May 2008

Copyright of the Journal.

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.

Disclaimer

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

This and That

Well, we seem to be settling in to the new venue, but don’t be surprised to see different seating arrangements being tried.  Not whilst you’re sat down I hasten to add!

This month is when we hold the AGM, usually very brief.  Details of the society’s accounts are in this copy of the journal.  We have, at time of writing, about 60 members, new ones are always welcome and it was good to see several new faces at the last meeting – all very welcome.

Thanks also to members who donated prizes for the raffles over the previous year, also to those who sent in pieces for inclusion in the journal.

A big thank-you to Shaun, as usual, who manages to keep it all rolling along, and has also, with Mary, entertained and fed several of the speakers at their home. [Mary’s steamed puddings are now legendary!]

AGM

Expenditure exceeded income by £303.56.

Balance in Society's savings account at Nationwide Building Society is £3,465.68.

Notes on the Year

•              The Society was required to relocate from its meeting place at The Angel, Purton, in March 2008 (where no charge had been made for the room) and future meetings will be held at The Woodshaw Inn, Wootton Bassett, where a room hire fee of £20 per month is payable three months in advance.

•              Annual membership subscriptions are to be increased by £1 from the start of the next financial year due to the increased speaker fees. The charge of entry for non-members will be raised by £1, to £4, unless otherwise advertised.

•              Membership subscriptions rose by £147.

•              Profit from guests was static.

•              Sales of books, etc., were up by £61.

•              A marquee was purchased for £249.

•              Speaker costs rose by £170. (However, this included £60 for a cheque reissued to a speaker from the last financial year [Prof Stewart]).

•              Unexpected expenditure on room hire was £60.

•              Newsletter costs remained static.

•              Cost of sales goods (books, green men, rods, etc.) rose by £183.

•              A vote of thanks to the retiring Treasurer, Peter McDade, for the help, support and great job he has done over the last few years.

Gill Haskins 31.3.08

May Field Trip.

May 25^th. Is the date of the trip to the renowned White Horse at Uffington and also to Wayland’s Smithy chambered barrow.

This trip was originally scheduled for this time last year but it was the day of the worst rainfall of the year so we changed plans and visited some interesting local churches instead.  Hopefully the weather will be kinder this year!

Meet at the White Horse Car-park at 10.15am.  This is half an hour earlier than the usual start time, as there is a lot to dowse before the lunch break. 

To find the car park take the B4507 from Ashbury towards Wantage.  The White Horse car park is sign posted opposite the turning to Woolstone.

While we are on the subject of lunch, we will probably be using a different pub to the one we booked last time we did a trip to this area, as several members felt that it had become rather expensive.

The Horse is very ancient, according to material from the eye, which was carbon-dated, and the shape of the horse has undergone several subtle changes over the centuries.  The peculiar stylised shape ot the horse have led many to believe that it may have originally been meant to represent a dragon, rather than a horse.

An Iron-age Hill-fort surmounts the top of the hill, and there are several other interesting ancient sites nearby.  The views are incredible if the weather is good.

After lunch we plan to visit Wayland’s Smithy chambered barrow.

It is believed by many academics that this was originally an earthen long-barrow, which was converted into a chambered barrow at a later date.  It has been restored, and contained the remains of eight skeletons when it was excavated.  There is one pair of side-chambers leading off of the main chamber, or gallery.

The barrow is a member of the Cotswold/Severn group of chambered long-barrows.

It is known as  the Nympsfield/Stoney Littleton type, due to the configuration of the gallery and chambers

As usual, bring suitable clothing and stout footware – The White Horse site can be rather bracing, to say the least!.

S.C.

Waylan’s Smithy after RCJ Atkinson

Wayland The Smith.

Wayland was, according to Norse mythology, the blacksmith of the gods, sometimes known as the King of the elves.  He not only made the gods’ armour and other weapons, but also made, in the Arthurian legends, the sword Excaliber.

Apparently he also made a boat out of feathers and cloaks with wings.

One of his swords was stolen by King Nidud of Sweden who tried to make Wayland his slave, laming him in the process.

Wayland managed to escape by flying away on a feather robe, went to Valhalla and got his revenge by killing Nidud’s two sons, making their skulls into drinking vessels.

Wayland then sent the vessels to King Nidud, and also raped Nidud’s daughter.

His name is associated with Wayland’s Smithy, and according to local legend, if you leave a horse there overnight, with a payment of sixpence, you will come back next morning to find that the horse has been shod.

It has to be said that I have yet to hear if anybody who has tried this!

Source: The Cassell Dictionary of Folklore, compiled by David Pickering.

ISBN 0-304-34786-8     Pub.  Cassell.

March Meeting, with Summer Watson.

This is the second time that Summer has given a talk to the society, and this was equally as interesting as the first.  Summer does a lot of work “curing” houses and work-places which are problematic for those who live or spend time in them.  Sometimes these problems are emotional, sometimes they can result in actual physical health problems.  “Presences” are also sometimes sensed at these places and sometimes disturbances, for example poltergeist activity.

