3: Alignments on the Landscape
If stone circles had a direct relationship to calendars, there must have been a reason for building them in a particular location, or perhaps their sites were chosen for the convenience of the local community. Near to Stonehenge are the ancient stone circles of Avebury and the mound at Silbury Hill, while to the west is Glastonbury, a town whose history goes back to the beginnings of the Christian church and beyond. These form part of a chain of ancient sites which runs from Cornwall to East Anglia.
During the 1960s, John Michell - an eminent writer on matters ancient and esoteric, made various observations regarding certain historic sites in Somerset. The most important of these was that the sites appeared to be in a straight visual alignment, and that if you extended this line in either direction, it included St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall and Avebury in Wiltshire. Further extension of this 'line' into East Anglia showed that it also included Bury St. Edmonds, with its background in medieval religious history. Quite why these ancient sites should appear in a straight line is odd and needs to be looked in more detail.
As a result of the work carried out by John Michell, and his subsequent findings, Hamish Miller, a professional sculptor and dowser, and Paul Broadhurst, an author and researcher on ancient history, decided to examine the findings and the 'line', which has become known as the St. Michael line. Whatever the reader may feel about dowsing and dowsers, the results of their investigation cannot be ignored, and have been chronicled in their book The Sun and the Serpent. No other series of ancient sites has been investigated in such a way and an interesting analysis can be made of their findings.
If stone circles had a direct relationship to calendars, there must have been a reason for building them in a particular location, or perhaps their sites were chosen for the convenience of the local community. Near to Stonehenge are the ancient stone circles of Avebury and the mound at Silbury Hill, while to the west is Glastonbury, a town whose history goes back to the beginnings of the Christian church and beyond. These form part of a chain of ancient sites which runs from Cornwall to East Anglia.
During the 1960s, John Michell - an eminent writer on matters ancient and esoteric, made various observations regarding certain historic sites in Somerset. The most important of these was that the sites appeared to be in a straight visual alignment, and that if you extended this line in either direction, it included St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall and Avebury in Wiltshire. Further extension of this 'line' into East Anglia showed that it also included Bury St. Edmonds, with its background in medieval religious history. Quite why these ancient sites should appear in a straight line is odd and needs to be looked in more detail.
As a result of the work carried out by John Michell, and his subsequent findings, Hamish Miller, a professional sculptor and dowser, and Paul Broadhurst, an author and researcher on ancient history, decided to examine the findings and the 'line', which has become known as the St. Michael line. Whatever the reader may feel about dowsing and dowsers, the results of their investigation cannot be ignored, and have been chronicled in their book The Sun and the Serpent. No other series of ancient sites has been investigated in such a way and an interesting analysis can be made of their findings.
Figure 3.1 Southern England, showing the direction of the St. Michael line and the twenty-three places where the individual Michael and Mary energies cross (nodes).
Those nodes actually on the straight St. Michael line are highlighted with an asterisk (*). At Bury St. Edmonds the two energy lines meet but do not cross, and there is no node. [The Sun and the Serpent (1990) - Hamish Miller and Paul Broadhurst]
From the south-western tip of England to the Norfolk coast in East Anglia, two 'energy' lines appear to snake across the landscape. At times these lines are a few miles apart, but in twenty-three places they cross at points which the two authors call 'nodes' (see figure 3.1). At Bury St. Edmonds, the two lines come close together but do not cross and this is the only place on this 'line' that such a phenomenon occurs.
Figure 3.2 Plan view of Glastonbury showing the routes of the Michael and Mary energy lines through the three nodes at the Abbey ruins, the Chalice Well gardens and the Tor. Note that from either direction, the Mary energy line passes through the nodes in the opposite sequence to those of the Michael energy line. [The Sun and the Serpent (1990) - Hamish Miller and Paul Broadhurst]
At Glastonbury (see figure 3.2), three such nodes occur in fairly close proximity to each other, one at the Abbey, another at the Chalice Well, while the third is on the Tor overlooking the town.
Figure 3.3 Plan view of the complex at Avebury, showing the paths of the Michael and Mary energy lines through Windmill Hill, the stone circles at the Henge and The Sanctuary. The path of the energy line from Knoll Down to the Henge is also shown. [The Sun and the Serpent (1990) - Hamish Miller and Paul Broadhurst]
At Avebury, four such points occur, two at the main complex of circles, while the third and fourth are on two hills overlooking the ancient Henge (see figure 3.3).
