March 2005

Contributors to the Journal are reminded that the copyright of material published in the Journal becomes the joint property of the contributor and the Society. This means that while the contributor retains their full rights to reproduce, in other publications or in other forms, the material they have submitted to the Journal, they at the same time allow the same right of use of their material to the Society. This has always been a condition of the Society and the Journal.

The Society and the Journal editors do not necessarily associate themselves with the views expressed by contributors and correspondents.

AGM

Notice is given that the AGM will be held at 20:00 on May 16^th immediately before the introduction of the speaker. If anyone wishes to be put forward for election to the committee or wishes to introduce a motion to be considered by the AGM please contact the Chairman, Shaun Ogbourne as soon as possible.

This and That

We are now nearing the limit for attendees at Patrick Macmanaway's work shop. If you wish to join please call Sib first to check on availability of places. See ad. at the end of the newsletter for details.

Long weekend - Shaun and his wrecking crew (sorry I'm told that should be recce crew) have visited Dorset and located a camp site and have the phone numbers of several B&Bs. If you intent to join the jolly dowsers please contact Shaun (number in front cover). He will be taking bookings for the camp site and giving out phone numbers to the B&Bers.

Field Trip 3rd April

Inglesham Church can be found approximately 1 mile south of Lechlade down at dead-end lane off the A361 from Highworth. If coming from Highworth go through the village signed as Inglesham (it's actually Upper Inglesham) on for 1 mile, when you see a sign post for a turning on the right to Buscot, The turning to Inglesham church is now about 100 yards on your left.

Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the fabric of Inglesham Church is mostly 13" Century and thankfully due to a certain William Morris (yes the Arts and Crafts chappie), was saved the Victorian "restoration" that has stripped many a good church of much of its history. A late Saxon carving of The Virgin and Child and some very important wall paintings all add to its character and charm.

Following lunch we shall wander on to Eaton Hastings which today consists of a church, two houses and two farms. But the lumps and bumps in the surrounding fields tell us things would have been much busier a few centuries ago. The church is interesting too and is sat on a large mound! Although this might have more to do with the nearness of the Thames and how low lying the land is. Come and see what you think or rather what you can dowse.

February Meeting.

Thanks to everybody who turned out for the February meeting in spite of the bitter weather and snowy conditions. We were convinced that there would only be a small number braving the conditions, but a good crowd gathered for the talk and slides by Francine Blake.

Francine is no stronger to the Wyvern Dowsing Society, her talks usually are based on reviews of the current season's crop formations, but this time she talked about the types of locations that the formations are usually found in, and the relationship of the crop circles to their sites. These locations are frequently ancient sacred sites, and the crop patterns and symbolic designs often have some kind of link with their locations. Some fields seem to be favoured by the crop circles as they appear at the same place every year, but with different shapes.

Francine has been studying ancient patterns and symbols from the old religions for many years, and she described the hidden meanings in many of the designs of the more complex crop formations. Some of the patterns are quite obscure and not immediately obvious, but are easy to see when someone points them out.

Thanks to Francine for another interesting evening, with a slightly different slant on the subject.

Herbs and the Stars.

The Ancient Greeks, Romans and other Mediterranean peoples often associated herbs with particular Gods and Goddesses. Many of these Gods and Goddesses had planets named after them, and as western astrology developed, each of the twelve signs of the zodiac became ruled by one of these planets. Other things linked to these planets, such as herbs, became associated with the zodiac signs.

For example, Bay was considered sacred to the sun god Apollo, so when the Planet Leo was linked with the sun, bay became thought of as a Leo herb.

One of the best known herbalists of more recent times, Nicholas Culpeper, in the 17 'h Century, recommended treating patients with herbs that had associations with the patient's birth sign. Other, earlier, herbalists linked each part of the body with a particular planet, and treated the ailing parts of the patient with herbs assigned to those planets.

Although these methods became less rigidly adhered to as more has been learned about the properties of herbs in recent times, many traditional herbalists believe that where a choice of herbs is available to treat a complaint, it is advisable to use those which most closely match the patients planetary sign.

