The Hedge Druid

Posts Tagged ‘terence mckenna’

Section 7. Summary of the Year

In order to organise our thoughts Kal and I came up with some questions the answers to which we hoped might summarise the way that year has gone for us – what were the bits we expected, what exceeded our expectations, and which things arose to meet us on this path that we didn’t anticipate? Here are my answers to this year’s questions.

What did I think I was going to learn?

1. Whether specific periods of the year are more energetic than others, and whether those periods align to the calendrical eight-fold year.
2. How stone circles work in terms of their energy
3. Whether specific geology affects the energetic responses from sites

By the summer of 2009 I had already established to my satisfaction that there was a difference in the strengths of energies at the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. I was sure that there was more powerful sun energy (i.e. stronger male energy) at the Summer Solstice. The Spring and Autumn Equinoxes were very similar in strength, and were a balance of male and female earth energies. At the Winter Solstice the male energies were very weak, as was the Sun. The female energies fluctuated only in relation to the strength of the Moon and the input from nearby trees, again weaker in Winter.

Determining any objective means of measurement was difficult, as our own energy levels seemed to be a factor in how well we could dowse or do energy work at a site, however a scale of measurement (strength from 1-10) seemed to work for the purposes of obtaining some data that could be compared between sites. The solstice and equinox dates depended upon the quality of the Sun to determine the amount of additional energy was at the site compared to our visits to them on other dates.

The Celtic Festival dates (Lammas, Beltane, Samhain and Imbolc) in between those times were much harder to figure out. These dates seems to depend upon the position of the Moon for their effects upon ancient sites., rather than the Sun’s effect. I will be posting much more on this soon, complete with a table of the relative energy levels at various sites dowsed this year.

Further theories have emerged concerning the operation of energies at stone circles and other sites too. See the Earth Energies and Ancient Sites Summary posts for details on those.

We have kept a weather-eye on the geology of sites whilst dowsing this year. It started for me in Carnac when I discovered that the stone rows were placed along a shelf of rock quite different from the surrounding geology of the rest of the nearby coastline. We have concurred with the popular dowsing theory that geological faulting is important to the situation of ancient sites, as is often the presence of water, but we do not wholly agree with the necessity of water (or a ‘blind spring’ formation) being present at all ancient neolithic sites. Some major sites such as Stonehenge and The Rollright Stones do have this water formation, however, and we think these popular sites may have led to the popularity of the idea amongst the dowsing fraternity that such a formation is necessary to a strong energy site. We do not find this to be true.

'CARNAC: Des Pierres Pour Les Vivants' by Pierre Mereaux

What’s been the surprise?

1. Crop circles being designed by some intelligence beyond the confines of this planet – expected them to be of human design and manufacture.
2. The energetic and healing potential of running water – Pistyll Rhaeadr and Viktor Schauberger convinced me of this at different ends of the year. At Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall my wife’s twisted ankle was healed in minutes. Later I read Schauberger’s theories on the properties of water and I understood how this could have come about.
3. A spiritual pilgrimage being worthwhile doing, and not some soulless religious historical trail as I had imagined it to be.

1. Astrology - There is a correlation, a link, between the relative positions of the stars and a human being. My natal chart is stunningly accurate in assessing my personality traits. Kal and I have also discovered that we are energetically linked to particular planets – Kal to Mercury and myself to Venus. We are more energetically ‘loaded’ or ‘charged’, and more energy work is possible, when our respective planets are visible. I have tracked this since the beginning of the year and have each dowsing response confirms this.
2. Elemental beings and cloud sylphs – I see some this year on four separate occasions and each time I was stunned by the effect – this was no mere simulacrum. Seeing faces in the clouds must be the third and conclusive qualifying factor in any signs of madness developing – that much I do appreciate, but nevertheless, they have been present at quite specific times of high energy.

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It has been a while since I listened to the wisdom of Uncle Terry. Here’s a snippet of the great man rabble-rousing to the psychedelic troops by proposing we fight demonic robots with art. I can never get enough of this man. He helps you to break down your cultural conditioning and open up to the possibilities of other worlds.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYB0VW5x8fI

Gwas.

In his introduction to the book “Sun, Moon & Earth” Robin Heath states:

“In an uncoordinated attempt to better understand and control the material universe, our present culture has strayed so far from simplicity and beauty that we are often startled and afraid when it reveals itself.”

