Stars and Stones November 2011 speakers
Andrew Collins GIZA’S CAVE UNDERWORLD DISCOVERED
Andrew Collins will present two lectures at this years conference.
In 2008 a previously unknown cave complex was discovered beneath the Giza pyramid field, within the very shadow of the Great Pyramid. The controversy it caused is one of the biggest stories in Egyptology for many years, involving worldwide press statements and counter claims, TV reality shows and official explorations all at the hands of Dr Zahi Hawass, the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ former maestro.
Andrew tells how exactly the caves were found and explored, and where their likely destination might be beneath the main pyramid field. In addition to this, he speculates on the complex’s former role in ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs, and how they became the focus of a bird cult in Late Dynastic and Graeco-Roman times. He also explains how they can help explain a long-held tradition that beneath the sands of Giza there exists a hidden or secret chamber, variously described as the Tomb of Osiris, the Tomb of Hermes and even the Hall of Records.
Finding Eden – the Mystery of the Gobekli Tepe
In southeast Turkey stands the oldest temple in the world. At nearly 12,000 years old, Gobekli Tepe is an enigma to archaeology. Consisting of a series of stone circles, made up of T-shaped pillars bearing exquisite carvings of animals, birds, insects and abstract human figures, this ritual complex was constructed at the end of the last Ice Age by faceless individuals, who rose far beyond the conventional understanding of the hunter-gatherers who occupied the Eurasian continent at this time. Just who were these individuals, able to galvinize hundreds, if not thousands, of people to come together and construct such a breath-taking wonder of the prehistoric world? Where did they come from? What happened to them? Why was Gobekli Tepe created, and for whom, or what? Most important of all, why were these amazing stone circles buried overnight, sometime around 10,000 year ago? It is an enigma that seems to start in Africa some 17,000 years ago, and ends with not only the creation of civilization down in the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia, but also in the sudden emergence of the ancient Egyptian civilization, where the story continues.
Andrew Collins is a leading expert on Gobekli Tepe, and provides a powerful insight into the strange worlds both at Gobekli Tepe in Turkey and beneath the Pyramids at Giza. Andrew's website www.andrewcollins.com
Klaus Dona
Klaus Dona, of Vienna, Austria, is one of the world's leading experts on Out of Place Artifacts, unique ancient remnants from long-departed people and civilizations that appear to connect us with advanced visitors from the cosmos and beyond. Author Laurel Steinhice is honored to present the first English language profile of Klaus and his fascinating work. Klaus website www.unsolved-mysteries.info
More info coming soon.
Peter Knight - West Kennet Long Barrow - Landscape, Shamans and the Cosmos.
Peter is an author, international speaker and sacred sites guide, and will give an illustrated presentation on his new book, which is the definitive guide to the well-known Neolithic chambered site near Avebury. He will cover such things as the excavations, the shamanic aspects, earth energies, its placement in the landscape, nearby sites, and the archeo-astronomy. His website is: www.stoneseeker.net
Alan Watts B.Sc. F.R.Met.S.
He has been interested in archaeological sites since his teens. Hails from a small village (Southbourne ) six miles west of Chichester where he went to school and spent the early years of the war as an apprenticed electrician. Joined the navy in 1943 and served in Coastal Forces out of Yarmouth and Lowestoft, and on minesweepers immediately after he war. On demob in 1947 went back to school at what was Portsmouth Municipal College and, having a deep interest in meteorology, became a forecaster. (One posting was to Wattisham). Tiring of night-duties he was taken on the Staff of GEC (Hurst Research Centre. Wembley) investigating cooling problems in early semiconductor devices. There he met his late wife and took a post teaching physics at what is now the Colchester Institute. Retired after over thirty years and can now indulge his life-long interest in ancient civilisations and their amazing abilities. His mathematical training has led to some vital discoveries in the field of the relationships between the positions etc of linked ancient sites some of which I would like to talk about in November.Recent earth-mystery work will be found on the web-site he shares with Michael Joyce www.numberscience.plus.com
Synopsis of talk
A group of dowsers calling themselves the Thirteen Group set out to investigate the rather strange situation at Alphamstone where large stones are scattered randomly in the Churchyard. Paul Daw considers that they come from a former circle in one corner of the Churchyard and this could be so. We were led in a different direction.When we visited the site, and the open area to the southeast of it, a majority of them ignored the already discovered small Roman building to the south of the Churchyard (which at that time I thought would be the centre of our investigations) and made for an apparently unmarked position way out on the far side of the open space. There they found a point (navel) with a very strong (and repeatable) dowsing reaction and subsequent investigation showed it to be 51° 59.0’ N 0° 44.3’E. This proved to be a very significant position and I hope to explain why it is unique in relation to Bures Mount and Boozes Green (Colne Engaine) where we had, as a group, already discovered what would appear to be a small henge circle.
