AMSKAYA

Magazine Overview

Title: AMSKAYA
Issue: No. 37
Date: January 1996
Publisher: STAR Fellowship

This issue of AMSKAYA, the newsletter of the STAR Fellowship, focuses on past predictions and contemporary reports of flying saucer activity, alongside discussions of extraterrestrial contact and related legal matters.

"FLYING SAUCERS WILL LAND HERE NEXT YEAR!"

The lead article revisits a prediction made in an article published in Weekend Mail on August 26, 1954, by Agnes Bernelle, wife of Desmond Leslie. Bernelle, a stage star, reported her husband's work in America with George Adamski, suggesting they had contacts with 'space people'. The article, reprinted from a file collected by the British Flying Saucer Bureau, quotes Bernelle stating that "If all goes well there will be flying saucer landings in England next year..." She describes Desmond's letters from the Californian desert, where he and Adamski were watching the sky. Desmond had previously co-authored the book "Flying Saucers Have Landed" with Adamski, though at that time he had not seen a saucer himself. He later cabled Agnes with a "SAUCER SCORE NOW 12" and described seeing a "beautiful, golden ship in the sunset" which he observed for half a minute from a halted car.

Desmond assured Agnes that there was no need to fear the beings in the saucers, stating that he and Adamski had learned "many of their secrets" and that their philosophy "runs parallel with the original teachings of Jesus." He also claimed that space visitors would prefer to be destroyed rather than kill.

Contact with these beings, according to Desmond's letter from July 4th, could be made through "little discs which can pick up our thoughts, and others which can pick up our vibrations and tones into their own language." Adamski had previously mentioned communication by telepathy. Desmond also described their ships, with the first one he saw being "oval with a dome on top," and claimed to have "actual knowledge of the interior of the saucers," possessing "plans and blueprints" for the interior layouts of four or five different kinds of craft, along with details of landing arrangements and instruments.

Agnes Bernelle expresses her belief in flying saucers, stating that from what she has learned from her husband, their existence is undeniable and their descriptions of events surpass science fiction.

Desmond's letters also revealed that he initially doubted extraterrestrial existence until actual contact. He shared facts that amazed him, and he believed that in the context of "cold war" conditions, saucer men might be their "only means of salvation." He reported over a hundred landings on Earth and mentioned a ship landing in Canada with "four beautiful men from another solar system altogether." Desmond was convinced that nuclear warfare could end Earth's existence and throw the universe off balance, suggesting saucers might offer an escape.

UFO Sightings and Media Mentions

The newsletter highlights recent media attention to flying saucers, including a public statement by airline pilots. A report from The Times in January details a close encounter by a British Airways passenger jet (Boeing 737) with an unidentified flying object while landing at Manchester airport. The UFO, described as wedge-shaped with white lights and a black stripe, overtook the plane at high speed. The Civil Aviation Authority investigated the incident, along with three previous ones, finding no likely explanation.

Another mention is from William Sitwell in the Sunday Express (November 26th), discussing Eric Sykes, who is convinced UFOs are observing Earth to prevent self-destruction. Sykes claims the government is concealing evidence and has put a lid on it, even mentioning insurance claims for abduction.

The scientific magazine Focus featured an article titled "Are We Alone" with a picture of the Adamski scoutship. The article also notes other UFO sightings, including an "axe-head" shape on TV news and in the Daily Express, and a UFO seen for two hours over New Cross reported in the Greenwich Mercury.

Book Review: Other Visions, Other Lives

This section reviews "Other Visions, Other Lives" from Abelard Productions, Inc. The reviewer notes that the book seems to offer material from pioneer contactee George Hunt Williamson, who died in 1986. Williamson, described as a mercurial figure who probed ancient ruins in South America, had books that were "utterly unique" but denied a wide audience due to their "dottiness." The reviewer states that "Other Voices" comprises the text of Williamson's first book, "The Saucers Speak," padded with new material by Timothy Green Beckley.

"The Saucers Speak" was co-written with Alfred C. Bailey and published in 1954, claiming to be a "documentary record of interstellar communication by radiotelegraphy." The review highlights some of the book's scientifically questionable claims, such as the Sun not being a hot, flaming body but a cold one, with heat generated by friction from forces entering Earth's magnetic field. It also mentions claims about Pluto and Mercury having similar temperatures regardless of distance from the sun.