The Logos IS that startling material universe that reveals itself. According to Wikipedia,

“Heraclitus (ca. 535–475 BCE) established the term in Western philosophy as meaning both the source and fundamental order of the cosmos…. The Stoic philosophers identified the term with the divine animating principle pervading the universe.”

Dealing with The Logos, the Other (the greater intelligence, Nature, the Divine, however you wish to term it) used to be commonplace, and incapable of being dissociated from people’s thoughts - Greek writers record many such stories where the “voices in the mind” were considered to be the intervention of a divine being. Rational science has always been equally cursed and blessed with angelic beings or gifts from God that guide the finest minds to previously incomprehensible new discoveries and theories. Many of the recognised great thinkers of human history attribute their inventions or theories to divine revelations (e.g. Descrates, Newton and Einstein, for instance).

The concept of the “other” in druidry is usually conceived of as some aspect of Nature. In this post I will contract that concept down to its essence and call it The Logos. This is the term used by Terence McKenna to describe this infinite and ineffable ‘otherness’. However, is it totally ineffable, or unknowable? I think it is knowable in terms of establishing a relationship. I think it is possible to know a great deal about the way it operates (or wants us to operate), even to the point of being able to define The Rules of The Game. I think this because there are certain things that it is possible to do with Nature, and other things that are simply impossible at a particular time. Also, the communication link is also governed by rules of behaviour, courtesy  or etiquette.

In this next section I list some of the elements of dealing with The Logos. I do not attempt to describe what The Logos is, or state whether these rules apply to all. They are the rules I have drawn out of my own dealings, and some of the rules I have found are also in place for other people too. I therefore present them to you for your consideration – please test them out for yourself.

In no particular order…..

The Rules:

1.“Have no expectations.”

Approach with respect and not expecting anything particular to occur. Failure to comply results in antithetical contrary responses – you get the opposite of what you expect, or nothing at all. This also applies to dowsing – the rods will move whichever way you want them to, so if you want an objective response that can be trusted you must remove all assumptions and expectations to leave a clear and connected mind, not an intentional mind.

2.“It will not be commanded.”

The Logos won’t be instructed, directed, or expected to perform on demand. You are dealing with a relationship of equals working in partnership to achieve enlightenment, wisdom and understanding. If you ask it to perform parlour tricks it is most likely to confuse you and act up. This is the Trickster element of the Logos. Imagine a four year old child attempting to command a Professor to do things for him on demand. Some witty trickery is likely to ensue, resulting in a life lesson for sure.

It cannot be bent to your will. Answers are most forthcoming when there is no intention of trying to elicit an particular response. Willing an action in dowsing brings about unsatisfactory, misleading and confusing responses. In druidry it leads to self-deception which is invariably discovered to be unfounded or just plain ineffective if attempted.

As Kal points out, however, there is a form of energy work in which the energies are harnessed for selfish or egotistically-driven purposes, and this proves to be an exception to the rule. In our experience this form of energy work is predicated upon the enslaving of cosmic energies and the creation of human energies for manifestation and direction. In this mode, energies are commanded for the duration of the ‘spell’, or until it is broken or diminished by opposing energy frequencies (e.g black streams composed of male and neutral energy can be diminished and eventually dissoluted by the input of strong female energy). This form is not a path we follow or encourage, although we acknowledge its existence and are respectful of it.

3.“Don’t take it too seriously.”

The Logos likes a laugh, so if you want to be serious about your work you need to establish that fact by adopting a sober state of mind that is clear and focused (ironically, because at the same time you need to be empty of thought and alter your consciousness level – a state most assume to be a fuzzy and moronic state). Not necessarily so. Make time to have a laugh. There’s nothing like laughter for building the relationship up through mutual enjoyment and developing trust. This is a similar concept to McKenna’s “Cosmic Giggle” theorem.

4. “Trust must be at the foundation of the relationship.”

Trust has to be won and earned, but also given by you. If you establish an agreement on how you will deal with each other at the outset of the relationship then you are making solid ground to work on. In this agreement it may be wise to establish that you will not be asking frivilous, inane questions for the sake of it; that you may ask for clarification or confirmation, but that you will do so in the spirit of rational enquiry; that you will not attempt to “trick” the Logos; and that you wish to receive the same treatment. Once established you can trust the answers you receive, although I would still recommend the occasional test question for confirmation, but ultimately this is a placebo, because you can never actually 100% trust any form of knowledge. However, if it feels like a trusted response then go with it. It will get you far.

