Adventures With a Pendulum - John Rippin

Table of Contents Prologue Lives transformed by amazing ancient art History of dowsing goes back a long way How to avoid undesirable energies Pendulum spun like an aircraft propeller Challenges on first dowsing course Make the pendulum part of everyday life Positive response to dowsing article Earth’s energy grid like a spider’s web Mother Earth abused by human race Spots where Earth energy lines cross On track of Richard III’s resting place One of county’s most haunted spots Chance to find out about past lives Vivid images on personal cinema screen Eye-opening experience in old church Pendulum’s advice was just the job Simple way to check on quality Let down by alternative therapists Chakras sometimes need a boost Afraid to talk about psychic abilities Happiness vow cleared black cloud Not worried by all the sixes Meat-free diet goes down nicely

Ghostly encounters at manor house Mysterious orbs at steam station So easy to influence the pendulum Meeting inner child on a snowy day Message from Orion constellation Kind words save plant and Christmas tree Off to the pub to do a few miracles All the fun of the fair in a vivid dream Inactive crown chakras put in the picture Use pendulum to win battle of bulge Bombarded by images while tracking ley Expert advice on healing a sick house Identifying valuables – with a pendulum Crystals all over the house Beware of psychic vampires Similarities between humans and Earth Many spiritual doors opened Battling against dark forces to save Earth GOLDEN DAY AT SEASIDE Recommended reading

Adventures with a Pendulum John Rippin

Text copyright © 2016 by John Rippin All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law The information in this book that relates in any way to physical or mental health is for entertainment purposes only. The information is not intended to be used in diagnosis or treatment. It is not meant to replace the services of a doctor, and anyone who has specific medical concerns should consult a doctor In the excerpt entitled, Battling against dark forces to save Earth, the characters are fictional and any resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental. The fictional town of Blackrock has no connection with any real towns, villages or other places with the same, or a similar, name Some names have been changed for privacy reasons Front cover photograph © by Josh Rippin. Posed by model in front of Old John, a folly in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire

To Leicestershire & Rutland Dowsers, with whom I have spent so many happy and informative hours during meetings and field trips

CONTENTS Prologue Lives transformed by amazing ancient art History of dowsing goes back a long way How to avoid undesirable energies Pendulum spun like an aircraft propeller Challenges on first dowsing course Make the pendulum part of everyday life Positive response to dowsing article Earth’s energy grid like a spider’s web Mother Earth abused by human race Spots where Earth energy lines cross On track of Richard III’s resting place One of county’s most haunted spots Chance to find out about past lives Vivid images on personal cinema screen Eye-opening experience in old church Pendulum’s advice was just the job Simple way to check on quality Let down by alternative therapists Chakras sometimes need a boost Afraid to talk about psychic abilities Happiness vow cleared black cloud Not worried by all the sixes Meat-free diet goes down nicely Ghostly encounters at manor house

Mysterious orbs at steam station So easy to influence the pendulum Meeting inner child on a snowy day Message from Orion constellation Kind words save plant and Christmas tree Off to the pub to do a few miracles All the fun of the fair in a vivid dream Inactive crown chakras put in the picture Use pendulum to win battle of bulge Bombarded by images while tracking ley Expert advice on healing a sick house Identifying valuables – with a pendulum Crystals all over the house Beware of psychic vampires Similarities between humans and Earth Many spiritual doors opened Battling against dark forces to save Earth GOLDEN DAY AT SEASIDE Recommended reading

Prologue All the letters of the alphabet, arranged in a circle, had been placed on the dining room table. I requested that, with the help of my pendulum, I should be given a message that would be of benefit to me. I held the pendulum over the letters and for a second or two it did not move. Then it swung towards an “f”. After another brief pause it pointed to a “u,” followed by a “c.” The rest of the message is not hard to guess: “fuck off.” I had only recently learnt how to dowse and I obviously had not taken sufficient care when shielding myself from negative forces. On this occasion a low grade entity had got in touch with me. But I was amused rather than frightened. Help was asked for (I will explain how this was done later) and the entity was sent on its way. I later learnt that, to the spirit world, dowsers stand out like beacons and we need to ensure that we have a reliable psychic shield. An experienced dowser explained to me that in requesting a message when I did not have adequate protection was like leaving open the front door of my home so that any passer-by could enter. Well, we all have to learn and I have been a lot more careful since those days – although I would contend that

anyone who is too careful would never pick up a pendulum.

Lives transformed by amazing ancient art

Dowsing is the most amazing pastime and has the power to transform lives. What is even more amazing is that almost anyone can gain a mastery of this ancient art if sufficient time and effort are devoted to it. I was in my fifties when I first became interested in dowsing. I had reached a point in my life at which I was desperately seeking something. I was a weekly newspaper editor and loved the work but I found it hard to relax when off duty. I was unsure of where I should look to give myself a much-needed boost. Then, while I was in a bookshop and looking in the Mind, Body and Spirit section, my attention was drawn to a New Age title and I was intrigued by a chapter on dowsing. I bought the book and read the chapter several times. At first I used an amethyst necklace as a pendulum and in no time at all was employing it for a wide variety of purposes, such as finding lost objects, tracking Earth energy lines, selecting the freshest fruit and vegetables at the supermarket, and checking whether it was sensible to have a third glass of wine. On a more serious note, on occasions when our teenage

daughter had not arrived home by the usual time I questioned the pendulum about whether she was safe, where she was and at what time she would be back. The answers were usually uncannily accurate. It was not until a few years later that I attended my first formal dowsing course, and that considerably broadened my horizons. Over the years I have been on a number of other courses and use my pendulum every day. A lot of different dowsing tools are available and Lrods are favourites for many. But I have found that a pendulum suits me best. The simplest of pendulums can give excellent results – even a ring on a piece of string will do. However, if you are working outside in a strong wind you need a heavier object, and I have an Isis pendulum, made of brass, which is ideal for all conditions. The important point about pendulums, and any other dowsing tools, is that they are not magical. They merely serve to give a visual indication of what your higher self knows. And your higher self knows everything, as it is linked to the Universal Consciousness. Occasionally when I am dowsing the answer to a question pops into my head a second before my pendulum starts to swing. But it is still reassuring to see the pendulum’s confirmation.

I realise that some people who read this book will already know how to dowse with a pendulum. For those who do not I will briefly explain. Relax, clear your mind as much as possible and focus on what you are doing. Hold the cord of the pendulum between the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand so that it is free to swing in any direction. Then say: “Show me a yes.” Perhaps nothing will happen the first time you try. But persevere and eventually you will get a reaction. Very likely the pendulum will swing clockwise. Then say: “Show me a no.” And it will probably swing anticlockwise. You are now all set to ask simple questions that just need a yes or no response. It is important to take care with questions. For example: it is a summer’s day and you are about to go out for a walk. You notice a few dark clouds on the horizon and ask the pendulum: “Will I need an umbrella?” The pendulum will answer yes because, even if it is not going to rain today, at some point in the future you will need an umbrella. You ought to have been more specific and asked: “Would it be in my best interests to take an umbrella with me on my walk today?” Or, better still: “Will it rain while I am out on my walk today?” At first, I always used to get clockwise and anticlockwise swings for yes and no. However, after reading Walt Woods’s Letter to Robin – a Mini-Course in

Pendulum Dowsing (still available free on the web) I programmed my pendulum to swing backwards and forwards for yes, from side to side for no and diagonally for “ready for question.” This system has some advantages. Firstly, the speed and range of the swings indicate how strongly my pendulum (higher self) feels about a particular question. Secondly, clockwise and anticlockwise swings can now be used for a variety of other purposes, including differentiating between positive and negative forces. One of the main aims of this book is to try to convey what a mind-bogglingly wonderful art dowsing is. It is unfortunate that, due to the scientific age in which we live, millions more people have not become dowsers. Yet one of the most famous scientists of all time, Einstein, was a dowser and once said: “Many scientists consider dowsing as a type of superstition, but this is unjustified. The dowsing rod is a simple instrument which shows the reaction of the human nervous system to certain factors which are unknown to us at this time.” Dowsing has dozens, if not hundreds, of applications. It also has the power to enrich lives and broaden horizons. Arthur Bailey says in his book, Anyone Can Dowse for Better Health: “Dowsing has revolutionised my life. It started me on a path which has led me to become happier than I ever dreamed possible. The ache in my heart has

gone, there is now a lightness in my step.”

History of dowsing goes back a long way

There is disagreement about when dowsing was first practised, but its history certainly goes back a long way. Some people claim that cave paintings in northwest Africa, dating as far back as 6,000 to 8,000 years, portray dowsers at work. But this has been strongly disputed. Equally controversially, it has been suggested that the Biblical passage about Moses knocking on a rock with a rod and seeing water spring out refers to the use of a dowsing tool. On firm ground is the statement that the ancient Egyptians had sophisticated pendulums which they used for healing. Research into their expertise with such tools was carried out by French dowsers, of whom one of the most famous is Abbé Mermet (1866-1937). In around 2200 BC the Chinese Emperor Kuang Yu was portrayed with a forked stick. And in the mid-5th century BC the Greek, Herodotus, saw a forked stick being used to find water. As far as I am aware, the earliest known illustration of dowsing in a book can be found in Cosmographia Universalis, by Sebastian Munster, published in 1550. Dowsing as practised today dates back to Germany in the Middle Ages, when it was used to find metal ores. It

was none other than our Elizabeth I who learnt of the forked stick method of finding metals and introduced German miners to England to help develop this country’s resources. By 1710, many people must have known about dowsing, as Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver’s Travels) wrote the following satirical verse: They tell us something strange and odd, About a certain Magick Rod, That, bending down its Top, divines When e’er the soil has Golden Mines: Where there are none, it stands erect, Scorning to show the least respect. Traditionally, dowsing (also known by other names, including divining, rhabdomancy and water witching) was used to find things that were hidden, such as underground water, minerals and oil. The principal tools employed were forked sticks, pendulums and rods. Nowadays, a wider variety of tools are used and the applications are limitless. Even in these so-called enlightened times, dowsing is attacked not only by sceptics but also by some religious leaders who claim that dowsers are breaking God’s law and getting in touch with dark forces. Ironically, many priests have been expert dowsers. This is only a brief look at the history of dowsing.

Much has been written about the origins and development of the art, and there is some confusion on certain points. But I hope I have written enough to whet your appetite so that you will want to learn more.

How to avoid undesirable energies

When I was in my teens I was exposed to the beliefs of a strict Christian faith whose leaders viewed dowsing as a dangerous occult practice, and it was with some trepidation that I set to work with my pendulum for the first time. But, over the years, I have had hardly any problems with negative forces. Every day I always remember to protect myself psychically. Before breakfast I imagine that I am surrounded by a golden ball of light. Equally importantly, before each dowsing task I ask three questions: “Can I do this at this time? May I do this at this time? Am I ready for this at this time?” If you get a “no” in response to any of these questions, try again later. Once or twice, when preparing to check out the energies at an ancient site, I have received a negative response and I am sure there must have been a good reason for it. In Letter to Robin, Walt Woods gives advice on how to “avoid absorbing undesirable energies.” But he warns: “Someday your inquiries may indicate the presence of detrimental entities or other forces that we may or may not understand.” He recommends that in such cases “medics”

should be requested to pick up the entities and give them appropriate medical care in their own world. That sounds a bit scary. But I do not think the average dowser, with proper protection, will have such unusual encounters very often, if ever. I have only twice had a negative experience. The first occasion is mentioned in the prologue. After I had been told to “f… off” I said to my pendulum (representing my higher self, of course): “Can you please do something about this.” The pendulum spun furiously anticlockwise for half a minute, then clockwise, and the atmosphere became calm. On the second occasion, I had attended a dowsing meeting during which my pendulum was kept busy. After I had left the building in which the event was held I sensed that an entity of some sort had attached itself to me. It was a strange feeling, but I was not worried. As before, I asked my pendulum to help, requesting that the entity should be sent to the light, and it again spun anticlockwise and then clockwise. So my dowsing experiences over the years have been almost entirely positive, uplifting and mind-blowing. I always have the feeling that whatever might happen I am well protected – as long as I obey the rules. Despite the amount of scepticism that’s directed at the art, dowsers worldwide are used unofficially by police

forces to locate missing people and crime scenes, and by major oil companies to discover new places to drill. And dowsing tools are used by electricians to find breaks in underground cables, and by plumbers to find missing underground pipes. Some more enlightened archaeologists also swear by dowsing rods or pendulums when seeking new places to dig. Dowsing is also used extensively in the health field, and not all doctors feel threatened by it, with an enlightened few appreciating that it can complement orthodox medicine. Some years ago I read a newspaper article telling how a water board worker was sent to locate a burst pipe that was buried deep underground. His van was packed with high-tech electronic equipment. Yet he pinpointed the burst pipe with two L-rods made from an old coat hanger. He explained to a surprised onlooker that it was more convenient and more accurate to use the rods rather than the electronic equipment. The man said that, officially, he was not supposed to use such unorthodox methods. But, early on in his training, colleagues had shown him, with a nod and a wink, how to dowse. Of course, dowsing is most commonly associated with trying to find sources of drinkable water, and it is still widely used for this purpose today. Many expert dowsers claim a 99pc success rate when looking for places to drill, and that cannot be equalled by conventional methods.

British dowsers have done some marvellous work locating water sources in Africa, helping to safeguard the health of large numbers of people, particularly children. Dowsing is not viewed with scepticism in every country. The Russians take it so seriously that there are Government approved training schools with courses of study (some at post-graduate level) that lead to qualifications and certification. There has also been an increased use of dowsing for research and practical work in geology, mining architecture, town-building and ecology. How long before the art is given official recognition and approval in the leading western nations?

Pendulum spun like an aircraft propeller

“Wow!” or a similar word sums up how novice dowsers feel the first time they get a strong reaction from their pendulum or L-rods (or whatever tool they are using). I can still remember that first exhilarating experience. I was walking along a country lane and asked that my pendulum should react when I crossed a stream of positive Earth energy. I continued my stroll and let the pendulum dangle on the right-hand side of my body. It was a lovely day, the birds were singing and I was in a relaxed mood. Suddenly, the pendulum started to spin clockwise like an aircraft propeller. I could not believe how fast it was moving. It was just a blur. After I had walked for a few more yards, it gradually slowed down and stopped. I felt overwhelmed by the experience. It felt as if, for a short time, the pendulum had been taken over by an unseen force. I later found out that I had located part of an Earth energy line that is linked to a power centre not far from my home. My dowsing career had started a few months earlier in the normal way. I searched in my garden for underground gas and water pipes and electrical cables. I kept getting a reaction from the pendulum but had no way of knowing whether my dowsing was accurate. So I asked my wife,

Rosemary, to hide one or two small objects for me in the lounge so that the pendulum could direct me to where they were. The results were excellent – almost 100 per cent. A word of warning. If dowsing is used for fun, or for you to appear clever while in company, the results are often inaccurate. In the case of the hidden objects, presumably my higher self co-operated because the “game” was being used for a constructive purpose. After the initial learning period, an important success is needed to raise confidence. I got my big boost when I found…a car. Let me explain. Rosemary and I, together with our two daughters, went on holiday to Menorca in October one year. We parked the car on a massive car park near to the airport and failed to note the exact location. We arrived home late on a wet and windy night and I caught a shuttle bus to what I thought was the approximate parking spot. When I got off the bus, I found that there were thousands of vehicles on the dimly-lit car park and I had not the faintest idea where ours was. I was desperate and wondered what to do. Then I remembered my pendulum. I got it out of my pocket and asked it to please direct me to our car. The pendulum started to point to the north, not at all the direction I would have expected, and kept swinging backwards and forwards until I was near to the car, at

which point it started to swing very merrily clockwise. I was amazed, delighted and grateful. On another occasion I had bought an MP3 player, taken it home and absent-mindedly put it away somewhere. The next day I did not have a clue where it was. So I asked the pendulum for help and was directed to a plastic storage box in a cupboard. And there the MP3 player was, hidden in a gap alongside a pile of books. Successes like these confirm what a wonderful art dowsing is. Over the years I have located a lot of missing items and have noted that the pendulum is most effective when there is a real need.