The amazing thing about the geometric relationship between these sites is that it also gives moonrise and moonset directions at a major standstill using the ( one suspects) standing stone at Alphamstone. “Peter” Newham and Gerald Hawkins have shown that the posts in the Stonehenge carpark plus stones of Stonehenge 1 were set to observe the directions of sun and moon at their standstills. Further investigation in the Essex-Suffolk borders of the directions of churches from Bures and Booze’shows that many of these are also set with respect to standstill directions of moonrise and moonset. Thus the Essex/Suffolk area covered is, in many ways a large-scale version of the Stonehenge moon-standstill theme. While it is a complex subject I shall attempt to explain about moon standstills and suggest how we can reconcile the observations with our views of the scientific/astronomical men who must have existed in ancient East Anglia.
Yuri Leitch
Yuri was born in Barnstable, Devon, in 1968 and has spent most of his life living in the South West of Britain. He studied Illustration at Falmouth School of Art and Design between 1991 and 1994. In 1995 he painted his first murals at the Bark House Restaurant in Mevagissey, Cornwall. Between 1996 and 1998 he painted various murals in the city of Bristol. In the year 2000 Yuri moved to Glastonbury where he still lives and works as a self employed artist – in 2006 he had the pleasure of painting various mini murals throughout the bar and dining room of Glastonbury’s 15th century George & Pilgrims hotel. In 2007 his first book was published, ‘GWYN, ancient god of Glastonbury and key to the Glastonbury Zodiac’ (published by The Temple Publications, written and illustrated by Yuri Leitch). 2009 sees Yuri living his eighth year in Glastonbury, painting every day, researching and writing his second book, to be titled ‘Arthur and the mist of Avalon’, as well as teaching Tai Chi and playing his guitar. You can see much more of his artwork on his own website www.yurileitch.co.uk
Synopsis of talks
Katharine Maltwood and the Secrets of her Temple of the Stars.
A sixty minute picture presentation explaining the origins of the St Michael Line; the Somerset Parallelogram; and the recently discovered (Nov 2010) Herculean Line of the British Secret Tradition.
The British Secret Tradition.
A sixty minute presentation to introduce and explain the Secret Societies, Occult Groups, families and certain individuals behind the Herculean Line. Discussing their understanding of magical landscapes and the attempted revival of ancient Mystery Schools of the classical world.
About Celia Gunn
Celia Gunn (Taurus Sun and Moon, Gemini rising), a Northumbrian writer and novelist who has lived in Israel and Canada, working in publishing and education. Closely involved in the renascence of the Sinixt First Nation in British Columbia - which led to her memoir 'A Twist in Coyote's Tale' (Archive Publishing), currently being adapted into a feature film in Canada, provisionally entitled 'The Bone Game' - she continues to be involved with their struggle for full representation. Insights from this unique experience inspired her to begin working with Anthony in her own indigenous British sacred landscape. Much of her current time is divided between co-creating the Chakra Garden and a number of ongoing writing projects. Her two latest books, 'Simply Totem Animals' (Zambezi Publishing) and a novel 'A Dark Wind' (Archive Publishing), are scheduled for publication in 2009. www.earthskywalk.com
Film 'The Sinixt: Bringing Home the Bones'
Celia’s memoir, 'A Twist in Coyote’s Tale', is her account of the homecoming of the Sinixt Nation to their roots and identity, intertwined with her personal journey: the song of a healing spirit learning her place in the dance of life. Her involvement with the Sinixt people continues to this day, and her book has been adapted into a film, 'The Sinixt: Bringing Home the Bones' (Frog Mountain Films) which premiered in Canada in April 2010. A trailer for this film may be viewed via Celia's website: www.earthskywalk.com The full film will be shown at this conference.
ANTHONY THORLEY
Anthony Thorley is a retired psychiatrist and medical policy advisor who has been researching earth mysteries for over 30 years. In 2006 he gained an MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at Bath Spa University and is currently studying for a PhD on the conceptual basis of landscape zodiacs as sacred space. He is slowly completing a book 'Sacred City, Secret City' on the Masonic vision of the development of eighteenth-century Bath. Together with his wife, the writer Celia Gunn, he has developed a particular interest in pilgrimage and ritual journeys which honour ancestral traditions in the sacred landscape and revitalise our relationship with the wider environment. His activities can be found at www.earthskywalk.com and www.thealchemicaljourney.com
'Landscape Zodiacs: Exploring the Problem of Causality'
More info coming soon.