Some of the "saucer-men's" pronouncements are described as garbled, including one where "Zo of Neptune" informs Williamson that a Bugs Bunny cartoon contains vital research information. Despite some seemingly ridiculous instructions, the reviewer notes that Zo's dismissal of American soap operas as 'Pooh' suggests some critical faculties.

The review concludes that "Other Voices" is not an ordinary channelled book, but is remarkable for its occult subtext hinting at the true origin and meaning of flying saucers. Williamson's work is characterized by a "mystic strangeness" and echoes of the Enochian language, and the book is recommended for any serious UFOlogist's bookshelf.

Letters

Several readers share their thoughts:

• M. Burns (Bow, London): Thanks for the book "Earth People, Space People." Mentions a chapter on Philip Rodgers and Shirley Maclaine, and a quote from a being named Yamski regarding forces from Epsilon causing poltergeists. Also references an article in the Fortean Times about an American poltergeist witness named Twyla, who believes it to be an alien from Saturn.
• Benjamin Creme: The reader asks if the editor has heard of Benjamin Creme, a Scottish painter and esotericist who claims UFOs piloted by people from Mars and Venus are working to save Earth by purging the atmosphere of greenhouse gases and repairing damage from nuclear testing.
• Mary Long (Wellow, Bath): Expresses agreement with the newsletter's comments on abductions and two types of spiritual beings, noting that they "have to 'fight' some trouble elsewhere in space."
• Robert Fisher (Knowle, Bristol): Inquires about energy lines near Beckhampton roundabout or Windmill Hill, areas known for crop circle formations. Mentions skywatches at Alton Barnes and a crop circle found near Maes Knoll hillfort, as well as a sighting of a low-flying triangle object near Glastonbury.

Notes and News

• Surrey Herald, October 28, 1993 (25 Years Ago): Reports two round "discs of light" seen over Walton on October 25, 1968, described as unusual and appearing to chase each other. The lights were also seen by a Herald reporter and cartoonist.
• Federal ET Law: This section, from "Joshua's UFO Page" on the World-Wide Web, discusses a Federal Law allegedly passed by Congress that made direct contact with an extraterrestrial illegal. The law, Title 14, Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations, adopted July 16, 1969, reportedly carries penalties of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. The NASA administrator has the power to impose an indeterminate quarantine. The article suggests the law's purpose was to silence witnesses and that it was ambiguously worded. It also notes the timing of a press conference by Dr. Brain T. Clifford of the Pentagon during the peak popularity of the film E.T., suggesting it was intended to discourage contact, but backfired. The TV film "V" is also mentioned as propaganda designed to portray aliens as horrifying.

The Hidden Unity and Beginnings

This section briefly describes two booklets:

• The Hidden Unity: Explores subconscious siting of ley points, the significance of places of worship on leys, and the implications of environmental and philosophical aspects of worship. It includes examples of ley centres and an appendix on the significance of the Pagan religion.
• Beginnings: Details discoveries made by Jimmy Goddard over twenty years, including earth energy detection, natural antigravity, and subconscious siting. It also includes a chapter on cognitive dissonance.

Earth People, Space People

This section announces a booklet prepared by the STAR Fellowship as a more modest version of Tony Wedd's unpublished 1961 manuscript, "Earth Men, Space Men." The booklet details prominent contact claims, the history of the STAR Fellowship, and evidence for life in the Solar System and extraterrestrial language. It is available for £1 plus postage from the Touchstone address.

AMSKAYA is described as the newsletter of the STAR Fellowship, a continuation of the organization formed in 1960 by Tony Wedd. Four quarterly issues cost £2 from J. Goddard.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of AMSKAYA are the ongoing belief in and investigation of flying saucers and extraterrestrial contact, the reporting of alleged sightings, and the examination of historical and contemporary accounts. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-mindedness towards UFO phenomena, presenting both historical predictions and recent reports, alongside critical analysis of related books and legal developments. There is a clear interest in the 'contactee' phenomenon and the potential implications of extraterrestrial presence for humanity, including ideas of salvation from global threats like nuclear war. The inclusion of the Federal ET Law section suggests a critical view of government handling of the subject, perceiving it as an attempt to suppress information and silence witnesses.