Challenges on first dowsing course

The first dowsing course I attended was held in a church hall only a mile from my home. Our tutor, Julian, began by introducing the 20 people present to the booklet that I have already mentioned: Letter to Robin, by Walt Woods. Julian handed out L-rods made from brazing wire (they are easy to make from a pair of metal coat hangers). Then, after an introductory talk, with lots to take in, we students went outside to put to the test what we had learnt. As we held the rods in the way we had been shown, our tutor said: “Point to York.” And guess what happened: the rods pointed in various directions. Julian chuckled and said: “You did not tell the rods which York you meant. There is more than one York.” Apart from there being two Yorks in England, towns with this name can be found in other parts of the world, including many in the United States of America. We had just been given an important point to remember: when dowsing, questions must be very specific. After we had made clear that we meant the walled city in north Yorkshire all the rods pointed the same way. It was interesting to note that all of the people on the course except one found that their rods responded. The

person who was unsuccessful was advised that he just needed to practise a bit more. The truth is that virtually everyone on the planet can dowse if they are open-minded and are prepared to persevere. After this exercise, it was time for some work on maps. We were instructed to use our pendulums to pinpoint ancient monuments. This seemed easy as the monuments were clearly marked. But, naturally, there was a catch. We had to turn over our copies of the map and dangle our pendulums over the blank side. Then we had to put crosses at the spots where the pendulums indicated that the monuments were sited. If my recollection is correct, I finished up with six crosses out of a possible eight. It turned out, much to my surprise, that the crosses did in fact coincide with monuments. It was my first taste of what is known as remote or distance dowsing. This is a mysterious aspect of the art that causes even many open-minded people to scratch their heads. Perhaps, in time, quantum physicists will be able to explain how it works. I had found it a thoroughly interesting day and could not wait to put into practice what I had learnt. Another one-day dowsing course that I went on made me conclude that more women than men are in touch with their intuitive sides. Present were 17 women and just one man – yours truly. I was not put out as I consider myself

well in touch with my female side (what psychotherapist Carl Jung called the anima). This course placed a strong emphasis on health matters. Everyone present had had some previous experience of dowsing, and most also seemed to have an interest in a complementary therapy such as reflexology. I learnt during a question and answer session that one or two were orthodox health professionals, which provided food for thought. Our tutor, Joy, a natural therapist with 18 years’ experience, explained that early man had to know instinctively what was good for him, and what was harmful, when he was gathering food such as berries. When a dowser dangles a pendulum over a food item today, she said, it is that same sensitivity that causes a muscular reaction in the arm – and the reaction is amplified by the pendulum. In the same way, an indication can be obtained of what natural remedies might be helpful when one is ill. Joy went on to sound a note of warning. She said there is a tremendous amount of interest in dowsing nowadays. But, like fire and water, it can be used for good purposes or for bad. Dowsers can access an unlimited amount of knowledge. But they should not employ the art to pry into other people’s business. Nor can dowsing be used to obtain the winning lottery numbers in advance. Part of the day was spent ascertaining whether we had

any allergies – including whether we were sensitive to certain foods or drinks. First, we picked up various food items on a table and asked the pendulum to “tell us” whether each was good or bad for us. In my case, if the pendulum swung backwards and forwards (the same as my “yes” response) it meant good. If it swung from side to side (my “no” response) it meant bad. For some of the students, a clockwise swing meant good and an anticlockwise swing bad. Several items were indicated as bad for me. But I was surprised to find that I was not sensitive to dental amalgam – claimed to be a cause of a variety of ills – nor to strawberry jam made with white sugar, which I avoid like the plague. Then we were divided into pairs so that we could delve into a much longer list of things we might be allergic to (or intolerant of), including – apart from foods – certain animals, metals, feathers and aspects of the house and garden. My partner for the session, Helen, picked out several fruits that I was recommended to avoid, together with various other items, such as chocolate, coffee, teabags, air freshener and some types of dust. Joy warned about the dangers of formaldehyde. Yet it was clear it was hard to avoid taking this widely-used preservative into the body. She also told how for many years she had suffered from agoraphobia – until she

stopped consuming dairy products. “It was like coming out of a thick cloud,” she told us. If she ever succumbs to temptation and has an ice-cream the old problem returns. Joy is a big believer in Bach flower remedies and my trusty pendulum informed me that I would benefit from crab apple, honeysuckle and vine. The pendulum also indicated that I should drink at least three pints of water a day – far more than my usual intake. Joy explained that low water consumption can cause a variety of problems, ranging from apathy and headaches to dry skin and colitis. Another top tip was for women to buy the best cosmetics they could afford – because “80pc of anything that is applied to the skin is absorbed by the body.” At the end of this course, my head was buzzing. There was obviously far more to dowsing than I had originally thought. Little did I realise that I was still right at the beginning of my learning curve. Naturally, I started to put into practice what I had learnt, using relatives and friends as guinea pigs. I began by testing people for food intolerances. The problem was that most of the things my pendulum picked out as bad for them were their favourite foods. So they usually ignored what I said. Imagine having to tell a regular tippler that he or she must avoid alcohol for three months. Such advice does not go down well.

Later I went on a three-day healing course and learnt about a number of complementary therapies.

Make the pendulum part of everyday life

To be a really successful dowser you need to use the ancient art every day and make it a big part of your life. Is that a practical approach? I have found that it is. I will describe a typical day in my life. After protecting myself, I start off with some remote healing, using a clear quartz crystal with a point at one end, and an Isis pendulum, to help people I know who are ill. This is meant to supplement any medical treatment they are receiving, not to replace it. If someone needs help, first the pendulum will swing anticlockwise to remove bad energy, with the point of the crystal held away from the mental picture I have of the person. When the spinning has stopped – and it could be some time before this happens – I turn the crystal around and the pendulum spins clockwise, sometimes for a minute or more. I decide I would like two slices of toast for breakfast. Rosemary says the only loaf we have has been hidden away in a cupboard for some time and is well past its useby date. I take a look at it and there are no obvious signs that it is in a state of decay. I get out my pendulum and ask whether it is safe to eat the bread. I get a lively yes. If the

pendulum had gone backwards and forwards more slowly this would have meant that the loaf was still safe to eat but was nearer to the end of its useful life. If the bread had been potentially harmful there would have been an anticlockwise swing. Rosemary and I decide to go into town. As we look around the shops, I say that I need some new trainers. We go into a store and I try on several pairs that I like. I can’t make up my mind which ones to buy, so I ask the Universe to help. As Rosemary would be embarrassed if I consulted my pendulum in the shop, I indulge in a bit of deviceless dowsing. I stand up straight and pick up the shoes, one pair at a time. If my body sways slightly from side to side it means no, they are unsuitable. If it sways backwards and forwards it means yes, they will be fine. In no time at all, I choose a pair and they turn out to be a good buy. We go to a supermarket intending to buy a bottle of wine to be drunk with our evening meal. I ask in my head for us to be directed to red wine that is of good quality but reasonably priced. This time I get out my bunch of keys and they start to swing backwards and forwards at an angle. I follow the direction of the swing and find myself walking alongside shelves containing hundreds of bottles of red wine. After a short time, the keys spin round merrily in front of some Malbec, priced at £4.99. I note that it has

been reduced in price from £8.99, and snap up three bottles. By this point, Rosemary and I are both feeling hungry. As there has recently been publicity in the local press about dirty restaurant kitchens, I ask the pendulum to choose a suitable place for us to eat. When we walk into the selected restaurant I note that the chefs are in full view of us all the time, so I feel confident that our meal will be hygienically prepared. Back home, we find our elder daughter is not there and we are unable to contact her on her mobile. I ask the pendulum if she is all right, and receive a lively yes. Half an hour later she arrives home safely and explains that her phone has developed a fault. A friend comes to visit us and complains that she is feeling a bit lethargic. She knows of my spiritual interests and, when I ask her if she would like to have her chakras balanced, she says she would. I get out my pendulum and find that all seven chakras need attention. After she has been given a boost by my trusty piece of clear quartz crystal, the wheels of subtle energy are all soon spinning nicely again (as confirmed by the movement of the pendulum). A few minutes later the friend seems to be a lot livelier. Before dinner, I enjoy a couple of glasses of the wine we had bought that afternoon. I ask the pendulum

(representing my higher self, of course) whether it would be in order for me to have another glassful. Fortunately, it gives a positive response on this occasion. It has been known to say no! As I prepare the meal, I notice that a bag of salad leaves has passed its use-by date by several days. I ask the pendulum whether the leaves are still fit to eat and get a vigorous yes. (I am well aware that use-by dates, as distinct from sell-by dates, normally have to be carefully observed and some food items should be thrown away as soon as a use-by date has passed). I fancy a relaxing read after dinner, instead of watching the television. My pendulum chooses a suitable book for me from my own collection of titles.

Positive response to dowsing article

Editors, possibly excepting those at the helm of sensationalist national tabloids, are thought of as very much part of the Establishment. They are assumed to have the same views as the average sensible, honest citizen. So when I learnt how to dowse I did not at first let readers know about by new interest.

But after a while I was so excited about the things I was discovering that I was like a fizzy bottle of lemonade that was threatening to blow its cap off. I just had to tell people about the new dimension to my life. I started by writing a feature article about the first formal dowsing course that I had attended. Then I donned my crash helmet and waited for the response. I was in for a surprise. Sure enough, some scientists and born-again Christians protested. But only a few. And they were outnumbered by the positive reactions. Greatly encouraged, I started to regularly mention dowsing, and alternative spirituality, in my opinion column. As time went by, the negative comments continued to come from only a handful of critics, but feedback from readers who were interested in what I wrote increased. I reminded myself that if I had written about my interest in dowsing 20 years before there would have been an outcry. But we live in a country that has become far more open-minded. Interestingly, the newspaper’s circulation continued to rise and we won several awards. When I retired, I was asked to continue to write the column and enjoyed doing so until, four years later, there was illness in the family and I had to give it up. It is worth adding that some scientists privately told me that they liked to read what I wrote about dowsing but that they would be in trouble if colleagues found out that they

were interested in my views. How sad.

Earth’s energy grid like a spider’s web

Mother Earth’s subtle energy system is to me one of the most fascinating – and important – subjects under the sun. By subtle I mean that the energies to which I am referring are not detectable with scientific instruments and the sixth sense has to be used. The Earth’s energy grid has been described as being like a spider’s web. Each current of energy is said to have a slightly different frequency that can be tuned into by a highly skilled dowser. I am afraid I have not reached that stage yet. The major energy channels, which encircle the globe, have been likened to super highways, and the points at which they cross, such as at Glastonbury, have been viewed as sacred since ancient times. The mystic symbols for the energies are the dragon, serpent and snake. In any discussion of Earth energies, Alfred Watkins and ley lines are always mentioned, and I have a copy of Watkins’s book, The Old Straight Track, on my desk as I write this. In 1921, the wealthy Herefordshire businessman and pioneering photographer had a revelation. While studying

a map he suddenly realised that a number of ancient points of interest were in a straight line that passed over hill tops. They included mounds, old stones, churches built on pre-Christian sites, holy wells and crossroads. He went on to identify many similar alignments. There is another version of how Watkins learnt about straight tracks. He was sitting on a high hill and looking down at the landscape when he had a flash of enlightenment. I am not certain which version is correct. The important thing is that he called the alignments “ley lines” and initially thought they marked prehistoric traders’ routes. Towards the end of his life he came to believe they could have some deeper significance. It was John Michell, a student of ancient monuments, who pointed out what that significance was, writing: “It was as if some flow of current followed the course of these man-made alignments.” Those words appeared in a book that gave a big boost to interest in the arrival of the New Age in the 1970s. It was called The View over Atlantis, first published in 1969 (and later revised and given a slightly different name, The New View over Atlantis). Michell went on to discover that the ancient Chinese had their equivalent of leys which they called “dragon paths” or Lung Meis. This led to his astonishing conclusion that in ancient times all over the world a

“science of terrestrial acupuncture” was developed through which earthworks and stone monuments were used to aid the flow of Earth energy. Since Michell’s revelation those who subscribe to the new spirituality have emphasised his message that the subtle energy grid plays a vital role in the well-being of the planet. It is also now widely appreciated that ancient peoples were intuitively aware of the natural energies and realised their significance.

Mother Earth abused by human race

New Agers view Mother Earth, Gaia, as a living organism whose existence has been put in doubt by the way she has been abused by the human race since the beginning of the industrial era. Many books have been written about Earth energies. One of my favourites is The Sun and the Serpent, by Hamish Miller and Paul Broadhurst. Over a period of more than two years the pair tracked a flow of energy along what is known as the St Michael Line. This alignment stretches for 300 miles from Cornwall to Norfolk. Its many sacred places include St Michael’s Mount, Glastonbury and Avebury. Miller and Broadhurst had many surprises. For instance, they found that, instead of following a straight line, the St Michael current meanders; and it has a twin line, which carries the feminine charge, called St Mary. As their journey of discovery continued it seemed as if the veil of time was being drawn aside and they gained an increased awareness of the intuitive respect that ancient peoples had for the Earth’s energy system. The raw Earth energy was the basis of dragon myths in all ancient cultures. The Chinese associate their dragons

with good health and fortune. Dragons were held in equally high esteem in this country in pre-Christian times. But following the Council of Nicea in 325, when Christianity became Rome’s state religion, an interest in Earth energies was condemned as pagan. So Christian saints were portrayed killing dragons with swords and spears. The late Colin Bloy wrote: “It was symbolic of destroying the heathen religion. To wrestle and subdue the dragon was to conquer sin….” He added: “In fact the dragon really is the raw vertical spiral energy of the earth. Dowsers will find it as a spiral in these places, and in most cases the spiral straightens out into a ley line and enters the community in a vitalising way. But it is put into a constructive mode by the hyperconsciousness of man.” I must point out that many prominent dowsers these days avoid using the term ley line. Ley is used on its own to refer to an alignment of sacred sites. Energy ley means a current of Earth energy running in a straight line that often follows the course of a ley. Another view is that energy lines linking ancient monuments were created by human intent, possibly for ceremonial purposes. And many New Agers view the lines as mysterious streams of the universal life force that possess great spiritual, astrological and healing qualities. Gets confusing, doesn’t

it? To complicate things further, some leading dowsers say that underground water and water veins are always present at powerful centres of natural energy which are found at the sites of ancient monuments. The water is said to be of the primary variety – meaning that it has not fallen from the sky as rain but is the by-product of a chemical reaction deep underground. I always keep things simple and make clear to the Universe what I am looking for. If I am seeking a powerful line of Earth energy, that is what I focus on. If I am interested in underground streams or water veins, again I focus accordingly. And so on. My system works for me. Just to tidy things up, I must point out that I accept that it is possible for dowsable energy lines to be created by the human mind. Just for fun, I have experimented in this area myself. But I do not view my lines (which I have always deleted afterwards) as being the same as the dragon currents that are part of the world wide web of natural energies. It is worth adding that Earth energy lines sometimes become corrupted and can be restored to good health by humans. A friend of mine travels to various parts of the world to heal the energy grid.

