As I have posted before, genuine crop circles are formed out of six
inch pixels formed by a microwave laser firing under a computerized aiming and
firing system from a couple of miles above the fields. The history of the circles or glyphs mirrors
both the development of computer capacity and the evolution of microwave based
laser systems by the defense industry.
Since it is a defense project, it has been shielded behind
misinformation and denial and I am sure a late night visit to the farmers with
a handful of cash and a fresh understanding of the secrets act.
Confirmation of this program emerged only recently with the
demonstration of such a laser knocking out a missile for the first time from
aboard ship. The tool really does exist
and the time lines pretty well assures us that I do not have to wave in alien
jesters when I have perfectly good human
jesters working nearby.
In the meantime the press continues to buy the cover stories as do the
folks chasing the glyphs. The phrase,
useful idiots comes to mind. This item
is a bit of a travel item telling you how to chase them. Perhaps this will
become a tourist obsession worth maintaining.
The mystery of England's
crop circles
Wiltshire, the home of
mystical Stonehenge, is also awash in complex field formations that some say
contain strange powers
By BILL STRUBBE, Postmedia
News; Ottawa Citizen April 7, 2012
The lingering midsummer
twilight filtered through the window into the upstairs chamber of the farmhouse
B&B as my sister and I settled into our twin beds. Before turning off the
light she asked me, "What do you want for your birthday?" reminding
me that tomorrow I would officially transition into the middle age of 40.
Pondering a moment, I jokingly
replied, "How about a crop circle? That would be just fine," and
after a long day we quickly drifted off to sleep.
At the crack of dawn I was
shaken awake by my sister exclaiming, "Get up! Look out the window."
I sat up and there across the
field on the lower slope of a hill, etched with one of Wiltshire's famed chalk
White Horses, beckoned a pristine crop circle. We threw on our clothes, rushed
out the door and beelined along the tractor line through the knee-high barley
toward this exquisite mystery I sensed was meant just for me.
Fifteen years passed since my
auspicious crop circle experience, and as my 56th birthday approached, I
decided to fulfill my dream of spending the summer among these crop formations,
along with the colourful cast of characters who chase them.
Though this phenomenon enjoyed
its 15 minutes of fame in the 1990s, dozens of these often complex geometric
patterns still appear every summer. Notorious pensioners Doug Bower and Dave
Chorley have claimed credit for some pedestrian formations (Google them for
details), but despite night watches by researchers and irate farmers who
offered a bounty, circle makers are rarely, if ever, caught in the act and the
mystery remains.
Crop circles - more
accurately, agriglyphs or pictograms - were the reason I ventured into
Wiltshire, and ground zero was the Silent Circle, a café and bookshop in Yatesbury,
about 130 kilometres west of London, started by crop circle researcher Charles
Mallett, who explained that sightings filter in from passing vehicles or pilots
scouting the landscape. Like storm chasers, once an approximate location is
established, a carload of "croppies" heads out to find it.
A new one had been discovered
that day, so I drove to East Kennet and parked. The midsummer sun lingered
along the horizon as I walked up the tractor line to the formation. While some
sleuths experience swoops of energy inside circles, anything subtle I might
have felt was overwhelmed by mere excitement.
Reverently walking the
perimeter, I eventually discerned its arcing quadrennial form. Though I was
initially disappointed by the seemingly uneven lay of the crop, later aerial
photos revealed a lovely Celtic Cross, the interplay of light in the feathered
lay creating a sublime three dimensionality.
The next day, another was
reported near Chicklade, west of Stonehenge. Five of us crowded into a car and
set off, scanning the fields until spotting it. As we reached the crop circle
the sun broke through, bathing the sixpetal formation in light. Near the tidy
centre whorl I played my wooden recorder, when a truck bounded up and two
farmers jumped out, one yelling, "This is criminal damage you've caused
here!"
When we replied that we had
only just arrived, he retorted, "You bloody well know you made it, and
it's a right poor one, too!"
Understandably, grangers are
not pleased because of lost crops. Some immediately mow them out; others,
especially in "popular canvas" fields, make the best of it with a
donation box. One famous glyph, shaped like a beautiful mathematical structure
known as a "Julia Set fractal," appeared in daylight near Stonehenge
in 1996 and reportedly netted the farmer thousands of pounds.
In a formation dubbed the
"Unfinished Symphony," within sight of one of Wiltshire's eight White
Horses etched on the hills, I met James Reed lugging a metal donation box, into
which I dropped a few pounds.
