Tag Archive: Grail Bloodline


Chilling out on the ferry with a lovely espresso, then an interesting first glimps of a seemingly far away Estonia…

DAY TWENTY THREE: Wednesday 1st May 2024: After a peaceful two hour journey in a modern well laid out ferry with all expected amenities on board, we arrived upon the far away shores of Estonia. I had never been so far from home before and so near to the  Russian border too, that i truly wondered what adventures lay before me…

Church of St Nicholas of the Waterfall. Harju County. Estonia: This Medieval fortified church was possibly built soon after the city of Tallinn was established in 1230 CE. The pulpit (Tobias Heintze), with it’s Baroque iconostasis (17740) , a painting entitled ‘The Entombment of Jesus’ (Otto Zoege von Manteuffel), as well as wheel crosses set in the church wall and churchyard. All worthy of a look, sadly the church was closed but i did ‘squeeze’ a photo through the locked wrought iron doors. The actual area around the church and the countryside was beautiful and peaceful  with it’s carpet of flowers and flowing river of pure clean water.

It truly was a tranquil spot

Grail Bloodline connections of Karl Neville:

  • Sir Simon Woodchurch. 23/08/1241-06/05/1317. Woodchurch. Kent.  22 x Great Grandfather.

SA Ajakeskus Wittenstein. Jarva Maakond. Estonia: A sunny drive through beautiful Estonia found us at this interesting castle ruin, now a local museum and arts site, which included an outdoor theater. There was a good info board which i will post below informing that construction of the castle of the Livonia Order in Paide started under the leadership of the ‘Grandmaster Conrad von Mandern’ in 1265. Later on when this defense was no longer needed it became a park and outdoor museum. It was a very pretty well-cared for park in a lovely area.

DAY TWENTY FOUR: Thursday 2nd May. Rest Day! A short stay-over in Estonia, for a well-deserved rest day in Tartu. Then to leave the area to travel onwards into Latvia.

DAY TWENTY FIVE: Friday 3rd May. Driving into Latvia:

“A riddle of time was given to me
A riddle of time near the deep blue sea
For i was to see that which no-one else saw
The riddle of time on a sandy shore…”

 

Driving through Estonia to Riga Cathedral

Then time for a lovely lunch just outside the cathedral!

 

Riga Cathedral was huge, set in a lovely square with many historic buildings all around and a very popular place with tourists. I took so many photos, it was a challenging deciding on what to share here! The cathedral is also known as The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, and is the Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of Riga. It is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Latvia and has been featured in many paintings and photographs. It is often called the Dome Cathedral. It was built near the River Daugava in 1211 by Livonian Bishop Albert of Riga from Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany. It is considered the largest Medieval church in the Baltic states. More info can be found here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riga_Cathedral

Grail Bloodline connection of Karl Neville:

  • Peter Clarke 16/09/1291 – 21/01/1368. 20 x Great Grandfather. Woodchurch. Kent.

Riga Ghetto and Latvian Holocaust Museum: To be honest there was not much there to be photo worthy as such, not because of the subject matter, but i think for many visitors it was a place for contemplation and for being with their personal memories.  Though i did find this in one of the exhibits which i rather liked:

A two night bungalow stay in Zubites, Latvia.

DAY TWENTY SIX: Saturday 4th May. St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church. Tukuma. Tukums. Latvia: We spent two nights in Riga and headed out to this Russian church on the Saturday.The Russian influence is very pronounced in this area, in the buildings, the churches, the culture and the peoples; were were after all not far from the Russian border. The church was built in the year 1871. Its interior design is luxurious and unusual. In the church you can see several icons from the 18th and 19th centuries. Particularly noteworthy is the Virgin Mary icon of the year 1971 with an icon setting. The church was ‘over seen’ by some very protective ladies whom ‘bustled’ around splendidly being ‘in charge’! But the interior was truly amazing!

Grail Bloodline connection of Karl Neville:

  • Henry John Clarke 05/10/1900 – 14/10/1982. Edmonton. Middlesex. Great Grandfather.

Then time for coffee, lunch and a nice wander around.

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH: Courland, Talsi. Latvia: It was such a lovely drive to get to this lovely whitewashed church, through some very picturesque, almost fairy-tale like landscape. The church was hidden up a windy hill surrounded by rather quaint and old rural buildings, it was all very charming. It was originally built in 1567 and then several times after that. It is believed, very appropriately, that the name ‘Talsi’  is derived form an old Livonian word meaning ‘secluded place’. The church stands on a hill and dominates the old town. Sadly we could not get inside, so enjoyed the beautiful scenery just outside.

Read more about the church here: https://visittalsi.com/en/where-to-go/talsi-en/talsi-evangelical-lutheran-church/

Talsi itself is famous for its beautiful landscapes, lakes and unique architecture, old wooden houses with tiled roofs blend perfectly with nature.  The city has a great promenade along Lake Talsu (Martinelli) for walks at any time of year. This is a boardwalk leading you around the lake with a fountain in the middle of the basin.

Read more about Talsi here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talsi

DAY TWENTY SEVEN: Sunday 6th May. Cathedral-Basilica of St Peter & St Paul. Lithuania: So another day and as we  left Latvia and made our way towards Lithuania, the countries seemed to be magically flying by underfoot or beneath our wheels! The exact date when the first Gothic style church dedicated to the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul was built here is unknown, but it was first mentioned in written sources in 1413. The first parochial school in Kaunas at the St Peter and St Paul church was mentioned in 1473. The construction works were concluded only in 1624.  It is now a Roman Catholic Cathedral of epic style and proportions, despite suffering from military campaigns and renovations.

It is also a site on the popular modern day pilgrim trail ‘Camino el Santiago’ trail and is the largest Gothic church in Lithuania. I will write more about the pilgrim trail in the next quest write up, the trail is marked by the iconic ‘shell’ symbol that one sees near certain sites. However the use of this symbol at these sites is very much connected to Craft in a way that has nothing in connection to this modern day path and the interpretation of it. The cathedral itself is beautiful inside with lots of stunning paintings, artworks and decor of a symbolic Craft nature.

Read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaunas_Cathedral_Basilica

The area that surrounds the cathedral is very popular with tourists and pilgrims alike, with its town square, old streets and lots of cafes, bars and shops to browse around. Infact a lovely delight.

 

A two night stay in Latvia

DAY TWENTY EIGHT: Monday 6th May. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary: The first small wooden Catholic church in Palanga was built around 1540 at the behest of Grand Duchess Anna Jagiellon. Another cross-shaped church with a tower and a belfry was built in 1590 at the initiative of the then rulers of Lithuania.In 1767 the wooden church was reconstructed and stood for 140 years.

 

Inside the church are the most beautiful and symbolic windows, adorned with meaningful Craft symbology. The church is set in well cared for grounds with some unusual items to see including some very old stones, some wooden sculptors and a mysterious guardian cat patiently keeping vigil (or is it something else?)

See more info below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Assumption_of_the_Blessed_Virgin_Mary,_Palanga

 

Grail Bloodline connections of Karl Neville:

  • Sir James William Clarke: 09/12/1485 – 02/08/1544. Forde Hall. Wrotham. Kent.

Palanga Sculpture Park. Lithuania: One can easily spend well over an hour here wandering around this beautiful park admiring all the amazing sculptors displayed here. Palanga Sculpture Park which was established in 1982 in the city centre, is an open air museum, open 24 hours. Presently , the park is decorated with works of the famous Lithuanian sculptors Kazimieras Kisielius, Bronius Vyšniauskas, Leonas Strioga, Bronius Zalensas, Alberts Donatas Belevičius, Vaclovas Krutinis, Aloyzas Toleikis, Antanas Žukauskas, and Daliutė Ona Matulaitė. There are also sculptures by Vytautas Kazimieras Jonynas, a famous Lithuanian artist who worked in exile, and multiple valuable works by sculptors from Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and Armenia. Here you can also play a game of giant outdoor chess. A peaceful park with stunning flower displays too, amongst which the sculptors are set.

 

And so we bade a fond farewell to Lithuania to board an overnight ferry to Germany. We had two inside cabins booked, departure was 10pm to arrive in Germany at 5pm the next day.

DAY TWENTY NINE: Tuesday 7th May: Arrive in Germany for a two-night stay in Fereinhaus, Hemoor, Germany.

DAY THIRTY: Wednesday 8th May. Kirchengemeinde Basbeck/St Michaelis. Henmoor: The present church building is the third one at this site. The first one was built from 1647 from 1669. It became the church of the new town (Neustadt) which was created in 1625. The church was set in beautifully manicured grounds, but sadly shut, it was a stunning day though and we had a nice look around.

Grail bloodline connections of Karl Neville:

  • John Clarke 18/09/1746 – 07/06/1789. Farway. Devon. 5 x Great Grandfather.

Johannes-der-Täufer Church. Loxstedt. Germany: With stories of glowing priests and moving objects this church is worth a visit, but it was shut when we were there, but a lovely little church set in natural surroundings.

 

DAY THIRTY ONE: Thursday 9th May, leave Fereinhaus, Germany for a two night stay in Ostend, Belgium, near the sand dunes and sea.

