The Neolithic Legacy

Setting the Scene

To walk between two points is to walk a line. To sit still in one place, at one time, is to be. To be still at one point whist thinking of the other point, is to create a line in thought; this line exists as long as the thought is held.

The landscape is enlivened by the thought of the Great Spirit, which drives the life-force of every living thing on Earth. By holding various features of a landscape in mind, over a long period of time, a web is maintained, connecting certain places which are focal points of a specific thought or idea.

In Neolithic times, Man depended for his survival on a working relationship with the planet and therefore on a deep understanding of it’s ways. His consciousness was then, not as separate from other living things, as it is now. He was well able to understand meaning of certain places in his environment and benefit from it. It is the meaning of various features of the landscape that we are about to examine here.
 

The Meaning of a Dolmen

These burial mounds are characterised by a large, flat boulder, balanced on three upright stones. These were covered with a mound of earth and set aside as a sacred place to bury leaders of the group. To lead in these times required a deep understanding of the laws of nature, for sheer survival . These people were and still are, tribal Elders.

The stones of a dolmen form a chamber and a chamber resonates. When placed on a spot which is the focal point of an idea, the chamber resonates to that thought and therefore sounds a corresponding ‘note’.

The reason for placing the dead in such a receiver was to transmit understanding to the living, via their emotional connection with the dead. Hence, Ancestor worship. We are talking of a time in human development, when the veil between the living and the recently departed was less of a divide. We can point to the use of mediums today, as a fragment of what was once the norm.

The dolmens that survive today then, are situated on sites where a certain type of information can be accessed. We can best understand the meaning of a site ourselves by leaning back on an upright until a definite concept becomes apparent. This will generally be an insight into one aspect of nature, such as the true meaning of the seasons.
 

Standing Stones

Today, religious services are conducted at an altar, the focal point of the ritual. A standing stone could be thought of as an altar, inserted into the ground, as the focal point of an Earth-centred ritual. These are of two types; those erected for that purpose only and those erected at a site already the focus of thought.

Those on an existing site enabled people to be empowered by the energy already there. The others became a point of contact for a local community to maintain their connection to spirit, much as one might attend regular Mass today.
 

Crossing Points

Within the web of focal points and their connecting lines of thought, we sometimes find a site which is at the centre of a cross. These sites are of special significance, since they resonate to all the sites in that cross. They may be dynamic or still, depending on the presence of water,

If no water is present, the site has a positive charge. If water flows beneath it, it is still; the different thoughts resonate like notes in a chord.

The effect carries way beyond the immediate area, usually linking with another feature, such as a hilltop, or lake. This whole area has become known as a landscape temple, and may cover several miles.
 

Wells and Springs

These enchanting places occur all over hilly landscapes. Throughout history, they have been revered and become places of worship. Many of today’s churches sit on these sites, though the spring may no longer exist.

The Celtic tribes were especially drawn to them, and many were the dwelling places of hermits, some until quite recent times.

A spring may be just that, or within a grove. A grove is an area resonating to a particular thought, the spring being the energising force. They are the easiest places to access the thought processes of the planet and could be considered a doorway to them. Each will be a doorway to a certain area of thought and therefore has a quality of energy about it.
 

Leylines

Centred within the Earth are currents of energy, which reach the surface in various places. Some of these link up in a straight line, causing a flow of thought along it. In nature, these points will all resonate together, creating a multiple idea, which rises and sinks, giving polarity along the line.

The point at which the energy sinks can be felt most readily. By sitting still on the ground, you cannot be unaware of a sinking feeling in the body. The point at which it rises has an uplifting effect. By spending time at these points, the full meaning of the other places along the line can be more easily accessed.
 

Britain & Ireland

Throughout the land there are highly active regions, where the forces of nature are organised to form what we perceive as beauty.
These are arranged in threes. Each of these triads resonate with two neighbouring triads – giving a large area comprising nine integral units.

The landscape of upland Britain and all Ireland includes several of these larger regions, each resonating with Stonehenge, and each sounding a different note.

This is not the case in lowland England, where such regions are spread over a wide area, and have no grouping. There is little Neolithic legacy, but all the cathedrals are centres.

Gower Peninsula (Swansea)

If we examine one of these regions in detail, we begin to glimpse the wonderful interplay of forces and their meaning. We can then relate this to any other region we like, and begin to unravel its mysteries.

VIEW MAP

Regional Centres

Gower forms a triad with nearby Black Mountain and Preseli.
To the north is the triad of North Wales, to the south the triad of Dartmoor.
The Centre of this larger region is Preseli, which partly explains why its stones were carried so far to Stonehenge.

The other regional centres are:

Inverness
Stirling
Kendal
Stonehenge
Wicklow Mountains
Nephin Beg

Centres in Lowland England are:

Canterbury
Wells
 

The Island of Britain

Imagine wearing magic glasses, through which we could see the energy structure of the landscape. We would be mesmerised by the complexity and interrelationships of the different features, and how they resonate with far off places – out of sight, but felt as if they were no distance.

We have examined one small, highly energised area - the Gower peninsular, to see how many strands of thought interweave and create a landscape, and how personal it can become. From this example we may start to understand our own landscape, and through it, the whole island.

The spiritual centre of the island is Stonehenge. Wherever we are, it is the underlying note sounding out through the land, like the distant drone of a far off foghorn. We may learn to recognise this sound, and thereby gain a deeper connection to the Earth.

Now, imagine Stonehenge is a large gong reverberating endlessly. Around, are smaller gongs tuned to the same note. They too resonate. We may imagine lines between them, or draw them on a map to indicate this, but in themselves they are nothing more than this. We could further say that in Nature, there are sometimes several features found along these paths adding to the total picture, just as several notes make up a chord. Although the path can be dowsed, it is important to realise that there is no actual flow of energy along them as with electricity.

These features often result in churches, castles and neolithic monuments, and therefore tracks between them - leading to the rediscovery of ley lines. We must be careful not to ascribe undue importance to everything along the way, or to assume a leyline exists between each and every known feature.

