The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘divining’

The Llangernyw Yew : April 19th 2010

After our visit to The Druid’s Circle at Penmaenmawr we sidled off into the sunset heading inland cross-country to Llangernyw. I had a few random items on my agenda to work on, whereas I knew that for Kal this was the main reason for his visit. He was at an important juncture in his life and was looking to his old friend the archetypal “Tree” for some guidance. Having made contact with this helpful entity via the ancient yew tree at Llangernyw before, he was confident that he could do so again.

Late evening yew

For me, I had been guided recently to carve a symbol into my staff. I knew not why, yet. I’m sure that will become clear soon enough. For now, I wanted to confirm which symbol that should be before I started carving. On previous occasions when I had dowsed for this information it had been indicated that it should be the Dinas Bran sigil. This evening, as the sun was setting, I approached the ancient yew tree with respect and asked if I might dowse for some answers. I got a positive response and so began to do some dowsing.

I dowsed at the edge of the tree’s canopy, on a flat section of ground indicated as a good place by the dowsing rods. I asked which symbol I should carve and began to follow a spiral pattern around from one side to another, in a familiar pattern. Was this like the ‘Bran the Blessed’ sigil? It was like that but the head was upside down! In fact it resembled the Arbor Low sigil too.I asked the rods if this was correct several times and they repeatedly said yes. When I sought an answer to this I got the impression that it was a symbol that was personal to me yet a reflection of both places, even literally a reflection in the sense of being upside down in parts.

Inside the mighty yew

You may remember from my recent posts that I had been trying to draw together the four elemental forces of Nature in order to assist me with my coming work this year? There was one that I had not managed to re-engage with and that was the fire element. On this lovely sunny evening as the great fireball dropped slowly over the hills of Penmaenmawr I decided to try to resolve that oversight. I walked to the side of the church where I knew my power centreA place where a person of a particular alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. (see ‘AlignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment.’) feels particularly comfortable and empowered. The place is an energetic centre where a particularly beneficial combination and formation of energies is formed into a pattern that is harmonic with the person for whom it can be called a power centre. to be, but oddly I walked straight past it without a second glance, and went to stand before the two pillars of stone that seemed like an entrance or exit portal for something. I began to dowse…

Were these stones and entrance or an exit? An exit. Were they for some form of energy (thinking back to Druid’s Circle) to be directed through? Yes. Was that energy spirit energy? Yes. Was it earth energy? No. Was it the energy of the yew tree? Sort of – the rods came together slightly, but not firmly. Was it the spirit of the place that passed through this portal? Yes. Was this a good place for me to regain my fire energy? A strong yes.

With that affirmation I went to go and sit on the flat tombstone behind the two stones, and immediately got a sharp pain in both kidneys. I took this as an indication that this was not a good place to sit! I stood between the portal stones, looking due west, and drew down the fire of the setting sun, as the saying goes in such circles. The rods confirmed what I felt – that this had been done successfully. Now I felt more ‘complete’ – like I had access to all the powers of Nature (except spirit, or aether, the fifth element).

An energetic exit portal

Whilst I was stood between the two energetic stones I felt like I could use that energy to get another burning question answered. I had one that was uppermost in my mind., The final task of the time between Spring and Beltane was to learn how to connect to the earth’s own energy grid. So far I had not one clue how this could be done, other than perhaps to be stood somewhere that neutral energy may naturally emerge, or something like that. I decide to seek some guidance, any clue at all.

I asked the yew tree to help me to imagine what I should do to link to the neutral earth grid – and I was shown several places very quickly that I couldn’t make out because they were too quick. Then I was shown an image of me nestling into the bosom of the earth – literally two small humps of grass between which I was curled in a foetal position, soothed and sleepy. I was to find a place where I felt that comfortable and then bathed in warmth and comfort I could connect to the earth’s own energy system and draw upon the neutral energy – the pure energy of the earth. I was amazed at the wonderfully intuitive way the information was given to me, and extremely grateful to have been shown this vision. Now, all I had to do was to find such a place….