DAY THIRTY TWO: Friday 10th May. Yser Towers. Diksmuide. West Flanders Belguim: Built in 1828 CE for the ‘Flemish Movement’ at that time in 1917. By WW2 Hitler invades Belgium 10th may 1940. Yser Towers made into a Nazi icon and the ground was made for  main Nazi ceremonies. It was demolished in 1946, only to be rebuilt on the original foundations in 1952, completion in 1965 CE, the re-labelled a ‘Peace Gate’

Then time for coffee, cake and shops in the photogenic town of Diksmuide, Flanders.

LAST DAY AND LAST VISIT OF QUEST 39! Vladslo German WW1 War Cemetary. Belgium: 25,644 Soldiers are marked here.  Run by the German War Graves commision. 1931.  There are statues of the ‘grieving parents’ placed in the cemetary to mark the Oct 1914 death of Peter Kollwitz. The beautiful touring carved statue of the archangel Michael was also there, almost as if waiting for us… The cemetery is full of poignant and profound artworks and was really worth visiting.

Then back to our apartment near the dunes ready for the journey home via Euro Tunnel on Saturday 11th May – wow what a trip! 8,955 Miles all told!

16 Churches. 8 Cathedrals. 5 Ocean crossings. 14 Places of interest.

 

Family Links: Full marks within the ‘Clarke’ Line: 

Henry John Clarke: 05/10/1900-14/10/1982. Edmonton, Middlesex. GGF.
John Clarke: 18/09/1746-07/06/1789. Farway, Devon. 5xGGF.
Sir James William Clarke: 09/12/1485-02/08/1544. Forde Hall, Wrotham, Kent. 13xGGF.
Thomas Clarke: 18/03/1375-02/06/1446. Forde Hall, Wrotham, Kent. 17xGGF.

 

The K.e.y to the Timeline:

Peter Clarke:16/09/1291- 21/01/1368. Woodchurch, Kent. 20xGGF.
Lord Tescellin: 29/06/1005-02/03/1072. Fontaine-lès-Dijon, France. 31xGGF.
Sir Simon Woodchurch: Woodchurch, Kent. 22X GGF.
Fredemundus Desposyni: 10/01/375-19/08/423. Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. 52xGGF.

 

“My last thoughts on Quest 39: This was certainly a challenging quests on many levels both physically and mentally, but i would not and could not have missed it for the world. The whole experience bought many profound things into focus for me, things that will stay with me forever and beyond and which will forever increase my understandings of my reality and this world. Thank you Karl for sharing all you share with me and for your patience and understanding of me, of all i am and of all i strive to be…

Take me down to the darker side
The darker side of life
Take me down to the waters edge
Where time and tide collide
Let me hear the ripples
Of another life
Another time
A reality unspoken of
In this mundane world of time
Yes take me to that darker life
Where the unknown becomes the known
Let the winds of change surround me
And let rose scent fill the air
Take me out of time and tide
So i shall always see
The truth which so surrounds me
No more riddles will i see.

 

Please contact me here for further details ‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

‘Keeper of Scrolls’ ‘Grail Guardian’ Updated July 2025

 

Our Temple Master and renowned tutor of Craft is Mr Karl Neville details below:

My Chap Publications – all Karl’s books and more

You will also find videos and extra info here too.

MyChapPublications (Karls youtube channel)

 

Please do get in touch if you are interested and feel that this path is for you…..

“Week two and here we are safely arriving in Finland after an overnight and comfortable sea voyage. Sometimes it’s hard to believe exactly where we are and just how far we have come – both on an earthly and also metaphysical level” 🙂

<click on all photos here to enlarge>

DAY NINE: Wednesday 17th April:  Arrive safe and sound at Helsinki. Finland!

Uspenski Cathedral. Helsinki Finland: Completed in 1868, situated in the Katajanokka district of Finland, the largest orthodox church in western Europe. With it’s golden cupolas and redbrick facade, the church is one of the clearest symbols of the Russian impact on Finnish history. It is in an elevated position (a pyramid maybe?) and is one of the first buildings one sees after disembarking from the ferry. It is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition.
The cathedral was full of beautiful and luminous artifacts, yet sadly the altar and surrounding area was cordoned off, a sign of church control which should have long gone…

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

  • John Clarke  18/09/1746 – 07/06/1789 Farway, Devon. Karl Neville’s 5 x Great Grandfather
Time for espresso in an amazing ‘Art Cafe’

Helsinki Cathedral. Helsinki Finland. The church was originally built from 1830 to 1852 as a tribute to the Grand Duke of  Finland, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. It was also known as St Nicholas’s Church (Finnish: Nikolainkirkko, Swedish: Nikolajkyrkan ) until the  independence of Finland in 1917.  It is a major landmark of the city, located in the neighborhood of Kruununhaka and possibly the most famous structure in Finland as a whole when viewed across the Earth. It is located way up high again with amazing views across the city and can be seen from miles around too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki_Cathedral

The cathedral is peaceful and spacious with some beautiful artworks on view. Although access was restricted when we arrived, the ‘barriers’ did eventually come down so we could stroll around inside.

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

  • John Clarke 18/09/1746 – 07/06/1789.  Faraway.  Devon Karl Neville’s 5 x GGF

Arrived safely in Hanko for a fourteen nights stay in a luxury waters edge apartment.

DAY TEN: Thursday 18th April: My Birthday!

 

Out for a gorgeous pizza and a wander around Klaukala

“Thank you Karl for my delicious treat!”

 

DAY ELEVEN: Friday 19th April: Rest Day!

“Enjoying our lovely apartment with it’s scenic sea views & strange magnetic occurrences, & then it snowed!”

DAY TWELVE: Saturday 20th April: Somero Church. Finland: A very snowy and cold day  in Finland – who would have guessed it in April! But even so everywhere looked totally stunning and photogenic. Somero is set in a rather hilly Finnish landscape but on a day like today a good day for photography even though very cold! An earlier church was built in 1490 CE. However this existing church is from 1859 CE,  built on a hill to the south of the old cemetery. When the new church was completed, the wooden church of Somero, built in 1668, was demolished in 1864.

We couldn’t get inside this church so please enjoy the snowy scenes. As always click to enlarge.

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

  • Thomas Clarke 18/03/1375-02/06/1446 Forde Hall, Wrotham Kent.

Forssa Church. Forssa Finland: Built in 1917 in the middle of the civil war to a district called Kallomaki. It was inaugurated  in 1918. The style of the church is gothic and was designed by architect Josef Stenback. It has many beautiful decorative features both on the inside and out but again we could not get inside, so we will never know. The church tower rises all the way up to 45 metres and one speciality of the church is that the altar is facing west.The glass paintings on the altar are widely known representing the birth, cruxifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • Henry John Clarke 05/10/1900-14/10/1982 Edmonton Middlesex. Karl Neville’s Great Grandfather

DAY THIRTEEN: Sunday 21st April: Hanko Front Museum. Near Hanko Finland: It was still a very cold day here in Finland. The snow had set in and the sky was heavy and dull and although both museums were closed we had a good wander around in the snow outside each of them. I can’t tell you much about the museum in Hanko but the cold weather and snow did lend an authentic atmosphere to the War Front Museum just outside of Hanko, near the old borderlines.

“The Wartime Museum, above in Hanko, Finland was sadly closed…”

The Hanko Front Museum is located in a culturally and historically significant place, where the border between Finland and the Soviet Union ran from 1940 to 1941, when the Soviet Union occupied the Hanko penisula. The museum’s permanent exhibition ‘Hanko in Foreign Hands’, which we did not get to see due to the museum being closed, describes the historical events of the Hanko front. The museum grounds are interesting for you will find authentic looking running and battle trenches. The are some good replicas of wartime tanks and vehicles outside, which looked almost as if we had stepped back in time with the snow upon the ground one had a real sense of actually being there. The ‘energies’ of the area added to that too.

The Southernmost Point of Finland: Uddskatan, Hangö: Ancient site of the ‘Kwakali’, an absolute must. Not far from where we were staying, this beautiful beach was almost deserted yet it held mysteries and energies shown only to a few… This peaceful area is located in the Uddskatan nature reserve which is part of the Tulliniemi bird sanctuary. On the southernmost tip you will find nature trails, forest, meadows and high points from which there is a view, and a rich bird life. The Uddskatan water area with its beaches was placed under protection as a valuable bird spot already in 1933. And yet it also holds a secret with its mysterious rock placement on the beach….

” A beach, nature and a rock…”

Video: Hanko Beach. Finland

DAY FOURTEEN: Monday 22nd April: Church of St Lawrence: Lupajantie Perniö, Finland: A pretty little church both inside and out, the Perniö Church was built in the 15th century, in 1460. It is dedicated to St. Lawrence, as are many medieval churches in Finland. The interior contains mural paintings made by the school of famous artist Petrus Henriksson, from the end of 15th century. There are also seven limestone tombs inside the church. The belfry was erected in 1746. From a Craft point of view the church did share an  interesting revelation previously unknown to me… Hiding in the photos you will find the answer.

“More clues unravel here at this pretty church”

Video: St Lawrence Church. Finland

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

  • Sir James William Clarke: 09/12/1485 – 02/08/1544 Forde Hall, Wrotham, Kent Karl Neville’s 13 x GGF

 

A nice tasty lunch before venturing on…

 

Turku Cathedral: Tuomiokirkonkatu Turku, Finland: The cathedral was originally built out of wood in the late 13th century in 1276 CE, and was dedicated as the main cathedral of Finland in 1300, the seat of the Catholic bishop of Turku and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It was considerably expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries, mainly using stone as the construction material. The cathedral was badly damaged during the Great Fire of Turku in 1827. It is considered to be the most important religious building in Finland, having borne witness to many important events in the nations history and a very recognizable symbol. There is a lot to see inside, many side chapels with altars dedicated to various saints. From a Craft point of view i found it to have a very ‘demonic energy’ which also from a Craft perspective i quite liked and yet still very beautiful… There are quite a few notable people buried here too.