5. “Love and gratitude facilitate progress.”

Be prepared to exchange emotional energies. You have the ability to generate these at will. Exchanging emotional energy is a powerful act, so I suggest it is done in good faith and only when necessary to progress in your work. I haven’t found that physical gifts are necessary. It seems to me that it is the emotion invested in the gift that is important, and the idea that the energy is released over a longer time period than a spur-of-the-moment act of gratitude in your relationship with nature. It need only be proportional to the amount of exchange going on. If you get a fantastic revelation, a vision, learn something new, change your life after the event – these things merit some reciprocal investment of kind energies, wouldn’t you think? It’s only polite, and seems to ensure a warmer reception on your next visit. I have never found it to be essential, however, nor need it be ritualistic. Empathic expression is all that is required on most occasions. Love and gratitude are the keys that unlock the communication channels with other intelligence forms.

Like all good trade there has to be something in it for the other party too. If you only want to take, take, take in that relationship then the bond won’t last long, and it will never get very deep. You have to learn to give a little too – even if it costs you your dignity (a garish pontification of the ego), time, or a gift. Strangely, that works. It seems so superficial, but I guess that the charitable act of giving goes a long way to cement a relationship.

Giving out love energy must be done with an unfettered mind, unconditionally. It can be spread like roots and branches, feeling its way across the landscape in search of contact.

6. “Results cannot be forced.”

If you’re told an answer to a question, even if you don’t like it, it will be correct. For example, I used to ask whether I would be successful at such and such, told no, and would try it anyway. Whatever experiment it was always failed. However, sometimes I learned what not to do, and how best to do it when I got the go ahead at some future point, when either I was ready or when the energies were. But don’t bang your head continuously against the same brick wall. Take it as a sign that something needs to change, and ask what that change needs to be. Then you may know what needs to be done and your approach will be better informed next time.

7. “Learn to accommodate paradox.”

Coincidentia Oppositorum: the Union of Opposites. This is an alchemical term describing the necessity of bringing together two seemingly opposed ideas (or materials) to effect their co-operative union. When dealing with ideas or images it required a state of mind where two opposites can be held in mind simultaneously and reconciled as being joined, combined, or even wholly one. This kind of thinking is essential to working 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.. Resolving paradox, accepting the impossible, are entry requirements for dealing with The Logos, as it constantly challenges you to make progress by adopting new concepts and envisioning new possibilities. It makes the impossible possible.

8. “Know your limitations.”

Very Clint Eastwood!. I’m not encouraging you to not extend yourself in this work, merely to be aware of the extent to which you can go at any particular time. We have talked several times on this blog about The Trickster. It is an aspect of The Logos that arises occasionally if you are working at the very edges or boundaries of your knowledge and intelligence. If you are asking questions that are beyond your ability to conceive or control the answer then you are likely to encounter a Trickster response: a response that confounds and confuses you. This response demonstrates that you have gone too far for your abilities at that time. If you continue to push it you will receive a response that results in you having to take on a certain humility.

McKenna says: “Nature loves courage.” and that nature rewards courage by the removal of obstacles to the impossible. Courage often makes progress possible and speeds up the learning process. McKenna also states that there is a sense of FAIR PLAY ruling over the relationship that is established with The Logos. I interpret this as, if you follow the rules you get rewards proportionate to your abilities. If you try to take too much at once, you get slapped back into place. You will get contrary results, results that confound you completely, that make no sense, that may put you in an embarrassing situation. The end result will be that you will be highly aware of your place in this relationship – a humble human.

Truth, respect and fairness should be the basis of all your dealings. If you are unfaithful in your approach then you invoke Pan, the Trickster spirit that will do his utmost to humble you at every opportunity, especially if you invite him to do so with expressions of pride or arrogance.

You are always limited in terms of what is possible by your ability to deal with the result. In other words, if you’re not physically, spiritually or intellectually prepared to deal with an answer, then the answer becomes a challenge, a test or a quest. You are given information in the way that you can conceive of it, given as much information as you can deal with, and even if you don’t understand the answer you know that the response has been crafted in such a way as it only has meaning and importance to you. This can be a humbling and frustrating response, but it is always the correct one for you at that time. Once you get to the point of understanding the information, you usually realise that this was the case.

9. “The energy going in equates to the energy coming out.”

