Touchstone

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 33
Date: April 1992
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone delves into various aspects of Earth Mysteries, focusing on personal experiences, investigations into ley lines, UFO sightings, and the significance of ancient sites and natural landscapes.

Some Interesting Trips

The issue begins with a letter from Terry Veale, who works at Bath University. He describes a Zen meditation garden built on campus, which he investigated for its alignment with previously identified leys. The garden, oval in shape with rocks, shrubs, and a waterfall, was found to be on a ley that passes through an unmarked Claverton centre, a 'ski mound' (subconsciously sited for ski practice), the northern edge of the open-air theatre, a ley centre mound on campus, a stretch of Roman road near Bristol, and some Bristol churches. However, another prominent alignment at the site was noted, connecting a young Scots pine on the garden's edge, the garden itself, an entrance path, and the northern end of the ski mound. This mound is described as long, resembling a miniature Glastonbury Tor, with a Scots pine clump growing on it that wasn't there in 1978. The line extending from the garden in the opposite direction passes through bushes, a sculpture resembling a human torso, and the southern edge of the open-air theatre. On a map, this line also passes through Claverton Church. Another ley, originating from the Guildhall in Bath, passes through Queen Square, a spired church in Locksbrook, a multijunction at Hengrove Park, a hill peak south of Long Ashton, and churches at Tickenham and Clevedon, illustrating the continuous addition to ley knowledge.

Eileen Grimshaw, Gordon Millington, and the author visited an area in Kent where Tony Wedd used to live. They discovered a north-running line and a particularly good east-running ley passing through Chiddingstone Castle, Starborough Castle, and skirting Tonbridge Castle. A diagonal line also became apparent, passing through a cave theorised to be Mithraic and the Chiding Stone. At the Chiding Stone, a smaller outcrop nearby had a hollow, possibly indicating sacredness. Two diagonal lines were found going through the Chiding Stone, one connecting to a cave and the Mark Beech clump, where a UFO was reportedly seen. The cave, though difficult to access, was explored, with photographs showing its interior and burn marks. A large stone on the hill above the supposed altar point was also noted. The E-line being followed crossed a bridge over the Sevenoaks bypass, and Eileen Grimshaw detected the line with dowsing rods.

A Personal View of Earth Mysteries

This section features a talk by Philip Heselton given at the London Earth Mysteries Circle meeting on January 14th, 1992. Heselton discussed his thirty-year involvement with Earth Mysteries, defining it as a broad field encompassing astronomy, archaeology, and unorthodox subjects. He credits his grandfather for introducing him to the concept of ancient straight tracks in Kent, predating his knowledge of Alfred Watkins or leys. His interest in UFOs led him to attend LUFORO meetings in the early sixties. He was influenced by J.A. Dunkin Wedd's 'Diffusionist Theory' and the STAR Fellowship, which investigated claims of contact with extraterrestrials. He learned of Tony Wedd's theory connecting Alfred Watkins' prehistoric alignments with UFO sightings plotted by Aime Michel in France in 1954. Heselton highlighted Tony Wedd as a free thinker who generated many ideas. He also mentioned Watkins' 'The Old Straight Track' and finding lines through pine clumps and tumuli on Hampstead Heath. Watkins noted pine clumps on ley alignments but considered trees a weak point for ley hunters due to their impermanence compared to stone and earth monuments.

Philip Heselton believes there is a tradition of tending or caring for these clumps, which may be declining. He noted that several clumps photographed by Tony Wedd showed fewer trees in later pictures, and Gills Lap in Sussex, mentioned by Tony, has been decimated by storms. Tony Wedd found alignments between clumps that Philip, Paul Baines, and the author confirmed. Wedd noticed UFO sightings at places with 'Mark' names, relating it to a contactee's statement about magnetic currents being named and numbered, suggesting visible signs on the earth like pine clumps. He also visited France and found pine clumps on lines identified by Aime Michel.

Philip was enthusiastic about finding leys in his home area of Middlesex and Surrey, including one from Dorking to Gills Lap. He attempted to contact members of the defunct Alfred Watkins' Straight Track Club, meeting elderly enthusiasts. He noted that Egerton Sykes produced magazines on mythology and Atlantis. However, there was an opinion that ley hunting and UFOs did not mix, attracting different people.

Philip and the author went on to form the Ley Hunter's Club, which eventually founded 'The Ley Hunter' magazine. The author recounts appearing on a children's television programme to discuss a trip to Avebury. The inaugural meeting of the club was on November 17th, 1962, at Kensington Central Library, London. Coincidentally, the Findhorn Community in Scotland was founded on the same day. 'The Ley Hunter' magazine began the following April and continues to be published.

Themes that emerged included the idea of energies in leys and the landscape. In the 1970s, connections were made with folklore, and sites associated with folklore were often found to be ley sites. Paul Devereux launched the Dragon Project for disciplined investigation into landscape phenomena, first meeting in November 1977, coinciding with the discovery of the minor planet Chiron. This period saw the emergence of local earth mysteries groups, each reflecting the characteristics of their areas. Earth mysteries examine the landscape as a whole, evolving from ley investigation to a focus on sites themselves, including wells, mazes, and markstones. Contact with local history societies is valuable for protecting ancient places. The subject is viewed as the Earth being a living being with physical and higher levels of existence, expressed through poetry and ritual. Concepts like Chinese Feng-shui and earth acupuncture are relevant. Devereux cautioned against trying to control energies, advocating for considering oneself part of the Earth. He used the metaphor of a tree, with branches representing energies and roots in the living earth. Aromatherapy and tending of plants are seen as relevant. Speculation is important but can lead to superficiality; scientific method may not always be suitable for investigating psychic ability. Dowsing rod reactions are not always conclusive, and an imagined pendulum can be as effective. Balance between the right and left hemispheres of the brain is emphasized, using the analogy of a chariot with two horses.