The warning place

I thought I was finished for the evening – hey, hadn’t I got everything I came for and more? I certainly had. Kal popped around looking pleased with himself and his exploits, which I intended to ask him about as soon as we were on the road again. “Have you finished?” he asked me. “Let’s ask the rods!” I quipped, expecting a ‘yes’ response. I got a ‘no’. Apparently, there was more! I asked the rods to take me to the place where I could find out about this other information, and soon I was walking along the side of the graveyard, past gravestones, until the rods swung back on themselves to point to a grave close to the edge of the path the surrounds the lower site.

There was an inscription on the gravestone. I read, “Oft in danger, oft in woe“. i thought this was very unusual inscription, as I had never seen anything like it before! It was the inscription that was important. It took me several minutes of narrowing down the field before I hit upon the relevance of these words: it was to do with me not putting up energetic protection when I visited sacred sites. I had become too complacent and trusting, relying on my intuition to warn me of potential problems. So far I had been lucky and had visited sites when no-one else was around which has prevented problems so far (apart from one episode that really stuck in both our minds of an encounter at Llandrillo). Now, as I moved into the warmer lighter months I was being warned that other people may cause me problems unless I protect myself appropriately when I go out in the near future. Memories came flooding back and I felt I knew what was being suggested.

I asked if that was all? No, there was more. Again I let the rods take me on a little wander, this time only ten or fifteen feet away from where I was. The rods swung dramatically again to point at what seemed like an ordinary grave of a couple. Again it took me several minutes to divine the answer through a series of questions and response. The couple had been “energetically aware” people, but had died due to some misfortune brought about by an encounter with some form of deviant spirit energy. This was a stronger re-enforcement if I needed it, and I will heed the warning and will be more careful from now on, especially in the presence of other people, whether they mean harm intentionally or not!

All in all, a strange end to the evening for me. For Kal, however, the evening had been highly positive. He had received advice from the yew tree that he should ride out his current issues without trying to resolve them for himself. They would all, apparently, be taken care of – despite how impossible that seemed at that time. A week later everything righted itself against impossible odds and in quite incredible circumstances. Never would we doubt the power of this tree, or its influence over this churchyard!

Gwas.

I recently got the chance to scout around the countryside between Loch Tay, Crieff and Dundee. This is David Cowan’s neck of the woods – the Scottish earth energy researcher – so I was delighted at the prospect of visiting some of the megalithic sites in the area.

In this first part of a two-part report I visited some of the megalithic (and other sights) that may be of interest to earth energy students, or students of the arcane and esoteric – all of which are accessible in a day’s drive around the area near Dundee in Perthshire, Scotland.

Dundee Town

In dry dock at the Discovery Point (brown signs everywhere in Dundee pointing to it) is the RSS Discovery ship formed part of several polar expeditions by Captain R.F.Scott.

Interesting design inlaid into the floor outside Discovery Point, with the cardinal points guarded by four vicious-looking penguins. I thought the personification of the winds was quite traditional, along with the presence of the sun, moon and stars. Knowledge exchanged with the Phoenicians about navigation, perhaps? Certainly a knowledge of the movements of the stars and the moon must have been treasured information, as it enhanced the naval prowess of any country that could use it.

In the centre of Dundee, in the middle of the main shopping thoroughfare, you can find this fairly large 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. statue. It’s a magnet for kids who want to be ride it. It’s also close to the main banks, and so echoes the dragonDragons are spirit or energetic beings that reside in sacred sites and have a particular location in them and also move throughout the day (and or season). They also leave the sacred site on occasion, which again differentiates them from Genius Loci which don’t. statues that surround the financial centre in The City of London.

Walking from the central church in Dundee towards the Discovery Centre you may come across a newly-built wall. It looks very organic and yet intricately organised. It’s a delightful work of art, and more walls should look this good! Every so often a small decorative stone is featured, and the symbols carved hark back to quite ancient roots: the trefoil and spiral, for instance…

…or some Ogham script, the language created by the British druids, the tree alphabet…..

Cultural echoes of a past being re-discovered and reclaimed. It’s like we’re blowing the dust off our heritage, bringing it once again out into the light of day and exposing its symbolism and shape to a new audience who are more able to listen, even though the modern world has been constructed in such a way as to distract us, to obscure its significance, and often to simply annihilate it without trace. Like the Green Man the familiar foliage re-appears each year anew. That’s happening in Dundee. You wouldn’t have thought it was a prime candidate for an archaic revival!