Spots where Earth energy lines cross

Tracking currents of subtle Earth energies with my pendulum has given me a lot of pleasure over the years – and also provided many revelations. I learnt early on that two energy leys often cross in old churches – which were in many cases built on sites originally occupied by pagan places of worship. The crossing points are known as power centres or nodes. It is clear that the sixth sense of our ancient ancestors was far more highly tuned than ours is and it was easy for them to locate the power spots so they could build there. Over the years I have tracked sections of dozens of lines of Earth energy. I have visited many places that dowsers love, such as Avebury, Glastonbury, and St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, all of which stand on what is known as the Michael and Mary Line. Every serious spiritual adventurer should visit Glastonbury, where the Michael and Mary currents cross three times. If you sit in the Chalice Well Gardens on a warm day there is a feeling of complete peace and of being at one with the Universe. It is a wonderful spot in which to meditate. Another famous place I have explored is Mont St Michel, in Normandy, France, where the Michael and

Mary currents (which on the continent are named Apollo and Athena) cross inside the Gothic abbey church. When my wife, Rosemary, and I were in Normandy on holiday with another couple some years ago I suggested a visit to Mont St Michel, and everyone was in favour. But when Rosemary realised we were heading towards the abbey church, she said that if I took out a pendulum she would never speak to me again. (Was that a promise?) So out came that old standby, a bunch of keys, which led me along the Apollo current. And, hey presto, on one area of the flagstone floor the keys swung round wildly to indicate that I had found the spot at which Apollo and Athena crossed. I was surprised because the crossing point did not occur in an obviously significant or sacred spot, such as under an altar, but was close to a wall. I stood quietly for a few minutes, fearing that my dowsing had been inaccurate. Several months later all was explained when I learnt that the present abbey church was built over a much older place of worship, which must have been appropriately positioned over the power centre. I have always felt happy in old churches, thanks to the Earth energies. I wrote in a newspaper column in December, 2006, that whenever I visited Loughborough Parish Church in Leicestershire as a journalist I became filled with a feeling of well-being. One day I walked right

round the perimeter of the church with pendulum in action and found that, as I suspected, energy lines crossed near to the altar. Further afield, I found a similar power centre at the site of an ancient Christian church in Son Bou, Menorca. There, too, the atmosphere was uplifting – although the fact that I was on holiday no doubt helped!

On track of Richard III’s resting place

In the summer of 2012, Leicestershire & Rutland Dowsers held a field trip to the remains of a 12th century Cistercian Abbey in Leicester’s Abbey Park. We were fortunate that Julian, my old dowsing tutor, was with us to confirm the location of the Earth energy lines and also help us to tune in to the history of this interesting site. As expected, it did not take long to find two powerful currents of Earth energy and note the point at which they crossed. But we had a surprise when Julian suddenly asked: “Where was the king’s body placed?” History lovers will be aware that after King Richard III had been killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 his body was taken back to Leicester. Initially, said Julian, it was placed within the abbey. But where? Our treasurer, Phill, and I got out our angle rods (this was one occasion when I did not use my pendulum) and I was relieved that mine pointed in the same direction as his. Julian said we were right, but we had to leave it to him to pinpoint the exact spot. Then came another question: “Where was the body moved to?” Julian explained that the abbot decided it could not remain on consecrated ground. Again, Phill and I

were able to establish the direction in which the king’s body was carried and that it was put down some distance away. The exact distance, our L-rods indicated, was 290 yards. Next we checked the layout of the abbey remains. The low walls were built around 80 years ago with the intention of reflecting the layout of the original building. We were able to confirm that the architect responsible had done a good job and that the key features of what must have been a magnificent building were in the right spots. No detrimental energy was found at the site – not because unpleasant events never happened there but apparently because in more recent times there has been so much happiness in this pleasant park. By coincidence (and what a coincidence!), a few days later the news broke that Richard III’s skeleton had been found not far away under a car park at Greyfriars. Archaeologists who dug up the skeleton have rightly received a lot of praise. But not enough publicity has been given to the major role a dowser played in this remarkable story. It was Philippa Langley, secretary of the Scottish branch of the Richard III Society, who launched the quest to find the king’s skeleton after years of research. In a Channel 4 documentary she said that the moment she walked into the car park at Greyfriars the hairs on the

back of her neck stood up and something told her that this where they had to look. She identified the exact spot for the mechanical digger to cut through the tarmac. It was not clear whether she was using her intuition or holding L-rods. But it does not really matter. L-rods and pendulums are used to indicate what the subconscious already knows. As pointed out in an issue of the British Society of Dowsers’ magazine, Dowsing Today, Philippa experienced a “moment of knowing” which many dowsers would recognise as deviceless dowsing.

One of county’s most haunted spots

Among other especially interesting field trips held by Leicestershire & Rutland Dowsers was a visit to the old priory at Grace Dieu, reputedly one of Leicestershire’s most haunted spots. Although it was May, the temperature was only 10C degrees, with a strong wind making it feel a lot colder. Over the past 80 years there have been hundreds of reports of apparitions being seen there. Monks have often been spotted, but the most famous phantom is a white lady who has been observed crossing the road – to reach the bus shelter! The ruins stand on the Thringstone Fault, said to be responsible for the extraordinary amount of paranormal phenomena in the area. Some members of our party were planning to find out a lot about the history of the site, including details about the people who had lived there. But I was more interested in the subtle currents of Earth energy that crisscross this fascinating area. There is no doubt that if the sixth sense is active on a visit to the priory an amazing amount of energy can be tuned into. One spot in the ruins is a power centre which made my pendulum go wild and spin at high speed. The Augustinians, who constructed the priory, no doubt

knew all about the significance of Earth energies and power centres, although it is probable that the building replaced a pagan place of worship. Pagans and early Christians alike were aware that the Earth Energy Grid carries the life force of the planet. Those members of our party who concentrated on domestic life at the priory used their L-rods and pendulums to identify where such features as the kitchens, vegetable garden and orchard would have been situated. It came as no surprise when two sets of human remains were located – in one case those of a pre-Christian holy man. Despite the priory’s reputation for being haunted, only one ghostly experience was reported to me as group secretary. Peter, a frequent visitor to Grace Dieu, said that as normal he sensed psychically that he was being accompanied by Roesia de Verdun, who founded the priory in around 1235. He said she was always pleased to “see” him and show him around. It has been assumed that Roesia is the white lady who has been spotted so often in the area over the years. The nuns at the priory wore white habits, rather than the usual black, and called themselves the “White Nuns of St Augustine.” So perhaps the many ghostly “white lady” sightings have involved several different members of the community. Sceptics who view the claimed sightings of ghosts in

and near to the ruins as nonsense should be aware that some of the many folk who have had strange experiences at Grace Dieu have been level-headed types who stick strictly to the facts. The late John Bradley comes into this category. He was a well-known businessman who gave long service on Charnwood Borough Council and became Mayor. He once told how he was driving past the priory when he saw the ghost of a monk or nun with head bowed. And a bus driver had a shock one night when he stopped to pick up a mysterious lady near to the priory. For she disappeared as he waited for her to step on board. According to a popular explanation, Roesia de Verdun takes the form of a ghost because her remains were disturbed at the beginning of the 19th century.

Chance to find out about past lives

There are still expert dowsers around who believe that the art should be used only for practical purposes, such as finding where to drill for water or oil. What a shame. For they have this wonderful gift that could open so many doors for them and broaden their spiritual horizons. A few years after I had learnt to dowse I was keen to find out about my past lives. When I attended Joy’s Dowsing for Health course there was a session on how to dip into the dim and distant past. With pendulum in hand, Joy asked a series of searching questions before revealing information about one of my past lives. I learnt that I had been a female land owner in the Middle Ages and had been unkind to my employees. Ouch! That was not the sort of thing I had wanted to hear. Even before I became a dowser I believed that I had had glimpses of previous lives – living in Egypt, Cork in Ireland, Germany, and Stoke-on-Trent in this country. The most vivid flashback – if that was what it was – came from Germany. So one evening while alone I asked the pendulum whether it was worth looking into this revelation. The answer was yes and I decided to visit a professional psychic, Ann.

I arrived at her neat semi-detached house feeling a little nervous, as well as excited, and was led into a room decorated in a pale shade of violet. First Ann explained in detail what was involved. Then I lay down on a comfortable couch with my head on a cushion and she turned on a tape player from which gentle music floated out. In soothing tones, Ann spent some time encouraging me to relax with my eyes closed. Eventually, I was asked to imagine that I was crossing a long bridge that led to a previous life. I arrived on the other side of the bridge in a dense cloud of swirling yellow-grey mist and was asked to look at my footwear. I saw that I was wearing black boots. I then looked at my clothing and found that I was dressed in a blue uniform. In response to further questions I got the impression that I was a postal worker or railway porter in Berlin, Germany, in the 1930s. My name was Kurt Rolff. Up to that point I had been standing in the countryside. But the scene instantly changed to Berlin city centre. I was standing in a crowd of people outside a railway station and knew that I was anxiously waiting for someone. I was painfully aware that a train I was about to board was due to leave very soon. And eventually I rushed onto the station platform and got into a carriage. But, even as the train drew out, I was still hoping that

the person for whom I was waiting would arrive, and I strained my neck looking out of the carriage window. Even though Ann asked further questions, the vision would not move forward from there. And I was unable to tell her anything about the person who had not turned up. Slowly, Ann brought me back to the present day and after a minute or two I became fully awake, although still relaxed. I told her that, throughout the intriguing session, I had always been half aware that I was lying down in her front room and that she was asking questions. She said that was normal. Had I been given a glimpse of a previous existence or was it all in the imagination? Ann said another possible explanation was that I had tuned into someone else’s past life. I was surprised to learn that the session had lasted for three-quarters of an hour, for it had seemed more like 15 minutes. I must stress that nothing I had experienced had been unpleasant. So far as the name Kurt Rolff is concerned I might have read it in a book, although I could not recall having done so. Another psychic whom I consulted a few months later confirmed that I had had a previous life in Germany but she said that I had died as a soldier in World War One. She said she could picture me clearly. I was small and blond.

Since that time I have, with the aid of my pendulum, improved my do-it-yourself regression skills and have had some fascinating insights. Once I found myself in an Egyptian pyramid and the images were so realistic that they lived with me for several months. On another occasion I was a female dancer in a Turkish palace. On the personal cinema screen provided by my imagination I could clearly see my dainty slippers and gossamer-like clothes. I felt a bit uncomfortable about that peep into the past. Then there was the time when I recalled living in Lancashire in the late 1800s and working in a small engineering workshop. I could smell the grease and feel the heat from an old stove. Following that came “memories” of a life spent in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. I could see myself sitting alone, in late middle-age, in an untidy front room that I used as a workshop. There was a sewing machine on a small table with a lot of waste material on the floor around it. My right leg was shorter than my left and I wore a boot with a high heel. I think that is enough to be going on with. Suffice to say that, before every attempt at regression, you should check with your pendulum that it is in your best interests to go ahead.

Vivid images on personal cinema screen

In the last chapter I mentioned my personal cinema screen and feel this needs an explanation. When I dream, or see something with my mind’s eye, the images are in the centre of my head. But at other times when I form mental pictures such as during a guided meditation I use a screen that gives the impression of being some distance away in front of my forehead. Although I think I had been vaguely aware of this screen for years, it was only when I prepared for my first firewalk that I appreciated its capabilities. The motivator told us that a personal screen can be made as large as you like, the colours can be intensified and the volume can be turned up so loud that the sound is deafening. And how right he was! Perhaps the most impressive thing about the screen is that you choose what images appear on it, and it can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, if you have had a bad day at work and your boss has upset you, imagine him (or her) in front of you looking as normal. Then turn him into a particularly comical version of Mickey Mouse, shrink him and laugh at him. Very soon the sting will have been taken out of your recollection of the unpleasant chap, and when you see him next day you will

chuckle under your breath. Try making a lemon appear on the screen and see it being slowly cut in half so that the juice sprays all over the place. You will find that your mouth waters because your subconscious believes you are looking at the real thing. It’s worth re-reading that sentence, because it confirms what an extraordinarily powerful asset your imagination is. I find the screen especially useful when I take a look at previous lives. I also use it during guided meditation and creative visualisation. And memories from childhood can be conjured up on demand. They are so vivid that the characters in them seem to come back to life. Anyone who has been dowsing for a few years can also use their personal screen to practise without a physical pendulum. Use your imagination to make a pendulum appear – and you will find it will give yes and no answers just as if you were using a real dowsing tool. I use this deviceless method from time to time. But I still love the sight and feeling of my faithful Isis pendulum reacting to my questions. My personal cinema screen should not be confused with the third eye (or inner eye), which is a symbol of enlightenment and provides perception beyond normal sight.

Eye-opening experience in old church

In March, 2015, Leicestershire & Rutland Dowsers visited Leicester’s ancient St Mary De Castro Church. And it turned out to be an eye-opening experience. Founded in 1107, the church stands within the precincts of Leicester castle and has a remarkable history (which is well documented on the web, including royal connections). On arrival, we were greeted by the parish administrator and offered a coffee before we got down to business. I made sure my psychic shield was in good order and then cleared my mind while deciding what to concentrate on. The church’s name translates as “St Mary of the Castle” and the building is claimed to be a favourite haunt of one of Leicester’s best-known ghosts, Black Annis. However, throughout our visit the atmosphere seemed to be friendly. Although we were not there principally to enjoy the architecture, it has to be said that many features of the large interior are most impressive. It’s no wonder that, according to some commentators, St Mary’s is among England’s most noteworthy churches. I decided to begin by focusing on Earth energy lines

(nothing unusual about that). And what a surprise I had! Two currents run the length of the building, and they are crossed at right angles by two more, forming a grid. The currents are very active and this place of worship is a real Earth energies hot spot. As mentioned previously, I have dowsed the churches on St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall and Mont St Michel in Normandy, France, both well-known for Earth energy lines. And in neither case was my pendulum as busy as at St Mary’s, where I also located two Earth energy spirals. One of those, at the base of the tower, instantly gave me a light-headed feeling, and I could sense the energy pulsing through my legs. My psychic sixth sense was not fully engaged on this trip (we all have off days). However, on my personal cinema screen I came across a priest in a brown habit, who seemed to be a jolly chap, and a distressed female. I trust that it was not the priest who had caused the lady to be upset! Some members of our party were interested in other features of the church, such as tombstones set into the floor. There was so much to take in that we agreed we might pay St Mary’s another visit. One dowser tuned into the past in impressive fashion, reporting afterwards: “I get an impression of the church filled with many men holding crosses high above their

heads…1500s? This was a very important service that I’m being shown which includes monks with white hoods. Dedication and devotion. There are many lights, candles and chanting. There was a purple/violet energy then which is still here today.” I could not better that. I ended up feeling dizzy and did not get back to normal until I walked towards the city centre and was refreshed by the cool breeze. It’s worth adding that St Mary De Castro Church is part of the ancient area of Leicester that contains some remarkable Earth energy lines. If you are ever in the city, just walk past the Guildhall with a pendulum and see what happens.

