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<H1><A HREF="art-0809-cropcircles1.html">The Crop Circle Phenomenon 2008</A></H1>
<H3>Francine Blake</H3>
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<P>Despite 2008 being the wettest summer since records began, there were 68 crop circles in the UK. The majority of these were located in the vicinity of the ancient stone temple of Avebury in Wiltshire. For those new to the subject, the study of crop circles started in 1980 and much data has been accumulated since then, it is a big topic. The number of designs accessible online is over 6,000 and many others are held in private collections and yet there are seldom any repeats. They are found worldwide, mostly in cereal crops, but also in any other vegetation including trees, as well as in sand, earth, ice and snow. England is still the most active country.</P>
<P>It has been scientifically established over the years that the formation of crop circles generates an intense heat that makes the cells of the plants swell up and bend as well as changing the composition of the soil. Based on these observations, scientists have concluded that crop circles appear very quickly, otherwise the fields would be incinerated, especially at the end of the summer when crops have turned to straw. Notwithstanding this, many people still think that crop circles are made by people. This assumption is generally based on a lack of knowledge of this subject and inexperience of the manual work involved. The documenting of these events alone is a huge endeavour but this is as nothing compared to the massive task that would be required to construct, often in the pouring rain, large numbers of huge complex geometrical shapes, perfectly adjusted to the topography of the land, in the dark, at known sites, year after year, in a small intensively watched area without anyone ever being detected! </P>
<P>In spite of twenty years of disinformation the phenomenon has persisted unabated and the complexity of the designs has carried on evolving. In effect, we are at the receiving end of a transmission started in 1980 that is gradually accelerating in intensity and content. The patterns are decipherable through their geometry, mathematics, references to ancient symbols and the resultant information is important for mankind at present.</P>
<P>The season started early on 18 April with a six petal flower at Avebury and ended with a more complex seed of life pattern later than usual on 7 September at the Sanctuary, part of the Avebury complex. In addition to the large number of formations and the development of many shapes from previous years, some startling new concepts were introduced this year. On 1st of June a big labyrinthine pattern was found in a barley field at Barbury Castle. It demonstrated Pi, ie- 3.1415926536...etc. (rounded up to 3.141592654 in the formation) which is the ratio of a circlešs circumference to its diameter, the mathematical constant used for all calculations involving circles. This completely novel way of describing Pi caused an unusual flurry of positive articles in national newspapers.(picture 1).</P>
<P>In addition to revisiting favourite shapes such as swallows, vesica piscis, diamonds, quintuplets, axis mundi, solar systems (the position of the planets in one of the solar systems gave the date 21 December 2012) and galaxies (picture 2), the crop circles gave a strong emphasis to the Goddess this year. The first example, a classic Earth Mother Turtle symbol still used nowadays by indigenous people, arrived early at North Downs on 10 June (picture 3). Closer to European culture, the first of a series of occidental goddess designs was found at Horton on 24 June. Aligned to the tractor lines, it looked like a vessel, or more particularly a cauldron, a symbol of perpetual abundance similar in meaning to the cornucopia shell that depicts the endless providence of Nature towards Her Creation.(picture 4) A few days later on 30 June, a diamond shape made entirely of V lines, a common pattern representing the female aspect of the divine often seen on ritualistic objects from Paleolithic time down to Neolithic, 26,000 years BP (before present) to 5,000 BP, was found at All Cannings.(picture 5).</P>
<P>A Labrys symbol, a double axe/butterfly design commonly worn by priestesses during the matriarchal era, was discovered at Chiseldon on 17 July.(picture 6) An Owl's Eyes pattern, another well known symbol of the Goddess in her darker aspect and, amongst other things, her ability to see in the dark, turned up at West Woods on 20 July.(picture 7) But the clearest reference to the Goddess was found at Honeystreet on 22 July.(picture 8). In addition, many of the other designs, such as the swallows at South Field (pictue 9) contain the Vesica Piscis, an almond shaped symbol made by the overlapping of two circles representing the female creative function of the Divine. This geometric pattern, called yoni in India and still revered there, can be seen in many mediaeval cathedrals and was often incorporated into religious art in the past.</P>
<P>Locating the crop circles close to our old sacred monuments has the effect of familiarising us with the more spiritual knowledge of our distant ancestors. We need to realise that a civilisation does not have to be based on materialistic concepts to be successful; it can flourish and indeed have better prospects for the future if emanating from holistic ones. The crop circles make a bridge between our past and our future and this point was well emphasised this summer by the placing of a formation below one of a group of five wind turbines in the Vale of Uffington, located opposite the neolithic White Horse. (picture 10) Lying in the crop design watching the blades turn around, producing electricity with little noise and no pollution, gave everyone who experienced it the confirmation that green technology, coupled with the understanding that the Earth is a living being, is the future for humankind.</P>
<P>The 2009 Crop Circle Calendar containing Francine's aerial photographs of these magnificent formations will be available to buy at the Earth Spirit Conference. If you are unable to attend and would like a calendar please email us for details.</P>
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