Eassie sculpted stone

In the ancient church of Eassie village, just west of Glamis Castle on the A94, you can find the encased remains of a Pictish Sculptured Stone. It is one of many in the surrounding area (see ‘Fowlis Wester’ below). Pictish culture, so-called because their legacy of mainly pictorial, was around for the transition from a predominantly Celtic imagery and mythology to one that was a mixture of Celtic and Christian imagery.

This quote published on the Megalithic Portal site by C.Michael Hogan:-

“The appearance of a tree branch in conjunction with the cross on the Eassie Stone is taken to represent the sacred manner that certain trees were held in regard by the Caledonians. (Wise, 1884) The appearance of sacrificial cattle on the Eassie Stone is common to other Pictish Stones after the instruction from Pope Gregory to Abbot Melletus in 601 AD; that instruction permitted the Picts to sacrifice cattle at their ancient pagan temple sites, only if the sites were sprinkled with holy water and consecrated to the true God. (Bede, 731). A procession of ecclesiastics is also evident on the stone, a theme being common to other carved stones of this era. (Hogan, 2005) A portion of the Eassie Stone has been likened (Leslie, 1866) to a crouching warrior image (Kells, ) in the Book of Kells, potentially connecting this site to events at Iona, where the Book of Kells may have been produced.” {Eassie Stone entry on Megalithic Portal}

Not to mention the angels that stand sentinel perched on either shoulder of the stone like some kind of Angel and Devil figures as expressions of conscience.

Take a wee look at those symbols that are shown in the plaque above. A boar – a symbol used to denote King Arthur – is easily discernable. The other look more artistic. A crown, perhaps, with the two central swirls similar to the cobra symbols on Egyptian crowns? The symbol on the right looked to me like a geomantic map of the energy formations at a sacred site, but I’m sure it’s just a stylised squid or something.

A quick digression

In the churchyard itself there are lots of graves that still display their carved symbols of the hourglass, the skull and crossed bones, and the ceremonial vase used to contain a person’s ashes. Now, either there were a lot of pirates buried in Eassie (although it’s far inland), or these are masonic symbols. Some people do propose a link between the Templars and the Pirates, so when I say “charnal urn” you say “bottle of rum”, okay?

A strong link is often made by authors tracing the history of the masonic teachings between Scotland and France, a link of Knights Templar and Freemasons, Masons supposedly emerging out of the dispersal of the Templars. You may recollect we found such symbols on the graves at the church in Dyserth village too, in North Wales. One often finds Templar or Masonic symbols of bones, skulls, time markers, swords, unicorns, lions, dragons and shields emblazoned with simple crosses at ancient churchyards, usually where an ancient pagan church has been built over by a Christian replacement (always aligned East-West to follow the sun).

Some authors make a convincing case for these organisations being the receptacles of an ancient knowledge that has to be handed down through generations unchanged so as to preserve it. The organisations insist upon a belief in divinity, but not in any specific deity. Their history includes the building of round towers and churches on ancient aligned sites to the proportions of sacred number. In short – they retained and re-educated their members in some very old traditions that incorporated ancient deities that have been regarded as sun-gods and moon-goddesses. Quite pagan.

Some authors argue that these organisations were of an altogether different spiritual 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., and that they are a boys club for the super-rich families and the well-connected to retain power over decision-making bodies. Sounds like a description of the ancient druid orders where rich kids would be sent to the druid colleges to be taught by a group of powerful men who were exempt from much of the law. These royal children were sent for an education in what is now called “The Classics”, but which back then would have been the Western Mystery Tradition.

Others say that the symbols simply mean something quite banal: an hourglass denotes a full life is vertical, a life cut short if horizontal; the cross-bones denote the mortality of man; the skull means…er..the mortality of man; the cross-swords that he was a warrior, veteran of a war; the urn denotes…er..human mortality encapsulated in a vessel of….er..hope of the resurrection into the eternal life. There you go – all easily explained. Unless you’ve read John J.Robinson’s “Born In Blood“, then things look a bit less arcane. (See also: Skull & Bones Society)

Some of the Eassie grave symbols:

There we can see an hourglass, crossed swords, a skull, a charnal urn (“bottle of rum!”) and crossed bones. This was repeated with only slight variations (some had fewer symbols) on many of the graves around the church. “3-2-1 – you’re back in the room“.

