit took place on a damp and cloudy April afternoon on Stanton Moor. If you go through the village of Stanton-in-the-Peak, take a left turn up the hill, past a quarry works and car park, then park at the edge of the woods at the top of the hill, you’ll find an information sign at the beginning of the walk across Stanton Moor.

To get to Nine Ladies stone circle from this point it’s pretty hard not to pass The Corkstone- a standing stone that now sports worn hoof-prints of the people who have climbed up it, assisted by the numerous iron spikes that have been driven into the rock face. Being one of the first things we noticed when we stopped at the stone Kal and I dowsed for the effect of these spikes – they impacted the energy field (or nemeton) making it smaller, was what we found.

We found that the Corkstone was connected to a nearby solitary tree that lived twenty or so feet away at the junction of paths. It had no connection with the Nine Ladies stone circle, however, which we thought was unusual. Had it been connected before? YES. Then why would it be disconnected now? As if in answer we heard a rumble that sounded like thunder followed by a crash and the sound of engines. The nearby quarry was still at work. I had read about quarries being a huge source of negative or harmful earth energies, so I dowsed as to whether this was the reason why the stone was de-coupled from its neighbouring site? YES. As some form of protection, we supposed?

Despite being isolated from Nine Ladies the input of the nearby tree’s energy The Corkstone had a flowing nemeton that circled the stone three times. This stone’s energy field registered as being composed of the tree’s female energies, plus its own male energy. Kal fell in love with the tree, so I urged that we walk on to Nine Ladies – he would be spending all day here otherwise, walking the tree’s spirals!

Nine Ladies and The Wishing Tree Re-visited

We crossed the moorland following only paths that had good strong energies. These energy flows started just outside the area of the Corkstone but seemed to circumvent a direct connection with it. We happily snaked our way across the moor walking fluidly and easily. Occasionally we would be distracted by a faerie ring and would dowse its contents – invariably finding small female spirals.

We arrived at Nine Ladies stone circle and deposited our bags under the Wishing Tree oak. All seemed quiet and calm. Nothing stirred and scarcely another person or dog wandered by. We wandered around ourselves, more contemplative than usual and not filled with the urge to dowse. I confirmed a few things such as: was the entrance in the same place? YES. Was there a ‘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.’ nemeton of male and female energies around it? YES. Did the Wishing Tree still link to the circle? YES. Was there still a link between two of the stones in the circle passing through one of the circle’s power centres? YES.

Kal and I chatted about how dull it felt. It was as though it was sleeping…We sat under the tree a while whilst Kal tried to befriend it. His recent interest in trees made me more hopeful, but I still warned him about how he might approach the tree. He said he wouldn’t have a problem this time, in his usual inscrutable and confident way. A few minutes later he stepped out from under the tree – and didn’t bang his head, or trip, and was smiling. Success? Oh, yes – he responded. Well, connecting with Nature was going better than the dowsing today.

We felt there was little else to learn here at the moment, and headed back to the car to go on to Nine Stones Close circle – always a favourite of ours for some reason that we couldn’t explain. Perhaps because something interesting and enlightening or puzzling always happens there?

Nine Stones Closer

Nine Stones Close has always held a fascination for us. We return here a lot. When I visit it I get the feeling it is a central hub for the energies of the area, radiating that energy out to other sites. I don’t know why I feel that.  Perhaps it is the number of power centres that exist here, which is so many more than other stone circles. It feels like a meeting place. A place where druids and other energy workers met to collaborate on a ritual or to perform some energy work together.

Nine Stones has nine power centres. Five of them are male-oriented and the remaining four are inclined to the female frequency. The male centres are situated between the remaining four stones – four stones, five gaps, five male power centres. The female ones form a rectangle within the ring of the male centres. Nine is unusual – we normally only come across a couple of such centres at most circles.

The interesting thing we discovered here was the existence of a Map Stone. Other sites, such as Monzie Circle in Scotland,have map stones – cup-marked stones whose markings correlate with the position of important earth energy features. David Cowan, particularly, has described how these cup-marked stones are pivotal to understanding the features and flows of energy in large-scale circuits of earth energy. However, there is one feature about these stones that I think even he may have missed: they are not only a map, or energy source in themselves, they can also be a means to activating the power centres of a site.

