The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘earth energies’

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 ‘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 Dragon 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 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 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 alignment with the back of the church.

The line flowing into the church and through the window was being focused by the perfect 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.

When I first read a book by David Cowan called “Ley Lines and Earth Energies” the title seemed to match my desire – to learn as much as possible about ley lines. I wasn’t quite so sure about whether I was really interested in earth energies at that stage, or even what they were, in truth. So, I made an attempt to read it, but fell short of completing it. I was too new to the subject to grasp what Cowan’s ideas were, or how they had been achieved. I parked the book until a later date.

As fate would have it I recently purchased a copy of another book he’d done, and this book was kinder. Or maybe I was more prepared for it. For the first half of “Ancient Energies of the Earth” I was simply nodding in agreement – “Yep – we’ve found that too.” Then Cowan began to come out with a stream of properties about the energies – how they worked, what they were powered by, what they linked to, how they circulated, what forces attracted and repelled them. I was overwhelmed with information so I started to make notes.

In the following section you can read some of those notes I took which I think encapsulate a number of pieces of information, some coherent, some random, and they are classified by us as either confirmatory (confirmed), or speculative if undesignated. That is, his ideas either correlate exactly to our own findings, or we have not yet shown them to be true enough for us to convince us yet. We aim to try the speculative ideas out this year.

Cowan makes reference to two terms that I will mention: cup-marked stones and telluric energies. Cup-marked stones are large stones ranging from small boulders up to huge megaliths that have man-made carved depressions, hollows and gouges. Cowan links these stones intrinsically to the functioning of ancient sites. Telluric energies are simply Cowan’s term for the male and female earth energies that we have discussed many times on this blog.

Animals, plants and energy lines

• There are many tales of cows and insect swarms being attracted to geomagnetic areas.
• Cows sit on tumuli, barrows, etc.
• Church stonemasons had a tradition of sleeping where cows had been stood or had lain, as this ensured a good night’s sleep.
• Evil water spirits in the form of a horse,bull or cow are often associated with tales about lochs, lakes and tarns.
• Hares make their burrows on hills that have blind springs running beneath them.
• Mole nests and badger sets are also associated with the location of blind springs.
• Some plants grow better in areas where earth energy columns arise.

We have found an abundance of faerie rings with unusually lush grass growth forming circles around hilltops and sacred sites. At Arbor Low stone circle we found a column of energy arcing out of one faerie ring and joining to another some thirty feet away.

Energy Formations

• Quoting Guy Underwood, Cowan says that blind springs (crossing points of underground water) send vertical spirals of energy arcing into the air.
• The book shows an illustration of The Staff of Aesculapius symbol of entwined light and dark serpents (similar to the Caduceus symbol). A similar double-helix energy formation is shown emerging from a standing stone. (Confirmed)
• There are at least two types of straight leys: containment leys and national leys. National leys follow geological fault lines, whereas containment leys can be constructed with a stone and a mound.
• Underground energies are shaped like an inverted tree with the trunk being a spiral at the surface.
• Cup marks carved in a stone produce an energy beam. One ray per mark (although it could be two as the line may come back into the stone ).
• To make an energised stone carve a cup mark in sunlight. Once carved the stone can be moved, and the beam of energy directed by turning the stone.

Energy Properties

• Cup marked stones are the SOURCE powering circuits of energy linking several ancient sites into a circuit of energy on both a local and national geographical scale.
• Straight alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. leys differ from the earthy telluric energies (male and female lines). Alignment leys are neither male nor female, he says. Neutral, we say. (Confirmed)
• Telluric energyA general term encompassing all forms of earth-bound or earth-generated energy. This is in differentiation to forms of celestial energy. Telluric energy can be both subtle energy and what we may call “gross” energy – in other words, energy that can be measured by current scientific instrumentation and which is electro-magnetic in nature. follows the path of least obstruction, e.g. animal trails, tramlines in cornfields, or through forests. (Confirmed)
• He equates the telluric energies to the Yin/Yang properties discussed by Chinese geomancers. The male energies come from edges, whereas the female energies emerge from hollows. These energies are also attracted to features of a similar type: i.e. male energies seek edges, whereas female energies seek hollows. (Confirmed)
• This energy tunes into resonant cavities – holes or hollows, skulls and bones. These cavities are resonated by wind passing through them, causing vibrational resonance.
• Qualities of the energies:

1. takes the easiest path,
2. attracted to bodies of water,
3. attracted to recent death sites.

