Journal of Geomancy vol. 3 no. 3, April 1979
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In the original Journal the first paragraph of this review is printed as artwork, obviously copied from another publication.
“I am Æthelred Eldridge … down-to-earth in the life of William Blake.” Ornate invocation, riddle, fast and furious allusion, pun, morality masque, mystic hocus-pocus, archaic parody, or nonsense personified? Will the real Æthelred please step forward? These “Æthelgrams” and allegories awaken imaginary worlds, where to believe, know, do, and say are not separated. Blake’s “new energy” is invoked as a religion of immediate art, supreme imagination, and applied prophecy. Æthelred appoints himself its high priest, public performer, artist, and visionary No. 1. Address: Church of William Blake at “Golgonooza,” Ohio. Whatever else, satirist or prophet, Æthelred is an acrobat of words.
Following ALBION AWAKE! Æthelred has produced a follow-up paperback of his inimitable writings, illustrated by his usual Blakean–Spare style drawings. To the right is a sample of the work of this remarkable visionary from Ohio.
This, the first in a proposed series of “Anglian Research Papers”, is a comprehensive study of yet another terrestrial zodiac – this in Suffolk. An expansion of Michael’s original article in J O G, each and every aspect is dealt with in detail, the leys, history of St. Edmund, local lore, landscape geometry and and an excellent map. Thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in any kind of geomancy. Also published at the same address by the same author is East Suffolk and Norfolk Antiquarians’ Holy Wells and Ancient Crosses, a gazetteer of the wells, ponds, springs, stone and wooden crosses of Norfolk and Suffolk, at 50p an excellent publication.
This book is a very useful guide for anyone interested in ancient megalithic sites in the British Isles excluding
Ireland. Illustrated by first-quality photographs of the sites, many from ‘new angles’, the sites are given
a basic description showing points of interest, and maps to show the visitor exactly where they are.
Of great use for the geomantic tourer, the most spectacular sites in these isles are covered, from Stonehenge to Castlerigg
via Belas Knap and Callanish.
Nigel Pennick.
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The original of this book was published as long ago as 1873, and it had to wait a century before John Nicholson of
Cokaygne Press gave it a reprint. However, too few copies were published then and it is a welcome sight to have another
edition in print. For those who do not know about this famous book, it is still the best introduction to the complex and
highly developed art of Chinese geomancy, which still flourishes today in Chinese-influenced places not under Marxist–Leninist
control. The whole ethos and function of Feng-Shui is explained, and delightful illustrations by the explorer and
photographer Ernst Borschmann complete a thoroughly worthwhile publication. Nobody with the slightest interest in
geomancy should be
without a copy.
N. Caputmontis
The republication of Tompkins’s masterly work on the most enigmatic of man’s works is especially welcome at this time when the ancient arts of the geomancers are at last receiving the attention which they deserve. Tompkins expounds on the history of the pyramid, the theories which have been forwarded as to its function, suggested methods of construction and its geomantic position. Illustrated by scores of fine engravings, photographs (as early as 1865), diagrams and reconstructions, this book is a ‘must’ for all pyramidologists, whether of the Piazzi Smyth or Leonard Cottrell variety. A real joy is the appendix by Livio Catullo Stecchini who expounds the metrology of the ancient world with fantastic erudition. Ley enthusiasts would do well to read his researches on the ancient surveyors who studied the dimensions of this planet 5000 years ago and placed geodetic markers accordingly. With 416 pages crammed full of wisdom, the high price of this book is well worth every penny.
This book is the result of many years hard work researching this diverse subject. The ancient science of Geomancy literally means “earth divination” but it also includes all the various aspects of earth phenomena. The book is a comprehensive study of man’s relationship with the earth, its energies and its mysteries. The author has collected a great deal of evidence that past generations had access to knowledge and skills which have since been lost. His ultimate aim is that the subject should be given the academic status it deserves and this book will go a long way towards achieving this. He has rediscovered the works of many forgotten researchers and has combined some of their themes with his own original research. The book is full of interesting examples of legends, rituals, sacred sites, buildings, and natural phenomena from all over the world.
The layout of the book is in an open style leaving plenty of room for the relevant illustrations, photographs and diagrams. It is so full of facts that there is no room for waffle.
There is an introduction explaining the nature of Geomancy and its rediscovery and the main book is divided into twelve chapters.
One deals with the importance of the natural environment in Geomancy, including springs, walls, trees, stones and hills. Two describes how the energies contained in these natural sites were fixed and how the right places were found to site buildings etc. Three explains the omphalos, the ultimate geomantic centre of the world. Four is about divination, boundaries, labyrinths and mazes. Five is concerned with hill figures and terrestrial zodiacs, whilst six is about alignments, ley lines and landscape geometry. Seven explains how directions are related to the omphalos. It is about temples and their orientation and also the orientation of Christian churches. Eight explains sacred geometry, the layout of sacred buildings, including the systems of ad triangulum and ad quadratum. {65}
Nine is about measure and the importance of the dimensions of sacred buildings.
Ten deals with the layout of cities and eleven continues to explain how ideal cites were laid out, and twelve is about the decline in the use of geomantic principles in recent times.
The Ancient Science of Geomancy is a very impressive book and I highly recommend it to all members. I am
sure that this book will win many more converts to the cause of bringing the subject out of obscurity.
Sheila Cann
This publication, subtitled “A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages and the Grail”, attempts to show the connexion
between terrestrial geometry, Glastonbury and the Great Pyramid, the wisdom of Atlantis and other enigmas. The theories
and argument are interesting, but the thesis must stand or fall on the terrestrial geometry, which appears to be very
‘loose’ and hypothetical. However, it is another interesting idea to add to the corpus of geomantic theory,
and as such deserves to be read and commented upon.
Gabriel Wedmore