The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘dreams’

Okay, I was concerned. As my last post mentioned…

• You will meet a Dragon and it will give you its Soul

With that kind of pronouncement from the guides, what was I supposed to do? The next day being the 5th May 2012 Gwas and I continued on our quests for meaning. Our next stop was the Fort of Bulls or Rath na Dtarbh.

Upon arrival I dowsed for any place that was conducive to learning more about this Dragon and its Soul. I found a place pretty much straight away and sat down to commune and learn. After moments I received some more knowledge…the Soul in question wasn’t the Spirit of the Dragon but rather its emotional energy in the form of a book. Ah , okay, I thought, that doesn’t sound as monumental as a “soul”.

I pondered what the source of this knowledge was and that rather attractive Caileach came to my mind. It made sense really since this was the land where she first made her existence and overtures to me. How long ago that sounds, but it was a mere two years ago.

Before my commune was done Caileach imparted another couple of pieces of information…

• The dragon is the one I rescued on my last visit.
• It owes you a debt because you helped it.
• The dragon is tracking you.
• The soul book has no key but it is locked.
  

  Smaug

I have to confess, these answers were a lot less cryptic than her usual pieces of wisdom. Was it because I was in her homeland that her communication was clearer? The dowsing rods say Yes.

Gwas’s quest took centre stage for a while as we visited Rath Baeg and Rath Mor. I pondered and dowsed if I had anything to do at these sites and was given an answer that I was laying an energetic trail that the Dragon was following and that my meeting with it was scheduled. Ominous huh?

Cave of Cats

I swear that, only as I write this post that it comes to my mind, a Dragon in a Cave? Of course! So here we are at the mouth of a cave that goes into the dark. This was my site. I could feel it as soon as we entered the field it was in. I did quite a bit of prepatory dowsing, after all I was about to receive a soul book. It seemed that I needed a guide and I asked Caileach whether she would acquiesce? She responded that she could but I had a better guide for this kind of cave. I wondered what she meant by this until Gwas informed me (rather late in the day I have to say) that the cave was known as Oweynagat or the gateway to the underworld. Lovely!

This information gave me an idea, The Ancient Yew! I tried to contact that fabulous tree of wisdom in Wales but could not. It seemed that the distance was too far. Fortunately Caileach stepped in and created a-kind-of bridge over which I was able to gain guidance and support from the Ancient Yew.

With my senses enhanced by the Tree I felt that the Dragon had coiled itself below the ground under my feet and the cave, it had coiled itself around me. The phased dragons mouth rested at the same place as the cave mouth. Gulp! An escape route came to my mind, maybe I could phase into the ground too.Caileach laughed and asked me to try, I did and couldn’t!Was I supposed to go into the cave (underworld) Yes.

On an aside, I had described the Dragon as Blue. It wasn’t it was Emerald. I know, I know, Ireland, right? But that connection only occurred to me hours after this encounter.

Gwas, as prepared as ever, had a torch to hand. Using this, I crawled into the underworld. As I left the light from the outside behind I wondered what madness this was leading to.

Returning with Book

A silent reassuring presence was with me as I crawled deeper into the dark. Did I mention that I suffer from arachnophobia? Why is it that I have to confront such fears on this path with a heart? I have to confess that in all my travels thus far, Yew tree energy has been the most knowledgeable, wise and easy to commune with. I felt lucky to have such a guide here.

The tunnel started to get narrower and now I was almost sliding along the ground when a nudge from the Yew indicated that this was the place to stop. I stopped and took some deep breaths. I was loathed to move the flashlight back and too lest I saw some spiders (eugh). It was at that moment that the Yew told me to switch of the light. Terrific!

I switched off the light and was in a kind of gray darkness. A little light still came in from the outside so it wasn’t pitch black. I curled myself into a comfortable a ball as possible and let my vision expand. I was in the heart of the dragon. I could feel it and feel the beating of a heart around me. Wow! 

After a few moments I saw an object floating towards me. It was blue (why is everything blue these days?) I held out my hands and “it” floated into them. It was a book. I tried to open it but can’t. It needs a key (not a blue one!). I hold the book close to my chest and instead it phases into me.

I feel that I am done with this place and begin the slow crawl out. What an experience. I reurnedinto the lightand gave appreciation and thanks to the Dragon, Caileach and Yew. It seems that another quest has begun.

• What is this Emerald Dragons Soul book?
• How do I open it?
• Where is this leading?
• Why me?

Where all questions I pondered for the remaining stay in Ireland.

Kal Malik, on another quest.