The two energy lines, named individually as Michael and Mary, are never straight and appear to meet other energy lines at various points on their cross-country paths. Several locations, which one or other line passes through, are on a straight line, giving the whole phenomenon an overall alignment which is south-west north-east (63º from true north). Such a line, unless its angle was less than 50º from true North, at that latitude, would align with a sunrise twice a year, and similarly a sunset twice a year. In modern times, this has been found to be sunrise on 1st May, as the sunrise is moving on the north-east horizon each day towards the Summer Solstice in June. It should be remembered that prior to the calendar adjustments carried out in the 18th century, mentioned in the previous chapter, this sunrise alignment would have occurred during May rather than on the 1st. No mention is made by the authors of the second sunrise alignment (on the 11th August) or of the two sunset alignments (on 31st October and 10th February).
The two energy lines, named individually as Michael and Mary, are never straight and appear to meet other energy lines at various points on their cross-country paths. Several locations, which one or other line passes through, are on a straight line, giving the whole phenomenon an overall alignment which is south-west north-east (63º from true north). Such a line, unless its angle was less than 50º from true North, at that latitude, would align with a sunrise twice a year, and similarly a sunset twice a year. In modern times, this has been found to be sunrise on 1st May, as the sunrise is moving on the north-east horizon each day towards the Summer Solstice in June. It should be remembered that prior to the calendar adjustments carried out in the 18th century, mentioned in the previous chapter, this sunrise alignment would have occurred during May rather than on the 1st. No mention is made by the authors of the second sunrise alignment (on the 11th August) or of the two sunset alignments (on 31st October and 10th February).
Hamish Miller and Paul Broadhurst found that the 'pattern' of the energy at the node points changed on the 1st May from one of an irregular pentagram to one of concentric twelve-pointed polygons. They also found that the strength of the dowsable energy varied according to the relative positions of various star systems and planets in the solar system.
The straight St. Michael line passes through points on one or other of the two energy lines and five nodes. If the line joined all, or a great many of the nodes, then indeed we would have a mystery, but it does not. All the nodes are natural and are some twenty-three in number. That, in itself, is curious, as the same number appears in the cell structure of the human body. Human cells, other than those for reproduction, contain twenty three pairs of chromosomes. Hence the nodes could be viewed as twenty three pairs or couplings of discrete energy flows.
Count twelve nodes from either the Cornwall end or from the Norfolk end, and you reach Glastonbury, specifically the Tor overlooking the town. Five further nodes north-east and you are at Avebury, at the Henge. Several remarkable points become clear. The first is that the overall plan of the two lines follows one direction over the total straight distance of about 365 miles from Cornwall to Norfolk and does not follow a snake-like path over the whole of England, Wales and Scotland. Secondly, the mid-point of the 'line' is Glastonbury Tor, twelve node points from either end, coinciding with the energy patterns at the nodes after 1st May. Thirdly there are two locations which have a complex of nodes - Glastonbury, with the Abbey, Chalice Well and the Tor, and Avebury, with Windmill Hill, the central Obelisk, the Henge 'entrance', and The Sanctuary. The Henge entrance is five node points from Glastonbury Tor. Five and Twelve are very special numbers in ancient religious terms and their full meaning will be discussed later, but the appearance of twenty-three, five and twelve gives the St. Michael line a very deep significance.
So what does this all mean? The search for the missing ancient knowledge was clearly on the right track but many questions remained regarding Glastonbury, particularly the Tor.
The centre of attention, and pilgrimage, was Glastonbury Tor, and the energy lines were for navigation to reach this point. The nodes are natural, but to reach the Tor it was inevitable that various people would wish to travel in a straighter line than that presented by either the Michael or Mary energies. The straight line was established by man for just that purpose, and was marked by single standing stones, on either of the two energy lines. Later these stones would be replaced by places of rest for an overnight break, and subsequently by churches.
