Touchstone - No 114 - 2016 07

Magazine Overview

Title: Touchstone
Issue: No. 114
Date: July 2016
Publisher: Surrey Earth Mysteries Group

This issue of Touchstone, a newsletter from the Surrey Earth Mysteries Group, delves into the world of ley lines and earth energies, with a primary focus on the identification of a ley centre in Oxford.

A Ley Centre in Oxford

The lead article details the discovery of a ley centre in Oxford, located in Lake Street, south Oxford. This centre, composed of leys found by three different individuals during a Network of Ley Hunters' Moot in May, was found to give a dowsing reaction of 'rodspin' and was seemingly unmarked. The article traces several leys converging at this point, including one identified by Alfred Watkins in 'The Old Straight Track'. Watkins described two Oxford City leys: one aligning churches like St. Giles, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Martin's Carfax, and St. Aldate, and another crossing St. Peter's, St. Martin's Carfax, and St. Mary the Virgin. These leys intersect at St. Martin's Carfax, a historically significant assembly point.

The article further elaborates on the path of a ley that includes St. Giles church with its labyrinth, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Michael's Northgate (the oldest Saxon tower in Oxford), St. Martin's Carfax, St. Aldate's, and Folly Bridge. The Lake Street ley centre is noted as the next point, followed by a modern evangelical church that appears to be subconsciously sited on the ley.

Another ley discussed originates from the King's Men stone circle at Rollright and passes through sites associated with Sir Winston Churchill, including Blenheim Palace and St. Martin's, Bladon. This ley also connects to the 12th-century St. Thomas the Martyr Church, the Lake Street centre, and a wood henge near the Big Rings henge site at Dorchester-on-Thames.

A third ley, found by the author, originates from the King's Men stone circle at Rollright and passes through a trig point, a cross-roads, the remains of 12th-century Godstow Nunnery, the Lake Street ley centre, and the Norman church of St. Mary, Iffley, noted for its carved south door and dragon ceiling boss.

A fourth ley to the centre comes from the Norman church of St. Nicholas at Forest Hill, passing through St. Mary's and St. John's Church, and then the Lake Street ley centre. It continues through the South Oxford Community Centre and the church at Longworth, associated with R. D. Blackmore, and reaches the church of Hinton Waldrist, dedicated to St. Margaret the Virgin, known for a dragon-killing legend.

A YouTube film, 'Ley Hunting in Oxfordshire', is recommended, accessible via a provided link.

Network of Ley Hunters Moot, South Oxford Community Centre, Saturday 21st May 2016

This section reports on the moot held at the community centre in Lake Street, Oxford. Laurence Main announced the death of researcher Michael Hodges. Dave Shead remembered Hodges as an iconoclast interested in the spirit of the land. Michael Dames spoke about ancient cultures and the concept of Gaia as a living being, emphasizing the connection between spirit and matter in the neolithic reality. Liza Llewellyn discussed the Phoenicians, their influence, and their connection to ancient Egypt, mentioning their purple dye and the library at Byblos.

Phoenician Influence and Sacred Geometry

Further discussions covered the Phoenicians as seafarers, their influence in north-east Africa and Egypt, and their role in the founding of Carthage. Their alphabet is highlighted for its simplicity, enabling common people to read and write, and its evolution into Hebrew and Greek alphabets. Laurence Waddell's argument for Phoenician colonization of the British Isles is mentioned, citing similarities between Newgrange and Tarxien tombs.

The Druids are described as keepers of sacred knowledge. The flag of Lebanon, representing Phoenicia, features a cedar tree. Connections are drawn to the Kabala tree of life and the Menorah. Hiram Abiff of Tyre and figures like Pythagoras and Thales of Miletus are identified as Phoenician.

Trish Mills presented on 'Sacred Geometry Made Simple', discussing geometry as the measurement of the earth and harmonic relationships. Music, numbers, and architecture are linked. The seven basic shapes or Platonic solids and Euclid's work are mentioned. The golden ratio (1:1.618) and its significance are explored. The Greeks' view of nature as numbers, particularly triangles, is discussed, along with Silbury Hill and Stonehenge demonstrating specific triangles. The concept of triads and the three-leg symbol of the Isle of Man are noted. Spirals, as nature's most repeated pattern, are linked to sunflowers, nebulae, storms, and seashells. The Fibonacci series and Phi (the Golden Ratio) are explained, along with the vesica piscis and its association with sacredness. The ancient Greek Caduceus is compared to DNA structure.

Eristothanes' measurement of the Earth and the significance of ancient units of measure, such as cubits, are discussed. The Knights Templar's role in bringing the proportions of the temple, used in sacred geometry, to cathedrals and churches is mentioned. The importance of standing on places of power and the symbolism in Chartres Cathedral (towers for sun and moon, buttresses, rose window, labyrinth) are highlighted. Crop circles are presented as demonstrating Euclid's geometry.

Susan Hale and Ian Woodcock discussed enchanting the land through singing, referencing John Gibson-Forty's work on perpetual choirs. They spoke of their work at Llantwit Major, Glastonbury, and Amesbury, and the impact of chanting on energy lines. They also aim to enchant and harmonize the land using a giant decagon. The Australian aborigines' creation of the world through singing in the dream time is mentioned.