What do I mean by ‘activate’? Well, that’s the detail that I want to leave out. I think it’s sufficient to say that if you understand what I mean by the concept of a 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., and you can imagine how the stone could be a map showing the location of such centres, then that is probably enough material to work with. I will just say that through certain simple actions it is possible to make specific power centres ‘turn on’ and be available for use in your energy work. I still have to identify the particular characteristics of each 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., but I do know that one of them is solely for the use of the person who understands these concepts. I suspect that the other power centres, once unlocked, require people aligned to either male or female to stand on the centres. Just what is possible by doing this, I don’t yet know.

After finding out how to use the map to activate power centres I returned to dowsing to verify the existence of the curious geometric energy formationsthat could be dowsed atop each 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.. I had found them on my last visit and now wanted to verify the information again now that some time had passed, and I had forgotten which shapes were where. Sure enough, when I re-mapped them I found that most of them were displaying the same shapes: circle, oval, triangle, square, spiral and figure of eight. Each 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. had energy formations consisting of unique size, shape and orientation, although some shapes were repeated. I now have two maps of these formations, and they tally almost exactly, differing only in Kal and my interpretations of scale, and in the detail of the shapes.

What this means, I don’t yet know. What purpose it serves is also a mystery as yet. The more one finds out the more there is to know in this game! I feel these signature shapes are important to understanding the ways in which this circle can generate energy from human interaction, but I cannot say what that is at the moment, The ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions are always more difficult to answer than the simple ’yes or no’ queries!

Gwas

Following geometric maps.

• Dead people had been buried at these sites, but in very small numbers
• The burials we performed much later in the development of the site, not as part of its initial construction
• The primary purpose of such sites was for the transformation of consciousness (to connect with another form of intelligence)

During these investigations we repeatedly got this intuitive response – so much so that we began to get rather annoyed by the labelling of the sites as “burial chambers” because to us this was clearly not the case to us.

David Cowan in a souterrain

During this Winter I have started to dig into my ever-expanding collection of books about earth energies, and thankfully I have re-discovered David Cowan‘s amazing work that he did up in Perthshire decoding the cup-mark ley systems that he spent many years travelling with dowsing rods.

As well as opening my eyes to a previously unexplored connection with The Dead, in terms of the energy that recent or notable burials can engender into such circuits of energy, he has confirmed for me the true purpose of the chamber sites that we have been exploring. Here is what he says about it:

“If the energy from cup-marked stones can, indeed, allow access to the system for the spirits of the dead, then it must also do the same for the living, so building an underground chamber or souterrain with a powerful cup-marked capstone in the roof and below it, in the passage, another upright inside the entrance so that initiates, wizards or shamans could meditate or perhaps retrieve knowledge would be an important part of the ceremonies of the ancients. The Native Americans had a similar procedure, building subterranean kiva (magnetic chambers), where they could achieve lucid dreaming and imagery, helped by hallucinogenic plants.”

“Ancient Energies of the Earth” – Ch.14 ‘Rebuilding the Ancient Magic’ pp.170-171.

It seems that field work does eventually yield concrete results, even if you can’t immediately get the confirmation that your rational side craves.

Related posts:

• Trance-formations in Lligwy Chamber
• Lligwy Chamber: a tranformational vision
• Bryn Celli Ddu visit in August
• Bryn Celli Ddu visit in July

Gwas.

Follow to the hollow.

This is the third and final part of a three part story about the sites in Anglesey that we dowsed in late August 2008. In this part of the story you find the protagonists winging their merry way towards the north-eastern part of Anglesey, close to the coastal town of Moelfre

As the afternoon was ending and early evening was coming upon us the sun was beginning to move quickly towards the horizon. We still had several hours of light yet, but wanted to spend time at the Lligwy complex where there was an ancient settlement (not another!) and a stone chamber that sounded like more fun. As we approached on the narrow roads, dodging oncoming traffic, we saw a sign which we had seen a couple of times that day: an AA sign for “Songs from Stones“. We took an educated guess at what that was, and I considered whether we might host our own “gig” at some sites soon – Kal and I playing drums and whatever to get some vibrations going! Turned out to be an idea which we implemented sooner than expected. However, ‘Songs from Stones’ turned out to be an animation which was playing at Beaumaris Castle, and was themed on some ancient sites of Anglesey.

