Apotropaic or protective marks have featured in much recent historical research, in which NE editor John Billingsley has been active with co-founding the Hidden Charms conference and publishing his book Charming Calderdale, investigating protectives in his area of West Yorkshire. Here, he turns his attention to what happens when a mark loses its contemporary religious significance, […]
A sideways look at the apotropaic Marian mark. Read More »
Once a charm, now a design element; but John Billingsley considers if the crossed W has become a subconscious metaphor of its traditional symbolism? In NE165 we asked for readers’ impressions of two varieties of the letter W, and this article reports on our feedback as well as suggesting how the image aspect
The Marian Mark W: An afterlife, metaphorically Read More »
Our series of self-guided walks continues with Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan.21 approx.). You will need the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 South Pennines map. Please note that routes and their condition were accurate at their time of survey, 2018-2020; updates may be made at later dates. Please be alert to any other quasi-affirmations of Capricorn as you walk!
Walking Myth into Place 3: Hebden Bridge Zodiac Capricorn Read More »
The first sign of the Hebden Bridge Zodiac to be found was Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec.21 approx.), so our series of self-guided walks begins with this sign. You’ll need the Ordnance Survey 1:25000 South Pennines map. Please note that routes and their condition were accurate at their time of survey, 2018-2020; updates may be made
Walking Myth into Place 2: Hebden Bridge Zodiac Sagittarius Read More »
The landscape zodiac was one of the more outré concepts of the 20th century romantic landscape, and has not fared well in the harder-headed materialism of the 21st century. But there may be more to ponder in the concept that might appear at first sight…. https://northernearth.co.uk/walking-myth-into-place-the-damned-zodiac/
Is the terrestrial or landscape zodiac worth consideration? Read More »
A few weeks ago, the subject of terrestrial zodiacs popped up in discussions on our e-group, NEReaders. They are definitely a carry-over from our early earth mysteries days, when questions previously deemed beyond credibility were to be asked and reconsidered (like leys), possibilities explored, and new hypotheses of the past and subtle reality to be
#12 Walking myths into place: Is the damned landscape zodiac salvageable? Read More »
Summer’s passed and the Alt-Antiquarian shares his holiday snaps… Sometimes one experiences an object lesson in how closely related the antiquarian instinct and psychogeographic sensitivity can be, in reality as well as in the observer. Still, it can be a surprise… It’s always a pleasure to discover such convergence where one might not immediately
#11 Noticing: The Cleethorpes Liminal Zone Read More »
Jeremy Harte’s exegesis of placenames [How Placenames Grow, reviewed NE169] is fired by the misuses to which they have been put, and more often than not by adherents of alternative viewpoints such as earth mysteries. In such impressionistic contexts, Balham (for instance) becomes the enclosure or home (ham, OE root) of Ba’al (ancient god, or
#10 Honest visions and toxic errors in the neo-antiquarian landscape Read More »
The terrestrial or landscape zodiac is one of the more outré concepts to emerge from the 20th century discussions of ‘earth mysteries’, and unsurprisingly has not fared well in the more materialistic intellectual climate of the 21st century. However, NE editor John Billingsley thinks the concept should not be dismissed outright, as it provides food
Walking myth into place: The damned landscape zodiac Read More »
Funeral paths, popularly known as corpseways, became a familiar topic in neo-antiquarian research in the 1980s when they entered discussions about leys as spirit roads. The association with leys faded, but they are still recognised as spirit paths of a kind, and often interact with hauntings and other supernatural encounters. In this book, John Billingsley
Journeys of the Soul: Vernacular funeral paths in Upper Calderdale Read More »