The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘ghost’

Hexham is an ideal location for a stopover if you want to visit Hadrian’s Wall – the vast wall built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd Century C.E. 

M and I decided to stay in Hexham, Tynedale, as the last stop of our North-Eastern UK tour. By this time we had come to rely upon Trip Advisor as it had been highly successful so far. For some reason we had difficulty locating a good hotel, inn or bed & breakfast in Hexham. Nothing seemed to fit right, and the ones that were highly recommended were all booked up – on a week night? When it wasn’t the school holidays? How peculiar, we thought. What’s so special about Hexham?

M had a “funny feeling” and was trying everything she could do not to stay in Hexham. My rational brain was dominant, however, and I couldn’#t see any reason why we shouldn’t stay there. It was early evening, we were tired, the town was close to the Wall, and it would have amenities. Seemed like a good choice. M insisted we try elsewhere, so I drove ten miles outside to a recommended inn, but it was full already. So, back we went, using Trip Advisor to guide us to a convenient but well-liked Hexham hotel.

I should have known. It was recommended for its “englishness” and “quaintness”. For “english” read “eccentric” and for “quaint” read “out-dated”. As we entered the hotel the proprietress appeared, almost quite literally out of thin air! Both of us felt there was something not right about the owner and the place – she kept popping up behind us unexpectedly and had a “knowing” air about her which we felt quite intimidatory.

The Haunted Hotel

We asked to see the two rooms she had available so she showed them to us. The first one was dismal! It had a four-poster bed but M wouldn’t step into the room! I walked through very quickly to be polite, but even my dull psychic senses were throbbing, and a voice in side my head was creaming “NO! Don’t stay in this room!”. We declined and went to the next one. It was lighter, brighter and felt better. We agreed to take it.

When we went to pick up our bags M came back up the stairs in a panic. Something, she said, had attached itself to her as she walked up the stairs! I immediately dowsed this and confirmed that something had indeed latched onto her. The creepiness and creakiness of the place was beginning to become a problem. I used a technique I had learned from some spirit release books, and removed the spirit energy – with the help of some spirit entities that I could call upon for such work. The piggy-backing visitor did not leave easily, but with a bit of encouragement from my side we pushed it away.

I set about putting up a protective ring of crystals to ward off any further intrusions or unwelcome visitors of the invisible kind. I hasten to add, this is not something I go around doing on a regular basis and I wasn’t very well prepared for it. I just happened to have brought some crystals that I could use, but they weren’t the ideal ones for this sort of work. We “settled in” as best we could, not unpacking too much because we knew we would be away the next morning. I looked on my phone for some restaurants that we could eat at. We found one in the row of shops just opposite the hotel, and it came well recommended so we wandered across. From that point onwards things began to get even more odd!

The Sudden Appearance

As we sat at the table the restaurant began to fill up for the evening trade. At one point I looked at the new arrivals at the table next to us – it was the creepy landlady and her husband. We politely registered that we had seen them. We had finished our meals before them and so headed back to the hotel, full of food and feeling better about the world. We used our key to get into the front door and were about to head on upstairs when who should appear right behind us? The creepy landlady. Our minds boggled – how had she managed to finish her meal and get back over here, and into the hotel by some other (longer) route, and appear next to us unseen and unheard? Now we were spooked! She said good night to us with a scary false smile, and we hurried off up the stairs to our room.

We tried to get some sleep. I could feel, as I lay on the bed, that something was trying to “get at” me – a kind of psychic probing. I could feel pressure as though something was trying to get into my head. I hoped the crystals and my intentions to create a barrier sphere of energy would be enough to withstand the assault. I seemed to work for the moment – enough for me to get to sleep. Maybe that was the worst thing I could have done, sleep? As I went into deep sleep (and my awareness switched to another dimension) then the attacks may have got worse for suddenly M was wide awake and nudging me. She could feel something “not right”. We had a fitful sleep for the rest of the night and couldn’t wait for morning.

The barrier I had constructed with the crystals was only partially successful that night. I should have tried to neutralise any incoming energy rather than to try to block it out. The crystals weren’t up to that job. as my wife was barraged all night by attempts to connect to her, and not in a pleasant informative way, but a creepy vampiric way. Something, or someone had been trying to connect to us with tendrils of thought energy.