The Tor at Glastonbury was important because of the two sources of the water, one at the top and one at the base. Originally they both emerged at the top at the point where the energy lines form the shape of a cup, (or 'chalice' as described by Miller and Broadhurst). This was the grail referred to in many ancient documents. As the water came from both energy lines up through rock which had its origins in an ancient volcano, it contained much which was beneficial to life, and was as such the water of life, or the elixir. While it was clear where the water emerged, its source was the subject of mystery over many ages, the location of which became the main quest of King Arthur and his twelve knights. When the Tor was capped by the new religious authorities of the Christian Church, the water began to emerge at what is now known as the Chalice Well, and formed a new node. The water is also known to pass round the site of the ancient Abbey, but that was organised by man, and is not natural. It is presently very rich in iron (chalybeate), but in ancient times it contained many minerals beneficial to man.
As a point of general information, the Chalice Well consistently yields approximately 25,000 gallons (112,500 litres) of water a day whatever the climatic conditions or time of year, at a constant temperature of 52º F (11º C) which is a pleasant temperature for drinking.
At Royston, in Hertfordshire, a little-known cave exists below the shops on the main street and this is the site of another node.
This cave was the result of excavation carried out long ago, in search of the very same water that existed at Glastonbury. But the search was unsuccessful mainly because the source runs very deep and, unlike Glastonbury, it was meant to remain underground.
Study of Avebury couldn’t make sense of the various elements making up this huge site. Why was Windmill Hill not linked to the main site by a Henge in the same way as The Sanctuary? What was the purpose behind Silbury Hill which is clearly artificial?
Avebury is very different, and its significance is deeply ceremonial. Miller and Broadhurst traced the course of the energy lines around the complex and found that there were two avenues of stones. What they were not aware of is the existence of a second major energy line at Avebury, with its two similar male and female elements, and the two avenues linked these two major currents to the Henge ceremonially. The centre was given great power and the air vibrated. One avenue came from the woods at Knoll Down, the other from The Sanctuary. Silbury Hill was for viewing and was constructed for that purpose. Windmill Hill was quite different. It was not ceremonial but was used for burial. Once this second major energy line has been located, the Henge layout will become much clearer.
It is appropriate to examine the relevance of the position of Stonehenge. This, as we know, was used to study the cycles of the Sun, the Moon and those of other star systems. But it studied many other areas too, and this made it a centre for such study without parallel at the time. Avebury was deeply ceremonial, and was primarily used at what we now know as 1st May. Glastonbury was known for the water, whose powers varied according to the Moon and Sun cycles. The varying strengths of the energies at both Glastonbury and Avebury were thought to be mysteries to ancient people, but from what we have learnt Stonehenge was designed to study the cycles of various astral bodies. These could then be related to the varying earth energies. It is likely therefore that ancient masters of the esoteric knew exactly what was happening at these two centres and, with relevant information from Stonehenge, were able to predict when the energies would be at their strongest.
So what do we have in the St. Michael line? The energies making up the two elements of the St. Michael line are very, very ancient and were discovered by man. At various points they were marked, and some of those markers formed a straight line, but at certain key areas, namely Glastonbury and Avebury, and later Bury St. Edmonds, very important religious centres were created. As chronicled by Miller and Broadhurst, an enormous number of churches exist on the two lines and it is likely that they were preceded by stone circles or single marker stones. This also serves to illustrate the reason for the positioning of the many ancient Churches, Abbeys, Cathedrals and religious sites across the rest of the United Kingdom, and indeed the rest of the World.
But why did the energy pattern change on the 1st May? As already mentioned, the St. Michael line inevitably lines up with the Sunrise twice a year; similarly with two Sunsets. So why should the pattern change on only one of the sunrise alignments? The Sun is not the only astral body to have annual cycles, as can be seen by the use of the star Sirius in calendar alignment by the Egyptians, mentioned in the previous chapter. Also, the star system known as The Pleiades has an annual cycle and it is known that the system can be seen, from the tropics, to move through the equinoctial point (an imaginary position in the night sky vertically above the observer) on 31st October, coinciding with one of the Sunset alignments of the St. Michael line. Miller and Broadhurst reported the change in the energy patterns at the nodes on 1st May, but did not record that the reverse happens on 31st October. With two rise and two set alignments of the Sun on the St. Michael line, it is clear that it is not the Sun which causes the pattern changes so we must look elsewhere.