Previous event speakers- November 2010
ROBERT TEMPLE - EGYPTIAN DAWN
A fascinating look into the real history of the ancient civilisations, including revelatory new evidence which challenges accepted truths about the history of Egypt The mysteries of Ancient Egypt have proved an endless source of fascination to the world. Here, for the first time, international bestselling author Robert Temple seeks to expose the real history of this ancient civilisation. In this fascinating study, Temple unearths revelatory new evidence which challenges accepted truths about the history of Egypt and questions the evidence which most Egyptologists have relied on since 1910. In so doing he has sought to answer the two big questions which have until now been taken for granted: Where did Egyptian civilisation come from? And who built the pyramids, and why?
With unprecedented access to lost portions of the valley temple which have long been closed to archaeologists, Temple presents a sensational, reconstructed story of Egypt which exposes a magnitude of previously unseen evidence.
About ROBERT TEMPLE
Robert Temple is Visiting Professor of the History and Philosophy of Science at Tsinghua University in Beijing. For many years he was a science writer for the Sunday Times, the Guardian, and a science reporter for Time Life, as well as a frequent reviewer for Nature and profile writer for New Scientist. He has produced, written and presented a documentary for Channel Four and National Geographic channels on his archaeological discoveries in Greece and Italy, and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in Britain.
PAUL DEVEREUX - Sacred Geogrpahy
Paul will give us a highly illustrated tour of the Ancient World, looking at several varieties of magical mindscapes of the past. We will see how older civilisations invested their landscapes with religious, mythological, and magical meaning. We will travel from Native American desert markings to Buddhist sacred soundscapes, from Egyptian living landscapes to oriental gardens, and much else besides, raising the question, “Can we draw environmental wisdom today from the ancient idea of sacred geography?” This presentation will be in celebration of Paul's major new book, "Sacred Geography", being published in the summer by Gaia Books.
About PAUL DEVEREUX
Paul Devereux is managing editor of the academic publication, Time & Mind – The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture (www.bergpublishers.com), a research affiliate with the Royal College of Art, a Senior Research Fellow of the International Consciousness Research Laboratories (ICRL), Princeton, and the Director of the Dragon Project Trust. He was editor of The ley Hunter journal for 20 years, and has written a great many articles for general publications and a string of peer-reviewed papers. He is author of twenty-six books, dealing variously with the anthropologies of consciousness, archaeoacoustics and other aspects of ancient sites, landscapes and lifeways, as well as anomalous geophysical phenomena. He lectures in Europe, the UK and North America. www.pauldevereux.co.uk
Gregory Sams - Sun of gOd
Across the world our local star was once understood to be a living entity, and appreciated as our source of life energy. In the West today we see it as a senseless ball of fire, giving more thought to sunglass styles than to the nature of the Sun itself. We are even taught to fear it, though nothing could be more important to us and the planet. It was not science that branded belief in a living Sun as primitive and ignorant – it was centuries of ecclesiastical control over our schools and universities.
In the light of current solar science, ancient belief in a living Sun makes more sense than ever, while a dumb ‘hot ball of gas’ seems less and less likely. Recognition of stellar consciousness is The big missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle of our cosmos. From the logical exploration of this realization it becomes apparent that consciousness pervades the cosmos; that our Universe is a bottom-up construction filled with intelligence and design that requires no Intelligent Designer.
Gregory will be taking the lid off the longest running cover-up in history and bringing the Sun back in from the cold. The implications are stunning!
About Gregory Sams
Gregory Sams has been in the business of changing things since 1967 when, with brother Craig, he opened up the market for organic and natural
foods in the UK. Fifteen years later he conceived and christened the first VegeBurger, an idea that spread. In 1988 he left food for fractals,
opening the only shop ever devoted to new science chaos theory, publishing and licensing fractal art worldwide. This led to his first book,
Uncommon Sense – the State is Out of Date, exploring the lesson of chaos theory for humanity. And chaos led to the next, Sun of gOd, Discover
the Self-Organizing Consciousness That Underlies Everything, in which, as he puts it, the biggest elephant-in-the-room that you could ever
imagine is unveiled.
www.sunofgod.net
www.gregorysams.com
Lucy Wyatt - Approaching Chaos
There can be little doubt that our twenty-first century civilization is facing economic, ecological and spiritual meltdown. In this intriguing new book, Lucy Wyatt takes a highly original and relevant look at just what we can do to reverse this very real and potentially disastrous situation.