Pendulum’s advice was just the job

A lot of people know that I am interested in dowsing, not surprising considering that I regularly mentioned my hobby in my newspaper column. Occasionally I receive requests for help with a variety of problems and am always happy to oblige – free of charge, as I do not need to earn money from dowsing. Some time ago a man aged in his mid-30s, whom I will call Tom, said he was keen to start a new career. But he was in a quandary as he could not decide what type of work to choose. When he came to my house I first asked him to make out a list of possible new jobs but also to include his present occupation. Tom explained that his current post was secure and paid reasonably well and his pension prospects were excellent. But he was slightly bored and also felt there was little chance of promotion. He sat and watched as my pendulum slowly moved down the list. I had asked that the pendulum should spin clockwise when it reached the most appropriate career. Tom ended up disappointed. For the advice was that he should remain where he was. However, a year later he had reason to be grateful for pendulum wisdom. A recession

had arrived and many people were losing their jobs. Yet his position was safe and, what’s more, he had been promoted and was enjoying his work. Another request about careers came from a young lady whom I will call Alice. She had passed an exam that entitled her to go on a newspaper journalism course. But she had a nagging feeling that she would not be happy as a reporter. The pendulum quickly established that Alice was a sensitive young lady and that she would not feel at home amid the cut and thrust of life on a newspaper. Some of the assignments she would be given, such as interviewing people hit by tragedy, would be deeply upsetting for her. It was hard for her to turn down such a great opportunity. But it all turned out for the best as she found a job much more suitable for her and in which she is very happy. Of course, I am not a careers adviser. But it was not I who was giving the advice. It came from the Universal Consciousness. The pendulum is always ready to tackle a huge range of questions, from the very trivial to the extraordinarily important. At the trivial end, I often ask questions such as: “Would it be in my best interests to have cheese with my evening meal?” Or: “Do I need to have an alcohol-free day?” At

the more important end, friends might ask me to check with my pendulum whether it’s the best time for them to move to a new house. When I am asked by someone where they should go on holiday, I give the same advice that I gave Tom: make out a list of possible destinations. Then the pendulum will choose.

Simple way to check on quality

In his best-selling philosophical novel, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, author Robert M. Pirsig makes a mighty effort to explain what quality means. It all gets complicated – especially in the follow-up book, Lila. I have a simple system for assessing quality – using a pendulum, of course. My system sets out to check whether something is beneficial for me. Anything under the sun can be tested, ranging from a blockbuster novel to a holiday abroad or a philosophical concept. Yes, the sky’s the limit. I merely ask the pendulum to give an item a mark out of 10. I start to count from zero to 10 and the pendulum will revolve clockwise on the correct number. I try to steer clear of anything that scores below five. If you use this method of checking on quality you will have some surprises. Start with your daily newspaper – assuming that you still buy one in this digital age. My wife swears by our paper – but it only just scrapes through with a five. Many of the most popular television programmes score very low, in some cases receiving a zero, and I avoid them like the plague. Some best-selling books and blockbuster films fare little better.

When encountering any form of entertainment that scores below five it is best to remember the saying, “Rubbish in, rubbish out.” In other words, if you regularly enjoy low-grade pastimes your brain will be polluted and what comes out of your mouth will not be of high quality, to say the least. My simple system is also used when we are deciding where to go on holiday. First the resort is checked and given a mark. Then the accommodation gets similar treatment. A few years ago an apartment on a Spanish island was awarded only two, although in the holiday brochure it looked ideal. We chose another apartment that got an eight – and when we arrived at the resort found that the accommodation first considered was sited only a few yards from a mobile phone tower. The experts would no doubt say we would have been quite safe near to the tower. However, a few years previously we had slept badly in an apartment which was similarly sited. Some readers will ask how I know my system is accurate. What gives me confidence is that the results are often not at all what I had been expecting. To give one example: I checked our tap water for quality, expecting it to be given a low score. As it turned out it was marked only a couple of points below the bottled water on which we spend a lot of money. If you would like a more comprehensive and complex

system than mine for assessing quality, check out Dr David Hawkins’s “Map of Consciousness,” which uses muscle testing – another form of dowsing.

Let down by alternative therapists

I used to have a low opinion of “alternative therapists” (more correctly called complementary therapists). My jaundiced view arose from two unhappy experiences. Well before I became interested in dowsing I made an appointment with a naturopath based on the outskirts of London. The reason why I needed help was that my nerves were in a bad state at the time, mainly due to pressure at work. When I arrived at the naturopath’s clinic (I will call him Fred) he started quite properly by taking my blood pressure. He said it was rather high – although when I explained that I had had a long drive along the M1 he said that was probably responsible. Then he noted that my back was bent and said he could do something about it. He stepped behind me, put his right knee at the base of the spine and pulled my shoulders back. An agonising pain shot through me and I collapsed on the floor screaming in agony. As I lay there gasping for breath, he kindly gave me a few minutes to recover and then said: “What I am going to do next will be painful.” I muttered to myself: “If it’s any worse than what has just happened I’m in trouble.”

Fred picked up a massive syringe and proceeded to fill it with a variety of liquid medicines. Then he put the top back on and pressed the plunger slightly to ensure that the evil-looking green concoction was flowing correctly. He ordered me to bare my backside and then sunk the syringe into my left buttock. It was shockingly painful and I am sure the point hit the bone. After half the liquid had been released he did the same with my right buttock. As I recovered, Fred said: “Sitting down will be uncomfortable for a few days.” Then he selected a stack of pills and potions from the shelves at the back of his clinic and, after I had handed over a substantial amount of money, he bid me good day. A week later I phoned Fred to say that my nerves were still in a bad state and he said: “You must go and see your GP.” A few years later, when the ankylosing spondylitis from which I have suffered since my teens was still undiagnosed, I consulted a highly recommended osteopath. I told him that all of my joints were stiff, particularly my hips. I visited the osteopath regularly for months and some of my joints felt more comfortable. But the last time that I saw him he caused considerable pain when he put his hands around my head and twisted it from side to side. He also used brute force to try to free up my hips.

A week later I consulted a rheumatologist privately, and he told me I had an advanced case of AS. My back was bent for good as the vertebrae had seized and the sacroiliac was in a bad state, not to mention my painful neck. I was put on a course of unpleasant tablets and, within a few months, I could again walk reasonably comfortably. Although I have been critical of two complementary practitioners, the NHS did not deserve any credit as the AS had gone undiagnosed for nearly 30 years, despite several visits to hospital during which X-rays were taken. Of course, when I learnt to dowse, and started to take an interest in everything connected with the new spirituality, I modified my views on complementary therapies and therapists. A few months ago, when I was in agony with a stiff neck, I was greatly helped by Jane Radford, of Framework Dowsing. Jane, who at the time was chairperson of Leicestershire & Rutland Dowsers, sent healing energy remotely. And within a short time my neck felt better than it had for years. Apart from the courses I have attended I have read about some remarkable healers and many of the cures described have been extraordinary. Even so, success is not guaranteed. And many open-minded people with a serious illness opt to have the conventional treatment, supported by a complementary therapy.

I know of a young lady who seven years ago was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. Treatment involved total body irradiation and a stem cell transplant. She was supported throughout by a wonderful healer named Ted. And she is convinced that the way she was able to cope was largely thanks to Ted, and also to friends and well-wishers who sent positive energy remotely. Doctors and nurses were amazed by the progress she made. Whenever she had a pain the healer would place his hands on her. She said she always experienced feelings of warmth and wellbeing and the pain soon eased. Ted was complementing orthodox treatment that was first rate. So this young lady is among the many people who believe that doctors and complementary therapists should work together to help the sick – something with which I and my pendulum wholeheartedly agree.

Chakras sometimes need a boost

I have done the odd bit of unpaid healing work since I obtained a Dowsing for Health certificate and have had some modest successes. My approach is simple. In the case of people who are feeling a bit rundown and fed up (and have been to see their doctor) I first check their seven major chakras (wheels of subtle energy in line with the spine). Using a pendulum, I always start by making sure they are “grounded” – firmly anchored to Mother Earth. Then I begin with the base or root chakra, which is red. After focusing, I hold the pendulum in front of the chakra and see whether I get a reaction. If it is working normally my pendulum will spin merrily clockwise. If the chakra needs a boost the pendulum will not move or will only revolve slowly. Then I go on to the sacral – orange, solar plexus – yellow, heart – green or pink, neck – blue, third eye or brow chakra – indigo, and crown chakra – violet. It is quite common to find that all seven chakras need attention. In some cases they are blocked. I hold a clear quartz crystal in front of each chakra in turn. The pendulum will start to spin clockwise and I wait until it stops. Next I use the pendulum to check the *patient’s aura

(the subtle energy field that surrounds the human body) to see if there are any holes in it. If there are, these are healed with the quartz crystal. Most importantly, I respectfully ask the Universe to pour down healing energy. I go on to check (again with a pendulum) how many spirit guides the patient has and whether they are all in position. If they are not in place I ask for them to be moved back and afterwards make sure that this has been done. I repeat the exercise with the patient’s guardian angels. I conclude with a guided meditation that ends with the patient meeting his or her inner child – tears normally flow at this point. To the scientifically-minded person, this will probably all sound like rubbish. All I can say is that it usually provides at least some benefit. Not long ago, a teenage youth came to me feeling extremely depressed. He was usually a cheerful person and could not understand why, out of the blue, he had plunged into the depths of despair. He said there was no reason why he should feel so low. He had a good job, a girlfriend and a hectic social life. He assured me that he was not taking illegal drugs. After the five-part healing session there were tears in his eyes, but he assured me that he was feeling better. The

next day he phoned to say that he was full of the joys of spring. He has contacted me several time since then and he is still feeling in excellent shape mentally. *I don’t like to use the word “patient” – as it sounds too formal. But I could not think of an appropriate alternative.

Afraid to talk about psychic abilities

In my younger days, when I was a member of a strict Christian faith, I had a problem: I was psychic. That was something I hardly dared to admit to myself, let alone the church leaders. Any congregation members confessing that they were psychic would have been warned that Satan was trying to recruit them. But I could not change. Whenever I went into an old building that I had not visited before I would be bombarded by scenes and people from the past. The images would be overpowering and would live with me for days afterwards. Every so often I had a vivid dream of a disaster that had not yet occurred, such as an earthquake or plane crash. These dreams would always happen when I was in that strange state that occurs just before one wakes up. One morning, when I was nearly awake, I thought my wife, Rosemary, had switched on the radio. A news reader was announcing a rail crash. The report was detailed, and included the number of casualties. Then I sat up in bed and realised I had been dreaming. I told family members about the dream and recorded it in my diary. I was quite convinced that I had had a premonition of an actual event and for days listened to the

news with more interest than usual. But when nothing had happened in the next few weeks I forgot about it. About six months later the hairs on the back of my neck stood up when a report of the train crash was the first item on the news Many years later, after I had left the strict faith, I became interested in dowsing. And my pendulum opened many spiritual doors for me that made sense of my psychic insights. I read in a book that anyone telling their subconscious that they would like to have vivid dreams at night would have some amazing experiences. I asked my pendulum whether this was a step worth taking. I got a yes and many of the dreams I have had since then have been extraordinary and full of meaning. The strange thing is that since I started to dowse I have had few premonitions. They had presumably served their purpose. They had prompted me to begin a spiritual journey – a journey which has enriched my life in so many ways. And before every step my faithful pendulum has always been there to provide reassurance. Very rarely has it warned that something I was planning to do was unwise. Such a warning came recently when dowsing group members were due to visit the site of an archaeological dig. The pendulum’s response made quite clear that I should

not go – at least, not at that time. I was given to understand that the ghost of a Roman centurion was active on the site and perhaps my defences were temporarily inadequate to withstand a psychic attack. When I started to broaden my spiritual horizons I recalled an unusual episode from my childhood. Just before I got up one morning when I was aged four I saw with my mind’s eye a large violet-coloured flower. I watched it for several minutes before it faded away. This continued to happen every morning for several months. As a dowser I realised that the lovely flower must have been connected with my crown chakra, which is violet. I also realised that, even at such a young age, I must have been becoming spiritually aware – which could explain a lot of things. One of my biggest regrets is that for so many years I was afraid to open doors into the psychic world.

Happiness vow cleared black cloud

Life’s a journey and we all face challenges at various points along the road. For many of us, the journey is made far more difficult because we carry heavy burdens. Two of my burdens have been AS and what Winston Churchill used to call the black dog. First the ankylosing spondylitis, which is a type of arthritis. I started to suffer from pains in my lower back at the age of 19 and, over the years, other parts of my body began to ache. At times my hips would lock up and I would be in agony and unable to move. I went to hospital for X-rays several times and, when I reached my late 30s, I was told I had a “remarkable curvature of the spine.” It was not until I was 48 that I had the good fortune to be put in touch with a rheumatologist, who was a friend of one of my relatives. He quickly diagnosed AS. As mentioned previously, I was put on a course of powerful drugs that before too long made life more pleasant. These days, apart from when I have the occasional flare-up, I do not suffer from too much pain. Yet many aspects of life are a challenge – including the effort it takes to put on my socks or tie my shoe laces. You see, my spine is so rigid that it does not bend.

But, even at its worst, AS is easier to cope with than the black dog – depression. Several members of my family in the past have been severely affected by mental problems, including my late mother, for whom life was often sheer torture, due to her black moods. The black dog first got its teeth into me when I was aged only 14, and it returned every few years. When I was in my early 50s I experienced a particularly severe attack. I was happily married with three fabulous children and had every reason to feel cheerful and optimistic, yet I suddenly plunged into the depths of despair. What made it harder was that, as a newspaper editor who was well-known in the community, I could not let anyone see how I felt. I reached the point where I was desperate. And I decided that, rather than go to my very sympathetic GP to ask for yet more anti-depressants and sleeping tablets, I would read as many books as I could find on positive thinking. I also vowed that I would do everything possible to make myself feel happy – and try to avoid the luxury of a single negative thought. Gradually, the black cloud lifted and I began to feel happier than I had been for many years. And new doors began to open for me after I took an interest in dowsing. As my pendulum swung I became convinced that somewhere out there is a benign force that has nothing in

common with the vengeful God of the Old Testament. Another high point for me was my first firewalk. The two-hour motivational session beforehand was so inspiring that I and the other participants would have been prepared to climb Everest after braving the red hot coals. Since then I have walked on fire six more times. I have also walked on broken bottles, pushed my face into sharp pieces of glass and shattered a thick piece of pine with my bare right hand. And there was also the time when a kerbstone was placed across my legs and broken with a sledgehammer. All of these tests, which left me unscathed, were organised by a remarkable Nottingham-based company. They are such magnificent motivators that they can make difficult challenges seem easy. I would recommend firewalking to anyone who needs a boost. After you have mastered a bed of red hot coals everything seems possible. You need no longer fear walking into your boss’s office and asking him for a salary increase.

Not worried by all the sixes

Anyone who takes an interest in alternative spirituality will soon start to receive little signs showing they are on the right track. For me, the number six has been very important over the past 15years. After I had begun to practise dowsing I started seeing sixes all over the place. As an example, I will mention the spell check on my computer at work. Whenever I had finished making up a page on screen as part of my job as a weekly newspaper editor, 66 words would often be queried. It happened time and again, day after day, week after week and year after year. One day I went into a café for a sandwich and a cup of tea and received £6.66 in change. The assistant said: “The previous customer got £6.66 in change as well. What does it mean?” I did not try to explain. It has continued since I retired. When Rosemary and I started a holiday in Menorca 10 years ago we thought we had gone back in time. We were convinced it was June 16, 2006 – but the date on the digital clock in our hire car read 06-06-06. After four days, it changed to 07-06-06. To Christians, six is not a good number. But they have got the wrong end of the stick, as John Michel points out in

his seminal book, The New View over Atlantis. The number 666 originally represented not the beast of Revelation 13 but the positive or active charge of solar energy. So I will be happy to keep on seeing all the sixes – clickety-click. Have you noticed that the second page of this chapter is numbered 66? I had not been aware of this until I checked the proof. It makes you think! Besides numbers, I have also received encouragement from white feathers – which will float down and land in front of me quite regularly. If it happens while I am walking near the river, I do not pay too much attention as there are swans and ducks around. But when I suddenly see a pure white feather while I am walking along a city street, I take it to be another sign that I am on the right track as far as my spiritual interests are concerned.

