Re: Humour me | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

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WYRD WALKS

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FourWinds Jul 21, 2004 15:39:53

Replying to TomBo

Bob always seems to have his head screwwed on.

>> "I'm not suggesting that the city of London was designed geomantically in the manner that
>> I've heard Rome was, when I think about it. More that the sacred landscape/whateveryoucallit
>> that was there before London has influenced London's development."

Shirley that's totally different - and probably a more valid case anyway :-)

I can not really accept that because another (ancient) culture planned one or two cities using geomantic (?) principles that a much later one would do the same in London.

Thinking about it I reckon I could come up with similar ideas about Dublin. In fact I know a street where the sun sets straight down it on the equinoxes. To compound the theory the sun sets behind a passage tomb on one of the Dublin Mountains (the north end of the Wicklow Mountains that just happens to be in County Dublin - to me they're all the Wicklow Mountains). Unfortunately, this part of Dublin was apple orchards 200 years ago - I have 1798 & 1693 maps of Dublin. Not a road in sight. The road is new and the alignment simply a very nice coincidence.

Anyway, by way of diversion, how old is the Pentagram as a recorded western sacred symbol? It's not something I've looked into, so I don't have a clue. Saying that, the Irish five-stone stone circles ....

wideford Jul 21, 2004 18:08:17

Replying to FourWinds

Celtic meaning of five. Supposedly four kingdoms surrounding a smaller central one (alternatively seen as being made up from a portion of each) where the overking resides.
Known are North Welsh ('The Men of the North' Yr Gogledd inc. Cumberland 'land of our brother Welsh' and Westmoreland), South Welsh (present Wales), West Welsh (Dumnonia, the West Country). East Welsh taken over very early on, all those Angles and such. Welsh heartland probably where Arthur came out of, so they made a thorough job of wiping out any traces there.

TomBo Jul 21, 2004 19:43:23

Replying to FourWinds

"Shirley that's totally different - and probably a more valid case anyway :-) "

Yes, I accept I didn't get myself across very well to begin with. Careless words cost lives! But thanks for pushing at it until I realised what it was I was trying to say.

"I can not really accept that because another (ancient) culture planned one or two cities using geomantic (?) principles that a much later one would do the same in London."

I wondered what you were getting at. Even if I showed you five million cities that were geomantically designed then it wouldn't say anything about London. As it happens, it seems that most geomantically designed cities (eg. Beijing's Forbidden City, Taipei, Seoul, Baghdad) were built in historic, not prehistoric, times.

Regarding what you say about Dublin - I say go with it, revell in these alignments, real or not. The street I lived on in Glasgow was aligned on the equinoctial sunrise. I'm pretty sure it ended up that way accidentally. But that didn't stop me being blown away when the sun rose exactly at the end of it on the equinox morning. It strikes me that "games" of this sort can add a whole other layer to your experience of a city. I'm obsessed with direction, though, I admit, and am very aware of the four points of the compass wherever I go.

I'll get back to you on pentagrams, if I find anything.

TomBo Jul 21, 2004 21:01:01

Replying to FourWinds

"Bob always seems to have his head screwwed on."

Yes, I've always been impressed with his writing.