Survey of the Rand Tract

Over the years many have asked me, or invited me to join them, to do a survey of the Rand Tract on Syracuse's south side next to Webster's Pond in the Valley section, yesterday I did so. While I did not find much to interest a geomancer, it was definitely a nice walk in the woods along a two mile  loop trail with many side spurs. A place with a neutral vibe, and given today's standard's it ranks above average. More importantly there were no cell towers or other electrical accouterments to spray you.

The Land, and Its Monuments

While a forest covers the land one can tell that it had been aggressuvely farmed at one time. There are numerous stones walls traversing and intersecting the land that are a testament to such.  

Where did the stones from?

Most people wax poetic of about stone walls. I do not. I gaze upon them and wonder whether they were constructed of gathered field stones or come from  the destruction and recycling of ancient stone structures, stone circles, Manitou stones and the like.

As the picture above shows there are numerous large stones found on the Rand Tract. Lots of pockets of rocks and boulders that could have provided material for stone structures. 

Conversely one could argue that it was precisely such stones that were the material for the stone walls. I think not.

Why?

Close to the Rand Tract on the opposite side of the Hill that makes up the Valley area in Syracuse is Heath Park. There one finds a variety of stone structures such as a line of boulders that I wrote about back n 2015 The Line of Boulders at Heath Park

There is also Skytop a little farther away that is littered with Manitou Stones which I wrote about on several occasions last year. Skytop

So nearby locations all have Manitou Stones and other stone structures. Giving credence to the notion that there must have been stone structures on the Rand Tract as well.

There is More

A Manitou Stone

It is very unusual for me to go into a woods and do a survey and not find at least a Manitou stone. This time it took me over an hour to find one. A Manitou Stone is a stone planted upright perpendicular in the earth. 

In the pictures above Jaeda Bear is next to the Manitou Stone.

I imagine that at one time there were a variety of stone structures located in the area now covered by the Rand Tract. Nearby to the Manitou Stone I also found what  I call a Platform Stone, a sacred stone structure. See below.

If I had more time to spend that I would have probably found several other stone structures in that little nook area.

However, I found no energy vortices, water domes (blind spings) or embers of the once sacredness of stone structures in that little nook area. And as already mentioned the vibe was neutral at best. But these are all things that can dissipate over time and succumb to human activity and intention that does see the wonder of the land or feel a oneness with it, nor worship all of creation and act in a sacred manner.

Worth a vist.

I saw no one during the almost two hours I spent trekking and surveying the Rand Tract. There were no Fields of Consciousness or ... 

It is however a lovely woods with lots to see and explore; perhaps you will find more Manitou Stones if you do a survey.

As for the neutral vibe. We no longer honor space, or stop on a trek do to ceremony and pray. Also I have a sense that our electronic age with our laptops and cell phones are increasingly taking a toll on the land. So when we gauge places we need to understand all of the surface of our Mother is deteriorating. Progress is choking and contaminating Her and doing so to us and all of creation as well.

So given this, the Rand Tract is a nice place for a hike. I encourage you to visit.