At sunrise on the 1st May, The Pleiades (the Seven Sisters) are behind the Sun, while on 31st October The Pleiades are rising in the east when the Sun sets in the west. This provides two anchor points for the calendar, 1st May and 31st October, around which festivals and ceremonies took place. The action of the Sun was of secondary importance giving the timing of the seasons. Hence changes in the earth energy gave the key points of the calendar and, in this instance, the beginning of the year (1st November) and the year mid-point, the beginning of the fertile season, 1st May. This quality of the energy has also brought other time points into our calendar.
The St. Michael line generally has a bearing of 63º to true North (or 27º to the Equator) and almost certainly runs round the circumference of the Earth, passing through the Azores in the Atlantic, and no doubt other significant locations. The importance of this line cannot be underestimated, but it is understood to be only one of twelve such lines circumnavigating the Earth, as the Druids well knew.
So if the Druids knew about this energy line and the other eleven around the Earth, where did they obtain this knowledge? What is it about this energy that makes it so important that places of worship are built upon it? Perhaps if we were to understand the nature of this energy we may go some way to understanding why it was so important in ancient times. And if this is the case, why is it largely ignored now?
The straight St. Michael line passes through points on one or other of the two energy lines and five nodes. If the line joined all, or a great many of the nodes, then indeed we would have a mystery, but it does not. All the nodes are natural and are some twenty-three in number. That, in itself, is curious, as the same number appears in the cell structure of the human body. Human cells, other than those for reproduction, contain twenty three pairs of chromosomes. Hence the nodes could be viewed as twenty three pairs or couplings of discrete energy flows.
Count twelve nodes from either the Cornwall end or from the Norfolk end, and you reach Glastonbury, specifically the Tor overlooking the town. Five further nodes north-east and you are at Avebury, at the Henge. Several remarkable points become clear. The first is that the overall plan of the two lines follows one direction over the total straight distance of about 365 miles from Cornwall to Norfolk and does not follow a snake-like path over the whole of England, Wales and Scotland. Secondly, the mid-point of the 'line' is Glastonbury Tor, twelve node points from either end, coinciding with the energy patterns at the nodes after 1st May. Thirdly there are two locations which have a complex of nodes - Glastonbury, with the Abbey, Chalice Well and the Tor, and Avebury, with Windmill Hill, the central Obelisk, the Henge 'entrance', and The Sanctuary. The Henge entrance is five node points from Glastonbury Tor. Five and Twelve are very special numbers in ancient religious terms and their full meaning will be discussed later, but the appearance of twenty-three, five and twelve gives the St. Michael line a very deep significance.
So what does this all mean? The search for the missing ancient knowledge was clearly on the right track but many questions remained regarding Glastonbury, particularly the Tor.
The centre of attention, and pilgrimage, was Glastonbury Tor, and the energy lines were for navigation to reach this point. The nodes are natural, but to reach the Tor it was inevitable that various people would wish to travel in a straighter line than that presented by either the Michael or Mary energies. The straight line was established by man for just that purpose, and was marked by single standing stones, on either of the two energy lines. Later these stones would be replaced by places of rest for an overnight break, and subsequently by churches.
The Tor at Glastonbury was important because of the two sources of the water, one at the top and one at the base. Originally they both emerged at the top at the point where the energy lines form the shape of a cup, (or 'chalice' as described by Miller and Broadhurst). This was the grail referred to in many ancient documents. As the water came from both energy lines up through rock which had its origins in an ancient volcano, it contained much which was beneficial to life, and was as such the water of life, or the elixir. While it was clear where the water emerged, its source was the subject of mystery over many ages, the location of which became the main quest of King Arthur and his twelve knights. When the Tor was capped by the new religious authorities of the Christian Church, the water began to emerge at what is now known as the Chalice Well, and formed a new node. The water is also known to pass round the site of the ancient Abbey, but that was organised by man, and is not natural. It is presently very rich in iron (chalybeate), but in ancient times it contained many minerals beneficial to man.
As a point of general information, the Chalice Well consistently yields approximately 25,000 gallons (112,500 litres) of water a day whatever the climatic conditions or time of year, at a constant temperature of 52º F (11º C) which is a pleasant temperature for drinking.
At Royston, in Hertfordshire, a little-known cave exists below the shops on the main street and this is the site of another node.
This cave was the result of excavation carried out long ago, in search of the very same water that existed at Glastonbury. But the search was unsuccessful mainly because the source runs very deep and, unlike Glastonbury, it was meant to remain underground.
