Once referred to as "Croppiedom's King of Controversy" Michael Glickman has long occupied a central space at the heart of public comment on the crop circle phenomenon. A former architect and teacher, he is now a renowned and inspirational speaker and writer. His work on the geometry and interpretation of the crop circles has spanned over 16 years. Michael has written several regular columns on the crop circles over his career, both in print and on the internet. Wheat from the Chaff is his latest incarnation. His book, Perhaps, in a year or ten, we might approach a true understanding of these enigmatic signs. Until then it must be our duty to observe and speculate and observe again. Once we have passed through the jolt of the sight of this huge design (1) we can calmly observe its particularities, even though their precise meaning remains a mystery.
At first sight, it is somehow reminiscent of the classic early-90s pictograms, but there is at least one important difference. The long avenue, the spine, which is automatically assumed to be continuous, is significantly broken. And this break, separation or articulation (2) is given enormous attention by the quality of the design detail which forms it.
The avenue is broken at the end circle of what I call the lower section. Instead of a simple separation, that circle is celebrated by a small, encompassing semi-circle which, in turn, becomes a component of the large semicircle which is the dominant feature of the upper part. It resembles the way the head of a bone is housed into its socket.
We cannot know why such emphasis is given to the division of this gigantic crop event into two elements. Perhaps an examination of the components might shed some light.
Once separated, the lower part, image (3), reveals itself to be an arrangement of four quintuplets around a central, larger Celtic Cross. The unique aspect of this part of the formation is that it is bi-symetrically axial. That is, it is symmetrical around both axes. A blue line and a red line are drawn through the centre of the Celtic Cross and it is immediately clear that, like the wings of a butterfly, the left side precisely mirrors the right around the blue line. Similarly with the red axis, the area above is a reflection of the area below.
Bi-symetrical axiality is common in quintuplets and many circular formation with an even-number geometry, but I have never seen it so perfectly displayed in a linear (or, at least, part of a linear) formation.
I have no measurements and so I am unable to say how accurate is the Squaring of the Circle (4). However, by eye, the periphery of the green square within the central Celtic Cross appears similar in length to the circumference of the large orbit ring.
The upper part (5) which is based on the large semi-circle also contains a surprise.
Normally, we could expect the two smaller satellite circles to obey the geometric protocols and to sit neatly on a line running through the larger central circle. This rule is meticulously obeyed by all the satellites of the quintuplets in the lower section
The red line shows the expected balanced position of the two satellite circles. The circle closest to us is moved significantly out of alignment to position itself directly - and inaccessibly - between the two tramlines. This puts it into a particular category here. Of the twenty-five circles in this formation this, alone, by virtue of it having been displaced to sit precisely between two sets of tramlines, is inaccessible. The other twenty-four can be approached and entered either by pathways or along tramlines. As has been usual in nearly all crop circles, every space was accessible without the need to break though standing crop.
This twenty-fifth circle is the exception.
As I discussed here in Selfish, Thoughtless and Stupid, posted on Tuesday 22nd July 2008, the wavy cross formation of Westwoods presented us (for the first time in my memory) with a sealed and enclosed space. Inevitably, some lout stomped through to get in and the hordes soon followed. I suggested that we had been presented with this hermetic space as a test of our respect and our restraint. We failed dismally.
Manton gives us here a second opportunity to control ourselves and to respect the formation as it appears. Is this another test and will we fail again?
MG
With thanks to Annemieke Witteveen for imagery used in diagrams.