Turko Cathedral Finland has a very dark beauty…

<click on photos to enlarge>

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

  • Sir Simon Woodchurch: 23/08/1241 – 06/05/1307 Woodchurch, Kent. Karl Neville’s 22xGGF

 

DAY FIFTEEN:Tuesday 23rd April: Rest day as very thick snow all around! Literally snowed in – we were not expecting this!

Video: What lies beneath… Hanko. Finland

DAY SIXTEEN:Wednesday 24th April: Ekenäs Church: Stora Kyrkogatan  Ekenäs, Finland: After being snowed in it certainly was good to get out and about again and what a contrast in the weather. Today was bright and crisp with clear blue skies! Ekanas is a very pleasant and vibrant seaside town near the coast with some interesting shops, an ‘old town’ area, eateries and coffee shops. The whole area was glowing in the crisp sunshine and befitting the nature of the quests we had an interesting encounter with a shop keeper there. A well as the church there is a very interesting old wooden chapel to see. The town had a good uplifting energy, unlike many parts of Finland which are just the opposite.

The construction of the Ekanas church was started in 1651 and carried out to the 1670s. The initiative to build a stone church in Ekenäs came from earl Gustaf Adolf Leijonhufvud but it is unknown who designed the original baroque church. The church was ravaged by fire in 1821 and renovated by architect Charles Bassi between 1821 and 1839 and it is this design we see these days.

A wander, a coffee, an old wooden chapel and a nice lunch in Ekanas

Video: The Old Wooden Chapel. Ekenas. Finland

Dagmar’s Spring: Leksvallvägen. Raseborg. Finland: Dagmar’s Spring is found in the Dagmar Park nature reserve. It is said that the waters here are that of the Divine. The park is also known by the name ‘Kallviken’, the area is a popular day trip destination, especially among locals. At the centre of the park is the spring named after the Danish born princess Dagmar. Dagmar’s life became intertwined with Finnish history when she was made Czarina of Russia, Maria Feodorovna.

Dagmar’s spring winds it’s way down to the sea at Kallviken, near a popular beach, flowing down from the mountains, said to have formed in the ice-age. There is also a stone monument at the spring, commemorating the visit by the Czar and Czarina. The spring water here is clear and fresh and used by the locals whom have no need of shop bought water! We saw several folks collecting water while we were there.

The interesting aspect here from a Craft point of view, are that the ‘energies’ here, hiding in the trees have a blue-mist kind of appearance that often appears in photographs – look closely to see them in my photos. It was quite icy and slippery here underfoot and it was challenging to walk safely, so sadly i did not get as near to the spring as i would have liked, yet I was able  to admire it and it’s beauty from a distance.

The Grail Bloodline. Bloodline of Karl Neville:

  • John Clarke:  18/09/1746 – 07/06/1789  Farway, Devon.  Karl Neville’s 5 x Great Grandfather

On a lighthearted note, seen on day fourteen. A sweet little robot courier swiftly and accurately  negotiates the lunch-time traffic as it happily wends it’s way amongst the traffic. I was impressed!

Uploaded February 2025

‘The Keeper of Scrolls/Guardian of the Grail’

Aka ‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

And so endeth week two of this amazing quest, but what would week three bring? In the meantime I will be uploading some videos soon!

Our Temple Master and renowned tutor of Craft is Mr Karl Neville details below:

My Chap Publications – all Karl’s books and more

You will also find videos and extra info here too.

MyChapPublications (Karls youtube channel)

Please do get in touch if you are interested and feel that this path is for you…..

 

QUEST 38: NORDIC CALL: WEEK ONE.

“This long awaited for quest, was finally upon us and it seemed like a dream that we were actually off to Iceland , that magical land of fire and ice, myth and reality. Little did i know what an impact Iceland would have on my life, upon my soul and on my personal Grail Quest and of how much i would discover there and that the ‘Stones of Time’ awaited me…

So tomorrow we are off on Quest 39, traveling by land and sea to Iceland where i am sure many adventures and experiences await, usually of a more metaphysical nature too. But before that, we reach Germany in a couple of days.
As you realize by now, these Quests have a serious side to them, not only a learning curve for me, but relevant in a much wider sense, not only of Craft but generally from an earthly aspect too. It is a greatly humbling to be, not only known as a true knight, but to know i live and breathe as one too.
It’s not what you see but what you don’t see, for when you stop seeing the mundane, your eyes will truly open….

 

DAY ONE:

TUESDAY 24TH OCTOBER 2023: Stay near Felixstowe at Trimley St Mary, in readiness to board the Stena Line ferry the next morning

DAY TWO:

WEDESDAY 25TH OCTOBER: Boarding the ferry for the Hook of Holland, for a voyage of nearly eight hours, then a road trip of three and a half hours to take us through to Germany, for a two night stay at Sogel.

DAY THREE:

THURSDAY: 26TH OCTOBER: WERPELOH STONE CIRCLE: STEINKREIS: For me this was one of the highlights of the Quest and very important to the quests as a whole, as to my own understanding of the reality of this realm. It is said to be an active ‘void’ on the earth, if only one can awaken it with maybe the the correct sequences? What a day in Germany it proved to be, achieving a good degree of knowledge and insight at this incredibly powerful stone circle. The circle contains one of the ‘serpent gates’ upon the earth. It is said that the actual physical circle is not that ancient, but whether it is or not, the site is ancient. The thing to remember, like the churches we visit, it is not the physical reality of what is now upon the sites we visit, but the reason for the sites in the first place. It all connects to the ‘unseen‘, to the metaphysical, the churches, buildings, stones etc are often known as ‘Markers in Time’

Bloodline/Grail Connection:

  • The Desposyni main line…..

Let me take you around this stone circle…

Take a tour around the circle with Karl

 

ST JODOCUS CHURCH: KIRCHSTRABE: A short drive away through some pretty countryside and we arrived at our next destination in Borger Germany, an attractive red-bricked church which looked even prettier with it’s backdrop of autumn leaves. In the middle of the town but with much of interest to see. The church was very well looked after, very quite though. St Jodocus, commonly called Giguel, was the eldest son Juthael, whom became king of Brittany in the year 630 CE. To the eagle eyed there was much Templar and/or Craft detail to see in the church.

A very quick tour around St Jodocus Church

Join Karl for an in depth look at the church

 

It turned out to be a quiet day today, we chilled out after our quest wanderings in a charming, little vintage cafe and florists in Solgel, minutes away from where we are staying for these two nights. Espresso, Americano and delicious cake. No cake for me though, but i still love to look! Tomorrow will be a very long drive for a one night stay in Denmark ready to catch the ferry to Iceland on Saturday 28th October. I can’t believe it!

 

 

DAY FOUR:

FRIDAY 27TH OCTOBER: Leave Sogel in Germany for a one night stay in Danmarksgade, Denmark, in readiness to catch the ferry from Hirtshalls, in the morning.

DAY FIVE:

SATURDAY 28TH OCTOBER: Leave Danmarksgade for Hitshalls to catch the ferry to Iceland. Board the Smyril Line ferry for a four night ocean voyage to Iceland. Two luxury Nordic cabins. Stopping off at the Faroe Islands. Sadly i was sea-sick during the voyage but had my lovely cabin to cozy-up in. The facilities on-board were amazing but sadly i did not get to enjoy them!

At sea with me – come join me!

DAY SIX:

SUNDAY29th OCTOBER: On board the Ferry.

DAY SEVEN:

MONDAY 30th OCTOBER:  On board the Ferry

 

The Faroe Islands on the way to Iceland. So stunning, out of this world beautiful with a few surprises  too.

 

Just as we were leaving the Faroe Islands, i witnessed an amazing site in the ocean. I was just sitting on my cabin’s window seat admiring the beautiful view, as we sailed through the islands, when something unusual in the water caught my eye. Low and behold! There before me was one of those strange and amazing magnetic circles of still water, surrounded by moving waves; a circle that no other wave could cross. It looked so strange and amazing, defying reality in fact; a still circle surrounded by waves, but seeing is believing. This type of thing is caused by the earth magnetics, and these magnetics  cause so much more than folks ever realize or are ever told about. Over the coming weeks i would see and experience many similar things and learn that Iceland is a country of strong and strange magnetic occurences.

And with all this water around a riddle sprang to mind:

“Tumbling down over rocks and streams

Living in truth or living in dreams

Clinging to non, always finding my level

I am always contained by an earthly vessel”

 

Karl has lots of lovely footage on his channel

 

“So the Icelandic journey begins on day eight as we set ashore on an adventure of a life time!”

