Places of hope and healing

Stonehenge, Uluru, Lourdes, Glastonbury, Machu Picchu, Mecca … humans have been visiting Earth’s sacred sites, both naturally occurring and manmade, for centuries, turning even the non-believers among us into blister-ridden pilgrims determined to conquer foreign European roads on foot, or swapping the office for a package “holiday” of a hard dirt floor, way too many insects and not enough warm showers.

The irony is that the more we steer towards technological and economical advances, destroying our Mother Earth in the process, the more we seem to want to get back to nature, turning to the very thing we abuse, for our own wellbeing.

Many thousands of people around the world have arrived at a spiritual destination and claimed miraculous cures, finding inner peace and meaning, connection with truth and enhanced creativity. But what makes these sacred earth sites so powerful that they have an ability to deliver health benefits? Could it really be as simple as lighting a candle in the right corner of the globe?

The earth’s sacred map consists of energy lines that run throughout each and every country, just like the body’s meridian system. Despite the differences in location and name — ley lines in Europe, dreaming tracks in Australia, dragon lines in China and mandalas to Buddhists in south Asia — the lines seem to share a similar healing energy.

Dowsers and energy workers worldwide have found that in certain spots on the energy lines, the charge is even more powerful, likening them to acupuncture points. They are often places where megalithic structures, sacred waterholes, cathedrals, vortices and temples are located.

Founder of the Sedona Heart Centre in Arizona, Suzanne McMillan-McTavish believes “vortex sites are medicine”. This was confirmed by the late American dowser John Armbruster, who, for more than 20 years, measured the Anasazi Indian sites, which consist of giant red rock formations that resemble Kata Tjuta (the Olgas in the Northern Territory) and Uluru.

He found that different sites hold different energies; some are masculine, others feminine, some are more suited to resolving issues, and others, particularly natural springs, aid emotional blockages by allowing the pent-up energy to flow to the surface. Armbruster also found that around the time of full moons, equinoxes, solstices and solar and lunar eclipses, the energy around such sites is even more intense.

According to Minmia, an Aboriginal senior lore or law woman of the Wirradjirri people, Australia has many areas that are ideal for healing. Point Plummer near Port Macquarie in northern NSW possesses baby spirit and is said to be a great fertility power place. The area between Kangaroo Valley and Wollongong also has healing energy and is home to Nan Tien, the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere. Goulburn, however, lies on a negative energy line (which can be caused by massacres, war or some form of destruction in the earth’s history), which may explain why so many institutions connected to problems can be found there, including prisons, a mental asylum and the police academy.

Snakes and dragons

Indigenous Australians, with their tradition of being able to read the land, know the earth’s energy lines as dreaming tracks that carry the breath of the divine creator, Biami, including that of the first born, the rainbow serpent. “Positive dreaming tracks come from the light of the creator, the light that is within us all, the light of compassion,” says Minmia.

Earlier this year, in Japan, a scientific study found that if you place a human being in a completely dark room, they will actually emit their own light. Someone who certainly explores the globe with a lightness in her step is earth energy worker and retreat facilitator Wendy Batchelor, who says, “When we walk these energy lines, we develop the capacity to hold more and more light. This supports us to develop our capacities on a sensing level and because of this we feel more balanced and well, and more attuned not only to the earth, but with each other and society.”

Wendy has also found serpent energy to be incredibly creative. “Walking these dreaming tracks while holding a particular intention means it will manifest simply because, by retracing the steps of creation, so too we create.”

This could explain how Walt Disney conceived his film Fantasia and most of the rides in his theme park while living next to a vortex site in Sedona, where Steven Spielberg also resides some of the time. Best-selling author Paulo Coelho lives half of the year in proximity of powerful energy lines in France.

The Chinese have their own system of geomancy, or reading the landscape, using dragon lines. They believe the disruption of nature by mining or railroad construction causes breakage in the earth dragon lines, spreading negative energy, which can render an entire region unsuitable for habitation. The art of healing this negative dragon line is what we know as feng shui. The negative energy can be “cured” through the use of copper rods or rearranging the elements of a room.

In Europe, it appears that even long before the sacred knowledge of the Cathars and Celts, Neolithic man had a deep awareness of the importance of the earth holding light. The Languedoc region of southwest France, where Wendy has been hosting corporate groups for the past few years, has proven to be a place of transformation. Its energy is ideal for goal setting and harmonious team building. “Doing this work around light lines seems to support love, compassion and wisdom within ourselves,” says Wendy.

The serpent/dragon synchronicities don’t stop there. Some of the better-known examples are the sacred serpent temple in Avebury, UK, that’s shaped like a snake, the Michael and Mary dragon lines that run throughout Europe, and the ancient dragon lines that originated from Table Mountain on the Cape and are known as the Shango and Mau (Earth Mother) lines to the Zulu. These energy lines transverse all of Africa and Egypt.

