Touchstone

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 58
Date: July 2002
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group
Focus: Earth mysteries, particularly ley lines and sacred sites in Sussex.

Sussex Stones: A Ley Hunt

This issue details a TEMS field trip on June 23rd, revisiting areas around the University of Sussex and exploring ley lines. Bob Brown provided insights into the mysteries of Sussex. Two primary ley centres emerged: the hilltop church at Ditchling and the Meeting House on the University of Sussex campus, noted for its subconscious siting. The Meeting House, a cylindrical building with its upper storey as a church and lower floor as meeting rooms, was found to be a ley point, as are many campus churches in modern universities.

The author recalls visiting the Meeting House in 1983 and finding two leys passing through it, one via Falmer Church and the other via Ditchling Church and Beacon. On this trip, the latter ley was found to extend to Hangman's Rock at Rottingdean. The atmosphere at the Meeting House in 1983 was described as stunning with considerable 'head-hum'.

The trip began at ASDA in Hollingbury, with a view of Hollingbury Castle, which was found to be on an alignment with the Meeting House and the Goldstone at Hove. Leaving the car park, they passed Falmer Church, an ancient church near the University, which lies on one of the original leys identified in an earlier study. This ley also passes through Males Burgh tumulus, Iford Church, the Meeting House, a cross-tracks, the Devil's Dyke, and a cross-roads/tracks at Small Dole.

Stanmer and Geology

Continuing to Stanmer (Stone Pond), the group visited the church and the pond, surrounded by sarsen stones. Bob Brown discussed the geology of the area, explaining that the Downs were originally a chalk dome eroded into sandstone and clays. Sarsen stones, found in layers above, were once common but many have been removed from farmland or used for ritual purposes. Traditions of dew ponds in the county were also mentioned. A ley from Stanmer Church to the Meeting House was identified, passing through East Blatchington Church, Piddinghoe Church, Whiteway Bottom, the Meeting House, Stanmer Church, Rocky Clump, Pyecombe Church, Partridge Green Church, and West Grinstead Church. A yew tree in Stanmer churchyard features a striking dragon-like simulacrum.

Rottingdean and Folklore

The group travelled to Rottingdean, a coastal town with a church dedicated to St. Margaret. The town was home to Rudyard Kipling and his aunt, Mrs. Burne-Jones. Rottingdean was also a haunt of smugglers, and the church tower provided refuge from French pirates, though parishioners were later burned there. The Wishing Stone, a small stone face set into a wall, is described with a specific ritual for making wishes, emphasizing that wishes must not be for money and the stone should not be visited too often, with warnings of unpleasant consequences for improper use.

On the clifftop, the Hangman's Rock, a slab of conglomerate, was introduced. It is apparently named after a sheep stealer. This stone lies on a ley connecting Ditchling Church and the Meeting House, passing through Burgess Hill, Ditchling Church, Ditchling Beacon, the Meeting House, and various other points, including Hangman's Rock.

Brighton Marina and Dolphin Fountain

Misfortune struck when a car failed to start, leading to a lunch break on Rottingdean beach. After the AA arrived, the group proceeded to Brighton Marina for a ride on the Victorian Volks Railway. They then walked to the Dolphin Fountain, surrounded by sarsens, located in Old Steine. This site is recognized as an energy centre by the Fountain International group. A ley from the Dolphin Fountain to Ditchling Beacon was identified, passing through Brighton, Hollingbury Castle, and Ditchling Beacon.

St. Nicholas' Church and the Goldstone

After passing the Druid's Head pub, the group visited St. Nicholas' Church, which has an omphalos stone. This may be the site of a nearby stone circle. A ley goes from here to two other churches in the town, skirting Wolstonbury Hillfort and passing through Hurstpierpoint church.

Returning to Hove, the group visited the Goldstone in Hove Park. This large stone, originally nine feet high and thirteen and a half feet long, is not in its original position. It was dug up and re-erected three hundred yards away after being buried by a farmer due to visitor damage. An early reference calls it 'The God Stone'. A ley connects its original position, its present position, and the Meeting House.

Ditchling Church and Altar Stone

The group continued to Ditchling Beacon, with views of the Sussex Weald, and then to Ditchling Church, another significant ley centre. The churchyard contains the Altar Stone, whose origins are unknown. A ley from the church through this stone seems to lead to the original position of the Goldstone. This ley also passes through a cross-roads near Patcham Place, a hill-peak cross-tracks, the East Sussex/West Sussex boundary, Ditchling stone and church, a track multijunction, and churches in Horsted Keynes.