From the map we can see the various major centres of resonance. Each of these is the focal point of several interrelating landscapes.
Preseli and Warwick. These centres resonate directly to Stonehenge. They add no extra dimension.

Iona. This major religious centre sounds out a secondary note, influencing all energy points along its path of resonance to Stonehenge.

Callenish willpower

Edinburgh. Power.

Stirling. Wisdom

Avebury

This queen of sites is now a huge circular dyke, approached by ceremonial avenues. It could be thought of as a pore in the body of the Earth. Although pre-existing, this site has been activated by human intent, the dyke forming a ‘lens’, through which to channel radiation from the star Arcturus.

There are several such sites around the globe, whereby our planet is influenced by major stars in the galaxy. Nothing is separate. The reason for Man putting such massive effort into this place, is that such influences are necessary in the consciousness of the race at a given time. A similar phenomenon can be found at Giza, with the Great Pyramid channelling Sirius.

Palace of Westminster

This has been the seat of government for a thousand years, due to its unique resonance with human thought and civilisation. As such, it has influenced a government which strode the world with far-reaching consequences.

This pattern of human evolution repeats through history as such centres become active. We can already see the influence of New York in full flow, just as we have witnessed Rome and Athens come and go.

Canterbury is a major religious centre, differing from Iona in character. We can see it as a centre of authority rather than wisdom.

What is relevance of all this? It means that Stonehenge energises this island, just as other major points on the planet energise the whole world. It means that as people discover and research ley lines and power points, they are led ultimately to that place. It also means that with practice, we may access the power of Stonehenge, wherever we may be:

Stonehenge

This outstanding monument stands at the spiritual centre of Britain. At this point, the major centres resonate and sound out the full meaning of this island. This point of thought, resonates in turn with others around the globe. Together, they form the total meaning, or purpose, of planet Earth.

With a little imagination, we can see that a trained priest may know of the other centres in Britain without having been there. He is like the spider at the centre of the web, knowing its every vibration.

So, what could be the purpose of this structure? We know that some of the stones come from Presceli, the main centre to the west. Looking on a map, we can see Westminster to the east, and a line running from the Isle of Wight, through Stonehenge, Warwick and Iona.

The four directions of the compass have been acknowledged throughout the ages. They are a fact of nature, stemming from the magnetic field. They represent, and are avenues to, the understanding of Stonehenge.

1. To face north is to align with the magnetic field and so be earthed and receptive. To face west, where the sun sets, is to look beyond, to what the future may hold. To face south, where the Sun is high, is to rejoice. To face east, and the rising Sun, is to know that there is more to life than just our own needs.

These four elements of pagan ritual are harnessed most powerfully at this site, as explained by its position in the island. It is therefore the pre-eminent place for ceremonial worship on a human level, as well as being the core of the energy network of the island.

The stones themselves are in two circles, the outer one magnifying the ceremonial effect of the site. We could imagine it as a reverberating shell, containing and reflecting back the power of the ritual. The inner, added later, acts as a cone, insulating the participants from all but the essential task of the ritual. These stones, brought from Presceli, resonate to the direction of the west, and therefore are predictive in intent.

It has long been observed, that the structure is calibrated to the Sun’s position at solstice. It is at these times, that the Earth is at maximum polarity, and the effect of its magnetic field, strongest. We can only imagine the impact of such a ceremony, starting at the moment of Sunrise and culminating when the Sun reached its highest.

We may also consider whether Stonehenge is of any relevance today. The renewed interest in the pagan world is a full turn of the circle. This place simply is the spiritual centre of Britain. It is free from the confines of any religion, it is available to anyone who would sit quietly at any spring, grove, summit, or energised site.

An approach may be made as follows:
Sit or stand, with your hands together, and observe your breathing a moment.
Know that this place is an echo, and that you too can resound to that echo.
Allow your concentration to focus on your reason for being there, and then into the ground below you. You are now connected to the web of thought, centred at Stonehenge.

Sit at any point of power, and centre your awareness in your solar plexus.
Listen. Eventually you will feel a shift. You can now consciously ‘listen’ to Stonehenge or any other site.
Eventually you can resonate to its power. We are each of us after all, a point of energy.

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 The Landscape Today

OTHER REALMS

Within the body of the Earth, is it’s consciousness. It is shared in by every living thing, even the mountains and the sea.

As Humans, we inhabit a level of emotion of immense complexity, compared to any other species. We also share in the physical energy of the planet. Without it, our consciousness would be unable to motivate our bodies – and there would be no life. It is in this web of energy that we find what are known as Nature Spirits.

Just as we are aware of our own life, so are they. The difference is that we need a physical body; they use a body of the web only. The ones we are about to consider, are those in a fixed place – a ley point. These spirits reflect the quality of the place and have an essential task to fulfil in relation to its function.

Those sites with water present, have a negatively/receptively polarised centre and therefore what is perceived as a ‘feminine’ spirit. Depending on the quality of the place, they may be blue, or white to the inner eye. Blue is purifying, white enlightens.

The spirit of a summit is yellow, they are energising and ’male’. They are known as Air spirits and are centred above the ground. Air spirits are also found at sites where the quality is inspirational, or increases our understanding.

Stone circles are a sure indication of an Earth spirit. The focal point of energy is below ground. The purpose of the circle itself, is to create resonance with that focal point. Walk around it sunwise, then stand in the centre, to feel its meaning.

We can now get a glimpse of the meaning of gods and goddesses on a local scale. We can also try to imagine the scale of the being which enlivens Stonehenge, and its role as the god of Britain.

We may consider these beings to be the most developed of the nature spirits, their purpose being to shift the quality of that point into physical expression. This means that they step down the original thought into physical energy, causing it to sound out into the environment.

How can this be verified? If we could experience one of these spirits for ourselves, we would have confidence in these concepts. To this end, this exercise can help us make contact:
Sit in your chosen place and silently ask to meet its spirit.
Feel drawn to face in one direction.
With your eyes closed, imagine a window opening before you, and a being waiting
to meet you.

