Touchstone - No 028 - 1991 01

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 28
Date: January 1991
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group
Focus: Earth Mysteries, including ley lines, dowsing, UFOs, and sacred sites.

Pitch Hill Ley Project

The main article, "PITCH HILL LEY PROJECT," by Eileen Grimshaw and Gordon Millington, details their investigations into ley lines around Pitch Hill. On Sunday, October 7th, 1990, the authors conducted a reconnaissance of the Pitch Hill area, where a UFO had been reported in 1988. Their primary focus shifted to investigating ley energies, which they found to be abundant and readily distinguishable from weaker lines. They climbed to the triangulation point at the top of Pitch Hill and, using dowsing, identified a very wide band of energy. The area is noted for UFOs, the Surrey Puma, and the Winterfold Horror, suggesting a prevalence of 'loose energy.' The weather on this day was dry, cold, and windy.

On October 11th, Gordon and Eileen reported their findings to Jimmy Goddard at a SEMG meeting. A ley was subsequently found that seemed to coincide with the dowsed band, passing through several points and including about a mile of coincident track to the east.

On Saturday, November 17th, Jimmy Goddard, Gordon Millington, and Eileen Grimshaw set out to test the theoretical ley line drawn on the map. They chose a straight track at TQ204458 and parked their car on a bridleway opposite the entrance to Shellwood Manor. They noted a mound of earth in two fields on opposite sides of the road. The bridlepath itself had a dowseable energy line running along it, detected by all three, but this line was not in alignment with the original ley found. They also noted Scots pines alongside houses on the other side of the road.

The energy line continued from the bridlepath across the road and past houses, with dowseable energy found running between pairs of oaks in front of each house. Holding a crystal produced a tingling reaction for Eileen and Jimmy. The energy line continued through the farm until it met the straight track coincident with the original ley at a big barn.

All three dowsed the energy line for some distance along the track. A line was found at right angles to it, running along both sides of the hedge at the triangulation point. They suspected that the farm drive, at an angle to the track, might contain another energy line passing through the triangulation point and extending towards a distant brown mark on a hill, suggesting this as a potential area for future investigation.

At the second farm gate, Eileen and Jimmy dowsed the width of the energy line, estimating it to be 70 small footsteps wide. The band extended into fields on both sides of the track, significantly into the field on the left. Eileen observed animal paths at right angles to the track at every intersection with field gates. At the triangulation point, an animal path led through the hedge to another field containing a fresh hole.

The group then proceeded to the church of St. Mary Magdalen in South Holmwood (TQ172449), which was in direct alignment with the straight track and the original ley. The energy line was picked up in the layby next to the church lych gate, dowsed by Eileen as 70 larger footsteps wide. It ran in a straight line up to the church, aligning with its east-west axis. The energy felt stronger than on the straight track but not as strong as at Pitch Hill. Gordon found a line at right angles to the church, and Eileen identified strong points on the step leading to the church tower, by the font, and at the small altar in a side aisle. Jimmy obtained a reaction from his sandjar at these points.

The church, built in 1838, possessed an atmosphere of an older building and had an interesting 'subconscious siting' story, where two local ladies felt strongly that a church ought to be built on the spot. Jimmy experienced a 'head-hum' inside the church, and the ley line was dowsed by Gordon and Eileen. Outside, on the south side, were two unusually shaped Scots pines noted by Jimmy, resembling praying hands. The evidence seemed to confirm the possibility of an energy line running in a straight line from Pitch Hill.

On Sunday, November 18th, Eileen continued dowsing at three further points on the Pitch Hill line. She found it difficult to dowse at first on the A281 near Selhurst Common due to heavy traffic but still picked up the line along two hedges. At Hascombe, it was easier to dowse in a more peaceful setting. Near Hydons Ball, she found it easy to dowse with one hand while driving, picking up the line again as the car crossed it.

The authors express their hope to continue this project throughout the year, aiming to produce a booklet with a full report, diagrams, and photographs.

Earth Pulse Magazine

A section introduces "EARTH PULSE," a magazine welcoming those interested in leys, dowsing, megaliths, archaeology, and Earth Mysteries. It offers personal contact lists, articles, book reviews, organizations to contact, and books for sale. A subscription costs £5.95 for four quarterly issues, available from Sharon D. Dunlop in Exmouth, Devon.

Letters

Mary Bonney, Windsor: Writes about her holiday travels, noting coincidences between Kent and Somerset producing apples and being sites of pilgrimage-chapels. She mentions her father's connection to Brooklands and an experience with a female pilot in an aeroplane during the 1914-1918 war.