Sing it up

Indigenous peoples have traditionally used song and dance, drums and instruments such as didgeridoos as a way to become “in tune” with nature. Research supports that the vibration frequency transmitted from the earth’s natural electromagnetic field is around 10Hz (beats/min), which coincides with the brainwave frequency that occurs during meditation, an effective environment for learning, creativity and healing.

Songlines for Aboriginal people hold the essence of all that has been created. These essences continue to evolve as a new species of plant, new emotions and changing behaviour patterns occur. By connecting to the land in this way, the first Australians were able to hear the songs of their totem animals (which they never harm or eat, thus ensuring their survival), locate water and respect seasons, even in country they may never have visited before. “When you are singing up Nungeena-tya (Mother Earth),” says Minmia, “it supports all of life as you are singing for the oneness of creation. This then lifts you to a higher consciousness, which is the getting of spiritual wisdom.”

Long before the days of scheduled annual leave and holiday pay, Aboriginal people intuitively felt the desire to go walkabout and were drawn to the dreaming tracks that held the specific energy they needed for their personal growth. This was also how the earth’s spirit was kept alive.

Release the past

Many people, when arriving at a sacred site they are visiting for the first time will have the feeling of déjà vu. They may sense familiar smells, sounds or visions, or experience vivid or vague memories. Why is this so?

For those who believe in reincarnation, the memories of past lives will be reactivated at the power sites. This is because the earth holds the energy of all that has passed since creation, which determines whether the site has a good or bad feel as well as explaining why someone is personally drawn to a particular place.

The traditional Waitaha tribes of New Zealand believe “memory” stones are sacred and retain ancient knowledge and genealogical lineage as well as holding the lores of the way of peace with all things. The essence of the prophecy also held in the stones was the promise that, one day, a direct descendant of the Matriarch would return to awaken the spirit by re-igniting these beliefs.

Native Americans traditionally used rocks to read the earth, believing stones and bones store memory. This means that by meditating near a vortex, you could be potentially tapping into 330 million years of memory.

This can be quite a healing experience. In the same way kinesiology revisits and releases the past through the memory stored in your muscles, revisiting a past life that has been activated at a power site can leave you free to enjoy the present time, to live fully in your truth.

The International Council Of The Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers (made up of 13 grandmothers from Peru to Tibet and everywhere in between) believe, “We hold the power of creation within all of us and so, as custodians of Mother Earth, regardless of our nationality, it is our responsibility to come together and heal Her.”

Medicine wheels provide a means of doing this. Hopi Indians believe them to be the divine blueprint for maintaining peace and harmony. The four directions of the wheel represent the four elements and the four main races of humanity. In the centre is the oneness of creation. The wheel also represents life’s cycle from birth to old age, death and rebirth.

Amazingly, this same healing pattern can be found in the geometric layout of Stonehenge in the UK, within feng shui principles regarding gates and in the sperm-shaped funeral formation performed in some Aboriginal ceremonies to honour death meeting rebirth.

Oneness

Elder and educator, Uncle Max ‘Duramunmun’ Harrison of the Yuin nation in southern NSW, believes reconciliation with Mother Earth must go hand in hand with reconciliation among people. “One cannot happen without the other, as we are all connected. The importance of walking the land is that people can unite. Forget about the colour of our skin; forget about our different lifestyles and our different belief systems. We need to believe in one thing: Mother Earth. Then can we look after Her while she is looking after us.”

Like Aboriginal Australians and Navaho Americans, indigenous tribes from many places have recognised Mother Earth as the source of all life. Many ceremonies are held in honour of the power of women, both young and old. The Indigenous Council’s Grandmother Bernadette of Gabon, Africa, says, “the Divine Feminine as expressed through nature teaches us to accept the other and honour and cherish our differences.”

The roots of Taoism are also based on the principle of oneness, expressed by Chang Tzu in the second century BCE when he said, “Heaven, Earth and I are one, and all things and I are inseparable unity.” There’s no doubt that, had we continued to live like this, the world would be a different place. But history shows that another plan was in place, and as fearful and patriarchal societies began to overtake ancient matriarchal, indigenous ways, Mother Earth began to suffer.

Fast-forward to today and it seems that we have no choice but to accept what traditional societies have known all along. The Cree Indian saying, “Only when the last fish has been caught will we find that money cannot be eaten”, is proving dangerously true.

Female dreaming track

But, happily, it’s not all doom and gloom. Connection with these light lines offers the chance for humanity to save itself from destruction. Minmia says, “How necessary this disconnection has been in order for us to come back, to elevate collective consciousness to a higher level.” We have chance to walk a powerful light line together.

According to Aboriginal beliefs, through the replacement of important creation stones worldwide, a particular elevation of consciousness began around 1996 and has bought to the surface something that has been suppressed for centuries: a focus on women’s business. This would explain the current global focus on the subject of the Divine Feminine and the fact that feminine worship has become more socially acceptable — think of the rise in goddess circles, equal rights in the workplace, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene in the media, the annual Earth Hour project and the entire Mother Earth movement.