Dealing with The Logos uses visualisation at more energetic levels to focus towards a desired effect. The more energy is put into the visualisation the more profitable and effective is the work. If you use visualisation during dowsing work it can often reveal many hidden correlations, but it can also lead you astray by suggesting energy forms that are almost impossible to confirm physically.

This rule also covers another aspect of energy work. i.e. that Nature abhors a vacuum, such that if you remove energies from a place then the place will be filled with something else. If you add something to a place, then you are pushing some other energy out of that place. It seems to follow the laws of physics as we currently understand them in this respect. I have read recently that psychic energy may be likened in behavioural terms to plasma energy. I can’t comment on that, really, except to say that it flows and pools in a similar way to water, and is affected by gravity.

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This is my current working list of The Rules. Every interaction informs me further. I will update this post whenever I discover anything different or additional. I hope they help you steer a truer course.

Gwas Myrddyn.

It seems appropriate that, in the week that saw this site’s visitor numbers top the one hundred mark for unique visitors per day, that we should also hit the one hundred posts mark too.

I can only say thank you for choosing to spend your time reading our material. I hope by now that our honest, open, and frank approach to reporting our findings and ideas has been of some use to your own personal quest for enlightenment, and has shed some light on your own Way of Knowledge.

Ironic that this image is from James Randi's site!

My own thanks go out to some of those marvellous pioneers and free-thinkers who have, through their own endeavours, contributed to my enthusiasm, my direction, and my good intentions. It seems scant reward to simply name-check them, but you may see a name that prompts you to explore further, so here is a list of some of those people who have helped me get to this stage on my journey:-

• Emma Restall-Orr – for showing me that druidry can be a living calling, not a dying tradition
• Hamish Miller – for inspiring me to get out into the land and trace the energy paths
• Sig Lonegren – for inextricably tying together dowsing with its spiritual dimension
• Terence McKenna – for revealing a treasure of knowledge without boundaries and being brave enough to tell us
• Dr.Yang, Jwing-Ming – for his explanation of human energy systems and how to use them

Of course there have been many more sources that have helped me understand this ancient tradition of energy knowledge. For all those who have encouraged me in this work, I thank you for your motivation.

Last, but foremost, Kal. We’ve written one hundred posts together, and our friendship and teamwork has never been stronger. Now we can look forward with our usual childish enthusiasm to the wonders that may come our way this year. Thank you for following our path.

Gwas.

Kal has fairly comprehensively listed the possible types of energy that we could be dealing with at stone circles and other sites. I wanted to just go through each point and see how I felt about each of the possibilities. Perhaps something will come out as a strong contender, whereas other may be rejected. Let’s see how this pans out!

1. DragonDragons are spirit or energetic beings that reside in sacred sites and have a particular location in them and also move throughout the day (and or season). They also leave the sacred site on occasion, which again differentiates them from Genius Loci which don’t. Lines

Having seen some pictures from Japan of the alignments of buildings and gardens that follow the principles of being placed upon DragonDragons are spirit or energetic beings that reside in sacred sites and have a particular location in them and also move throughout the day (and or season). They also leave the sacred site on occasion, which again differentiates them from Genius Loci which don’t. Lines I can relate those formations to the energies we are calling ‘neutral alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. leys’.

Such lines are straight. They form geometrical shapes of a relatively large size. They cross terrain to form alignments with other sites. They are affected by the large scale geography of the areas they travel through, but ignore the smaller elements.

The lines extend in a criss-crossing network of straight lines that form energy grids with no discernible pattern, other than that they run through areas of geological upheaval and fault lines. In the most geologically active regions the lines form many crossing points, seeming to particularly prevalent in rock types with large crystalline structures like granite.

VERDICT: I think that DragonDragons are spirit or energetic beings that reside in sacred sites and have a particular location in them and also move throughout the day (and or season). They also leave the sacred site on occasion, which again differentiates them from Genius Loci which don’t. Lines are neutral alignmentAlignment relates to the concept that humans have their own energy fields that are oriented or formed in a specific way such that the person is either suited better to one energy source of another. Some people have their energy fields empowered by the direct subtle energy force of The Sun, whilst others are empowered by the indirect subtle energy of The Moon. Due to the historical associations and symbolisation of The Sun with masculinity and The Moon with femininity we designate these alignments as either being ‘male’ or ‘female’ alignments accordingly. We interchangeable refer to people as being ‘sun-aligned’ or ‘male-aligned’ and similarly with the female alignment. leys and we dowse these all the time.
I don’t think these energies are the same as the Hartmann or Curry grids, which have a very regular rectangular or square formation.

