Touchstone - No 107 - 2014 10

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 107
Date: October 2014
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone focuses on 'Leys, Energies and Patterns on the Isle of Wight', detailing a ley hunting moot that took place in September 2014. It also references a previous ley hunt from May 1966.

Ley Hunting Expedition on the Isle of Wight

The article chronicles a week-long expedition on the Isle of Wight led by Gary Biltcliffe and Caroline Hoare, authors of 'The Spine of Albion'. This book describes their research into the long-distance ley line known as the Belinus line, which originates on the Isle of Wight and extends through England and Scotland. This ley is described as having serpentine male and female currents, named Belinus and Elen respectively.

Day 1: Ryde and Winchester Line

The expedition began with a visit to All Saints' Church in Ryde, where the male Belinus current enters the island from Binstead. Gary and Caroline provided an overview of 'The Spine of Albion', which was originally identified by Guy Ragland Philips as running from Winchester to Carlisle and associated with kingship. The ley also passes through Birmingham, Manchester, the Rollright Stones, the Uffington White Horse, and the stone circle at Shap. The Isle of Wight is described as the 'base chakra of Britain', shaped like a coccyx bone, with 32 nodal points where the currents meet, analogous to the 33 vertebrae in the human spine.

The Isle of Wight was historically a Druid island, with the Solent being fordable in Roman times. Remains of ancient wooden tracks have been found connecting Quarr Abbey with Lee on Solent. Brading was a major port, unlike the north coast which was too shallow. All Saints' Church, nicknamed 'The Cathedral of the Island', is a large Gothic structure designed by Gilbert Scott.

Day 2: Binstead, Quarr Abbey, and Puck's Pool

The group visited the Norman-founded Church of the Holy Cross at Binstead, noting symbolic carvings like the 'idol of Binstead' (a sheela na gig) and a Green Man head with alchemical symbols. The chancel is the only original Norman part, with herringbone masonry. The Belinus current was dowsed passing through this church.

The Tinners' Way, an ancient track, leads to Quarr Abbey. The female Elen current is suggested as inspiration for the 'Poetry Gate' at the Abbey. The original Abbey ruins are associated with Eleanor of Aquitaine. The new Quarr Abbey, built by Pugin, is described as having an intricate brickwork and an Islamic appearance.

Nearby is Puck's Pool, an ancient fish pond with a reputation for strange phenomena like balls of light. The name 'Puck' is common on the island, linked to a mischievous spirit. Fault lines beneath the pool are thought to cause 'earth lights'. Brading Down is mentioned as a site for encounters with Romans, Vikings, and possible timeslips.

The expedition also visited Swanmore Church, where the male current passes through, and noted decorative brickwork and statues of St. Michael and St. George.

Day 3: Brading Down and Druidic Sites

On Saturday, the focus was Brading Down, the island's highest hill, described as a 'serpent ridge'. Sites like Bembridge Fort and an obelisk are present. Ghostly sightings of Roman soldiers, Druids, and Vikings are reported, along with strange beasts, suggesting a thin 'veil' on the island. A case of a doctor and his wife seeing an Iron Age man on horseback is recounted.

Bembridge Down, the Needles, and Yaverland are discussed in the context of Druidic trinity and sacred sites. Yaverland may have been Avalon, known for apple orchards. Centurion's Copse was the site of St. Urion's Chapel, associated with Arthur.

A tumulus, a node point of the Belinus and Elen lines, is identified as the 'base chakra' of the Spine of Albion, dating from 2,500 BC.

Day 4: St. Mary's Church, St. Helen's, and Culver Cliff

The group visited St. Mary's Church in Brading, an ancient church on a mound reputed to have giant bones. It was founded by St. Wilfred and had a chapel for the Oglanders. The church is entered from under the tower, and a nearby house is noted as the oldest on the island and reputedly haunted.

St. Helen's Church, now only a tower on the seashore, was a Norman church and a former lighthouse, visited by sailors for good luck. Balls of light have been seen here.

Culver Cliff, known for its white cliffs, is where the female current leaves the coast. The male current leaves from an adjoining red cliff, both heading for Bayeux, France. The energy of Bembridge Down influences this path. 'Culver' means dove, referencing the cliffs' appearance.

Day 5: Knighton Gorges, Gatcombe, and Yaverland

The final visit was to Knighton Gorges, the site of a mysterious ghost house. The mansion was owned by a Templar knight, Ralph de Gorges, and was cursed by the monks of Quarr Abbey, leading to a history of misery. Reports include a house demolished decades ago being seen, and a fading house with party noise still audible. The curse is linked to geological faults and iron-rich rock, causing bad luck, financial ruin, madness, and suicide for its owners. The ghost is said to haunt the area, causing energy surges and flattening car batteries. Gargoyles on the gateposts are said to come alive.

St. Olave's Church at Gatcombe, the geographical centre of the island, is mentioned with a legend of a ghost girl and a timeslip involving Lucy Lightfoot.