The Spring, or Vernal Equinox, marks the start of the Aries part of the zodiac, and it is ruled over by the planet Mars. The main herbs of Aries are rosemary, garlic and cowslip. Aries governs the head, so those born under this sign often have sinus, ear or eye problems, also conditions affecting the scalp or hair.

Traditionally, headaches and migraine could be treated with feverfew of chamomile, sinuses with golden seal and ears with garlic or mullein. Eyebright or marigold was used for eye complaints and southernwood or rosemary for hair and scalp conditions. Cowslip has sedative properties and can be used for inflammatory conditions such as coughs or bronchitis.

The plant also was thought to have the power to split open rocks that contained hidden treasure. If any member should find that this works, perhaps they would let us know! S.C.

February Field Trip.

Winter outdoor sessions are usually town-based rather than out in the wilds, so that we are near shelter should the elements be against us. This proved to be a wise decision for the trip to Bradford on Avon as the day was gloriously sunny but with the most bitter winds and the odd flake of snow.

First port of call was a return trip to the Saxon church called Saint Laurence. This is reckoned to be the finest complete Saxon church in the country. It was concealed by other buildings for many years and was re-discovered in 1856. From the church we went up to dowse at the forecourt of the old brewery near the top of the town. Under the modern paved area in front of what is now flats, is the old well which was the source of water for the brewery, and underground streams. This is a good spot to practise water dowsing, as nothing is visible from the surface but the exact location of the well has been documented after a survey done by the local archaeology group.

Next on the list was a trip up the snickelways to dowse the underground springs that flow beneath them. Along one of these is a small but attractive "Lodywell". Apart from the dowsing potential this is a lovely place to walk - sheltered and peaceful, with stunning views over the town from between gaps in the terraced buildings.

Further up again, we visited the chapel of St. Mary Tory. This tiny chapel did not escape the heavy hand of the restorers but still contains remnants of its medieval fabric, and is probably Saxon. Just down the hill below this chapel are some caves, including what is believed to be a hermit's cave. Originally this was planned to be part of our trip, but a notice warned of danger due to subsidence, so that was put off until a later date, so those of the party who had not been worn out by the steep climb went off to the old tithe-barn. A good day out in spite of the temperature.

Invitations

Could I come back to my old school, Chiseldon Grammar, and give a talk on brewing? My old school has one of those headmasters who are suddenly revealed to be revolutionaries. They get a few good exam results two years on the trot and suddenly they're calling themselves Doctor all the time, like Dr Arnold of Rugby, and styling themselves as pioneers of educational reform.

The man has abolished homework. Forty years too late for me, unfortunately, but he got on the front page of the Telegraph with it, saying pupils would be required to "manage their own educational case-load" in future.

General perplexity. Could it be a liberating stroke of genius? Could it be the onset of St Trinion's?

He wants parents to become more involved in educating their offspring, apparently. I don't think that will go down well. After all, the great appeal of Harry Potter seems to be that you wave a wand and they disappear off to boarding school for 10 weeks at a time.

Of course, these trends in education don't affect me but anything to oblige, and I generally stagger along to the alma mater once a year with a few free samples, to give my talk about Stoute's Brewery, a cornerstone of local industry and inebriation, the two things we must have.

I don't think there's much interest in cask ale at the school, apart from a few hale and hearty old farts in the Physics and Geography division.

I think the Doctor is exhibiting me as a caution. If you fail to manage your case¬load, this is what happens to you. For my part, I know who I'm talking to: lager drinkers, miniature Machiavellis and recreational druggies: I tailor my remarks accordingly.

Talented young mermaids hold exhibitions of their artwork in the Glastonbury style, in deconsecrated churches. Stark angels, fleshy earth mothers, sentimental goblins. You know the drill.

There's never a decent bit of nosh at the opening night, when the patrons and the cognoscenti are mingling. Of course the organisers are too spiritual to know anything about wine.