• The wavelengths of telluric energies are phased, and seems to be based on a two-minute cycle. Dowsing the same wave twice within that two minute cycle ought to yield variations on the position of the wave.
• Straight leys do not cycle their phase and are STATIC. (Confirmed)
• SOLAR ENERGY produces the shape wave around objects on the earth (trees, stones, tumuli). This means that the size of the “aura” of that feature is linked to the extent of its shadow in the sun. The extent is mirrored not only on the shadow side, but on its opposite side too, like an anti-shadow.
• In derelict houses the energy will enter the door and leave by another “hole” such as a chimney, or window.
• The energy will often pass across bridges.
• Male lines spiral clockwise, female lines spiral anti-clockwise. (Confirmed)
• Streams, rivers, roads, paths, railway lines and electricity pylons all act as carriers for telluric energies. Straight leys are not re-directed by the presence of obstacles, but travel in straight lines naturally. (Confirmed)
• The width of the holes in standing stones or cup marks in stones denotes the breadth of the telluric line that emerges from it (or travels through it). Narrow holes or slits concentrate energies into thin lines, whereas wide or gaping holes emit a broad encircling line of energy.

Winter Hill cup-marked stone

Ancient Site Construction

• Two standing stones side by side form a portal that focuses energy lines along a particular direction. (Confirmed)
• Standing stones are situated on the crossing points of two or more underground streams.
• Some piles of stones (cairns) attract the paths of energies, and may even be sources of energies themselves. If one stone is moved away from the pile then an energy path will come with it. (Confirmed)
• The gaps in piles of boulders attracts telluric energies, as do man-made gaps between hills and split stones (like The Praying Hands of Mary in Perthshire).
• Telluric energies avoid Forestry Commission Plantations. The trees being so close together form an impenetrable barrier.
• Four-stone circles work differently from other types of stone circle. They are called “four posters”. These circles transmit energy out to circular burial grounds.
• Dolmens or cromlechs seem designed as parabolas for the purpose of concentrating energy. (Confirmed)
• Suggests that Arbor Low is a hub for many radial alignment leys. Kal found 12. (Confirmed)
• Confirms that energies come out of the FLAT side of a stone in a circle (like at Druid’s Circle, Penmaenmawr), circles around, then comes back into the stone. (Confirmed)
• Sites tend to be built upon geological fault lines, and lines cross at nodes where activity is strongest.
• Lakes, tarns, lochs and just about any standing water body acts as an attractor pulling energy currents towards them, even uphill.
• Sacred sites usually have some element of PARABOLA involved in their design. These concentrate the energies coming in to a single point.

Consider the position of power centres in stone circles, which are always off-centre and closer to the edge of a site. There is also an interesting story (upcoming blog post) about some Tibetan monks being observed and photographed by a German scientist demonstrating their powers of levitating a megalith by using sound energy. This was achieved whilst stood in a semi-circle a precise distance away from the stone and chanting whilst drumming.

Death Energies

• A ram’s head skull found int he path of a ley lineThe term used by many British dowsers to describe an energy leyA straight line of neutral energy linking two or more sacred sites or other energetic centres. This is often confused with Alfred Watkins’ concept of the Ley Line. Strictly speaking a ley line does not necessarily mean a neutral energy line, only a sight 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. had a set of concentric rings around it in the shape of the skull. These got narrower apart at the outer edge. The spread of these concentric waves supposedly can vary according to how recent the death of the animal was.
• The burial sites of ancient warriors is a likely place to find telluric energy flowing through (cf. Hawarden – the Gladstone tomb). (Confirmed)
• Healthy lines turn to unhealthy lines when they pass through a graveyard.
• The more recent the death, the stronger the attraction for energy lines.
• The paths of the dead were always straight, and many straight leys run through ancient burial sites. It seems as though the dead were transported along these straight trackways (or “doodwegen” - ’dead ways’  in Dutch). Many cultures believe that the recent dead travel in straight lines.