Yaverland is noted as the first church of the male Belinus current in England.

Day 6: Arreton, Long Stone, and Freshwater

Arreton, the oldest settlement, has an 11th-century church possibly on a stone circle site, dedicated to St. George, who is said to control earth energies. A great pond behind the church is thought to create a pocket of psychic energy.

The Long Stone, a large megalith, is identified as a middle island Druid sanctuary, providing a peaceful atmosphere. A ley found by Laurence, 16 paces wide, passes through the Five Barrows and other tumuli, including Godshill Church.

The expedition continued past tumuli on Afton Down to Freshwater, and then to Alum Bay for a boat trip around the Needles, another Druid sanctuary site.

Day 7: Sandown, St. Patrick's Church, and Ley Alignments

St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Sandown is on the straight Spine of Albion alignment, featuring a Norman porch and an Irish round tower. The ley is noted as 25 paces wide.

Other sites mentioned include Christ Church, Bloodstone Spring, earthworks at East Ashey and Kemp Hill.

Day 8: St. Catherine's Hill and Hoy Monument

St. Catherine's Hill in the south of the island is associated with the legend of Jesus landing at Puckaster Cove. The 'Pepperpot' tower is the only remaining structure of an oratory. A ley is detected going towards the Hoy Monument. This ley passes through a hilltop ley centre, Newport, Whippingham Church, and Norris Castle. Another ley from St. Catherine's goes to Godshill Church, linked to UFO connections from the 1960s and the Knighton Gorges House site. Two UFO sightings from 1969 are mentioned: a daylight orange light at Hendon and a night one on the Hog's Back near Guildford.

The Hoy Monument, a tall pillar commemorating a Czar of Russia's visit, is described. A standing stone, possibly a gatepost hinge, was also noted.

Day 9: Godshill Church and Newport Minster

Godshill Church is a powerful ley centre with an unusual Lily Cross wall painting and a dragon representation. Legend tells of stones being moved by divine will to the hilltop site. The Oracle Gallery of spiritual artist Nicola Gibbs is mentioned.

Newport Minster (St. Thomas's Church) is on a ley that comes south-west through the war memorial. This ley is 12 paces wide.

Day 10: Newchurch and Gallibury Hump

Newchurch Church is medieval, built on the site of an older structure. The surrounding landscape is described poetically.

Gallibury Hump is a large round barrow on Brighstone Down, a prominent site with spectacular views. It was inaccessible in 1966 due to mist.

UFO Alignments and Patterns

The article discusses UFO-related leys found independently by Gordon Creighton, Ken Rogers, and the author. Gordon Creighton's alignment from 1963 connected sightings in Bruton and Ringwood with the 'Charlton Crater'. Ken Rogers' hypotenuse ley, the 'South Coast Orthoteny', included sightings of a translucent dome with a red light in Plymouth, a strip of light at Weymouth, and a pinkish oblong object at Yarmouth.

The author's ley on the Isle of Wight passes through Yarmouth Church, Quarr Abbey, and Ryde pier. It connects to the eastern side of a triangle formed by alignments originating from Finchley and Hendon. Two UFO sightings were recorded at Finchley, and an orange light at Hendon in 1967. Further sightings of hovering orange lights were made near Guildford in 1967.

On the Isle of Wight, this line crosses the coast at St. John's Park, Ryde, and passes through a church near Ashey Down, where a doctor reported strange lights and a timeslip in 1969. It also crosses the Knighton Gorges house site and a church at Newchurch, continuing to Godshill Church and St. Catherine's Hill. The author notes how remarkable it is that three different people found alignments that create a right-angled triangle of leys on the island, despite UFO sightings not being precisely pinpointable like ancient sites.

Films and Publications

The issue includes listings for films on YouTube related to earth mysteries, such as 'The Leys of Berkhamsted Castle' and 'London's Camelot'. It also promotes a publication called 'Meyn Mamvro' focusing on ancient stones and sacred sites in Cornwall.

Booklets and CD-ROM

Several booklets are advertised: 'The Hidden Unity and Beginnings' by Eileen Grimshaw and Jimmy Goddard, exploring subconscious siting of ley points, pagan religion, earth energy, antigravity, and cognitive dissonance. 'Earth People, Space People' by Tony Wedd, detailing extraterrestrial contact claims and evidence for life in the Solar System. 'The Legacy of Tony Wedd' is a CD-ROM of Tony Wedd's research on flying saucers, landscape energies, and lost technology.

Subscription Information

Touchstone is the newsletter of the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group, with subscription details provided for four quarterly issues.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the interconnectedness of ancient sites, ley lines, earth energies, and unexplained phenomena, particularly UFO sightings. The editorial stance appears to be one of exploration and documentation of these mysteries, presenting research and anecdotal evidence without definitive conclusions, but highlighting the remarkable patterns and connections found across the landscape and in reported events. There is a strong emphasis on the Isle of Wight as a focal point for these energies and mysteries.