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls/Guardian of the Grail’

AKA moon.willow@ntlworld.com

24th February 2024

“So continuing with day five, we were on the road again to our next stop-over, but first three important sites to seek out. A town, an island and a mountain journey; a whole day of adventures, lunch and shopping lie ahead, stepping back in time to discover the present…”

 

Day Five: 16th September: Daniel O’Connell Church and Oratory, Ring of Kerry, Cahersiveen, County Kerry: Cahersiveen with a population of around 1200 people is one of the westernmost towns in Ireland and hence one of the westernmost towns in Europe. It has remained principally a market town down the centuries and never fully enjoyed the benefits of the tourist industry perhaps making it one of the more original towns on the Ring of Kerry. The name Caherciveen can actually be spelt in 3 different ways, Caherciveen, Cahersiveen and Cahirciveen. The town of Cahersiveen lies at the foot of Beentee Mountain, on the river Fertha and overlooks Valentia Harbour. A beautiful marina has been added to the town in recent years and if you are a boating or marine enthusiast then it’s well worth a visit. Another unique and indiidual town, full of colour and vibrancy, and we were learning this is a large part of the character of this part of Ireland. Full of ‘arty’ and delightful shopping experiences and of course we did linger awhile to fully experience it all…

Colourful vibrant Cahersiveen <click to enlarge>

An interesting church, beautiful inside, (Grail clues hidden within) and being delighfully open, and the only church, unique in Ireland to be named after a layman. The church is located in the parish of Cahersiveen on the spectacular Ring of Kerry, a trip in itself, for the whole area is stunning and full of historic places to visit, such as castles, standing stones, abbeys and bays. The church bears the name of Daniel O’Connel ‘The Liberator’ who was born in Cahersiveen 6th August 1775 and who worked in his political career in the early 19th century to bring about Catholic Emancipation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Kerry

The outside of the church showing the informative plaques and artwork <click to enlarge>

The church bearing his name was built between 1888–1902, and is the most dominant feature/landmark in the town.  It is constructed of Northern Irish granite  from Co. Down, and built in a combination of gothic revivalist and medieval style architecture. The laying of a marble slab which serves as the cornerstone took place in 1888. This marble block is very special as it was a gift from Pope Leo XIII sourced from the catacombs in Rome. Buried in the grounds of the church are the remains of Monsignor Hugh O’ Flaherty whose heroic life is captured on the famous Gregory Peck Film “The Scarlet and the Black”. Monsignor O’Flaherty (1898–1963) a Cahersiveen native, was a Vatican diplomat during the second world war. During his time in the vatican O’Flaherty organised the concealment and escape of more than 5,000 people including Jews and prisoners of war from the German occupying forces without the knowledge or approval of his superiors. There are some nice memorial plaques around the grounds of the church and a imposing and colourful artwork painted upon one of the nearby walls.

The story inside was something else entirely, stunningly magnificant, especially for a church <click to enlarge>

https://www.theringofkerry.com/daniel-o-connell

 

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Earl Gospatrick Mac Maldred (Karl’s 26th X GGF) 1042-1082 = 40

“So across the water it was to Valentia Island”

 

 

St John the Baptist Church Kilmore, Valentia Island: Located on the Skellig Coast in the Southern Peninsulas of the Wild Atlantic Way adjacent to the Ring of Kerry.  Valentia Island is wild and remote and one of Ireland’s best kept secrets. It is everything one would wish for from an island. As one would think, lots of history to connect it to the sea, with even a knight or two within its history. Valentia Island is scattered with ancient cairns, dolmens, wedge tombs, standing stones, Ogham stones, a promontory fort, and the remains of churches and numerous beehive huts. Mug Ruith, or Mogh Roith, ‘slave of the wheel,’ a mythological, powerful, blind druid of Munster, is said to have lived on Valentia Island. Legend says he could grow to an enormous size, and that his breath caused storms and turned men to stone.

The Knights of Kerry: https://www.valentiaisland.ie/life-business/history-culture/knights-of-kerry/

 

Rugged and wild – Valentia Island <click to enlarge>

The name in Irish means Dairbhre, ‘oak isle’, and is one of Ireland’s most westerly points. It lies off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of  County Kerry and linked to the mainland by the Maurice O’Neill Memorial Bridge at Portmagee. Valentia Island’s permanent population is 665, as of the 2011CSO Census.  It is about 7 miles long by almost two miles wide, making it the third-biggest island off the Irish coast. The English name ‘Valentia’ or ‘Valencia’ Island does not come from the Spanish city of Valencia, it comes from the Irish name of Valentia Harbour, cuan Bhéil Inse, “harbour-mouth of the island”. It was anglicized as ‘Bealinche’ and ‘Ballentia’ before evolving into ‘Valentia’ but is It is possible the spelling was influenced by Spanish sailors; there is a grave marker to Spanish sailors lost at sea in the Catholic cemetery at Kylemore.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentia_Island

There is not much info about the actual ruin of The Church of Saint John the Baptist, it was built of slate at Kilmore in 1815, and was designed by James Pain and despite Cannon John Warburton’s lengthy absences from Valentia during his time as rector, a new Church of Saint John the Baptist was built at Kilmore in 1815, almost a generation before Knightstown was laid out and developed by Alexander Nimmo on behalf of the Knights of Kerry. The church could seat a congregation of about 60 people. However, as the Church of Ireland population of Valentia grew with the growth of Knightstown, the expansion of the slate quarry and the arrival of the transatlantic cable, the church became too small for the needs of a growing parish.

 

Church of St John the Baptist – beautiful, wild & almost lost in time… <click to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Earl William Neville, 4th Earl of Abergavenny (previously visited by us) (5th Great Uncle) 1792-1868

 

“We left Valentia Island and enjoyed another spectacular drive up into the mountains to our next destination, almost of another world”

 

Timeless and ‘out of time’ <click to enlarge>

The Glen Cemetry Old, Saint Finan’s Bay, County Kerry,: This little ruin and extensive graveyard, is well off the beaten track and very much ‘off road’ for we had to abandon the car for a little walk there, along an old track. The graveyard  did have a very magical and ‘other wordly’ feel about it, when there. Another capsule hidden in time…

 

The Old Glen Cemetery. Stunning, magical and hidden in time…. <click to enlarge>

 

It was very hard finding anything about the burial ground, it took a while, but i came up with a little something. The cemetery is located in the grounds of an old ruined church, which was probably dedicated to St. Finan (otherwise Fionán) with spectacular views of St. Finan’s Bay. The cemetery is now ‘closed’, except for occasional burials in a family plot, and has been replaced by the newer Glen Cemetery. Old Killmagh Church (in the Irish language: Cill Imleagh) is traditionally is associated with Saint Fionan, founder on the Monastery on Skellig Michael as well as Monasteries on Inishfallen Island and Aghadoe in Kilarney, Church Island in Waterville and the Derrynane Holy Well here in the Glen. This ancient Church is listed in The Papal Taxation List (1302 -1306) for the Diocese of Ardfert. It was noted in the list of parochial churches in 1622 and again as being in ruins in 1756. The ruins visible today are that of a 19th Century Church built against the northern wall of the original medieval church.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Earl Gospatrick Mac Maldred (26th GGF) 1042-1082

 

“I have decided to start a new page for the step of the way, as lots to share and comment on, as we visit on Day Six: 17th September: St Fachtna’s Catherdral Rosscarberry, and the Drombeg Stone Circle Co Cork. On Day Seven: 18th September: Saint Fin Barre’s Catherdral. Cork, and Christ Church: Rath-Healy, Fermoy, County Cork”

 

“For now its new digs and bed!”

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ January 2022

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>

A drive across beautiful countryside and pretty villages bought us to the vibrant and bustling town of Tipperary

Friday 9th June. Day Eleven: St Mary’s Church. Tipperary: Tipperary was very vibrant and colourful; a busy bustling town with lots going on, lots to see and full of people. Before going to the church we had a walk along the high street, found a clasic no frills pub and had a lovely pub lunch. I always find it so refreshing in Ireland to discover and explore all the little independant shops, often full of local produce and craftmanship. I am sure there must be big retail areas somewhere, but the places we went to or drove through had all kept their own indentity and no sign at all, of the big boring retail shops that we have in England which make each town and city centre exactly the same – so bravo Ireland!

<click to view each photo>

Tipperary Town (Irish: Tiobraid Árann, meaning ‘well of the Ara’- a reference to the river Ara that flows through the town) is a town and civil parish in County Tipperary with a population of 4,979 at the 2016 census. The town gave its name to the County Tipperary. The town had a medieval foundation and became a population centre in the early 13th century. It’s ancient fortifications have disappeared, often dismantled to be reused in new buildings. It’s central area is characterized by a wide streets radiating from the principal thoroughfare of Main Street. Two historical monuments are located in the Main Street. One is a bronze statue of Charles Kickham (poet and patriot). The other is the Maid of Erin statue, erected to commemorate the Irish patriots, Allen, Larkin and O’Brien, who are collectively known as the Manchester Martyrs. The Maid of Erin is a freestanding monument; erected in 1907, it was relocated to a corner site on the main street in 2003. It is made of carved limestone. A woman stands on a base depicting the portraits of the three executed men. The portraits carry the names in Irish of each man. She is situated on stone-flagged pavement behind wrought-iron railings, with an information board. The choice of a female figure as the personification of Ireland for such a memorial was common at the time. It is a naturalistic and evocative piece of work, made all the more striking by the lifelike portraits of the executed men. (see photos above)

The town was the site of a large military barracks of the British Army in the 50 years before Irish Independence and served as a military hospital during World War I. During the War of Independence, these barracks were a base for the Black and Tans and on 30 September 2005, the newly refurbished Memorial Arch of the barracks was unveiled in a ceremony in the pressence of dignitaries. However, given the notoriety of the place in the folk memory, few townspeople attended. The Arch is the only remaining porch of what was the officers’ mess and has panels mounted bearing the names of fallen members of the Irish Defence Forces. The Arch was renovated and maintained by the Tipperary Remembrance Trust. We were later given a private tour of this area along with other important sites. (see photos to follow)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipperary_(town)

