Some science behind the scenes
Sacred geography - initial sites
Watkins noticed that the ley lines often radiated from some sites which were natural fixed features of the landscape. He also noticed that many of these were or could have been sacred. He called these sites ‘initial points’.
Alfred Watkins – The Old Straight Track
There is a good deal of evidence that certain natural rock structures (fixed rock outcrops of peculiar shape) used only for early ritual or ceremony became initial points from which leys were started. Lofty hills and mountains are the most frequent. In my own district they are seldom under 1,000 feet.
He also noted that natural features such as springs or sources of water which had been made into man made features by the addition of basins or wells could also be initial points.
Alfred Watkins – The Old Straight Track
…………………There is good evidence found in ley mapping that such fixed objects as sacred wells were often in leys.
These initial points – natural features, were then linked up by artificial ones – barrows, mounds, beacons, trees and so on.
Alfred Watkins – The Old Straight Track
It is a feature of all siting points after the initials whether mound, stone, earth cutting or tree that they are artificially placed, so as to be on a ley
In effect, other markers were placed, either smaller marker stones or larger structures depending on the importance of the site. Where lines crossed for example, larger structures were erected. Smaller unmarked mark stones were placed along the leys themselves.
The sites – the places ley lines went through or where they met up – often contained man made and artificial constructions in combination. Trees could be with stone, water with mounds, enclosures with barrows or cairns and so on.
Grant Allen – The Crouch Oak
The close combination of sacred tree and sacred stone is frequent and significant
Observations
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