In the morning all was pleasantness on the surface but I felt that there was a series of hidden exchanges going on between us – a kind of unspoken dialogue and I was still in a battle of wits using all my psychic strength to repel attempts to inquire about us, or to connect to us and drain us of energy. By now it could have been sleep deprivation that was making the feelings worse, but I’ve never had a night that I can remember that was quite so strange as that night in Hexham. I won’t be going back to that hotel. Ever. We couldn’t get out of there fast enough, but I nearly took the key with me and had to return it, having one more final interaction with the creepy landlady and her crooked smile.

Once out of the town we breathed a collective sigh of relief. What a strange night, and one that we never wanted to repeat!

Gwas.

One of the many delightful castles that line the North-Eastern coastline of England is Bamburgh Castle. Bamburgh is one of the best-preserved castles we have, and it is certainly worth a visit. Seemingly it is also one of the most haunted, certainly if you listen to the Most Haunted TV team who visited the castle for an episode aired in 2006. An episode summary includes this story:

“During World War Two when the Castle was used as a hospital a young male patient shot and tragically killed himself, his figure has been seen at the bottom of the stairs, and cold spots have been felt, a cold hand has been felt by visitors trying to hold their hand, this all happens in the Tapestry Passage.” (Most Haunted)

You can watch that episode and gather some more information about the castle and its hauntings here.

Why am I promoting this highly over-exaggerated and often made-up TV programme? I’m not. But I do want to tell you about what happened when I went to the castle. M and I were among the first visitors there that day, and we took the first opportunity to go around the “state rooms” where all the artefacts are on display. Don’t get me started on such displays of wealth – I could go on all day about it. Instead, let’s turn our attention to a few interesting items. Firstly there was the picture by R. J. S. Bertram of the story of  The Laidley Worm of Spindleston Heugh.

It is a beautiful picture with the story of the worm and its slaying told in little sections all around the outside of the picture. I will re-tell that story in a post soon.

In another room both M and I felt something strange about an object described as a “marriage chest” – presumably a chest that contained either the dowry or the chattels that accompanied a lady who was to be married to someone who lived at Bamburgh. As we approached the object we both felt a terrible feeling of dread in our lower abdomens. This is my usual sign for bad or negative energy. It made me realise that I ought to be thinking about energetically scanning the castle, so from that point onwards I switched on my protection shell, and began to scan the castle for energetic impressions. That was the point when I turned the corner into the corridor leading to the armory and read about the ghosts.

On the wall between the main house and the armoury were some stories written by local schoolchildren. They were the stories of the ghostly inhabitants of the castle. In that small corridor a bottleneck was forming as people stopped int he narrow confines to read the tales about The Pink Lady, Green Jane and Dr.John Sharp. The one that caught my attention was one about a soldier from World War II. Here I was, in the Tapestry Passage with my ‘attention’ ready for use. So I switched it on again to see what would happen (protection up too, of course). I walked along the corridor in a state of mind that to observers would have resembled a dazed state, but my mind was focused on what my body could detect.

Haunting Bamburgh Castle

As I walked the corridor slowly I suddenly felt something pass through my right-hand side that caused my body to shiver. It was swift but definite, momentary but startling. It was that feeling that people refer to as a “coldness” that is often associated with ghosts. I felt it wasn’t a coldness exactly, but it was something that made the body react as if it was touched by coldness.I knew what it was. That feeling was what it felt like to be touched by an energy that is in another level of vibration. A ghost had just passed through me!

As M and I got into the armoury and began to look around she pulled me to one side in a conspiratorial corner and whispered to me: “Did you notice anything in that passageway?” she asked. She had known nothing of what I intended to do there and I had not told her anything yet about what had happened. I confirmed that I had felt something without giving too much away, waiting to hear what she had to say about it. “It was weird“, she continued, “I’m sure that I saw something in that corridor. A figure.” “A man?” I asked. “That’s what it felt like.” she said. Interesting that she said that. It ‘felt like’ a man – not ‘looked like’ a man. I told her that I was sure it was the soldier and she gave me a quizzical look – how could I know, she seemed to be saying? I didn’t know for sure – I was just putting two and two together. An otherworldly presence and the story I had just read.

I don’t know what happened there but I can guess. It certainly made me think again about energetic shades and how we can sense otherworldly presences when we adjust our perception. The curious incident of a druid in the daytime.

Gwas

I really ought to give some form of recognition to Saint Beuno. Whenever we encounter this saint’s sacred places on our journeys around the northern wildernesses of Wales we always end up learning something of interest. On this occasion Kal and I stopped off in the small village of Gwyddelwern – not a village noted for anything much except the fenced off remnants of a well that couldn’t find. That wasn’t such a disappointment given that we would then go on to drive to St Sara’s Well, and Kal has already posted that experience.