Whatever impression you gain, however slight, is your mind interpreting the impulse of that place. In this way, nature spirits have been personified over the ages, but there is always a fundamental meaning behind them.

Crop Circles

The Realm of Divas

Within the landscape are focal points of thought, radiating in a circle, of up to a couple of miles across. This life-force is known as a Landscape Angel. The function of these great beings is to provide a network of impulses, each being part of an overall idea, or plan, for that landscape.

They may, or may not, be centred on a ley point, but only exist at the level of thought. They have no impact on the energy field, but affect every living thing within their radius by resonance.

On Gower there are four Landscape Angels. They are centred on Great Tor, Cil Ifor, Cefn Bryn summit and Millwood. The impulses they radiate to the landscape are wisdom, purity, power, and nurturing, respectively. Together, they create the purpose in nature of the Gower landscape, which is the right use of power.

Beauty

What is this power and what does it do? Without physical energy, there would be no life. It powers every process happening on the planet. To be coherent, all energy is ordered by thought, be it in a leaf, or the planet itself. We could think of it then, as the force resulting from that thought.

In a landscape which is especially energised, humans can access and understand this thought process. These areas are characterised by the signs of Neolithic activity for this reason.

The effect on the landscape itself, is to render it especially beautiful to our eyes. We are responding to the increased order, which is the basis of beauty in anything.

Denizens Below Ground

We have seen how the consciousness of the planet is distilled into nature spirits, at ley points. We can now try to imagine that same process unfolding below ground. But instead of fixed points, each separate stream of thought focuses wherever needed, for as long as needed, then ceases.

Furthermore, in order to spread the effect over an area, many points of focus can be created, which move and work wherever required. Throughout the ages these have been perceived, and characterised, by Man. We have here those sparks of thought which have now become known as Brownies, Gnomes, and the like.

This process of humanisation is ancient and until recently, was the way our imagination worked. These images are now so well established, that they are ‘worn’ by these sparks of life whenever they are perceived.

Since they are all focal points of the same thought, they are not individuals with their own agenda. Their function has to do with Earth processes such as soil formation and plant decomposition.

We can broadly divide them into several categories. Those just mentioned are the ones usually seen, since their function brings them above ground. Deeper functions are carried out in a more static way. They are perceived to the seer, as spirals and other geometric shapes. These are to be found, carved by neolithic Man, in various parts of the world.

These realms concern some of the fundamental processes of the planet itself. They are therefore deeply nurturing.

The Realms of Air and Fire

Above ground, the Earth’s systems are in constant flux, which we experience as weather. This mercurial interplay of forces is marshalled by thought, as is everything that occurs on Earth.

Beyond even this, is the realm of pure inspiration, we draw on it whenever we create. These two realms of thought also play out on the physical plane, by means of focused sparks of energy. Those of the air have little to do with humanity, but those of inspiration are known as the Muses, or Fire spirits.

It is quite possible to cultivate a link with these, to enhance our creative ability. The function of the muse is to bridge the gap between the mind of Man and the most appropriate possibilities. Hence, we feel inspired.

Creative Spirit

Since the dawn of Man, a creative spirit has marked him out from the animal kingdom. Without it, we could not function as individuals, or act independently of the herd. The creative spark in each of us, can be manifestly increased, by co-operating with Muses.

These elementals can be drawn to us, by means of a simple formula:
Focus your attention in your heart.
Imagine a flame in its centre.
Voice out loud, the idea you wish to fulfil.

The effect of this, is to immediately attract a spark of creative impulse, to empower the idea. This impulse can be maintained to the conclusion of the idea, simply by returning to the image of the flame.

The Power of the Landscape

Imagine the Magnetic field around the Earth as a grid. Every living thing, as part of that grid, is positively and negatively polarised. Imagine that a landscape, when particularly beautiful to the human eye, is a result of especially strong forces, creating a geology of exceptional order.

Our experience of Beauty, and the effect it has on us, are a result of this force and our identification with it. To truly appreciate such beauty, is to be empowered by it, since we are emotionally open and therefore more connected to the grid.

By this means, both our emotional and physical states can be uplifted, as our own energy picture is quickened, via the solar plexus.

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The Way In

Entry Points

The deeper realms of the Earth’s consciousness, can be accessed at certain points on the surface. These ‘doorways’ can be entered by the seeker, by ritual or by design, for deeper insight. These places may be known by a dolmen, or be unmarked. To know the unmarked is to be a geomancer.

To enter the underworld at a dolmen, the following steps may be followed:
Sit still, with your back to the stone.
Centre your thought at your solar plexus.
Then sink down through it into the ground.

The Solar Plexus

This is the fundamental way we experience, and interact with the planet. It governs our emotional life, as well as our ability to understand something of the broader workings of Nature.

Imagine you are sitting in a pool of water. It laps over your belly, and makes it vibrate. You are now resonating to a basic wavelength of communication within the energy field of the planet. It is by developing this resonance, that we can start to understand the power and meaning of the landscape:

Sit with your hands linked, feet on the ground.
Imagine the pool of water is now vibrating your stomach. Within that vibration is the answer to your questions.

How does this work, and how do we use it? Let us clearly understand that there is nothing mystical or unusual in this; it is the way that most cultures have related to the landscape, until the current scientific age. This exercise merely activates a process in us that is dormant, as we don’t use it.

When we “listen” in this way, we are connecting to the landscape, rather than objectively looking and mentally evaluating it. The impressions we get, convey meaning which is sometimes beyond words, yet we clearly understand. We can thus pose a question in our minds, and see what impression we get resonating to it.

Druids and Celts

This race, which swept across Europe after the Stone Age, had as different a consciousness to their predecessors as they did to us today. They were emotionally polarised, in contrast to the physical energy polarisation of the Neolithic peoples. Instead of using stone monuments as their means of connection with the spiritual life of the planet, they therefore centred their ritual around water,- symbol, and conduit to the astral (emotional) plane.