Scientific and Paranormal properties of energy

• The dowsing brain is sensitive to electromagnetic fields. Passing through these fields with increasing speed increases the voltage in the brain from around 4microvolts @ 1m/sec to 400microvolts @8m/sec.
• Rotating the head also causes a similar increase in voltages. Are increases in voltages associated with altered states of consciousness?
• Welsh folklore has it that cup marks and petroglyphs hold the key to all knowledge of the arts and sciences of the ancient world. See also the book “Lost Arts and Sciences of the Stone Age”
• Apollonius Rhodius (Greek poet) said: “Stones placed at the apex of a tumulus are so sensitive as to be movable by the mind.”
• Telluric energy may be capable of splitting stones, or causing weaknesses in stone to be exposed to weathering, thus creating unusual gaps along the paths of straight leys.
• Up until the 1950s it was common for Glasgow women to draw “step charms” in chalk on their doorsteps. These were intricate patterns of sacred gemoetrical shapes. The idea was to give whoever stopped over them the benefits of their benevolent energies. In India they are called “kolams“.
• Kiva, or magnetic chambers, used by the Native Americans for the purpose of transformation of consciousness. Souterrains like Bryn Celli Ddu, or Lligwy chamber, serve this purpose too. (Confirmed)
• Chladni patterns produced by sound vibrations shaping sand on a smooth surface – are these designs the format of crop circle designs? Does that mean that crop circles are produced by energy at differing frequencies?
• Crop circles could form ever more complex patterns through the input of ever stronger electromagnetic forces, producing a pattern much like when sand on a flat plate is vibrated at higher and higher frequencies.
• Margaret Watts-Hughes used her voice to create patterns (lycopodium grains, sand, powder and a ‘singing tube’) – they are called Eidophone Voice Figures. This was simply done using a pipe with some rubber stretched across the ‘trumpet’ or bowl section. The power and sand are mixed with some water and spread across the membrane. Gentle tonal singing through the tube then produces patterns.

Healing with Energy

• There is an ancient tradition of burying silver bells to ward off malignant energies. As the bell shape is concave it deflects bad earth energies.
• Lines from a stone can pick up healthy negative IONS by following a stream or river (especially a lively one).
• Energy lines that follow a stream or river can be attracted and directed around houses to form a shield against unhealthy energies in the area.
• Drilling a hole in a stone (The Cheesewring, Cornwall, for example) causes it to emit a form of energy that is traditionally associated with healing.
• Healthy energy waves can pass through glass, but unhealthy waves cannot, and avoid or go around the glass obstacle.
• Confirms that electricity pylons attract and act as a conduit or carrier for both healthy and unhealthy energies.
• Putting a mirror or glass (glass is the key) beneath a bed will deflect harmful energy lines (‘black lines’) and aid a restful sleep.
• T.C.Lethbridge believed that waterfalls, spring and streams were places where humans could interact best with the natural force field, as they generate negative (good) ions. They certainly have the power to enervate the human spirit.

The Geology and Geography of Ley Lines

• There is a long straight ley running from Glastonbury Tor to Edinburgh Castle
• Cowan speculates that highest telluric currents originate from volcanic activity (volcanies, volcanic plugs). These volcanic plugs often have large castles situated on them that housed rulers and kings.
• Magnetic anomalies of Croy Brae, Ranmore Common (Surrey), Isle of Mull, Mt Cavo in Italy, and Long Mynd in Shropshire all have unusual effects. Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire has an extremely high geomagnetic field.
• The Isle of Staffa (near Mull, site of Fingal’s Cave) and the Giant’s Causeway – both originators of straight energy leys, and made from volcanic basalt rock. The cave is huge, and combined with the volcanic source material, projects a powerful ley across to Iona.

Tiamat: The Chromatic Dragon

Miscellaneous

• Names for the energy 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. around the world:

1. KUEI (China) – travels in straight lines, dislikes iron & steel.
2. ECHIDNA (Greece) – lives in caves, moves at night, shuns the daylight.
3. ORME (Gaelic) – worm that suns the daylight.
4. TIAMAT  – lives below water, is evil.
5. OMNIONT (N.America) – giant snake, when angry makes thunder, lightening, hail and rain.
6. WHOWIES (Australia) – lives in caves, travels only at night.
7. BUNYIP (Australia) – lives in damp sand.
8. UROO (Australia) – water serpent that twists and turns below the earth’s surface.

Conclusion

Many assertions that need testing, wonderful description of layering up over energy systems over a wide area. Describes how to build a ley system. Second half of book is by Anne Silk and is attempt to scientifically (specif. geologically) explain paranormal phenomena via earth energy qualities. Similar to work done by Paul Devereux.