St.Beuno’s church in Gwyddelwern is tucked away behind a now empty inn of some outstanding beauty that stands in the centre of the village along the main road. We walked into the churchyard without a script or agenda for what we would be doing here. We had already visited several sites that day and there were more to come, but this was an off-the-cuff excursion and sometimes they turn out to be some of the most interesting. For me, this would turn out to be the case.

St Beuno's Church, Gwyddelwern

Go Gently Into That Dark Night

One of the first features of St.Beuno’s church in Gwyddelwern is the beautiful elevated yew tree that sits close to the entrance to the churchyard. It is one of the first things one notices on approach. Of course, it was the first thing I made a bee-line for, noticing it, admiring it, and making my presence known to it by introducing myself. As I didn’t feel I had any work to do that involved it, I passed it by, but Kal stopped to do some dowsing around it.

If you have read any of the many posts we wrote last year when I was going through the Yew Stage of Druidic learning then you will know that the yew tree has symbolic significance for this path – it is the symbol of life, death, re-birth and transformation. As such it is a powerful force and ally in such work, but I was not here for those properties today. There is another aspect to the yew tree that is very much overlooked and little understood these days – its ability to pacify and ground the energies of the wandering shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life)..

A calming yew tree at Gwyddelwern

What this means in practise is that churchyards that have yew trees (and the greater the number or the older and bigger the tree then the stronger the effect) will have largely peaceful spaces – there will be very few energetic remnants of human beings left to wander the grounds, potentially attaching themselves to living humans of doing whatever it is that amuses them to do with us! There will usually be one or two shades, but rarely will there be lots of them. Maybe there is some form of energetic exchange going on between the yew tree and the energies surrounding graves, I don’t actually know. What I know is that we rarely find much shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). activity when yew trees are present, and that if you dowse for the connection between a yew tree and anything else in the area you will usually be taken to each and every grave site on the plot. They have a relationship, and the relationship is based upon some form of pacifying quality that the yew tree offers. The same is true of Gwyddelwern churchyard too.

“Celebrations of the Winter Solstice focus strongly on the yew as it is supposed to be closely linked to the deities of death and rebirth. This mystical link means that it was used (collections of the bark at least) during funerals or laid on top of graves as a reminder of death merely being another part of the human journey to what happens after life.” (source: ParanormalHaze.com)

“As a reminder...”, they say. Well, maybe that is how the knowledge has been interpreted in recent times, but I think it has a more practical purpose – the energies of the yew tree can ground human death energies.

This is where our research differs from other information you may find on the Internet. Kal and I are working with these trees to uncover their secrets, discover their properties, and understand what they can do. This is practical druidry – not a theoretical regurgitation of some information passed down through a hundred creative re-tellings. This is direct first-hand experience. In that sense, we know our information is more useful to us than reading about the properties of a tree and then going to enact someone else’s rituals beneath it in the hope that such magic will work. Our form of Natural MagickThis is a system of belief that is often defined as being the appropriation and re-use of naturally occurring forces for the purposes of healing, transformation, communication, or a host of other subtle effects. The natural elements of the magick can also be seen by the under-pinning concept that the use of these forces should be co-operative rather than coercive. is based upon direct experience with these entities, and visionary and intuited knowledge in the presence of these great teachers – the trees themselves. The forces of Nature themselves craft the rituals we perform.

Vampire Shades

There was at last one shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). that managed to escape the attentions of the grounding energies of the yew tree. How it was able to do that, I don’t know, but we have come across this at other churchyards too. As Kal was checking the properties of the yew tree, I was searching around for any remaining shades. I found one – a lady who had been interred in 1872, but whose shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). – her remnant energy body – was still present in the churchyard. Who knows what level of intelligence remains in these energy bodies? The accounts of psychics and other sensitives tell us that they are largely automatic – existing in a world outside of an awareness of time, re-living the strong emotions that perpetuate their energy forms, and drawing upon available energy resources such as passing humans whenever they can.

This is not an area that I spend much time researching. I have read several books on hauntings, poltergeists, ghosts and the books of mediums, but it is not an area that I feel particularly drawn to study. Druid courses often included elements of “getting in touch with the ancestors”, and whilst I think this is an interesting form of divination or access to knowledge beyond our normal sense, I personally believe it is a world that I do not have much ability to comprehend, so I tend to stay away from it. However, saying that, I do not shy away from the necessary skills that I must achieve if I am to progress, and I recognise that druidry entails some aspects of working with death energies. With that in mind I investigated this interesting shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). that had managed so remains here for over 100 years – just how had she done that? The answer was a little startling!