A Druid may be understood as a priest, communicating the forces of nature to his people. This priesthood, like that before them, dealt in Geomancy - the understanding of the Earth’s energy grid, and Magic - the manipulation or use of it. Their power was extinguished by the Romans, leaving a race disconnected and more easily managed. However, the Celtic connection with water, especially springs and wells continued until the coming of Christianity around the sixth century. This gave rise to a beautiful fusion of Christian principles and native respect for nature, centred on the hermit monk living in seclusion, as often as not, at a spring or well.

The Celtic cross is an altogether gentler symbol than the cardinal cross, which ousted it at the Synod of Whitby. The tradition of the hermit having his chapel at a spring has led to a large number of Welsh and Irish churches at these places, many therefore at the sites of nature spirits. This is also invariably the case in English cathedrals, built by a body of master masons whose geometry and understanding of power are awesome.

It would seem from all this, that religion – seeking to understand, has always been tied to the forces of the land, even in modern times to some extent. It is to this end, that the resurgence of interest in the power of our landscape is leading. Ultimately, the understanding of the energy fabric of our land and the consciousness within it, leads to self discovery and self development. It must surely be preserved.

Ritual

Ritual is the means by which we can communicate with the spirit of the planet, and be empowered by it. Rituals which have real power are those which have been received from source, rather than been invented. Any such ritual, will take us to a level of consciousness needed for a given purpose, such as Fertility, Visions etc.

An Earth centred ritual is simple in essence. It involves walking a circle, fire, drumbeats or supplication.
Walking a circle Sunwise, invokes the life-giving force of nature. This is the purpose of stone circles. The stones are markers rather than monuments. To walk twice round the outside of the stones is enough to connect to the full consciousness of that site. The focal point, or nature spirit is nearly always marked by a larger stone outside the circle. The Kingstone at the Rollright circle is a classic example.

We could imagine the circle as a doorway to the full meaning of the ritual stone. This of course, is the only remains of the full ritual. To glimpse the rest, we can look to the living ceremonies of today’s indigenous cultures. An almost universal feature is the taking of consciousness-altering substances. Such native plants available today, like Fly Agaric, or Henbane, can take your life if not used rightly. The safeguarding of such knowledge is the business of a priest.

With the resurgence of Wicca in recent times, there are those who aspire to that title. A true priest is called, and his knowledge is given as he is ready. The power of a priestess is different to a man’s. It is for her to know, and no other.

Fire

Fire is fundamental to life. We utilise this force within our own bodies to regain the energy of the Sun, locked in our food. It is central to our survival in all but the kindest of climates. Out of control, its destructive power is frightening, yet its passage guarantees renewal.

It is this cycle of destruction and renewal which places it at the centre of ceremonial life. It is the driving force in the cycle of the four elements of Earth, upon which all life depends.

To understand this force more fully, we can do a couple of simple exercises:

Sit before a lighted candle and gaze into the flame. At the same time, observe your body breathing, but making no attempt to ‘breath’, or alter its rhythm,

Close your eyes. Visualise a fire in your solar plexus, then in your heart. Finally, the two join and fill your body.

The first exercise connects us to this force as it exists on Earth, the second puts us in touch with what is happening in our bodies all the time. Once we have found this connection, we can use fire in ritual, in a meaningful way. We learn that candles are a very real connection to spirit and are therefore at the heart of much religious practice. We can see there is more to a fire than keeping warm and that now we don’t have them in our houses, we are missing something that man has always lived with. How can we remedy this?

Take a bowl, nearly filled with sand. Place several lighted candles in it and create a regular Hearth space. This is especially useful on Fire Festivals.

Fire Festivals

These important points on the calendar were celebrated in Celtic times, midway between the solstices and equinoxes. They are dynamic points of change:

Beltaine or Mayday is the first day of summer, midway between spring equinox and summer solstice. It heralds that quarter if the year of pure summer (yang) energy.

Lughnasadh is between midsummer and autumn equinox. It marks the first day of that quarter of the year when summer energy is fading and winter energy waxing.

Samhain or Halloween ends this quarter. It marks the first day of the winter quarter. It is a dynamic point of change, plunging into the real meaning of winter, culminating at Christmas – solstice.

Imbolc marks the last day of the winter quarter, and the first glimmer of summer.

It can be seen from this that the equinoxes and solstices are the midpoints of the four seasons and the fire festivals are the dynamic points of change between them. The use of fire on these days, once we have increased our sensitivity to it, connects us to the real energetic changes in our world, as it progresses through the year. We may no longer need this for our survival, but to regularly renew our connection with the seasons, engenders a vitality and understanding beyond the ordinary.

Dance of the Four Elements

The interaction of the four elements is the mechanism of life itself on Earth. Without Fire, nothing would happen – it is the motor, straight from the Sun. The medium for movement is Water. It is the carrier of minerals through our bodies, as well as throughout the Earth’s crust.

The minerals of Earth are the building blocks Air fuels the fire and thereby regulates the whole process.

All this however, is a physical manifestation of that greater life we are part of. In this greater scheme, the energy that drives our bodies, and drives the planet, is all Physical. Life on Earth is a mirror of these elements at play at a cosmic level.

We are emotional creatures. Most of what we do and say is driven by our fears and desires. All this, is only is only one layer of the vast emotional plane of Earth. The consciousness of a spider or a tree is beyond our experience. This all - pervading level of being is Water.

The motor to drive life is love, and therefore sex. Without these, life would cease – love and fire are one. Air is pure spirit – the thought process which is the reason for all things. Some call it God, others don’t.

Ceremony and Religion

Throughout history, mankind has participated in ceremonies and rituals to feed his spiritual needs. From the deeply religious, to the barbarism of a public execution, we come together to focus our hopes and fears on a central event. What is it that happens at a ceremony that draws and strengthens people? Who lays down the ritual, and whence does it come?

We might define Ritual as a sequence of symbolic acts or prayers which will invoke a response within the energy field we live in. A Ceremony is when this is performed by one or more individuals, on behalf of the others present. A Rite is a ceremony conducted for the benefit of an individual or group, for a specific purpose – marriage, coming of age etc.

