The Michael and Mary Ley Line |
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The Ley lines of Cornwall by Simon Mitchell
These strands of energy, crossing countryside and ocean, dancing across the surface like sound waves were a source of curiosity and people quested out to follow them, to see where they went. Some were drawn west, to the land of the setting sun, the land of afterlife, of fallen heroes. Others were drawn east to the lands of rising sun, of new life, of Gods and secrets of eternal life. North and South, the insatiable curiosity of humans drew them across continents, across oceans in search of answers to their questions about these streams of subtle energy. Where the lines disappeared or fell off the edge of the world, centres were set-up to await answers. The ‘songlines’ of those gone before drew more people along the routes, which soon became natural pathways across the land. Where the lines crossed each other and the energy became more discernable, people met and congregated, bathing in the energies and exchanging their stories and tales of travels. They built special places to help communicate about and harvest the energies.
To a religious, patriarchal hierarchy bent on control these things were dangerous. That people could claim for themselves the power over their own lives meant that they could not be controlled. A prolonged extermination of those sensitive to energies took place across Europe. Those who were wise to subtle energies and versed in the healing arts, mostly women, were demonized, hunted down and killed. Even the term ‘Pagan’, originally meaning ‘country dweller’, became associated with the dark and undesirable. Ancient healing knowledge and practices common in country life were either wiped out or changed and assimilated into compulsory religious practices that obscured their original intentions. Many secrets were hidden, left privy only to the torturers, exterminators and their controllers who compiled detailed, and secret, volumes on the hidden energies of the planet and their manipulation. Plans were drawn up to capture the hidden energies and localize them only to a controlling elite. Over a thousand years, many techniques were used to hide and usurp these precious energies into the hands of a few who could control, profit and benefit from the actions of the many. Great earthworks were undertaken, massive tarmaced roads burying the subtle energy lines or huge mines for minerals digging them up. In many places structures were raised high to attract lightening to empty the lines of energy, even lightening-conducting obelisks that appeared in the strangest of places to discharge the energy. When domestic electricity became commonplace, mile upon mile of pylons and wires were strung adjacent to the lines of subtle energy so they became harder to perceive. Electricity sub-stations were placed on key points to further pollute the subtle energies. Ancient and secret practices were used to alter the energy lines so they could be harvested only in certain prescribed places. Slowly but surely the ability for ordinary people to perceive and benefit from the subtle energies of the earth were removed from human consciousness.
But the land holds many secrets. Here in Cornwall, a land traditionally undeveloped due to its geographical remoteness from centres of commerce, the ancient signs are still here for all to read. The subtle lines of energy have always been here. Because people would follow them, ancient pathways, lanes and bridleways might reveal their routes – straight lines across the countryside for people to walk, some of which are now turned into roads which are made now to follow natural contours in the land rather than straight lines. Along these routes might spring up settlements with churches staying in place through many rebuilds. Where they crossed each other meeting places might be named or crossroads formed. Ancient place names could reveal clues, old tumuli or earthworks where settlements had once been might be a sign. Natural high points were used for communication - beacon-fire lines along these routes before our modern means. Ancient Neolithic sites like tors or strange rock formations would reveal natural gathering places since the Stone-Age. Before long I had a new map in front of me, drawn onto Ordnance Survey Landranger maps 200 and 201. These now show straight lines across the Cornish countryside, separate from modern roads but sometimes following them. All the places above created waymarkers along these ancient ways. Sweeping in from the Devon border to the East came one line. Ancient earthworks near Clearbrook created a line with a church at Manstow House. The line extended to a beacon hill by Hale farm near Bere Alston, then pointing to Pentillie Castle, the church a Pillaton, a church a Menheniot, the