St Beuno's Church

As we have mentioned many times before, asking “How” or “Why” questions to dowsing rods is like asking a baby to solve a Times Crossword - cryptic questions lead to unsolvable puzzles. Instead I used Kal’s patented method of asking to be taken to a place that would give me a clue as to how this shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). was managing to stay active. The rods swung away from where I was, by the side of this lady’s grave, and moved me towards the newer patch of burial sites until the rods crossed atop a grave that was only a few years old – possibly the newest grave in the churchyard. The markings on the grave indicated that the person had died relatively young – in their forties. So, here was the clue – a potentially vibrant human energy had been interred and the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). had seemingly drained or leeched that energy from this person’s body. As I began to dowse more to check this feeling all the answers seemed to confirm this – the remnant shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). drew energy from each new corpse that was laid in the church, if the circumstances were suitable.

I know what you’re asking – what are the circumstances? I don’t know. There are many questions raised by this finding, and few answers. In my experience a person who seems in some way aware of death and can make preparations has more opportunity to ground themselves by neutralising their energy – balancing it out – righting wrongs, settling debts, that kind of thing – they are the ones who will neutralise their energy body and free their spirits to return to the source. The dying person’s objective is to ground their energy as they approach death. If the death is sudden or unexpected then this release process may not happen and the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). may get stuck outside of the planes of existence that it is intended to travel to. This is one idea – there are many theories but only death itself will confirm or deny them for us. Do report back when you go, won’t you? I have so many questions!

One more detail that I did manage to elicit from the rods was that death energy that isn’t grounded is liable to become fodder for vampiric shades who can leech the energy. The shades are able to sustain their lifespan in this way for about 8-12 years per draining. Why some become shades I don’t know. One theory is that it is to do with an attachment to life, or to some person on earth that the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). simply cannot bring themselves to leave. I’m not sure that the answer is so simple, because the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). seems unable to be with the person that they may have been so attached to, so why bother sticking around? Another of many mysteries about death energies and their forms. Perhaps time will straighten this out a little?

Gwas.

In this post I will attempt to define my current understanding of the ghost, the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). and the spirit. Before I begin to do that let me say that although both Kal and I have read considerable amounts on these subjects, and though we are energetically-aware, the world of ghosts, shades and spirits has been a topic that we have stayed well away from. We both have had good reason for this, and yet, I have recently been led back into a set of tasks that will place me directly on such a path where meetings with such energies cannot be avoided. Such is the path of the druid who learns his skills without shirking his responsibilities. My aim is complete knowledge of my path, and thankfully I have been expertly guided to and through these processes by my mental and physical teachers. Without their guidance, without the dowsing, I would not be attempting this at all.

DEFINITION OF A GHOST

In my experience ghosts are known by several names and pahrases, each of which is entirely synonymous and interchangeable. These are:-

1. Ghost
2. Apparition

For a plain definition of this phenomenon I turn to Linda Williamson, a plain-speaking medium, author of several books on the subject, who defines a ghost like this:

“If a person has experienced intense emotion such as pain, suffering or fear in a particular place, some fragment of their energy may linger there. It can remain for many years, even for centuries, imprinted into the very bricks and stones of a building. This fragment of energy has no consciousness and cannot interact with the living. It is just the empty shell of the person, like a suit of clothing the wearer has long since discarded. The peron’s spirit, their real essence, has passed on into the spirit world.The fragment that is left behind is a ghost.” (Source: “Ghosts and Earth-Bound Spirits” by Linda Williamson)

This is a simple explanation, and has several things that need developing further, but it is a neat starting point because it introduces some concepts about these energies – they remain for a time, they are remnant energies, they have no intelligence, and they are often linked to a particular place. We will develop and explain each of these concepts momentarily.

Some questions arise out of this definition. Why are emotions imprinted? Why do some emotional imprints fade only slowly whereas others fade very quickly? How interactive are these ghosts, and how can they communicate? Why are their energies linked to a specific place? Good questions. Here is my current theory, developed largely in conjunction with Kal.

