From talking to stones into Oneness consciousness

Written by Nathascha on 28 August 2022.

from talking to stones into oneness consciousness

As a last minute decision on a sunny late Summer morning, a trip to Stannon stone circle near St Breward on Bodmin moor seemed like a good idea and it didn’t disappoint! A bit of quick research and looking at area maps in detail, brought on a rush of childlike excitement. It looked like it was fairly easily accessible but still on the quieter, less frequently visited, bits of the moor. I love trips to go see something new. Or rather something ancient. There is that feeling that is almost a yearning; to immerse oneself in the mysteries of old and carry that glimmer of hope that such mystery could be unravelled. I guess that is where most of the excitement comes from. Picking up the art of dowsing back in 2008 was the best thing I could have done to satisfy that craving to get answers. Why did the ancients build stone circles? How? What were they used for? We’ve always looked at it from the point of view of humans. And quite often from a logical and rationalising mindset, using facts, finds, and scientific theories as the measuring sticks of accuracy. Today, I would find that all of this went out the window during a dowsing session that blew my mind.

“Why don’t you leave the car here, in the grassy bit?”, I asked. The track had become increasingly more bumpy with ever larger potholes and even quite big crevasses that split the track in two. It looked like driving any further was going to damage the car. My partner agreed that would be the more sensible thing to do. When we got out, the silence of the moor was the first thing that I noticed. That deeply silent and all pervasive feeling that you can feel in your bones. Instantly, I felt myself sinking fully into the quietness of the landscape, attuning my inner world to that silence. All thoughts and words start to fade as I listened to our footsteps on the gravel track. They were the only human sound. Completely dimmed and absorbed by the whooshing of the breeze in the fast moving air. I felt the soothing warmth of the late morning sun on my sunburnt face. We spent a bit too long at the beach and in the sea the day before but it was a small price to pay for having caught up with some Dutch friends who were there on holiday. The sun that day was nice, the clouded sky made it a bit gentler on the red skin.

In stark contrast to the feeling of being away from the human world and being only immersed in the moor’s natural energy steeped in ancient mystery, there was a man-made mount to my left which had newly planted trees on its layered slopes with protective fencing around each young tree. The remains of an old china clay works. A reminder of how humans can alter the landscape in search of profit or progress. ‘Well, at least they have replanted some trees’, I thought, and didn’t give any further attention to the out of place-ness of the mount with the wider local area as we turned off the track and onto a grassy hill to the opposite of the mining remains. A small trodden line of grass was the only sign that there might be a stone circle ahead. I was reasonably sure we would find the stone circle in this direction, as previously studied on Google maps.

As we came closer to the location of the stone circle, the first thing we saw were the stones standing out against the skyline with a backdrop of billowing clouds.

My heart smiled as I took my first photos. I’m still in silent mode; not speaking, not thinking. There is only bonding with the elemental landscape on a subconscious level and getting the feel of this place, while following inner inspiration about where and how to take the best shots. Approaching the stones on the horizon, the circle shape starts to reveal itself. It’s a pretty stone circle! Almost intact, with the stones being placed quite close to each other. Only few stones have toppled over.

Wikipedia said it was a typical example of a ‘type I’ flattened stone circle, with a distinct flattening of the circle at the north side. Much like at Avebury in the county of Wiltshire, Europe’s largest stone circle, which, according to Prof. Alexander Thom’s findings who was much into the sacred geometry of stone circles, is said to be a ‘type II’ flattened stone circle. He discovered that both types of flattened circles have a vesica pisces and 3-4-5 triangles design at its heart. Others have witnessed that a flattened north side aligns with the winter solstice sunrise, which strengthens the theory of monuments having a celestial alignment and therefore possibly having a ‘calendar’ like function. Which may then have been used as a seasonal indicator in ancient tribes’s early farming practices. Although many stone circles existed before tribes would settle near them and started farming or keeping a herd. Another suggestion is that of the stones having a ceremonial purpose. Yes, they may have certainly be used for ceremonial purposes by those who settled around these sort of monuments but to this day we don’t exactly know why stone circles were built and what for. These questions have always fascinated me. That unknown factor that we just can’t seem to get answers for by the scientific methods used so far. It is still mostly speculation from theories, perhaps with a few exceptions. I certainly do not have the answers to them but my findings of the dowsing below may add a new and interesting perspective to the mix.