obelisk at Boconnoc, an energy line crossroads at Druids Hill (with east-west and north-south crossroads) outside Lostwithiel, St Bartholemew’s church in Lostwithiel, the church at Lanlivery, visible in all directions for many miles. This lined up with the church at Luxylan and chapels placed at Treverbyn where the line vanished into extensively clay mined country to re-emerge at St. Stephen’s church and meet with another at Resugga Castle. Working back from the west of my map, another line. The highpoint of a beacon hill at Trenerry to ancient tumuli at Hendra Farm near Mitchell joined extended to Chapeltown near Summercourt. A deep cut in the line as it passes back into clay country, with an electricity sub-station the source of multiple pylons following the line exactly to the west. The line re-emerges from the massive earthworks of clay country at the church at St. Dennis, then the stunning Roche Rocks, an ancient site once inhabited by a religious hermit. He built a chapel there in 1409, dedicated to St. Michael. Straight on to a beacon hill by Criggan, the chapel and an ancient crossroads at Lockengate, the Neolithic site of Helman Tor and on to the multiple crossroads at Sweetshouse. From there the line projects to the site of Restormel Castle, easily a pre-Norman feature, on to Druids Hill across the river (with a bridge on the line) which is certainly an ancient meeting place and ritual centre, a perfect glade on the Boconnoc estate with entry and exit points exactly to the compass. This line too is dogged with electricity pylons shadowing it across country. The line extends on to the church at Braddock, tumuli at Middle Taphouse, crossroads at Doublebois, King Doniert’s Stone and a beacon hill at Trekeivesteps, another hilltop called Notter Tor, and the Neolithic Cheesewring, a massive stone formation on Bodmin Moor with associated tumuli, the settlement of Bathpool and another beacon at Penscombe south of Launceston, a strangely placed obelisk (in the middle of nowhere but ‘on the line’) near Bradstone, to the church at Coryton, via ancient straight-line bridlepaths – and off into Devon through the castle and church at Lydford.
Another line comes in further south punctuated by churches at St, Veep, St. Samson’s at Golant, St. Blazey Gate, Mount Charles chapel, St. Austell church, St. Mewan Church, Trethullan Castle, Resugga Castle, the church at Ladock and an ancient settlement at Resugga – all in a perfectly straight line pointing down west. Other lines sweep North and South, most notable the ancient Saint’s Way, connecting Ireland, Wales and Cornwall with Brittany in a route that was used to take gold to the Holy Roman Empire long before the time of Saints. Whether this is actually a ley line is dubious - it seems to be more of an ancient route.
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A Fowey River Valley novel: An ancient matrix of energy lies hidden in the earth, its existence and purpose all but forgotten. One strand, named ‘The Dragon Line’ passes through Cornwall, a land steeped in history and mystery since the dawn of time. Here the line passes through the valley of the River Fowey. A lone ghost, abandoned in the valley of his birth, tells how the line of energy has been usurped, unbalancing the whole planetary energy matrix. In The Lily, the first novel of an extraordinary trilogy, we share his lives as he tells his tale of 2000 years in the Fowey valley. He sets a crucial task, to mend the Dragon Line and restore the balance of power, before time itself runs out. READ THE FIRST 5 CHAPTERS OF THIS AMAZING NOVEL ONLINE FOR FREE |
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In the same way that a human body has chakras and a ‘meridian system’ interfacing the physical and energy aspects of being, our planet has a matrix of energy. Our planet is awash with energy, from the 1000’s of lightening storms happening all over its surface at any given time to the majesty of the Northern Lights. From the solar winds covering the planet in radiation to the many wavelengths streaming in from deep space. In modern times our quantum scientists tell us that only a billionth of the universe is made of matter, the rest is made of energy. Our frail human senses perceive almost none of the whole gamut of energy surrounding us, but once, before we drowned out the noises of our planet with our own, there were subtle and natural energies that many people could perceive.
People discovered that the peculiar energies of these lines could be held, captured in pure water and drunk with magical results. At high places along the lines, rocks open to the rain would be hollowed out to capture the life giving properties of blessed water. Springs along the routes held special value and people would travel many miles to imbibe these precious and magical substances. 