For the future, Devereux's ideas on shamanic origin, subconscious siting, and aesthetic resonance are mentioned. Watkins believed his best photographs were taken along leys, suggesting a self-creating geometry. The subject is seen as being about us now and how we relate to the Earth, emphasizing personal involvement and openness to sensory experience at sites.

Notes and News

London Meetings: A list of upcoming meetings at the Maria Assumpta Centre, Kensington, from April to July 1992, covering topics such as British Folk Custom and Song, Spontaneous Human Combustion, Earth Energies, the Mysteries of Cumbria, the Physics and Metaphysics of the Paranormal, and Ancient Sacred Texts. Mini-bus trips to Dorset and Essex/Hertfordshire are also announced.

Videos: Two new videos are available: 'Whirls of Energy' about Old Sarum and Winchester, and 'The Pitch Hill Project' documenting a project. 'A Visit to Tony Wedd Country' describes a trip to Chiddingstone, and 'Surrey Earth Mysteries' provides an overview of the subject with an examination of the Ferry Lane ley.

Yet more campus lines?: A note about the Chaplaincy at the Riccarton campus of the University of Edinburgh being subconsciously sited near a pine clump and aligned with a path named Old Lane.

TEMS: Introduction to a new organization called TEMS (Travel and Earth Mysteries Society), formed by Lionel Beer, affiliated with the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group. Its title is a play on the name of the river.

TEMS Calendar of Events 1992: A schedule of events for the Surrey and West Middlesex etc Branch of ASSAP, affiliated to the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group, including speakers on Earth Zodiacs, Aliens and Abductees, Crop Circles, field trips, and a garden party.

SEMG: The Surrey Earth Mysteries Group meets monthly in Addlestone for discussions and videos.

Miss Mary Bonney

A tribute to Touchstone subscriber Mary Bonney of Windsor, who died in December. She is remembered as an active subscriber whose letters were stimulating and often published.

"Ghost line" at Chertsey

An account of a faint line observed on a video still of an aerial photograph of Chertsey, identified as a potential ley. This line passes through a monument on Chobham Common, skirts Cockcrow Hill, a spotmarked junction, a wood edge, and a church on the road to Shepperton, then runs along Green Lane, Shepperton, and continues through West Molesey church and into London.

Intervisibility in Weybridge

An observation of two Scots pine clumps in Weybridge found to be in alignment with a church. The line continues through other points, including unusual trees, the Crouch Oak (reputed to be 800 years old), Longcross church, and a monument also passed by the Chertsey 'ghost line'.

Course on Earth Energies

An announcement for an evening class on earth energies in London, tutored by Rob Stephenson, starting in June.

Book Reviews

• Old Stones of Gloucestershire: A survey of megaliths and mark stones, praised for its quality photographs and resemblance to Alfred Watkins' publications. It lists existing stones, their folklore, positions of vanished stones, and dowsing information.
• Skyways and Landmarks Revisited: A re-examination of Tony Wedd's work on leys and flying saucers.
• Campus Lines: Results of a nine-year project investigating leys around six university campuses.
• Cosmic Friends: An account of communication with extraterrestrials.
• The Inhabited Solar System: Evidence suggesting our solar system is not dead.
• Enigmas of the Plain: A booklet on Salisbury Plain mysteries.
• Touchstone: The newsletter of the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group.
• Amskaya: A newsletter of the STAR Fellowship concerning extraterrestrial communication.

All prices include postage.

The Hidden Unity and Beginnings

Two booklets from the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group are reviewed:

• The Hidden Unity: Examines subconscious siting of ley points and the predominance of places of worship on leys. It discusses environmental and philosophical implications, and investigates two ley centres: the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking and the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Scunthorpe. It includes an appendix by Eileen Grimshaw on the significance of the Pagan religion.
• Beginnings: Details discoveries made over twenty years, including earth energy detection, natural antigravity, subconscious siting, ley width, and the solar transition effect. It also covers cognitive dissonance and concludes with an account of Alfred Watkins' discovery of leys.

Each booklet costs £1 plus 30p p&p.

Exchange List

A list of publications with which Touchstone exchanges publications, including FORTEAN TIMES, NORTHERN EARTH MYSTERIES, FOLKLORE FRONTIERS, THELEY HUNTER, MAGONIA, GLOUCESTERSHIRE EARTH MYSTERIES, MEYNMAMVRO, and LONDON EARTH MYSTERIES.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the interconnectedness of landscape, ancient sites, and anomalous phenomena. Ley lines, their discovery, and their relationship to natural features and human constructions are central. The concept of 'subconscious siting' is explored, suggesting that human activity, from building gardens to locating ancient monuments, may be influenced by underlying energetic patterns. UFO sightings and extraterrestrial contact are discussed, often in relation to ley alignments and ancient sites, hinting at a broader cosmic or energetic framework. The importance of personal experience, open-minded investigation, and the holistic view of the Earth as a living entity are emphasized. The editorial stance appears to be one of encouraging exploration and discussion within the field of Earth Mysteries, valuing diverse perspectives and ongoing research, while also acknowledging the limitations of scientific methodology in certain areas. There is a clear interest in the work of Alfred Watkins and Tony Wedd, and a promotion of the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group's activities and publications.