.                                                                         Lesson Five 

 

                                                                 Dowsing and Energy Lines

 

Hi lovely faery friend and welcome to lesson five of this course.

I hope you had fun with the previous lesson for the Genius Loci and the Sacred Sites. Feel free to let me know what you have discovered so far.

For this lesson we will focus on the Earth Energy Lines. I would recommend to read the lesson first and to watch the video later.

Many of you probably already heard the term Ley Lines, and often they are associated with Energy lines, something magical and mystical. 

But let’s have a look at how a Ley line is actually defined.

When it comes to Ley Lines you cannot get around Alfred Watkins, he defined a Ley as a straight line between important markers, such as, burial mounds, or tumuli. These markers were often found on higher ground and so the ancient people could spot the next marker point and make for it, eventually creating the tracks that run between them. Alfred Watkins did not see something mystical, but his definition of Ley lines was that they were trade routes, simply a line to move from A to B. Later on he admitted that in some cases alignments were for some purpose other than tracks. We can find all over the world discoveries of lines of kings, lines of burials, lines of religious shrines, lines to sources of water, lines to the rising and setting of the sun and moon, death lines and the paths of spirits and fairies. However Watkin’s original definition of the ley as a sighting line of mark points set out in a dead straight line with track ways linking them together holds good for nearly all of them.

 

 

Another type of marker that we can often find is a single standing stone. Watkins suggested that such stones were placed at the crossing points of two or more tracks. He also suggested that the cross roads mark stone might well have evolved into the Christian wayside cross which would have insured the survival of the ley marker to the present day. We can also find ley lines running between holy wells, or from a holy well to a hill. Other sighting points are churches and castles. Even though they are not prehistoric, their recurring frequency on Watkin’s leys suggests some kind of connection. 

As we established already there are many other energy lines other than leys, and for the purpose of this course we will have a look at the Faery paths. 

W.Y. Evans-Wentz wrote about the Faery paths in Ireland, sometimes visible as old roads, but frequently only preserved in folk memory. The Faery paths are often invisible, mythical routes used by the Fae, on their seasonal journey between their dwelling places. Their dwelling places are often small hills and hillocks. When travelling, fairies either flew or else trooped along special paths that belonged to them. They could fly on winged insects or plant stalks, or they could simply fly through the air of their own volition. Robert Kirk stated that fairies could “swim in the air near the earth”.

Legend has it that if you were unlucky and stood on such a path when the Fair Folk moved through the land, it was likely that you were carried off or even struck dead.

However a significant number of the characteristics of fairy paths are shared in common with ley lines and in many parts of Northern Europe the round barrows were the traditional homes of the fairies, elves, or trolls and were avoided by the country folk. Otherwise in Cornwall fairies are said to dance on Carn Gluze, near St Just in Penwith.

 

 

In Ireland, people who had illnesses or other misfortune, were said to live in houses that were "in the way" or in a "contrary place", obstructing a fairy path. An example is that of a family in which four children sickened and died, leaving the doctors baffled. The fifth child sickened and was near death, only to make a sudden and full recovery. The father told the doctor that he had consulted a wise woman who informed him that his new house extension blocked a fairy path between two fairy forts, whereupon he demolished it and his child became healthy again.

There is a bit of a debate if Faery Paths are straight or not.The folklorist Patrick Kennedy wrote:

 

„It is known that the hill-folk [the fairies], in their nightly excursions, and in visits of one tribe to another, go in a straight line, gliding as it were within a short distance of the ground; and if they meet any strange obstacles in their track, they bend their course above them or at one side, but always with much displeasure.“

It would seem that fairy paths were perceived to be straight, or at least straight for sections before changing direction. Fairy paths seem to belong to a widespread and deep layer of spirit lore, parts of which became attached to corpse roads. 

Evans Wentz was told by Irish informants that when the house happens to have been built on a faery track, the doors on the front and back, or the windows if they are in the line of the track, cannot be kept closed at night, for the fairies must be allowed to march through.  