"My fellow farmers would
hang me for fraternizing with the croppies," Reed laughed.
Later that day, while I
pondered the lovely swirls of another formation - two circles joined by cryptic
code - poor Reed arrived again and laughed, "Well, this one was already
here, so it doesn't count."
In that same glyph, I met a
trio of healers and conversation ensued. "For eight years I've come to see
crop circles and with all the energy lines intersecting throughout the
countryside I feel that this land is important," explained Cynthia
Barnard, a shaman from Boxford, Mass.
While crop formations appear
the world over, that a preponderance pop up in Wiltshire is not thought
coincidental. Here, rendered in stone and earth across the sacred landscape
stand countless ancient stone works, the most famous being Stonehenge. Far
older is the mother of all stone circles, Avebury Henge, so enormous that
thatched homes encroach into the ring
Nearby is conical Silbury
Hill, the largest artificial mound in Europe. So deftly constructed was this
40-metre-tall mount that it has defied 5,000 years of erosion. Directly across
the highway crouches West Kennett Long Barrow, believed to be a ritual chamber
and later a tomb. I reached it via a 10-minute walk across the fields, and I
spotted another small crop circle.
Downing a cider at the lively
Barge Inn, I met Mathew Williams, an ex-circle-maker holding the dubious
distinction as the only person prosecuted for "criminal crop damage."
While explaining the thrill of
the illicit art and the tricks with boards and ropes of his former avocation,
the discussion unexpectedly veered to paranormal experiences that he, and other
circle makers, encountered while making formations; darting light orbs, shadow
humanoid figures appearing, eerie sounds and once discovering he had created a
formation that a group had meditated on the previous night.
"Often circle makers
don't know why they suddenly feel inspired and because of my strange
experiences there seems to be a lot more going on than meets the eye."
Then Matt added: "Some people are offended that humans might be the
conduit, but I say that it is proof of human potential, and why deny
that?"
Yet human hands do not explain
numerous associated anomalies: watch, cellphone and camera malfunctions within
formations - most famously, an inexplicable two-hour glitch in equipment hired
by National Geographic; altered soil structure evidenced by "ghosts"
of accelerated crop appearing in following summers and snow melting more
quickly on former crop circle sites; elongated and blownout grass nodes best
explained by a microwave burst; and the ongoing, keen interest of the British
military.
While a fierce and often
acrimonious debate swirls I, and many other enthusiasts, embrace this
possibility: Perhaps crop glyphs - mathematical, spiritual, astronomical and
mythic symbols - are an interactive collaboration between the collective human
consciousness and another inter-dimensional intelligence to remind us of our
history, of the beauty we stand to lose if we are not better stewards.
IF YOU GO
WHERE TO STAY:
Mayfield House (mayfieldbandb.
com). Located in the town of Burbage, the original section of this lovely
thatched home dates back to 1460, with tennis court and swimming pool. The two
ensuite rooms are cosy and plush, and Angie, the gracious hostess, serves up a
sumptuous and delicious breakfast. Cost: 55 pounds per single; 75 pounds per
double.
Avebury Life B&B
(aveburylife. com), located in Avebury Trusloe, not far from Avebury Henge. Its
proprietor, Antoinette, enjoys hosting guests who are particularly interested
in crop circles as well as the spiritual, metaphysical aspects of Wiltshire. 40
to 65 pounds per night. Follets B&B (folletsbb.com) in the town of Easton
Royal, offers both deluxe B&B and self-catering options, the latter in a
recently converted barn with an amply equipped kitchen, Wi-Fi and private
garden. 75-80 pounds per room, per night; self-catering cottages 500-700 pounds
per week.
MORE INFORMATION:
Tale of Spice
(taleofspice.co.uk) After nights of eating traditional pub food, spice it up
with excellent Indian cuisine in the town of Pewsey. Dinner without drinks,
6-12 pounds.
Visit Wiltshire
(visitwiltshire.com): The official tourism website covering places to stay,
dine, upcoming events and music and art festivals, family fun and activities.
Crop Circle Connector
(cropcircle connector.com): Provides the latest updates and photos of crop
circle formations in the U.K. and around the world, as well as interpretations
and the latest research.
Wiltshire Crop Circle Study
Group (wccsg.com): Established in 1995, the group supports scientific research
and data collection, explores metaphysical aspects and sponsors workshops,
night watches and an annual conference in August.
The Silent Circle (silentcircle.co.uk):
Website for the café and bookshop, the main gathering spot for crop circle
enthusiasts to share information and experiences, and make new friends from the
world over.
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