Spooki phenomena – ley lines

{ 03/01/2011 @ 4:14 pm } · { Spooki phenomena }

(Pic: By VaXzine via Flickr under CC licence)

We explore the strange world of ley lines…

The land on which we stand, run, sunbathe and jive is apparently criss-crossed with mystical lines. And it’s been noticed that particular places of interest seem to sit along these invisible lines, for example churches and ancient monuments. Even more spookily, strange and wonderful things are said to happen on these ley lines, from paranormal activity and UFO sightings to even murders. This is connected to the belief many hold that these special lines hold a peculiar kind of mystical energy – sometimes good, sometimes bad.

The whole idea of ley lines was conceived by the British businessman and amateur archaeologist Alfred Watkins who, in the 1920s, wrote his book The Old Straight Track. In it, he laid out his findings that churches, burial mounds and various other spiritually significant places stood along one straight line. He christened these ‘ley lines’ after the Saxon meaning of ‘ley’ – meaning a cleared glade. His theory wasn’t that mystical actually – he believed that ancient Britain, which was covered with forests back then, had been crisscrossed with travel routes, and landmarks had been built along these routes for navigational purposes.

It wasn’t till a few years later that a more mystical element was added to these ley lines. There are loads of theories flying about but the main belief is that directly beneath ley lines are underground streams or cosmic currents that are part of the earth’s energy. This does seem to add up – it’s a scientific fact that there are straight fault lines in the earth’s tectonic plates. This is also backed up by the activity of ‘dowsing’ (also called divining or water witching) which involves using a Y- or L-shaped twig or rod to detect hidden water, gemstones and more. Over the centuries, roads, paths, monuments and more have been aligned along these ley lines by groups who are either aware of their location, or by a sheer mystical force that draws people to these spots.

Glastonbury

One example of a ley line in the UK is the St Michael line. This line runs from St Michaels Mount in Cornwall all the way up to Hopton in East Anglia, passing right through some of the country’s most mystical places such as Glastonbury and Avebury (you can see more examples at http://www.whale.to/b/ley_h.html). Washington D.C is thought to be constructed along ley lines by members of the Freemasons, a kind of society with members that apparently include some pretty powerful people. It’s said that they based the city’s structure along ley lines to enhance its power and boy, did it work! The ‘new’ town of  Milton Keynes is also said to have been built with the power of ‘ley’ in mind with major roads named after places such as Avebury and a grid system that exactly matches Washington D.C. If you visit Milton Keynes, you’ll even find lots of discreet references to ley lines, such as various pieces of art (the Gnomon sculpture by Peter Bowker was designed to act as a shadow caster which directly points to a ley-line that is thought to run right through the centre of the town).

As a result, some truly strange things are thought to happen along ley lines… in particular, hauntings and ghostly sightings, with some of the world’s most haunted places sit directly on ley lines. The Isle of Wight, for example, is chock-a-block full of ghost stories (and is often described as the most haunted island in the world) and its ley line patterns are said to almost exactly match those around Stone Henge.

Murders

Some people believe there are also more incidences of murders and violent activity on ley lines. The village of Coggeshall in Essex, for example, has experienced a number of high profile murders and suicides, and keeps hitting the headlines for the high ratio of violent deaths there in relation to its size. Not surprisingly, it’s supposed to sit on the crossing of two ley lines, which apparently creates a particularly negative vibe. Writer Ellis C. Taylor has carried out some interesting research into the connection between leylines and murders, noticing that by drawing straight lines from certain royal residences (which are said to have purposely been built on ley lines as well), or places connected to royals, you will also find the residences or murder scenes of some high profile murder victims.

Ley lines are said to have a profound effect on us … and animals (different animal species use the earth’s magnetic field to navigate which makes sense considering that animals seem to be particularly in-tune with ley lines). In fact, some theories suggest that ley lines are the earthly equivalent of the energy lines that run through the human body (known as ‘chi’). This in turn could explain why more paranormal activities are reported in these areas because the energy from ley lines make us more in-tune with the world around us. Many para-psychologists believe that the energy given off by ley lines can influence the human mind, bringing on hallucinations which could explain why people think they’re seeing ghosts or UFOs. The more negative ley lines can make you feel sick, exhausted and stressed. Or they can make some people become violent, explaining the connection with various murders. Equally, the more positive lines are said to make people feel particularly creative or energised (like those in Sedona).

Maybe you yourself have found that certain places make you feel strange, whether that be in a positive or negative way? If you feel this way in a certain area, maybe this is related to a ley line. If you want to track the ley lines in your area, the best way of doing this is by locating ancient churches in your vicinity and you’ll probably find that many of them sit on one straight line. Or one of the major ley lines (pinpointed in the link above) might run through the area where you live. In fact, you might even find that, by joining up significant places in your life (your home, birthplace and so on), one straight line is formed.

Try it out!