The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘magic’

I have held back from posting this particular account for a number of reasons. There are some visits that Kal and I do whose purpose is not to dowse for information – sometimes that is a secondary approach. Some visits are more personal than others too, and some more sensitive, or even unbelievable. We have begun this year, as you may have noticed, to study some of the more esoteric aspects of earth and cosmic energy, for want of better terms. I have labelled this approach: “druidry” or “energy work”. Kal, of course, has his own labels for it: “meditation” or “spirit work”. People from different backgrounds with different intentions would read this how they may. So be it. I return to my primary purpose for writing this blog: as a source for me to record and recall the amazing spiritual journey I have begun – a path that I call Druidry, and am proud to do so. The Yew Stage of my learning process is all about discovery of what matters, and its tramsformation into useful and purposeful work. If I can get something out of it, so can those who may also read this work.

So, this post is about a trip one evening in late summer (very late summer) to visit The Llangernw Yew. This amazing tree is said to be over 4000 years old, possibly as much as 5000. Think about that for a second – that means that this tree has seen pretty much all of what we would consider to be human recorded history! It is a truly amazing tree. Here’s a picture of the magnificent yew, straight from the Wikipedia page dedicate exclusively to it:-

The Llangernyw Yew

It goes without saying that this tree was growing into maturity well before the advent of our currently waning Piscean religion known as Christianity. The undoubted earlier spiritual history is nowhere mentioned or speculated upon in the text of the little plaques and signs around the churchyard. Well, this is not something that over the last few years brings me much surprise any more. Christians are obsessive about stamping their own impression upon a site to the exclusion of all else in my experience. That is the way of the “one true” religion. At least, in this case, the presence of the new place of worship has ensured the preservation of the much older tree. Here’s an example of the information you can expect:

You see – the ancient monoliths mark the grave site of an early Christian! Now you know.Matter settled.  Before Christ, you say? Pah!

Anyway – polemic aside – we started dowsing for the aura of this magnificent tree. It was some fifty feet from its trunk, and covered the little porch that was the main entrance to the small church. I think it must have been reaching out to touch the letter that David Bellamy had written about the yew and which was posted inside the porch. He’s an unusual character now sadly absent from our TV screens who has actually written a book about yews; or rather, more a conversation with one. How appropriate that turned out to be in retrospect!! He’s also got an interesting explanation of the work of Viktor Schauberger who studies nature’s energies.

Speaking to Yew

Whilst Kal milled around the site I knew what I was here for: I wanted to see what the famous yew had to say for itself. I hd been putting off trying to commune with yew trees because of their reputation. An earlier experience with in Rhosesmor had prepared me somewhat for the type of agenda that comes with yew trees: death, rebirth, transformation. Sometimes you’re in the mood to handle that kind of conversation, and at other times you aren’t. I knew for a fact that Kal was in a delicate state, as this was the first time he’d been on an outing for a while since his mother passed away. I understood he had his own healing work to do, and that the yew tree may not figure in that, so I went alone.

There was none of the usual foreboding as I approached the great tree. Of course I asked permission to enter its expansive canopy, and I showed the utmost respect for it. I asked the dowsing rods for the best location so sit, and they took me to a well-worn low u-shaped branch. I could see I wasn’t the first to spend time here! I dowsed for places to put the five crystals I had brought with me. Looking back I think that was unnecessary, but it helped me relax to be protected from external interference at this new site. I relaxed and blended my senses into the tree, its huge canopy, and the surrounding noises of the village of Llangernyw. I used the remaining sunlight as my focal point as it dappled through the low branches in just the way I liked for these occasions. Soon I was unaware of myself except as a space to think.

I slowly became aware of an urge to communicate, so I let a thought emerge, a thought to make contact with the tree. I have learned patience over the last few years, and let the response come slowly slowly, until an Other voice joined my own in my head. A conversation began, during which I asked to be shown a vision that would help me with my work. The result came slowly, but once it started it was quite powerful. In my vision I was lifted up, as though on the shoulders of the yew, and shown an ariel view of the churchyard. I could see all of the lines of energy flowing from the tree and through the church. The church itself disappeared as though it had never been there, and what remained was just the yew tree and some geometric collection of something on the other side of the church, which I hadn’t yet visited. There was more, but I don’t recall it clearly enough to reliably re-tell, so I won’t go on. It felt like an out of body experience, and the nicest flying experience I can remember, floating lazily and in the gentle cushion of the yew’s energy field.

