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Loreon Vigne and Paul Ramses Visit the FOI Co-Founders at Clonegal Castle
In March of 1983 Loreon Vigne and Paul Ramses traveled to Ireland and met the three FOI co-founders, Olivia Robertson,
her brother Lawrence Durdin-Robertson and his wife Pamela. Loreon and Paul were taken on a tour of the castle grounds
by Lawrence on the first day of their visit to the castle. On the second day they made a video with the three
co-founders and participated in a ritual in the shrines of the Temple of Isis at Clonegal Castle with Lawrence and Olivia
and other FOI members, celebrating the Vernal Equinox. Loreon shares with us some of the photos taken during her
visit and reminisces.
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| Abbey ruins and Clonegal Castle. Photo © Loreon Vigne |
We walked around the castle to the twelfth century ruined abbey. Lawrence spoke slowly and quietly with pride of
the beautiful aging castle and how lovely it was in the spring.
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| Lawrence and Loreon on the Yew Walk. Photo © Loreon Vigne |
Strolling through the yew tree walk between the walls of entwined trees with marvelously gnarled trunks, we spoke
of the magic of trees ... a small dog joined us. Lord Strathloch put a loose leather loop over the dog's head, which continually
came off, but the dog went along anyway.
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| Loreon and Lawrence in the castle library. Photo © Loreon Vigne |
The library was the most rare of all, with ancient books reaching to the ceiling on all four walls ... I could imagine
Lord Strathloch sitting here for hours, writing his detailed books and utilizing the amazing reference material in the huge
collection of literature lining the walls.
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| Entrance to castle shrines as it appeared in 1983. Photo © Loreon Vigne |
We arrived at the castle on the dot of two and were granted an audience for video filming with Lawrence and
Olivia before we met in the dining room where a number of people were assembling. Soon a procession to the Temple of Isis
began winding down into the bowels of the castle. Here was world of magic and mystery.
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| Olivia and Loreon at the altar of the Shrine of Ishtar. Photo © Loreon Vigne |
When I looked within a crystal ball [at the altar of the Shrine of Ishtar in the Holy of Holies] I saw a vision of
the world with a peaceful aura. We lit a candle and made a wish together. We looked out a magic window, to the left for our
past, and the right for our future. The mirrors on each side echoed off into infinity.
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| The Well of Brigid in 1981. Photo © Loreon Vigne |
Lord Strathloch walked with us and as we passed the well I asked if I could take some of the sacred water with me,
which he allowed. We were totally in awe about what we had experienced that afternoon.
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| Lawrence and Olivia during ritual. Photo © Olivia Robertson |
This photo was later sent to Loreon by Olivia as a memento of the ritual and their visit together. Loreon writes: "Olivia
proclaimed the spring (it being a celebration for the Vernal Equinox) and ordained several people ... Then to our surprise
she announced others might give readings, including Paul and me. I had my crystal wand and did a ritual summoning the Goddesses
to be with us from all directions, each signifying a different season."
During their stay in Ireland, Loreon and Paul were able to meet with other FOI members, including Countess Joan de Frenay,
a long time friend of the Robertson family, Patricia Griffin, who is now an FOI ArchPriestess, Sean and Elizabeth O'Driscoll,
owners of Castle Matrix, David Durdin-Robertson, son of Lawrence and Pamela, and Charles Shepard who had studied
with Dion Fortune.
Unfortunately Paul Ramses isn't featured in any of the photos above because he was busy acting as photographer -
therefore always on the 'other' side of the camera.
All photos of the castle grounds, castle interior, castle shrines and Well of Brigid on this page ©
Loreon Vigne. The black and white photo of Olivia and Lawrence during ritual © Olivia Robertson, is reproduced in Loreon's
autobiography "The Goddess Bade Me Do It". It is used here and in Loreon's autobiography by permission of Olivia Robertson.
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