The power of a ceremony derives from its ability to make real change in our emotional state. There are times of the year when this effect is magnified because the planet itself is more energised. These are the eight points of the calendar already considered. It can be noted that there is a Christian mass at most of these times, but the date has slipped.

The energetic change of a ceremony can also be magnified by the resonance of a structure in stone. The Neolithic peoples left us plenty of evidence of their achievements and temples and cathedrals the world over have been based on a ‘sacred geometry’.

Central to all this is the Priest. His power can eclipse a King, for better or for worse. Ultimately his power comes from the god he seeks to serve. If his heart is pure and his mind has transcended his own personal needs, he is a pure channel of wisdom. He will simply know how a ceremony is to proceed.

The power of a priestess derives from the emotional depths of the Earth. It has no use for processions or monuments. It is the power that every mother expresses for her baby. It comes from within, to nurture at need.

The Next Race ?

We have looked at the last three epochs of this island – Neolithic, Celtic and our own, which seems to be the closing of the Christian era. Spiritually, most of us are in a vacuum, with the potential to go anywhere we please.

We have witnessed the twin gods of Business and Science make astounding progress, but to a point where we will shortly choke and starve from the destruction. It is becoming increasingly clear that we can only survive more than a couple of generations, by radically changing our ways and our mindset.

To effect such change, we may expect our priests and priestesses to emerge from unexpected places. They may not wear any garb of office, but will be those who have heard the message of survival from within.

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The Consciousness Within

The Meaning of Ritual

Since the dawn of time, Man has used Ritual, as a means to understand, and work with, the forces of life on this planet. Since we have free will, we are the only life form that does not do this automatically. We can only stray so far from the rhythms of supply, demand, seasons, and weather, before we reach catastrophe. Imagine a total oil crisis, and we would descend into chaos within days.

On a personal level, if we in tune with the seasons, and are properly connected to the energy grid of the planet through our lower chakras, our health and vitality are guaranteed. Ill health and unhappiness often occur when we are stressed by adverse circumstances, or in the throes of change. From this point of view then, it can be seen that Ritual could connect us, or keep us connected to, the vitality of the Earth itself, and prevent us from being overwhelmed while we are dealing with life’s issues.

It would be fair to say, that with the amazing success of modern medicine in treating the symptoms of disease, we have let go of the need to stay connected to life at this deep level. Our lives would be richer, and less dependant on modern medicine and constant need for entertainment to lift our spirits, if we maintained this connection.

Spirals

One of the fundamental ways to connect to the core energy of the Earth, is through a spiral – or ‘descending circle’. It is the meaning of the various spiral patterns and labyrinths surviving from neolithic times. To walk a left turning spiral, is to descend in consciousness to the Earth’s core. This fundamental energy is the basis of physical (not spiritual) life itself.

To walk a right turning spiral, is to connect with the energising, dynamic quality of life.

Circles

To walk a circle, is to signal intent. It opens a doorway to knowing. To circle widdershins (opposite to sunwise) is to slow, or bind the force of life. It is to create stability and firmness, but must be used with care. To work against the natural flow of life can corrupt, and be used selfishly. It is the basis of the ‘left hand path’.

To circle sunwise is to enhance life and express joy. It is empowering in times of hopelessness, or when life seems stuck.

The Altar

An Altar is a point of focus. It can be dedicated to a particular purpose, and be a focal point of a particular Idea. We could understand the altars and totems to indigenous gods from this point of view.

Any ritual conducted at an altar is therefore a doorway to a level of understanding or empowerment. The Christian altar is a direct access to the energies of Love and our heart centres.

We can create an altar in our homes or anywhere else, simply by intent. As soon as we light the first candle, that point of focus exists.

The Fire

As a centre of communal life, a fire represents the life force of the sun, liberated for that moment. Symbols are all very well, but to have real meaning they must impact us emotionally or physically.

Fire impacts the Heart, we naturally draw round it. If we then make it the centre of a circle, and move to our left while focussing inwards, we create the most powerful ceremony possible, invoking heaven and earth.

The Well

Ceremonies at a spring or well impact our solar plexus. The Celtic race was particularly polarised here. The essence of the ritual is Baptism.

Baptism means to wash clean. Emotionally, this means to heal and purify, relieving us of negative states which devitalise, or cause direct health problems.

Any ceremony directly using well water for this purpose is guaranteed to have some effect.

Putting it all Together

We have here the basic elements of Earth – centred ritual. To use them wisely, we can first use them as our guide:
Stand at any well and think of the state of mind within yourself, that you would most like to heal. Kneel, cup some water in your hands, and wash your face.

Ask to be heard and make your request.

Stand in an open space and walk in a right turning circle, twenty feet across, facing the centre. Complete two circles.
Stand in the centre, arms folded, facing the sun.
Centre your awareness in your solar plexus, and feel the shift.

These exercises connect us more closely to the process involved in any ritual. We are then in a position to create our own ritual for any given purpose. The steps are:
Clearly define in your mind your exact intent.
Centre in your solar plexus, and hold that intent in mind. Any impressions you get are a guide.

A Ceremony is a ritual conducted on behalf of others, in which they participate. The potential here for delusion, egotism, and folly is endless. Before conducting a ceremony, we should be experienced, and clear in our unselfish intent.

Before participating in one, we need to be confident that those in charge are helping us on our way.

Testing the Water

What does a ritual seek to achieve? Its purpose is to affect our emotional life, or our physical energy. Once we understand that in both cases, we are but sharing in one greater life than our own, then we can understand ritual as a means to connect us to its power and currents.

For instance, our physical vitality depends on the degree to which we can use the energy field around us. Unless we are vibrant in health, we can increase this by a simple daily ritual:
Stand feet apart, and breathe deeply into your belly.
Imagine you are connected to the core of the planet via the soles of your feet.
After ten breaths, fold your arms and relax.
Repeat every day for a week, and note the effect on your vitality.

Entering the Underworld

The Underworld, or Dreamtime, is the Consciousness of the planet. While history is rich in reference to it, it has become a closed book to us, due to our logical mind. The easiest way into this realm is the left-turning Spiral.

