Ley lines
In 1921 an amateur archaeologist named Alfred Watkins noticed on a map that various ancient monuments and spiritual places were aligned in a straight line. He spent the following years researching the phenomenon of what he termed ley … Read the rest
Category: International (Page 22 of 26)
Japan. past and present
Go to a shrine and one thing you’re sure to see: fortune slips tied up on a tree. The preoccupation with fortune-telling of young Japanese, females in particular, is striking. Where does it stem from? One … Read the rest
Some people in the West come to an interest in Shinto through martial arts. Some through their sympathy with nature religions and neo-paganism. John Howard, featured here, combines both elements.
You’re Ovate of Glastonbury. Can you explain what that means?… Read the rest
Dragons
Anyone who has read Joseph Campbell knows of the commonalities amongst ancient myths. Archangel Michael slaying a seven-headed dragon in the West is echoed in Japan by Susanoo slaying the eight-headed monster. The hero’s journey involves facing your inner … Read the rest
Olympic heights
The opening of the 2012 Olympics on Friday night showcased England’s most sacred mount – Glastonbury Tor. It featured as the pastoral paradise of William Blake’s visionary poem, before the country became despoiled by the ‘satanic mills’ … Read the rest
Shinto purification
In Shinto there’s no good and evil in a moral sense, but instead there is the idea of purity and pollution. Whereas the kami live in a realm of absolute purity, life in the material world inevitably results … Read the rest
Mystery circles
Yesterday I went on a crop circles tour which led me to reflect on the nature of intuition. The general feeling on my tour was that the number and complexity of crop formations mean that some if not … Read the rest