Touchstone - No 061 - 2003 04

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 61
Date: April 2003
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone, a newsletter focusing on Surrey Earth Mysteries, delves into the exploration of recently discovered ley lines and their connections to ancient sites, historical pathways, and esoteric phenomena. The primary focus is on "Walking Some Recently Found Leys," detailing investigations into ley lines that traverse significant locations within the Surrey landscape.

Walking Some Recently Found Leys

The lead article meticulously traces several ley lines. One ley is described as running through the monuments at Runnymede (Magna Carta and Kennedy), a path recently plotted and found to be consistent with the Pipestone-Sedona great circle line mentioned in a previous issue. This ley has been followed on the ground through Egham Hythe, Laleham, and Shepperton, yielding interesting findings.

The article details the path of this ley, noting its passage through a church in Windsor, a stretch of track by Queen Anne's Gate, a place described as a "sanctuary," the memorials at Runnymede, the Petters Field prehistoric site, Laleham church, Shepperton multijunction, and an earthwork near Epsom.

Another section of the ley runs along Pooley Green Road in Egham Hythe, passing what appears to be a mound. It then follows the Thames by Penton Hook, goes through Laleham Church (where it meets the Mixnams Lane ley, linked to Gloria Hazell's UFO incident from the previous issue), and is confirmed by dowsing rods to be the Runnymede monuments line and, with a slight delay, the Sedona-Pipestone line.

The ley continues across Desborough Island, a large island formed in 1935. The article notes the island contains a water works and a sports field, with a public footpath around its edge, frequented by anglers. Earthworkings are noted at the points where the ley enters and leaves the island.

Another ley line is described as following the southern section of the Stanwell Cursus, a Neolithic feature. This ley is said to have a similar relationship to the Negen Stones as the Stonehenge Cursus does to Stonehenge. It passes through a church at Gerrards Cross, the Stanwell Cursus southern section, and a Neolithic ring ditch at Shepperton Green. This ley also passes through the central part of Desborough Island and the Christian Science church in Oatlands Drive, ending at the Convent of Notre Dame at Cobham.

The article also mentions walking a line from the Negen Stones site by Staines Bridge to Chobham Church, noting that this site aligns with several pre-Reformation churches and church sites in the area.

Another ley runs from the Negen site in a south-westerly direction, passing through several crossroads and churches. It then runs along a coincident stretch of road in Harrow, passes Egham Hythe church, and is confirmed by dowsing to be 18 paces wide, encompassing part of the church and all of it when the line doubles at sunrise and sunset.

Roman Roads and Leys

This section explores the connection between Roman roads and leys, suggesting that Roman roads often consist of straight sections that coincide with leys. The stretch of the London to Silchester road towards Staines is identified as a ley leading into the Negen Stones centre. The Causeway ley is suggested as a likely continuation of this road.

The investigation covers a section from the Glanty to Sunningdale, which passes through the area of Virginia Water lake and skirts Fort Belvedere. Notably, the Virginia Water Roman temple, brought from Leptis Magna in Libya, is situated precisely on the line of the road, which is also considered a ley.

Further extensions of this line are traced across Heathrow Airport, passing major crossroads and churches, a synagogue near Hampstead Heath, and ending in Wood Green. This is presented as an example of the "Hidden Unity."

The article also discusses a stretch of road running westwards across Swinley Forest towards Silchester, which crosses the Alfred Watkins Silchester Ley at a crossroads called Fair Cross. The Royse Stone and Royston cave are mentioned at the crossing point of two Roman roads and several leys, suggesting a correlation that is not entirely clear but seems significant.

Notes and News

This section includes a letter from John Neal of London, referencing research by Jacques Dassie on ancient Gaulish cities being linked by straight tracks, which he suggests were resurfaced trackways used by the Romans and are essentially leys.

TEMS Meetings: A schedule of upcoming meetings is provided, featuring talks on topics such as "Bizarre Human Experiences," "A Guide to the End of the World," and "Montauk and Time Travel."

London Earth Mysteries Circle Meetings: A list of scheduled meetings from April to July is presented, with topics including "Francis Bennet: the Magus of Marylebone," "Ancient Sicily and the Mummification of the Dead," and "Lost Christian London."

Surrey Earth Mysteries Group Meetings: Information is provided for the group's monthly meetings held in Addlestone.

Sedona and Pipestone: This segment briefly mentions Sedona, Arizona, as a recently discovered great circle location featured on a TV program. It also touches upon Pipestone, Minnesota, as a source of red rock sacred to Native Americans and the origin of peace pipes.