Of course, the first thing I did, after thanking the yew of course, was to grab my rods and begin to dowse around the tree. I picked up a strong line connecting the yew to the church, but intersecting the church at an odd angle. Like I say, it was as if the line was there before the church, ans I raced around the other side to see what was there. What was there? Only a raised tombstone surrounded by a couple of old standing stones! This, I dowsed, was the terminus point of the energy lineThe direction energy takes when moving. It may be straight or curved, in several dimensions and be composed of one or more different types of energies, i.e. negative, positive or neutral. Energy lines can be found at standing stones and ancient sites but are a general feature in all energy fields. going through the church. Now THAT’S a vision, I thought! Where you see things in your mind that turn out to actually be there, although to be honest I didn’t see the stones, only a blurry end point where the energy congregated, but nevertheless, it bowled me over somewhat, and I went off to tell Kal all about it whilst it was fresh in my mind.

The Shaky Hand of Fear?

Kal seemed busy down in the lower graveyard – a long rectangular graveyard packed with headstones and with a rectangular path all around it. I decided to leave him for now, and to take some photographs for the blog. The strange thing is, when I pointed the camera anywhere near the yew tree and check the picture – they were blurred! I couldn’t seem to steady my hand at all. I took, re-took, took again – all blurred. I wondered if my eyes were going funny! I deleted the blurry ones, and became increasingly static and poised as I braced my arm, my hand, breathed out – every trick I knew to get a clear photo. I think I got ONE (the one above) and even that’s not very good. Here’s an example of the blurry photos that I thought were OK on the day:

This is, I have found this is not a one-off happenstance. When I take pictures of some trees, the stronger their aura the more blurred the photograph! I remember taking and deleting loads of pictures to try to get at least a few good ones, then when I got back to inspect the ones I thought were OK – they were almost all blurred. I’m sure this is more a reflection of what a rank amateur I am with a camera than anything else, but I must say it’s another of those odd coincidences, as it seems to happen a great deal with highly energetic places, and especially old trees. It happened to me in the Forest of Dean a few months ago too. Very odd. It’s such a shame too, because I thought I had taken some great shots of the full moon peeking out from beneath the canopy of the tree – all blurred beyond recognition! The ambiance of the churchyard would have been properly conveyed had they been publishable. Ah well, the memory will have to remain locked in my head.

The Moonlight Spotlight

The sun had dipped behind the trees. I went to catch up with Kal and hear his tales, and they were more interesting than mine, even! I was more amazed at his capacity to delve into himself when most people would simply want to be alone and undisturbed, superficial even. Not Kal!

I showed him the hidden side of the church as the moon began to dominate the sky with its light. I followed the dowsing rods around the church asking to be taken to the first 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. they could find. They found several, all linked with each other, and at significant “features” in the ground, such as a small bump, a faerie ring of grass, around a standing stone, the raised grave, and between two pillar stones next to the church’s southern wall.

I placed my crystals around the small power centre that the rods had identified as being aligned with my own energies, and faced the moon. By one of those unbelievable coincidences the moonlight formed a spotlight through the trees as two clouds parted at just that moment, and the light shone directly into my face and formed a circle the exact same size as the power centre I had just dowsed. I know – even I could barely believe it. Everything felt right, so I stayed their a while feeling the energies bubble up from the earth and into my inner core, powering me, cleansing me, making me feel light-headed and “spacey”.

When I felt the time was right I moved to the two upright pillars next to the church. I dowsed quickly to determine what this feature was that had attracted my heightened attention. The answer that I eventually hit upon was some kind of energetic barrier, that, if triggered, could take me from one world into another. Sometimes the right questions just pop into your head and the rods respond. Tonight in particular, with the full moon, the rods were swinging strongly and clearly, and my intuition was highly tuned.