The product of some ten years of comprehensive and passionate research, Approaching Chaos urges us to take a good look way back beyond those societies always admired as the first civilized examples, to re-think accepted accounts and concepts of history and go back over 5,000 years to focus on the Bronze Age civilizations. Nearly always considered to be both primitive and pagan, Lucy Wyatt reveals them to be in many ways extraordinarily sophisticated, well-rounded and highly successful infrastructures that combine the spiritual and the practical. She ardently believes that from them the ancient Greeks and Romans actually learnt and, even more pertinently, we can learn a tremendous amount that has been disregarded for far too long.
In taking a fresh look at, amongst other things, the origins of farming and urbanisation, the extraordinary way that the Egyptians used metaphysics, ultrasound and alchemy, the rise of Monotheistic religion and Christianity, Lucy Wyatt presents a brave and compelling over-view of ancient history. Approaching Chaos challenges long accepted thinking on the origins of civilization and uncovers many illuminating insights into how we could help ourselves today.
About Lucy Wyatt
After studying International Relations and Italian at University, Lucy Wyatt went on to work for the National Economic Development Office, then in commercial design and marketing within Sir Terence Conran's empire and followed this by editing a business magazine for a firm of City of London stockbrokers. Lucy Wyatt comes from an illustrious family of mathematicians, architects and writers and herself has a life-long fascination for the ancient past and the political and economic realities of the 'bigger picture'. She lives with her family on an eco-farm in Suffolk, where she puts much of what she has learnt from her research into practice. Approaching Chaos is her first book. www.approachingchaos.co.uk
ANTHONY THORLEY- Landscape Zodiacs of Britain
Landscape Zodiacs are representations of the zodiacal signs and symbolism found in the texture and morphology of rural and urban landscape which broadly mirror the zodiac in the constellations of the ecliptic. The most famous of these, Glastonbury Zodiac, was first described by a remarkable artist and mystic, Katharine Maltwood in the 1920s, but since then over fifty other zodiacs have been described in Britain and Europe. These zodiacs are widely recognised as being associated with rich synchronicities of history, legend, place-names and personal experience which recall the phenomenology of sacred space. Are these mysteries of the British landscape ancient constructions or a modern enthusiasm? Are they simply effusions of a heated creative imagination, projections of pure fantasy, or do they have a more secure status in some dimension of imaginal reality? After a long period of neglect, landscape zodiacs are once again attracting the attention of serious researchers and there are several special interest groups springing up around Britain. In this illustrated presentation Anthony Thorley will review the origins and history of landscape zodiacs and explore some more radical approaches to explaining their unique characteristics.
About ANTHONY THORLEY
Anthony Thorley is a retired psychiatrist and medical policy advisor who has been researching earth mysteries for over 30 years. In 2006 he gained an MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology at Bath Spa University and is currently studying for a PhD on the conceptual basis of landscape zodiacs as sacred space. He is slowly completing a book 'Sacred City, Secret City' on the Masonic vision of the development of eighteenth-century Bath. Together with his wife, the writer Celia Gunn, he has developed a particular interest in pilgrimage and ritual journeys which honour ancestral traditions in the sacred landscape and revitalise our relationship with the wider environment. His activities can be found at www.earthskywalk.com and www.thealchemicaljourney.com
From Sinixt to Somerset: My Life with Native Americans' Celia M Gunn
In 1987, an enigmatic encounter with a Native American visionary drew Celia Gunn into the midst of the extraordinary rebirth of a Native North American tribe declared extinct by the Canadian government in the 1950s. For six years, guided by a living shamanic tradition, she walked a path that few have travelled, her life entwined with the great wisdom of Native American philosophy.
An Englishwoman now living near Bath, Celia’s memoir, 'A Twist in Coyote’s Tale', is her account of the homecoming of the Sinixt Nation to their roots and identity, intertwined with her personal journey: the song of a healing spirit learning her place in the dance of life. Her involvement with the Sinixt people continues to this day, and her book has been adapted into a film, 'The Sinixt: Bringing Home the Bones' (Frog Mountain Films) which premiered in Canada in April 2010. A trailer for this film may be viewed via Celia's website: www.earthskywalk.com
Celia will share her magical story, and the timeless relevance of traditional Native American teachings to us all. An illustrated presentation.