Sedona, Arizona

The town of Sedona, Arizona, is highlighted as a place of spiritual significance, described as a "proclaimed spiritual town on fifteen magnetic vortex sites." An interview with an aura painter from Yorkshire suggests that in Sedona, all personality tendencies are exaggerated. The presenter's exploration of the hills leads to the discovery of vortexes and local landmarks like Coffee Pot Rock and Thunder Mountain, which inspired Walt Disney.

Pipestone, Minnesota

Pipestone, Minnesota, is renowned for its red rock and is sacred to Native Americans as the source of stone for peace pipes. The Pipestone website is referenced. George Catlin, an author and portrait painter, heard about the red rock in the early 1800s and sought to find the quarry, encountering resistance from local tribes who claimed no white man had ever been there.

Catlin's writings inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "The Song of Hiawatha," which includes the sacred quarry. The poem depicts Hiawatha being sent by Gitche Manito, the Great Spirit, as a prophet.

The Pipestone quarry is described as a "square-cut jewel" and was designated a national monument in 1937. An account by George Catlin from 1836 recounts the Great Spirit instructing the tribes to use the red stone only for pipes, making the ground sacred.

De Re Metallica

This section discusses Georgius Agricola's book "De Re Metallica," which contains information on the practice of dowsing in early times, despite the author's skepticism. Extracts from the work detail the use of forked twigs, particularly hazel, for discovering veins of metal ore. Different twigs are mentioned for different metals (hazel for silver, ash for copper, pitch pine for lead and tin, iron and steel rods for gold).

The text explains the process of dowsing, including how miners hold the twig and move through mountainous regions, with the twig supposedly turning and twisting when over a vein. It addresses objections to dowsing, such as the need for incantations or the influence of individual peculiarities.

The article notes that while some believe the twig's movement is caused by the power of the veins, others attribute it to manipulation or both. It contrasts this with magnets and amber, which attract directly rather than twisting objects.

The author suggests that the manipulation of the twig, rather than the veins themselves, causes the twisting motion. The use of a forked twig from a hazel bush is emphasized, and the importance of proper grip is highlighted.

Orthoteny

Gordon Millington raises the question of orthoteny, suggesting that while the straight-line UFO theory of Aime Michel was difficult to validate due to lack of radar, the existence of energy lines in the landscape is well-established. These ley networks connect sacred places and are detectable by the human mind. The article mentions dowsing and personal experiences of "head hum."

It is suggested that early humans were aware of these energies without needing rods, and that UFO occupants' psi powers might be related to locating ley networks. However, the resources for effective investigation are noted as being unavailable to ufologists without access to national radar networks.

Children of the Stones

This is a brief mention of a science-fiction drama from the 1970s, set in Avebury, now available on DVD. The story involves a barber surgeon crushed by a stone and a squire who uses computers and a "throne room" to control villagers with power beamed from a black hole.

Letters and Contributions

A contribution from Rienk Noordhuis discusses the use of earth energies by animals and the potential connection between planets, sun, moon, and ley centers. He hypothesizes that certain planets influence specific ley centers, which could have implications for healing properties.

My Eighteen Web Sites

The author provides information about their web sites, including the Buckingham Palace Ley site and the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group site, which were transferred to a new host after Netscape Online closed down.

Publications and Subscriptions

Several publications are advertised:

• The Hidden Unity and Beginnings: Explores subconscious siting of ley points, the necessity of worship, and includes an appendix on Pagan religion. Also covers Jimmy Goddard's discoveries in earth energy detection, antigravity, and cognitive dissonance. (£2 plus 30p p&p)
• Earth People, Space People: A booklet detailing extraterrestrial contact claims, the STAR Fellowship, and investigation into extraterrestrial language. (£2 plus 30p p&p)
• The Legacy of Tony Wedd: A CD-ROM of Tony Wedd's exhibition on flying saucers, landscape energies, and lost technology. (£12)

Touchstone Newsletter: The newsletter itself is available for £2 for four quarterly issues.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are ley lines, earth energies, ancient sites, and their connections to historical events and phenomena, including UFOs. The magazine adopts an investigative and exploratory stance, presenting research, personal experiences, and historical accounts related to these subjects. There is a clear interest in the intersection of ancient knowledge, landscape features, and unexplained phenomena, with a particular focus on the local Surrey area. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these mysteries.