In the days when many young ladies and men were taught Lo draw and paint as part of their education, others sought the teachings of myths and legends. Often though, the teachings are (still) not seen for what they are: allegories teaching great truths. Most inspire us to our one great quest - the quest to find our spiritual self and then learn what to do with it here on this realm.
I do not know what fairies or creatures of the fairy realm live near the Ring of Brodgar in Scotland. But I do know when we open our minds we can see in the dark. It is not evil that lurks there, but a knowing that trees speak, winds whisper, and the world of dragons and angels is full of joy and stones ... magical stones. In ancient times, magical stones were just around the bend, near the portal to other realms. Modern-day people like Dr. Patrick MacManaway have shown absolutely that these ancient realms exist through obscure doorways and lead to adventures with pots of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Dr. MacManaway published his book, Dowsing for Health, in 2001, dedicating it to his parents, Bruce and Patricia MacManaway, "whose vision and integrity served the unqualified return of the spirit of healing and dowsing to the community:' The MacManaways were people who helped others understand their own individual healing potential. They stood as an example that people can empower themselves and thus empower us all. The MacManaway clan was resolute in their healing work in northern Scotland, and paved the way for people like the founders of Findhorn (their neighbours and friends). Patrick MacManaway carried on their work and took it international. I first learned of Patrick MacManaway while hosting "Speakers from the Heart," a Canadian Trent
University interview radio show. I came across the website of his friend and co-founder of Circles for Peace, Ivan McBeth, and was fortunate to interview them both on several occasions. MacManaway and McBeth fascinated their audience when talking about stones and energy, working with stones and healing, ancient Celtic lore, and their own individual stories.
The following excerpt from my book, Thank Our Lucky Stones, touches on the life of MacManaway, who believed in "tuning into the earth's energy for personal development and wellbeing."
"Dr. Patrick MacManaway is a second-generation practitioner of the healing arts, training first with his parents at their Healing and Teaching Centre in rural Fife, Scotland (neighbors and friends of founders of Findhorn). Patrick studied Medicine at Edinburgh University before taking apprenticeships in both Western and Eastern approaches to landscape energy and traditional geomancy. He is a practitioner of earth acupuncture and geopathic stress remediation. Living half of each year in the United States and the other half in Scotland, he is also a co-founder of Circles for Peace. org, a Vermont grassroots non-profit organization that is based on the philosophy that inner peace and inner strength can be restored by witnessing the rhythms and cycles of nature.
From the website of his friend and co-founder of Circles for Peace, Ivan McBeth (thank you, Fearne): 'There are well over one thousand remains of stone circles still visible in Britain. They range from tiny ones a few yards in diameter, up to the Avebury megalithic complex that spans some eleven hundred feet. It is estimated that over 67 percent of these are true circles, 17 percent are flattened circles, and six percent are egg-shaped. There are •a number of compound rings, of which the most advanced of all is at Avebury.
Avebury Megalithic Complex
The ancient stone circle builders employed advanced geometry, had intimate knowledge of astronomy, and were skilled as engineers. They could set out projects Lo an accuracy of one in a thousand (only an experienced surveyor with good equipment is likely to attain that accuracy, even today), and they could transport and erect blocks of stone weighing up to three hundred tons. They also knew of, and used the famous 3:4:5 right-angled triangle (also the 5:12:13, the 8:15:17, and the 12:35:37 right-angled triangles) in the setting out of ellipses, two thousand years before Pythagoras. Megalithic Man had an accurate solar calendar, and had set up a series of lunar observatories that could accurately observe the intricate 18.61 yearly cycle of the moon. He knew of the moon's "wobble" and could thereby predict eclipses, a massively complicated procedure even for modern man. He divided his year into sixteen parts, the cusps of which coincide with the Solstices, the Equinoxes, and the four fire festivals (Samhain, Imbole, Beltaine, and Lammas) at the cross-quarters:' I wish you a magical journey that makes your heart sing and adds a breath of new life in your soul.

Mary McGillis is an award winning author. On her new YouTube channel, she describes her book, Thank Our Lucky Stones, as a fun guide to learn how stones can heal your life and help you discover your soul stone. The book also features fascinating historic and mythological lore about stones. Mary lives in Peterborough, gateway to the Kawartha Lakes near Toronto, and has inspired the area with her Celtic Connection boutique, an urban Fairy and Dragon Trail, and The Fairy and Dragon Festival.
Mary can be contacted via email at MaryMcGillis@live.ca.
The American Dowser -Vol. 59, Issue No. 1 - Autumn 2019 62



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