The Allure And Lore Behind Ley Lines, Which Began As An Ancient Mapping Theory, Then Took a Supernatural Turn
In 1921, an amateur archaeologist named Alfred Watkins made an incredible discovery. He realized that ancient sites around Britain seemed to be connected by straight lines or paths. He called these routes the “ley lines,” which were then transformed into something supernatural.
Ley lines are invisible lines that crisscross the globe. Some people believe that they carry supernatural energy and that certain individuals can harness the power at places where they intersect. Of course, there are others who don’t think the paranormal aspect of ley lines exists.
On January 27, 1855, Alfred Watkins was born in Hereford, England, to a wealthy family who ran several small businesses in town. When he got older, he began to take over some operations and learned a lot about the region.
Watkins also had a passion for photography. He became a respected landscape photographer and craftsman, but today, he is remembered more for his theory on ley lines.
He first discovered ley lines on June 30, 1921. He was standing on a hill in Blackwardine while looking at a map.
That was when he saw how several ancient sites were positioned in a perfectly straight line. His view from the hill cemented the idea in his head, so he proceeded to make observations from other tall hills in the area.
He further speculated that if one started traveling along any point on the line, they would run into sites not marked on the map, such as trenches, forest glades, or notches on crested hills.
Watkins claimed that ley lines connected landmarks, prehistoric sites, and historic structures. They represented trading routes that prehistoric societies in England used to get to their destinations more quickly.
However, many archaeologists dismissed this hypothesis because it would’ve been impractical to travel in straight lines for trading.
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In the 1960s, Watkins’ theory saw something of a resurgence. A man named Tony Wedd suggested that ley lines were used by ancient humans to communicate with aliens.
He thought they were paths that helped guide UFOs visiting Earth. From then on, the theory took on a more mystical air. Ley lines were no longer just simple trails.
Ancient humans must have been in sync with some kind of great supernatural force and constructed their sacred structures in places where the energy felt the strongest.
But, only a select few could detect the energy. It is unclear exactly how ley lines evolved from ancient trade routes to paranormal paths.
In the 1980s, two scholars named Tom Williamson and Liz Bellamy did a little digging into the theory. They examined various archaeological sites across England and found that it was possible to draw a straight line in any direction to connect multiple locations since there were so many landmarks.
So, really, anyone could create a map of ley lines and claim that they were spiritual and otherworldly.
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