Meat-free diet goes down nicely

I had been a dowser for only a few years when the thought of eating meat started to make me feel sick. I consulted the Universe and when I asked whether I should become a vegetarian the pendulum responded with a lively yes. Since then I have found that many people who are on spiritual paths cease to eat animal flesh. They agree with the philosopher in ancient Greece (I think it was Pythagoras) who said that slaughtering animals for food brutalises the whole human race. Some dowsers believe that when animals are killed their fear is absorbed by the nearest Earth energy current and that this can affect people in the vicinity. I know of a village where dogs are afraid to go past a certain building – which was a slaughterhouse years ago. I can still recall the time when I ate my last meat product – a cocktail sausage at a friend’s 60th birthday party. Since then, if I ever think of meat of any sort, a picture of a basket full of wriggly worms flashes up on my personal cinema screen. And I feel sick. Many of the world’s food problems would be solved if everyone stopped eating animal flesh. Equally important is the thought that a vegetarian diet

aids spiritual development by increasing the speed at which the human body vibrates (which is a controversial claim, I admit). These days, with so many tasty vegetarian recipes available, avoiding meat should not be a hardship. I cook up a delicious shepherd’s pie using Quorn, a meat-free product made from Microprotein, and even carnivores who have tried this dish are impressed. Readers considering whether they ought to stop eating meat should, of course, consult their pendulums.

Ghostly encounters at manor house

Early on in my dowsing career I was fascinated by spooky goings-on. So when I was invited to take part in a ghost hunt I was keen to go along. The event was due to be held in a 13th century stone manor house which has proved of great interest to paranormal investigators. On a bitterly cold January night I headed for the historic building. Now a Leicestershire County Council museum, it stands at Donington le Heath, near Coalville. As I parked my car I followed my usual practice of imagining that I was surrounded by a ball of golden light. It is essential to have protection in such situations. Then I asked my pendulum whether it was in order for me to take part in the hunt. I got a yes. On entering the chilly Barn Restaurant I joined 30 other ghost hunters, and we were greeted by members of a paranormal investigations group. A professional medium, Judith, walked the short distance to the manor house, which was in darkness. She was accompanied by a cameraman, and spooky pictures of her tour of the building were relayed to a large screen in the restaurant. As she visited the various rooms she told us of the wide variety of colourful characters she was

“seeing” on her personal screen. Then two “volunteers” were chosen to go and sit in the dark in the spacious upstairs room of the manor house while the video camera revealed the expressions on our faces. I say “our” because I was one of the two. Climbing the creaking stairs was a strange experience for me and my young female companion. After we had settled down in total darkness, I let my mind go blank. I was surprised but not afraid when, after a few minutes, a bearded man in a tall hat and 16/17th century clothes appeared on my personal screen. He was followed by a soldier in armour and a priest in a brown cloak. I was feeling fairly relaxed when, without warning, there was a frightening moment. For a few seconds my screen went blank. Then a large black dog leapt towards me with teeth bared. Fortunately, it stopped abruptly as it crashed into my invisible protective shield. If I had not taken precautions, perhaps an unwanted companion would have returned home with me. Sceptics will say it was all in the mind. I am not so sure, as a little research on the internet a few days later revealed that the bearded man bore a striking resemblance to a previous occupant of the manor house, Everard Digby. A close friend of Guy Fawkes, Digby was one of the Gunpowder Plotters in 1605. Interestingly, some of my

fellow ghost hunters had seen on their personal screens a priest, a dog and a bearded man. All of us who took part were divided into three groups and we spent three periods of at least half an hour in the dark. Many psychic experiences were reported, including the sightings of mysterious orbs and a brilliant blue light like a laser. And the museum’s best-known ghost, a little girl, was also encountered.

Mysterious orbs at steam station

Ten months later, with pendulum in hand, I again went on the track of ghosts – attending an Edwardian evening at Rothley Station, part of the Great Central Railway heritage line. A few days previously, paranormal investigators had confirmed that this is a really spooky place. On arrival, I protected myself psychically and consulted my pendulum. I found the station was only dimly lit – by gas lights. Actors in period dress were busy putting the clock back. They were creating a “cameo scene of passengers waiting for a late-night train some time in 1912.” As a locomotive puffed in from Loughborough the atmosphere was eerily reminiscent of the heyday of steam. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I was not dreaming as I visited this steamy spot so often as a child when the Great Central Railway was a main line. As the train drew out of the station, it was easy to imagine that it was heading not for Leicester North (now the end of the line) but for London, 100 miles away. Now for the big question: did I see a ghost? Well, a host of images appeared on my personal cinema screen. Station masters, porters, passengers in Victorian dress and

signalmen all came and went in quick succession. When I looked at the many photographs I had taken I was stunned to find that in several frames there were coloured balls. I was excited and thought these were psychic orbs that indicated there had indeed been ghostly activity. Later, I thoroughly investigated the subject of orbs and decided that most of my pictures could have been caused by the flash on my digital camera hitting specks of dust or moisture close to the lens. Then I heard about the conclusions of a highly qualified scientist, Professor Klaus Heinemann. He took hundreds of digital photos in carefully controlled experiments and was able to rule out common problems encountered by photographers, including dust particles, water droplets and reflections. Eventually he decided that the orbs are part of the spirit world – a conclusion that astonished sceptics everywhere. Professor Heinemann was not on his own. At the world’s first conference on orbs, held in Arizona in 2007, several plucky scientists said they believed the orbs were a genuine paranormal phenomenon. Another haunted building I visited was Belgrave Hall, Leicester. The world’s press and psychic investigators had descended on the old house after a security camera captured a peculiar-looking white image which some people thought was a ghost. The normal trickle of visitors

turned into a flood, thanks to the publicity generated. I could not resist going to the hall and was greeted by a notice inviting visitors to view the video frames. The pictures certainly turned out to be intriguing, although to me they did not look particularly spooky. But ghost busters who had visited the hall claimed to have made contact with the spirits of five previous residents. I walked into the various rooms with an open mind, having first provided myself with psychic protection. I did not see anything on my personal screen. But in one room I had the feeling I was being watched, although there was no-one else in that part of the building. A shiver shot through me and my pendulum swung in an unusual way. A friend who is more psychic than I told me she had visited the hall on numerous occasions and had often been aware of the presence of people from the past. Because of her many years of experience she can immediately differentiate between active spirits and scenes from long ago that have been imprinted on the walls of an old building as if on film.

So easy to influence the pendulum

This is an appropriate point in the book for a word of warning. Firstly, before dowsing you need to be in the right frame of mind. And, equally important, it is all too easy to influence the pendulum. If you are feeling fed up or your mind is half on other things, don’t bother trying to dowse as the results will probably be inaccurate. One way to lift your mood and concentrate is to think of what is known as a peak experience – a time when you were really happy. When I need a boost I often recall my first charity firewalk. During a two-hour motivational session before the walk a lot of positive imagery was fed to participants’ subconsciouses, and by the time I stepped onto the bed of hot coals my mind was100 per cent focused on the challenge ahead. There was not the slightest chance that I would think of anything else. The coals were burning at 1200F degrees, hot enough to melt aluminium, but I was unafraid. All I could think of was reaching the end of the path of fire and being congratulated by family and friends. Whenever I think back to that November night a feeling of joy and optimism immediately floods my mind. And, a few minutes later,

after my heart is beating at its normal pace again, I am ready to dowse. Other special times I recall include a walk in the Peak District in Derbyshire. It was a pleasant spring day and my companion and I rambled happily for a couple of hours, enjoying not only the breath-taking scenery but also the sunshine and the sound of the birds. We called at a small café for a drink and a bite to eat, and everything seemed right with the world. As we sat and chatted, in the company of other walkers, it was a moment of being when everyday cares faded into the background. Now, how can you avoid influencing the pendulum? If you are emotionally involved with the questions you are going to ask it is extremely hard – some would say impossible – to avoid getting the answers you are seeking. A lady contacted me when I was secretary of Leicestershire & Rutland Dowsers to say that her pendulum had let her down. She had entered an art competition, the results of which would not be published for some weeks. She was desperate to know if she would win and, on several occasions, the pendulum had indicated “yes.” Imagine her bitter disappointment when she found she had not even been awarded a runner-up prize. I explained to her tactfully that when dowsing it is essential for one to be detached from the subject about which questions are being asked. It was a hard lesson for

her to learn. Emotional involvement is the reason why it is so challenging for spiritual healers to help those close to them. Ted, who was mentioned in a previous chapter, had many wonderful successes. But he found it extremely difficult to treat his wife, even when she had only a minor health problem.

Meeting inner child on a snowy day

Yesterday I enjoyed a guided meditation. By “guided” I mean that I started off with a scene on my personal cinema screen and then sat back to enjoy the “movie.” Sitting in my conservatory I relaxed by breathing deeply for a few minutes and noted the songs of the birds in trees at the bottom of the garden. Then, holding my Isis pendulum, I silently communicated to the Universe that I wanted to be taken on a journey that would aid my spiritual advancement. The pendulum started to swing lazily clockwise. I imagined myself out in the countryside at the bottom of a tall tower built from rough stone blocks. I opened a wooden door and found I was at the foot of a flight of steps which led to the top of the tower in corkscrew fashion. I started to ascend the steps and they were so narrow that the going was difficult. I noticed green patches on the walls caused by trickles of water. Up to this stage I had been prompting my imagination to take the “movie” forward. Then, as my pendulum stopped, I was able to sit back and see what happened next. When I reached the top of the steps I was out of breath.

I walked through a narrow opening in the stonework and found myself on a slabbed area. The countryside was far below and I could see a lake in the distance with yachts on it. I wondered what to do next and then realised that I had become weightless. I began to rise into the air. I soared above the tower and flew over the countryside at speed. I was exhilarated as I felt the wind rushing through my hair. Then my heart came up into my mouth as I dropped like a stone and landed in a snowdrift. At this point I had to prompt the meditation to move forward again. I imagined that there was a log cabin a few yards away, with a wooden veranda. I walked up steps onto the veranda and opened the cabin door. I was confronted by a blazing log fire and a table set for a meal, but there was no sign of the cabin’s owner. I was prompted to dress myself in a thick coat, lumberjack’s hat and fur-lined boots before stepping out into the snow. A blizzard had started and, as the flakes hit my face, my skin stung. I walked towards a wood and the snow crunched beneath my feet. A narrow path led into the wood and I stepped along it. I had a strange feeling that was a mixture of apprehension and excitement. Apart from the sound of my boots ploughing through the snow, there was an ominous silence, with no birdsong.

After walking round a bend, with snow-covered trees and bushes on either side of me, I saw in the distance a small boy aged around six. I ran towards him and hugged him and we both wept. After a few minutes I released him and he walked away. I had met what is known as my inner child. I think he was letting me know that, although I have had my ups and downs like everyone else, he was pleased with how my life had turned out. As I walked back to the cabin I realised that the snow had disappeared and it was a summer’s day. The birds were singing their hearts out. I have enjoyed several sessions with some of the content similar to what I have described. On another occasion I met my power animal in the wood. It was a magnificent swan. Once, quite unexpectedly, I found myself floating just above the heads of people in a crowded shopping centre. It was Christmastime and I noted all of the festive decorations. These images appeared spontaneously without any prompting from me. I am not sure what they meant. But the most vivid and memorable experience came soon after dowsing had opened windows in my mind. I found myself in a small theatre at a seaside resort and became aware that the last show of the holiday season was taking place. The whole of the auditorium was bathed in a

pale blue light. A female vocalist was on stage singing a slow, melancholy ballad. I could not make out the words until she sang: “It’s over.” Then I saw the large violet from my childhood days and realised that the first stage of my spiritual journey had been completed. Creative visualisation is similar to guided meditation. It is often turned to by people who want to change their lives. I will give two examples. Sports people visualise winning an event in which they are due to take part. And some folk focus on obtaining a new job – imagining the interview in great detail. For me, a guided meditation session is like a movie that can continue for quite a while. Creative visualisation concentrates on a single scene. It is not necessary to sit down to enjoy a guided meditation or creative visualisation. On occasion I have been walking in the countryside and have drifted into a meditative state that has produced surprising results.

Message from Orion constellation

A particularly surprising adventure was sparked off after I first tried my hand at automatic writing. Although it was not directly connected with a pendulum, this was another of those doors that only opened because I became interested in dowsing. I sat quietly for a few minutes, holding a pencil, which was resting lightly on a blank page in an exercise book. Then my right hand started to glide across the page and, although I knew words were appearing in one long sentence, I was not aware what they were. After a short time, my hand stopped moving. I looked at the writing, which said the message had come from Orion, whose denizens were taking a special interest in our planet. Part of the message read like the first paragraph of a book: “Conduit ZKF. What a humdrum name for such a mysterious spiritual process. The deaths of members of the 100-strong soul group had been spread out over 50 years. One by one they had reached the conduit, ready for the next part of their journey…” I was excited about the writing and was determined to use it as the inspiration for a novel. But I was so busy at work that after a few days I put the extraordinary

communication at the back of my mind. Then, one day soon after I had retired, I was walking in a country park near to my home when a message came into my head. I learnt that someone from the Orion constellation wanted to communicate with me. He said he was called Tipo, a name I had previously associated only with a Fiat car. First Tipo asked whether I would be happy for him to contact me regularly, and I intimated that this would be fine. To begin with, it seemed as if he was speaking to me in English. But I quickly realised that his thoughts were being conveyed to me instantly without the need for words. Strange! Tipo asked me to visualise a large pink planet and said this was necessary to fully open up the channel. (I will use the word, “said,” instead of “communicated,” although it is not really the right one). As I saw the planet on my personal cinema screen, a feeling of calm descended on me. I was also told that, whenever the connection was weak, I must again visualise the same globe. Although Tipo gave the impression of being young, I learnt that he was an advanced soul. He had spent many lifetimes on a variety of planets and had been freed from the need to reincarnate. He said that he and other beings from Orion were focusing on the Earth and were helping to increase the vibrational energies. He had been keeping an eye on my spiritual progress. He was disappointed, he

said, that I had not started to write a book about my New Age experiences soon after my experiment with automatic writing. Tipo said the Earth, together with its inhabitants, had reached a critical point in its history. It was being ruined through the over-use and polluting of its natural resources. And a large part of humankind, in the western world in particular, was living in a spiritual wilderness. In accordance with the Divine Plan, Tipo and many others from Orion were working to increase the numbers of people on spiritual paths. Once a critical mass was reached, the Earth could enter a new golden age. I asked whether it was certain that a critical mass would be achieved. Tipo would not answer that question. He went on to give me a little praise. He said the belief system that had been imposed on me by the religious denomination to which I had belonged was powerful and destructive. To break away and build up a new belief system was extremely difficult. Many people became mentally unhinged when trying to readjust their minds. It was clear that Tipo did not think a lot of organised religion. Most of those who attended places of worship had closed down their link to the Universal Spirit, he said, and this could be confirmed by checking their crown chakras with a pendulum.

Tipo said humans were far more powerful than they realised. He complimented me on the physical challenges I had faced up to such as firewalking, but added: “So far, nothing you have done, including walking on broken glass, has been too testing. When you walk through a brick wall without harming yourself I will be impressed.” What! Since then, Tipo has told me a lot about his life. Some of the concepts he has communicated to me are puzzling. Although he is a spiritual being and lives in an apparently inactive state of bliss for part of the time, he has the power to lower his vibrations and appear in physical form. He even has a home in the shape of a small pyramid. Once, when I asked whether I should refer to him as asexual, he firmly said no. Perhaps at some point, I will be made aware of the reason for this response. Later, I asked Tipo about something that had been troubling me for a while. “Tipo,” I said, “do you come from my imagination?” “Of course,” he replied. When I said I was disappointed, he told me: “You don’t know much about the imagination.”