2. Chakra Energies

I’m not altogether sure that the energy generated by the human body is the same energy as flows through the earth. If it is it means we’d all assuredly feel more connected to the earth than we do most of the time! A compatible energy, for sure. When we visit a sacred site we have the opportunity to set the frequency of our body energy to that of the site, and thereby form a connection with it.

We are also connecting with something else too, I feel, not just the energy formations of a stone circle. I always feel I am connecting with Nature too. Nature herself (i use gender here to denote her primary directive of being a nurturing force) is involved to make the connection.

The state of mind required to make such a connection is very similar to the state of mind I experience when I was meditating with a Chinese lady who was trying to guide M and I through a relaxing session. By the end of her ‘emptying the mind’ and visualisation routine I was flooded with purple. She recognised this as the third eye chakra colour. At that moment I also felt extremely balanced.

I feel that dowsing is the same frame of mind – a balancing of the left and right hemispheres with external direction, or inspiration I would rather say. It’s more of a suggestion than a directive. An idea that you can disguise as your own but which you know did not come from you.

The rainbow colours we dowse at sites, and which are distanced and arranged according to how we are at the time, may correspond to the various chakra points on the human body, and be the interface points for connecting to a site’s energies. We should watch for which points in our bodies respond when we walk over the various bands of coloured energy. Is there a correlation and therefore a response of any kind?

VERDICT: I therefore see that chakra energy is a mapping of the crossing points of the body’s energy paths, and in a state of balance the practitioner is able to generate and mobilise their own internal energies. Additionally various parts of the body that correspond to chakra points may connect with various wavelengths in the spectrum of coloured energies that form the site’s nemeton.

3. Auric Energies

I think what Kal is describing here is the outer edge of a band of energy that forms a kind of protective sphere around a site (including rocks, trees or any other energy source). I refer to this as the nemeton of the object (more can be found about nemetons in other posts. (See ‘Glossolalia: The nemeton described‘).

I think that the auric edge is the edge of the ‘influence’ or boundary of the energetic extent of the object, whether it be a site, a tree or a rock. The aura flows in a particular direction. The bands of coloured energy within it also flow in particular directions, some contrary to each other. We have worked with re-directing the outer edge of the nemeton, but have never been directed to look at the inner coloured bands yet.

VERDICT: I feel that the nemeton is an enclosing spherical force that is composed of bands of coloured energy (light?) that denote the energy’s frequency of vibration. The size, strength and direction of the bands seem related to the relative health of the energies at the site, but we haven’t got any way to assess this yet.

4. Prana, Ki and other variants

This is the same as Chi and Chakra energy described earlier.

5. Reiki

When I went through a Reiki session I was a complete skeptic. Nevertheless the session relaxed me, and again I experienced the purple flush of light in my mind during the session. I therefore connect Reiki with the same state of consciousness as the deep meditation states. Instead of visualising the energies for yourself, however, you are allowing someone else to obtain, channel, and direct the energies from either within themselves, or some external source.

I find this practise to be very similar to the 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. that I have been trying to get to grips with. The too is a connection then a drawing of energies from other sources as well as yourself in order to direct them elsewhere through intention and/or visualisation.

VERDICT: Reiki offers a form of altered consciousness for the practitioner that puts them in connection with the same forces a druids connect to, i.e. Nature itself. From that state they can direct, energise or dissipate energies according to the requirement of the treatment. This energy is therefore Natural energy being transmuted into body energy via chakra points. By transmuted I mean slowed down or speeded up to the right frequency to connect with the correct chakra point. Again, a form of attunement of mind and body in order to work with the energies.

6. Reflexology

When I knew nothing at all about healing , energy work or druidry, I had an innate knowledge from I know not where of how to do reflexology. I could just tune into my subject (usually a girlfriend, you’d be amazed how far this can get you!) and sense in their feet where a hot spot or tender area was. I could then “see” up that pathway, through the body, to find where the destination of that pain or tension was. It was then a simple matter to massage that pain away.