There were a few ways to find out if a planned building would obstruct a fairy path other than by consulting wise women. You could for example warn the fairies of an intention to build at a spot. To do this it was custom to place four stones at what would be the corners of the intended building. A smaller stone was then placed on top of every one of these and left overnight; if they were in place in the morning then work could proceed, but if any had been knocked down then work had to be abandoned. A variant on this procedure was to insert sticks in the ground at each of the intended corners of the proposed house or barn, and if they were found knocked down the next morning then it was a sign that the fairies objected.

Another fairy-friendly building practice was to select a site by standing in the designated field and throwing a hat into the air and building where it dropped out of the wind. 

General building lore in Ireland included the rule to avoid using white quartz in stonework when building anything, be it a field wall or a house, because quartz is a fairy stone. Mac Manus mentioned of a piece of lore that warned not to extend a house in a westerly direction unless into space already artificially enclosed, such as a garden or yard.

“To extend a house into a field or any open ground or across a path lying to the west is fatal.” 

 

As we established already in this course, faeries share a certain relationship with the dead, and so we can also have a closer look at the spirit paths, or ghost paths.

Robert Kirk recorded that Scottish Highland people gifted with “second sight” can see fairies assisting humans in the carrying of the coffin to the grave.

In Wales it was said that the Tylwyth Teg, in the form of small lights, “never fail going the way that the Corps will go to be buried” 

 

In „The Handbook of German Folklore“ we can find a description of the ghost paths, or the German „Geisterwege“:

 

„ Ghost paths are always in the same place, on them one meets with ghosts quite often. The paths, with no exception, always run in a straight line over mountains and valleys and through marshes. In the towns they pass the houses closely or go right through them. The paths end or originate at a cemetery. This idea may stem from the ancient custom of driving a corpse along a special dead man’s road, therefore the way or road was believed to have the same characteristics as a cemetery, it is a place where spirits of the deceased thrive.“

 

Both, faery and ghost paths are invisible and permanent routes. In both cases, it is believed to be unlucky, even dangerous to block of the spirit path. 

Ghosts and paranormal activity are often associated with stretches of old roads and trackways.

In Wales, mysterious lights were called “corpse candles” (canwyll corfe) and were thought to forewarn of a death. In his The Faithful Shepherdess, the playwright John Fletcher manages to mention several land spirits and make an allusion to fairy lights as well: 

 

„No Goblin, Wood-god, Fairy, Elfe or Fiend, Satyr or other power that haunts the Groves, Shall hurt my body, or by vain illusion. Draw me to wander after idle fires.“

 

There are so many different ideas about Ley Lines, energy lines, and spirit lines and I can only give you a brief overlook on these topics, for this free course.

If you want to learn more about this you might want to look up the books from Paul Devereux, I cannot give you one title, this man wrote way to many books, so have a look if something appeals to you.

Another book I can recommend to get a good overview is : „Ley Lines - The Greatest Landscape Mystery“ by Danny Sullivan.

 

I also want to give you a brief overview on dowsing. One of my favorite things to do is to measure the energy of a place with a Bovis Biometer or also called a Bovis Scale. 

The Bovis meter measures the life force energy level of any substance, food, medicine, living beings, objects or geographic places. This tool was created by the French physician Bovis, in order to find out if a food is nurturing for the human body or not. The original scale was graduated from 1000 to 10000 units. Today we use a larger scale going from 1000 to 50000 units. This type of measurement is of course not an exact science, and some dowsers will have higher results than others. Most of my measurements are quite high. In general it is said that everything below 7000 units drains your energy and everything above 7000 gives you energy.

All you need for this is a diagram and a pendulum, you can find various diagrams on the internet and print it out, and if you don't have a pendulum you can use a ring on a chain.

Here is an example for the Diagram :

 

 

However if you want to use your pendulum outside I would recommend to use something a bit heavier to avoid faulty results caused by wind. 

You can start in your own home and garden if you like, measure different rooms, maybe once before cleansing the room by using a certain incense and once after. 

It is said that when your result is below 6,500 it shows the presence of geopathy, underground water veins, geological cracks and earth’s magnetic grids, or negative memories, which are harmful to human beings, animals and plants.

Readings above 6,500 are considered health enhancing. Some Power places show extremely high results on the Bovis Scale.