St Mary’s Church: We did think that yet again, we would be unable to gain access to this church even though the doors were open allowing us to wandered inside, only to be met by the raised tones of the rector informing us that no, were were not allowed in, as he was having some sort of meeting in the church. So thus we had resigned ourselves to a stroll around the graveyard, where i did take some lovely shots of the old iron works depicting fleur-de-lys. It is the oldest graveyard in town with over 1000 recorded burials and the oldest landmark. The grave of Christopher Emmet grandfather of the Irish patriot Robert Emmet is located in the grounds as is the grave of Ellen O’Leary Poet, and sister of the Fenian John O’Leary is also located in the grounds. There has been a military connection with St Mary’s as far back as the 1780’s when it was a garrison church. There are nine Commonwealth war graves and 11 other military related graves dating 1880 – 1920. All very interesting but not really what we were there for, however a chance encounter at the church gates with the new rector, with a different mindset, assured us that yes, we could go in and that he would give us a personal tour of the church and of many interesting areas nearby. Sadly not a lot of info on the internet on the church, so i will let the photos speak for themselves….

http://homepage.eircom.net/~tipperaryfame/stmarys.htm

Although we were lucky and very kindly were shown some of the older and more interesting treasures within the church, they were not actually Craft related, but obvioulsy all well loved <click to view>

As mentioned above, we were very lucky to have been taken on a surprise private tour of relevant and historical sites around Tipperray, ending with a lovely visit to a very old ancient church site, complete with sacred well. But also on this occasion we were visited by one of the ‘watchers’, keeping tracks on us no doubt, for we are never alone, especially as Craft people and obviously our tracks and purpose on this earthly plain is always very closely monitored.

A military arch, old workhouse and barracks, bear tesitiment to different times. The Hills of Tipperary, keep a timeless watch holding onto their secrets and asignations from other times. An imposing modern statue, seems to hold silent court over the etherial essence of the glen. An ancient site and holy well, will keep the secrets of the day…. <click to view>

Grail Bloodline Connectios:

  • John Fordham. 1858 – 1932 Collooney, Sligo. He had a particular interest here. (3 x GGF)

St Mary’s Church. Blessington: So after a little drive, again through pretty towns and villages, past mountains and countryside we arrived at Blessington, which on this occasion would prove to be a very short visit. Sadly the church was shut with all gates locked and chained, so we could not even stroll around the graveyard. So i did the best i could in respect of photos…

Blessington: historically known as Ballycomeen (Irish: Baile Coimín, meaning ‘town of Comyn’, from the Irish surname Ó Coimín), is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, near the border with County Kildare. Evidence of Bronze Age activity in the area is demonstrated by the spectacular Blessington gold lunula now in the British Museum. Blessington was previously called Munfine, and in the Medieval period was part of the lordship of Threecastles. Construction of Blessington House was begun in 1673 and afterwards St Mary’s Church in Blessington, which was completed in 1683. The main road of the town is an example of a planned improvement of towns and villages associated with estates in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Since the turn of the 21st century, Blessington’s population has increased substantially, more than doubling from 2,509 at the 2002 census, to 5,010 by the time of the 2011 census.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blessington

St Mary’s Church: is situated in Market Square, in the middle of the town. It was built around 1683, having been financed by Archbishop Boyle. While most of the church was rebuilt in the 19th Century, the tower of this old church remains at the west end. The original church, from 1683, was later altered to the design by Joseph Welland (transepts, north aisle). The church is well known in the bell-ringing community for housing the oldest complete set of bells in Ireland. The six bells date to 1682, and were cast by James Bartlet, who was the master founder of Whitechapel at that time. The money for these was also given by Archbishop Boyle. They are still rung twice a week, for Sunday morning service and on Saturday nights, for ringing practice. The cemetery is located within the grounds of St. Mary’s Church, Blessington and four of the graves are for the crew of an RAF Hampden bomber, whose plane crashed near Blessington in April 1941.

The church is a detached six-bay single-storey Church of Ireland Church, built c.1680 but extended in later years. The church is constructed in rubble granite. The three-stage bell and clock tower is finished in roughcast render and a has a castellated parapet with tall pinnacles. The sheeted front door has decorative strap hinges and is set within a small gabled porch projection to the north side of the tower. Window openings are generally pointed-arched and are frequently arranged in pairs; glazing is leaded. The pitched roof is finished in natural slate and has cast-iron rainwater goods. The church is slightly set back behind a low rubble wall with wrought-iron railings and matching gates. This well preserved early 19th-century church is set at approximately forty five degrees to the road; this dramatic siting adds much interest to the streetscape – and that is as much as I could garner from the internet for you all, seeings we could not really get near to the church.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Niall, 342 AD. (46 x GGF) The beginning and origin of the Neville Surname.

More to come: A rainy last day awaited us as we left our Irish digs to return home, but on the road to the ferry many more adventures awaited…..

“My truth makes perfect sense to me. It’s been a life time of knowledge, of journeying towards the truth, but what a fabulous journey it has been, and continues to be. The ‘road less travelled’ certainly, but a road that does reward the ‘brave’ of heart. A journey that will continue through other dimensions, with truths deposited forever within….
Nothing lasts forever in this realm and the truth is there for all to ‘see’, but there is always a guiding L.I.G.H.T. awaiting as The Grail gets ever closer…
Energies flow, energies dissapate, energies find their way home, find those whom will take them home. Nothing is too late to embrace, never too late to learn, never too late to find your way; faith & knowledge of the truth will always shine a LIGHT to those whom can ‘see’

“The Keeper of Scrolls” 25th November 2021

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>

 

 

 

The ‘Dragon’ at Loughcrew Cairns

After our lovely stay at the cottage near Newcastle and the beautiful Mourne Mountains, we once again ‘packed our bags’ and found ourselves ‘on the road’ again and travelling towards a new destination. The previous four days had been amazing with lots of adventures and new knowledge attained. Lots to digest and plenty to think about for sure, in the coming weeks….

Day Four: Sat 3rd July: Roscommon Castle. Roscommon. Traveling around Ireland on the way to different destinations, one is struck by all the colour and beauty of Ireland’s urban art and it’s stunning roadside sculptures, often reflecting the area in which they are situated. Here below are two pieces of art shot on the way to Roscommon, but one has to be quick to capture them!

  

Roscommon (Irish: Ros Comáin, meaning ‘Saint Coman’s wood’) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon, roughly in the centre of Ireland. The name Roscommon is derived from Coman mac Faelchon who built a monastery there in the 5th century. The woods near the monastery became known as Ros Comáin (St. Coman’s Wood). This was later anglicised to Roscommon. Its population at the 2016 census was 5,876. Roscommon was the homeland of the Connachta and of such surnames such as Ó Conchobhair, Mac Diarmada, Ó Ceallaigh, Ó Birn, Mac Donnchadha and Brennan (see the link for full details) The town is the location of a notable archaeological find in 1945 when a lunula, a gold necklace, and two discs were discovered. Both items are dated to the period 2300 and 1800 BC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roscommon

Roscommon Castle is located on a hillside just outside the town, in a very pretty park complete with lake, for folks to enjoy. The day we were there, a very talented young lady was practising her ‘circus skills’ beside the lake. Now in ruins, the castle is quadrangular in shape, it had four corner D-shaped towers, three storeys high, and twin towers at its entrance gateway, one of which still retains its immensely sturdy vaulted roof. The entire castle was enclosed by a lofty curtain wall. It was built in 1269 by Robert de Ufford, Justiciar of Ireland, on lands he had seized from the Augustinian Priory. The castle has had a most interesting and chequered history. It was besieged by Connacht King Aodh Ó Conchobhair in 1272. Eight years later it was again in the hands of an English garrison, and fully repaired. By 1340 the O’Connor’s regained possession of it, and, except for a few brief intermissions, they held it for two centuries until 1569, when Sir Henry Sidney, Lord Deputy, seized it. It was granted to Sir Nicholas Malbie, Elizabethan Governor of Connaught in 1578. Two years later the interior was remodelled and large mullioned windows were inserted in the towers and curtain walls. Again, in 1641 the  Parliamentarian faction gained it until Confederate Catholics, under Preston captured it in 1645. It remained in Irish hands until 1652 when it was partially blown up by Cromwellian ‘Ironsides’ under Commissary Reynolds, who had all the fortifications dismantled. It was finally burned down in 1690, and, from the closing years of the 17th-century, it gradually fell into decay. A symmetrical moat some distance from the curtain walls surrounded the entire castle and safeguarded it.