We are moving away from right-brain masculine yang energies such as power, greed, and technological advances towards female-dominated ying energies such as love, forgiveness and compassion. Certain energy spots, or sacred sites, possess a more feminine force than others and they are where we can get in touch with our feminine and evoke empowerment for the benefit of everyone, worldwide. Kata Tjuta, Wollumbin (Mt Warning) and Mt Abu in India are such places.

According to the Council Of The Indigenous Grandmothers, “Women carry the ancient knowledge of the Divine Feminine deep within the cells of their being because their bodies are subject to the great cycles of the moon and stars, thus connecting their wisdom to the heavens.”

With the world on the brink of disaster, they stress how crucial it is that we all play our part in harmonising nature once again. “When women and men set in motion this enormously transformative feminine force of unconditional love they carry within, great healing and change will come about.”

Meditation practice to connect with the power of a place

The planetary acupuncture meditation technique:

As recommended by international earth energy worker, Martin Gray, to be practised before entering a sacred place.

Breath #1 Celestial energy

During inhalation, draw celestial energy into your heart. The energy enters the body through the crown chakra at the top of the head and passes down to the heart chakra in the middle of the chest.

During exhalation, add your own energy of consciousness and then direct both energies down through the root chakra at base of the spine and into the earth.

Breath #2 Terrestrial energy

During inhalation, draw terrestrial energy into the root chakra at the base of the spine and then up to the heart chakra.

During exhalation, add your own energy of consciousness and then direct both energies up through the crown chakra at top of head to the celestial realm.

Breath #3 Both energies at same time

During inhalation, bring both the celestial and terrestrial energies into your heart at same time.

During exhalation, add your own energy of consciousness to the celestial and terrestrial energies and send all three energies out from your heart in every direction, as in a constantly expanding sphere (not just a circle as the two dimensional drawing shows). After this exhalation, begin with breath #1 again.

Things to remember while visiting a sacred site

1. Respect the atmosphere of prayer, meditation and ceremony in the shrines by not talking loudly. If you have a mobile phone with you, turn it off before entering the holy place.
2. Do not assume you are welcome to participate in shrine ceremonies. While many temples, in Asia for example, are open to foreign visitors, sometimes their ceremonies are not. It’s best to simply watch from a distance and wait to be invited. If you are invited to participate in a ceremony or prayer, it’s best to not leave until other people have done so.
3. Do not take photographs, especially with flash, within a shrine without prior permission from the priests or administrators.
4. To enter many shrines it’s necessary to remove your shoes and/or or cover your head. Watch what local pilgrims do and follow their example.
5. When visiting shrines, wear clothing considered proper by the local people. While short pants, skirts and t-shirts may be comfortable in the heat and humidity of tropical latitudes, to wear such attire in religious places is disrespectful. Often, temple priests will be too embarrassed or polite to ask you to leave or will not know how to speak your language. Respect them in advance by dressing appropriately.
6. It’s best to not leave anything at sacred sites except your prayers and love. Priests I have spoken to in Asia, Europe and South America have repeatedly told me they wished foreign visitors would not leave crystals, feathers, coins and other new-age knick-knacks at shrines. This is especially the case at sacred sites of the Hopi, Navajo, Ute and other Native American cultures.
7. Do not remove anything from sacred sites such as other pilgrims’ offerings or archaeological items such as pottery shards. However, take the time to pick up litter and other trash; otherwise, leave everything as you found it.

New Zealand: a hotspot

It was New Zealander Bruce Cathie who first supported global energy lines with science. The retired pilot plotted a complicated geometric and mathematical analysis of the connection between light, gravity and mass in a harmonic sense to create a worldwide energy grid.

According to Cathie, it’s not only temples, stone structures and water formations that have been discovered on the power points of the planetary grid. His research shows that reported UFO sightings aligned with powerful parts of certain ley lines, which he believes are portals to communicate energy between universes.

New Zealand’s high-temperature geothermal fields are a particularly powerful part of the world’s energy grid. It has been found by numerous earth energy researchers that countries where there are thermal springs have a consistently increased number of minor vortices. When the earth’s crust cracks, such as during volcanic activity and earthquakes, this burst of energy shoots out along fault lines, which are often also mapped ley lines.

Maori people see themselves as kaitiaki, or guardians of the geothermal resource, and every area with surface activity (such as geysers and hot pools) has traditional cultural and historic significance.

In 1990, elders from the Waitaha nation, who carry the most ancient lineage in the country, were given a sign from their ancestors to begin sharing their sacred knowledge of the great Mother and her connection to the grid with the world.

Surveyors and dowsers have found that many of New Zealand’s waahi tapu, sacred sites like the Waitapu Standing Stone Observatory, Toka Toka Mountain, and the Crosshouse at Miringa Te Kakara are structured using the same sacred geometric formulas as places like the Parthenon in Greece and the ancient pyramids in Egypt.