Earth Energies and Historical Sites

Bart O'Farrell spoke about the Michael and Mary lines and an experiment in 2012 where dowsed lines tripled in width after chanting. He also remembered Professor Charles Thomas and Pip Richards, who contributed to earth mysteries and dowsing.

Mark Herbert's talk, 'Ley Lines, Templars and Destiny amid our England Landscape', focused on his architectural background and research into Templar history. He discovered his 17th-century property was built on an earlier Templar mansion and is situated at the hub of powerful local ley lines, including a national Templar alignment and a world solstice axis. He also found connections to Calatrava and the Moorish-founded holy place. Mark described encounters with souls and the development of a new philosophy termed 'soul geomancy', leading to insights on reincarnation and the soul's spiritual guidance.

Gary Biltcliffe's talk compared Oxford with other cities, emphasizing myth and legend. He discussed sacred centres and the Spine of Albion ley. Oxford's founding myth, its early buildings, and destructions are recounted. The Etruscan method of city planning, involving surveying land and divine omens, is described, along with the Roman adoption of this ritual. In Oxford, the centre is St. Martin's, Carfax, with leys crossing there. Dedications of churches at Northgate and Southgate to Michael, and at Peter to the east and west, are noted. The presence of a sheelah-na-gig at Michael's Northgate and royal connections at Beaumont Palace are mentioned. The Mabonogion myths and the significance of Oxford as the 'navel of Britain' are discussed, along with twelve holy wells and Geoffrey of Monmouth's 'The Matter of Britain'. A massive henge monument at Keble College, comparable to Avebury, is also noted.

Gary mentioned a visit to the joining of the Michael and Belinus currents at Uffington the following day, where crop circles had appeared. The horse figure at Uffington is dated to 800 BC and is considered a 'solar dragon' representing earth energies for healing.

Field Trips and Site Explorations

Field trips are described in detail:

• Uffington Castle and White Horse Hill: The area is noted for its connection to the Elen and Belinus streams of the Spine, and its centrality to the Ridgeway. Pits suggesting rituals and festivals are present. The Elen current meets the Mary current at Uffington Church. The White Horse Hill and Dragon Hill are discussed, with legends of St. George and the dragon. The Belinus current runs along the back of the horse. A formation of a dragon or dragonfly appeared in a field below the Horse in 2000.
• Waylands Smithy: This long barrow is aligned north-south, unlike most solar alignments. Its entrance faces south, and the stars of Cygnus would set between the stones. It is compared to West Kennet barrow. The central chamber mirrors the shape of Cygnus. Wayland, the Norse smith, is said to have shod a horse there. The female Elen line associated with the Spine of Albion flows through it. Crop circles have been found in the east field, and experiences like balls of light and timeslips have occurred.
• Rollright Stones: This complex includes the King Stone, the King's Men stone circle, and the Whispering Knights chambered tomb. Legends associated with the site involve a king, a witch, and transformation into stone. A ley found by Alfred Watkins passes through the circle and the King Stone.
• Dorchester-on-Thames: Site of the Big Rings henge and cursus, which the Churchill ley passes through.
• Wittenham Clumps: A pair of wooded hills, one of which is a hillfort. The eastern side of Castle Hill features the Victorian 'Poem Tree'.
• Woodstock: A visit was made.
• Alfred Watkins' Oxford City Leys: A visit to these sites was also undertaken.

Book Reviews and Other Items

• Book Review: Ancient Tracks by Des Hannigan: The reviewer, Norman Darwen, praises the book for its focus on historic Britain, including various ancient routes and stunning photographs, despite not explicitly mentioning leys.
• Leys in Ghostbusters: A brief mention that leys were featured in the film Ghostbusters as energy lines covering the Earth.
• Werewolf in Hull: A report of a werewolf sighting in the Yorkshire Wolds, with recent sightings in the Barmston Drain area of Hull.
• Letters: Bob Shave points out that Roman excavations at Blackwardine, mentioned in a previous issue, were also noted by Danny Sullivan in his book 'Ley Lines - a Comprehensive Guide to Alignments' in 1999, predating the Society of Leyhunters' investigation.
• Films on YouTube: A list of YouTube videos related to earth mysteries, leys, and UFO sightings, including 'The Leys of Berkhamsted Castle', 'Mysterious Guildford', 'The Norfolk Network', and 'Jimmy Goddard on Earth Mysteries'.
• Meyn Mamvro: An advertisement for a publication focusing on ancient stones and sacred sites in Cornwall.
• The Hidden Unity and Beginnings: A description of a booklet exploring subconscious siting of ley points, the environmental and philosophical implications of worship, and early discoveries in earth energy detection.
• Earth People, Space People: A description of a booklet detailing extraterrestrial contact claims, the history of the STAR Fellowship, and evidence for life in the Solar System.
• The Legacy of Tony Wedd: A description of a CD-ROM featuring Tony Wedd's research on flying saucers, landscape energies, and lost technology.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are ley lines, sacred sites, earth energies, ancient history, mythology, and the exploration of these phenomena through dowsing, field trips, and research. The magazine adopts an investigative and informative stance, presenting findings from various researchers and groups within the earth mysteries community. There is a clear emphasis on connecting ancient sites and landscapes with spiritual and energetic concepts, often drawing on historical texts, folklore, and personal experiences.