Touchstone - No 109 - 2015 04

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 109
Date: April 2015
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone, a newsletter for the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group, delves into topics concerning archaeology, paranormal phenomena, and earth energies. It features an article on Tony Robinson's research into automatic writing and historical mysteries, an exploration of ancient sites and ley lines in Cornwall, and a report on geophysics findings at Wells Cathedral.

Tony Robinson's Messages

The lead article discusses a 2009 TV video featuring Tony Robinson, known for the 'Time Team' series. The research, originally published in Touchstone in 2009, focused on historical events with paranormal elements. This particular programme featured architect and archaeologist Frederick Bligh Bond, who made discoveries at Glastonbury Abbey and claimed to have received information from former monks via automatic writing.

Bones found by Bligh Bond near the high altar of Glastonbury Abbey, which his scripts identified as those of Abbot Whiting (the last abbot, who was executed), were examined. These bones, now at Prinknash Abbey, were found to be mostly human and of a size suggesting they belonged to one person, with no determination of gender. However, two bones were identified as animal, from a 'medium sized mammal', and there was no evidence of violent death on the human bones.

Tony Robinson himself experimented with automatic writing, assisted by automatist June Elleni Laine. The scripts produced were analyzed, with some elements being noticed by Robinson and others by the video capture. The article suggests that the combined elements formed intelligible messages, lending credence to their authenticity.

One question posed to the automatic writing was about the bones of Abbot Whiting. The script produced phrases like "A top pig," which caused amusement, and "An abbot, not Whiting, (and) a Tor pig, not a man." This was interpreted as an answer to the question, aligning with the osteoarchaeologist's findings.

A second question asked for the name of the monk who communicated with Bligh Bond. The script yielded words like "Angel," "emman wensom," and "Wallace." A researcher later found a record by William of Malmesbury mentioning St. Patrick visiting Glastonbury and encountering a monk named Wellias, who had a vision of God (Emmanuel) and dedicated the church to Michael the Archangel. This correspondence seemed to fit the script's output.

Further analysis of the script revealed words like "Christ" and "Macedonia." A drawing of an angel and the name "William" also appeared, leading to speculation that William of Malmesbury himself might have signed the message, given the temporal discrepancy with the monks who allegedly contacted Bligh Bond.

The article notes that the video of Tony Robinson's Messages can be found online at a provided URL.

The Rough Tor Cairn and Its Leys

This section details the excavation of a Neolithic cairn near Rough Tor on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, by the 'Time Team' in 2007. The summit once had a neolithic tor enclosure, and the site is encircled by rough stone walls aligned with natural outcroppings. The interior shows remains of terraces believed to be foundations of circular wooden houses.

The cairn itself was found to be more like a small cursus, approximately 500 metres long, composed of two straight sections. One section pointed towards Rough Tor, and the other towards Showery Tor. Phil Harding, who led the excavation, found it was well-constructed with parallel walls of large stones filled with rubble. The turf had been stripped before building, suggesting a ritual cleansing, and then possibly replaced to form a walkway.

The cairn was dated to the early Neolithic period (6000-5000 BC) based on flint tools. Nearby, circular stone formations were identified as a Middle Bronze Age village (1500-1000 BC), though flint tools suggested it might have originated at the same time as the cairn and continued in use through the Bronze Age.

The article describes two ley lines associated with the cairn: one pointing west-northwest towards Showery Tor, and another pointing north-northeast towards Rough Tor. The Showery Tor ley passes through various points including Aldermoor Farm, a peak at 289 metres, Poldue Downs, the long cairn, Showery Tor, a long house, Maiden Tor, and The Beacon. The Rough Tor ley connects to another cairn, Rough Tor, and then to the southern cairn on Brown Willy, the highest point in Bodmin Moor, considered sacred by the Aetherius Society.

The Geophysics at Wells Cathedral Green

Barry Lane, curator of Wells Museum, presented findings on resistivity geophysics conducted on Wells Cathedral Green. The study revealed a lighter linear feature, previously unknown, running northeast, possibly indicating a Roman road. This feature appears to align with St. Andrew's Street and St. Thomas's Street.

This linear feature aligns with a previously identified multi-church ley that runs from Whitnell Corner to West Horrington, over Knapp Hill, through St. Thomas's Church, along St. Thomas's Street and St. Andrew's Street, and continues through St. Cuthbert's Church, across Hay Hill, and towards Shapwick Church. The ley is described as having a width of 6 paces and the ley itself being 10 paces wide.

Additionally, the geophysics plan showed a circular feature composed of high resistivity spots, suggesting a ring of stones or a buried stone circle on the green. A central stone within this feature lies on the postulated Roman road, making the circle a point on the ley.

Notes and News

This section includes brief items: a mention of a "Dragon woman" statue on the Chapter House steps at Wells Cathedral, possibly representing Margaret of Antioch; and a description of a website that plots ley lines. The website's disclaimer states that "ley lines don't exist" but explains how it generates apparent ley lines by identifying scheduled monuments. The article cautions that the site takes advantage of how the human brain processes information and statistics.

Letters

Gary Biltcliffe of Weymouth, Dorset, submits an image of a ceiling boss from Wells Cathedral, depicting the "Green Lady of Wells," believed to be St. Bride. He notes other Bride sites in Somerset.

Norman Darwen of Lostock, Lancashire, writes about the significance of boundaries, particularly in relation to snowfalls and how they marked differences in snow depth between adjacent areas, suggesting an understanding of settlement boundaries.

Films on YouTube

A list of YouTube videos by Jim Goddard is provided, covering various earth mysteries topics including: The Leys of Berkhamsted Castle and London's Camelot, Mysterious Guildford, A Ley through Kingston, The Norfolk Network, Where the Martians Landed, Jimmy Goddard on Earth Mysteries, Avalon and Ebony, and Northamptonshire Creations. A film about Tony Robinson's Messages is also listed.

Meyn Mamvro

This is an advertisement for Meyn Mamvro, offering information on ancient stones and sacred sites in Cornwall, including guides on Earth Energies, Paganism, Leypaths, and Megalithic Mysteries. Subscription details and website are provided.

Book and CD-ROM Reviews/Offers

The Hidden Unity and Beginnings: This booklet explores subconscious siting of ley points, the predominance of worship places on leys, and philosophical implications. It investigates two ley centers: the Shah Jehan Mosque in Woking and the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Scunthorpe. An appendix by Eileen Grimshaw discusses the Pagan religion. It is available for £2 plus 30p p&p.

Earth People, Space People: This booklet is based on Tony Wedd's unpublished 1961 manuscript detailing extraterrestrial contact claims. It includes articles on the STAR Fellowship, evidence for life in the Solar System, and extraterrestrial language. It is available for £2 plus 30p p&p.

The Legacy of Tony Wedd: This CD-ROM is an electronic version of Tony Wedd's exhibition on flying saucers, landscape energies, and lost technology. It is available for £12.

Touchstone Newsletter: The newsletter itself is available for £4 for four quarterly issues from J. Goddard.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the intersection of archaeology with paranormal phenomena and earth mysteries, particularly focusing on automatic writing, ancient sites, and ley lines. The magazine appears to adopt an open-minded but critical stance, as evidenced by the discussion of the ley line website's disclaimer and the detailed analysis of evidence in the articles. There is a clear interest in exploring historical mysteries and unexplained phenomena through research and investigation, often linking them to ancient sites and energetic pathways.