EMOTIONAL IMPRINTING
When strong emotion of any sort is given off by a living being it has the ability to merge into and be absorbed by surrounding materials. The stronger the emotion, the wider and deeper is the energetic “bow wave” or “explosion” of that emotional impulse. Usually, the earth, the air, fire and water will all diffuse and dilute these emotions transmitting them away from the source like the resonance of a shout heard on a hilltop. The more genuine emotion is involved in the outburst of energy then the stronger that energy is. If that emotional state is prolonged or strong then there is more energy flowing into the surroundings. In open land this will easilyand quickly dissipate, but in enclosed spaces the energy gets reflected and absorbed by the surrounding material, like a wall would absorb dampness. Water is a very apt metaphor for this effect. If a bucket of water is thrown at a brick wall every day (symbolising a large outburst of energy regularly) then soon the wall will become damp inside as it absorbs the moisture. If a tap drips onto a wall slowly over a long period of time it may have similar effects, eventually causing the wall to crumble with the amount of moisture it has absorbed. In this way emotion seeps into static absorbant material.

THE LONGEVITY OF ENERGY
Emotional imprints will fade and dissipate if they are not fed by an energy source. If a man pours his misery into a particular room for a day then leaves that room never to return, how long will the energetic imprint last? Not long – hours only, maybe days. The factor that makes emotional inprints remain for longer is that the emotional is imprinted upon a source of earth energy. This is one of the many reasons why ancient burial structures are sited near to other megalithic structures such as stone circles. Whereas stone circles were areas for activity of the living, dolmens and mounds were the areas afforded to the energies of the dead. These structures were situated on top of earth energy centres where the earth’s own energy rises up at a poit of weakness in the underlying geological strata. Whether it be a chalk aquifier, two seams of permeable and impremeable rock meeting, fractured seams, or igneous rock with a high crystal content, all of these areas of natural geology gave rise to the deliberate siting of ceremonial and burial sites.

Ancient centres or sites of megaliths are just oen example. All over the world there are places created by either geology or by natural energies from rocks, trees or water that have become places of natural earth energy and power. Another commonly-used example is the siting of large houses, stately homes or halls upon ley lines. Where two ley lines cross there is a natural vortex produced that acts in exactly the same way as a natural earth energy centre in that it is a “sticky spot” where emotional energy can become fixed and empowered, ensuring a longevity that it would not otherwise have if allowed to dissipate naturally.

INTERACTIVITY OF GHOSTS
Some mediums consider that ghosts are like two-dimensional imprints and they cannot or should not be interacted with. I have found in my own personal experience that they are primarily dumb. Watching a ghost is like watching a video of a partcular set of sequences from a person’s life. Some ghosts do not move much at all, whereas others follow a pattern acted out in life. ghosts should therefore not be feared because they can do nothing to harm you having no malice or intent in themselves, only the emotion that they were imprinted with.
For sentitive people, people who are aware of these ghosts, then those people can unwittingly perpetuate a ghost. Standing in the same place as a ghost will lead the sensitive person to mimic or attune to the emotion that is imprinted. If the sensitivie person then gives out the same frequency of energy they can unwittingly feed the energy form, and thus perpetuate it. If you walk into a dark corner and feel fear because fear is imprinted there then the fear will take longer to dissipate because you have just fed more of the same energy into it.

SHADES or EARTH-BOUND SPIRITS

DEFINITION OF A SHADEA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life).

A shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). (also called an earth-bound spirit) is a human energy form that is much more interactive than a ghost. A shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). has a sentient intelligence and a range of emotions, even if the expression of those can often seem more or less refined than our own. Kal calls these forms “Energetic shrouds”, a term derived in part from the work of the mystic and priest C.W.Leadbeater.

Shades can range all the way from mischievous and disruptive spirits (sometimes labelled poltergeists) through to lost souls and other forms of confused or disorientated and trapped forms, and on up to figures of renown and importance whose veneration remains in our psyche. Some people, who refuse to believe that sentient forms can remain in existence, believe that such entities are merely thought-forms conjured upon conception. That’s a real “If a tree falls in a forest...” conundrum. Do things only exist if we give them attention?

Shades gain energy from the sun and moon, and from living human energy fields (particularly the aura). Often they will try to keep a living human talking if he has made contact with them in order to drain his energy unwittingly in order to prolong their own existence. In this sense they could be called ‘psychic vampires’.

SUSTENANCE OF SHADES

In order to remain present on the Earth shades seem to need recognition, in whatever form. This could be the adoration of a following who remember them, the esteem they have been accorded in history, or as a fond memory that is frequently remembered perhaps via a celebration or a particular date to trigger a regular remembrance. I call this requirement “renown” – shades require the energy of renown to remain. Shades are maintained, therefore, from the energy of love and gratitude in all its forms.

