Image by John Forster from Pixabay

The development of the digital camera has led to an upsurge in the number of people capturing the objects now known as ‘Orbs’, with much speculation as to exactly what they really are: simple digital camera image processing ‘errors’ or manifestations of other worldly ‘spirit’ forms. 

Studies have shown that some of the objects captured by the digital cameras are, indeed, modified images of dust, water droplets or other fine particulate matter. But this does not explain the large number of Orbs appearing that seem to ‘interact’ with human activities, nor does that apply to the various other forms that appear, often to the naked eye as well as the cameras lens and CCD imaging circuitry. 

There are cases of ‘plasma’ clouds, wraith-like and ‘ghostly’ torus or doughnut shapes, as well as elongated ‘light rods’ and strange fairy-like ‘winged things’. None of these can be satisfactorily explained by the critics or any scientific dynamic. 

Anomalous lights of varying types have been known for millennia. Tomb paintings, medieval murals, native art and legend have shown the existence of many strange phenomena. Early cameras, using the old silver halide emulsion systems, occasionally captured these phenomena, often referred to as ‘Earth lights’. Occultists, shamans and sensitives have all ‘seen’ these. 

There may well be a relationship between Earth energies and these lights. Research by the British ‘Dragon Project’ team of the Dragon Trust Project into the energies ambient at sacred sites, henges, stone circles and menhirs etc, with magnetometers, geiger counters and gravitometers, as well as the cooperation of accredited dowsers and psychics, showed that all the sites had magnetic anomalies, increased ionizing radiation levels, often with associated mind-altering effects upon many humans exposed to their energy. Many of the sites were on, or near, fault lines, most of the stones were of types high in quartz (silica) which is prone to piezoelectric effects causing electrical discharges, often appearing as light phenomena, sometimes before or during tectonic events such as earthquakes! 

The externally visible ‘optical’ effects are also often accompanied by (or alternatively) ‘internal’ cerebral effects of flashing lights and in some cases ‘full on’ hallucinations of various types, a fact no doubt known to the ancient people who built and worshipped at these sites. It is well known that humans have deposits of ‘magnetite’ compounds sensitive to magnetic field strengths within the brain, one such at the ethmoid sinuses, making humans as susceptible to magnetic anomalies as birds and other animals. 

It is also postulated that such sites could function as ‘stargates’ or portals to other dimensions, from whence ‘entities’ could enter our reality that are usually only seen by a few ‘sensitives’ or under certain sets of rare suitable conditions, i.e. higher than normal radiation or magnetic field variations of a local nature.

This ties in with current scientific work into what has become known as ‘string theory’, which postulates that minute, subatomic ‘strings’ of energy permeate the various multiple dimensions that are now believed to exist. These ‘strings’ of energy are believed able to penetrate the ‘membrane’ or ‘veil’ between the dimensions, and (probable) parallel universes. 

So presuming we do have multiple dimensions and universes, it may well be that under certain circumstances energies, or ‘entities’, pass through ‘the veil’ and briefly manifest themselves in our reality! This then would seem to prove what occultists have believed for years – there is a ‘veil’ between this world and the next, and that it can be parted at certain times under certain conditions, like at the times celebrated by our pagan ancestors, the special ‘magical’ times e.g. Beltaine. 

Quantum physics has also shown that if a ‘particle’ be divided and part thereof removed, no matter how far removed, something done to the one part is mirrored in the reaction of the other part! This then would lend veracity to the magical concept that a person, or thing, may be influenced at a distance by certain actions, usually of a ritual nature, by a ‘shaman’, witch or other practitioner. 

As light phenomena have been observed and recorded for millennia in tomb paintings, medieval frescos, etc, obviously ‘things’ have been seen and recorded. Occasionally, with the advent of photography, even ‘old fashioned’ film cameras captured strange light phenomena. But with the advent of the CCD digital camera and its greater spectral sensitivity, capturing wavelengths well into the infrared, there has been a great upsurge in photographs of various phenomena, and ensuing debate as to their true nature. 

Many people also can actually see, albeit briefly, Orbs and related manifestations. The writer and others have personally, at times, seen these things, but mostly it is via the modern digital still and video camera that their presence is observed. 