Kind words save plant and Christmas tree

As I write, an exceptionally large peace lily stands a few feet away. It looks extremely healthy and seems to grow bigger each week. A few years ago it was on its last legs and Rosemary said it should be thrown into the recycling bin. Then I remembered reading that communicating with a plant and cheering it up could work wonders. First I checked with my pendulum whether the peace lily had been placed in the most appropriate spot in the house. At the time it was standing in a corner in the lounge, on the opposite side of the room to the bay window. I soon discovered, thanks to my pendulum, that the plant would prefer to be upstairs on the landing, close to a window. It was duly moved and I told it what a fine plant it was and that everyone in the house loved it. Since that time I have spoken to it encouragingly every day, sometimes several times, and it has thrived. It always lets me know when it’s time for watering. It must be happy. For it produces flowers all the year round. The latest appeared today – on January 28th. I have had similar success with a fir tree, which was bought a few years ago to be the centrepiece of our

Christmas decorations. After a month in a warm house it was a pale shadow of its former self and seemed set for the recycling bin. It was put in the garden, still in the container in which it had been purchased, and forgotten. When I ventured out on a freezing day and took a look at it there seemed no hope for it. But, with the aid of the pendulum, I discovered that it was still very much alive. I dowsed to find a good spot in the garden for it and said a few upbeat words. It soon picked up and is now in great shape. Despite being in the shadow of a large sycamore it is reaching for the sky. Some readers might assume that I got the idea of talking to plants and trees from newspaper stories about Prince Charles. But in fact I was inspired by a book called In Perfect Timing, which is about Peter Caddy’s horticultural achievements at Findhorn in Scotland. Like John Michell, whom I mentioned earlier, Caddy is viewed as a founding father of the New Age. With his wife Eileen, and Dorothy Maclean, he founded the now-famous Findhorn Community in Scotland. Although the dry, sandy soil of Findhorn Bay Caravan Park would have put off most gardeners, huge plants were grown, including 40-pound cabbages. Experts who went to examine the produce were stunned. The secret, it turned out, was that the trio were all on spiritual paths and Dorothy had communicated with nature spirits.

Off to the pub to do a few miracles

Dowser-healers have their individual methods for tackling illnesses. And, fortunately, many of them have written about how they work. One of my favourite books has a long title: I’m Just Going Down to the Pub to do a few Miracles or: The Rational Way to Spiritual Healing. The author was the late Colin Bloy, a successful businessman who was described by those who knew him as a laid-back guy, and the book title was intended to convey that he was relaxed about healing. He said that good healers laugh a lot. He explains in the book that when working away from home healers plug into the permanent node points in the ley system – “not necessarily the nearest, but those which permit the most symmetrical form, a cross of energy lines, to form on the healer himself.” He adds: “It may also be found, through dowsing, that a vertical column of energy forms around the healer.” While healing someone, Colin used a pendulum, and also his fingertips, to find small holes in the subtle energy fields that surround the human body. Then, in a higher state of consciousness, he used his fingertips and visualisation

to effect repairs. He goes on to explain that there is overwhelming evidence that disease starts in the subtle energy bodies. There is a fascinating chapter on how he healed diseases by summoning-up archetypes – a subject that is outside the scope of this book. Colin had an excellent success rate as a healer, despite tackling many near-hopeless cases, but he says: “Healers do not heal. They are the channel that permits healing to take place.” It is a pity that Colin’s book is not available new at present, but there are second-hand copies around. Another interesting, if controversial, book is The Healer (Bk 1), by the late Jack Temple, who was consulted by many famous people, including Princess Diana, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, and Jerry Hall. Jack used a silver pendulum to identify the existence of toxins, cleared the aura and applied homeopathic remedies to balance the patient’s energies and encourage natural healing. His system was not simple and some of the medicines he prepared involved painstaking research. On occasion he would travel thousands of miles by air to pinpoint, with the aid of his pendulum, a stone or plant that he needed to complete a medicine. Other times he would dowse to find a fragment of tree trunk which contained human DNA from

the distant past and which he said was vital for the correction of a present-day problem. Even open-minded people might raise eyebrows at some of his methods. But the reply to critics was that his approach worked – as confirmed by many satisfied patients. The Healer, subtitled The extraordinary story of Jack Temple, is a good read. A recently-published book is Dowsing – the Ultimate Guide for the 21st Century, by Elizabeth Brown. Included in a chapter on health are lists of sample questions that can be asked about subjects such as hydration, sleep and exercise. The answers, of course, are obtained by dowsing. Elizabeth is a very modern dowser with clients in more than 20 countries. She “works privately and in support of doctors and health professionals in identifying detrimental environmental energies and causative factors in ill health.” She believes that the world is on a long journey towards the integration of allopathic and holistic medicine. There is a particularly interesting piece in the book about the need to drink sufficient water every day and about the problems that can be caused by dehydration. But the big question is: what sort of water is best? After mentioning some of the nasties that can be found in tap water, Elizabeth points out that water sold in plastic

bottles cannot be guaranteed pure. After taking a look at home filtration methods, she reveals her personal preference: a water purifying system that uses imploded water technology. The system is said to alter the composition of water at the molecular level, rendering contaminants and toxins innocuous. Elizabeth advises that the only way to tell if your water is safe is to check it by dowsing. Another excellent book that includes tips for improving health is Spiritual Dowsing, by Sig Lonegren, possibly one of the world’s best-known dowsers. I have a signed copy of Spiritual Dowsing with the following handwritten message: “This book can lead you to new places.” How true those words are. Among many noteworthy points that Sig makes is that healers risk getting “flat batteries” if they think they are doing the healing. Sooner or later the depletion of their life force could endanger their own health. Healers should view themselves as channels for energies that come from the Highest Source. Sig is clearly a fan of Bach Flower Remedies and suggests a simple way to select appropriate essences, which are supplied in small bottles.

All the fun of the fair in a vivid dream

Since I started on a spiritual path I have had many vivid dreams. Few of them have been lucid dreams – the type that you can control because you are aware you are dreaming. I have not made much effort to progress in that area. Perhaps that is another of the steps that I will need to take before much longer, as my pendulum adventures continue. I have a thick notebook two-thirds full of the movies that I have enjoyed while I have been asleep. Here are just a few examples. Dream one: back to the days when I had just become a weekly newspaper editor. Hot metal is still used in typesetting. It is late in the evening on press day and I am sitting alone in the first-floor editorial offices. The reporters and sub-editors have gone home and I find that there is unexpectedly an extra page for me to sub and lay out, but there is very little copy. The deadline has passed and I am in a cold sweat. The head compositor from the printing works comes upstairs to see me and wants to know how much longer the page will be. My interpretation of this dream, with the aid of the pendulum: I still have much to do on my spiritual path but

am worried that, because of my age, there is not enough time to do everything that I would like to achieve. Although I have spent so many years on a spiritual path I feel as if I am just beginning. At times I seem to be overwhelmed. How I wish I had spiritually awakened when I was a lot younger. Dream two: I am driving a car at night. I am travelling along a dark country lane and about to negotiate a bend when the car’s headlights go out and then, when I frantically try to brake, nothing happens. The vehicle veers off the road into a pitch black field and, as my pulse races, I realise I am soaring into the air and flying. There is a feeling of weightlessness. My interpretation: although I have spent more than 20 years studying alternative spirituality, there are still surprises (pleasant ones, I hope!) on the road ahead. Dream three: it is the late 1940s. Germany has won World War Two and taken control of this country. It is night-time and I am driving secretly to a meeting place in the heart of the countryside. I have a radio transmitter that I plan to hand over to someone else. I realise that I am a British spy, although none of my family nor friends are aware of this. I have an awful feeling that something unpleasant is about to happen. My interpretation: I am not the person some of my friends think me to be. Because the time has never seemed

right I have not mentioned my dowsing and spiritual interests to them. Dream four: to the spirit world, dowsers stand out like beacons, and I occasionally have dreams about people who have passed away. Two reporters I knew when I was a young journalist appeared on my personal cinema screen recently. They were not the old men they had become but were young and healthy and in their early 20s. They appeared calm and contented. My interpretation: I do not think this needs explaining. However, it’s worth mentioning another dream – a dream that probably comes into the lucid category. The man who preceded me as editor was aged in his nineties when he passed away. In the dream he was still quite old but looked cheerful. I suddenly thought: “I wonder if we will speak to me?” And I shivered when he said, very clearly: “And how’s young John?” Dream five: I am on holiday abroad with my family. The weather has been poor and I suddenly realise that it is our last day. I feel sad that we have not had a good time. We sit in the reception area of the hotel where we are staying and, on looking out of the entrance doors, I note that the sea is surrounding the premises. My interpretation: at the time several minor matters were worrying me and I think this dream was connected with my emotional state. I was being challenged to tackle

the problems head on and put them behind me. Dream six: I walk into an old-fashioned grocery shop and ask for a jar of beetroot. I am left waiting for a long time and then I notice on the counter a postcard that I had sent while on holiday at the seaside. I look at what I had written but part of it has been blanked out. My interpretation: this was about my younger days and indicates that I was unsure about what course my life would take. Dream seven: I am watering the very large lawn of an old house. There are huge puddles on the grass. A small boy appears and, just as I am about to speak to him, he vanishes into one of the puddles. My interpretation: the small boy represents my inner child. I have always been puzzled about an episode from my childhood and he could have cleared it up. But the message was that I should forget about it. Dream eight: I am tracking the route of an Earth energy line when I suddenly start to run. I stride out effortlessly and am astonished at the progress I make. My interpretation: it turned out that this dream had a very practical message. I used to be a keen jogger. But, due to ankylosing spondylitis and my age, I had not run for years. After the dream I decided to try a gentle trot. I got on fine and now regularly run short distances. But perhaps there is an additional interpretation.

Because I have become so interested in the meaning of dreams, I have taken another look at some of those I can remember from when I was younger. I will give two examples. Dream A: I was walking in the countryside at night. It was pitch black and I could not see where I was going. Suddenly, only a short distance away a fairground burst into life. It was a blaze of colour, with music coming from the various amusements (yes, I could actually hear the music in my head). But the strange thing was that there were no people there. My interpretation: at the time I was aged six and my parents were getting divorced. It was not as common at that time for couples to split up and I felt uncomfortable about it. I was worried about the future but equally concerned about what neighbours would say. I wanted to hide myself away. The dream, which recurred several times, was about fear of exposure – as the child of divorced parents. Dream B: I found myself in a desert, with the sun blazing down from a cloudless sky. There was no-one in sight and the sand stretched for miles. Then I saw that, in the distance, a torrent of water was cutting through the sand and rushing towards me. My interpretation: I was about 12 at the time I dreamt

this. Even at that young age I thought about the great questions that humans have always pondered on (why are we here? etc.) and the water appearing in a barren landscape represented my thirst for a spiritual dimension to my life (it had nothing to do with sex, as some interpreters would claim!).

Inactive crown chakras put in the picture

Whenever you have half an hour to spare, check out the crown chakras of politicians, religious leaders, rock stars and other prominent people. You might not be able to see them in the flesh but you can find their photos in newspapers and magazines. First ask permission, and then hold your pendulum above the head of each personality. What I have found is that in many cases the crown chakra is inactive. In other words, they have lost or severed contact with the spiritual dimension. Even some luminaries who are viewed as allround good folk have inactive, or blocked, crown chakras. My pendulum either does not move or gives my “no” response – swinging from side to side. A variation on this light-hearted bit of practice is to cut out a photo of someone who is generally viewed as evil (such as Adolph Hitler) and a photo of someone who is viewed as good (such as Princess Diana). Now ask a friend to place the pictures in plain envelopes while you are not looking. Then, with the aid of the pendulum, you have to select which envelope contains the good person’s picture and which the bad person’s. Try this several times (with different pictures). If your success rate is a lot better

than 50pc your dowsing is working – to some degree, at least. Another way of testing your skills is to open up a pack of playing cards and lay them all face down on a table. Now ask the pendulum to tell you which cards are red and which are black. Again, if you are successful more than 50pc of the time you have proved that your skills are improving. These exercises might sound like a waste of valuable time. But they are in fact good ways to practise.

Use pendulum to win battle of bulge

From childhood, I have always found it easy to put on weight. For a time at junior school I was the fat boy of the class and for most of my life I have had to be careful about what I eat. I know that if I devour, say, a chocolate eclair and vanilla slice I will be a pound, or more, heavier the next day. Since I mastered a pendulum I have received valuable help in the battle of the bulge. If I fancy something sweet I ask: “Is it in my best interests to eat this cake (or other treat) at this time?” Most times I will get a “no.” But not always. I am occasionally allowed something sugary. Some days I use the pendulum to check on everything that I am planning to eat that day. Most mornings a bowl of porridge with a few sultanas on top gets the thumbs up from the pendulum. But occasionally a banana and a slice of wholemeal toast with Marmite go down nicely. Salads usually take centre stage at lunchtime, always accompanied by a vegetarian dish, of course. The pendulum advises that meat-free ready-made meals should be strictly limited, because they are not all as healthy as one would hope. I make an excellent vegetarian loaf that includes lentils, oats, cheese and eggs.

In the evening, if I am watching my weight, I often have home-made soup, followed by one slice of toast with peanut butter. Lentil and carrot soup is a favourite. Food items that the pendulum advises against one day sometimes get the OK the next day. I am not very keen on celery, but occasionally I am recommended to eat it – presumably because of the acid/alkaline balance. Until recently, I regularly had an omelette in the evening. But at present, unless they are in a recipe, I eat very few eggs. I have checked with the pendulum and been advised to cut down on them for the time being. I am one of those naughty people who enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine with a meal four or five evenings a week. But, before downing my first glass, I consult the pendulum to ensure that it is in my best interests to consume alcohol that night. Dowsing is a great help when deciding what food supplements to take. Some highly-praised supplements and natural remedies have been turned down flat by my pendulum, which I have also found very effective when avoiding potentially harmful clashes with prescription drugs. But even if a supplement gets the thumbs up you should always take the precaution of checking with your doctor as well. Readers might get the impression that my life is spent being dictated to by a brass weight on the end of a piece of

string. This is far from the truth as the advice comes from the Highest Source. Even so, answers obtained by dowsing should never be viewed as 100 per cent reliable. This is not because the Source is liable to err – but because it is so easy to ask the wrong questions or to influence the swing.

