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Subtle Agroecologies
strata. This feld has been scientifcally studied since the 1920s, particularly in Germany, under
the rubric of geo-biology, and more recently has been researched in various other locations (see,
e.g., Dharmadhikari et al., 2010; Freshwater, 1997; Hacker et al., 2005; Klimentov et al., 2015;
Saunders, 2003; Wojtkun, 2017). Part of Patrick MacManaway’s work is to diagnose such ‘geopathic
stress’ and to heal or defect the negative and pathological fows, through earth acupuncture or other
mechanisms.
The ancient tradition of using earth acupuncture to address such negative subtle energies goes
back to Neolithic and early Egyptian and Greek times (Comerford, 2012; Keen, 2018). MacManaway
uses copper rods to defect or divert the negative energies, which he fnds resolves problematic situations for humans, animals and agricultural crops. That is why Terry McCosker calls this use of
subtle energies ‘the next big “freebie” in agriculture’. According to them, farms that have employed
these methods have seen improvements such as increased crop production, conversion of standard
bulk wheat grades to higher ‘prime-hard’ Australian Standard Wheat (ASW) grades, reduced pest
and disease incidence in crops and animals, increased germination levels, more uniform growth,
increased pollination levels, improved quality of produce (such as in nutrient levels and consequently taste), in energy or plant sugars (as measured by Brix levels), and of course underlying these
changes, improvements in soil health and water quality.
FIELD TOWERS AND BROADCASTERS
The other device that is increasingly used by regenerative farmers is an adaptation of another ancient
tradition. During World War II, biophysics scientist Dr Philip Callahan 7 found himself stationed in
Ireland as a radio technician, where he came across round towers dating back to the ninth century
(of which there is a network of ~50). After studying these in combination with his specialist knowledge of insect sensilla (receptors which gather information about the environment), Callahan postulated that they ‘were constructed at ancient Christian monasteries where the Celtic monks practiced
a form of eco-agriculture dependent upon crop and pastoral animal rotation’ (Callahan, 1984: 26).
Callahan had described and measured the two magnetic forces of paramagnetism and diamagnetism, and he saw that monks could have used these towers – that were constructed of paramagnetic stone – to focus, collect and concentrate cosmic and earth paramagnetic energies, which then
radiated (antennae-like) from the tower base to ‘dope’ their cropping soils and felds with a subtle
energy that increased the paramagnetic properties of the surrounding soil and felds. This, he concluded, stimulated growth, health and well-being in plants, animals and thus humans (Callahan,
1995). 8 Callahan went on to call these ancient monks ‘the forefathers of good, modern, biological
farming’. To recreate on a small scale the equivalent of the monk’s giant magnetic antennae used for
concentrating paramagnetic energy, Callahan’s work inspired regenerative farmers to build smaller
versions of these towers that are now being used around the world to generate good ‘growth forces’.
As I drove around Australia, visiting regenerative farmers who have made the mind-shift to a
post-mechanical mindset, I encountered a wide variety of these ‘power towers’, the frst of which were
constructed in the late 1980s. Most of these farmers would, a few years previously, have ridiculed
such ‘way-out’, ‘new-ageist’ devices which they would most likely associate with some pot-smoking
group of hippies. Today, one can see a plethora of tower designs, ranging from sculpture-like layered
terracotta pipes, to PVC pipes of varying diameters and heights. When properly dowsed and sited,
one can see visible, wave-like energy radiating from the top of the pipes – similar to the waves of
energy that refect off hot surfaces in summer (Moore, 2001: 166).
7 Dr Philip Callahan (1924–2017), entomologist, ornithologist, explorer, photographer and philosopher, whose research
involved the utilisation of non-linear far infrared radiation by biological systems and its applications to insect control and
medicine. His work in biophysics focussed on insect molecular bioelectronics.
8 There is little research so far on the relationship between paramagnetic properties and horticulture or agriculture (though,
see Teixeira da Silva and Dobránszki, 2016), although rock dust is used as a soil amendment (Anon, 2012).