Fred Hadley, Surbiton: Wonders about the longevity of friendly relations between different schools of thought. He references the 'Exchange List' in issue No. 27 and suggests that only in the New Stone Age was there such consensus. He mentions a new book, "Earth Stars," which claims 250 square miles around London were covered in sacred sites interconnected by pentagrams, and questions the need for Euclidean Geometry education.

Gordon Millington, Guildford: Comments on the growing interest in crop circles, describing a talk by George Wingfield. He expresses some skepticism about the connection between UFOs and crop circles, a view favored by George. Millington was more interested in a cryptic communication received by a crop circle team, possibly from a Lancashire witch coven, and speculates if luminous horns seen by a team member indicate Cernunnos.

Why Subconscious Siting?

This article, signed 'JG', discusses the author's attendance at church despite not believing in Christian doctrines. The author posits that religious worship must be important, evidenced by the phenomenon of 'subconscious siting' of churches on leys. It is argued that many churches, especially modern ones, are located on leys, which cannot be solely attributed to conscious geomancy. The author suggests that the act of worship itself boosts energy in leys, similar to how sound is used in worship. The article notes that even Quaker meeting houses, which often lack music, are found on leys. The author concludes that worship is the key element, and all forms of worship are equal, warning against sectarianism. The article suggests that pagan places of worship are also aligned on leys, and that the worship of ordinary people across religions could be supporting the planet's life-energy.

Notes and News

London Meetings: A schedule of upcoming meetings for the London Earth Mysteries Circle is provided, including talks on King Arthur, Crop Circles, Chakras, Odinism, and Leonardo da Vinci's shroud.

Zodiac Talks: Mary Caine presented talks and a video on Kingston and Somerset zodiacs in Ewell. The venue, a round structure with a dome, is described as reminiscent of a landed flying saucer.

Water Appearances: An item from the 'Voyager' astronomical bulletin board, based on a New Scientist article, discusses an anomalous observation of large amounts of water vapour in the Earth's upper atmosphere, potentially caused by mini-comets. This is contrasted with Alex Bessler's refutation based on lunar seismometer data. The author notes this as a possible effect of the Gaia mechanism.

Happy Bicentenary: The article notes the bicentenary of the Ordnance Survey in 1991. While a friend to ley hunters for its maps, it is also seen as an 'enemy' for siding with the archaeological establishment against the idea of leys.

Paul Baines

This section is a tribute to Paul Baines, who recently passed away from heart failure. Paul was a regular attendee of group meetings, remembered for his cordiality and dry humour. He contributed significantly to the 'Skyways and Landmarks Revisited' project, investigating Tony Wedd's findings. Paul was an expert dowser and medical herbalist, and his knowledge was added to the group's pool of information. His funeral was held at Barham Crematorium, Kent. The tribute mentions his diverse life experiences, including working as a steward on a liner and becoming a professional embalmer before pursuing medical herbalism. He was a lover of cats and requested donations to animal charities instead of flowers. His interests included earth mysteries, herbalism, alchemy, and dowsing. He once demonstrated solid mercury. Paul was also interested in UFOs and had been a member of BUFORA, appearing on the BBC programme 'Out of this World'. A poignant memory shared is his statement about having about five more years to live and that it would be his last life on Earth. The tribute concludes by remembering him as a gentle and intelligent man.

Publications Available from Jimmy Goddard

A list of publications available from Jimmy Goddard is provided, including books and videos on leys, flying saucers, extraterrestrials, Salisbury Plain mysteries, and field trips. Prices are listed, and all prices include postage.

Exchange List

A list of other publications and groups with whom Touchstone exchanges publications is provided, including FORTEAN TIMES, NORTHERN EARTH MYSTERIES, THE PIPES OF PAN, FOLKLORE FRONTIERS, THE LEY HUNTER, MAGONIA, GLOUCESTERSHIRE EARTH MYSTERIES, MEYN MAMVRO, and TERRESTRIAL ZODIACS JOURNAL.

Touchstone Subscription Information

Touchstone is published by Surrey Earth Mysteries Group. Subscriptions are £2 for four issues. Articles are welcome, and the group holds monthly meetings in Addlestone.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently focuses on Earth Mysteries, with a strong emphasis on ley lines and dowsing as investigative tools. There is an open-minded approach to phenomena such as UFOs and crop circles, though some skepticism is expressed. The editorial stance appears to be one of exploration and sharing of information within a community of like-minded individuals. The inclusion of personal tributes and letters suggests a close-knit group. The magazine also touches upon broader philosophical and spiritual themes, such as the nature of worship and the potential for environmental correction through natural mechanisms.