Touchstone

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 7
Date: September 1985
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

This issue of Touchstone, a publication by the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group, addresses topics related to Earth Mysteries, UFOs, and ancient sites. The cover features the magazine title and an illustration of a rural landscape. The issue includes articles, a report on a field trip, and correspondence.

Distrubing Reviews

The editorial section, titled "Disturbing Reviews," expresses concern that some reviews of the small book "Skyways and Landmarks Revisited" have misunderstood its purpose. The author clarifies that the project was not merely historical but aimed to illustrate a basic fact: that the re-emergence of leys and the subsequent Earth Mysteries movement were directly caused by communications from extraterrestrials. While acknowledging that some of Tony Wedd's points were inaccurate, the author asserts that the underlying system is real, suggesting that extraterrestrials indicated the ley lines and that human interpretation led to mistakes. To address current attitudes towards UFOs and the "extraterrestrial hypothesis," the author plans to re-start Tony Wedd's organisation, the STAR Fellowship, to promote these ideas.

An article by Tony Wedd, originally published in "The Ley Hunter" in January 1970, is included. The article, titled "The Way, The Truth and The Light," discusses the ancient Icknield Way and a "Roy Stone." Wedd recounts an experience with a similar stone near Brecon, photographed in 1959, which exhibited a peculiar fogged band, suggesting the presence of ultra-violet light. He hypothesizes that standing stones may form a power network, possibly containing quartz and acting as transistors for Earth power. He references G. Hunt Williamson's work on the Marcahuasi plateau, where a flying saucer was reportedly seen recharging its batteries above a humming rock. Wedd also mentions books by Joan Grant and Denys Kelsey, and Dr. Jonathan Rodney, suggesting a need to recover lost knowledge from a "golden or Saturninan age."

Wedd further explores the idea of tapping into ancient memory and recovering lost technology. He notes that navigation by old leys is difficult for flying saucers due to their poor condition, with railway lines being easier. Egerton Sykes is quoted as stating that these lines mark magnetic currents, a view corroborated by Buck Nelson. The article highlights Stonehenge as a notable power house, discussing its bluestones brought from Wales and its larger stones from nearby. Wedd recounts his 1967 visit to Stonehenge, noting a connection between the Aubrey Holes, the Y-circle, and the bluestone horseshoe, forming seven-point stars, which he believes are intentional and relevant to space technology.

He details how Stonehenge is aligned with the Midsummer sun at 51 degrees E of N, one-seventh of a 360-degree circle. Alfred Watkins' identification of four leys running through Stonehenge is mentioned, with Watkins taking Tan Hill as a mark. Wedd then discusses Rox Hill Clump and its significance in establishing a mid-day clock for Stonehenge III. He speculates that the clump, composed of various trees, might represent the thirteen trees of the Celtic tree calendar. He describes observing a triangle of sunshine passing through a narrow slit in the southernmost trilithon at midday, allowing for precise timekeeping. Wedd also interprets an "axe-dagger-axe" sign on Sarsen 53 as a calendrical measurement, possibly indicating the period from April 7th to September 7th. He concludes that these discoveries point to a lost, golden age technology.

The Oxford Field Trip

This section apologizes for the late notice of the Oxford field trip in the previous issue. The trip followed a ley north of Oxford, connecting several sites including Wagborough Bush tumulus, Icomb Hill, Squire's Clump tumulus, the Hawk Stone, and the Hoar Stone burial chamber. The ley was found to be promising, and the weather was favourable. The group met at Chadlington church and proceeded to Knollbury earthwork. Squire's Clump tumulus is described as the most impressive seen, except for Silbury Hill, with a large round barrow topped with trees and remnants of drystone kerbing.

The Hawk Stone, a single standing stone in a wheat field, was noted to have a notch oriented E-W, the direction of the ley. Bob Skinner's archive work suggests it might be the remains of a chambered structure. A tumulus on the ley was found to be almost levelled in a cornfield. The trip also visited a wayside cross, identified as an obelisk, and a spot-marked road junction with concrete blocks.

Further sites visited included the Hoar Stone Burial Chamber, described as a tomb in attractive wooded surroundings. The group then visited an interesting stone and cross at Taston, where the cross was being renovated. A nearby Thor Stone, a large monolith of red sandstone, was also noted. Returning to the ley, they encountered a muddy junction with no visible tracks or stones. They then visited another Hoar Stone, which appeared to be a pile of reddish stones from a dismantled chambered tomb. The day concluded at a hostelry called the "Waggon and Horses."

The Black Cherry Fair

This brief section recounts an exhibition at Chertsey's Black Cherry Fair. The authors displayed their boards, but received little public interest, although an eminent local historian took some literature.

The Old Stones of the Surrey/Hants Borders

Authored by Chris Hall, this section details investigations into ancient stones in the Surrey and Hampshire borders. It covers:

• Eversley and Aldershot: Eversley Church has a tradition of a hermit's cell and a small earlier church. A sarsen stone was found buried under the north aisle during alterations. Eversley Cross is mentioned, but no surviving record of a stone cross exists.
• Windmill Road Stone: A half-buried sarsen stone in Aldershot is described. The place name "Aldershot" is explained as deriving from "sceat" (area of land) or "Aldershare" (alder wood near a stone). The stone is a listed ancient monument.

Exciting Confirmation

This section describes finding two leys passing through a church in Templecombe, Somerset. One ley goes through several churches and cross-roads. A large deciduous clump was found on the line, near a dilapidated iron fence, with Horsington church visible. This confirmation is presented as exciting, even if the ley seems mediocre.

Book Reviews

• Sacred Waters: A review of a book by Janet and Colin Bord, described as a comprehensive gazetteer of holy wells and sacred waters, complete with legends and traditions.
• Earth Mysteries - An Exploratory Introduction: A review of a book by Philip Heselton and Brian Larkman, which outlines the major elements of Earth Mysteries. It is praised for being well-produced and illustrated.

Yateley Church

A letter from Mary Bonney of Windsor discusses an article on Yateley church and its sarsen stone. She notes the Old English word "gat" meaning "gate," "road," or "track." The stone may have marked a track or road used on ceremonial occasions, with a local tale of a "haunting" providing a clue.

Publication and Exchange List

Touchstone is published by Surrey Earth Mysteries Group, with subscriptions at £2 for four issues, payable to J. Goddard. All articles and contributions are welcome. The issue includes an extensive "Exchange List" of other related publications and groups, such as Quicksilver Messenger, Caerdroia, Fortean Times, Stonehenge Viewpoint, Magonia, and The Ley Hunter.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around Earth Mysteries, the significance of ancient sites and standing stones, and the extraterrestrial hypothesis concerning UFOs. The publication strongly advocates for the extraterrestrial explanation for phenomena like ley lines and Earth Mysteries movements, while remaining open to other possibilities. There is a clear focus on ancient technology and lost knowledge, with an emphasis on practical investigation through field trips and the study of historical texts and sites. The editorial stance is one of promoting these ideas and encouraging reader participation through subscriptions and contributions.