Subtle Agroecologies
strata. This feld has been scientifcally studied since the 1920s, particularly in Germany, under
the rubric of geo-biology, and more recently has been researched in various other locations (see,
e.g., Dharmadhikari et al., 2010; Freshwater, 1997; Hacker et al., 2005; Klimentov et al., 2015;
Saunders, 2003; Wojtkun, 2017). Part of Patrick MacManaway’s work is to diagnose such ‘geopathic
stress’ and to heal or defect the negative and pathological fows, through earth acupuncture or other
mechanisms.
The ancient tradition of using earth acupuncture to address such negative subtle energies goes
back to Neolithic and early Egyptian and Greek times (Comerford, 2012; Keen, 2018). MacManaway
uses copper rods to defect or divert the negative energies, which he fnds resolves problematic situations for humans, animals and agricultural crops. That is why Terry McCosker calls this use of
subtle energies ‘the next big “freebie” in agriculture’. According to them, farms that have employed
these methods have seen improvements such as increased crop production, conversion of standard
bulk wheat grades to higher ‘prime-hard’ Australian Standard Wheat (ASW) grades, reduced pest
and disease incidence in crops and animals, increased germination levels, more uniform growth,
increased pollination levels, improved quality of produce (such as in nutrient levels and consequently taste), in energy or plant sugars (as measured by Brix levels), and of course underlying these
changes, improvements in soil health and water quality.
FIELD TOWERS AND BROADCASTERS
The other device that is increasingly used by regenerative farmers is an adaptation of another ancient
tradition. During World War II, biophysics scientist Dr Philip Callahan 7 found himself stationed in
Ireland as a radio technician, where he came across round towers dating back to the ninth century
(of which there is a network of ~50). After studying these in combination with his specialist knowledge of insect sensilla (receptors which gather information about the environment), Callahan postulated that they ‘were constructed at ancient Christian monasteries where the Celtic monks practiced
a form of eco-agriculture dependent upon crop and pastoral animal rotation’ (Callahan, 1984: 26).
Callahan had described and measured the two magnetic forces of paramagnetism and diamagnetism, and he saw that monks could have used these towers – that were constructed of paramagnetic stone – to focus, collect and concentrate cosmic and earth paramagnetic energies, which then
radiated (antennae-like) from the tower base to ‘dope’ their cropping soils and felds with a subtle
energy that increased the paramagnetic properties of the surrounding soil and felds. This, he concluded, stimulated growth, health and well-being in plants, animals and thus humans (Callahan,
1995). 8 Callahan went on to call these ancient monks ‘the forefathers of good, modern, biological
farming’. To recreate on a small scale the equivalent of the monk’s giant magnetic antennae used for
concentrating paramagnetic energy, Callahan’s work inspired regenerative farmers to build smaller
versions of these towers that are now being used around the world to generate good ‘growth forces’.
As I drove around Australia, visiting regenerative farmers who have made the mind-shift to a
post-mechanical mindset, I encountered a wide variety of these ‘power towers’, the frst of which were
constructed in the late 1980s. Most of these farmers would, a few years previously, have ridiculed
such ‘way-out’, ‘new-ageist’ devices which they would most likely associate with some pot-smoking
group of hippies. Today, one can see a plethora of tower designs, ranging from sculpture-like layered
terracotta pipes, to PVC pipes of varying diameters and heights. When properly dowsed and sited,
one can see visible, wave-like energy radiating from the top of the pipes – similar to the waves of
energy that refect off hot surfaces in summer (Moore, 2001: 166).
7 Dr Philip Callahan (1924–2017), entomologist, ornithologist, explorer, photographer and philosopher, whose research
involved the utilisation of non-linear far infrared radiation by biological systems and its applications to insect control and
medicine. His work in biophysics focussed on insect molecular bioelectronics.
8 There is little research so far on the relationship between paramagnetic properties and horticulture or agriculture (though,
see Teixeira da Silva and Dobránszki, 2016), although rock dust is used as a soil amendment (Anon, 2012).