What's required from me is to take along the cheque book and buy a few more things that I shall put in the new wing, if I ever take them out of the bubble wrap, if I ever build a new wing.

The standard of booze at fund-raisers for the Anti-Mozart League is better, because they load up with duty-free every year on their way back from attempting to sabotage the Salzburg Festival.

But you know, the New Age has a kind of social season, as it moves from Imbolc and St Brigid's Day through to Christmas and the Winter Solstice, and the pleasure of my company is frequently requested at the opening of new labyrinths, or the christening of nouveau-mosonic cider-stills deep in the countryside.

And now this. Here at the Ne'er do Well and Spring at about one in the morning on a cold May night, we had encountered some antique elfin envoy from the other side.

He unhitched his lantern from his shrimping net and half leaned back, hands on hips. He was only about three feet high. There was a sort of grim jollity to him, and he seemed to be throwing out a general invite to a revel.

Behind him somewhere, in the hill, the music from the party suddenly got louder, as though someone had opened a window.

I'm always hearing that sound from passing cars. The great Australian poet Les Murray has included it in a poem.

Henmania spoke from inside her circle of candle-light. "Good sir, are we all invited to the dance?"

"You can all come if you want," said the gnome, "but only the child is invited; your daughter; the one who is named for a Faery Queen, and who was waiting for the Queen of the Fairies to appear in this glade at midnight."

Oopsa Daisy. What's the old adage? Be careful what you wish for, in case your wish comes true...

"I'm afraid she can't come," said Henmania, holding the sleeping Morgan more closely beneath her poncho.

"Mother knows best," said the little beard, and suddenly he was swinging round with the shrimping net at arm's length.

It whistled across the candles, making the flames gutter, making a shape like a vesica pisses across the arc of fire. As it came to Henmania and Morgan, they seemed to rise up, the net passing harmlessly beneath them.

He wasn't friendly, that gnome, and now he became enraged. Quite funny, really. He braved the candles' protective aura and rushed at Henmonia with the net. She caught hold of it and snapped it in two.

"You've broken my net!" he wailed. "I can't do my job!" These people, they're only ever doing their job.

This is the trouble. This is what happens when dowsers stay out after dark. Stray lights. Unusual discussions. Attempted abduction by aliens. Awful background music. Sodden footwear.

There ought to be a curfew. At the Injured Dowsers' Benevolent Fund we have been lobbying along those lines for years, but the EU is only interested in the harm that might be done by vitamins and supplements; they don't know the full story.

"You go this party," said Cyril, "and when you come out in the morning, fifty or a hundred years have gone by!"

"I've been to dozens of parties like that," I said. "It's why I've never felt at home in the modem world."

"Yes, he just secularised it so that it doesn't include fairy cows and magical lakes and people who want to substitute your child for a changeling."

There was only one thing for it now: try to imagine what John Aubrey have done in this situation.

The Mad March Hare

The beautiful and unmistakable sight of a hare has inspired many a superstition, witches could become one, they can predict fires, carrying a hare (or rabbit) foot cured a variety of ailments including rheumatism and cramp and was a lucky amulet protecting you from amongst other things witchcraft (by day only).

Meeting a hare that approached from the right could be good luck and from the left bad, fishermen tried to avoid seeing or even mentioning hares whilst engaged in anything related to fishing. Perhaps another thing along with troublesome trolls to be left in a labyrinth!

Expectant mothers should avoid meeting hares else her child would be born with a harelip and yet restless babies showed a desire for which hares brain was said to satisfy their needs.

Julius Caesar wrote in 'The Conquest of Gaul' (54BC) "Hares, fowl and geese they think it unlawful to eat but rear them for pleasure and amusement". Going yet further back in time archaeologists have suggested a link between hares and bronze age barrow cemeteries (even many long flattened by centuries of ploughing) with a disproportional large number lying in areas known as Haresfield (I'm not sure about the one in Highworth?)

Today with more land down to pasture and quite a lot of untended fields means hares have become a much more common sight which I for one get great pleasure from which far outweighs any worries.