AMSKAYA

Magazine Overview

AMSKAYA, Issue No. 48, published in April 2001, is the newsletter of the STAR Fellowship. The cover features a stylized illustration of a desert landscape with a road, a cloud, a flying saucer, and mountains, with the title 'AMSKAYA' and 'Newsletter of the STAR Fellowship'.

A Small Step for a Man...

The issue opens with an article reflecting on a television program that mentioned Castle Leslie, the estate of Desmond Leslie, co-author with George Adamski of 'Flying Saucers Have Landed'. The author expresses surprise and pleasure at the mention, noting that Desmond Leslie, who died earlier that year, found UFOs intriguing. The article quotes Jonathan Swift's observations about the Leslie family's writings and mentions a plaster cast of an alien footprint from Venus. Sammy, Desmond Leslie's daughter, is interviewed and describes the peaceful aura of the estate, but also mentions the presence of UFOs, stating her father left a landing site for them. She recounts how her father sold a field for a UFO landing site, with the intention of facilitating public contact and world peace.

The article also references Desmond Leslie's appearance on 'The Story of the Unexplained', narrated by Tom Baker, where Leslie described Adamski as an 'incredible fellow' who sometimes spoke profound wisdom. It mentions an interview with Madeline Rodeffer, who photographed a scoutship and met 'space people' with Adamski, and George Van Tassel's account of visiting a spacecraft. However, Tom Baker is noted for dismissing these accounts, suggesting a CIA plot, and misidentifying individuals and details.

Madeline Rodeffer recounts an experience on February 26th where a 'space friend' contacted Mr. Adamski, leading to preparations for filming a hovering scoutship. She describes how Adamski helped her prepare cameras, and how the craft came very close, which she had not expected.

George Van Tassel's Account

George Van Tassel recounts his experience of going aboard a flying saucer for twenty minutes on August 24th, 1953. He describes the interior walls as being like mother-of-pearl plastic, and the light seeming to come from everywhere. The instrument panel was unlike anything he had seen in his years in aviation. He also details a compartment that cleaned and deodorized clothes using a light process without water or soap.

Flying Saucers Will Land Here Next Year!

This section reprints an article by Agnes Bernelle, wife of Desmond Leslie, originally published in the Weekend Mail on August 26th, 1954. Bernelle, a stage star, predicted flying saucer landings in England the following year. She states that her husband, Desmond Leslie, and George Adamski were in the Californian desert watching the sky for flying saucers. Leslie had previously written 'Flying Saucers Have Landed' with Adamski but had not seen a saucer himself at that time. However, he later cabled Agnes that their 'SAUCER SCORE' was 12 and described seeing a 'beautiful, golden ship' in the sunset.

Bernelle expresses a chill of fear upon reading her husband's description but is assured by Desmond that there is nothing to fear from the 'men in the saucers'. He claims they have been given the 'simple philosophy' of these visitors, which runs parallel to the teachings of Jesus, and that they do not seek trouble, preferring to be destroyed rather than kill if attacked. Desmond also wrote about discs that could pick up thoughts and vibrations, and Adamski's ability to communicate telepathically.

Desmond Leslie also shared details of saucer interiors, stating they had plans and blueprints for five different craft and information on landing arrangements and instruments that were 'out of this world'. Bernelle expresses her belief in flying saucers, influenced by her husband's accounts, and suggests that the 'cold war' conditions might make saucer men our only means of salvation. She mentions reports of landings in Canada involving 'four beautiful men from another solar system'.

News of Salome

A brief report from the Daily Mail on July 8th, 1954, mentions Agnes Bernelle receiving a cable from her husband, Desmond Leslie, stating he saw his first flying saucer ten minutes prior, coinciding with news of her role in Oscar Wilde's 'Salome'.

A Letter from Desmond Leslie

Published in Illustrated magazine on March 12th, 1955, this letter from Desmond Leslie provides his personal impression of George Adamski. Leslie stayed with Adamski for nearly three months, describing him as a tall, well-built man of sixty-four with sympathetic eyes, who spent his retirement studying stars. Adamski had been interested in flying saucers after amateur astronomers were asked to look for unusual objects. Leslie recounts the climax of Adamski's search in November 1952, when he and six others reported seeing a huge cigar-shaped craft, followed by Adamski's famous contact with a saucer, as detailed in their book. Leslie admits he was apprehensive but found Adamski simple, sincere, and likeable. He questioned Adamski about his ability to get pictures with a six-inch telescope when a much larger one did not, to which Adamski responded with a rhetorical question about shooting pigeons with a naval gun.