Gwas was on a quest. Ancestor energies in Ireland was the name of the game. For me, it was side-kick time. Gwas sayeth and I follow. I like it. No responsibility, just the pleasure of a great mates company and the pleasant energies of nature (although we were both very wary as our last trip to Ireland was filled with Leprechaun traps). Nevertheless we were respectful and have grown a lot since that time. We hoped.

As you may recall, my last interesting message had arrived at Beltane and was nothing more than a feeling…”something is coming” As on many occasion, my response was the standard, “what the freak does that mean?” No answers had come since that time so I was hoping that our Ireland trip would prove bountiful, and boy did it! Although at the time of departure I was saying to Gwas that my role would be of humble side-kick.

Rathcroghan – Dragons Soul

Rathcroghan is a mound that looks pretty much the same as any other large mound, however it was the place where I felt a twinge that meant this trip was going to be special. I dowsed for whether there was any work for me to do at this place or anything to learn and I got an affirmative for the latter. I dowsed for the best place to do this and was taken right up to the top of the mound. I sat down upon the mound facing away from the road and let my thoughts wander. Nothing was forthcoming so I double checked my position and was told to move to the back of the mound. I was a bit nonplussed at that until some dowsing revealed that the first place was to prepare and the second to receive. So was I prepared? Apparently just sitting there was enough to make it so.

I moved to the back of the mound where there was a small sand pit and sat in patience awaiting messages. Now I have to tell you I had no expectations at all. My best hope was of doing some earth energy work. However the message I got was a corker!

• You will meet a Dragon and it will give you its Soul

Holy Zarquon! What! Where! How? I never even had dragons on my mind and a soul this was definitely new territory to me and perhaps one that I didn’t want to venture into to. Minutes later I was telling Gwas about my message and talking about Dragons and whether it was talking about Genius Loci (which we used to call dragons) or Dragons (an energy being that resides at some sacred sites) when a thought, back from our last trip to Ireland surfaced.

On our last trip we had visited a site called the Piper stones. At this site I had discovered that a Dragon had been trapped. I had, with some effort, managed to help it free.

I wondered whether this was the Dragon that was being talked about?

The Well of Ogulla

To say that I was excited was an understatement, to say that I was puzzled even more so. Again and again I question…”Where does this knowledge come from?” It’s not like I had dragons on my mind. And a soul? That seemed so far out of my comfort zone and certainly something that I didn’t want to entertain having or receiving. So I am saying right here that I was very uncomfortable with this dragon soul notion!

Ogulla’s Well Piece of the puzzle

Our next stop was Ogulla’s Well and after some navigational anomalies we arrived at the sacred well. The sun had come out to play (which was rather miraculous since the weather forecast was for rain and more rain). I determine that more information was available re the Dragon Soul and so dowsed to ask whether it was the Dragon that I had rescued (helped escape) on the last visit. It was. That’s it. No more information at this point. Terrific (sarcasm)!

Dreams of Dragons

After a fabulous meal sans yummy desert we were ready for a well deserved sleep. Fortunately or not, no Internet was available in my room so it was straight off to bed. I mention this because that night I dreamt of blue dragons. I cannot recall the specifics of it other than that they were blue and they were chasing me. Wonderful!

At breakfast I mentioned these to Gwas and he teased me that perhaps this was more blue keys  (see my Knights Quest). Oh Gods no! I am done with that quest surely?

In the next post I’ll reveal the remainder of this tale of a Dragons Soul.

Kal Malik

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gwas

Following tomorrow’s chip paper.

Kal has already written a lengthy and laudable account of the British Society of Dowsers conference recently, but he has urged me to add my own bits to it, and so I will add those elements that are in addition to his write-up, or which display my own perspective on those events.

As we journeyed down to deepest darkest Gloucestershire we were in good spirits. I was excited, and wondering about how we might fit into a group that I expected would be primarily of retirement age, or batty as Battenburg cakes. Probably both.

On arrival we were immediately made to feel welcome, and were given our name badges and starter packs. Hmmm. At least Kal had a pen and notebook in the pack – he always takes mental notes instead of writing stuff down. Kal ditched the name badge. I played the game to see what happened. As I’m not a very social person it seemed to help during the day.

Dr. Serena Roney-Dougal – Where Science And Magic Meet:

Although the first lecture of the four we would attend that day, this was the most interesting. Dr.Serena talked about what seemed to be quite diverse subjects, and in some depth, but she managed to pull them all together into a cohesive argument for the validity of shamanic practises, as they related to the earth’s energy grid and fields.