The castle is now a national monument; take a look at the photos here <click on each photo to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connection:

  • John Fordham 1823-1895 Collooney, Sligo) Had a particular interest in the castle here. (4 x GGF)

War Memorial: Not a part of our quest as such, but very much a big part of the history of the area we were travelling through. We came across this memorial to ‘the troubles‘ as we were driving along a quiet, windswept and rainy road not far from Roscommon, so included it for its historical context with this whole area of Ireland…

Day Five: Sun 4th July: Kells Round Tower. Kells: Kells is a town in  County Meath, Ireland, 10 miles from Navan and 40 miles from Dublin. It is best known as the site of Kells Abbey, from which the Book of Kells takes its name. The settlement was originally known by the Irish name Ceannanas or Ceannanus, and it is suggested that the name ‘Kells’ developed from this. In 1929, Ceannanus Mór was made the town’s official name in both Irish and English. Following the creation of the Irish Free State, a number of towns were renamed likewise. Ceanannas has been the official Irish-language form of the place name since 1969. In 1993, Kells was re-adopted as the town’s official name in English.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kells,_County_Meath

Kells was founded as a monastic settlement by Saint Columba c. 550 on land that had been gifted to him by the King of Tara – Diarmait mac Cerbaill. Columba was exiled after the Battle of Cul Dreimhne (AD 561). The Abbey of Kells was refounded in the early 9th century by monks from Iona. The high crosses were erected in the 9th/10th century and the round tower in the 10th century. Like most round towers, it has lost its cap, possibly due to lightning strikes. The tower stands 85 ft high. The doorway originally stood about 12 ft above ground level and was reached by wooden steps or a ladder. Most round towers have four windows on the top level, one for each cardinal direction, but Kells has five, supposedly one facing each road into the town and each town gate.

There are five high crosses:

  • Cross of St Patrick and St Columba (South Cross): the earliest cross, erected in the 9th century. Carved scenes include Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel.
  • West Cross (Ruined Cross): Adam and Eve, entry into the promised land, Baptism of Jesus. Supposedly the cross was damaged by soldiers of Oliver Cromwell.
  • East Cross (Unfinished Cross): incomplete; it gives an insight into how crosses were carved, with the details being added on site.
  • Market Cross: 11.0 ft: as well as religious scenes, there is depicted a deer hunt, birds, animals and centaurs.
  • North Cross: only the base remains.

Kells Tower or St Columba Tower and the high crosses; I am unsure if i have all of the actual ‘high crosses’ captured here but they are all from the burial ground and monastic site around the tower; from whence the Book of Kells takes it’s name. Sadly the Book of Kells (also known as the Book of Columba) is no longer there and currently resides in Dublin. The monks there were said to have had a metaphysical connection to G-d…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kells_Round_Tower

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  •  King Diarmait Mac Carbaill 523-565 AD ‘Last King to Tara’ (42 years) (43 x GGF)

St Columbus Church: Kells. Sadly we could not gain access, as the church was well and truly locked, strange for such an important site, but maybe it was because of covid, so we had a stroll around outside and took plenty of good photos. St Columba’s Church and Grounds mark the original site of the Monastary of Kells. St. Columba’s Church stands on one of the most important Church sites in Co. Meath. According to the ‘Book of Lismore’, King Diarmait or Dermot, High King of Ireland granted to Columba the Dun or Fort of Kells to establish a Religious Community. The ‘Annals of Ulster’ for the year 804CE show that the Columban community on the island of Iona transferred to Kells which then became the principal Irish Columban monastery. In 918, the monastery was plundered and the Church destroyed. In 1117, the Abbot and Community were killed in a raid by Aedh Ua Ruairc.

St Columba’s stands on the site of an earlier Mediaeval church, which lay in partial ruins and was restored in 1578. The sole remnant of the   church is the Bell Tower. The mediaeval church continued to be used, in whole or part, until the present church was built in 1778, altered in 1811 and altered again in 1858. The exterior is plain but not so the interior, which is rich Victorian Gothic. The stained glass is particularly noteworthy. In the old baptistry stands a facsimile of the Book of Kells. Following the Synod of Kells in 1152, Kells was granted Diocesan status and the old Church was elevated to the status of a Cathedral for the Diocese. In the early 13th. century the Diocese of Kells was absorbed into the newly created Diocese of Meath. The Church was altered in 1811, and again, in 1858, when the interior was re-ordered. In more recent times the Church roof was restored in 1965 and the interior re-decorated.

https://www.meath.ie/discover/heritage/heritage-sites/st-columbas-church-kells

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Diarmait Mac Carbaill 523-565 AD ‘Last King to Tara’ (42 years) (43 x GGF)

Loughcrew Cairns: County Meath: Loughcrew or Lough Crew (Irish: Loch Craobh, meaning ‘lake of the tree’) is an area of historical importance near Oldcastle, County Meath, It is home to a group of ancient tombs from the 4th millennium, some decorated with rare megalithic art, which sit on top of a range of hills. The hills and tombs are together known as Slieve na Calliagh, (Sliabh na Caillí) and are the highest point in Meath. It is one of the four main passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland and is a protected National Monument and home to the Loughcrew Estate, from which it is named.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loughcrew

https://www.discoverboynevalley.ie/boyne-valley-drive/heritage-sites/loughcrew-cairns

 

The stunningly beautiful area of the cairns – what a climb but well worth it! <click to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Irial Faidh (d.1671) 89 x GGF

The churches and sites visited on our mighty quests may at first appear to be random and often very out of the way, but of course by now we all know, if following the quests, that it is not the actual buldings we are visiting (important though they are for the clues they show us) but it is the reason why they were built where they were built in the very first place and as mentioned in that very first quest video we made, all those years ago now as ‘The Priory.’

‘as below, so above…’

 

“The Keeper of Scrolls” 27th October 2021

<moon.willow@ntlworld.com>

 

 

 

 

“After about 18 months of trying to get to Ireland on this mighty long awaited quest because of covid, we were full of happiness and anticipation to have finally made it. The journey to the Liverpool ferry was of course part of the quest itself, visiting two beautiful churches along the way and for those who have been following our quests you will have picked up maybe, the reason why we visit the sites we do. Altogether it turned out to be at least a 2000 mile round trip where we travelled from coast to caost of both the north an south of Ireland; a truly amazing adventure!”

Day One: Tuesday 29th July 2021: Saint Savours Church: Aston-by-Stone, Stone. Set in a gorgeous part of the English countryside, in a ‘middle of nowhere’ peaceful setting, this church really did look a picture postcard, with beautifully maintained gardens and flowers everywhere. An interesting little church but sadly closed. Yet when one looked closely a few surprises with a little ‘secret’ around the back….

Aston-by-Stone: Staffordshire: The pretty silhouette of the spire of St Saviour’s Church is what folks see at first, yet there is also the Catholic Church of St Michael in the grounds of Aston Hall, now run by a small group of nuns who care for sick and aging clergy. The relics of St Chad were rediscovered in the chapel at Aston Hall in 1838, where they had been hidden during the Reformation. Legend has it that a cross on the Hall’s boundary wall marks the spot where a monk was killed by lightning. There is a large pond and old osier bed, reflecting the connection to the potteries, that require baskets for transporting their products. A stream runs down to the pool at Aston Farm, which at one time provided the power for a waterwheel. This wheel still exists and was used to grind corn, and earlier this century to power a milking machine.

The name Aston is probably derived from the Anglo-Saxon for ‘Ashtown’ and was recorded in the Domesday book as Estone. It is an ancient crossing point, and a ford or bridge has existed there since the 15th century, and pre-dates the bridge in Stone. The main road from Stafford to Stone crossed the Trent in Aston until the Stafford-Stone turnpike was opened in 1761. The former is now a quiet lane, with a narrow humped-backed canal bridge on a bend and the banks are rich in wildflowers. There is an old wharf at Mill Farm, the site of a water-powered flint mill. Ground flints were also required by the Potteries.

St Savours Church: Situated in Church Lane, Aston, the church serves the area of Aston, and Little Stoke. 1846, the architect was James Trubsham, the steeple was added in 1870 by J R Botham. It is Gothic style and an A grade 2 listed building, with a stone with slate roof, nave, chancel, and north-west tower with broach steeple. It has a good east window by C A Gibbs and a WW2 memorial plaque. The parish church was built in the Early English style during the 1840s by local landowners, the Parker-Jervis family. As it was closed due to covid (i guess) there was no chance of getting inside to take any photos. It is recorded that the church has records from about 1870 circa, however there are older records going back to 625 AD, from the very foundation of the church, which clearly there had to be, as Karl’s 49 x Great Grandfather was there in his own time up until 494 AD.

Upon the church building are carvings of geometric pyramid shapes (meaningful in Craft) and a Lord and Lady take guard over the entrance, while round the back of the church a secret path leads to a treasured building with an angel keeping a silent watch… <click to enlarge>

Symbols in stone, an angel guards a secret path to a building unspoken of, and the Lord and Lady stay silent…..

After doing some research on the internet it seems that the mysterious building is the Parker Jervis Mausoleum, which sadly gives the appearance of being very unattended, but maybe it is meant to look that way? It is a Grade 2 listed building built in 1864 by John Wood for the Parker Jervis family of Aston Hall, made from Hollington sandstone ashlar. It is rectangular on the plan with walls having a pronounced batter with roll moulded cornice in the Doric style. <interestingly a few masonic references here> A blocking course conceals a flat roof of stone,with a straight head doorway on the short side, with plain lintel and a plank door with wrought-iron hinges. The mausoleum is sunk into the ground of the churchyard with roughly hewn sandstone retaining walls. It was erected at the expense of the Honourable Edward Swinfen Parker Jervis of Little Aston Hall and his son Edward John Parker Jervis of Aston House, Aston by Stone, and consecrated on 9th April 1864. I do not know whom Parker Jervis was, apart from being a prominent person in his day, or if anyone (or anything for that matter) is still lain inside the mausoleum, but it is a fascinating and secretive building hidden away as it is, and one cannot but wonder why? Maybe more rresearch for another day…..

http://www.mmtrust.org.uk/mausolea/view/491/Parker_Jervis_Mausoleum

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Nascien Desposyni, the name of which later became the Fordham line/surname. He visited the area in 466AD (lived 450-494 Sommant, France) and is Karl’s 49 x GGF.

