The ‘neo-antiquarian’ stance of Northern Earth is rooted in an area of speculation and research that emerged in the 1960-70s, and came to be known as earth mysteries. Its primary concern was to investigate alternative interpretations to the orthodox and moribund assumptions of academia at that time in archaeology, folklore and related academic topic areas. After much independent and academic research there has been a coming together of outlooks to some extent, as reflected elsewhere on our website. However, unresolved areas remain.
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 »
In the 1990s, a new magazine of forteana, mysteries and related subjects, Beyond, was launched, ran for three issues, and ceased… NE’s editor John Billingsley supplied an earth mysteries column for this short-lived venture, and we reprint those three columns here. 1. Associations with places I don’t know what it is that attracts people …
In this article, NE editor John Billingsley raised the question of whether the earth mysteries tag, to the wider public, actually discredits alternative research in our fields of interest, and asks if it’s time for a fond farewell. Earth mysteries began in the 1960-70s in a flurry of question-making that affected all of UK …
Earth Mysteries is Dead – Long Live Earth Mysteries! Read More »
In the early days of ‘earth mysteries’ research, exploratory steps were being taken towards place and the meanings that attach to it, culturally and subjectively, past and present. However, the field was rather thrown off course in the 1970s by the unproductive ‘earth energy’ fascination. NE believes it is time to retrace those steps, and …
(ill. Davina Ware) In 1972, walking up Glastonbury Tor, I was talking with a chap who, like me, had just hitch-hiked into town. As we approached the tower, he started talking about leys, which he’d just read about. For some reason, the topic sparked off something inside me; the next day I headed home …
#6: That obscure object of desire: Leys, Watkins and ‘energies’ Read More »
It is necessary to regularly review the ‘state of play’ regarding key elements of the earth mysteries spectrum, and here we take a look at leys. This simple concept has been taken down so many speculative paths that it is sometimes hard to see the core of the concept. NE editors John Billingsley and Mike …
There has long been disagreement about what kind and how much of a role dowsing can play within the left/right brain approach of earth mysteries, and NE is generally wary of an over-emphasis on dowsing as evidence for anything other than objective or visualisable targets like water, minerals, specific objects, etc., and we have long …
Neo-antiquarianism owes a huge debt to the man behind leys, Alfred Watkins. But what was his main legacy to earth mysteries? Rose Heaword suggests it is not just leys that we should thank him for. “I don’t believe in leys…” – a sharp intake of breath from the audience – “because Watkins never meant us …