The important information I got from this lecture was:-

• The earth’s “GeoMagnetic Field”, or GMF, is perceived by Dr.Serena as synonymous with the Hartmann and Curry lines and grids.
• Earth energy at ancient sacred sites is probably linked to geological features such as fissures, weak points, stress points, fractures and fissures. Water is a factor in the production of earth energies too.
• When the GMF is strong (or active) due to earth changes (seasons, tide, sunspots, moon phase, geology, earth’s magnetic core) then poltergeist activity and healing work is stronger.
• When the GMF is weak (or less active) then remote viewing and telepathy is stronger.
• DMT (Di-Methyl Triptamine) is in the pineal gland of the brain and directs all other systems depending upon its chemical levels.
• Triptamines can be introduced from external sources such as the ayahuasca vine, or many other shamanic plant extracts, to induce a living dream (or lucid dream state).
• At 3AM (“The Witching Hour”) our brains naturally produce more triptamines and start releasing them to induce dreaming.
• Certain structures such as long barrows (which have a layer of organic, then inorganic substances) seem to act as shield against the effects of the GMF on “psychic” abilities.
• Our sense of direction and navigational abilities are linked to the GMF (studies of pigeons).

As you can see, she pulls together brain chemistry, dream states, psychic abilities, the effects of the electromagnetic energies of the earth, and the purpose or usage of ancient sites. Quite a lecture in an hour!

I found that so many of those topics chimed with me. In addition I have always had a good sense of direction (on most occasions) and can find paths through seemingly impossible terrain, but have never linked it to the GMF activity before. Something for me to think about. I particularly liked the link between GMF activity and “psychic” abilities. I will try to be much more aware of this when attempting druidic work.

I think that the conclusion we could reach is that remote viewing and telepathy would work better from within a long barrow or chamber, whilst a stone circle may be better suited to healing and spirit activity.

Dr Tim Darvill – Stonehenge and Healing:

Dr Darvill (‘Davros’ I kept thinking) was something of a coup for the convention. His TV programme about his excavation work at Stonehenge was getting its first showing on mainstream TV that night. Dr. Darvill therefore delivered his lecture with the smooth assurance and well-rehearsed aplomb of a man who has worked through his theories and re-visited them until he felt they were as convincing as he could muster.

I must say I found it all very fascinating and I felt it turned a listed contender for the purpose of this most famous stone circle, and elevated it to an ‘almost definite’. Healing was, I am convinced now, being done at Stonehenge at some stage in its development, and Tim can practically pin-point that time. But it’s not the whole time. It’s a fragment.

Whether healing was Stonehenge’s original purpose, capability or raison-d’etre I wouldn’t like to say, as I think other competing theories are just as likely seeing as the monument went through several re-workings, and passed through thousands of years of use. Ye gods, we can barely keep one of our modern miracles of architecture for the same purpose more than a year these days!! Now it’s a bank, now it’s a cinema, now it’s a shop, now they’re all flats….Imagine trying to trace an original purpose to any modern building after even 200 years of use. The one constant we can rely on is change. The line may become twisted and broken. The evidence may be cleared out. Purpose may have to be divined as much as reasoned. And we use written records. Most of modern archaeological theory is as much creative cultural anthropology based upon fragments as it is true history backed by permanent record.

That’s not to belittle the work of Darvill and others before him. Anything that adds to the certainty of a theory is welcomed by me, and he presented his arguments assuredly and provided physical and historical evidence to back his claims. Diseased bones that could be traced to a man who came from the Alps is n interesting development. Click here to read about his recent work and theories.

A convincing answer is what Kal and I are after – not an intractable debate. There is more to Stonehenge, though, than simply a healing site, however good it was in its prime. This quote about it comes from a Guardian newspaper article:

The latest finds imply a much more complex story: they include a Roman coin among stone fragments, suggesting the Romans also believed in and sought out the healing magic. The later charcoal deposits suggest to Darvill and Wainwright annual gatherings, perhaps for feasting and ceremony at the winter solstice, continuing as late as the 17th century.

The modern-day druids and pagans who assemble bearing green boughs for the winter and summer solstices may not be so far off the mark after all.

Guardian newspaper, 23rd September

I found it interesting that the healing Blue Stones were from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire (not the Presley Hills, my American friends, he didn’t own them too – and they probably can’t revive him now). Recently I had been on holiday to Pembrokeshire but had had no idea as to how many sacred sites there would be in that area. I now wish I’d gone for a fortnight instead of three days! A strong place for energies and sites, a rather uninspiring holiday destination though.

Darvill continued to raise the stakes though by saying that Stonehenge might have been a copy or replacement for a more natural circle of stones atop one of the mountains in the Preseli Hills. His candidate is Carn Menyn. From his slide presentation photos it looked a good bet. A complete circle of jagged natural ‘blue’ stones formed a gigantic cathedral that is a natural wonder.