I placed crystals around me to enhance the energies and stepped up to the space between the two stone pillars. I could feel the energy pulling me, and I knew I could walk forward and something would happen, but I was afraid of what that was, so I didn’t enter. Sorry. I just felt slightly wary of it, wary enough not to go fully into it. Instead I leaned forwards to see what would happen if only my head passed the stones. As my head moved past them I could feel my thoughts being pulled into the church wall, my attention being thrust through the wall and out to the tree, but again I panicked and pulled back. I wasn’t ready for this yet. Soon, but not now.

 With that I removed the crystals, and went back to the power centre to discharge and cleanse myself. I was sure that something amazing would have happened, but this wasn’t the right time to do it. One day soon I will go back and be ready for it. I’m sure that one day Kal will also tell his side of the story, but again – when he’s ready. This stuff take time to assimilate sometimes before it’s ready to come out or be relived.

Them Skulls and Them Bones

A final note: there were masonic or Templar symbols similar to those I have found at Glamis churchyard (see the Gallery page) carved onto the raised tomb that is surrounded by the standing stones. This only goes to strengthen my feeling that this elite brotherhood knew a lot more about the concepts of nature’s energy, energy lines, position and empowerment than they are currently credited with. Of course, that is pure speculation, as so much is when there are few solid known facts about this shadowy organisation and its past. Certainly, I don’t think the use of that knowledge is much in evidence today:  the organisation seems to be more about money and political power now, than esoteric knowledge. The knowledge is being built back up though, by we erstwhile dowsers and energy workers. A picture, however fragmented and hazy, is beginning to emerge of the veneration of place, the importance of symbols and the alignment of sites that characterise the old Templar, and now masonic buildings. A quick search of the web sites dedicated to understanding the significance of the most obvious of the remainders of esoteric knowledge - the Rosslyn Chapel - will lead you down all sorts of interesting blind alleyways of research. Therein you will find reference to King Solomon and the Temple of Solomon, the Freemasons, the Green Man and paganism, and all sorts of modern mystery and myth. I prefer to go back to the source: these people were venerating Nature, and they worked with sacred number and geometry to fashion places that promote power. The rest is embroidery.

There are some great pictures available from The Modern Antiquarian site concerning this yew and the two standing stones that are hidden behind the church : http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/6996/llangernyw_yew_and_standing_stones.html. No-one seems to know anything about them, but for me the dowsing showed that the stones were in their original position, and that other nearby standing stones, placed there at a much later date, formed an energetic gateway – a portal through to the Otherworld. Certainly enough there to keep the curious person busy, that’s for sure.

Gwas.

Dancing in the moonlight.

It’s funny – sometimes when you look back on things you realise there was information there that was just waiting for you to recognise what it was. This has begun to happen a lot recently, since the turning of the year from the Light Half to the Dark Half at Samhain especially. Anyway – here I recount an episode from a visit to Alderley Edge, just before the trees lost all their leaves, and the Winter began to impose itself.

On this particular evening the forest was bathed in autumn sunlight as we left, but on arrival was drizzly and typically British dull weather. We walked amiably through the forest heading nowhere in particular, but ended up at a familiar place – on a ridge just near to the main view of the Edge where the trees open out to a stunning view of Cheshire and Manchester’s distant skyline. We camped ourselves on the ridge, on a slope behind a tree and cave (male and female symbolism there) and we began our individual meditations, without really having an agenda or prior purpose. Just because it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

As I have been coming to expect, my meditation was helped along by the sparkle of sunlight filtering through the tree branches and dappling my vision. I recognised where I would go next, so began to formulate my purpose, state it, and begin a meditation sequence that connected my to the earth, the planets, and the tree that I was sat in front of. I asked to be informed of how I could know that I was in the right state of mind to be able to cross into The Otherworld. This had been a subject that was on my mind at the time. I wanted to ask Nature to help me understand how I could know I was in the right state of mind to interact with her.