Another attractor is a place on the earth which has some natural or unnatural subtle energyA form of energy that has so far eluded scientific definition. It is neither electric, magenetic, nor electro-magnetic, so far as our current technical equipment can measure. It does, however, exhibit many of the characteristics of magnetism and electricity in terms of its effects and properties. It may be a form of either or both of those energies that we have not yet identified.. At sacred sites, whatever their form but particularly burial mounds, natural subtle energyA form of energy that has so far eluded scientific definition. It is neither electric, magenetic, nor electro-magnetic, so far as our current technical equipment can measure. It does, however, exhibit many of the characteristics of magnetism and electricity in terms of its effects and properties. It may be a form of either or both of those energies that we have not yet identified. is often being captures and enhanced by the positioning of sacred stone sites over geological fault lines and other areas of surface weakness. Sites that have a predominantly crystalline geology are particularly effective at generating and corralling this earth energy.

If a human has imprinted emotive energy at a place (due to a moment of high emotion) then that energy can become imprinted into the fabric of the place, absorbed into the rock or the soil of a place. How long this energy lasts is a matter of whether the place has any of the geological characteristics mentioned above, but the mere fact of an emotive imprint is often enough to attract shades, who seem to be able to make use of that energy to sustain themselves – like re-charging a battery through osmosis.

PSYCHIC VAMPIRES

Shades have one final ‘food source’ – us. We give off emotive energy quite often and the more emotionally unstable or extreme a person is the more likely they will attract the attentions of a shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life).. People who have psychic talents, I have noticed, are particularly prone to being preyed upon by shades, and I suspect this is because they are often unaware of the state of their aura. Controlled use of psychic energies is unpredictable to the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life)., but if a psychic person has an aura that is leaking energy then this can become an habitual food source for shades, who will attach themselves to the damaged part of the aura and live off that energy, often draining the host psychically, mentally and physically.

Of course, if the host is completely drained then they fall ill and don’t generate much energy, so the relationship is usually kept at a symbiotic level where both host and shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). are maintaining a constant cycle of rising and falling energy levels (the more extreme the better). I have seen a friend go through this unwittingly, and even when it was pointed out to him, he still continues to act as a host, unwilling to expunge himself of this parasitical entity because it keeps him just below the level where he has enough energy to do something about it. Of course, I have offered to help, and now intend to raise my friend’s energy levels sufficiently that he can rid himself of this pest.

SPIRITS

As mentioned in my prelude post, ‘Body, Aura and Animus’, Spirit is animated by the Animus. Spirit is the literal form of that animus energy, albeit a very diffused form.

In the true sense of the word ‘spirit’ this refers to the essence of the human being that is extant before and after his or her existence in physical form. Some forms of non-human and human spirit can make their presence known to living people, and these come to us in many forms:-

• avatars (messengers),
• spirit guides,
• ascended masters (enlightened humans)
• god forms

Some may appear as archetypes from myth of legend that have become embodiments of a collective human expression of qualities that living humans seek to attain, such as Merlin or King Arthur.

Some spirits, I have learned, regain an interest in humans if they are given a task to complete that involves us. Without the bindings of duty, or the incentive to progress, the temptations of the whole wide inhabited universe must have its appeals. This is mainly speculation, however, because apart from spirit guides I have no information about the motivations and further existences of spirit – it is a world too far removed from experience to describe with any certainty.

Gwas.

In the final post of our Cornwall visit I have reserved the best tale until last. Tintagel was supposed to be simply a passing visit to an historic site, but as usual mystical things began to happen once the dowsing rods had pointed the way.

Tintagel is renowned as a site associated with the legend of King Arthur, although signs dotted around the castle grounds do readily admit that there is little actual evidence for either the existence of Arthur himself, or his relationship with the castle. Yet, this has not stopped the small town of Tintagel from attaching the Arthur and Merlin names to almost every shop, pub, hotel and entertainment venue in sight. I made a reluctant Kal take my picture next to a life-sized plastic Merlin. Oh, the shame on both sides!

The rain that had been tumbling all day had slightly relented, but louring skies heralded more soon. Yet, our enthusiasm was not dampened. I, in particular, was quite excited about the prospect of testing Tintagel Castle for the presence of Arthur and Merlin – whether that be an historical remnant or simply the hint of association. We avoided the Land Rover offering an expensive ride down the steep hill to the castle, and we joyously let our legs find their own speed down the hill, noticing a sign to a church on the way down. We paid our dues and then the rain came down, just as we were about to make the precarious crossing of the wooden bridge between the mainland and the steep cliff-lined island that formed the formidable fortifications of the castle.

