I am Gnakered! Since arriving back in Olde Blighty it has been a blessing to chat via various mediums to fellow survivors of Gnosis about how many days you need to recover from Gnosis. Perhaps I just don’t want the Magick to end.
So, to begin at the beginning. The minibus finally arrived at the Parkinson steps. It must have been hell for our much loved driver. Then off to a supermarket to stock up on the fruit of the vine. Wish you could get Moroccan stock cubes from Tossco. Perhaps I will follow Merrick’s lead and write to Tony Blair.
So up the Great South Road we headed. Funnily no one had a map, but we got there. There was a bit of singing an impassioned spontaneous production of “Hotel California” and “The Diggers Song” amongst others. Guess who brought copy of “Rise Up Singing”.
We arrived at Featherstone Castle. Perhaps it is not so much a castle as a fortified manor house. Whatever. You really can get lost in it! I did a few times. Wonder if the Northern Musgrave family who had the castle built have a rich vein of eccentricity flowing. Well we certainly do!
So into the kitchen. Coffee! OK this is all stream of consciousness innit? No worries.
I met Rosie the Unshockable on the green staircase. “Hi she says, I’m Rosie”
“I’m Bluebell” says I.
“Bluebell?!?” she says unshocked.
“Oh yes” I say with a smile. She continues:-
“I’m Rosie short for Rosemary”
“And I am Bluebell short for Bluebell”. I do recall the opening of the castle anthrax scene from “King Arthur and The Quest for The Holy Grail”. (I am Sir Galahad the chaste! I am Zoot, just Zoot)
Anyway great opening ritual. An invocation of Aphrodite. Aphrodite, with 3 graces, the Graces leading us into trance dance.
The ritual over, there is that post ritual pause broken by a shout of “Goldstrike!” A shot of Goldstrike for one and all, how else to begin Gnosis!
The Gnosis veterans had grabbed rooms, which where warm, the dormitories we where warned would be cold. I thought let a room grab me, eventually that night finding a small dormitory and sleeping warmly enough even though
There was a lovely feast complete with Date wine.
I heard that Naked Pete was due to do the fighting arts of ancient Egypt workshop. But he had not arrived but was due. I thought it would be another Pete until I heard told the story of how he acquired the nickname Naked Pete. Identical to the story told once by my old Mate from Leeds the one and only Nudie Pete.
Stayed up late and continued to socialise at the fireside in the gun room. I was so frightened of missing anything…..
So, Saturday morning we had a lovely cooked breakfast! We had a workshop on the cat goddes of ancient Egypt. Then my old mate Nudie Pete turned up hurrah! Or was it the other way round, likesay this is all stream of consciousness……
Then a performance of Thunder Perfect Mind. Managed to stick my student card, some contraceptive devices and “The Electric Michaelangelo" in the cabinet. Also in was the Blue Lotus wine crafted by Rosie the Unshockable. At conclusion of the ritual we communed with said brew. Rosie giving a health warning that it was strong stuff. Perhaps it contributed to the ambience of tranquillity that permeated the gathering from that moment onwards. Or was it just me?
Not sure when we had the mask making workshop. There already was a black mask which I cut to size, touched up the black paint, painted 93 on in silver paint and added a blue and green feather. Oh and alas I don’t have a suspender belt in fat bastard size (road protestors sickness (too much special brew) alas) so improvised with elastic. Alas the Cornerstone Fancy Dress Party did not happen this year, so this being my once in a year opportunity to wear fishnet stockings, I was going to make the most of it. See Liber Oz.
The ball didn’t really happen, lots of ultra loud Goth music was played in the ball room, while most of the mob congregated in the Gun Room in front of the fire.
Then at midnight! Midnight Gnostic Mass of course! Nice to see some Piety. Hurrah! This was my favourite all time Gnostic Mass absolutely transcendent!
Then if I remember rightly, back to the Gun Room for late night fireside chats. Finally some drunken conversations about skyclad rituals. My thinking was we might as well do at least one skyclad ritual. Indoors would be fine. No said Nudie Pete a skyclad ritual is not skyclad without the sky. So Nudie Pete and one other brother and myself said lets go for it. Seeking guidance in bibliomancy and the Book of the Law,
A Feast for Tahuti and the Child of the Prophet – secret O Prophet! (the book of the law 2:39)
Thankfully common sense prevailed, viz, at this time of the year in the North of England an outdoor skyclad ritual should not be for 3 hours…. We agreed that the order of service would be a simple communion. We had no bread but an open bottle of wine. Nudie Pete said something about out into the car park, raise bottle, shout “Tahuti You Rock!” drink and pass bottle to next brother then close circle. So likesay Nudie Pete, another brother, and Bluebell did drop knickers and accomplish said ritual. Tahuti you Rock!
Had a bit of a Sunday morning lie-in. Missed breakfast. Another fabulous lunch was cooked by Niki. So late breakfast lol! For the most part I think we chilled in the Gun Room prior to Gnostic Mass at about 1600 hhrs. This was my favourite all time Gnostic Mass absolutely transcendent!
One of the brothers had brought a copy of “The Sex Lives of the Roman Emperors”. Wikid! Just what you need at the Abbey of Thelema, the monks and nuns (possibly a few mad monks and mad nuns ;) ) eating their soup in mystic silence in mystical silence while one sister or brother reads from “The Sex Lives of the Roman Emperors” presumably until a sibling finally says “He did What!?!?!?!” Nah! We are all so unshockable.
So after evening meal we had a Ceilidh. It was explained that originally a Ceilidh was a sharing, of a song or a story, prize for the best song, best story and best lie of the evening. We finished with an awards for all the worthy participants and we where oh so worthy. I was dubbed campest Magician of Gnosis ivXIII and was awarded a well earned glass of beer. We continued with singings of “The Grandfather Clock” and “The Hippopotamus Song” amongst others. Oh it had been decided that there would be no more than one singing of “Jerusalem” that weekend so we sung “Jerusalem” there and then.
Gaz had warned us that we needed to be out of the Castle by 0900 hhrs. So we had an early start with a DIY breakfast. I had not slept. Had coffee then helped with washing up and restoring castle to previous condition. Then into the mini bus for the return to Old Blighty.
What a gathering! My thanks to the Gnostic Gnomes for making it happen and to all the lovely participants, you each brought so much. Hope to see you all again in this lifetime.
For days afterwards had
“I am the blue lidded daughter of the sunset
I am the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night sky
To me! Always to me!”
Ringing in my ears, as someone played it being sung transcendently by some Swedish Thelemites.
Merry meet! Merry Part! And Merry Meet Again!
Alice in wonderland pics pinched from Lenny, cheers!
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