As I gazed out along the branches of the tree, out over the Cheshire countryside, I felt our energy fields merge. I had been given permission to “enter” this tree’s world and my vision began to change. Staring with un-focused eyes I saw a bundle of leaves on the end of the branch begin to re-formulate into the shape of an owl’s feathered body with two bright spots of sunlight exactly where the eyes of an owl should be. I knew that I must not be surprised by this, as it would cause me to come back into everyday consciousness, so I relaxed further into the feeling of being wrapped up in the tree’s nemeton.

My vision now moved from being three dimensional to what I can only imagine it would be like to be fourth dimensional! I could simultaneously see, in my mind’s eye, all angles of the “owl” at the same time – I only needed to direct my attention to a point in space to see the owl from that angle. Most incredible! I could also apprehend its shape from many angles at the same time! This fourth-dimensional feeling grew stronger until I could see the owl shaped leaves as an owl from all angles at the same time. I knew something profound was happening to my perception, so I chose this moment to ask my question again, “How will I know that I am in the right state of mind to cross into the Otherworld?” I said to myself.

The answer came almost immediately. I felt an up-swell from the ground upon which I was sat which travelled up the base of my spine until it reached the level of my heart, at which point it changed direction and burst out of my chest, flooding the spherical nemeton “bubble” that I had formed with the tree’s energy field. I sat there noticing the flow, the feeling, how connected I felt, the pang of emotion I felt, how much more aware I was of sensory information coming in, and feelings of energy pouring out from this point too. I knew this to be the heart chakra that I had worked with before (see the Glastonbury Solstice post, for example).

As I emerged from the meditation and my focus returned the leaves that had formed the owl shape became just leaves again – like when Bagpuss went to sleep, ”the mice were ornaments on the mouse-organ“. The sparks of light that had been its eyes had faded and moved. Three dimensions were restored to their usual order.

I began to reflect upon what I had seen and felt. The owl was a classic symbol of wisdom – associated with Minerva and Moloch, and in the Welsh Mabinogion tales it is associated with Blodeuedd – Lady of the Flowers. For me, it felt like a sign that some form of wisdom was being dispensed, and that I was on the right track with asking such a question. I also felt an association with learning – I was about to be taught something, and the owl was the form used that was perfectly in keeping with the time of dusk when the light was fading and night was emerging. It was all these things and more.

The owl also reminded me of the Alan Garner connection that Alderley Edge has. Garner had written a book that I read as a youngster called “The Owl Service” in which the ancient tale of the romantic triangle of Blodeuedd, Llew Llaw Gyffes and Gronw Pebyr, but as re-enacted in a modern context through the discovery of a set of plates that have the disguised image of an owl imprinted on them in the form of leaves. The resonances of this story were something that I felt very strongly. Garner, in my youth, had excited me with his tales that brought the ancient worlds of magic into the modern world with dramatic consequences. Here in Alderley Edge, spiritual home of many of Garner’s stories (but not ‘The Owl Service’, oddly) I had felt that crossover happen.

I gav my usual thanks for the infromation provided, the question answered, and the wisdom transferred, and Kal and I left the forest, heading into the last rays of the evening thoroughly satisfied with an evening’s profitable work done. Another episode that defied explanation. Another question inexplicably answered by an unknown source. More philosophical questions generated than answered. Every episode as amazing as the last. Alderley Edge is indeed an magical place.

Gwas

Feeling my way towards wisdom.

A recent visit to Treadwell’s Bookshop in Covent Garden,London allowed me to stock up on some interesting Druid-related books. I only had an hour in there but in that time managed to find some great books, details of which I will add to the Bibliograhy list soon. The books were mostly things that I haven’t seen in other book stores, and that’s probably because Treadwell’s specialises in magickal books of all varieties and ‘denominations’.

I heartily recommend a visit there if you happen to be floating around London with an hour or two to spare. I got the recommendation from Philip Carr-Gomm’s new book “The Book of English Magic” that he wrote with Richard Heygate. It was certainly true that the staff have an excellent knowledge of the subjects and can direct you wherever your fancy dictates.

They also hold lectures there on esoteric subjects regularly, so if you have an evening spare too then you might learn something interesting!

Gwas Myrrdyn.

Finding dark corners.