I used to play a little game with myself. I’d see if I could guess where the subject would describe the pain and then see how close I was with my guess. I soon gave this game up as I got it every time. I can’t tell you the number of freaky responses I got from people I did this on, usually phrases like, “But how did you know that my left shoulder was aching?”, or “I can feel the tension flooding out of my neck when you rub my toe there.”. I would have taken it further as a study but frankly it made my hands ache rubbing feet for half an hour or so. They just didn’t want it to stop!

I never asked how it worked. I never wanted to know how I knew. Now I do.

VERDICT: I think Reflexologists are simply tuning into the energy paths of the bodies they are working on. These are the same energies described in the section about Chakras above, even if the paths through which the energies travel may map differently between such skills as reflexology, reiki, massage, yoga, acupressure or acupuncture. Differences between mapping energies in such disciplines is cultural and conventional.

7. Homeopathy

The question homeopathy raises about energy is: does water have the capability to store and transmit energy? From the experiments done by Professor Emoto in Japan on the ability of water to react to language and intent it would seem that it does have a storage capacity, or at least transforms its structure to reflect the energy transmitted to it.

We also hear from seasoned dowsers that water is the energy carrier for sacred sites, although we can find no evidence that water courses follow earth energy paths. The shapes of paths are too regular and geometric for them to be simply a reflection of or emission from water courses.

VERDICT: Essenses may incorporate a form of holographic imprint of energy directed at it (whether intentionally or not). As a holographic imprint the amount of “source” material need only be a minute amount in order to transmit the energy pattern of the “host” of the essence.

8. Crystal energies

Like Kal I think there’s a lot to be said for crystals. I placed some quartz crystals on top of the major electrical devices in my house and dowsed a before and after picture of the energy at those places. Before the crystals were placed on them the televisions and a microwave oven dowsed very strongly for an unhealthy energy form. After the crystals were placed on the equipment the reaction to the question of unhealthy energies either diminished drastically or completely.

When Kal placed some crystals atop the stones at Nine Ladies in Derbyshire we got a very strong dowsing reaction around Kal as he sat in the circle. With their help he felt energised to perform some visualisation and healing work – his own flavour 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..

VERDICT: Crystals can focus energies to a point. I also feel that they somehow coalesce the energies of a site to be harnessed for use by the practitioner. It also seems important what kind of stones are used to form stone circles and other sacred sites. The more crystalline, and the larger the crystals, the more powerful is the focusing and empowering effect.

I therefore feel that crystals act as a form of lens through which energies can be harnessed and focused.

9. Earth Electromagnetic Field (EMF)

The EMF, or GMF (Geomagnetic Field) fluctuates in strength. The nemetons (or auric extent) of stone circles fluctuates in synchrony with it. I don’t know enough science to continue with any further comparison of these two energies. I also have no way of measuring the EMF – I simply accept what I’m told about it with an air of dissociated interest. I may never know much about it. So here’s a link to a study of them and if anyone understands it – good for you. Perhaps you could tell me how it fits in. The study at least recognises that variations occur depending upon the time of day.

VERDICT:Fluctuation according to time of day is as close as I get to correlating these two forces.

10. Emotional energies

When working with energies at sacred sites one of the ‘keys’ to allowing this energy to operate has been demonstrated to myself and Kal on many occasions to be the emotions of love and gratitude. Love is the force that, through its generation in the human body and mind, can be unleashed in order to provide the impetus for action or change to occur.

This is, of course, impossible to prove. So, I invite you to try it for yourself. You will find that emotional energies of a specific type have particular effects. Without that emotional involvement you are merely sitting in an arrangement of stones.

Once the work is complete, and before you awaken, we have found it profitable (i.e. no negative side effects occur, like you start being clumsy, or unfortunate things befall you) if you break the connection with an emotion of gratitude for the experience. Call it politeness. Call it irrelevant. I call it the fostering of good relations. This is, after all, a relationship with Nature itself, and the most worthy attainments deserve a nod of appreciation.

I am unsure as to the purpose, but like a child I don’t need to understand the warning to heed the advice. Love and gratitude seem to be the entry requirements and the exit strategy for energy work in stone circles or anywhere else.

VERDICT: The energies of the emotions of love and gratitude are allowing some form of transition to an attuned mental state wherein it becomes possible to visualise and direct energies.

