After what seemed quite a sluggish summer, the circles came to life with a final flourish.
When last I wrote we had got a far as the lovely Clear Wood circle.
After that, the rush was on, as the fields were being harvested even throughout the night after rain prior to being put in a dryer.
The circles then seemed to realise that they were running out of time and couldn’t wait to appear. Just when we thought everything was over, a beautiful crop circle arrived at Etchilhampton. Every year since I can ever remember one of the very last to arrive is always at Etchilhampton where the farmers are friendly and welcoming. This was no exception and farmer Edwards kindly agreed to open his field. (He told me that during the war the Germans had dropped two bombs in that same field. I believe this was their custom if they had not used them all, to drop them randomly in the countryside to get rid of them before returning home.) By then most of the people from overseas had left, so us islanders were the lucky ones. In addition, the weather was perfect, warm and balmy.
I took two friends to visit this circle and for most of the time we had it for ourselves. It was Libby’s first ever visit to a crop circle and she was entranced and overwhelmed by the peace inside the formation and the beauty of the surrounding countryside. It seems as though hands of welcome were reaching out to enfolding us in their arms into the sanctity of the circle.
“Last night I slept like a baby. Something I haven’t done for probably 19 years since my third child was born.
“I felt totally comatosed.
“But in a beautiful calm way.
I slept for 11 hours without moving; I was surprised as I usually fidget a lot."
“I am a nurse and work with older people who live with Parkinson’s and other dementia type conditions.
I can really see how the energy from a crop circle could benefit some of these conditions immensely.
All in all I felt and still do a real sense of calm and peace.”
I had neglected to bring my umbrella for shade so resorted to putting my gillet over my head and received this email from Martin some days later!
“There has been a very strange sighting in a crop circle in Devises last weekend Lucy. I’ve attached the photograph for you to see if you can fathom it.
A spokesman for the government says that it’s baffling them completely however they will continue their investigations of this unexplained phenomenon.”
After we had been in the circle for a while, a lovely family joined us who lived locally. They had two charming little daughters and one of them was fascinated by my camera and posed most beautifully. A budding film star!
We then had lunch before driving to keep our helicopter flight. As we were passing a field at Stanton St. Bernard we noticed cars parked and people walking up into the field. I had heard rumours that there might be a circle there but had not received confirmation. We reached the airfield; Libby never having flown in a helicopter before was distinctly nervous. We took off piloted by Candia, the first time I had flown with a woman. She was first class and deputy head of the flying school, and within a few minutes Libby was enjoying herself enormously - what a day for her; her first visit go the crop circle and her first ride in a helicopter! We took off into the glorious sunlight, overjoyed as always to seeing glorious countryside stretching out beneath us below. Sprawling towns and cities are not such welcome viewing. We reached the Wiltshire range of hills and spotted a chalk white horse, it was the Cherhill white horse so we continued gliding round the magnificent sweep of the ancient undulating Wansdyke hills to Stanton St. Bernard where we found the circle we suspected was there, and took pictures.
After our flight Martin and Libby drove back to the Stanton St. Bernard circle to visit it from the ground. Libby tells us:
“Indeed it was a truly magical experience.
And I got so much benefit from the energy in the circles.
At the last crop circle as we were leaving around 8 pm a heavily pregnant lady came into the circle on her own and lay down in the dusk.
At the time I thought it slightly odd.
Now I know why she did it. What an amazing thing to do for you and your baby.
The whole experience has totally changed my view on life and how energy plays such a big part of everything.
So much more than meets the eye."
After flying over Stanton St. Bernard lying obliquely below the Alton Barnes chalk white horse we flew on to Etchilhampton to fly over the wondrously beautiful circle. To see a circle from the air in which you have been inside on foot just a few hours before is a truly magical experience.
On returning to the airfield Candia pointed out a small church perched on a rocky Iron Age hill fort prominence. Despite it being over a mile away and hazy to boot, I thought I would try and have a shot at taking a photograph. To my complete amazement when I zoomed in it turned out to really look like a church and not just a distant blob!
Candia kindly sent me the link. Called St Bartholomew’s Church, Chosen Hill, Churchdown, it has an ancient history. Standing at 580 feet on a bed of primarily hard marl rock consisting of limestone and ironstone and dating back to the Neolithic age, its first known existence as a single cell building is thought to have been around 1250 when the local people were granted permission to hold a fair on the hill. There are also many wells close by and it is thought that the Church could lie on an energy line. (I would love to visit it and find out.) Legend has it that local maidens used to consult the waters whispering their romantic hopes.
Over subsequent centuries, the hill was considered important, and was visited annually by William I; continuing to play a prominent part in history. During the Reformation, St. Bartholomew’s suffered as many churches did, and the resident Bishop, Hooper was burned at the stake. On another occasion during the reign of Charles I, when parts of the country rose up against the king, Chosen Hill became a Royalist stronghold only to be eventually defeated by the Parliamentary forces.
Once a place of pilgrimage, the church gradually fell into disrepair until the middle of the 20th C when enough money was found, together with donations, to restore it and install electricity.
This Church and ancient Hill Fort undoubtedly have a story to tell and are definitely on my list to visit.
And so with that joyous day, the season came to an end with one final circle at Preston Candover in Hampshire.
Maybe we have not received so many circles this year but the magic persists.
Hopefully my 2020 calendar will be ready the first week of October so please place your orders as my 2019 calendar sold so fast.
Also my book continues to be popular and an article is coming out in the next Physic News plus the front cover!!!
My annual talk in Petersfield is on Saturday 19th October when I will also be signing books.
I do hope you have all had a good and happy summer.
With my love and best wishes,
Lucy.