Now approaching the stones, I was aware of my mind going off in all directions because of having read about or studied the different theories. Yet, I deliberately chose not to pay attention to my thoughts because generally I’ve found that keeping an open mind is the best way to receive new, sometimes wildly illogical, ideas. Not having planned on dowsing that day, my favoured wind-sturdy iron dowsing rods that were hand forged by Hamish, were still at home. ‘Should have taken them with me’, I thought, while standing outside the circle after shooting the last photograph and settling into the feel of the stone circle in front of me. A very distinct rock outcrop feature opposite the stone circle caught my attention. From later research I’d find it was Rough Tor and from past attended lectures I know that many other ancient monuments in its area have a line of sight with this charismatic tor.

Suddenly I remembered that my ‘emergency’ dowsing rod was in a pocket of my cross shoulder travel bag, and I did have that one with me! It is an expandable and bendable antenna rod, disguised as a pen when fully retracted. Handy for church dowsing when you don’t want to be too obvious. It isn’t that long ago in history that one would be accused of handling ‘a devil’s tool’! Anyway, I was glad I had the little back up rod with me, and even though it needs extra careful dowsing in windy conditions, like on this day, it will still give that familiar feel of a turning into a ‘yes’ or staying neutral when it is a ‘no’. Or even halfway a ‘yes’ or a ‘’no’, when it is a ‘maybe but there is more to it or maybe other factors play a role’. That is always a sign for me to ask different questions to get a clearer answer.

My partner had found a spot to sit and rest his weary back, and left me to do my thing. The photo above that he took would be his view for the next 45 minutes or so. I don’t know how much time passes when I dive into the timeless realm of connecting to the heart of the physical and of the metaphysical. It could become colder, hotter, more wind or start raining, once I sync into this mode of being, I am no longer as affected by the outer world as I would have been when not being in the ‘zone’. There is no effort or preparation to get into that zone, nowadays it is just a flip of an inner switch. Only noticeable by the utter inner silence and the crystal clear clarity of intention and focus. When I go into dowsing mode, I’m fully with it. Or maybe best to say ‘I’m fully it’ which is another way of saying ‘I’m One with this place that I’m a part of’. Because that is what would be the red thread in the dowsing session that followed. And this time, it wasn’t the Genus Loci (spirit of place), as usual, that would lead me to a story that wanted to be told. This time it was Stone consciousness itself that wanted me to listen and ‘tell the story’; in a very different way than I thought or had been doing before.

After introducing myself and stating my intention to be led by the spirit of this place to a story that needs telling, like I usually do, the dowsed yes/no/maybe answers to questions I was asking, had let me know that it was the stones that were ‘talking’ this time. Cool, I’ve not had a dowsed conversation with a stone before, which is crazy as I’ve been to so many stone monuments but never actually addressed the stones themselves! I felt quite excited to know that the stones had come forward this time. To shorten the whole dowsing session for you, below is a summary of what the stones conveyed.

The stones were aware of disharmony in the natural landscape and they inspired humans during their dreams, or in a dream-state, to place the stones in a certain manner and design. The stones would resonate with a sound that would be the indicator of which spot which stone had to go. It could be described as they were singing themselves to the spot they needed to go. Sound also played a role with moving the stones and in the healing of the disharmony in the landscape. Once the stones were placed as they inspired the humans to do so, they then formed an invisible network of combined energy that counteracted the disharmony and restored balance. The stones were still operating according to their original intention which to me indicated that either the disharmony for which they assembled was still there, or that a new disharmony had entered the area. Because the stones were already in situ before the china clay works arrived in the landscape, I wondered if the stones had pre-knowledge of what was to come? The answer was that the reason for the ‘landscape healing work’ of the stone circle was partly because of a natural disharmony caused by earth’s movements or composites, causing what we call ‘black energy’. Which is non-beneficial to life. (The Chinese knew about black energy. A lot of Feng Shui is based on the rebalancing, healing, deflecting or trapping of non-beneficial energy streams.) The stones knew how to counteract this, and they inspired humans to co-operate and do the legwork in creating a stone circle. That was an eye opener for me; to entertain the idea that it wasn’t humans who were the original think-tank of stone circles designs, but the stones themselves who have a vast understanding of earth energies and of how stone can be a beneficial presence to serve the whole by counteracting life threatening energy. The stones have consciousness, just like we have. They are a physical extension of non-physical energy rooted and they have their own unique blueprint, just like humans have. I felt truly humbled by their understanding of things because they are so tapped into Oneness consciousness. Which is also the place from where they get pre-knowledge, that was the other part of the answer. When we are tapped into Oneness consciousness, we would be able to know past and future too. Well, a future based on current tendencies that is. Nothing is set in stone, forgive the pun. Parts of the past and the future are subject to present day decisions, therefore the future fluctuates continually and is mainly projected along present day probabilities. Hence it is NEVER too late to change a probable future. I asked the stones if I could help them with their work and how I could help. “Tell the story”, they said.