A lunchtime interval came as a welcome opportunity to try a bit ofdowsing in the warm afternoon sunshine, the results of which Kal amusingly recounted in his post. I must say I had to laugh when I guessed that he had played a trick on the rather-too-smug lady by shrinking the boundary of her energetic aura to a few feet. It had a positive side – every time we dowsed for auras now we were able to pick them up easily. Now Kal was demonstrating his skills at manipulating them too, which is something I want to study and practise too after learning about the concept of the nemeton (see previous post).

Hamish Miller – The Southern Serpent, New Zealand and Healing The World:

I had been looking forward to Hamish’s talk, as I have read a couple of his books and had a lot of respect for the work he has put into understanding the nature of the energies he has encountered. Luckily, he didn’t so much re-capping on his near-death experience, or much about the Michel and Mary line that he had dowsed with Paul Broadhurst. Instead he started off talking about the Apollo/Athena line, a line running from Skellig Michael in southern Ireland, and which continues through many sacred sites until it reaches Armageddon in Israel.

Hamish then told us about a phenomenon that he had experienced on both lines – that when he placed a stone on a power centre at the sites along those lines the manifestation pattern would complexify as he followed the alignment ley from one site to the next. Even going back would increase the complexity.

Whenever I have manifested patterns I have invested my energy into the stones before producing the manifestation, but Hamish doesn’t believe that is necessary, in fact stated to me directly that he thought it should not be done using one’s own energy. I will have to test this out – any stone vs. one I pick and invest energy into. I will see what differences emerge. I also plan to pick three sites on an alignment to check for the compelxification of energy patterns as I travel to each in turn. I have such an alignment locally, so it should be easy to check out.

The second half of Hamish’s lecture concerned his visit in search of what he called the “Southern Serpent” in New Zealand. He talked a little about the potential that there had been an indigenous people in NZ well before the Maori people colonised the islands, which he named as the Hawaiki. This group of people may well have come from China, the Pacific Islands, and possibly even Easter Island! I believe there is little at the moment to back this up except ancestral memory, folklore and strong supposition, yet it was an endearing thought, because many of the tales of energy paths, spirit and energy flows and netherworlds all seems to have originated from this Hawaiki people’s culture.

A mother and daughter that Hamish and his wife Ba met whilst there were Maori people who were well-versed in energy work. The daughter had been taught from a small girl to appreciate the energies, venerate them, work with them, and induce energy through the use of a “magical” stone that she kept in her possession, and which had been a gift to her, presumably as some form of rite of passage with the work. During her tuition she had been taught songs to draw out the “song lines” as the Maori’s call the energy. This girl then visibly demonstrated her powers to Hamish’s assembly of friends when she placed her stone onto a sacred site’s centre and sang energy into marvellous patterns of manifested earth energy.

After the talk I questioned Hamish about some of our suppositions: did he agree that energy lines were male, female and neutral? He did, but was not sure what I meant by neutral. I think other people call them ‘null’ lines, alignments, ley lines. They are the guiding force that keeps the male and female wave patterns moving along a particular alignment between sites. But we have also seen the lines have a vital role within the sacred sites themselves in terms of linking the major stone of a stone circle, for example. Hamish stated that the polarities, he found, flipped over between sites so that male became female and vice versa, at various points along a long line.

I found this food for thought and thanked him for his input, and the lecture before Kal and I moved off towards the enticing book store that had been housed int he next building to the lecture theatre. We had one more lecture to attend, but there was some debate. Kal wanted to go and see a workshop about earth acupuncture. So did I, but that workshop was officially full, and so we had to stay where we were.

Michael Bott – Standing With Stones:

Michael was not a dowser. He was, however, amiable and amusing, so despite the fact that he had very little to offer a group of dowsers he managed to make a reasonably entertaining hour pass with some beautiful photos taken from the DVD he has produced with his mate Rupert Soskin – who he said WAS a dowser, but didn’t dowse during their epic tour of hundreds of megalithic sites across the country! O…K…..well.

There’s not much to say about this really. The images were nice, the stories vaguely amusing (in a kind of Open All Hours sort of way) but when I asked whether they had had any mystical experiences then answer was…er…no. They had been too busy filming. O….K…..well. See you then!

However, Kal and I saw Callanish in all its glory and if nothing else we learned that we really needed to go there and do some energy work – preferably close to Winter Solstice, if possible. What a place!

All in all it was a hugely enlightening experience to spend time with some seasoned dowsers, but we did wonder how often they dowsed these days – no-one seemed to be doing it – were we falling foul of some rule of etiquette?

I’d like to thank the staff of BSD who organised the event for making us feel so welcome and remaining upbeat to everyone they encountered. It made the travelling worthwhile. A special thanks to Helen Lamb for making every effort to get us there and for her helpful recommendations all through the day. That’s the kind of dedication and effort that keeps societies going.

Gwas