Pembrokeshire is littered with ancient sacred sites, which is something I hadn’t appreciated until I got there and saw a tourist map showing the main ones. There’s a large National Park area in the centre of Pembrokeshire that has many of these sites scattered on and around the Preselli Hills (avoids jokes about cheeseburgers, hound dogs, suede shoes, et al).
M and I decided to visit the main cromlech in this area, which is called Pentre Ifan, near Newport. We parked at a youth hostel car park allowing us to walk the last two miles through forest land, up the hill to Pentre Ifan. We had an OS map, a sense of purpose, and I had my dowsing rods for backup should all common sense fail us.
We walked down the lane from the car park to find the Youth Hostel and a farmhouse. There was a small signpost indicating a possible path, but we were half expecting a distinct sign, and so carried on looking around. A bouncy sandy-coloured dog began to bounce around us, checking us out, and we greeted him with enthusiasm. Perhaps he could tell us which way to go, we laughed? Seeing no other obvious paths we went back to the signpost and headed off in the direction it suggested through a shaded covered muddy path. The dog bounced around us and then got in front, bounding into the field of new corn ahead.
We walked through the field looking for the a stile or a sign. To our right the labrador was trotting on through the field, checking to see if we were coming too every now and again. M then remarked as to whether he could be leading us. I don’t think so, I retorted, we’ve got ages to go yet!
We half followed the dog to the end of the field where there was indeed a stile. The dog went through of his own accord, and we followed. Now I actually did begin to think that the dog might be leading us! In front of me as I hopped over the stile was a white quartz rock about hand sized. Without thinking I picked it up and carried it with me. On we walked, through the woods until we encountered a family at another signpost. “Is this your dog?” we asked. “We thought he was yours!” they replied.
As the dog seemed to be with us now, M christened him “Bramble” for some reason, and so we started to call him that. On he led us, through invisible paths through cornfields, across stiles, over fields, past farms. Still no signs to Pentre Ifan, but we were now just following the dog. We became worried that he was now half an hour from his home, but he continued with us, being only momentarily distracted by an open field of sheep (which we dissuaded him from pursuing further).
We got out some water and poured some into M’s hands so that the dog could have a drink, as it was getting warm in the early afternoon sun.
As we climbed over a gate at the top of the field Bramble began to chase a car down the lane we had just stepped into. “Bye!” we shouted, “and thanks!”.
Now where were we? We consulted our map – no idea! We had no clue where we were now, so I got my rods out and asked them to point to Pentre Ifan. They pointed up the road and to the right, so we walked up the road. Fifty yards later we was a brown sign “Burial Chamber”. We were here! The dog had led us right to it! We decided to check he’d got back alright on our return journey, but for now we walked to the site past large rocks positioned alternately on either side of the path. I noted some twisted hawthorn trees – definitely energy running along the path, I mused.
It was very impressive. A large capstone positioned precariously on three pointed uprights – it looked unfeasibly delicate! I started dowsing at one of the three visible stones that defined the outer perimeter of the site. As these stones were so obviously forming a square (with a missing corner) I dowsed for a male line. One immediately appeared leading straight into one of the back two upright stones. At the other corner a line went diagonally to the other stone in a straight line. Two lines, both going straight into the rear stones. I did the stone at the front too and it did the same – straight into the front upright from one corner. But the other corner didn’t have a visible stone. I dowsed away from the front upright in the direction of the ‘missing’ line to find a male straight line heading to the empty corner, where it turned straight downhill. I noted the turning point and stuck my rod into the grass to see if anything was underneath. Clunk! Metal hitting stone. As I tugged the turf it came away to reveal the missing corner stone!
I noticed there were some small marks on the stone, like mini cup marks that I’d seen on larger circles and standing stones, and I wondered as to their significance – were they a map of the energy points here?
Another male line was going through the stones positioned on either side of the main chamber – one leading down the entry path, and the other ending in a large wide spiral on the western side.
Then I started dowsing the female frequencies. Six spirals connected in pairs at the back of the chamber. The three pairs only connected with each other and bent in towards the stones was they passed the main chamber. A beautiful symmetrical pattern.
At the front again I found two “treble clef” shaped female spirals on either side, just above the corner stones.
I decided to look inside the chamber now. Surely this was the “hot spot” the the site and probably had a strong spiral or many crossing points of lines which I could follow? No. There was only one line – a male line which went from the centre of the chamber around the back uprights (two holding the capstone, and one flat upright positioned between them). The line went into the back flat upright. I had to ask M to move a little, as she had been standing with her back against this flat stone since we got there!
There was a crossing point for the lines, but it wasn’t in the centre of the chamber, it was at the rear, slightly on the right hand side of the site, about six feet away from the back flat stone.
Having done as much as I felt sensible (not everyone enjoys sitting around waiting for me to finish dowsing!) I picked up the white quartz rock I had carried to the site from the woods below. M had just moved away from the back flat upright stone, and said to me “You should stand there – it’s very nice.”. I had an idea! I checked with the rods to make sure there was nothing else to find in front of the middle upright, and got a negative reading – nothing else to find. Good. I grabbed the quartz rock and thought about putting some energy into it.
I placed the stone at the base of the middle upright stone, and stood with my back against it, not thinking of anything – zoning out from thought. After a minute I began to feel an electric tingle that made me feel like I was being tickled from the inside! It made me laugh, laugh hysterically, to the point where tears were forming in my eyes with the pleasure of it! When I couldn’t take any more I stepped away – exhilarated by the sensation and amazed beyond belief at the power of the feeling, and how it had affected me.
I left the quartz rock where it was, turned and gave thanks to the stones for the experience. Then grabbed my rods again. I had tried this once before on Birchen Edge – seeing if I could get a “manifestation” of spontaneous energy production, as Hamish Miller had once called it. I dowsed the back of the stone. Three new patterns had appeared! There were two spirals going out to the left and right of the back stone, and in the middle were…well…a pair of horns or ears is the only way I could describe the shape.
I drew the shape in my notebook, and showed it to M. She turned it upside down and exclaimed “It’s a goat!”. I looked again. Oh yes – looking from above, the capstone formed the face, the spirals on either side were the horns, and the horn/ear shapes were ears! Or vice versa, perhaps. How bizarre!
With that, I took some measurements (which seemed similar to previous sites) and we headed back down the entrance path – me dowsing the male line that bounced between the large stones positioned on either side of the path.
We walked back to the car by road, both of us using the rods to make decisions at road junctions. We were eager to see whether “Bramble” had got back alright! After all – we’d led him astray! After half an hour’s walk M asked “How much further?”. We were hungry by now. I asked the rods – “How long until we get to the car? “10 minutes?”. No response. “15 minutes?” – rods crossed. “About fifteen minutes. ” I said. M didn’t ask why. I checked my watch: “2:45pm”. Easy enough to measure, I thought.
Soon we were at the car park. Before we opened the car M said “Let’s see if Bramble’s back!”. So we walked down the lane again to the hostel and farmhouse. M started calling him and he soon responded by barking. He was tied up at the side of the farmhouse, but no-one else was around. Looks like he might have been in the matephorical dog house for wandering off!
We walked back up to the car, and we opened the door. I check my watch – “3:00pm.” Exactly fifteen minutes since I asked the rods! Ha ha – coincidence I guess.
My next objective was Gors Fawr stone circle. But that adventure is another story in itself.
Gwas.
Follow your true path