To demonstrate the way that landscape, both visible, and below the ground, does its bit in influencing what goes on, energetically, at a building, or other site, Summer used a selection of slides to illustrate various points and effects.  These ranged from well-known ancient monuments and sacred places revered by our ancestors to a modern military memorial site.

Observers at some of these sites have reported sightings of such phenomena as “earth-lights” or “spirit lights”, which may give rise to tales of hauntings such as White Ladies, or animal shapes, since our modern mind-set tends to try to give a rational explanation of what we see and may “translate” odd phenomena into a more recognisable form.

Legends and “devil stories” may also have arisen from some of these sightings.  Silbury Hill has a legend about King Sy and a golden horse.  This King will return if ever needed.  Silbury also has devil legends, as does Stanton Drew.

The devil legend at Stanton Drew is similar to that of a number of ancient sites, where Saturday night revellers did not stop dancing at midnight and were turned to stone as a punishment.  Geopathic stress is often indicated by an unusually large number of mole-hills, which is something else to look out for when trying to solve problem areas at your own property.

The legends and superstitions that have built up around earth phenomena teach us the importance of respecting them and power that we do not fully understand.

Summer investigated energies at some more modern sites and came to realise that upsetting the natural properties of a site often result in disturbances and take a while to settle down into their more normal template.

Phenomena and geopathic stress can be present at anyone’s home or place of work, affecting their lives, in just the same way as at the ancient places, but work can be done on them and with them to put things right.  Healing of houses and other buildings can “re-set” the template .

This was a very thought-provoking and interesting talk which resulted in several members signing up for the workshop that Summer is running for the society later this year.  Places are limited so that Summer can do some individual work with every one who comes, so don’t leave it too long to book your place.  Details and booking form are at the end of the journal.

April Field Trip.

Unusually we spent both the morning and the afternoon sessions at the same location, Lodge Park, as it has a number of interesting places to dowse.

Lodge Park is England’s only surviving example of a 17^th. Century Deer Course and Grandstand.  It is a part of the Sherbourne Estate, covering 4,000 acres of land in the Cotswolds, 5 miles from Northleach.

The Lodge grandstand was built in 1634 by John Dutton, whose family bought the manor of Sherbourne in 1551.  He was a die-hard gambler and deer-coursing was the one of the most expensive, and prestigious, forms of gambling at this time.  His guests could be entertained to feasting in the large reception rooms and watch their dogs chasing the deer from the roof of the Lodge where there was a splendid view of the long course.

In the grounds of the Grandstand there is a long barrow, probably chambered, which has not been officially excavated, and what may have been a couple of round barrows, although these have been so badly eroded by ploughing and landscaping that it is difficult to be certain what they are.  The barrows were dowsed in the morning session, leaving the Grandstand for after lunch.

We did not manage to get as far as the restored water-meadow system in Sherbourne Park itself, as we ran out of time, so that can be done on a later occasion.

After a good lunch at the Wheatsheaf, in nearby Northleach, we concentrated on the Lodge grandstand building itself.  The N.T. staff were very welcoming and cheerfully answered questions.  It is not the easiest thing to dowse a building which is open to the public, particularly on narrow stairways, where some of the most strongly felt dowsing reactions were found by several members.  The basement kitchen area gives strong reactions in several places, not all pleasant.

Shaun dowsed the presence of water flowing under the building, which probably gave rise to some of the effects.  I and at least one other member got a strong impression of a “presence” near the upstairs fireplace in the banqueting chamber.

Naturally, for such an old building, over the years a number of people have reported ghostly activity, and the site has been investigated by a local Paranormal Group, who used a number of techniques, including leaving a sound-recording device in an empty room [while the building was closed].  I have not heard the tape myself but am assured that there are now noises on it, including a voice discussing horses.

There is plenty we did not have time for at this interesting site, although we were there until closing time, so I suspect we will be back at a later date.

Thanks to the National Trust for services rendered.

This month we start a series of articles about crystals, written by dowser and healer, Barbara Withers.