Kal has already posted about what happened at the site for him. I’ll just post my additional bits. We stopped, of course, to have a good laugh at the council’s attempts to describe the purpose of the site – the usual: ancient burial rites, etc. Yeah, yeah. I’d test that with a quick dowse in the chamber later to come up with another negative reading for that theory. We had our own theories we wanted to test out.

An entrance passage

For some reason I left my staff at the gated entrance, leaning on the railings outside the main site. So, I prepared my rods and began at the entrance while Kal settled himself on the stone next to the opening. I got a pattern of symmetrical teardrop shapes coming out of the holes around the big capstone. Each corner of the site was inhabited by a male line which came out of a hole, went around into the corner (N, S, E and W) then came back into the same hole it had emanated from. Cool! But how did these lines all interact inside, I wondered? I went inside to dowse and found that the western and southern teardrop lines ended in a spiral inside the chamber. The northern and eastern lines were in fact one line which curved around to meet near the northern side.

My next bit of dowsing was to trace the energies from the two outlying stones outside the gated perimeter. The smaller stone came into the gated railings and turned right, to swirl and terminate just inside the railings. The larger stone came in through the gate too (how odd, but a bit too convenient?) where it swung left, went around the big capstone, and formed a male spiral in front of the entrance hole.

A stone on the northern edge caught my eye. What about the energy from this? So far, every line had been a male energy. This stone emanated female energies, which went from each cardinal point to end in a small female spiral. On my drawing it looked like a set of curly handles! There was a link with the male energies, though. The female spirals closest to the chamber, one of them went into it, the other joined the male spiral in front of the entrance. Oh! I didn’t recall ever seeing a male and female spiral come together that closely before. So, an outlying stone gave out male energy which linked with a closer stone giving out female energy.

Kal pacing sunwise past the female stone

I now wanted to try some of the meditation in the chamber. I crawled in and sat near one side. Kal had taken it upon himself to pace around the site, at what seemed like an increasing tempo. Kal was now humming. It was loud and made the stones vibrate as it bounced around so that I couldn’t determine which direction it was coming from. I sat and thought about nothing (my wife tells me I’m good at that). Maybe so, for in a minute or two I started to recede from noticing what was going on around me as my mind moved into a trance and a picture began to form.

In my vision I saw a young man in a foetal position inside a semi-transparent membrane, like the albumen of an egg. The young man was pushing at the lining until it tore and he was able to emerge, standing triumphantly. However, the moment he emerged two or three black long-nosed faces screeched out of the air, diving at him with their long mouths trying to eat the young man. With his new-felt strength and courage the young man welled up to three times his size, filled with angry emotion until he was larger than the black screaming faces with the dark black eye holes. Now HE consumed the black faces – and when they were swallowed the vision dissolved, and I was back in the chamber – dazed and vibrating with the powerful force of the allegorical tale. I composed myself in the chamber.

I crawled out of the entrance way to recount my story. Kal then had a go and got his vision. Kal told me his vision, and suggested that he thought the shelf was for ritual offerings, not for resting on. With that idea I asked Kal if he would bring my staff in, as I couldn’t (I didn’t know why not – just that it was wrong to bring it in myself). I went back in and he handed me the staff which I placed on the resting stone. I meditated again, but this time I got no visions. Instead I felt a cleansing effect, as though all the energy that had been built up by Kal pacing around had been dissipated and neutralised, and I felt ‘clean’, fresh and alert. I suddenly got an overwhelming urge to look out of one of the hole, which was shaped like a ‘V’. I looked again – and it drew me out of my sitting position. I found that I hurled myself out of the hole up onto the grass outside the chamber! Literally threw myself out! Very strange. I lay on the grass giggling in the remaining evening light.