“Do you mean to write about it for others to read?”

“No, TELL the story.”

I was confused.

“Do I need to speak about it?” I thought speaking is different than writing, maybe they meant that.

“No, TELL the story.”

Still confused. I wondered if I was being misled by other forces and used a check question to see whether my energy was being tampered with. The question is stating your name and see if you get a yes or a no. If a no, it could be that other energies were muddling the accuracy of the dowsing. I got a ‘no’. Aha, I thought, not yet knowing I was going to make a new discovery. So, I counteracted by asking my benign Spirit Team to help dissolve any interfering and reinstate accurate dowsing. Usually this only takes a moment and the answer after re-stating the question should be ‘yes’. But not this time. I kept getting a no. ‘That’s weird.’ A bit lost for next action, I did nothing and cleared my mind. Suddenly I became aware of a thought.

“Cloudwalker”.

Oh, that’s my medicine name, given to me by the clouds themselves when I was doing some shamanistic work at another stone circle in Gidleigh on Dartmoor, many years ago. Back then, I connected to the stone circle by casting a sphere from my heart and be a pillar of the combined energies of earth below and heaven above, with the stones as the perimeter of the sphere that emmanated from my heart centre. And from this anchored place, just BE this with every breath. Breathe in energy from below and above, join them in the heart and breathe out their combined light. Almost like a tree connecting earth and heaven and letting the light burst forth, as a state of being.

“My name is Cloudwalker.”

“Yes!” The dowsing rod moving affirmative this time.

To the stones, that is who I really am. Not the name I was given by my parents at birth. Gosh, that was something to think about! The stones not only knew my medicine name but they knew who/what I was as well. And they knew what I did at the other stone circle. And they knew that this intermezzo about my name would lead me to the next action. I started to ‘get it’.

Accepting I would now proceed the dowsing as Cloudwalker, I asked if there was a place within the circle that could help me ‘tell the story’. Yes, there was. Okay, now we’re getting somewhere!

“Lead me to it, please.” And I started following to where the dowsing rod was taking me.

First clockwise, past some stones and then entering the stone circle between two stones. The dowsing rod took me to a spot off centre, and marked where I needed to stand by spiralling tightly around the spot.