As the seas crashed below us and the rain lashed our already damp clothing we climbed the steep slippery steps to stand with the stunning sight of huge caves, high headland and strange islets as we stood looking out over the edge of Cornwall. We stood on a promontory looking at Merlin’s Cave when the thought struck me – was there anything I could do to find out whether this stuff about Merlin and Arthur was actually true? Was there anything I could do – I was supposed to be a dowser! Of course there was something I could do!

The Spirit of Merlin and the ShadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life). of Arthur

I got my dowsing rods at the ready and began to consider what I was going to ask about, but as soon as the mental images of Arthurian characters began to formulate itself into a question there was a nearby flurry of feathers and flaps as a hawk swooped across our vision only feet away to land in the small outcrop of rock just above us. I hate to say it, because in the next few posts this is going to get repeated quite often and is likely to become a little boringly repetitive, but I have come to see the appearance of a hawk as a sign of Merlin, ever since an encounter at Dinas Emrys one evening when I was pursuing an encounter with the spirit of Merlin.

After getting over that ‘sign’ I began the dowsing proper. I began by framing the context of the questions. I would be asking about the concepts of “Merlin” and “Arthur” and until I asked specifically I was not distinguishing between the physically real and the mythological concept of either of those figures. Here are some of the questions I asked:-

• Had Merlin been born at this site? NO
• Had Merlin lived at Tintagel? NO
• Had Merlin visited this place? YES. Interesting.
• Had Arthur been born at this site? NO. Not much information being revealed so far!
• Had Arthur lived at Tintagel? YES. Oh!
• Had Arthur been buried on this site? NO.

Time to move on to the question of whether these characters were real or mythological.

• Was Arthur a real king of England? YES.
• Was Arthur a myth? YES. What?
• Was Arthur both a mythological character AND a real person? YES. Confusing!
• Was Merlin a real magician? NO.
• Was Merlin a myth? YES. But…earlier the dowsing had said that he had visited….
• Did Merlin visit Arthur at Tintagel in some magical way, rather than a physical way? YES.

OK, that was both a little clearer and a little muddier at the same time. I wanted to see now whether there was anything remaining at the site of either of those people (or ideas).

• Was there any of Merlin’s energy remaining at Tintagel? NO.
• Was there any of the Spirit of Arthur’s energy at this site? YES.
• Was there anything of the mortal remains of Arthur at this site? YES. Oh, now that was interesting!
• What was it of Arthur that remained? His bones? NO. His energetic shroudAs coined by Kal after reading the definitions of C.W.Leadbeater – the early 20th Century mystic. Leadbeater considered that man, when he died, could become stuck in a “ShadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life).” – an energetic shell that would retain many of the characteristics of the human in his physical life. It is frequently taken to be what is termed a ‘ghost’ but although it has a certain amount of sentience, it would seem to be limited in terms of its ability to move from the space within which it has anchored itself. It must be stated – it is NOT the person who has died – it is a remainder copy that contains the memories and characteristics of the original energetic fields of the human, but now has no physical organism to work with.? YES.

So, a real person who had either been named Arthur, or who had adopted the title, had ruled here at Tintagel, and now there was the remains of his energy somewhere on this island. That was quote exciting, so I set about trying to find it with the dowsing rods, letting them lead me to where this ‘shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life).; might be. I didn’t know yet what I was going to ask when I got there, but the hint was on!

Arthur’s Viewpoint

In one of the last scenes from the excellent film “Excalibur” there is a poignant moment where Arthur is laid to rest in his final moments with a view out over the ocean, high up on a cliff-top. Now that I have visited Tintagel that scene makes much more sense to me – of course if Arthur had died anywhere close to Tintagel then that would be where he would want to spend his final moments. Who wouldn’t?

View of The Sisters islands from Tintagel

My dowsing rods led me to a place on the island where they indicated that the shadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life)., the energetic shroudAs coined by Kal after reading the definitions of C.W.Leadbeater – the early 20th Century mystic. Leadbeater considered that man, when he died, could become stuck in a “ShadeA shade is the energy body of a human being that has become transfixed at a geographical location. The shade retains many of the qualities of the human that it was attached to (memories, character traits, a level of sentience, movement between places known in life).” – an energetic shell that would retain many of the characteristics of the human in his physical life. It is frequently taken to be what is termed a ‘ghost’ but although it has a certain amount of sentience, it would seem to be limited in terms of its ability to move from the space within which it has anchored itself. It must be stated – it is NOT the person who has died – it is a remainder copy that contains the memories and characteristics of the original energetic fields of the human, but now has no physical organism to work with., or the remnants of his spirit, could be found. I am not going to say where that was. I wish to respect his peace. If you want to find this place then feel free to make the effort to locate it for yourself. Perhaps he will have moved by the time you get there. Perhaps he is in different places for different people. Whichever is the case, it was a special place. I felt that straight away and soon I stopped dowsing questions about who or what this was, and I sat looking out at the view. I asked if it would be appropriate for me to ask for information spiritually, and got a positive response, so I began to tune in. Soon I was deep into a conversation inside my head with whatever this spirit was.