At Ditchling Church, another stone, rough and pockmarked, was found near the entrance, featuring 'Dod', a tiny snail. Another ley through the church starts at a cross-roads/tracks at Glyndebourne, passing through Hamsey Church, West Grinstead Church, and Knepp Castle. This was considered a worthy conclusion to the trip.

Ditchling Stone Circle and Subconscious Siting

By this time, it was too late to visit a modern stone circle in Ditchling, but it was noted that this circle was subconsciously sited on a ley that also passes through the church. This ley goes through a track multijunction, the stone circle, the church, Wolstenbury Hillfort, and a large cross-roads at the foot of Bramber Castle.

The article summarizes the striking features revealed by the field trip, including the alignment of Ditchling Church, Beacon, and Meeting House with Hangman's Rock. Other alignments noted are the Goldstone's original and present sites with the Meeting House, Stanmer Church and Rocky Clump with the Meeting House, and Ditchling Church and the Altar Stone with the original Goldstone site. The alignments of the Goldstone-Meeting House and Dolphin Fountain-Ditchling Beacon also skirt Hollingbury Castle.

A Sussex Ley-Hunt in 1965

This section details a previous ley hunt in Sussex by Geoffrey Forrester and Nick Odell in October, focusing on Ashington and the surrounding countryside. They aimed to pool knowledge and examine leys. The accompanying map shows points of interest and ley lines. The article includes a day-to-day account of their work.

Saturday 31st October: After map work, they visited the village of Rock, finding a symmetrical arrangement of Scots pines in alignment with a road. They also found a long barrow and several tumuli on National Trust land at Warren Hill.

Monday 1st November: An exploratory trip near Cissbury Rings, a high point from which several leys were sighted. They walked along some of these leys and were convinced of their existence.

Tuesday 2nd November: On their return journey, they visited the church of St. Mary the Virgin in Horsham. The road aligned with the font, which was carved from sandstone not found in the area, rather than the church tower.

My Sixteen Web Sites

The author discusses the challenges of transferring web sites, including the Buckingham Palace Ley site, to a new server (Freeserve) after Netscape Online closed. They mention difficulties with search engines recognizing the change and the need to insert a file to mark the old site as dead. Despite these issues, the sites, particularly the Buckingham Palace Ley Line one, have been popular, generating over 8,000 hits. A new page with links to all sixteen sites has been created.

The Hidden Unity and Beginnings

This section reviews two booklets: 'The Hidden Unity' and 'Beginnings'.

'The Hidden Unity' explores subconscious siting of ley points and the predominance of places of worship on leys. It discusses the philosophical implications and apparent necessity of worship over doctrine. Two ley centres, the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking and the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Scunthorpe, are examined. An appendix by Eileen Grimshaw covers the significance of the Pagan religion. The booklet is illustrated with photographs, maps, and line drawings and costs £2 plus 30p p&p.

'Beginnings' by Jimmy Goddard covers discoveries made over twenty years, including earth energy detection, natural antigravity, subconscious siting, ley width, and the solar transition effect. It also includes a chapter on cognitive dissonance and an account of ley discoveries by Alfred Watkins. This booklet also costs £2 plus 30p p&p.

Earth People, Space People and The Legacy of Tony Wedd

This section reviews two more publications.

'Earth People, Space People' is a booklet based on Tony Wedd's unpublished 1961 manuscript 'Earth Men, Space Men', detailing extraterrestrial contact claims. It covers prominent contact claims, the history of the STAR Fellowship, evidence for life in the Solar System, and extraterrestrial language. It costs £2 plus 30p p&p.

'The Legacy of Tony Wedd' is a CD-ROM containing an electronic form of Tony Wedd's travelling exhibition, featuring his research on flying saucers, landscape energies, and lost technology. It costs £12.

Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

Information is provided about the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group, whose newsletter 'Touchstone' costs £2 for four quarterly issues. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 25, Albert Road, Addlestone.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are ley lines, sacred sites, and earth energies, with a particular focus on Sussex. The magazine promotes investigation into these phenomena, drawing on historical accounts, folklore, and personal field experiences. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into earth mysteries, encouraging readers to explore and document their findings. The inclusion of reviews for various booklets and a CD-ROM suggests a commitment to disseminating information within the earth mysteries community.