Touchstone

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 34
Date: July 1992
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone, titled 'CAMPUS LINES CORROBORATION', delves into the phenomenon of ley lines and their presence at various locations, with a particular focus on university campuses. The content is primarily based on field trips, investigations, and reports from members and associates of the Earth Mysteries community.

Campus Lines Corroboration

The lead article explores the idea that university campuses, even modern ones, often exhibit connections to ancient ley systems. The author recounts a visit to the University of East Anglia in Norwich, where the expertly landscaped grounds were found to be seemingly sculpted to fit with the area's ancient ley system, linking to sites like Norwich Castle, Norwich Cathedral, a henge south of the city, and the Roman town of Caistor St. Edmund. The author also reports seeing what appeared to be a crop circle near Norwich station, described as an annular ring with a squarish design, though the exact shape could not be determined due to rapid transit.

Further investigations in Norfolk are detailed, including a corn circle found near Swainsthorpe, which was located at the junction of leys originating from the campus and Caistor St. Edmund church. Dowsing revealed 'hot spots' on the campus itself, including a landscaped clump near the Chaplaincy, a clump of Scots pines near Earlham Hall, and a large mound near a lake. The leys found on the trip connected these spots with each other and with significant ancient sites.

The article also highlights the discovery of a neolithic wood henge site south of Norwich, built around 3250 BC, which was identified by an RAF pilot in 1929. This henge site is described as having energy lines, including one claimed to be a midsummer sunrise line linking to Stonehenge and Cerne Abbas.

Caistor St. Edmund Church is noted to be within a Roman earthwork, with a ley running along the bank that connects to the east end of the church. The earthwork itself is described as almost square, with an unusual linear earthwork outside its wall.

Other ley investigations in Norfolk include those around New Buckenham, a medieval planned town, where leys were found to align with features like the Turnpike road, the Castle keep, and the village street. The church in New Buckenham is described as a powerful ley centre.

Further Investigation in Norfolk

This section elaborates on the findings of Matthew Gregory, a local investigator, who documented a corn circle near Swainsthorpe. The article details two ley lines identified: one connecting campus 'hot spots' and churches, and another passing through Hapton Church and Caistor St. Edmund Church. The corn circle itself was found to be on a ley, and dowsing reactions were strong on the flattened areas but not on the standing corn or the area inside the ring. Clicking noises were also reported in the field.

The Stag Hill Centre

The ley centre at Stag Hill, on which Guildford Cathedral is built, is presented as an important site, though unmarked. Six leys have been identified in relation to it, including the Odiham Firs ley. The article lists several other leys associated with Stag Hill Centre, involving various churches, ancient sites, and geographical features in the Guildford and Farnham areas.

Recent Field Trips and Notes

This section summarizes recent field trips undertaken by the group. One trip to Dorset, titled 'Energy in Dorset', explored sites like the Dorset Cursus, Maumbury Rings, and the Cerne Giant. Another trip to Guildford, led by Eileen Grimshaw, focused on the town's mysteries, including ghosts.

London Meetings

A calendar of upcoming meetings for the London Earth Mysteries Circle is provided, featuring topics such as Psychic Questing, the Medicine Wheel, Earth Mysteries and Magnetism, and UFOs.

Other Publications and Items

Several other publications are advertised, including 'SKYWAYS AND LANDMARKS REVISITED', 'CAMPUS LINES', 'COSMICFRIENDS', 'THE INHABITED SOLAR SYSTEM', 'ENIGMAS OF THE PLAIN', 'TOUCHSTONE' (the newsletter of the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group), and 'AMSKAYA'.

'CATALYST p.c. NEW AGE DIRECTORY' is also featured, offering a resource for New Age, metaphysical, and UFO-related information.

'MYSTICAL REALMS', an established quarterly journal investigating the paranormal and earth mysteries, is also promoted.

Booklets: The Hidden Unity and Beginnings

Two booklets by the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group are highlighted: 'The Hidden Unity', which examines the subconscious siting of ley points and the prevalence of worship sites on leys, and 'Beginnings', which covers Jimmy Goddard's discoveries over twenty years, including earth energy detection, antigravity, subconscious siting, and ley width.

An 'EXCHANGE LIST' provides contact details for other related publications and groups, such as FORTEAN TIMES, NORTHERN EARTH MYSTERIES, and GLOUCESTERSHIRE EARTH MYSTERIES.

Letters

A letter from Norman Darwen of Blackpool expresses concern about a proposed new by-pass road that could destroy a Roman road previously described in Touchstone. He notes the lack of official protection for ancient sites.

Another letter from Rob Stephenson of London discusses a recent trip to Essex, mentioning visits to Waltham Abbey and Borley, and the discovery of an old altar-stone.

Leonardo - Astral Traveller?

A 'Cross Link' item from the Bayer Group discusses Leonardo da Vinci's drawings of the River Po, suggesting he may have had an aerial perspective, raising questions about his potential to build flying machines or project himself mentally.

The Junction Monument

This section describes a monument on Chobham Common erected in 1901 in memory of Queen Victoria, located at the junction of a 'ghost line' and Weybridge intervisibility leys.

Anomaly at Megalithic Site

A cutting from ASSAP News No. 17 reports on strange electrical anomalies at a stone circle in Dorset, where a towed Ford Transit's electrical systems failed simultaneously. Similar incidents from ten years prior are also mentioned, highlighting the potential for research using multimeters and magnetometers, with reference to the Dragon Project's findings on unexplained electromagnetic shifts at megalithic sites.

Modern Stone Circle in Devon

A report of a stone circle found near Ashburton, Devon, which was not marked on maps. It is suggested that the circle was created by engineers building the road, and it appears to be on a ley through Ashburton Church.

Earlier Videos

Information is provided about several videos available, including 'Whirls of Energy' (Old Sarum and Winchester field trip), 'The Pitch Hill Project' (chronicle of a project), 'A Visit to Tony Wedd Country' (SEMG members' trip), and 'Surrey Earth Mysteries' (an outline of the subject).

Two interesting cuttings

One cutting describes a new stone circle built at Carsington Reservoir, Derbyshire, consciously sited to align with ancient sites, which faced opposition from local Christians. Another cutting discusses a spate of mystery cat sightings, including the Exmoor Beast and the Surrey Puma, with an investigation by Detective Constable Steve Ashcroft.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the interconnectedness of ancient sites through ley lines, the presence of these lines in unexpected modern locations like university campuses, and the ongoing investigation into various earth mysteries including crop circles, paranormal phenomena, and potential extraterrestrial influences. The publication appears to advocate for the exploration and documentation of these phenomena, encouraging reader participation through field trips, meetings, and the submission of reports. There is a clear interest in historical and geographical connections, with an emphasis on dowsing and personal investigation.