Fowlis Wester cross (not circle)

I say “not circle” because there is a circle somewhere up in the hills around Fowlis Wester, but I didn’t have time to find it. I satisfied myself with the sculpted stone that rests in the centre of the village.

This stone had very similar markings to the Eassie stone, and was in a very well preserved state, possibly because it’s a replica! The original in on display in the nearby church of St Bean’s, but the replica was interesting enough. The sculptor has used the bottom of the stone to represent the sea, and it is replete with human figures, animals (seals?) and a great decorated serpent. Very similar to how the Aboriginals of Australia depict the Rainbow Serpent.

Glamis Castle and Fergus Well

A fairy-tale castle is how most tourist literature describes it. Well, you have to think of some way of pulling in five coach loads of tourists in an afternoon. And that was just one firm’s coaches! Luckily they have a big tea room and toilet facilities at the back.

The grounds were superb, consisting of a “pinetum” (an arboretum of pine trees), a natural trail, a walled herb garden (currently being re-constructed) and a area where city kids can see what animals really look like.There’s also a free “museum” and video history of the castle, although some of the exhibits are a bit … tenuous. You get a mannequin sporting a royal dress from the 1930s next to a tableau showing a farmer on a tractor ploughing a field near some sheep. Still, when it comes to the royal history they’ve got some jazzy coloured carboard displays with gold lettering and pictures and everything. No expense spent, I mean ‘spared’.

There were some spectacular trees in the grounds, such as this very old sycamore tree:

Inside the tree were the ancient bowed branches forming a welcome shelter from the hot summer sun:

Some interesting things about Glamis Castle:-

1. It is mentioned by Shakespeare in the play Macbeth.
2. It was home to Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
3. A castle existed on the site 1000 years ago

Glamis Church and St.Fergus’ Well

Coming out of the castle ground you arrive at  Glamis village, with its churchyard and well dedicated to St.Fergus. The well is situated down a path alongside the church and is well worth searching out. You almost walk right past it, so keep an eye out for the sign on the wall.

As you descend to the river there is an air of calm, broken only by the sight of a swarm of gnats buzzing furiously over a part of the rover where it breaks into white horses on the pebbles and rocks on a bend. Also on that bend you will find Fergus’ Well. Not much to look at, but when I dowsed it there was a strong neutral energy coming out of it and flowing towards the river. A female line also emerged from the well and rolled along the river bank, following the flow of the water.

I have never seen gnats, even Scottish midges, swarm so furiously before. Exactly at the point where the neutral energy from the well intersected the river, and where the river was bring churned up by the stones. Somehow, those things are all related. I will have to watch the activity of gnats a bit more closely in future.

Kirkwynd, St Fergus’s Church, Glamis village

At the local ancient church I found more of those gravestone with the esoteric symbols carved on them. Yo ho ho! The church is also the repository for the departed Earls of Strathmore. If only they had lived to see their bottled water concept go global! A sculpted Celtic cross was found at the site during some excavation. The site is described as an early Christian church (probably). What were they doing with a Celtic cross, then? Ahh…borrowing it for good luck. A gift from the local pagan community, no doubt. Kind fellows.

There’s them there sim-bulls again. In part two of this blog post about the area around Dundee I go looking at some stone circles that reveal some fascinating aspects: a cup-marked stone that provides a central link point for several earth energy leys, and a beautiful circle with a tree in the centre.

Gwas.

Following the high road.

The second installment of our Imbolc trip to Dyserth village in North Wales. In this part we visited the mammary-gland sculpted hilltop of Graig Fawr where we suspected a standing stone may be lurking, and then discover a breath-taking surprise both large and small at the site of Castle Dyserth.

Graig Fawr hill

The air was cold enough to steal your breath as the occasional intrusive wind took away our warm car glow all too soon.  Graig Fawr hill in January. We must be slightly unhinged. We headed up the at-first gentle slope but soon I stopped Kal. “Let’s see if we can trace the male and female energies to see how they inter-relate.” I suggested. Ever ready to embrace an interesting pastime Kal began searching around for a male line, whilst I swept the area for a female line. Within a minute we each had a connection to the respective lines and marched off uphill, Kal to the left and I to the right.