Time went by as I stood there, imaginary rooted into the earth as an anchor into the physical realm and connected to the metaphysical Source within from which all life emanates. Breathing deep and slow, I am aware that I am a focal point of Source into this reality, just as all physical presence of that particular place is one with Source: the stones, the soil, the grass, the hills, the wind, the sun... The stones are as much a focal point of Source energy as I am too. We come from the same original Creator, yet have a different blueprint and purpose for physical manifestation. I see the stones as my kin now; they are a different ‘me’ and I am a different ‘them’. But when human focal point of Source and a stone focal point of Source come together in Source’s oneness, then I, the human, am telling the stone’s story. I’m telling the same story because in that moment we are one story, together. But because of our different purpose and blueprint, I, as a human, can elevate and celebrate the stone’s purpose and blueprint. I am singing their praises, I’m singing their song. ‘Now we can find where we belong’. A line of a chant I learnt from my drumming teacher Jana Runnalls suddenly makes so much sense. Whatever praises or whatever song we sing, we are that and we are one and we belong to Source. In that moment we truly express Oneness consciousness. Because both stone and I are now aware of this, and both embody this consciousness, the moment became special. Sacred. Moving! Silent tears crept through my closed eyelids and slowly rolled down my cheeks. A swell of positive energy-in-motion that comes when we feel something beautiful filled my heart. This added extra power to the sphere of connectedness that I had cast around the stones, connecting each to the invisible network the stones originally intended, and strengthening the energetic blueprint of healing/rebalancing for this place. My presence here, in Oneness consciousness, without any other reason than wanting to celebrate Source and its creation, my kin, the stones, was enough. I didn’t need to fix, manipulate or add anything different to it. It was exactly as it should be and my presence was just ‘telling their story’ because in the full knowing of my Oneness with them, it was my story too. These words can’t really explain the concept, more so because it’s an intuitive knowing and a feeling tone, but I hope I can convey it somehow within these lines. The stones taught me that being an aware part of the one Source/Creator and recognising that other manifestations of Source/Creator are my wider family in Life, that we can then become of mutual service to each other, deeply rooted in Oneness consciousness. That there is no better gain than to honour, and by honouring strengthening each other’s uniqueness as an emanation of Source/Creator with a different blueprint. Instantly, once you reach that inner knowing, it brings about a beautiful result; everything in life is lifted! And that is what happened when I stood there, experiencing what had unravelled by means of dowsing and now inner understanding what the stones meant when they said ‘tell the story’.

After what felt like a completion of energy exchange and shared consciousness, I asked the stones if it was okay now to proceed to what looked like a central stone that was being used as an altar where visitors had left natural offerings behind.

‘ Yes.’

This was the moment that I said my goodbye to the stones and then ‘left’ the state of being I was in and sort of ‘returned’ to usual physical awareness.

I walked over to the alter and looked at the items. There was an interesting collection of materials: stones, crystal, feathers, grasses, shells, fleece, a flower and an African rand coin! All the elements were represented there. While looking at them, I thought how wonderful it is to see this. It’s a sign that we still recognise the sacredness of the landscape. We want to bring physical gifts to honour it. Just like I brought a metaphysical gift to this place. Intuitively we still feel that we are part of something more, something greater. Something that feeds our soul when we are immersed in its sacredness. Maybe with our gifts we mark and acknowledge this feeling. If we could only also realise our part in the whole and then rejoice in our specific uniqueness as that part. And with that realisation, you will also know that it’s enough. Just the realisation of it, is already enough because each one of us that realises this, will uplift the whole. Every next person who ‘gets’ being part of Oneness (and its implications), adds a burst of light to human consciousness and all other lifeforms! The next challenge is to continually act like it.

I now know why there was a Rand coin for me to find there. The Rand comes from Witwater-rand, with ‘rand’ being the Dutch and South African word for a ledge. It was in this ledge in South Africa in which gold was found. Consequently Johannesburg was built around the mining of gold. Mining. Hmmm. It made me think of the man-made hill opposite me that looked so out of place here, the china clay works. That was also mining. In both cases materials were taken out of the earth with little regard for the landscape and those living on it and from it. The search for profit to satisfy greed (which is a symptom of not-enoughness), desecrated the sacredness of the living landscape. Here, the problem starts. When it was no longer recognised that we are all coming from the same Source/Creator and started plundering our kin in a different skin, humankind lost their way. When we forgot that we all belong together, things different were no longer treated with sacredness. And with no more sacredness, everything: the land, the trees, the waters, the animals and our fellow men, became objects. Things that could be exploited, manipulated or destroyed for gain. Little did humankind know that they were doing onto themselves as they were doing unto the other expressions of Source. When we lost the understanding of Oneness, we created Apartheid. And division unfolded.

To relate to ‘The Neverending Story’ movie; until we give the Empress her name (realising and recognising that we are all part of the One story, and that we have kin beyond our human realm), Fantasia (the Earth story) will continue to be devoured by the Nothingness (ignorance). But the good part is that it only takes a childlike openness of heart and a belief that goes beyond the current trending dullness of mind, to tell our story of Oneness and re-enchant our world.

Which brings me full circle to a quote from David Suzuki that I had read recently and touched my heart. I had no idea I would actually get a defining experience of it today when visiting this stone circle on an impulse. I’ll leave you with it:

“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity - then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.”

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