 

Exercise 1

 

Measure the Life Force

Take your chosen pendulum and your Bovis scale and measure the energy of the different rooms in your house. This also works if you have never used a pendulum before. 

It is best to be in a relaxed state of mind to do this exercise, maybe you want to meditate before, you could for example do the meditation for the Element of Earth from the previous lesson.

Otherwise just relax your breath, relax your body and don't put any pressure on yourself.

This is just a fun exercise and there is no right or wrong. 

Focus on the chosen room and ask : “What is the energy level of this place?“

Hold the pendulum over the printed diagram, don't hold it to tight, so it can swing freely. Observe where your pendulum swings.If nothing happens you can try a different room or try it at a later point. 

As I mentioned already you can also do this before and after cleansing a room and see if there are any differences.

Try this form of dowsing for anything you like, you can dowse the energy of places, of food, of plants, or of medicine.

However the main focus should lie on different places; your garden, you favorite spot in nature, parks, cities and so on. 

 

 

 

When we talk about the Ley Lines, or other Earth Energy Lines, we will also come across an ancient goddess that I mentioned briefly in a previous chapter - Elen of the ways. Most likely she has been worshiped since palaeolithic times.She is associated with reindeer and one of the few goddesses who is depicted with antlers, as the female reindeer also have antlers.

She appears in the Mabinogion story, ‘The Dream of Mascen Wledig’. 

She is the guardian of quicksilver threads, energy lines and magical pathways. She guides spirits homewards between the worlds. But she is also associated with Dreamways, the paths our souls take every night on a journey of self- discovery and revelation.

Elen of the Ways is not very well known in the New Pagan community and there is not that much information you can find about her; however if this is something that interests you I can highly  recommend the following books :

„Elen of the Ways“ and „Following the Deer Trods“ by Elen Sentier 

Both books, even if not big ones, really dive deep into the history of Elen and how you can work with her, but they also mention the Wild Hunt and many personal experiences of her path as an Awenydd. 

You can call upon her to protect you on your journeys, she will guide you on the pathways, both spiritual and physical.

 

We talked a lot about the Earth Energy Lines and now we’ll have a look how you can find them by using maps. I’ve made a video for you for this part of this lesson.

 

 

 

 

Another method to find energy lines is by dowsing. Everybody can learn to dowse, you just have to practice it. Dowsing is a way to communicate with the our subconscious knowledge, is a technique that enables us to become aware of the information our body receives.

If you want to dowse you can use different tools, for example angle-rods, Y-rods, a bobber, or as we saw before, a pendulum. 

 

 

 

It doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as you feel comfortable with you tool it will work for you. You can make your own dowsing rods from a coat hanger for example, a quick internet search will give you plenty instructions. Y-Rods can be cut from a willow or hazel tree, or better use fallen branches. Bobbers can be whippy sticks or wires with springs and knobs.

First get to know your tools.

 

Exercise 2

 

Yes and No

The first essential is to establish a trustworthy „yes“ and „no“.

Before you start take a few deep breaths. Be calm and relaxed, this is nothing you have to stress about, just a fun experiment. 

There a two main methods to do this exercise. Let’s start with the pendulum.

One possibility is to ask your pendulum to show you a „yes“ and wait for a reaction. It may swing from forwards and backwards or side to side.  It may go in a clockwise circle or in a counter-clockwise circle. If you could see a reaction, take a note and do the same for „no“. I always say thank you afterwords, I honestly don't believe that a higher force is moving the pendulum, so I’m not even sure to whom I say thank you, but it seems polite.

When using L-rods, it is most common that the rod swinging inward is “yes” and outward is “no”. You can use either one rod or two, depending on your preference.

You may also want to ask your tool to show you a „maybe“ or „no response“. 

If you can’t seem to get any movement you can also force a movement, try first to shorten the chain length and try again. If it still doesn't move, don't worry about it; if you want your pendulum to move back and forth for a „yes“ answer, just swing it in that direction and repeat „yes“. Pick up your pendulum at a later time and ask again for a „yes“ and see if you can get a reaction from it.

