THE LEY HUNTER

Magazine Overview

'The Ley Hunter' is a magazine dedicated to the exploration of ley lines and related phenomena. This issue, Number Three, dated January 1970, is edited by Paul Screeton and published by Garnstone Press. The magazine aims to investigate the significance and purpose of ancient lines connecting prehistoric sites.

Lead-In: The Significance of Leys

The editorial, titled 'LEAD-IN', by Paul Screeton, sets the tone for the issue. It posits that the search for leys is a search for something lost, emphasizing the importance of not only plotting them on maps but also using minds and intuition to understand their full purpose. Screeton reflects on Alfred Watkins' vision that revealed the existence of leys and questions whether rational thought or intuition is needed to uncover their ultimate function. He expresses hope that 1970 will shed more light on the subject and encourages readers to contribute articles on various themes.

Suggested Themes and Reader Contributions

• Screeton proposes several areas for exploration, including:
• The practical uses of leys for national benefit, personal gain, or even militarily.
• The potential connection of leys to a form of current, how it could be regulated by prehistoric man, and its extent.
• Whether leys could function as E.S.P. transmitters.
• Evidence linking leys to geological fault lines and pronounced magnetic activity.
• Successful identification of a ley with orthoteny.
• The physical effects of leys on people, such as visions or humming sensations.
• Possible connections between dowsing, ghosts, witchcraft, supernatural manifestations, and folklore.
• Explanations for cup and ring marks and rocking stones.

Additionally, Screeton plans to build a bibliography of books and articles on leys each month and requests reader cooperation in collecting this information.

Subscription Information

The magazine provides details on subscriptions, stating that subscribers will receive a reminder when their subscription is due. It also offers subscriptions for single issues, three-month, and six-month periods.

The Way, The Truth and The Light by Tony Wedd

This article explores the significance of standing stones and their connection to leys. Wedd recounts the story of a 'Roy Stone' that was moved, breaking an old taboo. He discusses a similar stone near Brecon photographed in 1959, which showed a fogged band, possibly due to ultraviolet light. Wedd references G. Hunt Williamson's photograph of a flying saucer hovering over a rock on the Marcahuasi plateau, which was audibly humming like a generator. He quotes Dr. Williamson from 'The Secret of the Andes,' suggesting that regaining lost knowledge from Earth's Golden or Saturnian Age is important. Wedd also draws on the work of Joan Grant and Denys Kelsey, and Dr. Jonathan Rodney, to suggest that we can tap into past memories to recover lost knowledge about the purpose of standing stones.

Wedd mentions that a contactee reported leys being in poor shape for flying saucers, making railway lines easier for navigation. He cites Egerton Sykes, formerly of the Old Straight Track Club, who commented that leys are not pedlars' tracks but mark the location of magnetic currents. Buck Nelson is quoted as saying that 'Space Men' describe the crossing points of magnetic currents as crossroads.

Wedd discusses Stonehenge as a notable power house, questioning if the bluestones were endowed with quartz crystals as transistors for Earth power. He notes a connection between the Aubrey Holes, the Y-circle, and the innermost bluestone horseshoe at Stonehenge, suggesting the seven-point star is intentional and relevant to space technology. He also highlights Stonehenge's precise alignment with the Midsummer sun and the meridian. Alfred Watkins identified four leys running through Stonehenge, which Wedd names the Prescel Ley, the Grove Ley, and the Quar Ley. He also mentions Rybury Camp, Silbury Hill, and Avebury in relation to ley alignments. The importance of a mark on Rox Hill Clump in establishing a midday clock for Stonehenge III is also discussed.

Wedd concludes by reflecting on the significance of the 'inscription' on sarsen 53 at Stonehenge and the 45° sun angle, suggesting it relates to reaping and rock bashing. He contends that such discoveries hark back to a far memory and that feeling the spirit of the place, rather than approaching it too intellectually, is key to understanding the old, golden age technology.

Review: 'The View Over Atlantis' by John Michell

This section reviews John Michell's book 'The View Over Atlantis'. The review states that Michell describes leys as having geographical, geometrical, astronomical, astrological, and spiritual natures, revealing the course of currents affecting gravity, geological fault lines, ore veins, and subterranean streams, mapping a subtle form of magnetism. Prehistoric sites are linked to centres of energy transmission, modelled on celestial bodies. Michell suggests that ancient adepts recognized a powerful, currently unknown force that they could manipulate, gaining insight into philosophy, God, and the universe. He argues that prehistoric civilization was founded on the universal control of these invisible currents.