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Sunday 22nd August, 2010 – The Hurlers, Minions, Cornwall.

Having driven through the village of Minions to get to Trethevy Quoit the night before we were fairly confident about finding the famous stone circles called “The Hurlers”. There was a big brown sign pointing to them and everything so how could we miss them? We missed them. The morning mist was so dense that visibility was down to twenty feet, and as we trudged along the damp granite path our attention was on avoiding the larger puddles. At one point I stopped, intuitively feeling something was nearby. As I looked up I could see a small marker stone making an unusually prominent shape in the white misty background. We decided to head in that direction across the moorland and soon other shapes were coming out of the mist confirming that we had made a wise choice. Luck was with us and we hadn’t gone too far past, and soon dark shapes were appearing in regular patterns like dull ghostly sentries. We remarked how ‘atmospheric’ it was, which translated meant, “Dammit – why couldn’t it be sunny – this is spooky!”

What the Hurlers can look like

The Coach and Four

Other people were knocking about too, somewhere. Occasionally we would hear the sound of feet on the path and calls to a dog, or a group of walkers crunching past. It seemed that everyone else was missing the stone circle too because we were not disturbed during our hour long visit by anyone else, despite hearing man other voices nearby. Talking of which, as Kal and I convened on our way back we discussed the sounds we had heard in the mist and realised that both of us had heard the same strange noise. It was the sound of a carriage being pulled by horses. Undoubtedly. I’ve heard that sound in so many films that I couldn’t mistake it. I heard the sound of at least two horses, more like four, and they were accompanied by the sound of wooden wheels crunching on the path. There was no engine noise accompanying it. Most odd. Maybe some people with horse and cart were going past at nine in the morning? Even odder, the sound didn’t fade into the distance as you would expect, but disappeared as it passed us. You heard it clearly for a moment, and then as it passed by it died off quickly, it didn’t fade away. Again, very odd. I shivered a little in the morning gloom, and put it down to the atmosphere, but then when I mentioned it to Kal he nodded – he’d heard the same, and he added his own impressions of the noise which confirmed mine. However, on to the circles….

The Hurlers – The Male Circle and the Cross

There are three circles marked on OS maps, but in the mist we only found two of them. The Secret Cornwall site tells us that we are even wrong about that:

“The remains of a smaller fourth circle have recently been found north-north-east of the obvious three circles and a further fifth circle has been suggested between it and the others” (source: Secret Cornwall)

The first circle we encountered was the larger of the two, then there was a small pathway which linked to a slightly smaller ring of stones a few feet further north. One of the first things we independently dowsed was that the larger circle had a female characteristic, whilst the smaller circle was male.

Can you spot the stones?

Kal spent his first hour in the female circle, or rather, around its periphery, whilst I tried to get to grips with the male circle. I had come to the circles with an idea: I wanted to know whether it was possible to connect to the Sirius star energy, and what would happen if I did. I found a power centreA place where a person of a particular alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. (see ‘AlignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment.’) feels particularly comfortable and empowered. The place is an energetic centre where a particularly beneficial combination and formation of energies is formed into a pattern that is harmonic with the person for whom it can be called a power centre. and began to work with it, connecting to its core. I identified the location of Sirius, and then sat facing it. Almost immediately I got the impression that I should walk around the circle to stir up the energies. I dowsed for the start point, and then which direction – clockwise. No surprises there. I walked around twice, the second time the path began to weave as though the energies around the stones were becoming agitated. This was good – I had done a similar thing at Mitchell’s Fold stone circle once. At that Shropshire circle I had walked around five times, each time dowsing a more erratic path with higher peaks. This was similar, but only required two perambulations to get the energies flowing enough to work with.

Male circle 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. marked by feather and staff

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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 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. at the sites along those lines the manifestation pattern would complexify as he followed the 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 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 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. to check for the compelxification of energy patterns as I travel to each in turn. I have such an 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. 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 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 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