I soon lost sight of Kal as his superior fitness and manic dedication to dowsing propelled him like a whippet straight up the main path. He wasn’t hanging around! I, on the other hand, was being taken hither and thither in a slowly wavering dance across the right-hand side of the hill. As I passed the occasional man-sized hollow the energy would go towards it and curve into a spiral inside it. At each stop I dowsed for the direction of any energy coming out of the edge of the hollow and found a continuation of the network of female spirals as I was walked in long S-shapes up the hill.

Whenever there was a mound or a pair of mounds, the female energy made its way towards them and then spiralled atop them. The chain was unbroken – a continuous line of female energy snaking its way curvily up the hill, attracted to the curvier features, gaps and hollows that marked the features of the hill. Occasionally a hawthorn tree’s energy would also contribute to the energy patterns and seemed to either be feeding into it or drawing from it. It was too cold to even think with the scything wind sometimes pulling the rods aside for a moment until they bounced back onto the line.

I saw Kal at the top waiting, trying to keep warm. I increased my pace as the hill’s slope wore off near the summit and joined him. “Where did the male line go?” I asked. “Straight up the path. Very little deviation. I just came straight here!” said Kal. “Well, I was taken all over the place – into hollows, back and forth across the hill, over those mounds.” I don’t think I sounded like I was complaining. It had been a rollercoaster ride in this increasing wind!

Yes I R InSain

We quickly dowsed for a standing stone in the area but were lead around the peak and into the trigonometry marker on the top. Oh, very funny! “Trickster.” muttered Kal in response to his oddly-crossed rods – this was the Trickster’s call sign. We smiled. All that way for a trig. point, in the freez…. we had learned that sometimes our enthusiasm and expectations have to be more…contained. It’s a state of mind necessary to become delighted by surprises – the state required for transformative experiences. Things are revealed to you as you are ready and willing to experience them. It’s not Fate – it’s a preparation of mind, a sort of cleansing, a cleansing of the mind of that which you are seeking. If you pay it attention, if you seek it, you get the booby prize – every time. It has to be a long-term goal, a quest, a purpose. If you yearn for it, no pudding for naughty boys. You get The Slap. In this mindset, this state of grace, more things become possible, and more improbable things are manifested. But you want to hear about the flowing lines, right? Back to the energies!

Dyserth Castle – small

A quick warm up in the car and it was time to unholster those copper rods and put away childish flasks. This is Winter Dowsing, making a bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics in a string vest and no gloves in a blizzard. Actually, it had calmed down a bit, but the sky was still leaden with snow and the wind still made it difficult to talk without shouting. We checked the map and stomped off down the Graig Fawr hill even further, across the road next to the car park, and down a narrow high-hedged lane until the footpath sign on the right. We hopped into the field making remarks about the austere temperature and the level of inappropriateness of Kal’s attire, when we passed a group of rocks and breeze blocks in the middle of the sloping field. We noticed them, then stopped. “Did we just both seem drawn to these rocks?” I asked. Kal nodded, “Yeah, we did.” It was a dowsing cue.

Motley Crew

We wandered around the small stack for a moment assessing it. It didn’t look particularly interesting. There were three small breeze blocks in amongst the larger boulders. They formed an ovoid ring shape. There was a bare patch of oval earth off-centre, and it was slightly concave. I dowsed for its nemeton edge. As I dowsed towards it I felt uneasy and stopped. Why had I stopped? What was that feeling? It was a feeling of being unwelcome – “like being an unwelcome guest at a party and everyone turns to wonder why you’re there when you enter.” I later explained it. I stepped back and paused. Strong male energy was the response. Not a frequency I attune to well.

Kal, on the other hand was straight onto the bare patch, turning to face the hill to the West. He quickly adopted a serene half-smile that told me he was not going to be moving any time soon. Thirty seconds later the sun broke through the clouds in the one break in the sky and it fell straight onto us. It was above a pyramid-shaped hill to the West of us – the direction Kal was facing. It was one of those coincidences that makes you wonder about the joy of coincidence. Had we been rewarded with some warm sun for obeying the rules by my staying out of this very male-oriented spot? It doesn’t need to be thought about. It just happened and we paid it attention.