Day One: Tuesday 29th July 2021: Our Lady & Saint Nicholas Church: Liverpool. The Anglican Parish Church of Liverpool is on a site said to have been a place of worship since at least the 1250s. The church is situated close to the River Mersey near the Pier Head and controls a prominent view. One would have thought it to be easy to locate, right on the river front as such, but what with all the road-works in the area and placement of the windows and other things within the car, we ended up driving around for a bit before finally seeing it! Of course Liverpool is a very vibrant and busy city with lots of regeneration going on, especially in the waterfront area where we were.

A sailors church overlooks the quayside, the old resides amongst the new, symbols set in stone and wood, past memories cherished in time….

The Chapel of St Nicholas (Patron Saint of Sailors) was built on the site of St May del Quay, which in 1355 was determined to be too small for the growing borough of Liverpool. It is recorded as a designated Grade II listed building and was constructed between 1811 – 1852 from designs by architect’s Edward C Butler and Thomas Harrison. It is an active parish church in the diocese of Liverpool, ye sadly although folks were around there, we were still not allowed in to do our research – so maybe not that active then in respect of visitors traveling from afar?

The church was once the tallest building in Liverpool at 53 metres from 1813–1868 when surpassed by the Welsh Presbyterian Church in Toxteth. The church stands in the heart of Liverpool Business District and is one the city’s oldest and most historic churches. There was a nice peaceful energy there and some very symbolic pieces in the gardens and upon the church exterior walls.

Many fascinating symbols of a Craft nature are to found all over the church here & who knows what was waiting to be found inside… <click to enlarge>

There has been a place of worship on this spot since at least 1257 with St Mary Del Quay mentioned in records from around this time, a larger chapel was constructed in 1362 and dedicated to St Nicholas patron saint of mariners, as Liverpool grew as a city the church grew in size doubling itself by the 15th century. During the Civil Wars the defeated and captured Parliamentarians were imprisoned in the church. The continued growth of the city saw a spire added in 1747 and the Churchyard extended two years later, around 1775 the church underwent extensive rebuilding due to its state of disrepair but by 1810 the church was once again in a state of neglect to such an extent that the spire collapsed with tragic consequences, the tower was rebuilt in 1815 and till 1927 the church changed very little but on the 21st of December 1840 the church suffered wartime bomb damage, the tower and administration section of the church survived but what we see today was rebuilt post war.

Lord Edward Neville had a particular interest in this church, around about 1471 AD, although he was based in Abergavenny, he was very interested in what was going on in Liverpool at that particular time and of the deep-rooted connection to religion and of how people lived their lives on a daily basis revolving around religion, at that time.

The garden area is fabulous and very well kept – a little oasis of tranquillity in fact and there are so many statues and memorials there which are a delight to see and the views of the three graces are stunning from the church grounds, which one can read more about from the last link below.

The gardens here are full of meaningful memorials <click to view>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Lord Edward Neville 1471AD Abergavenny Karl’s 13 x Great Grandfather

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Our_Lady_and_Saint_Nicholas,_Liverpool

https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Liverpool/Liverpool-Central/stnicholas/index.html

https://www.thetrailblazer.co.uk/blog/liverpools-3-graces-a-brief-history-1

 

Liverpool skyline at dusk showing the Three Graces

 

From Cambridge to Liverpool, and now it was time to catch the night ferry and in the morning we will be in Ireland; we were both so excited and full of anticiapation, hardly believing we were actually on our way after all this time – so dreams do come true and all one needs is patience and an understanding of time… The night ferry crossing from Liverpool turned out to be very smooth and comfortable, in our lovely new cabins, and despite hardly any sleep for a couple of nights, i felt rested and excited. A new day and a new adventure was waiting – touring the Mourne Mountains and coastal areas of Newcastle; it’s all so stunningly beautiful and will all be below… I was feeling very blessed.

 

Leaving Liverpool with a magical looking quayside….<click to expand>

Day Two: Wednesday 30th July 2021: After a cosy and comfortable night on the ferry, we disembarked at Belfast at 6am; a time of day that this writer rarely ever sees! But the excitement of being in Ireland and finally starting this major important quest quickly overcame any thoughts of tiredness. Driving through Belfast it was sunny and quiet, but of course it was very early! The suburbs of Belfast looked very attractive in the early morning light, which just served to motivate us on our way even more.

A suuny early morning drive through Belfast <click to enlarge>

St John’s Church. Hilltown. County Down: After a short drive, admiring the scenery along the way, we arrived at St John’s Church, Hilltown, a small village within the townland of Carcullion (Irish: Carr Cuilinn) in County Down, the main village of the parish of Clonduff, with a population of 899 people in the 2001 census. Hilltown has eight public houses in the high street, a legacy from 18th century smugglers who shared out their contraband here. The village has a livestock market on alternate Saturdays and a Georgian market house opposite St John’s parish church (1766) which adjoins the old inn, the Downshire Arms. Hilltown did not get its name from the two hills that it spreads over, but was named after the Hill family and Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire; the family were English politicians who also gave their name to nearby Hillhall and Hillsborough.The Hills founded the village in 1766 so people living in the area could find employment in the linen industry, and also built the church in the eighteenth century. Despite its early history, Hilltown has a very strong connection to Irish culture. It is a strongly nationalist/republican village, as is Cabra and the surrounding rural areas that comprises the parish of Clonduff. Throughout the troubles, both had a small contingent of paramilitaries, mainly the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilltown,_County_Down

As we probably suspected St John’s Church was closed, maybe due to covid but also it was still fairly early in the day! The original building on the site was built 9th August 1771, and the current building was built near the site of the ancient pre-penal times catholic parish church. The gable of the ancient church still remains with an old graveyard surrounding it, the ruins forming part of the district crest. Nearby is the largest fairy thorn bush in Ulster and according to local legend called ‘Old Bull and Bush’, which grew, it is said, from a stick planted by a priest who had used it to drive off a bull which had knocked over the church wall several times during construction. The church was designed by Thomas Duff in 1842, but the building was suspended during the famine years, then completed in 1850. From a Craft/Quest perspective John Fordham paid a vist here in 1883 for a meeting, but also something interesting may have occured in that area in the same year, so is there as connection there?. An interesting church with lots of connections to the past and like all the churches we visit on our quests, it not the buildings we visit but the connection to why the church was built there originally. A reason then, that over time the churches have been built upon over and over again until the true reason has become well and truly hidden in time. One has to look deep to discover just why these churches are built in these specific places, and in these current times often in isolated places but usually in an elevated position – so lots to think about folks! Some lovely views, but as we could not get in we simply had a stroll around.

Ancient Crosses and Religious Shrines nestle near the foothills of the magificant Mourne Mountains.

Churches built upon over and over again in time: why? <click to enlarge>

Read more below:

History

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1832) Karl’s 3 x GGF

St Malachy’s Church. Main St. Castlewellan:  So a further short drive to reach St Malachy’s Church in Castlewellan; a bustling, vibrant little town. Sadly although the church was open, a funeral service was taking place and so out of respect for the mourners we did not venture inside and sadly we could not stroll around the grounds either, out of respect  for all those whom were there… However we stayed awhile as we found a nice littel cafe almost opposite the church, in which to have a tasty breakfast and wonderful coffee! Castlewellan (Irish Caisleán Uidhilín ‘Hugelin’s Castle’) is as said, a small town in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland close to the Irish Sea, beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain. It is  not far from the Mourne Mountains, with a population of 2,782 people in the 2011 census. It has a wide main street which runs through two main squares lined with chestnut trees, designed by a French architect for the Annesley Family. The town is unique within Ireland due to its tree-lined squares both in the old town (upper square) and new town (lower square) as well as its very wide main street. The old market house in the upper square was built in 1764 and now houses the public library. 12 July 1849 saw the Dolly’s Brae conflict when up to 1400 armed Orangemen marched from Rathfriland to Tollymore Park near Castlewellan. On their homeward journey, shots were fired and police were unable to control the situation. None of the Orangemen were harmed, but it was estimated that about 80 Catholics were killed and homes burnt. Castlewellan throughout the course of ‘the troubles’, had a significant paramilitary presence in the village, mostly through the presence of the Provisional Irish Republican Army

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castlewellan

The church is a Catholic church and is in the centre of the town and was built in the 1880’s on the site of an older church, by father James McWilliams, from designs by Mortimer H. Thomas. From photos on the internet, there looks to be some interesting pieces inside; many of the adornments and beautiful pieces were provided by donations and bequests of Messrs. Mooney Brothers, merchants of Castlewellan. The church was constructed from Magheramayo granite and it is certainly magnificant to look at with a very Italian feel to it. It’s name, from Saint Malachy, bears more than a passing connection to Malak, meaning ‘messenger’ from the Sumerian times, so there could be a connection to the church, but as we could not go inside maybe the clues and answers are yet to be discovered, and of course a connection again to John Fordham.

