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Remembering Olivia
Nov. 18th, 2013 09:07 amOlivia lived in Clonegal Castle. She hadn't always lived there. She grew up in a flat in Chelsea then all of a sudden, her brother Lawrence inherited the estate; he was the Baron of Strathloch and they all went to live at the Gates of Faery somewhere in Ireland.
Visiting Olivia was wonderful. In the grounds of the castle was the yew avenue filmed in Excalibur, and a tree that dripped fragrant and very sticky sap. Beyond were the fields where a meteorite had landed, and beyond those, a mysterious pagoda like structure. Just outside the long drive sat Mrs Plunket's boarding house, haunted as anything and always cold. Nearby was the Swan's Foot on the river Bo, lovely in the sunshine.
The Castle was magical too; By then Lawrence had died and the new Baron had an interest in stone masonry, I remember he had acquired some of the contents of a deconsecrated churchyard destined for demolition. A lichen-touched angel stood down a dark corridor, side on to a mirror. I crept up once and kissed the angel who looked so beautiful and forlorn. Then I ran away.
And Olivia? She was always full of life and fun. She painted faces on her lampshades, she had a colony of red admirals in her casement window, and she and her brother turned the dungeons into a series of shrines and rooms dedicated to goddesses and their consorts; colourful, kitch, rich in story and antiquity. They founded the Fellowship of Isis, a group dedicated to restoring balance between female and male divinity, and did this by celebrating rituals and feast days dedicated to ancient goddesses like Ishtar, Inanna,Athena...they were never anti-Christian; Lawrence was a clergyman. As to Olivia, she sparkled and celebrated, she liked re-enacting sacred plays with costumes and props, she gave surprisingly good advice, and behind it all was something deeper and kinder.
Thank you for this Magic, Olivia. May you be happy forever XXX
Visiting Olivia was wonderful. In the grounds of the castle was the yew avenue filmed in Excalibur, and a tree that dripped fragrant and very sticky sap. Beyond were the fields where a meteorite had landed, and beyond those, a mysterious pagoda like structure. Just outside the long drive sat Mrs Plunket's boarding house, haunted as anything and always cold. Nearby was the Swan's Foot on the river Bo, lovely in the sunshine.
The Castle was magical too; By then Lawrence had died and the new Baron had an interest in stone masonry, I remember he had acquired some of the contents of a deconsecrated churchyard destined for demolition. A lichen-touched angel stood down a dark corridor, side on to a mirror. I crept up once and kissed the angel who looked so beautiful and forlorn. Then I ran away.
And Olivia? She was always full of life and fun. She painted faces on her lampshades, she had a colony of red admirals in her casement window, and she and her brother turned the dungeons into a series of shrines and rooms dedicated to goddesses and their consorts; colourful, kitch, rich in story and antiquity. They founded the Fellowship of Isis, a group dedicated to restoring balance between female and male divinity, and did this by celebrating rituals and feast days dedicated to ancient goddesses like Ishtar, Inanna,Athena...they were never anti-Christian; Lawrence was a clergyman. As to Olivia, she sparkled and celebrated, she liked re-enacting sacred plays with costumes and props, she gave surprisingly good advice, and behind it all was something deeper and kinder.
Thank you for this Magic, Olivia. May you be happy forever XXX
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