It is clear there is a link made by Cowan (as by many other researchers, archaeologists and dowsers) between the siting of ancient burial sites and their energetic potential. It seems as though death, or the extinction of life in particular, attracts telluric energies. A connection we were not keen to explore after our Norton Priory experience last year (see blog post), but may have to revisit.

I heartily recommend the “Ancient Energies..” book as a useful insight into how David Cowan deconstructed then reconstructed the makings and working of a large-scale energy ley system and its associated local telluric energy systems. When you see the scale of the work done by ancient cultures it only further impresses you with its ingenuity and sensitivity. We know little of its actual power potential, however.

References

1. David Cowan & Anne Silk : “Ancient Energies of the Earth“  (buy)
2. David Cowan & Chris Arnold : “Ley Lines and Earth Energies“  (buy)
3. If you want to see what kind of subjects David is drawn to research then you should visit his website: http://www.leyman.demon.co.uk

Gwas,

Following in the footsteps.

I have just posted a list of the books that have been useful to me as reference works, for study and research, for inspiration, or for sheer delight. I hope you find this a useful resource for your own learning in the fields of

• druidry
• dowsing
• earth energies
• esotericism
• mysticism
• the old tradition
• lost crafts and arts
• shamanism
• entheogenics
• 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.
• crop circles
• ancient knowledge
• sacred places

If you’re not interested in any of these subjects, then may I respectfully suggest you head off to the MSN portal, where I am sure you will find enough content to fill your mind. You appear to be lost!

Gwas.

Follow the lines of strange symbols marching across the pages.

It was a dark, starry night when Gwas and I set off towards the far distant destination of Cirencester and the British Soc. of Dowsing annual conference. It was a 3 hour trip and we aimed to get there for about 8:30a.m. A monumental feat since my clock doesn’t have a such early times on it.

Nevertheless – my motto is very simple – Its the company that counts – and since that was fantastically provided by my dear friend. The journey promised to be filled with lively debate.

So…with hearts filled with adventure and minds yearning for new knowledge and meetings we set off – heading almost into the sunrise

Some of the questions that came into our minds on the journey were: Would we know enough to fit into the conference? Would the conference speakers fulfill our expectations…It was an interesting speculation to be sure. I have to confess a couple of the titles in the presentation list did not inspire me with confidence.

Anyway – the journey was wonderful, with mist and fog rising at certain points and they days promise of sun was all we needed to keep our spirits enlivened.

We arrived at the wonderful Agricultural College (where the conference was set) in good time – Gwas will no doubt furnish the blog with pics – and we walked about the crisp autumn coloured grounds with coffee in hand wondering what the day would unfold.

Dr Serena Roney-Dougal

To begin with we attended a lecture by Dr Serena Roney-Dougal entitled ‘Where science and magic meet’ – and I was completely engrossed – I felt a real connection with Dr Serena – The way she brought ideas together and connected disparate pieces of information and wisdom was very much akin to the way that my mind works – There were several salient points that she brought to bare on the topic some of which I will note here:

• A calcite crystal forms in the brain at puberty
• The pineal gland (thought to be influential on Psi activity) decreases as one ages – beginning at puberty
• The earths GMF affects the Pineal Gland
• Decrease in GMF helps Telepathy and Remote dowsing type activities
• Increase in GMF promotes healing abilities and interestingly poltergeist activity

There was plenty more – but my mind is still assimilating the ideas and so patience is needed.

Nothing more could show my enthusiasm for Dr Serena’s work in that I immediately went in search of both her – alas slightly old books.

There was a one hour interlude where I – synchronistically? – met a lady who had a fascinating tale to tell – which I have pinched for my other blog originalpurity.wordpress.com.

The rainbow maze that wasn’t

In one of the quads they had laid out a maze using coloured ribbons – the purpose of this escaped both Gwas and I. However, we dowsed it and found that the coloured ribbons which were laid out in circles should have been spiraled and that the center was off by about 3 feet.

And since we have recently come into dowsing colours – we dowsed the coloured concentric circles and found that the ribbons were about 2 foot less in radius. or about a colour out if you like. In our estimation, red was where they had put orange, orange was where they had marked yellow, and so on.