The V-shaped birthing hole

Last thing I did was to hop up onto the top of the huge capstone to see what was up there. It was going to be yet another bizarre coincidence in a day of such things. Rainwater had carved unusual patterns in the top of the rock – two faces sharpened into focus. One was a small face with black holes for eyes (flashback!) and the other was a face with a long nose or beak (double flashback!). I nearly fell off the stone in amazement. These were the faces I had seen in the vision! Seriously! My legs wobbled as I photographed them I can tell you. I dropped back down, mouth still open with gaping disbelief.

Black-eyed face

Still in shock I asked Kal if he would come and collect my staff for me, but he told me he couldn’t! Somewhat miffed I gingerly felt inside the entrance hole to grasp the staff and pull it out. For some reason there was no way I was going back inside. I had had my information and it was time for me to leave. I had no idea what the information was that I was supposed to have learned, but nevertheless I had to go now. When I got to Kal he apologised, but explained that he felt he couldn’t go back inside the site now. At that moment I understood exactly what he meant! I too felt like that and I also didn’t have a good reason for it either.

Long-nosed/beaked face

As we walked back to the road, and along it towards the car, a murder of crows leapt from the trees in the field to our right, soaring and swooping, making a racket in the late still air. They swept in front of us, and danced in the air before careening off to distant tree tops. We looked at each other, and muttered about symbols and meanings. This was going to take more than a single cup of coffee to make sense of all of today’s events.

Gwas.

Follow your true path.

UPDATE 30th December 2008:

I have been reading David Cowan’s excellent books “Ancient Energies of the Earth” and have come across this paragraph, which I felt was pertinent. He had just been discussing how some burial sites have cup-marked stones placed next to or on the graves of reknowned people. Then he says:

“If the energy from cup-marked stones can, indeed, allow access to the system for the spirits of the dead, then it must also do the same for the living, so building an underground chamber or souterrain with a powerful cup-marked capstone in the roof and below it, in the passage, another upright inside the entrance so that initiates, wizards or shamans could meditate or perhaps retrieve knowledge would be an important part of the ceremonies of the ancients. The Native Americans had a similar procedure, building subterranean kiva (magnetic chambers), where they could achieve lucid dreaming and imagery, helped by hallucinogenic plants.”

“Ancient Energies of the Earth” – Ch.14 ‘Rebuilding the Ancient Magic’ pp.170-171.

As time was limited I approached the circle from the Stanton-in-the-Peak village side, rather than my preferred option of the Stanton Lees end, which entails a long walk over the moorland, but allows you to pass by the impressive 12′ stone block which stands in the middle of the moor. Annoyingly, some ‘authority’ has taken it upon themselves to drop huge blocks of stone into the parking bays preventing cars from pulling over close to the entrance to the access field.

I grabbed my staff and marched over to the circle, through the lovely birch-laden wood to arrive at the circle in the late afternoon sun. Rain clouds were scooting across the area in an intermittent wind, however the site looked as beautiful as ever. It is certainly a place to engender a feeling of beauty and peacefulness, as there are no roads within earshot.

Approach to the Nine Ladies circle

I immediately started dowsing from the ‘King Stone’ which is situated about 20-30 feet away from the main circle, up a small rise. I firstly asked for ‘sun/male’ energy, and found one leading from the stone to the right of the circle, where it ended at a swirl on the right-hand side. Then I went back and tried the other side of the stone – this time I found another similar 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. which didn’t go far, but ended in a swirl within a few feet from the King Stone. Previously I had dowsed lines connecting the King Stone to the circle, so I wasn’t going to do that again. Therefore I decided to intensely study the circle itself.

I started at each stone, and dowsed for both female and male lines coming out of the stones. A female line projected from each stone (except one, which registered as “dead”, ie. emitting no energies at all), and each female line ended quickly in a small swirl.

View of Nine Ladies circle

Then I did the other energy – the male – and found that most of the stones had a counterpart to the female lines. The male energies emerged from the edges of the stones and circles around back into the flat of the stone inside the circle, in a short loop. Again, the “dead” stone had no such lines, but the others mostly did.

Walking around the circle I found a line going around from the “entrance” (i.e. the largest gap between two stones) it went around once, then into the entrance to go in a long spiral into the centre of the circle – the bare patch of ground near the middle. I traced it back out and it ended just outside the circle in a large spiral on a faerie ring clump of grass.

