In 1921, Alfred Watkins wrote Early British Trackways and The Old Straight Track. In these books, he proposed that ancient cultures that erected monuments and megaliths had a series of pathways between the sites, which he called ley lines.
These ley lines originate in places like Stonehenge and connect to other important sites that usually are attributed spiritual significance; as such it has now become widely accepted that ley lines are of spiritual significance themselves. Indeed, many destinations that these lines intersect are said to be abuzz with spiritual and even supernatural energies. Here are 5 of Europe’s ley line locations for the curious traveler.
Avebury – England
In any list of spiritual sites to visit around the world, you will invariably find Stonehenge among the ranks. Unbeknownst to the common traveler, the largest Neolithic stone circle in the world can be found about 20 miles north of Stonehenge, surrounding Avebury village. The Avebury henge covers around 28 acres, and the original stone circle was comprised of 100 impressively large stones. History has been rough on the standing stones, and only 27 remain today, the rest destroyed and buried by settlers misattributing satanic elements to the monument.
Another site in Avebury is Silbury Hill. Silbury Hill is the largest artificial mound on the English island, and though the original purpose of the mound has been debated, it is intersected by two ley lines and is purported to be a nexus of natural energy. Indeed, some of the first reports of modern-day crop circles originated near Silbury Hill, and strange happenings and events continue there to this day.
Rosslyn Chapel – Scotland
If one were visiting the village of Roslin in Scotland, you might be there to take a look at the famous Rosslyn Chapel, formally called the Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew. This unique chapel was founded by William Sinclair in the middle of the 15th century and has become a thing of legend, with the structure and its founder alike having been purportedly linked to the Knights Templar. Other accounts regarding ties to Freemasonry have sprung up as well throughout the years.
Legend runs deep within the foundation of the Rosslyn Chapel for a few reasons. To begin with, the architecture contains curious sets of clues that cannot be answered by the original architectural plans, because those plans have never been found. The 213 mysterious boxes or cubes that can be found intricately carved in sequences on select walls have no explanation, nor do the 110 “Green Men” that are placed throughout the chapel with foliage and greenery growing out of their mouths.
Some of the most interesting carvings are those that look like corn, an inherently North American crop that had not yet been discovered by European explorers. Add to these legends the sealed vaults underneath the chapel and rumors of the final resting place of the Holy Grail, and you will finally begin to scratch Rosslyn Chapel’s clandestine surface. Many are convinced that it is no coincidence that a powerful ley line runs right through this area.
Externsteine – Germany
The Externsteine are a natural formation of five stone pillars that stand up to 125 feet tall in Germany’s Northern Rhine area. The area served as an area of pagan worship for the ancient Saxons until Charlemagne brought Christianity to the region in the 8th century A.D. Unfortunately, all that is left standing of the complex carved out of the Externsteine are stairs that lead to nowhere, mysterious platforms that lend no clue to their purpose and meticulously placed holes that may have served a larger part in astronomical observation.
If one were to visit the Externsteine, they would see newer Christian carvings in the walls, some would say to document Christianity’s triumph over the area. Regardless, the ley lines in the area (called Heilige Linien by the locals) still radiate energy, connecting the Externsteine to other German chapels and monuments, as well as to larger spiritual grounds and vortices throughout the world.
Mont Saint Michel – France
One of the most amazing sights on the Normandy coast, the Gothic abbey called Mont Saint Michel is one of France’s most popular sacred sites, reeling in around 3 million visitors a year. Mont Saint Michel is home to about 40 people, give or take a few, and has served in history as a military stronghold during the Hundred Years War, as well as a simple monastery for Christians. Mont Saint Michel is known as La Merveille, or “The Marvel,” because of the breath-taking architecture in relation to the mound as well as its stunning position in the sea.
Before the abbey was built upon the mound, the island was a place of local Celtic spiritual significance, playing a role in ushering their dead into the afterlife. Lore has it that the church was built after repeated instructions by the Archangel Michael, the first of which were ignored. His instructions were finally heeded after he burned a hole in St. Aubert’s skull in 708 A.D. The rocky isle regularly becomes shrouded in fog with the rolling in of the tides, giving it a mysterious shroud that only enhances its beauty and spiritual aura. Mont Saint Michel rests upon the Saint Michael’s Line, a ley line that stretches across Europe.
The Ancient Ram Inn – England
The Ancient Ram Inn, located in Wotton-Under-Edge, is purportedly one of the most haunted buildings in England. Owned and operated by a man named John Humphries, the inn has been featured in magazines, television, and on the internet as a site of extreme paranormal activity. Rumor has it that the inn has been the site of suicide, black magic ritual, and child sacrifice, and John and his visitors reporting to have seen or experienced the presence of at least two particular demons, a witch’s ghost, and a host of other supernatural entities.
Whether or not you believe in these apparitions or the stories behind them, many will claim to feel an energy emanating from the area. Intersecting ley lines have been known to cause people to feel spiritually negative, as opposed to spiritually positive, and this is one of those sites that will incite the former.
Guest post by author and Druidic practitioner Erik Oakenshield.
Born in Belfast and now living in London, Julie McNamee is involved in internet marketing as a day job and blogging as a hobby. She’s interested in all things quirky and Fortean, as well as art, photography and theatre. Her blog Quirky Travel, specializes in London and Paris top tips and off the beaten path information with subjects such as London film locations and unusual Paris museums.