You can do this for all the tools of course. 

Once you established a trustworthy „yes“ and „no“ you can also ask your pendulum to show you negative and positive energy. 

 

I use this method to see if water is negatively charged or positively. Most running waters are negatively charged, but when you come to a healing well, or sacred spring the pendulum will probably move into a different direction.

 

My „yes“ is a back and forth movement, my „no“ is a movement from side to side, my „negative“ is counterclockwise circle, and my „positive“ is a clockwise circle, pretty basic as you can see. 

 

Start asking questions you know the answer already and when you get used to your tools you can ask other questions as well. Here are some examples:

- Will it rain in (name of your town) tomorrow ?

- Is it safe for me to drink this glass of wine ?

- Is right now a good time for me to use my pendulum?

- Will (character name) die in the next episode of (name of the show)

 

So you can ask anything you want, you may want to keep it light at the beginning.

When you go out for a walk the next time, take your dowsing tool with you and observe how they react over water for example.

 

 

Exercise 3

 

Find your treat

Ask a friend to hide your favorite chocolate (or anything else you love) in your house or garden.

Draw a very simple map of your house, or garden and hold your pendulum over it. Move it slowly over the map and see if there is any reaction.

Another possibility is to ask your pendulum or your rods questions to find your treat.

- Is it near the roses?

- Is it in my raised bed?

- Is it in the kitchen?

- Is it in the bedroom?

- Is it in the sock drawer?

And so on, you get my drift. 

 

When you are able to find it with the help of your tool, you will be in for a treat.

Don’t worry if you don't succeed right away, to obtain a skill you just have to practice. Dowsing is nothing magical, it takes a little bit of time to master this practice, and you need to get out of your head. Again don't put any pressure on you and have fun with it. 

 

 

When you become more used to it and you want to ask more serious questions, remember to to be clear, well-defined and understandable to anyone as meaning exactly what you intend. Don't ask questions about your higher-self as this is quite an abstract idea and not clear at all; I know it is something that is used a lot in the New Age community, but really, who is the Higher Self? Your pendulum (so you) need very clear questions to give you clear answers. Also try to avoid to ask if something is „good“ for you, good is subjective, better to ask if is healthy for you body for example.

 

 

Exercise 4 

 

Dowsing Energy Lines

You can do this in a similar manner as the exercise above by drawing a map of the area you want to hunt for Energy lines. Another possibility is to go out to a place where you suspect any form of energy lines. Explore the surroundings, maybe you find a lot of holly around which may indicate a presence of energy lines, or you see anomalies in trees, for example they might twist and turn in an unusual manner or  more stems grow out from one root system, or you see two trees „kissing“. Take your L-rods into your hands and to ask them to point the direction of the closest energy line. Follow the direction given to you until the rods cross, walk around see what you can find and make a quick  drawing of the area and mark the lines you may have found.

I have to be honest with you, the topic of energy lines and dowsing is so vast, and I feel I didn't even scratched the surface, and I want to keep adding and adding more information. I absolutely love to go through my books again, and I try very hard to bring some order in it, but there are so many things we could discuss here, it just not possible to cover everything. You may tell already that I’m really passionate about this, but here I have to remind myself that I’m actually doing this course for free, so I will just stop at this point and hope that this brief introduction of this topic ignited a spark of inspiration within you. 

I leave you a name of another author for you here in case you want to deepen your studies.

Hamish Miller; he wrote a few books on Dowsing, I think his most popular one is „The Sun and the Serpent“ that he wrote together with Paul Broadhurst.

I will also leave you a link for a YouTube video here, where Hamish Miller talks about the power of place:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw3fd-UZoIA

 

 

Your Faery Homework

- Do the exercises for this lesson

- Write your results down in your journal

- Use a topographic map or google maps and try to find ley lines, or any kind of energy lines around your area with    the properties discussed in this lesson.

- When you walk along the Energy Lines, call upon Elen to guide you. Do some research about this goddess and journal about her, if you like.

-Mark the places where you feel strong Fae energy on your map and see how they connect to each other.

- Take enough time for yourself, walk around in nature and just let yourself feel the energy of the earth.