Detractors have asserted that Orbs (etc) are merely the result of the way the CCD circuitry in the digital cameras ‘misinterprets’ water droplets or particulate matter in the atmosphere, but this does not explain many of the phenomena, such as the ‘winged things’ or ‘light rods’. True, there are effects (false orbs), due to water droplets & dust, but they do not have the same internal ‘structure’ of real Orbs, nor do they ‘interact’ with humans as ‘real’ Orbs seem to. Orbs are known to attend occult activities, seances, festivals, love making and many human activities with a high ‘energy’ output. Perhaps they are ‘energy feeders’? 

The Experiments

To this end, a series of experiments was undertaken to gain an insight and to see if ‘Orbs’ could be persuaded to appear upon ‘request’. At several occult ritual occasions, wearing black robes to observe any ‘fallout’ of dust, etc, quantities of dust, talcum powder & wood ash were thrown into the air as well as quantities of fine water droplets were sprayed from an atomiser around the area of the proposed tests. A digital video camera was set running on the infrared ‘night vision’ setting as well as having a digital still camera on hand. The area had been ‘dowsed’ with both a crystal pendulum and rods of iron showing the chosen area to be on an ‘energy spot’. A radiation detection meter was activated to measure ionizing radiation levels. 

The results showed there was an increase in radiation above normal average background levels, a magnetic compass showed deflection. The number of Orbs filmed was quite large in every case, whilst there was little appreciable ‘fallout’ on the black robes, and the dust, etc, barely showed up on the films and photos thus indicating it was not forming the Orbs. 

Another interesting fact has been observed in that when a magical ritual is performed ‘sky clad’ (naked), and an ‘Orb’ actually comes in contact with the operator’s bare skin, an electrical ‘tingling’ sensation is felt, like the effect one gets if holding a hand near a TV screen. This effect has been noted by several persons of my acquaintance who are active occultists and may be worthy of further investigation. 

In the USA some have claimed Orbs have ‘healing effects’. I have had a minor indication of this possibility when, in connection with my occult activities, I was working a small blacksmiths forge, outdoors, on a full moon making a witches ritual ‘athame’ by a ritual method (‘skyclad’ of course). An old shoulder injury was troubling me as I worked the small bellows till I felt a ‘tingling’ on my shoulder. I asked my wife to take a photo and ‘lo’ there was an Orb sitting on my shoulder! The pain faded rapidly and did not return until many hours later, after the work had ended! Hmm? 

This area lies over a quartz reef with an adjacent fault line which may be instrumental in the appearance of several other energy entities we have encountered over the years around the house, workshop and ritual circle (of mostly white and crystalline quartz stones).

Orbs, Winged Things & Light Rods

Besides multitudinous ‘Orbs’, we have been visited by the following: ‘Winged things’ (fairies?) either singly, or in small groups, definite ‘winged’ things of almost ‘lepidopteric’ (moth/butterfly) form have been photographed around the garden, at the ‘circle’ and near the ‘fault line’. They seem to have been greatly attracted to my wife! We checked to ascertain there were no moths or other insects, which, anyway, looked different on the photos, as we later took control shots of moths etc. 

‘Light Rods’: there were several types of ‘light rods’ observed and photographed. These appear to the naked eye at times, and often ‘hang about’ for several minutes, even coming close to people as if ‘interested’! The main type is a short mostly ‘bluish’ rod, with a notedly ‘striated’ body, a definite groove or ‘cannelure’ at its rear-end usually trailing a row of ‘Orbs’ behind, like an ‘exhaust’. Could it be that this is how Orbs travel? An interdimensional ‘mother ship’? There is also a rarer type which is a golden/yellow colour, it follows the blue one, mating?? Maybe the golden rods are of a different ‘polarity’ to the blue, or even of a different ‘race’? 

Interestingly, if one looks at photos of the Orbs that ‘flow’ from the Rods, the internal markings on these Orbs seem to match the striations on the Rods, as if they were, in fact, ‘sections’ or slices of the Rods! Another Rod formation is mainly longer, thinner and ‘spindle shaped’ similar in form to some photographed by the authors of Beyond Photography: Encounters with Orbs, Angels and Light Forms by John Pickering & Katie Hall. These are not as common as the short Rods, but often come with a ‘bang’. I photographed the ‘arrival’ of one of these ‘spindle shaped Rods’ when photographing Orbs near the wife’s pony. I noticed a small glowing spot in the air, a few feet above ground level, quite near me. It ‘hovered’ for a few seconds, and I got a shot of it, which on later inspection proved to be a number of coloured ‘doughnuts’ each a mini-torus. Then, with an audible ‘electric’ crack, it transformed into the long thin spindle shape, which I also photographed as it zoomed over the horse and into the sky. Similar types have appeared from time to time, some quite lengthy. 

