Sacred Number

John Michell as written over thirty books, many on key subjects for understanding Sacred Number such as sacred geometry, landscape geomancy, Jerusalem, metrology, the number Twelve and so on. I came across a small biopic at this page: 

JOHN MICHELL has been involved with Glastonbury since the Sixties, and his major works have attracted many people to this ancient centre of British mysticism. His numerous books and pamphlets cover a diverse range of subjects, but they have a common theme: the re-emergence of the traditional worldview and the ancient science and philosophy associated with it, as a natural reaction to the uncertainties of modern life. John Michell lives in Notting Hill, London, and his present activities include research into ancient number symbolism and colour.

Some call him (as you might from the picture) the original Dr Who but most of all he is an original thinker who recognises a subject that is worthy of further investigation and this has left this trail of unique and valuable books.

His most famous early work was probably the 70's bestseller, A View over Atlantis [Sago, 1969] in which he attempted to put a few "different" subjects into a synthesis to define Earth Mysteries as a subject involving at least numbers geomancy and folklore. He first identified the Michael Line in Britain within this work, the longest line in southern England that runs at approximately 30 degree north of east.

In Sacred Number, it was in fact metrology that initiated the project because I felt that John Michell and John Neal's system of Ancient Metrology had components that needed exposition, such as the role of prime numbers, and could benefit by being described "from the outside", i.e. not by the pioneers themselves.  Thus whilst doing some new work, I was also a "bottom feeder", interpreting their work to a wider audience.

I sent John a copy of Sacred Number and he just wrote back to me. The result is the best I could ever have imagined for the four years of research with the above goals in mind:

Dear Richard, 

Many thanks for signing and sending me 'Sacred Number'.  I've been reading it and am very impressed by the way you approach this new and therefore rather difficult subject to write about. Your grasp of it is quite admirable and as is your expression of it. I've talked about it to Nosher [John Neal] and we're both delighted with what you've done.

Only one gripe (nothing's perfect) is with your extension of the Icknield Way [Michael Line] into the Baltic! Otherwise your book is a treasure and deserves the further second reading that I shall give it.

All success to you, from yours ever

John

Of course it is how readers, new to part or all of this area, find the book that is important, but it is very encouraging that John sees it as a valid and attractive extension of the subject.