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. Well, he is very groundless at the moment. Mind you, I thought he’d taken root on this spot the amount of time he stood there.

Kal opened his eyes again and was awash with a surge of energy. He bounded off the centre, grabbed his stuff as we prepared to leave, and ran from side to side down the hill enthusiastically. “Come on!” he was smiling and encouraging. “Let’s find this castle!” and he was off over a stile like a goat eating chillies. What is this, a chapter from The Famous Five? Blimey. I hurried along with staff and pack to keep him in sight. Loon.

Dyserth Castle – large

Kal was of course the first to catch sight of the site of the castle. He bounded back to inform me that I was about to be impressed. He wasn’t wrong. As I rounded the bare bramble bushes lining the path a vista opened up to me that drew my breath from my body in admiration. The photographs barely do it justice.

Dyserth Castle

We drank in the atmosphere for a few moments then set to work. Where were the sources of male and female energies in this arena of rock, this cauldron of cliffs? We rapidly identified several sources. Kal found some power centres (crossing points of water generating vertical vortices of male and female counter-spiralling energy). I located the primary source of female earth energies – it was a large break in the western cliff face, and the largest rock at the base of that crack (pardon) was the primary source of male energies. However, Kal had also found male energies coming from 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. next to the large mound of piled stones on the eastern side of the castle’s floor.

The gap between the stones dowsed for the return of the female energy flow and was acting as a kind of attractor – just as David Cowan had described in his books. The rest of the area was quiet – there was a male line and a female line with occasional power centres uncoiling into short waves and ending in spirals. One or two rocks tested for being energetic.

Make your own stone circles

As we dowsed I noticed that some stones on the castle floor were connected to the flow of male or female energies emerging from the cliff side. I was dowsing just such a connection when Kal decided to move one of the rocks – “I wonder what happens if you move it?” he quizzed as he struggled to roll the square stone. When he stopped I dowsed the connection again – it had moves with the stone. Hmm…so the attraction point was the stone and not the position. At once we both had the same thought – let’s create two circles. I described the image that had just popped into my head – two circles that overlapped each other – one built of male energy and the other female. First – would it work, and second – what would happen at the overlap? Pictures of Venn diagrams flooded my memory but I swept them away and started shifting some of the stones – dowsing to find the correct stones and for where I should place them.

My constructed circle

Soon I had eight stones in position, only two of which I actually placed myself. Two others were from the overlap with Kal’s circle, and four were already in the correct position! Kal complained that I was stealing his stones – he had five in his slightly smaller circle. I reminded him that was the purpose of the exercise! We dowsed our own circles, walked them a few times clockwise, and then dowsed each others’ circles. Kal’s was definitely a Male Sun circle, whilst mine tested for Female Moon energy. Both rings felt energetic, even though some of the rocks we had in the circles didn’t seem to have energy in them.

Kal marks the power centre of his circle

At the intersection where the two circles overlapped there were male and female spirals. Did this mean that spirals were caused by the interplay between male and female frequencies, much like light or sound, or magnetic waves in form? We had lots to think about and made our way back to Dyserth. Kal briefly stood back in the little ring cairn and seemed reluctant to move until I reminded him of his obligations to his stomach. We made for the car and sustenance from the Spar shop in the village.

Tricky Picnic Places and The Mighty Falls

Frost, the american poet, said those immortal lines about picking paths through the forest by wear and tear factor, but essentially I have ingrained in me a similar annoying trait. So we find ourselves above Dyserth Waterfall, looking for it, but I pick a path the leads us down a narrower and steeper section as it unwinds next to the river that drops so suddenly nearby. The path ends in a hair-raising arched tree that fords the 15ft wide river. Can’t jump. Have to climb. So I do. Videoed by Kal. Thanks mate. Needed the extra pressure! So I return the favour when it’s Kal’s turn, adding the occasional giggle and encouraging words when he decides to wade across the icy river instead of walking the bent tree. Oh what? Oh yes. YouTube beckons.