11. Esotoric energies

I think the phrase “esoteric” doesn’t capture the undoubted intelligence innate in these presences. Tribal shamans consider these ‘spirits’ to be ancestors – a term that perhaps does not translate well. Yet the word ‘ancestor’ certainly hints at something beyond our capacity to ordinarily interact with it, possibly because it’s in a different frequency outside our normal range, and something once human, but now possibly only retaining soul or mind without a physical body.

Terence McKenna’s tales of encounters with mushroom intelligence, Carlos Casteneda’s many books about his contact with magical ‘allies’ that are often the genius lociGenius Loci means 'spirit of the place' and refers to the geological/gaian spirit of place. It is transfixed to a place – being an embodiment of the collective intelligence of the place. contained within entheogenic plants, Gordon Wasson’s reportage of shamanic encounters, Mercia Eliade’s work with tribal shamans the world over who, though isolated from each other, report similar experiences in the other dimensions. To coin McKenna these are true hallucinations involving man and nature spirit.

VERDICT: Esoteric techniques to alter states of consciousness demonstrate that other worlds can be glimpsed for short periods of time. In those other worlds or dimensions there are intelligent entities. Some travellers manage to return back through the gateway with immense creative hordes, and tantalising theories and knowledge that they were simply not able to conjure otherwise.

12. Dark matter

Not a topic I would choose to end on. I don’t understand dark matter, and I don’t think it is understandable. In the same way as quantum mechanical theory keeps uncovering ever smaller levels of sub-atomic energy, I think that space is also fractally extensive.

Whilst we spend trillions attempting to extend our vision ever smaller and larger through the sub-atomic to cosmic realms we are taking our collective eye of the ball – the ball of earth upon which we are stood. The dark matter that is said to inhabit “space” also inhabits inner space. It inhabits all spaces. It must. It cannot be a property of one level of a fractal but not the other. Only the shape of a fractal changes – not it’s composition or properties.

VERDICT: Dark matter is all pervasive. It is inevitable that it is a constituent part of the energies we seek to work with, but I don’t see that it is dark matter alone that is being evoked, transmuted or dissipated. I also think that it is not energy itself that is changed, only its form.

So there you have it. Some random musings covering my current thoughts on energy in many of its classified forms. Given that most human classification systems are temporary at best, I suspect there is room for re-classification and revolution in the field of matter (no pun intended).

Gwas

Follow a true path.

PART ONE: The build-up to facing fear

When intuition calls these days I answer that call – even if the call will entail some difficulties, and my reason can pop up any number of good reasons why I shouldn’t follow “that squirly notion“, as McKenna puts it. Today I became intent and set upon a course of action that would challenge me to the core – I was going to spend some meditative time lost in the thick of a forest in the wee small hours.

Now, not much of a challenge on the face of it, but there are a host of hurdles that will greet you should you choose to do the same: it’s raining heavily outside, it’s getting cold at nights now that autumn is here, I’ve got a million things to read, watch and listen to in front of a warm fire. A host of excuses not to do this. But do it I will. There is something to be learned by doing this – if only that I could pick a better time or place!

The image that came to me was of the passage in Emma Restall-Orr’s book “Living Druidry” (mentioned many times on this blog) where, in an accompanying and illustrative aside, Emma describes her encounter with the trees of a forest in just such an environment: dark, cold and lonely.

In addition to wishing to meet and face down my own fears, I have a motive inspired by dowsing too. On our visits to site we often find enclosures, or the remains of enclosures in the shape of cromlechs or dolmens structures, which were once enclosed. It would appear that transformative experiences, or rites of passage, or simply quietude, was important within the framework of druidical life of ancient cultures in these fair lands.

There must be a reason for seeking such darkness. Is it simply to close off the five senses and their nagging input? Well, meditation in a quiet place can do this without the necessity for total darkness. Is it simply to put the ‘initiate’ through some kind of trial by fear? Perhaps. I am aware that all or none of these ideas will help me tonight. Tonight I expect to go through many emotions and states of mind, and all in the pursuit of a deeper connection with Nature, an experience of her that few people get to feel, a connection that few people seem prepared to make in these times of electronic distraction.

I make no judgement of that. I only state it as a fact known by me, and operated upon accordingly. I’ve rarely been one to do what I’m supposed to, and I’m certain that meditating in a rainstorm within a forest at midnight would rank high among the kinds of activities that no-one I know would sanction or encourage.

So. On my return I will record my experiences, and see whether I have discovered or learned anything about working with Nature, or whether I am simply a wet, cold and foolish wannabe druid.

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