In the centre they had marked a manifestation pattern – two in fact. The inner pattern was familiar to me – a trefoil, three leaves of a flower. The outer pattern was a shamrock shape with three leaves again. We could only confirm the inner petals; the outer petal shape eluded us. Dead centre they had placed a flower pot containing several roses not in water. Inside those they had placed a pot with water, and in the water they had placed some shard of coloured glass. Most intriguing!

Hamish Miller

Gwas has on many occasions mentioned Hamish and his theories and experiences. I was prepared to meet a dowsing ‘giant’ and from the few glimpses of him during the day he did seem to be the part. The father of Dowsing – hmmm. And so I was so looking forward to Hamish’s presentation.

Hamish is a world renowned writer and dowser having dowsed many ancient sites across the globe. An interesting phenomenon he mentioned is that a manifestation pattern he found at one juncture of a major – world crossing 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. – will grow and change as one travels along other junctures along the line.

He also told a story of a manifestation created by a Maori girl in a sacred spot. She manifested an energy pattern through song and rock.

For the latter part of his talk, Hamish concentrated on the responsibility of Dowsers to aid in the “setting to rights of the world” – I am all in favour of setting the world right – but I have no more responsibility of it than anyone else has.

And in essence those were the salient points of his talk, I was left deeply disappointed and now that I think on some of his experiences I find myself wondering…see upcoming post…on his theory and recollection.

Some aura work and Ego’s

Gwas and I were prone to laze in the afternoon sun as most of the other participantsof the conference were. However since this was a ‘dowsing conference’ we decided to stray from the norm and er…well…do some dowsing.

Whilst I was sat on the grass, Gwas dowsed my aura (ok – “Nemeton”!) and found it to be some 3/4 foot slightly oval shaped around me (with a bit of a bulge in the back (hmmm – was that were the tree was?)

I said to him – “Dowse it again and I will make it bigger” As Gwas walked away, I visualised my aura expanding (by filling it with crown chakra channelled energy) to about two and half times the size he previously measured it – and sure enough his rods flew apart at that distance! Fantastic!

Another conference participant was sat some feet away and Gwas asked to measure her aura. She agreed and it came to about 5 feet away from her body. She said she would expand it. Gwas asked “How far back shall I walk” The lady replied all the way to the end of the Quad – this was some 60 metres away…

As she was directing Gwas further and further across field – I felt a tinge of trickery enter my oft devilish mind – and so while Gwas was dowsing her aura – I placed a shell that pushed her aura in and in – and so it was that Gwas eventually arrived at a foot before her body before the rods announced the boundary. She was highly disappointed and I had a grin on my face – and Gwas looked at me with a suspicious druid eye

Then it was turnabout and I dowsed Gwas’s aura. He told me to wait a moment as he settled under a tree. I started to dowse and found his aura expanding some 30 feet before him? It was my turn to raise a suspicious eye now – why did he sit under the tree? Mr Druid

Michael Bott

Michael has done a lovely DVD (“Standing with Stones”) of his and his mates’ visits to over 100 sites – really nice and artistic. Dowsing content = nil point! Still – nice to see! O and I did say we should go to something else – but too late we had already sat down – still – nice DVD [Gwas notes: Actually, the alternative lectures were already full - that's why we ended up at this one.]

And so…

Well the conclusion of our trip left me with the following:

• We are definitely in frontier territory already – see my intent blog item from only last week! It was worth the money just to know that
• Serena has some really interesting stuff on Parapsychology – I might even get in touch with her and see if I can get involved – ok – I was impressed!
• I’m a people person and I got a lot to assimilate from my chat with…see my own blog – link above
• Hamish is a nice guy on a mission
• We (Gwas and I) really need to sort out a methodological way of reporting and making notes – because although we know loads – our conversations are spattered with “o i forgot that we knew that or did that”
• We have to visit some of the sites Michael’s DVD showed – Callanish in the Hebrides of Scotland – is definitely a contender

O yes I forgot

There was a guy (Dr Darvill) who did a one hour talk to tell us that Stonehenge was used for healing (D’oh!) – O and he was also the guy who was on the Timewatch program this weekend (see blog date) just gone.

Kal

PS – notes:

• use ribbons to map out spirals and energy paths
• video our dowsing activities
• be more concise with note taking
• never throw away a theory or suggestion no matter how wild – indeed the wilder the better