The review notes that Michell addresses the argument that prehistoric people had no reason to measure and mark the land in this way, calling it contradictory to assumptions about prehistoric life. He also counters the idea that chance alone explains the alignment of sites, stating that in many cases, it appears remote. Michell suggests that while some leys might be old roads, Alfred Watkins may have suspected a deeper significance. Watkins' insight into the ley system while riding across the Bredwardine Hills is hailed, and the book discusses the history of the Old Straight Track Club.

Michell believes the ley system is universal and that Earth's natural magnetism was known and provided energy for ancient civilizations. He connects celestial and terrestrial energy, referencing the Great Pyramid and its numerical associations, suggesting it relates to Mercury or Hermes. The review mentions that various prehistoric sites like Woodhenge, Stonehenge, and Glastonbury are dealt with geometrically, as is Lichfield Cathedral. Michell posits that early churches were directed by divination and that older churches can still be used as precise instruments for spiritual invocation, unlike modern halls.

Michell supports the theory of past civilizations being wiped out instantly, citing mammoths frozen with undigested grass and the non-Egyptian nature of pyramids as evidence for Atlantis disappearing in a cataclysm. He suggests this was the moment when the truth about spiritual energy became confused with superstition. The review notes that in 'The Flying Saucer Vision,' Michell associated dragon legends with UFO landings, but in 'The View Over Atlantis,' he links them to 'dragon pulse' or lines of energy, symbolizing magnetism rather than physical UFOs. UFOs are discussed in only a fraction of the book. The review concludes that Michell's approach to leys via UFOs is not fruitful, but the book is a thoughtful and well-researched work, considered the most important of 1969.

A Somerset Ley Hunt by Jimmy Goddard

Jimmy Goddard recounts his experiences on a ley hunt in Glastonbury with Miss Barbara Crump. They identified alignments with Dundon Hill, a tumulus near Priddy, and a cross-roads in West Harptree. A ley was found joining Chalice Hill and the Tor. They also located an ancient cross and St. Leonard's Church in Rodney Stoke, where both Goddard and Doris experienced humming in their heads, indicating a strong ley centre. The Rodney Chapel, though added in the 15th century, was aligned with two tumuli north of Wells.

They continued to Nyland Hill, an orthotenic centre, which was inaccessible, but Wedmore Church and the Tor were visible from its base. This section is reprinted from the August 1969 issue of 'Awareness'.

Leys, Pubs and Woolworth's (Letter to the Editor)

Jimmy Goddard writes to Paul Screeton, expressing interest in the articles in 'The Ley Hunter'. He discusses Dr. Cleary-Baker's comments on aligning pubs and Woolworth's, noting that while attempted, no one has definitively succeeded. Goddard states that Aime Michel's loss of interest in orthoteny does not diminish its authenticity, as evidence for alignments remains. He suggests that the rarity of sightings in certain areas and the thoroughness of investigations like Michel's in 1954 contribute to the limited appearance of such findings. He notes that archaeologists often repudiate leys, viewing them as official heresy. Goddard agrees that while map work is essential, impressive discoveries often come from flashes of inspiration and keen observation, citing Doug Chaundy's star patterns and Tony Wedd's 'Cock and Hen' leys. He mentions a sighting at San Jose de Valderas, reported in 'Flying Saucer Review', which executed a falling-leaf motion, possibly over an ancient castle.

Science Fiction Section: On the Crest of a New Wave by Paul Screeton

This short piece is a science fiction excerpt, featuring a quote from an unnamed speaker: "Au revoir, jewelled alligators and white hotels, hallucinatory forests, farewell."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of 'The Ley Hunter' revolve around the investigation and understanding of ley lines. The magazine explores their potential connections to prehistoric sites, ancient energy systems, geological phenomena, and even extraterrestrial phenomena (UFOs). There is a strong emphasis on the need for intuitive and imaginative approaches, alongside rational analysis, to uncover the 'lost knowledge' of ancient civilizations. The editorial stance encourages reader participation and the sharing of diverse theories, even speculative ones, in the pursuit of understanding these enigmatic lines and their purpose. The issue also touches upon the historical context of ley research, referencing figures like Alfred Watkins and modern researchers like John Michell, while also including a science fiction element.

