Olivia's 95th Birthday

OLIVIA’S 95^TH BIRTHDAY

Friday 13^th April, 2012
by
Minette Quick

A large gathering of people turned up at the Castle to celebrate Olivia’s 95^th Birthday at the invitation of her family.  Friends from the village joined a number of Fellowship members to meet many of Olivia’s extended family who had travelled over to Ireland to be with her on this special occasion from England, the Isle of Man, and Bavaria.  All were entertained to a delightful concert in the Theatre, presented by Olivia’s niece, Cressida and her husband Bob who are wonderful entertainers, and various family members, including her sister Caroline, took the stage to sing and play.  To give a taste of the occasion I include a couple of photographs.  One is of Olivia’s nephew Patrick, playing a metal ‘didgeridoo ’constructed from a long vacuum cleaner tube! 

This was a splendid sounding instrument, and he encouraged everyone to join in chanting ‘OM’ in rhythm with his spirited playing, which together with Lydia Lyte’s infectious drumming really got things going. The other photo is of Caroline playing her own delightful and accomplished composition on the tin whistle. 

The concert was rounded out by the uproarious performance of an impromptu play, entitled “Space Mums” consisting of ‘Anonymous Confessions’ regarding the unusual and disturbing powers of their offspring, such as ‘levitating,’ and ‘getting their own way….’  Directed by Olivia with her customary panache, various members of the audience spontaneously engaged with great enthusiasm and wit, to much laughter and applause! Afterwards everyone enjoyed tea and cakes, served in the Castle Tea Rooms which adjoin the Theatre.

Despite the forecast of storms, thunder and overcast skies in the morning, and the fact that I drove up the Avenue with hail-stones bouncing violently off my windscreen just before 2pm, the weather cleared and the sun came out in perfect time for us all to set off after tea for a procession down to the Druid’s Grove of Dana for invocations amongst the great trees in the wilderness by the River Derry (Irish Daire-Druid river of the Oak) The swans have returned to breed on their island and four many-coloured donkeys are grazing beside it like Olivia’s ‘Four Holy Donkeys of the Zodiac.’

Next we processed to the ruins of the Abbey, home of the Noble Order of Tara, still in sunshine and blessed by the beautiful blossoms of the flowering cherry beside it, for further invocations from Members of the Order.  

We then returned to the Temple entering from the gardens by Persephone’s gateway.

At Brigid’s Well we received the blessings of Her Healing Water and members of the priesthood who had travelled over from London, Glastonbury and France, contributed to the ceremony both at the Well and in a beautiful Oracle from Brigid, Goddess and Saint, and Olivia took us all on a trance journey to Tir Na Nog.

Afterwards members of the priesthood offered counselling and healing to any who wished to receive it, and we all went down to the village at 6pm to relax over tea and sandwiches.  It was, as ever, a wonderful opportunity to share our experiences and to meet up with old and new friends. All in all it was a wonderful day which Olivia enjoyed to the full, and a very happy time was had by all!                                  

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