We have lunch in the small caves there in tranquil peace while the sun continues to shine through a gap in the tree canopy to hit the very spot where we’re sitting. Ahhh…things are going just fine at this point. After lunch we head back to the car admiring the waterfall as we go.

Now we’re heading out towards the Golden Grove. It’s marked on the OS map I’ve printed off using MultiMap and seems to be in the middle of open farmland. OK – let’s go see what a golden grove looks like! We park and head off over the field of sheep along the last vestiges of a path now obliterated by hoof marks. As the slope gets steeper it gives me more time to notice that we are walking next to a fenced off avenue of tall and wide beech trees. As I followed their natural line of interlacing pairs up the slope I could see they were leading somewhere. Great. We were spurred on.

At the top the green and brown fields stretched down the other side. To the right, more fields. To the left, a deciduous wood. Could that be the Golden Grove? It seemed to far away from the map’s placement, but they can occasionally be slightly obtuse in their placement of names, and there was no structure marked. And indeed, the Golden Grove seems to no longer have a structure. It has gone. We sloped back to the car, tired from trekking but happy at the rest of the day’s results.

Lost : one slightly used staff

There had been something nagging me as we had arrived at the rude lay-by that we parked in – I didn’t have my staff. Where had I left it? What should I do, apart from wonder whether I should get emotionally attached to a snapped branch? I decided to go in search of it. I’ll take you through it in a separate post.

Gwas

Following a golden thread back to my staff

Dyserth, Imbolc, Sunday 2nd February 2009

“Of this earth”? Well, in terms of a learning experience it was definitely out of this world. It felt like we should have had a soundtrack of Canned Heat singing ‘On The Road Again’ as Kal and I drove purposefully into Wales on Sunday. Our purposefulness was due to the start of the dowsing year proper. Imbolc was the chance to test some ideas we have been trying to assimilate over the quiet Winter months, but now we were out again.

Sunday was the first of the Imbolc days. I’m sure someone will point out the astronomical impudence of that soon enough, but in my book it spanned Sunday and Monday, and that was an attempt to cover all the bases. I didn’t want to miss any energy fluctuations. As it turned out, it was lucky I did go both days, but that story’s coming soon with Part Two of the Dyserth in January posts.

We parked at the Olde Red Lion pub, which made my brain flash through some decoded symbolism: Red and White in opposition = male and female earth energies. Lion as the symbol of royalty. Red Lion = Red King = Red 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. = Pendragon = Male energy. You will also see many White Lion pubs in Wales, as well as White, Green and Red 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. pub names. National flag colours too, you see?

St Bridget’s Church

“The Doomsday Book (1086) mentions a church here and a stone building was dedicated by the 12th century (OS SJ056794). This was restored by Gilbert Scott in 1875. The Jesse window is said to be one of the finest in the UK. There is a fine 9th century preaching cross. The church was originally dedicated to St. Cwyfan, a disciple of St. Beuno.” (St Bridget’s Church web site)

Our old friend St.Beuno. He got around a bit in this area, I can tell you. Busy man, that Beuno. Pops up all over the place. Why don’t you play the Beuno game with us? Simply count the number of times that you read about us encountering a sacred site in North Wales dedicated to old Beuno, and when you reach a hundred, list them all to your friends and watch their horrified and slightly worried expressions!

The church building had an East/West alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. and was in a typical cross shape. A big stained glass window graced the eastern rear wall of the church. A neutral alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. ley went through the east/west axis of the church, as did a slowly interweaving Male Sun line.

We didn’t venture inside the church because a Eucharist service was taking place at the time we were there, mid-morning. They were having elevenses. Which means we didn’t get to see the Celtic Cross or the base of another cross that are somewhere inside. I found a picture of the base, and it quite startled me. Not so much by how Celtic the design was, more the way it seemed to be representing the twin earth energies snaking along the ground, and existing in an inter-twining and ever-lasting dance.

Here’s what the stained-glass window looks like:

There was not much female energy in evidence at St Bridget’s Church that day, a couple of spirals, but it was all about the male energy really. The nemeton of the yew tree that was closest to the church was again the same size as canopy – this is what we found at Delamere Forest recently.  There were some strange tombstones though. Several of the more elaborate graves had skull and crossbones motifs craved onto them. There were the remains of arched canopy tombs beneath many of which are carved skull and crossbones motifs. Make of that what you will. Masonic, Templar, Pirate. Pick your history!