At times we have had strange ‘Plasma’ (?) clouds appear which turn into groups of Orbs, occasionally forming a ‘torus’ of Orbs, before dissipating, raising the possibility of an ‘Orb’ stargate via the ‘torus’ formation. On several occasions we have also photographed what appeared to be the appearance of a person’s ‘other self’ (astral body?) which has been known to many cultures. Certainly a spirit-like doppelganger was captured behind the subject of the photograph during a ritual activity. The camera used in this, and all the other photography, was a very basic digital with no capacity for double exposure or any form of image manipulation. Therefore, it would seem that we are at the reception point of various ‘entities’ of spiritual or interdimensional form. 

As an experienced occultist, of over fifty years experience, I have seen many things and am inclined to believe that these visiting entities are ‘aware’ and represent some kind of intelligence, whether ‘spiritual’ or ‘alien’! 

The Quartz/Silica Connection

There is a related factor in the phenomena, that of the existence of high concentrations of quartz in this area. Dowsing reveals many ‘high energy’ spots. Using dowsing rods of antique Victorian era wrought iron, which itself has a silica (quartz is a silica) content, produces better results than those of modern steel. That silica is a factor is borne out by the fact that silica (chips) are used in your computer, phone, and various devices. It was thought that ‘stones have memory’. Most of the old standing stones and circles were of quartz, or siliceous rock, and were noted for their effect upon sensitive persons, such as hallucinations or similar mind altering states. The Australian aborigines venerated crystalline quartz, equating it with the ‘rainbow serpent’ of their Dreamtime. Medicine men were known to insert quartz crystals into the bodies of would be initiates! As our planet is very largely composed of silica, in one form or another, could it be that the ‘gaia’ concept of our planet being ‘alive’ is true?

Interestingly the properties of silica, beside computer chips, have been investigated and it is postulated that indeed there could be actual life forms based not on the carbon cycle, as we are, but on a silica mode, which does indeed lend weight to the living planet concept!  

In my years of work as a blacksmith, I have been called upon to forge many blades and other ritual items for witches, etc, by following ancient techniques, making such blades from high silica content wrought iron, which I have often smelted myself from the iron ore. It was believed that blades made by the ancient ‘pattern welding’ process had certain ‘magical properties’ and acted as ‘psychic amplifiers’ to ‘sensitives’. Hence the old legends of ‘magical blades’ such as Excalibur could indeed have some truth in them, as yet undiscovered by science. Certainly blades that have been ‘ritually’ forged, incorporating silica threads, have been found to be of a more ‘magical’ quality than similar commercially produced examples, according to ‘customer feedback’ on the examples I have produced over the years for occultists and witches. 

Finally, an interesting parallel to the mystery is that recently a Canadian TV station operator, Martyn Stubbs, used certain high tech processes to decode NASA space TV transmissions and found that not only ‘Orb’ like things were being filmed in space, but that ‘Light Rod’ like entities were turning up both inside and outside the space station! These elongated Light Rods were similar to the ‘spindle shaped’ ones I had captured in my photographs, albeit smaller versions, so it would seem that the Orbs and Light Rods are all pervading throughout the universe, possible travellers in Space/Time, possible intelligences of multidimensional capability. 

Should we not make every effort to investigate these phenomena which would seem to be interconnected on both material and non-material levels? It would seem science is, indirectly, lending veracity to many of the ancient mystical and occult truths known to the wise. 

'Wayland the Smith'  - https://www.newdawnmagazine.com/articles/orbs-were-just-the-beginning

'Wayland the Smith' is the nom de guerre of a practising Australian occultist and pagan wizard. A friend of the famous Australian artist & witch Rosaleen Norton (1917-1979), he resides in rural NSW. His articles have appeared in numerous Wiccan and New Age publications including Spellcraft.

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