Centre your awareness in your solar plexus.
Imagine a spiral staircase descending into the ground. A wall is on your right as you walk down it, turning ever left as you go.
Wherever you wish, you can rest and look around you. You are already in the Underworld, it is a matter of degree.

Generally, such a journey is made for a purpose. Descend the stairs and ask to be guided. Keep your intent pure and you will be amazed.

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The World Within

The Solar Plexus

Within our energy field – our physical aura, are seven vortices which are the basis of all human life. Our emotional and physical ills arise from disturbance to the perfect function of any one of them.

The solar plexus is the vortex at stomach level. It governs our digestion and elimination. It therefore connects us to the planet, since we are nourished by its fruit. Emotionally we are fed and nurtured likewise. The health of our solar plexus is paramount to our wellbeing, and has suffered enormously at the hands of modern living.

By simple ritual, Man has maintained a strong connection to the Earth and kept vital, throughout his history. Such practices are now obsolete in our society, as we rely on technology for our survival. We could simply renew the connection between the Earth and our solar plexus by a breathing exercise:

Sit quietly and imagine your breaths are coming in and out of your solar plexus.
When a floating feeling is induced, revert to normal breathing a few times.
Centre your awareness back to the solar plexus, and imagine the Earth around you as an envelope.
Repeat for a few days.

The Base Centre

This is the lowest vortex on the spine. It resonates with the life force at the core of the planet. We can maintain a clear resonance instead of a weak one as follows:
Allow your awareness to sink to the base of your spine.
Imagine a thread connecting it to the core of the Earth.
Allow the two ends of the thread to resonate together.
Repeat occasionally.

The Navel

This crucial point of our energy system regulates our interaction with the magnetic field of the planet. We are still being fed. At times of stress or crisis, if we sit and centre our awareness here at our navel for a while, our agitation will be released.

Collective Consciousness

This term was coined by Carl Jung when he entered, or accessed that level of consciousness that we all share, but are now largely unaware that we do. We could imagine it as a pool of memories, holding us back, or inspiring us, according to our nature.

It resonates within our base chakra and is responsible for our tribal behaviour, be it racial, intellectual or competitiveness. However intellectual we may be, it is present, colouring our thoughts and actions. We may consciously access this level of awareness by a number of ways. One of the oldest is by stories.

The Storyteller has been an integral and oft revered member of society, from pre history up to the present day. The power of their stories can take us completely out of the present and relax or refresh us. Why is this?

Because stories plunge us into fantasy, which is a different state of mind to day to day reality. This state can allow our nervous system to recharge while it is not being called on to perform. The greatest stories deal in archetypes. The storyteller taps a universal source of characters and we identify with them - we have been literally connected to the collective consciousness.

Fairy Tales

These were originally tales of elemental beings, and how to manage them. Their treasury of magical phenomena is based on working technique, on the astral plane. While many of them are now meaningless, we have in some the symbolic key to some of life’s mysteries.

We can particularly mention Snow White, The Mabinogion, and Arabian Nights. These tales can be unlocked by “guided reading”.

Sit with hands linked, and centre your awareness in your solar plexus.
From here, imagine you are sinking into the ground until you come to rest in a chamber.
Ask that as you read, the full meaning of the symbolism will be apparent.
The meaning of other themes such as the genie, wizard’s staff, magic words and spells can be arrived at and eventually used.

Archetypes

Archetypes are characters who embody a principle of life. Thus we get the warrior, healer, wise king etc. These are extensions to the basic energies of the zodiac, they are found in the tarot, modern psychology and the world’s stories.

We all have at least one archetype within us - it may be expressed freely, or with a struggle. To express it freely leads to fulfilment.

Divination

Every civilisation has had its oracle, and a myriad methods have been employed to read the signs. It is worth pondering the means.

Imagine that you are connected via your solar plexus to a giant computer running your life, along with every life process taking place on the planet. Imagine gradually learning to access the game plan for a given life or situation. Finally, you develop a software to download it for others. Certain individuals can do just this, on the astral plane. They vary from those who consciously and accurately know what they are doing, to those whose contact is sporadic and unreliable.

The diviner poses a question. To every question there is an answer, however vague. The questioner resonates with the answer in the solar plexus and then interprets what she perceives.

We can all do this to some extent, by dowsing.

Dowsing

Dowsing is the art of responding to a question. This can range from the classic “Where is the water?”, to detailed examination of an issue. We can consider dowsing from two angles. Firstly, with a view to finding something in or on the Earth. Secondly, to search the astral plane for an answer to a question. In either case, we are using a technique which will resonate to that which we seek.

In the best known scenario, the dowser is searching for water with a forked hazel twig. Water carries a negative charge. It has an effect on the energy field of the dowser. By holding the twig under tension, changes in the dowser’s energy affect the tension in the muscles of his outstretched arms, causing the twig to turn or jump.

To take this further, you need a pendulum, which will respond to minute movement in the fingers. We must now engage the mind. Suppose we wish to find some Roman coins, which we have reason to believe are in a field. We need only to have this in mind for our own energy field to resonate to the idea of the coins. The coins exist in the magnetic field of the Earth. Our own energy is part of this.

There is therefore resonance between us and the coins via a continuous energy field. We use the pendulum to guide us along the path of this resonance. This is wonderfully unfolded in the books of Cambridge don Tom Lethbridge.

Eventually, we can dowse for information, using the same principles but on the astral plane. When we pose a question clearly in our mind, we resonate to the answer - the answer is the positive pole to the receptive state of the questioner. By posing yes/no questions along the way, we reach our goal by elimination.

Suppose we are trying to date a building or an object. We must of course establish how a pendulum indicates Yes or No for ourselves- it is individual. It is quite straightforward to then mentally go through the centuries for a positive response, then the decades etc. Ultimately, we may reach a point where the answers sometimes spring to mind before we finish the process. This is Intuition. We have used dowsing as a tool for self development.

Seers and Soothsayers

These are people who dowse information quite naturally. They are often known as psychic. This condition is affected by their solar plexus being especially sensitive to emotions and events - it is like an open door. Until they learn to control it, it can be a source of distress and delusion.