Crystals and their Uses - Introduction

I have always loved crystals, and my ‘addiction’ to all things shiny, or the seeming plain and dull that have literally tripped me up, pleading, ‘take me home with you’, finally prompted me to undertake a two-year course in crystal therapy.  Quite frankly, obtaining my Diploma has changed my life and has improved my dowsing skills no end, even if my bank balance has taken quite a battering in the process.  Learning about crystals has also made me realise what a gift they are from the earth.  It’s no wonder they have held mankind’s fascination throughout history.  Having seen archaeological evidence of our antecedents’ ability to utilise whatever was to hand, for tools or their religious practices, has, and still does, fill me with awe.  Some of the oldest artefacts I have seen are finely worked flint awls with astonishingly thin points that beggar belief, and a polished jet bead dating to the Neolithic, at the Tomb of the Eagles in Orkney.  Jet is fossilised wood, so how old must this piece have already been before someone picked it up and decided to turn it into a piece of jewellery?  I literally came face to face with its possible owner in the museum attached to this site, and it is very humbling to hold an ancient human skull in your hands, wondering how their life ended and who cared enough to place them amongst their ancestors in the tomb on the headland.  These people’s totem animal seems to have been the sea eagle, as these magnificent birds talons were found amongst the human remains.  The tomb itself faces the sea, perched atop steep cliffs, so perhaps whoever crawled down the narrow passageway and placed the body inside the tomb believed the spirits of sea eagle would fly their fallen comrade’s soul to its rest.  The Egyptians created more elaborate tombs, as did other cultures, but the idea of protecting the deceased with amulets, or even full body suits to prevent decay shows how highly Lapis Lazuli and Jade were valued.  Not just in a monetary way, or to signify a person’s status, but to ensure that the deceased safely reached the other side. 

So, now that spring finally appears to have sprung, I thought I’d share some of my findings about crystals, beginning with a lovely green one, Malachite.

Barbara Withers

Malachite

Toxic in raw form due to Copper Ore content, safe to use in polished or tumbled form

Malachite is a powerful energy conduit, named after the Greek, for Mallow, a green herbaceous plant.  This beautiful green stone has long been thought to protect against the evil eye and misfortune, particularly for children, as well as being considered a healing remedy for numerous ailments.  It was deemed especially beneficial for treating eye disorders and for improving vision.  This appears to apply to Emerald too, because the Emperor Nero, who was very short sighted, used an emerald lens to watch gladiatorial games.  Malachite resonates with the heart chakra, as do all green crystals, and is linked with the planet Venus.  According to Culpeper’s complete herbal, all Mallow plants are under or governed by this planet, and were used to treat wasp-stings, coughs and drunk as a decoction, to ‘provoke’ urine.  Warm leaves were also applied to the belly, as a poultice, to relieve ‘the strangury, sharp humours within the bowels.‘  Well it was the early 17th Century!  The Ancient Egyptians also used powdered Malachite in eye shadow, and they probably used it ritually, as well, providing another link with improved vision via spiritual insights.  Malachite’s curved linear bands and swirling patterns make it an excellent scrying tool, giving access to the Devic forces due to its strong affinity with the earth and the Spring Equinox. 

In healing, however, this is one of the stones that can be relentless in its search for ‘the root of the problem’, which is best used by a qualified healer.

Malachite is a powerful cleanser of the emotional body, drawing out any deep feelings or fears blocking our progress in life, both physical and spiritual.  It assists with the release of old, or outworn patterns, including any past life or childhood trauma, teaching us to take responsibility for our actions, thoughts and feelings by learning self-acceptance.  Malachite also absorbs and clears any ‘stuck’ energy and electromagnetic smog from the environment allowing us to go with the flow.

Bibliography

Culpeper’s Complete Herbal

Larousse Field Guide to the wild flowers of Britain and Northern Europe by David Sutton

Crystals Healing and Folklore by David Rankine

The Encyclopaedia of Crystals by Judy Hall

Editor’s Note:-

Thanks, Barb, for such an interesting piece – I look forward to the next one.

If any other members have skills that might make interesting reading for dowsers, please don’t be shy about sending in articles for the journal, or you can give them to me at the meetings.  Dowsing articles in the press are also useful, if you spot any.

Rollright Friends.

Newsletters from the Friends of Rollright  have always been spasmodic, but the organisation has now been revamped and a fresh newsletter has just turned up.  We have had a number of field-trips to the Rollright Stones and it is good to hear what has been happening there since the last visit.

The Rollright Trust celebrates its 10^th. Birthday this year and will be having celebrations in July – more details on their website nearer the time.

Unfortunately the stones still seem to attract serious vandalism and the old stone hut was so badly damaged in an arson attack that it had to be pulled down and has been replaced by an unattractive but more secure steel unit.  Even this has been vandalised, and an attempt made to cause an explosion, but the police are working with the trust to upgrade the security.  I am sure that any information about this would be gratefully and discretely received.

The new “hut” is sited further back in the trees to enhance the appearance of the stones and will eventually be made to look more attractive and blend in with the woodland.  A compost toilet will be installed for the use of the wardens and helpers, and a porch will be added provided planning consent is given.

Enough land has been acquired to allow access to all three parts of the site by wheelchair and the Whispering Knights stones can now.be reached without having to walk along the road.

On a sadder note, Dohn Prout, who was Site Manager from 2001-2007 died last April

Dohn did an enormous amount of work for the Rollright Stones and was a fund of knowledge, friendly and very “hands on”.  If it needed doing, Dohn got it done, and the Trust will miss him.

The trustees are always looking for local volunteers for a variety of tasks and they can be contacted on the website, see below.

www.rollrightstones.co.uk     or Rollright Trust, Suite 3, Arden Court, Arden Street, Stratford upon Avon, CV37 6NT