Bombarded by images while tracking ley

Everyone interested in Earth energies should check out the Bradgate Ley in my home county of Leicestershire. This serpent-like current runs for more than nine miles from Oadby to picturesque Bradgate Park. As with other energy leys, it can be investigated in a relaxed manner in sections. And, one December, just before Christmas, I explored the bit that runs through the city from Victoria Park to Frog Island. After protecting myself as usual and asking the important questions, I stepped onto rather muddy grass and walked across football pitches. My pendulum did not move for a while and then, as I approached a footpath, it began to get excited, swinging backwards and forwards rapidly. When I reached the tarmacked path, which led towards the town centre, the pendulum spun furiously clockwise and I knew I had found the ley. I walked for some distance on the hard surface. Then the current moved gently to the left before crossing Granville Road. It proceeded to pass through buildings. But I was able to keep track of it on several streets that crossed it at 90 degrees. On reaching the city centre it flowed across one end of

the old market, where stallholders were doing a roaring trade, before proceeding through a busy shopping area. Then it went on to the ancient All Saints’ Church, a redundant Anglican place of worship in Highcross Street. As expected, another energy line crossed the Bradgate Ley within the church. During the walk I tried to concentrate on where I was going. But on my personal screen I was regularly bombarded with images from times past. Curiously, these images were in black and white instead of the usual colour. When I had started the walk from London Road I “saw” men in top hats, and women pushing old-fashioned prams. I was sure it was the Victorian era. Nearer to the town centre there were scenes from many years later – probably just before World War Two. Other images were of men hurrying to a football match. I admit that these “movie pictures” could have been entirely the products of my imagination. But no matter – they were hauntingly vivid. I had better make clear that the route I took seemed to differ at some points from the details given in an article I had read about the Bradgate Ley. But when tracing energy lines dowsers do not always find exactly the same things. And, anyway, Earth energies can change course. (That’s my excuse, anyway!) On another day I tackled the section of the Bradgate

Ley that runs through Bradgate Park from the Anstey direction. It was a beautiful day and it turned out to be another memorable experience. The walk up a steep hill to a folly or prospect tower known as Old John was testing – but well worth it. Ley hunting makes any walk a lot more interesting.

Expert advice on healing a sick house

Everyone deserves to have a happy home where they can relax and feel insulated from the cares of the world. If you sense that there is something wrong with your house, have trouble sleeping and feel better when you are staying elsewhere, perhaps you would benefit from calling in a dowser who specialises in healing sick properties and their occupants. I have heard talks by three of these geomancers, as they are called, and also read a lot about how sick houses can be restored to good health. Like Earth energy lines, this is a massive subject about which much has been written. The main problems that can affect a house and those living in it include points where the Earth’s electromagnetic field has been disturbed, harmful energy from underground water veins and black streams, overhead power lines, and man-made stress or disturbance lines – the result of tragic events ranging from battles and murders to car accidents. But geopathic stress can also be caused by lost souls that have not been to the light and by memories from years ago that are embedded in the fabric of a building. And let’s not forget the radiation from electrical items such as computers, microwaves and mobile phones.

Rosemary and I have lived in the same house for more than 40 years and have always felt it to be a pleasant place to live. At one time it was checked out by a Feng Shui consultant who said it was nicely located and full of happiness. Over the years I had used my pendulum on many occasions to find whether there were any negative influences that the Feng Shui expert had missed. I had always got a “no” response but still had a feeling that something was not quite right. Then, a few months ago, I heard a talk by Adrian Incledon-Webber and also read his book called Heal Your Home and sub-titled The key to unlocking your home’s positive energies. Adrian’s approach to tackling a sick home is remarkably thorough, and the checklists he uses cover some items that I had not previously considered. As a result I found there were two things to sort out. The pendulum directed my attention to three old family photographs hanging on a wall in the lounge. I learnt that one of them was fine but the other two were emitting painful memories that were at times affecting the mood of the house. I consulted the appropriate checklist and healed the pictures from the past. My pendulum afterwards confirmed that they were not now causing any problems and there was no need to remove them. I believe we will

derive major benefits from such a simple piece of work. I would add that to gauge the amount of harm being done by any item that needs healing, Adrian scores it between -0 and -10, with -10 being the most serious. The photos scored -3 and -4, respectively. Perhaps some research into our family history would reveal the reason for the negative influence of the photos, taken more than 70 years ago. It is worth adding that more than 10 years ago I learnt that there was a stream of water 25ft below our house but that it was not having an adverse effect on any of us. The presence of the stream did not come as a surprise as our home was built on land that used to flood before the surface was raised. The house stands half a mile away from the site of a Bronze Age burial ground, close to which is a spinney on a hill. The hill is a powerful centre of Earth energies and I have spent some interesting times there, with pendulum in hand. Going back to Adrian, when he sets out to heal a home he checks for a long list of possible problems, including – to give just two examples – sink holes and human conflict or emotional energy areas. Sink holes are described as small holes that allow both beneficial and detrimental energies to drain into them and slip into another dimension. Wow!

Regarding human conflict or emotional energy troubles, Adrian says that detrimental areas can be started by a simple argument, a negative thought or illness. He says they are similar to disturbance lines. But they are more like patches of energy which remain where they are caused – in the home or workplace, for example. Fortunately we do not have a spiritual sink hole in our house, nor any emotional energy areas. And, I guess, many people will never encounter any of the problems mentioned. But, for anyone whose home is not a happy place to live, Adrian’s book could turn out to be an important read.

Identifying valuables – with a pendulum

Among the more unusual uses for a pendulum is finding out the identity of valuables. Everything from a silver candlestick to a diamond necklace has a special code which your pendulum can reveal. When I first read about this strange system in a book I had my doubts. But it does work. I will take my wedding ring as an example. I place it on a table in front of me and ask the usual questions. Having received three yeses, I ask the pendulum to reveal the ring’s identity. First there are 22 clockwise swings, then 18 backwards and forwards swings, followed by 18 anticlockwise swings. We are not finished at that point, but I think you will have got the idea. I guess that every item on the planet, whether valuable or not, has a code. The big question is whether the results are repeatable. In other words, the next time I check my ring, will there be the same number and type of swings. As far as I can tell, the answer is yes. I have checked a number of my possessions – mainly for fun, I admit. Perhaps I will find a practical use for this strange system one day.

Crystals all over the house

Many dowsers build up an impressive collection of crystals of various shapes and colours, and I am no exception. I acquired my first clear quartz crystal at a craft fair soon after I started to dowse. I spotted it when I was taking a look at what was on offer on one of the stalls. The female stall holder invited me to pick up the crystal and hold it for a few minutes. When I handed it back to her she closed her eyes for a few moments and then identified the areas of my body which were painful (due to ankylosing spondylitis). I was mightily impressed and I bought the attractive piece of rock without haggling over the price. Back home I cleansed it. I did not bury it in the ground for a week, as some people recommend, nor did I wash it in salt water and dry it in the sun. I had read that crystals can be cleared of undesirable influences with the power of the mind, and this was the method I chose (after consulting my pendulum). For years I carried the quartz crystal in my pocket every day. It was double headed and shaped a bit like a small pistol. I found that whenever I was confronted by

anything that worried or aggravated me, whether at work or at home, I would take the crystal out of my pocket and would soon feel fine. When I meditated while holding the mysterious piece of rock I would often see on my personal cinema screen men and women in white cloaks and hoods. In the background were small, pyramid-shaped buildings made of clear quartz. How sad I was when two years ago I left the crystal in a hotel room by mistake. When I phoned the hotel reception desk a few hours later I was told a member of staff would check the room. But the crystal had disappeared. I can only assume that someone needed it more than I did. I hope that it will have the same beneficial effect on its new owner. Even so, the loss was like being parted from a very dear friend. Crystals are worth collecting not only because they can be used in healing but because they can protect you from harmful influences, and also because they create a sense of wellbeing. As I write this a large blue crystal stands on the desk in front of me and I am sure that it is reducing to some effect the microwaves coming from the computer monitor. There are crystals all over the house, including a large amethyst on the bedside table. I avoid having a quartz crystal in the bedroom at night because I find that it makes

it harder to get to sleep. Other crystals, particularly amethyst and rose quartz, provide a restful atmosphere. For thousands of years, crystals were used by ancient civilisations for healing. But it is only now that increasing numbers of people in the western world are beginning to appreciate how valuable these pieces of rock are.

Beware of psychic vampires

Family and friends are a vital part of a happy life. But what if someone to whom you are close makes you feel tired and depressed when you spend an hour or two in their company? Get out your pendulum and find out whether the person is a psychic vampire. (You will probably already know what the answer is, but it’s good to get the pendulum’s confirmation.) I am not referring to the extreme type of psychic vampire who travels astrally at night and bites people, as featured in Psychic Self-Defence by Dion Fortune (18901946). I mean someone who drains your energy because he or she has a gloomy outlook and they want to spend all the time talking about themselves and their problems. You do your best to help them, and suggest ways in which they can improve their mood. But whenever you see them they go over the same minor things. If someone has suffered a tragic event or has major worries of another kind they do, of course, deserve a lot of love and sympathy. But, more often than not, today’s psychic vampires have no big problems and just want to suck the mental energy out of you. I have only come into contact with a few of these

people. But I have found them to be very draining. Before I became a dowser I used to tactfully suggest that they should read an excellent book called Being Happy! by Andrew Matthews. But this did not usually work, as they were not really interested in cheering up – only in sucking the optimism out of anyone who was prepared to listen to them. Most of the vampires do not drain people’s energy intentionally. Their main trouble is that they are selfcentred and want to sink their fangs into caring people so they can take up as much of their time as possible. These days I do still recommend positive thinking books like Being Happy! But I also tactfully ask the vampires if I can check them out with my pendulum to see whether any nasties like entities might have become attached to them. Usually there is nothing to find.

Similarities between humans and Earth

Among the many fascinating things I have learnt on my dowsing journey is that there are striking similarities between Mother Earth and the human body. We humans have an aura, seven major chakras and meridians. Gaia has an aura, vortices (or vortexes) and energy lines, the equivalent of our meridians, which distribute life energy (chi) throughout the body. The human aura is a multi-layered energy field that surrounds the physical body. It connects with the seven major chakras, or energy centres, which are in line with the spine. The chakras (chakra means wheel in Sanskrit) are linked to the endocrine system and each one is connected with a gland or glands. For example, the crown chakra is associated with the brain and pineal gland, and the solar plexus chakra with the pancreas. Remember that we are talking about subtle energy. So if, for example, your solar plexus chakra is blocked it does not mean you will immediately become ill. But, long term, it is advisable to ensure that your body’s subtle energy system is in good order. The Earth’s aura streams energy to other celestial bodies. It has a number of layers, just like the human aura.

Its vortices, the equivalent of the human chakras, draw in energy from the Universe. Its major energy lines serve the same purpose as the human body’s meridians. There are said to be eight major vortices on Earth. One of them, the equivalent of the throat chakra, is at Glastonbury. This is a big, controversial subject and if you are interested in exploring further there are plenty of books available. As mentioned previously, when someone comes to me feeling a little out of sorts (and a doctor has been consulted) I first check his (or her) chakras with a pendulum to make sure they are all spinning nicely. Then I check his aura. Holding my pendulum out in front of me I walk towards him until it starts to turn clockwise, indicating the edge of the aura (which is usually about a foot away from the person). Then I hold the pendulum in front of him and move it slowly from his feet to the top of his head. If there is a hole in the aura the pendulum will stop spinning. I repeat the exercise from the side of the person. Any holes are healed with a clear quartz crystal in the shape of a thick pen, with a point at one end. Afterwards, the pendulum will let you know whether you have been successful. By the way, everything on Earth has an aura, because

we humans – together with all animate and inanimate objects – are basically vibrating waves of electromagnetic energy. Mystics knew this thousands of years ago. Now science has caught up. I like to keep an eye on my peace lily’s aura, to ensure that it continues to be in peak condition.

Many spiritual doors opened

Thanks to my pendulum, I have been on the most amazing journey over the past 20-plus years – and I continue to derive as much interest and fun from the art as when I first became acquainted with it. As readers will have gathered, this book represents a personal view of what dowsing with a pendulum can offer. For me the ancient art has opened many spiritual doors and provided huge numbers of insights, not to mention the many practical applications. I am not going to claim that every reader will have exactly the same experiences that I have had. But your belief system and world-view will certainly change. Dowsing is a big subject and I have only really skimmed the surface. For example, I could have written a lot more about the different opinions on ley lines. I am happy that they are principally dowsable currents of powerful Earth energy – what the Chinese call dragon lines. I also recognise that when tracking the Earth energy lines featured in this book other dowsers might follow slightly different routes – and they are unlikely to see the same images on their personal cinema screens. But, as I

have made clear, dowsing is not an exact science. And, whatever you find when following energy lines, your life will be enriched. Early on in my dowsing career, I located a lot more currents of energy than I do now. They were all over the place! I was puzzled until a dowsing teacher explained that I was tuning in to a personal grid. This can be avoided by asking the right questions and focusing on them. Everyone interested in alternative spirituality says that we humans are far more powerful than most of us realise and that our imagination can achieve remarkable things. Dowsers know that this is the case.

Battling against dark forces to save Earth My next book has already been started. It will be a novel about an attempt by the powers of darkness to control Mother Earth’s subtle energy grid, with dowsers battling to prevent this happening. Here is the first chapter.

Gemma Rivers squeezed Luke’s hand and, in a matter of fact way, said softly: “Before I teach you about my work as a spiritual warrior you need to be aware of the power of the forces of darkness.” Her boyfriend’s heart skipped a beat. His belief system had changed considerably since he had quit a strict Christian faith seven years ago. But the suggestion that he should learn anything about those on the side of evil terrified him. Sensing his fears, Gemma quickly added: “Don’t worry. You’ll be well protected. I won’t let you come to any harm.” The courting couple were walking along a country lane on a summer evening. It was still warm at the end of a blisteringly hot day. Gemma, the 32-year-old owner of a shop called New Age Dawn in Blackrock town centre, led the way through a gap in a hawthorn hedge. Then she pointed towards a spinney standing on raised ground 50 yards away. “Can you notice anything about those trees?” she asked.

Luke did not answer until they got nearer to the spinney. Then he said: “The branches are twisted into all sorts of unusual shapes.” “Correct,” Gemma replied. “I’ll tell you more about that later. But first let’s make sure that our psychic shields are in place.” The couple sat down together on the grass and concentrated hard as they imagined that they were surrounded by protective balls of golden light. Then Gemma said: “We are working on behalf of The Light and ask that we will be shielded against any harmful forces, whether human or spiritual, that we encounter in the spinney.” She took out a clear quartz crystal pendulum from her handbag and checked that her request had been granted. The pendulum reassuringly gave its yes response. The young woman was a shapely 5ft-5in in height and her pretty oval face was lightly tanned. She had dark hair and a fringe. Her appearance contrasted with that of Luke who was fair haired, wiry and 6ft-2in tall. “I want to go into the middle of this spinney with my companion and ask questions about the dark forces that use it,” Gemma said, apparently concentrating hard as she held her pendulum. She asked three questions. “Can I do this at this time? May I do this at this time? Am I ready for this at this time?” “I know that what you are doing is called dowsing. But

who are you talking to?” asked Luke. “I am talking to my higher self, which is constantly in contact with the Universal Consciousness,” replied Gemma. “My higher self can access the Akashic Record, a dense sea of energy and information that’s also known as the Book of Life. Everything that’s happened since the universe was created can be found in the Akashic Record.” Luke put his right arm around her as she said: “We’ve been given the OK, so let’s go.” He was trembling and there was a sinking feeling in his stomach. He felt more nervous than when, at the age of 18, he had first taken part in the door-to-door preaching work as a Jehovah’s Witness. And he had felt sick with nerves then. After they had walked only a few yards into the spinney the temperature dropped dramatically. It felt as cold as in mid-winter. And although it was only 7pm on a day in the middle of July the light had faded. There was an ominous silence and Luke wondered why there was no birdsong. The atmosphere was menacing. “A few more yards and we will be there,” said Gemma, sounding reassuringly calm. They followed a path between the weirdly-shaped trees to a circular clearing about 10 yards in diameter. To Luke it seemed as if the clearing was filled with electricity and,