This document, identified as issue number 10 of "SPECIAL FROM THE TIMES," is a literary analysis and review publication, primarily focused on science fiction and contemporary literature. The content is predominantly text-based, with minimal visual elements suggested by the page numbers and the nature of the articles.

J.G. Ballard's Evolving Themes

The issue begins with an examination of J.G. Ballard's literary trajectory. The author notes that while Ballard's core fascination with time and surreal landscapes persists, his recent experimental pieces have shifted focus from cardboard fictional characters to cult figures. These figures, such as John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Major Eatherly, and Shirley Temple, are presented as characters distorted by mass media, frequently placed in bizarre, parallel time sequences. The analysis points to an inclusion of sex and dark humor as prime factors in these new works, exemplified by titles like "The Assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Considered As a Downhill Motor Race." The landscapes have transformed, with references to Dealey Plaza in Dallas and Southeast Asian forests, and characters like Karen Novotny and Marilyn Monroe appearing in altered contexts. The text quotes a sample passage from "THE SERIAL ANGELS," describing vaporizing astronauts and starlets. The author emphasizes that Ballard's imagination is vital and contemporary, dealing with the "nastier side of life" and imbuing horrific events, such as the Vietnam War, with a dreamlike quality.

Ballard's worldview is described as chaotic, aiming to produce a "flux of apparently random events" that reflect ordinary life. He discusses his method of exploiting global fictional characters, those who can afford mass media and publicity, to project themselves as fictional beings. Ballard views Science Fiction as the "apocalyptic literature of the 20th Century," offering a complete alternative to contemporary society and looking forward. His earlier work explored man's potential in inner space, while his current interest lies in the "actual sordidness of man's sexual and brutal urges," suggesting that humanity remains in its "universal infancy."

Reviews: "THE BEST OF SCI-FI 5" and "The Left Hand of Darkness"

The publication includes a review of "THE BEST OF SCI-FI 5," edited by Judith Merril. The reviewer acknowledges that anthologies are rarely wholly satisfactory but praises Merril's ability to select notable pieces. However, the reviewer finds Merril's commentaries preceding the stories irritating, with a particular aversion to brief verse selections. The reviewer's favorite story is J.G. Ballard's "The Sound Sweep," which is singled out for its character, Madame Gioconda, described as a "large seedy witch." "Mariana" by Fritz Leiber is also mentioned as a story whose theme would suit Ballard, praised for its evoked atmosphere and faultless drama.

Other pieces reviewed include Daniel Keyes's "Flowers for Algernon," noted for its theme later developed by Thomas M. Disch in "Camp Concentration." Roger Price's "An Inquiry Concerning The Curvature Of The Earth's Surface And Divers Investigations Of A Metaphysical Nature" is mentioned for its critique of flat-earther beliefs. The anthology contains works by Ray Bradbury, Damon Knight, Avram Davidson, Cordwainer Smith, and Carol Emshwiller, with a recent reprint available.

The review then shifts to Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Left Hand of Darkness." The reviewer draws analogies between the planet Winter and Earth, noting differences in climate and political tension, referencing a "Sinoth Valley" and echoes of Sino-Soviet tension. The concept of ambisexuality on Winter is explored, with a question posed about a potential movement towards androgyny on Earth, given current fashion trends. The narrative involves an Envoy's audience with a mistrustful king. The book is suggested to balance medieval times, the present, and the future, with the environment and cold presented as dominant factors. The review highlights the book's philosophical undertones and its probe into fundamental human questions, concluding that it offers a gripping winter's tale.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the analysis of contemporary and speculative literature, with a particular focus on science fiction. There is a clear appreciation for authors who explore the darker, more complex aspects of human nature and society, as exemplified by the extensive coverage of J.G. Ballard. The editorial stance appears to favor critical engagement with literary works, offering in-depth reviews and thematic analyses. The publication values authors who push boundaries and offer unique perspectives, whether through surrealism, social commentary, or futuristic visions. The inclusion of multiple reviews suggests an aim to guide readers through the current literary landscape, particularly within the science fiction genre.