Study of Avebury couldn’t make sense of the various elements making up this huge site. Why was Windmill Hill not linked to the main site by a Henge in the same way as The Sanctuary? What was the purpose behind Silbury Hill which is clearly artificial?
Avebury is very different, and its significance is deeply ceremonial. Miller and Broadhurst traced the course of the energy lines around the complex and found that there were two avenues of stones. What they were not aware of is the existence of a second major energy line at Avebury, with its two similar male and female elements, and the two avenues linked these two major currents to the Henge ceremonially. The centre was given great power and the air vibrated. One avenue came from the woods at Knoll Down, the other from The Sanctuary. Silbury Hill was for viewing and was constructed for that purpose. Windmill Hill was quite different. It was not ceremonial but was used for burial. Once this second major energy line has been located, the Henge layout will become much clearer.
It is appropriate to examine the relevance of the position of Stonehenge. This, as we know, was used to study the cycles of the Sun, the Moon and those of other star systems. But it studied many other areas too, and this made it a centre for such study without parallel at the time. Avebury was deeply ceremonial, and was primarily used at what we now know as 1st May. Glastonbury was known for the water, whose powers varied according to the Moon and Sun cycles. The varying strengths of the energies at both Glastonbury and Avebury were thought to be mysteries to ancient people, but from what we have learnt Stonehenge was designed to study the cycles of various astral bodies. These could then be related to the varying earth energies. It is likely therefore that ancient masters of the esoteric knew exactly what was happening at these two centres and, with relevant information from Stonehenge, were able to predict when the energies would be at their strongest.
So what do we have in the St. Michael line? The energies making up the two elements of the St. Michael line are very, very ancient and were discovered by man. At various points they were marked, and some of those markers formed a straight line, but at certain key areas, namely Glastonbury and Avebury, and later Bury St. Edmonds, very important religious centres were created. As chronicled by Miller and Broadhurst, an enormous number of churches exist on the two lines and it is likely that they were preceded by stone circles or single marker stones. This also serves to illustrate the reason for the positioning of the many ancient Churches, Abbeys, Cathedrals and religious sites across the rest of the United Kingdom, and indeed the rest of the World.
But why did the energy pattern change on the 1st May? As already mentioned, the St. Michael line inevitably lines up with the Sunrise twice a year; similarly with two Sunsets. So why should the pattern change on only one of the sunrise alignments? The Sun is not the only astral body to have annual cycles, as can be seen by the use of the star Sirius in calendar alignment by the Egyptians, mentioned in the previous chapter. Also, the star system known as The Pleiades has an annual cycle and it is known that the system can be seen, from the tropics, to move through the equinoctial point (an imaginary position in the night sky vertically above the observer) on 31st October, coinciding with one of the Sunset alignments of the St. Michael line. Miller and Broadhurst reported the change in the energy patterns at the nodes on 1st May, but did not record that the reverse happens on 31st October. With two rise and two set alignments of the Sun on the St. Michael line, it is clear that it is not the Sun which causes the pattern changes so we must look elsewhere.
At sunrise on the 1st May, The Pleiades (the Seven Sisters) are behind the Sun, while on 31st October The Pleiades are rising in the east when the Sun sets in the west. This provides two anchor points for the calendar, 1st May and 31st October, around which festivals and ceremonies took place. The action of the Sun was of secondary importance giving the timing of the seasons. Hence changes in the earth energy gave the key points of the calendar and, in this instance, the beginning of the year (1st November) and the year mid-point, the beginning of the fertile season, 1st May. This quality of the energy has also brought other time points into our calendar.
The St. Michael line generally has a bearing of 63º to true North (or 27º to the Equator) and almost certainly runs round the circumference of the Earth, passing through the Azores in the Atlantic, and no doubt other significant locations. The importance of this line cannot be underestimated, but it is understood to be only one of twelve such lines circumnavigating the Earth, as the Druids well knew.
So if the Druids knew about this energy line and the other eleven around the Earth, where did they obtain this knowledge? What is it about this energy that makes it so important that places of worship are built upon it? Perhaps if we were to understand the nature of this energy we may go some way to understanding why it was so important in ancient times. And if this is the case, why is it largely ignored now?
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