Their position in society is now largely irrelevant, but until comparatively recent times they have sometimes held positions of great importance. We should not dismiss this as nonsense. Great cultures have relied on it. It would be fair to assume that a seer who habitually got it wrong would not be considered a seer for long.

Does this have any relevance today? While we may not have an official oracle, there are always those whose voice may sound out a warning or guidance. They may rise from untraditional walks of life, but their message will conflict with vested interests and global politics - there is no point in making a fuss otherwise. We may know them by their honesty and the obvious truth of their message.

The Underworld

Throughout time, cultures have had a concept of the Underworld. The myths handed down are usually attempts to explain its workings in a pictorial language. Our modern mindset has ceased to recognise that we live within the emotional world of the whole planet, and that our own emotional life is but a part of this.

The concept of Underworld is that when we die to our physical body, we are immersed only in emotion and thought – the astral plane. We are still earthbound. Of course, we could still travel this realm right now if we could release some of the restraints of our modern mind.

We would then see the world, less from the perspective of an individual, but more as the Great Spirit does. We would feel it. We can only do this via our solar plexus, not our reasoning. We can learn to travel this realm, and understand this planet much better by opening the solar plexus and quietening the mind. Because we are working on the astral plane, we do this by visualisation.

Sit comfortably and centre your awareness in your solar plexus (between the bottom of the breast bone and the navel).
From here, visualise yourself descending a stairway into the Earth, until your are ready to enter a chamber.
Rest in the chamber a moment, then find a pool in the floor. As you slide into the water it feels warm and relaxing.

Presently, you notice the water lapping over your solar plexus. You are aware that the waves travel the whole planet, and are guided by the moon.
When ready, you ease up and climb the stairs, back into everyday awareness.

After a few times, you may feel like exploring.
Enter the chamber as usual and wait. Your intent is known. You will be guided according to your needs.

Is anything happening here other than an exercise in imagination? It certainly is. Any visualised descent takes us out of everyday thinking. Water is symbolic of the astral plane – the emotional consciousness of the Earth. We are therefore withdrawn from normal thinking, and experience our connection with the rest of life.

Power of the Goddess

What is this mysterious concept that was so real to earlier cultures? To know this, we have to experience it, it can’t be conveyed in words.
Sit on the floor and observe your breathing till relaxed.
Centre your awareness on an imaginary point at the centre of the Earth, directly below you.

You then automatically resonate to a fundamental wavelength sounded out by the planet. This note sustains all life. To know and respond to it is to be nurtured, and to be able to nurture. This note is also more readily received at certain water power places. These have at times become places of worship or pilgrimage.

Because this quality is nurturing, it became perceived as archetypically feminine. We may try to imagine for a moment the precarious existence for earlier cultures. A strong connection with this basic note of life was essential to survive. We can see how a priesthood would thrive on it, and how we have today lost our awareness and respect for it. Of course, we can’t ignore it much longer, we must come full circle.

Fire

This terrifying element is in fact the basis of all life on Earth. The power of the sun energises all living organisms, while its counterpoint, the heat in the centre of the planet, is the cause of all geological movement, and therefore renewal.

Man has used this force since his earliest days. We can now contain and direct it to an extraordinary degree to power our homes and engines. However, time is running out. Unless we learn how to tap fire directly from the sun or earth, we are heading for serious trouble.

How is this to be done? We now know the power that can be unleashed from the atom, but so far the process is dangerous and toxic. Fire is the element of the Heart. So far, we have used it with our heads. Fire and healing are one. If we can access this element by a different route, we may be able to use its unlimited supply benignly. We have already done a journey into the Earth and Water elements. By the same means, we can safely access Fire.

Sit, legs crossed, and centre awareness in the heart.
Imagine a fire is heating your whole body.
With each inbreath, the flames are fanned by the Air element until your body feels hot.
Centre attention back into the heart.

Repeated a few times, this exercise will help us realise the nature of this element. Only then can we understand how to use it.

A spirit is a unit of consciousness. A fire spirit is one which operates in the element of fire only. Mentally these are the Muses. On an energy level, they are the motivating force behind every flame. Fire, simply is the power of the universe.

Air

This is the force of spirit, enlivening all that lives. This means that life on earth is evolving, according to plan. We could perceive the air element as evolution in action, and fire as the motivating force.

Further, we can see the earth element as the crucible and water as the provider of nourishment. This is sometimes known as the Dance of the Elements.

The Dance

Physical life is driven by warmth – the power of the sun. This powers evaporation and therefore rain. Water dissolves the minerals of the earth and carries them through plants as it evaporates from them. Plants, animals, water, all absorb oxygen (air element) as the life giving fuel.

This simply stated cycle is carried out at every phase by elementals, which we could understand as sparks of a far greater consciousness which drives nature.

Learning to listen

Once we realise that all matter vibrates and that every mineral, plant, and animal has its own signature wave length, then we can understand ‘listening’ from a different perspective. It would be more accurate to think of Resonating. We have looked at how certain points on the earth are available to us to access certain qualities of its total life – they resonate.

Once we are accustomed to making image journeys into the earth, we can seek the answers to questions.
Centre yourself directly within any image of water.
Pose a clear cut question in your mind and relax.
You will automatically resonate with the answer.
How we interpret the response is personal. A fleeting impression may be enough.

Although we have started out to listen, what we are really doing here is learning to use our sixth sense. This sense, dormant in most western people, is the ability to resonate through the solar plexus. In earlier times it was essential to survival, but has been generally unused since the dawning of the age of Reason, as we have developed our intelligence. We are now far less subject to control, superstition, and exploitation as a result.

This sense can now flower again, but with the intelligence to guide us. In this way we progress on a spiral path – we pick up on what we once knew, from the perspective we have since gained. We therefore turn full circle, not back to the past, but moving forward.

This spiral is none other than Evolution. It is one of the fundamental patterns of Earth. This famous figure was carved by neolithic people in Ireland. If we follow the spirals with our mind, or mark them out and walk them, their effect is profound.