Do you know your Odins from your Wodens? Do you know St.George from St.Michael? Does it really matter? The more research I do, and the more thought I give it, the more it all leads me further back along a reducing scale until I reach The One Other. The further you stretch towards the divine, the fewer in number the form of the concept becomes.

I have been trying to understand people’s fascinations with the concept of a pantheon of gods, a hierarchy of spirit. It makes sense to me as a network of ever-more powerful forces. I can deal with it as a range of energetic entities that have qualities of size, form, sense and intelligence. An intelligence that has a range of influence, and therefore engendered within it a sense of power, of strength. That is how I have come to picture the energies that I have dowsed and dealt with, in the sense that I have traded energy and thoughts with Nature’s own. When I work with Nature it has not been necessary for me to do anything other than make a connection. No need to specify to whom, or to what, or to implore the help or attentions of anyone of anything in particular. Simply to extend the wish to connect to something real and alive – some natural element such as fire, sun, moon, air, water, earth. Other sentient beings such as trees, or animals.

It is not necessary to invoke a huge and intricate pantheon of gods in order to work with energy and perform acts 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.. The pantheon is only a guide to the various possibilities of working with energy. In a way they personify the aspects of life that can be affected by energy, and we relate to them more readily in the form of a character from an old story, a film or a book. The range of the divine goes all the way from one to as many as we can feasibly hold in our heads or in our culture.

Worship of The Gods

Whether you work with a single concept of natural power, or with a very specific aspect of Nature in the form of a small god, a faerie or a ghost – you are still working with the same intelligent entity. It simply conjures up images of itself in whatever form we imagine, however we are capable of understanding it at that time. Is there value in working with a specific aspect of Nature? In the same way that communicating with a single person can enlighten you, then the answer is ‘Yes’. The question, however, would need to be very specific, or your request to work with it would need to be sure that this one entity had the power to help you.

Simply tuning your request to find a sympathetic connection is a more efficient way of working, though. The response will be felt intuitively, and can be easily discerned. As the Internet does, scanning for connections from the totality of possibility with a well-formed query allows the entire pool of creative connectivity to be browsed.

Some people spend what must be a great deal of time gorging themselves on the myths of ancient and modern times. It is all too easy to get pulled into the stories of the Little People, Arthurian Legend, the Gods of Greece and Rome, and to have those myths offered to us in mesmerising media that require little thought to digest. A feast for the eyes and the mind, but your own stories need to be told. “Time waits for no man” to pull himself out of his stupour and cleanse his third eye of the grime that has accumulated.

I don’t dismiss the value of a story that interweaves a tradition that symbolises a living wisdom – rites of all types are our means of communicating between ourselves about the Mysteries. Of course they should be upheld, encouraged, re-discovered, enjoyed again and again for their worth. But there is another side to the myths. They have embedded within them tales of the possibilities that can be explored. And it is to this that we must draw our attentions.

A narrowing of focus. An opening up to the wealth of possibility. A keen eye and a goal. A Hedge Druid’s meditation.

If you remember, I had got to the end of a good day’s dowsing with Kal and was parked ready to walk to another site when I realised that I had forgotten my staff. I slightly panicked, but quickly quelled it. Oh la merde. Where had I left it? A quick flick through recent stopping points…at the caves above Dyserth Waterfall. I had put it into one of the adjoining cave mouths and I remembered thinking, “Don’t leave that here or someone will take it for definite.” I wouldn’t do that. I wanted fizzy pop and ginger beer, and the sun was shining. What could possibly go wrong? It doesn’t matter how many horror films you watch, the human mind has an incredible happiness-overrides-sense-of-impending-doom capability.

We could go back for it after we had finished looking for the Golden Grove. Right. What to do in the meantime so that I didn’t have it dominate my thoughts and block any dowsing potential? I would try to connect to the staff and protect it somehow. I had no idea how, but I went with whatever would come to mind. I relaxed and prepared my mind for a moment to have a think. As my brain waves altered I unfocused my eyes and imagined the staff. I could picture it clearly where I had left it. It was like looking at a cartoon of it, a photo-realistic cartoon, like the imagery in the film “A Scanner Darkly“, if you’ve seen that. I saw it bathed in a light blue glow from top to bottom, a Ready-Brek glow. The fact that I could see it so clearly, and that it was ‘alive’ with energy made me feel confident about the next bit.