Now I wanted to see whether the large oak tree which was close to the circle played any part. I started at the trunk of the oak and found a line on the side closest to the circle. The tree itself was decorated with ribbons and “wishes” tied to the branches. At the base of the tree there were many floral tributes laid, some of which looked quite recent. Someone else obviously venerates this tree too. I had seen similar tributes at a well in Alderley Edge.

View from the Wishing Tree to the circle

The line from the tree led straight to the outer edge of the circle, where it followed the edge into the entrance gap, and then swung past the centre and into another barely-visible faerie ring offset from the centre of the circle. I had an inkling this would be a special hot spot, so I moved away and asked a different question of the rods: “Lead me to the location of a 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. that is I am best attuned to.” The rods swerved and as I walked they led me directly back to this faerie ring connected to the oak tree. I was pleased about that, as there are other power centres at this site to which I could have been taken. The oak tree-powered centre seemed appropriate to me too. I stood on it for a few moments, and felt a tingling through my feet which rose up through my body making me smile. Oh yes – this was “my” centre alright!

I felt energised from that, and so decided to sit beneath the oak tree and have my sandwiches and fizzy pop (+obligatory flapjack). Once comfortably seated I noticed that the sun was emerging from the clouds, and the light was twinkling through the ring of birch trees that skirted the circle area. As on previous occasions this set a trance state going and soon I had developed a distant hazy gaze. Time to talk to the tree?

I attempted to tune in to the oak. For a minute I felt nothing, then in my head a very low slow voice rumbled a response. I was a little bit nervous. This voice sounded different to the other times this had happened, where it was my own voice that responded. As if feeling my unease the voice mutated to a much higher speed and pitch to match my own!

I initiated a conversation about the pace of modern life (don’t ask me why – I hadn’t come there with any kind of agenda!). The sun was now visible as a dappled circle through one birch tree’s branches and as I started at it’s fabulous corona of light rays I heard the voice say to me “The Sun is the Key, the Moon is the Door.”, over and over as it faded away and I came back to full conscious awareness.

What on earth did THAT riddle mean? Was that advice in relation to ancient sites? Was it saying that the sunlight opens some kind of portal to another dimension on days when the Moon is at a specific point? Or something else? I needed to muse about this more and discuss it with Kal. He’s always good for sounding out and propounding theories.

All through this episode, out of the corner of my eyes, I had been looking at the stones that were clustered just a short distance to one side of the circle. Why was I drawn to them? I decided to go over and dowse them to see if they connected to the circle at all.

What I saw carved into the rock (apart from the graffiti) made me audibly gasp….

A map of the circle's primary energies?

There were nine holes and a line connecting two of the stones. Also, it seemed to show the energy centre, slightly offset from the middle, that I had taken a particular liking to, and which was connected to the oak tree. Of course, it could have just been a mark, but it seemed coincidentally placed! I decided I should have dowsed the inside of the circle too, so headed back to the circle to find which stones were connected.

Cluster of stones outside the main circle

I held the picture of the “map” in my head and dowsed across the inside of the circle. Asking for a “strong power ley that linked two stones” I found it within moments. The stone closest to the oak tree was linked to a stone on the opposite side, passing through the centre of the circle.

I drew all my findings on a little map in my dowsing notebook, then packed up ready to leave. Before I left I wanted to give an “offering” (which for me is usually a native plant or flower – nothing fancy). I picked up my coat from under the tree to go and look for something. Hanging from the velcro on my coat sleeve was a sprig of heather! Wha….? I almost threw it away before I caught myself and realised that this was exactly the offering I had been looking for! I placed it at the base of the tree and said “Thank you.”

Then I took my staff and walked the circle three times clockwise, entered the gateway, stood on “my” spot, thought happy thoughts, and imagined donating my energy to the ground on which I stood. Again, as I left, I respectfully said “Thanks”.

It had been a really soothing, pleasant and peaceful visit, and I had found lots of energy lines that I had not seen last time I visited (when I was a dowsing “youngster”). Now I could barely make out the many shapes and lines on my diagram there were so many! I left in a buoyant mood.

Gwas.

Follow your true path