About Celia Gunn
Celia Gunn (Taurus Sun and Moon, Gemini rising), a Northumbrian writer and novelist who has lived in Israel and Canada, working in publishing and education. Closely involved in the renascence of the Sinixt First Nation in British Columbia - which led to her memoir 'A Twist in Coyote's Tale' (Archive Publishing), currently being adapted into a feature film in Canada, provisionally entitled 'The Bone Game' - she continues to be involved with their struggle for full representation. Insights from this unique experience inspired her to begin working with Anthony in her own indigenous British sacred landscape. Much of her current time is divided between co-creating the Chakra Garden and a number of ongoing writing projects. Her two latest books, 'Simply Totem Animals' (Zambezi Publishing) and a novel 'A Dark Wind' (Archive Publishing), are scheduled for publication in 2009. www.earthskywalk.com
Clare Hedin Concert:
Clare accompanies herself on piano, guitar, shruti, bowls and shamanic drum, her songs are insightful, healing and heartfelt. Her musical skills, lyrics and voice evoke a renewing sense of self in community. Her concerts are healing. It is a truly special experience to spend an evening with Clare…and, she’s funny!
Yin Music Meditation: Musical Journey where Clare intuitively channels creative healing tones. Participants relax, and receive… allowing themselves to be transported out of their bodies into the ultimate embrace of Spirit. It’s a visit to the Sound Spa!
About Clare Hedin
Clare started life in England and moved to the Bay Area almost 20 years ago in order to pursue a creative life of fine art, music and transformative studies. In 2002, she discovered JFK University where she did her MA in Consciousness Studies, pulling together all her creative and academic interests. Since moving to the Bay Area she has actively explored Consciousness through Music, Art & Dialogue, including avenues such as Songwriting, Contemplation, Collaboration and Performance. www.clarehedin.com
Robin Herne - Old Gods, New Druids
The universe is filled with countless gods, goddesses and nature spirits. Many made themselves known to the Druids of ancient Northern Europe. How can modern day Druids make contact with these age-old Beings?
‘Old Gods, New Druids' offers a series of twenty humorous and informative lessons that can be used for group or solitary study and is ideal for people interested in Druidry and the Pagan spirituality of ancient Britain and Ireland.
Learn about the ancient Gods and other spirits, along with methods of honouring them through ritual, mysticism, poetry and storytelling. Find a spiritual discipline that embraces responsible hedonism whilst venerating the Land and all her children.
The growing worldwide interest in the old polytheist religions has lead people to attempt to reconstruct the shattered traditions of earlier times. This book provides a model for recreating a working, coherent theology for anyone wanting to commune with their Gods and the Living Land, regardless of their origins or heritage.
About Robin Herne
is a storyteller, poet, artist, dog-owner and Druid. He has written numerous articles for Pagan magazines (such as Pagan Dawn, Many Gods-Many Voices, & Dragonswood), Interfaith books (‘Pagan Pieces’), and had poems included in the work of other authors (Galina Krasskova’s ‘Full Fathom Five’). He has also contributed crime fiction to anthologies, appeared in television documentaries, and is a regular broadcaster with BBC Radio Suffolk. He regularly speaks at Interfaith seminars, Pagan conventions, and other events as both a lecturer and a storyteller. He currently lives with his partner in Suffolk, England and is a founder member of both the Druid group Clan Ogma and the Ipswich Pagan Council. He is also proud to be the first winner of the title Chief Bard of the Fens!
Will Lord - Flint knapping
Flint Knapping workshops, during the course Will teaches the basic art and understanding of Flint Knapping and how to make a range of prehistoric tools from arrowheads to axe heads.
The tools used during the course are soft antler hammers, a range of different quartzite pebbles and flint.
About Will Lord
Will Lord has been involved in flint knapping and prehistoric technology since 1975, when his Parents Val and John Lord became custodians at Grimes Graves. Grimes Graves is a of group Neolithic flint mines in Thetford forest Norfolk.
This period of his life was essentially a training ground, you could say his was an unconventional family living in a house in the forest without modern conveniences such as a television for entertainment. At the time Will thought he was missing out on a normal part of modern day life. However, Will can now see that this was a great bonus to his life as what he found himself doing instead was living a full and extremely exciting childhood adventure. His dad was a great inspiration to him, making beautiful flint arrow heads, fantastic flint knives and spearheads, they made bows and tanned skins, some results better than others. People from all over the World came to Grimes Graves during the time they lived there, on occasions they would meet other Knappers who they could share skills with.