to his disgust, he felt faint. Suddenly, there was a hideous roar and a gigantic shape floated into the air in front of them, only a few yards away. It was at least 20ft in height and resembled a wolf standing on its hind legs. Luke sank to his knees and cowered in fear. Gemma, with pendulum in hand, asked for the spectre to be dealt with. The pendulum swung furiously in an anticlockwise direction. Then it swung equally fast clockwise. For a few seconds the clearing was filled with blinding white light. Luke, who had never previously thought of himself as cowardly, shook with fear and put his hands over his eyes. “Everything’s OK now,” said Gemma. Luke opened his eyes and found that the wolf, or whatever it was, had gone. The atmosphere in the spinney seemed friendly, the temperature was back to normal and the birds were singing. “You must be ashamed of me,” said Luke. “I can’t believe I behaved so badly.” “Don’t worry. We weren’t playing games and the experience we had was terrifying for a novice,” said Gemma. “But remember what I told you. If you are adequately shielded you will not be in any danger when encountering dark forces.” As they walked towards their favourite pub for a wellearned drink, Gemma went on to explain the background to

their visit to the spinney. Three strong lines of Earth energy crossed in the clearing, producing what was known as a power centre. Normally this type of energy junction was beneficial to humans, and in ancient times such spots were chosen for the erection of places of worship. However, for the past three years a group calling themselves Blackrock Dark Zone had been regular visitors to the clearing. They carried out evil ceremonies to poison the power centre, which meant that the lines of energy were transformed into what were known as black streams. The occupants of houses through which the currents ran for the next 10 miles or so would suffer problems with their mental and physical health. “Members of my group, Blackrock Light Zone, regularly come here to heal the power centre,” said Gemma. “But within a few days the Dark Zone brigade will return and corrupt it again. They are responsible for the shape of the trees.” “What’s their aim?” asked Luke, who was still feeling shaken. “What you must understand,” said Gemma, “is that our planet is crisscrossed by subtle energy lines. The so called Earth Energy Grid is a complicated subject. But the most important thing to know is that it carries the life force of the planet. The Earth’s energy lines and vortices have been likened to the human body with its meridians and

chakras. “All over the planet groups similar to the Black Zone are using dark ceremonies to corrupt the energy network. If they are successful they will endanger the planet and all life on it. So groups like ours are working hard to defeat their plans.” “Are the bad guys more powerful than your lot?” asked Luke. “No. I know it sounds corny, but we are convinced that because we have right on our side we will triumph in the end. But we will need to be constantly on guard. In time you’ll learn that there are many aspects to this battle between good and evil.” As they were only a few yards away from the pub, Luke saw a man with the appearance of a night club bouncer walking towards them. There was something about him that made Luke shudder. He wore dark clothing and had a bull neck. He seemed to exude an atmosphere of evil. After the man had passed, Gemma said: “That was my ex-husband, Garth, leader of Blackrock Dark Zone.”

GOLDEN DAY AT SEASIDE

The following tale appears in a book of short stories which I wrote to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Trust, a charity whose life-saving work is still not sufficiently well-known. L-rods play an important role in the story. But a pendulum would have been just as effective.

ROY sat up in bed at 5am with a tingling feeling in his tummy. At first he was unsure why he had awoken so early. Then he remembered it was the first day of the school holidays and he and his family were to go to the seaside. And the nervous feeling intensified. He did not need to get up until 6am. But he was too excited to go back to sleep. So he selected a book from a bedroom cupboard and read for the next hour. The 10-year-old had been the envy of his class on the last day of term. It was August, 1946. World War Two had ended only the previous year and none of his classmates in their Midlands school had ever been to the seaside. When he told them where he would be going the following day they could not believe it. Roy knew that his sister, Sylvia, aged seven, was just as keen as he was to head for the coast. He was not so sure about his parents. A few nights ago they had been arguing in their bedroom. He heard his mum say: “There’s no chance that you’ll

find it after all this time. It’s a wild goose chase. If you want to go to this particular seaside resort – and there are plenty of others I’d rather go to – just enjoy the holiday. Don’t waste your time on such a fruitless search.” His dad had replied: “Something tells me that I’ll find it. I know I will.” They continued to argue, but Roy began to doze off and did not hear the rest of the conversation. It hurt him to know that there was a disagreement over his dad’s plans for their holiday. Roy was tall for his age and was known as Lofty at school. He took after his dad, who was 6ft-2in in height. Alf was a foreman in a boot and shoe factory. At 6am, Roy’s mum, Pam, came into his bedroom and told him to get washed and dressed. Half an hour later the family sat down together for a hurried breakfast. After breakfast, they all walked to the bus stop. Alf and Pam were carrying heavy suitcases, Roy had a holdall and Sylvia a small bag. The bus took them to the railway station, where there were crowds of people who, like them, were all set to head for the seaside. Even though there was a long line of carriages, Roy shouted in dismay: “There won’t be enough room on the train for everyone.” His mum said she was sure everything would be fine. As they queued to get on board, Roy saw clouds of

smoke and steam coming from the locomotive. It was like a huge, noisy dragon, he thought. He also noted the vending machines that, before the war, had dispensed bars of chocolate. He could not believe it had been possible to put a coin in a machine and see a chocolate bar pop out. In these days of rationing, the amount of sweets that came his way was severely limited. At last it was the family’s turn to get on board the train. Then they walked along a corridor and tried to find seats. Every compartment was full and, like a dozen other people, they had to remain in the corridor. Roy and Sylvia sat on the two large suitcases and their parents stood. After an hour, a young man came out of a compartment and said Pam could have his seat for the rest of the journey. She gratefully accepted his offer. Roy and his sister were uncomfortable sitting on the suitcases and read comics to try to make the time go quicker. Roy could not help noticing that his dad said very little and just stared out of the window as the scenery flashed past. “Will we soon be there?” Sylvia kept asking. Alf’s reply was always the same: “Just be patient.” After a two-hour journey, that to Roy seemed to have taken the whole morning, the locomotive whistle was sounded and the train drew into the seaside station. As the family were near to a door they were among the

first to step onto the platform. The sky was dull and the temperature a little cool for August. Pam shouted: “Children, can you smell the sea – and fish and chips?” The large guest house where they were to stay was only a 10-minute walk away. But guests were not allowed to enter the building before 2pm. So, still carrying their luggage, they went to a café on the foreshore for a meal of egg and chips, accompanied by slices of white bread, thinly spread with margarine, and cups of tea. Then they sat on a bench on the promenade overlooking the beach. It was low tide and the sea was a long way out. Despite the cool weather, many adults were sitting in deckchairs on the sand while their children played games. There were still reminders of the war. Parts of the beach were cordoned off with barbed wire and there were notices warning of unexploded mines. Closer to the sea, a DUKW, an American amphibious lorry, was lying abandoned, upside down. Several children had climbed up onto it. Roy was keen to join in the fun. But his mum said: “I don’t want you to arrive at the guest house looking like something the tide has brought in. You stay with us.” Just before 2pm, they set out for their accommodation. On the way they passed a cinema that had been destroyed in a German air raid. Only the blackened front and back

walls were still standing. Pam pointed out a faded poster advertising the last film to have been shown in 1940 before the building was hit. It was Citizen Kane, starring Orson Welles. Roy groaned. “I had been looking forward to going to the pictures,” he protested. “Don’t worry. There’s another cinema just off the esplanade,” his mum said. The guest house turned out to be a large, detached Victorian building. A notice in the front window announced that there were no vacancies. Roy was allowed to pull a brass knob set into the brickwork and a bell rang. After a minute or so, a small, plump woman with ginger hair opened the door. She was the landlady, Jean, and she led them up two flights of stairs to their bedroom. In the room were a double bed, two single beds, a chest of drawers, a wash basin and a stand to hang wet towels on. After they had put down their luggage, Jean invited them all to go down to the lounge to meet the other guests. They found that their fellow holidaymakers were enjoying cups of tea and digestive biscuits. The atmosphere seemed a little uneasy, as it was too early in their stay for them to have got to know one another. There were three middle-aged couples, together with an elderly man, a family of five, and a young man of 21 with a long, hooked nose. The young man was the only

guest to acknowledge the latest arrivals. He greeted them warmly and said his name was Jeff. Roy and Sylvia accepted a glass of orange squash each and their parents were handed cups of tea. “Help yourself to a biscuit or two each. They seem to be running out rapidly,” said the landlady. Roy took three biscuits out of the bowl and his mum tapped his arm and made him put one back. Jeff tried to liven up the atmosphere by telling a joke about a policeman who rode his bicycle into a pond and Roy and his mum chuckled. But no-one else reacted. Alf quickly finished his cup of tea and told Pam he would like to go for a walk. “Remember that dinner’s at 7pm prompt,” said landlady Jean. Roy had been hoping they would visit the amusement park and was disappointed when his dad led them away from the town. Alf was carrying a small canvas bag. When his wife saw the bag she coloured up and said angrily: “So you’re going to embarrass us all.” “There’ll be no-one else about,” said Alf. “Anyway, children ought to know about the ancient art that saved my life more than once in the war.” Pam, who only a few months previously has been overjoyed when her husband was demobbed, still looked unhappy. They all crossed the road, turned left and, after a short

distance, turned right, walking past a golf course which was located just behind the sea wall. After they had continued for 10 minutes, the children groaned. “My legs are aching – I hope it’s not much further,” complained Roy. His dad, who had not spoken since they left the guest house, said patiently: “Stop grumbling. There’ll be plenty of time for you to do the things that you want to do.” After another 15 minutes they reached a vast marshy area which was regularly flooded in winter as the sea defences did not stretch this far along the coast. They were confronted by an open metal gate and a sign announcing: “Ministry of Defence land. Keep out.” But there was no sign of any security. Alf led the way through the gate, with his son still grumbling. In the distance, on a piece of raised ground, was a wide red brick wall that was at least 30ft high. On getting close to it, Roy could see there were thousands of pockmarks on the surface. “What’s caused all this damage to the wall, Dad?” he asked. Alf explained that in the early days of World War Two the site had been used by the Army for gunnery practice and the indentations on the wall had been caused by many thousands of bullets. He went on to tell Roy and Sylvia how, when he was undergoing training in early 1940, his most prized

possession, a heavy gold ring with an inset ruby, had slipped off his index finger and been lost in the wet sand. He was down on his hands and knees looking for it when there was an emergency. A German Messerschmitt fighter flew in low over the North Sea and strafed the training ground. The instructor screamed at Alf and his comrades to take cover behind the wall. When the scare was over Alf did not have another chance to look for the ring. The following day his battalion had been transported to the other side of the country and, until now, he had never returned to the site. The ring was an heirloom that had been passed down through four generations of his family. His mother had been heartbroken on learning it had been lost. Alf took two L-shaped pieces of wire out of his canvas bag. Roy was puzzled and said: “What are they for, Dad?” His father explained to the two children that while he was in the Army a pal had taught him how to dowse. “Dowsing’s been used for hundreds of years to find underground water. But it can also be used to find missing objects – or avoid danger,” he said. “Several times in the war I avoided stepping on mines because two pieces of wire like these showed me where they were.” “A lot of nonsense,” retorted Pam. “You were just lucky. And if you think you’re going to use those bits of

wire to find your precious ring you’re off your head.” Alf refused to become ruffled. “We shall see, my dear,” he said quietly. “One of the most important things about dowsing is to ask the right questions,” he went on. Roy was interested in what his father had said. But Sylvia was becoming bored. She yawned and said: “Can we go now, Dad?” “Just be patient for a few more minutes,” said Alf. Pam, who was becoming increasingly angry, said she would take the children back to the guest house. Roy said he wanted to see what his father was going to do. So Pam walked off with Sylvia. Alf explained to his son that the two pieces of wire were known as L-rods. They could answer questions that required only a yes or no response. He held a rod in either hand, grasping each one by the short part of the ‘L,’ and said: “I would like to search for the ring I lost here in 1939. Can I do this do this at this time?” The pieces of wire swung inwards and crossed, which Alf explained was a yes. If they had swung apart it would have meant no, he said. Then Alf said: “May I do this at this time?” and “Am I ready for this at this time?” He got two yeses. “Who are you talking to, Dad?” asked his puzzled son. “No-one knows for certain,” replied Alf. “But the

important thing is that it usually works.” He started to walk away from the firing range, with the long bits of the rods parallel to one another. He was clearly concentrating hard and did not speak for the next 10 minutes as they walked all around the firing range. Then, as they approached a pond containing darkcoloured water, the rods crossed. “Is this where the ring’s buried?” asked Roy excitedly. “We’ll have to see,” said his dad. He put down his rods, took a gardener’s trowel out of his bag and started to dig in the sandy ground. After a few minutes his trowel struck metal. Roy emitted a whoop. Alf carefully eased the sand away from around the object and found it was a badly corroded ammunition clip. “Oh, Dad. What a disappointment!” exclaimed Roy. “Are you going to give up?” “No, I’m going to keep digging until I find it,” said Alf. He slightly widened the sides of the small hole he had dug and, after a few more minutes’ digging, shouted in delight. “I think I’ve got it!” He produced a small object that was covered in wet sand. He took a handkerchief out of one of his trouser pockets and began to feverishly clean the object. It was soon obvious it was the missing ring. “That’s fantastic,” said Roy. “Can you teach me how to dowse?”

“I’ll be happy you show you when we get back home. But you had better not say too much about it to your mother. As you probably realise, she thinks it’s superstitious rubbish.” They happily walked back to the guest house in plenty of time for dinner. When Pam heard about the discovery she told Alf: “I’m pleased for you. But you didn’t find it because of those bits of wire. You were just lucky.” Alf decided not to mention dowsing again while they were on holiday. He hoped that, in time, his wife would become more open minded. But he doubted it. The holiday exceeded expectations. The following day the sun came out and, despite the usual east coast wind, it was bathing costume weather. Alf struck gold in more ways than one when he located the ring. This find, more than his lucky escapes in wartime, gave him the confidence to go on to become a professional dowser. And his success rate when locating water sources for farmers was 99.9pc. Eventually his wife was forced to admit it could not all be just a matter of luck.

Recommended reading Bailey, Arthur, Anyone Can Dowse for Better Health, Quantum, 1999. Bird, Christopher, The Divining Hand: the 500-year-old Mystery of Dowsing, Schiffer Publishing, 1994. Bloy, Colin, I’m Just Going Down to the Pub to Do a Few Miracles: or The Rational Way to Spiritual Healing, Fountain International, 1990. Broadhurst, Paul, and Hamish Miller, with Vivienne Shanley and Ba Russell, The Dance of the Dragon: An Odyssey into Earth Energies and Ancient Religion, Pendragon Press, 2000. Brown, Elizabeth, Dowsing: the Ultimate Guide for the 21st Century, Hay House UK, 2010. Caddy, Peter, In Perfect Timing – Memories of a Man for the New Millennium, Findhorn Press, 1996. Fortune, Dion, Psychic Self Defence: The Classic Instruction Manual for Protecting Yourself against Paranormal Attack, Weiser Books, 2011. Gawain, Shakti, Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life, New World Library, 2010.

Incledon-Webber, Adrian, Heal Your Home, Dowsing Spirits, 2013 Lonegren, Sig, Spiritual Dowsing: Tools for Exploring the Intangible Realms, Gothic Image Publications, 2007. Matthews, Andrew, Being Happy!: A Handbook to Greater Confidence and Security, Seashell Publishers Pty Ltd, 1990, Michell, John, The New View over Atlantis, Thames and Hudson, 1986. Miller, Hamish, and Paul Broadhurst, The Sun and the Serpent, Mythos, 1990. Miller, Hamish, The Definitive Wee Book on Dowsing: a Journey beyond our Five Senses, Penwith Press, 2002 McLaren, Karla, Your Aura and your Chakras: the Owner’s Manual, Weiser Books, 1998 Temple, Jack, The Healer: The Extraordinary Story of Jack Temple 1, Findhorn Press, 2002. Watkins, Alfred, The Old Straight Track: its Mounds, Beacons, Moats, Sites and Mark Stones, Head of Zeus, 2015.