Ley lines...
Different Things To Different People
Ley lines can have various meanings according to whom you talk with and where you are. Like most things, they started out meaning one thing and then changed over time. So let’s try and sort out what has happened. This list gives you some idea of the various meanings; - earth radiation
- earth currents
- energy lines
- earth grid
- prehistoric trade routes
- holy lines
- connected with underground streams
Now, it is unlikely that all can be correct.Let’s start at the beginningThe term was first used back in the 1920’s by an Englishman named Alfred Watkins. He was familiar with the British countryside through his work and travels. One day, he saw ‘in a flash’ that there were straight lines crossing the countryside dating from Neolithic times (about 10,000 years ago).According to him, “A ley should not be taken as proved with less than four good mark-points. Three good points with several others of less value like cross roads and coinciding tracks may be sufficient.” The ‘good mark-points’ could be any of the following (in descending order of importance) : - Mounds (such as burial mounds)
- Stones (such as monoliths and standing stones)
- Circular moats
- Castles
- Beacons
- Traditional wells
- Churches
- Crossroads of ancient tracks
- Road alignments (especially over ½ a mile)
- Fords
- Tree groups (especially those on ancient named hilltops)
- Single trees (only if ancient and named)
- Notches
- Track junctions
- Camps
- Ponds
- Square moats
Also, a ley should not be longer than 25 miles and they should lie within an arc of 1/4 of a degree.In other words, the original ley line was something quite specific. Of course, there are plenty of people who disagree with the whole concept, saying that you can pretty much find a ley line anywhere by throwing a straight edge down on a map and seeing what lines up. How it has changedTo many people today, the term has acquired new meanings. For example, there are those who link the lines to the earth energy grid and suggest that they have a magnetic current running through them. Others use this to explain UFO’s as following these lines along the earth grid.Because of the inclusion of standing stones as marker-points, other people have associated the lines with stone circles and asserted that the ancient builders of the circles were aligning them with this energy running through the earth. Why has it changed?Obviously the later ideas are a far cry from Watkin’s original explanation. The difference can be explained by how society has changed. The term ‘ley lines’ was taken up chiefly by an author, John Michell, in a popular book “A View over Atlantis”, which looked at the ancient remnants of Britain through the eyes of a New Age geomancer.Once that happened, then the ideas of an energy running in the earth could be encompassed by such ideas as geomancy, dowsing and UFO’s. The idea then crossed the Atlantic and the American version, not knowing of the 1920’s origins, contained only the energetic aspect. Hence the current emphasis on geomancy, dowsing and the earth energy grid as the American version has fed back across the ocean to the country of origin. Be cautious!Therefore, you should be aware that when people are talking about ley lines, they might not all be talking about the same thing. Exercise a little caution and decide for yourself whether what they say makes sense to you or not. That’s the only thing which matters.
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