Staff Leaving Place

I focused my attention on the staff, saying to it that if anyone picked it up they would find that it made their head spin, and that this feeling would make them feel a bit sick, like taking a corner too fast in a car. They wouldn’t be able to hold their attention and would feel compelled to drop the stick to stop the feeling. I could feel that feeling, and although it was a bit nauseating it wasn’t too unpleasant – just unpleasant enough. It felt alright to do this, if slightly awkward about the need to do it. I hoped no-one had found it since we had left a half-hour ago.

An hour later Kal dropped me off in a narrow steep and muddy lane as I attempted to find a quick route back to the top of the waterfall. I found a path across the fields on the top of the waterfall and made my way down its steep clay slope until I found the caves again from above. I rushed straight to the lunchtime spot …. no staff. It had gone. What now? I stopped to calm down. “It was just a stick. You can go get another one.” I wasn’t prepared to let it go that easily. I walked around by the river to the other cave entrance for a look. Around the corner, there it was, lying with other much smaller sticks, looking intact. I stopped before it and laughed.

Staff Finding Place

I didn’t know what to say so I didn’t say anything. After all, this is all nonsense and coincidence. You make of it what you will at the time. I picked up my staff and almost pole-vaulted myself back to Kal’s car in a proud and happy moment that rescued the day for me. Something had returned my staff to me. Our adventure continues.

Theory: Over the next few days I considered how this kind of thing came about. What I resolved was that an opportunity arose in the form of an event in time that revealed a potential for me to effect change. Once I had decided, or believed, that I could generate a protective thought-form around the staff, once I had that intention that grew out of concern, then the visualisation of that event emerged in my mind. Powered by a measured flow of loving vibes this protection seems to have been enacted upon the staff such that it did indeed have a shield around it, and this may have caused the person who took it to drop it rather shortly afterwards, leaving the staff in plain sight next to the river. Whether that did indeed happen is sort of irrelevant, because the outcome was the desired effect.

Apparently our brains are programmed to quickly establish cause and effect relationships, although whether they were always so is another matter. This is not the first time I have noticed that acts 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. work most effectively providing the conditions are right. Such conditions as I have uncovered I will list:-

• Intention must be honest, if only to yourself
• The desired effect cannot be commanded, it must be negotiated, or asked for respectfully
• To contrive a circumstance in order to display an effect will guarantee failure, if not abject humiliation
• Your abilities are limited by your desire to learn, and the depth to which you can form a trusting relationship with Nature
• A degree of humility is required to execute natural magick, and smugness at a positive outcome will garner no respect.
• Conviction and sincerity make the relationship stronger, and the outcome more defined. Leave your intention fuzzy and a fuzzy event will occur which only partially fulfills the intended result.
• Results come when they should be delivered, not when you want them to be. Again, tied to the concept that the forces of Natural Magick will not be ordered around. They may co-operate under the right circumstances, but take offense at being expected to deliver.

These are part of The Rules as I have uncovered them so far. I’m sure there are many more, like in any complex system. Yet so far the outcomes I have seen and experienced from using these principles has more than enhanced my life – they have changed my worldview, and made me much more interested in the wonders of our world. Perhaps they may do the same for you.

Update: I went walking this week along the Sandstone Trail. A robin greeted me from a position two feet away as I began the walk and I stopped to listen attentively, although I didn’t understand what he wanted to communicate. Nevertheless I made it known that I was delighted by the encounter, and walked on after he flew off. An hour or so later ,as the circular walk wound back around Bickerton Hill, I turned a corner to find three pieces of a fallen beech tree branch. One piece was a useful 5′ tall, straight and in good condition. I took hold of it and it felt sturdy and supportive. As I walked it moved easily and swung truly. It would appear that I have found a spare staff! Even in Winter, Nature provides.

Gwas

Retracing my footsteps

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 ‘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 alignment ley from one site to the next. Even going back would increase the complexity.

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Bott – Standing With Stones:

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

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

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

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

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

Gwas