The Triple Spiral

What is the meaning of this enigmatic symbol? If we trace its path with our eyes, we are led into a left or right turning spiral, depending on where we start. These in themselves, are doorways to altered consciousness.

But it is as a whole, that the symbol is unique. The journey into Mother Earth is a left tuning spiral. The right spiral projects our ideas into space. It is dynamic. Because there are three, we can journey from one to the next, from the level of consciousness reached in the previous spiral.

We could theoretically expand our awareness, both into the underworld, and into the void, without limit. This really put ancestor worship into another league!

On a more mundane level, we can use spirals to energise our creativity, or to seek to know.

Weyland’s Smithy

This remarkable monument marks another phase in ancestor worship. We access the Underworld, that is to say, the consciousness of the planet, via our sacral centre.

This is also the centre of reproduction, and therefore whence we came, via our ancestors. Birth results from the sacral activity of our parents, and theirs before them. It is also a result of the fertility of Mother Earth directly nurturing us.

We therefore have a resonance between Earth, our sacral centre, and ancestor worship. So to bury priests or tribal leaders at a site of knowledge, is to connect with it in a most direct way.

The mound is built at a point of intense thought, in the astral plane. We could understand this point as an idea. The particular idea at Weyland’s Smithy is ‘ a gateway to knowing ’.

We can try to imagine for a moment, how dependant early farmers were on their harvest for their lives. A wrong decision regarding planting and reaping, could result in watching their children die,

Why should this be of any interest to us now? Because this place, and others like it, function the same now as ever. We are faced with serious problems as we over-populate the planet. We must soon find answers beyond conventional thinking.

Within these sites, now as then, we can clearly ask a question, and listen for the answer. Of course this takes practice, but if some individuals don’t start thinking laterally before long, life will become impossible.

Stone Circles

As already explained, the circle is that part of the monument where we gain access to the point of consciousness, marked by the outer stone. Imagine several people circling the stones for half an hour.

The Earth has a magnetic field. Our bodies appropriate that energy, and function on it. The folk circling, gradually create a vortex in that field. This will resonate to the permanent vortex, marked by the outer stone.

( If the stone circle were to actually encompass this permanent vortex, there would be no resonance – only a vague connection. This is why it is next to it.)

Each person in the circle will also resonate in their solar plexus, which leads to their not only knowing Mother Earth, but also a kinship between them. We could ponder a moment, on the value of this to a society of scattered groups, or even to ourselves.

Scrying

We may understand this as seeing that which is not physically in front of our eyes, but nonetheless appears to be so for that moment. This is again via the solar plexus and takes place on the astral plane. Since time does not apply here, we may glimpse that which has not yet occurred in linear time, as well as that which has past.

We must be clear on two accounts:
Firstly, although we may ‘see’ a future event, nothing is cut and dried on the physical plane until it happens – we see the potential for an event.
Secondly, we are receiving this imprint via our own emotional nature, which will colour it accordingly. If we don’t want to make foolish conclusions, we must learn to see from a clear perspective.

Sit with hands loosely together and quieten your mind.
Centre awareness in your solar plexus, and then in your brow.
When you feel settled, imagine you are looking at the surface of a pool, until it is clear and still
Repeat this a few times until it is easy.

Scrying proper, is best done in a bowl of water. Clearly pose the direction of inquiry in your mind – but do not ask a direct question. Centre a moment in your solar plexus then rest your gaze on the surface of the water.

Entering the Earth

More accurately, this could be called aligning with the magnetic field. In this way we can project our awareness into the realm of nature spirits.
Sit, feet on floor and breathe gently.
Centre your awareness in the solar plexus, and be aware of your breathing here.
Imagine light fibres connecting your solar plexus to Earth.
Follow them.

We can now begin to enter a level of consciousness where nature is organised – where thought is translated into physical activity. For example, a wild flower is an expression of an impulse from an overlighting intelligence, which organises every plant of that species. It is its identity. In other words, all Poppies for instance, exist as one entity on the thought plane.

The flower grows according to plan, organised on the energy plane by nature spirits – which are focal points of energy. With practice, we can observe any process we choose, and start to communicate with the intelligence behind it. This is the principle behind what is now known as shamanism. By working with such intelligence, we can heal or achieve other ends.

By imposing their will on such processes, many have sought power throughout history. This is sorcery. Today we might find a more profitable motive in working with nature, to solve our pressing problems. As science runs out of answers, and indeed causes more problems, we must eventually work with nature, especially in the fields of agriculture and medicine.

Working with Nature

We have already seen the beginnings. Pioneering work such as at Findhorn, Perelandra, or Bach flowers, have introduced this concept into the modern world. There is only one principle which we must completely accept: That nature is an active intelligence, constantly building and evolving. This means that to work with nature, we must put in a request, and allow that intelligence to incorporate that request into its process.

In this way it is (and has been at certain points of history), quite possible for our needs to be met, without negative consequences. On a personal level, we can begin this way:
Centre in your solar plexus and observe your breathing.
Descend into the earth, as described previously.
Make your request.

This must be on the lines of asking to understand something, or for the fruition of a project. Also for the enhanced growth of a plant or garden. For this, you also need to ask what conditions are necessary, and act on any impressions you get.

Oases

Nature is under threat. Not only from tarmac, but large tracts of green fields seen from the perspective of nature, are seriously lacking in life force. What does this mean?

It means that the mantle of life covering the earth’s surface is a vibrant interplay of forces and intelligences – minerals, plants, insects and animals. It pulsates. Where we sweep this away and only allow one crop, or nothing at all, we create a hole in the mantle. As we approach a situation of more holes with less and less fabric between them, then huge areas can become wasteland.

How does this occur? Because the mantle is maintained by thought – the perpetual stream of force we know as nature. We can only defy this so far before it breaks down. But we have only to keep a fabric of hedges, streams, or other vital areas for the forces of nature to be maintained. Within such an area we still need larger islands such as a copse, fallow, or organic farms for full vitality. Gardens fulfil this role in towns.

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