April 2021 - Fountain International

Suzanne Thomas

A talk to the Tamar, Trencrom, Devon,

Somerset and Thames Valley Dowsers

Most people who have been dowsing for a few years will have heard of The Fountain Group (TFG). However, rather fewer will have known its origins and its purpose.

Our presenter this time, Torquay-based Suzanne Thomas, is the administrator and co-ordinator of Fountain International (FI), as it is now known.

TFG was originally formed in 1981 by Colin Bloy and friends, as an expanded healing circle to address regular gang violence in the centre and seafront of Brighton in Sussex. Prior to establishing TFG, Colin had been working on the impact of human intent on earth energy currents for several years, but it was the persistent problems with youth unrest in the city that encouraged Bloy and his colleagues to try to put it into practice with a real-life social situation.

The message and the practice were essentially quite simple. Gather a group of like-minded souls to draw healing energy into a single symbolic location or icon, and spread it out like a bow wave across the wider urban area by thought and intent alone. The iconic focal point chosen was The Victoria Fountain in the Old Stein Gardens of Brighton, which was itself on the site of a long lost stone circle, some of the remnants of which still lie beneath the parkland leisure feature.

Colin, like his later collaborator, the dowser Hamish Miller, was a scientifically leaning rationalist at heart. The energies that he worked with and researched were regarded as ‘cutting edge’ in their time, to put it mildly, but he wanted to show that the interaction of human intent and dowsable earth energies could provide positive and repeatable results.

The impact of the 1981 Brighton Experiment, as it became known, was widely felt to be very benevolent. Weekend and Bank Holiday violence subsided and a new sense of civic pride appeared. While such outcomes are difficult to quantify, it led to the growth of TFG, to the extent that by the time of Colin’s passing over in 2004, it had an extensive international membership. As with all such groups, the loss of the founder sapped the strength of the organisation, but it continues today to marshal the healing efforts of a substantial number of affiliates around the globe.

The Stated Ethos of Fountain is that:

It has no fabric - only understanding.

It has no membership - save those who know that they belong.

It has no rivals - because it is non competitive.

It has no ambition because it only seeks to serve.

It knows no boundaries, for nationalisms are unloving.

It is not of itself, because it seeks to enrich all groups and religions.

It acknowledges all great teachers of all ages who have shown the truth of love.

Those who participate, practice the truth of love in all their daily being.

There is no walk of life or nationality that is a barrier.

Those who are, know.

It seeks not to teach but to be, and by being, enrich.

It recognises the collectivity of all humanity and that we are all one with the One.

It recognises that the way we are may be the way of those around us, because we are that way.

It recognises that the time has come for the supreme transmutation, the ultimate alchemical act, the conscious change of the ego into a voluntary return to the whole.

It does not proclaim itself with a loud voice, but in the subtle realms of loving.

It salutes all those in the past who have blazoned the path, but paid the price.

It admits of no hierarchy or structure, for no one is greater than another.

Its members shall know each other by their deeds and being in their eyes and by no other outwardly sign, save the fraternal embrace. Each one will dedicate his or her life to the silent loving of their neighbour, and environment, and the planet, whilst carrying out their daily task, however exalted or humble.

It recognises the supremacy of the great idea, which may only be accomplished if the human race practices the supremacy of love.

Hamish Miller became one of Colin Bloy’s early collaborators, and the two men worked together on a number of ventures (Colin left, Hamish right - mid 1980’s).

Decades later, Hamish told me that one of things he most liked about Colin was that despite his evident ability and leadership skills, he never wanted to start a new religion - and he certainly never wanted to lead one. It was a message that Hamish took on board - hook, line and sinker. Both men sought to inspire and enthuse others to find their own way - a way beyond the narrow confines of the here-and-now and out into the great blue yonder that most people had never encountered.

Colin Bloy was also a dowser of considerable ability. His earth energy work at the ancient Templar Church at Shipley in West Sussex was groundbreaking - and his involvement in the completely new field of dowsing pictograms, which was so inspirational for Hamish, was absolutely seminal.

More recent activities of FI include dowsing and landscape healing at the disused mediaeval Torre Chapel at the apex of the Torre cliffs in Torquay - and the healing of central Torquay, another youth violence hotspot, using the iconic clock-tower as a focal point for the concentration of their pooled attention.

An online re-enactment of the original 1981 Brighton Experiment on 20th March 2020 demonstrated once again clearly dowseable enhancements to the earth energy flows around the Old Stein Fountain, and a marked reduction in geopathic stress in the area.

Part of the outlook of FI is the ‘clean up your own backyard’ principle.

All things need to start with self.

The healing of the local community is a basic foundation to the healing of the world.

Each community knows its own problem areas, and is in the best position to solve them.

A healing of a community is best passed on through example.

Or, as Gandhi used to say, be the change in the world that you want to see.

The session ended with a short, guided meditation using (an image of) the Tor at Glastonbury as a pivot for the collection of positive energy from the 80-90 participants. It was a practical cameo of how FI works in practice, and will hopefully enthuse some of the membership of the five south western dowsing groups to participate in future FI events.

For more information see the https://www.fountaininternationalmagazine

homepage - and Suzanne provides an administrative hub via her suzannemthomas48@gmail.com email address. Everyone is welcome to join.

Many thanks to Suzanne for a great presentation - her first on zoom!

Nigel Twinn April 2021