What are Leylines?

In short, leylines are paths of planetary energy within Earth’s electromagnetic field. But deciding what exactly this means is a tougher nut to crack.

Since such rocks and landmarks have been found at these locations for centuries, it may be safe to say that they’re important in some way to our ancestors. However, why this might be so remains as mysterious as ever given how there’s no clear answer yet to the topic of ley lines.

Famous Leylines

Perhaps our best known example of a ley line is the legendary Stonehenge. It’s one of the most iconic sites in England and has puzzled historians since its discovery in the early 1700’s.

Even after extensive study, we’re still not sure what, if anything, Stonehenge was used for by its makers. There are many ideas of course; it could have been an Ancient temple to worship the sun or moon, or perhaps it was a passage tomb. To this day there is no way to know for sure.

Who discovered Leylines?

While the concept of leylines has its roots in ancient, mystical thinking, the science behind it stretches back just over a hundred years. The man often credited with discovering them was amateur dowser Alfred Watkins.

He noticed that there were a large number of places in England where ancient sites and natural landmarks appeared to be connected by straight lines on a large scale. He called these ‘leys’ after noticing that they loosely followed old trackways and roads.

As well as this, he noticed several examples of leylines that passed through prominent landmarks such as churches and chapels which he dubbed ‘vortices’.

Research on Leylines

Since its original discovery, a great number of people have studied leylines. One such man was John Michell, a writer and researcher who came up with the idea that leylines were the ‘energy highways’ of the gods.

He even went far enough to create maps of them which he published in his book The New View Over Atlantis. Another researcher, David Livingstone, came to similar conclusions as Michell just a few years later in his book The Power Centers of the Universe.

Today there are many groups dedicated to studying ley lines and their effects on human life. Perhaps the best known is the Ley Hunter’s Guild which has been operating for over fifty years.

Leylines and Magnetic Fields

Of course, most people consider ley lines to be a form of folklore despite being a scientific concept. However, this is not necessarily the case.

In fact, a scientific study was recently done at Yale University which revealed that there are significant correlations between the incidence of certain cancers and certain ley lines. These links may indicate that there is something about these paths of energy that human beings were meant to be aware of.

Indeed, this is the implication you get from many studies into leylines: they are like veins in a system or an electrical conduit through which energy flows freely but not necessarily consciously detected.

How can you find a Leyline?

You can use dowsing rods , pendulums or a Geiger counter to locate leylines. If you’re not sure where to start, then the Ley Hunter’s Guild has an online site for beginners which lists over 300 well known ley lines in England, Wales and Scotland.

Of course, if you want to go looking for a ley line yourself then you will need a compass or map. You may also want to get some books about leylines and other related subjects such as geomancy, dowsing and sacred sites as these may prove useful when performing dowsing at various locations.

Living on a Leyline

What do you think? Does this article actually interest you enough to want to live near a ley line (you could always test the legend at your own home by getting yourself a dowser and see for yourself)?

Or, does it not seem like a good idea because of the stigma attached to leylines and how people perceive them? Would you live on a leyline anyway?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.