Adamski emphatically swore that his contact with a 'man from a flying saucer' was true in every respect and a true physical experience, stating he would not lie to a Superior Being. Leslie also mentions Daniel Fry, a government rocket engineer, who claimed to have gone inside a saucer in 1950 at White Sands, describing Fry as intelligent and matter-of-fact.

Leslie concludes by mentioning Adamski's prediction that many others would meet and talk with spacemen, and that by October, landings were already being reported in France and Italy, with a wave of sightings in Rome producing photographic evidence.

Forgotten Project: Scientists Watch Mars for Signs of Life Today

This section details a project from July 3rd, 1954, where scientists in 18 observatories across ten countries monitored Mars for signs of life. The planet was at its closest point to Earth in 13 years, approximately 40 million miles away. American scientists, led by Dr. E. C. Slipher of the Lowell Observatory, were involved. They observed canals, white polar caps, and deserts, but no seas. The findings, published in Daniel Ross's book 'UFOs and the Complete Evidence from Space', confirmed the presence of canals and vegetation, with canals following great-circle courses, suggesting intelligent design. The Lowell Observatory used a new electronic camera to capture exceptional pictures. One canal was found to be 1500 miles long. Despite Dr. Slipher bringing back photographs to prove the canals were real and man-made, the Mars Committee reports were never made public.

Book Reviews

The issue includes several book reviews and listings:

• A Covert Agenda by Nicholas Redfern: A review highlights its examination of UFO sightings and government reactions in Britain since 1947, suggesting a conspiracy of silence but also a potential government program to educate the public.
• A COVERT AGENDA by Nicholas Redfern (Pocket Books): Described as a validation that the Ministry of Defence and intelligence sections have deliberately rubbished witnesses and kept UFO data secret.
• The UFO ENCYCLOPEDIA by John Spencer: An A-Z source book of UFO-related information.
• CONFIRMATION The Hard Evidence by Whiley Striber: Details implants and physical evidence of UFOs, including an interview with Monsignor Corrado Balducci.
• THE THREAT by David Jacobs, Ph.D.: Explains the abduction phenomenon in terms of a hybridization program.
• SATAN'S MISTRESS by Val Lewis: Recounts the life of Joanna Southcott, a 18th-century cult leader.

There is also a mention of a section in 'A Covert Agenda' titled "Space Brothers" covering 1950s/60s contactees, including the Roestenberg case, Adamski, and Van Tassel, noting that while intelligence services monitored lectures, the literature is considered 'littered with absurdities'.

Other Content

• The Hidden Unity and Beginnings by Jimmy Goddard: A booklet exploring subconscious siting of ley points and the significance of places of worship.
• Earth People, Space People: A booklet based on Tony Wedd's manuscript 'Earth Men, Space Men', detailing extraterrestrial contact claims and the history of the STAR Fellowship.
• The Legacy of Tony Wedd: A CD-ROM of Tony Wedd's travelling exhibition on flying saucers, landscape energies, and lost technology.
• YOU CAN'T TELL THE PEOPLE: An announcement for a half-day conference on June 24th, 2001, featuring talks on the Rendlesham events and ghosts/spirits, sponsored by TEMS and BUFORA.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of AMSKAYA are UFO sightings, extraterrestrial contact, government secrecy surrounding UFOs, and the possibility of life on other planets, particularly Mars. The STAR Fellowship, as the publisher, appears to be a proponent of investigating these phenomena, providing a platform for contactee accounts and research. The editorial stance seems to be one of open inquiry into UFOs and related subjects, while acknowledging the skepticism and potential for misinformation within the field. The issue emphasizes the importance of these topics, suggesting they may hold answers for humanity's future, as indicated by Desmond Leslie's belief that 'the saucer men will probably be our only means of salvation'.