The magazine of Spring 1988 (No.19) saw Colin recording "some thoughts in the small hours, after a good dinner!". In an attempt to answer the question, "Where has Fountain got to, and where is it going?" he pointed out that it is not a didactic authoritarian organisation in which to shelter or find a crutch, nor is it a spiritual social club. It is about doing and being, "a group of people who knowingly and voluntarily come together because of their shared insights into the universal truths, one aspect of which is the essentail nature of pure love". As to the technical aspect of the work, he reminds of "the growing understanding of the rule of form and number in the pathways and functions of the collective consciousness, and how this can be applied to communities, nations and the planet itself".

From this it can be seen that while individuals and groups function very effectively independently of dowsers, it still remains true that our expert dowsers are an integral part of the network and play an important role in defining the underlying principles through which we function. If it is true that the Divinity manifests through form and number, and this seems to be a valid assumption, then it behoves us to acknowledge those who are aware of this aspect of the subtle energies.

From outside the Fountain network, Colin was getting fierce criticism from certain parties interested in the subtle energies, but approaching the subject from a totally different angle. This was as a result of an article in the magazine describing hi healing of negative line focused on Karl Marx's tomb in Highgate cemetry. It would be too tedious and unpleasant to retell the whole story here. The crux of th matter was that, to these two critics, the Fountain concept was at best "moonshine" and at worst, a gross infringement of human liberties. I have no doubt that we all learned something in the process (those open-minded enough to do so). Colin's reply, in short, was that we are concerned with healing and that healing - 'applied unconditional love' - can do no harm.

Another of our supporters replied in a letter to the magazine. This was John Haddington, who related his own suspicions and concern about those responsible for the imposition of the negative line. He ended as follows, "The Spring edition.......had some comment on the political implication of these events which I found altogether out of order. The main objective of Fountain groups is......the spiritual healing of the nation, an admirable precept, and one with which I totally agree. Nigel Pennick seemd to think the interference with thelines at Marx's tomb a plotical act.....he forgets that these lines of force were put there by others and the the undoing of them is returning the tomb to its former state."

These concepts were constantly to need re-affirming - not only the basic aim of Fountain, community healing, but the ways in which this could be applied. Misconceptions were bound to surface. Some inquirers thought we ran discussion groups. Others thought (and still tend to think) that groups must consist of large numbers of people, or that it is necessary to run workshops or meetings. It is always necessay to assure people that they do not need esoteric knowledge or dowsing expertise to form a group. One has also to stress constantly that a group of just two or three dedicated and focused people can be just as effective as a larger group - in fact more so, if a large group includes those not consciously and intentially 'in line' with the Fountain objective and technique. It often has to be restated that provided each member is faithful to the daily link-up with their local 'hara' or focal point it does not matter how infrequent is their physical meeting.