The church website explains:

“Beneath the canopied tombstones in the adjoining Churchyard are interred the remains of many generations of the ancient family of Hughes of Llewerllyd in this parish – descended in the male line from Prince Cadwalladr second son of Griffith ab Cynan – King of North Wales AD 1079-1130. To their memory this Brass is erected by their descendant Hugh Robert Hughes of Kinmel Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the County of Flint AD 1906.”

Sounds painful. I suppose somebody had to be Custos Rotulorum of Flint. He’s the keeper of the rolls. The chief civil officer of a county, to whose custody are committed the records or rolls of the sessions, you know [ref: webster's online]. Good for him. You’re not skipping this bit, are you? Every day’s a school day, you know!

Back to the tale. At the eastern end of the church we decided to measure the width of this band of male energy that we had found. We both double-checked each others dowsing and came to the same conclusion: the Male Sun energy was as wide here as the entire width of the stained-glass window – about twelve feet across. In the early morning sun it felt vibrant and soon it spurred the congregation inside to life and they sang in mystic symbols the old stories of the cycle of the seasons, and the power of nature. At least, that’s what I heard, but then I wasn’t listening to them, I was feeling the energy vibrating and my hands numbing. Surely this all gets warmer from here on in?

I followed the Male Sun line coming out of the window. I followed its centreline, only to watch the rods sway as the line bent away from the strict E/W 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. and through a nearby recent grave near to another large yew tree. Was the disturbed earth the attractor, or the decaying life force of the recently deceased? I asked the question and the rods responded kindly – the attraction was not the people themselves, it was their reknown. This was an altogether more ephemeral quality. The way it the answer felt to me was that it was a measure of the degree to which those people fulfilled their lives and the lives of those around them. The energy was seeking to flow through the recent graves and older royal graves attracted by their reknown, feeding on their fame one could say, the outpouring of emotion, or perhaps empowered by the praise bestowed upon them? We don’t yet know.

The rear boundary wall of the church partially hid a new attractor. The person who owned the garden adjoining the church had a well-manicured and landscaped garden. In the Winter season this meant that two of the main garden sculptures were in plain sight. Two rough-hewn pink limestone rocks had been placed in an E/W 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. with the back of the church.

The line flowing into the church and through the window was being focused by the perfect alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. of these 3ft tall rocks. Who would have known to do that? Were the energies unfocused before the placement of these recent garden ornaments? Had this had an impact on the fortunes of the church, I wondered?

As we wandered back through the grounds to the road we traced the Male Sun line by picking it up at the front door. It went over the tiny footbridge linking the church and the road. As we crossed the river the rods crossed in Kal’s hands and we turned to look at each other for an explanation – “I didn’t think I was dowsing for water!“, he laughed. The river that emerged from the waterfall deviated twice at 90 degree elbows to bypass (or pass) church. Kal tells me this is good Feng Shui for buildings, to have hills at the back (E), and a slowly flowing river out front (W). The Male Sun line was attracted by the flow of the river to run alongside the outer church wall, flowing with the narrow confined river, to bend abruptly again under a flat bridge and on towards the houses of the low-lying older part of the village.

We headed off from the church grounds to go and get some food. Unfortunately the cafe by the waterfall was out of season and so closed. It had a worrying sign advertising its leasehold, though. It seems as though natural wonders are insufficient in number to keep such places going through a recession. Perhaps it will open again soon – it was wonderful eating an ice cream in the fine spray from the waterfall in the brief heat that was Summer last year.

Several more posts coming soon about this trip out. We go next Graig Fawr hill, to the awe-inspiring site of Dyserth Castle, and we end the day with a missing staff and a stupid hike up a steep hill to see the legendary Golden Grove of Dyserth. Then I go again to delve deeper into the energies around Dyserth with a visit to Gop Hill, a huge cave on the Offa’s Dyke trail, and an astonishing re-visit to Castle Dyserth.

Also, there will shortly be an update on my research into the relationship between accident black spots and earth energies.

Gwas

Following the animal tracks.