A fine, Italian-style building, so sad we did not get inside…. <click to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1832) Karl’s 3 x GGF

The drive to the next church took us towards the lovely town of Newcastle and the Mourne Mountains, where we stopped for a short while along the coastal path, near the Bloody Bridge to admire the view and take some photos. The scenery in this area is beyond beautiful, and is almost divine i might add! It was such a glorias day and we were certianly feeling blessed to be here.

Wild flowers upon the sea wall. Without the splendour and wildness of nature what would we be? Enjoying the scenery around Newcastle and The Bloody Bridge footpath before being on the road again towards our next destination! There are always interesting things to see along the roads in Ireland, many that relate to Ireland’s history. <click on image to enlarge>

Kilhorne Parish Church. Annalong, Newry: Situated near the Mournes and the sea, Annalong is a picturesque fishing village in the heart of the ‘Kingdom of Mourne’. Annalong (Irish: Áth na Long, meaning ‘ford of the ships’) is a seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland at the foot of the  Mourne Mountains. It is situated in the civil parish of Kilkeel and the historic baronry of Mourne. It had a population of 1,805 people at the 2001 census. The village was once engaged in exporting dressed granite and is now a fishing and holiday resort.

Kilhorne means ‘church of the river’. This church is on the site of an old Pre-Reformation Catholic church with traces still of the old cemetery. It was built in 1840 with the chancel added 1883. Rev. George M. Black was appointed perpetual curate 17 Oct 1846, under the patronage of Rev. Close of Kilkeel. This magnificent church is located directly on the north-east coast of Ireland facing the Irish Sea and North Channel. It is a small Gothic church, consisting of nave, projecting chancel and side-corner modern vestry. Fronted by a square 3 stage tower with crenellation, and corner pinnacles. It has a front pointed arched recessed door with moulding and clock face. It has tall lancet windows along the nave. with ashlar quoins, and a modern Chinese granite disability ramp and a pitched slate roof with strap pointing. But sadly we could not get inside so who knows what treasures and clues it could have provided us on our quest.

As probably expected, some lovely anchor symbols in the graveyard and beautiful words upon a gravestone… <click to enlarge>

This historic church had stood in its original condition until the early 1980’s after which it was painstakingly restored to its present state. The restoration work was carried out by Mourne Granite Quarries, using Mourne granite. Part of the restoration work included removing the original aging render on the exterior of the building and exposing the beautiful coarse cut granite we see today. The newly exposed granite was then sand-blasted and re-pointed. The deterioration is ongoing though so work too has to be ongoing. I guess the wonderful site of this church, right overlooking the sea makes up for all the restoration work. In the graveyard there are graves to those killed in action…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annalong

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • John Fordham 1883. Collooney, Sligo (1858-1832) Karl’s 3 x GGF

And so after a very busy day, we finally made it to our cosy and welcoming cottage near Newry, our home for the next two nights….

A last look at the marvelous Mournes for the night; always there to take our breath away…. <click to enlarge>

Some last words from Karl (Neville): “What a #Quest32 we had guys. There was no stone left unturned on this returning visit to the Emerald Isle. Some may even mark an area of County Mayo as the remains of Atlantis? Who can say? What is good to know about both Northern Ireland and Eire, is that the people are awesome, the views are divine, and the food is second to none. Bring it on Ireland ! We toured many churches and places of interest that Janis will be lisiting on her social media feeds and webpages, (she is!) so be sure to check these out. What a ride, what an adventure – Pieces of the jigsaw are certainly coming together…”

 

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’ aka moon.willow@ntlworld.com
July 2021

 

 

 

 

 

“Within Craft teachings many acronyms are used for the purpose of the Craft Journey, thus keeping infomation secure and safe for those whom are meant to ‘know’ and ‘see’,  and those whom are meant to truly do. Of course, the word G.R.A.I.L. could be interpreted as such, as an acronym, which would make sense in respect of our teachings and codes. The original meaning in Latin, (which of course could be a giant red herring if the word is an acronym) means cup or vessel, but not necessarily a cup or vessel as we know it, but in a metaphorical sense, adding meaning to any story. It is portrayed as a chalice type of vessel for story-telling purposes, but a vessel can refer to a living vessel too…”

QUEST 28: INTO FRANCE: DIJON & AUTUN

2ND NOVEMBER 2019

So on Saturday the 2nd Nov we made an early start as we bade farewell to Luxembourg and its lovely old churches and very wet weather! One last look from our very modern apartment window and we were off on the road again on a very long journey; a four hour drive this time, yet exciting non the less! We were on our way to Dijon, France!

Saint Michael’s Church, Dijon, France: As soon as we arrived in the old part of Dijon and parked outside of St Michael’s Church, i knew i would love it here. Dijon is the capital city of the historical Burgundy region in eastern France and one of the country’s principal wine-making areas. It is known for its traditional mustard, vineyard tours, autumn gastronomic fair and building styles ranging from Gothic to art deco. Most folks would know of Dijon because of the mustard made in the region and of course one could not visit without sampling and buying some of the lovely mustards sold there, which we certainly did; both traditional and more modern varieties. The buildings are old and traditional and no attempts are made to modernise them; they just blend effortlessly into the landscape as if they have always been there. The earliest archaeological finds within the city limits of Dijon date to the Neolithic and later Dijon became a Roman settlement named Divio, located on the road from Lyon to Paris. The province was home to the Dukes of Burgandy from the early 11th until the late 15th centuries when Dijon was a place of tremendous wealth and power, one of the great European centres of art, learning and science. It now holds an International and Gastronomic Fair every year in the autumn.

I felt very at home in the quaint old streets of Djion <click to enlarge>

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dijon

This church is a very imposing building in an Gothic/Renaissance architectural style with an amazing frontage. The first building on the site of the Church of Saint-Michel was a chapel, dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It’s first mention was found in urban Chronicles dating back to the IX century and was built of wood, being located in the cemetery. In the beginning of XI century, the chapel already had the status of a parish church, yet could not accommodate all the parishioners in the hours of worship. It was therefore decided to build a more spacious building, it was consecrated in the year 1020 by the Bishop of Dijon. The majestic façade of this flamboyant Gothic style church was completed at the peak of the Renaissance period and reflects the three classical styles. On the tympanum of the main doorway is the Last Judgement by the Flemish painter, Nicolas de la Cour.

From a Craft point of view there was very strong ‘pyramid energy’ there with connected symbolism within the church; it was also very interesting to see a knights memoriam from 1573, that has a direct connection to the Fordham surname; (the Fordham line) which was an amazing find, and of course connections once again to our ‘Quest for the Grail’. Also lots of emphasis here to the ‘All Seeing Eye’, proving that christianity as we know it today, is quite different from what it used to be a few centuries back in the past. Christianity has certainly evolved but one can not help but think – has it evolved for the better…?

Some of the symbolic artifacts in St Michaels Church, Djion, with emphasis to the ‘All Seeing Eye’ and a Knights Memorial connecting to the Fordham Line. <click to enlarge>

http://worldtourisminfo.com/france/3349-The-Church-of-StMichel-photo-description-Eglise-SaintMichel-de-Dijon.html

http://dijoon.free.fr/bestof/stmichel.htm

Stopping off at Djion on our long journey from Luxembourg to Autun in France proved to be a lovely and very interesting stop; after the church we wandered around the old town, browsed in old shops, bought some mustard and other treats, and even saw a little bookshop that seemingly could have come straight out of the movie ‘The Ninth Gate,’ and had lunch in a very funky bar in the new part of Djion 😉

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Arthur found his info here on his Grail Quest.
  • Fordham line connection re knights memoriam from 1573

Sunday 3rd Nov: Autun, Bourgogne: Back on the road again, we made our way, driving for several hours through France to the large (as once was) Roman stronghold of Autun, which would have been thriving back in the day. When we arrived at our accomodation we could not have been more pleased ansd amazed for it was like a mini chateau with beautiful views from the inside windows.

Our beautiful chateau in Autun France; as beautiful inside as out 🙂

Autun is a  commune in the Saone-et-Loire department, France. Located in the Boudgogne-Franche-Comte region, it was founded during the Principate era of the early Roman Empire by Emperor Augustus as ‘Augustodunum to give a Roman capital to the Gallic people. In Roman times the city may have been home to 30,000 to 100,000 people, according to different estimates. Nowadays, Autun has a population of about 15,000. Yet back in the day, Autun was a huge transient community, with blocks and blocks of Roman soldiers, businesses and trades passing continually through; an extra 70 thousand people; phenomenal really. Augustodunum was a planned foundation replacing the original oppidum Bibracte, located some 25 km (16 miles) away. Several elements of Roman architecture such as walls, gates, and a Roman theater are still visible in the town.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autun

The Temple of Janus: On the agenda today was to be the Roman temple of Janus (Nergal), only just up the road from where we were staying,and very imposing and dominent upon the landscape with a great feeling of power with human sacrifices being made here. Janus is usually shown with two faces, looking into both the past and the present: The god of doorways, new beginings, new transitions and gates; hence in Roman mythology; the Gatekeeper and Nergal. Janus was able to assist folks on their journey (from a spiritual point of view), unlike the more modern St Christopher whom assisted upon the physical journey. A stautue of the Gatekeeper (usually holding keys) is to be found in many churches far and wide; usually on the left hand side of the church or in the north/east quadrant, guarding the entrance. Interestingly, England takes one of it’s months, January from the cult of Janus; very appropriate for the first month of the year.

The very impresive Janus Temple <click to enlarge>

The  temple, a Romano-Celtic religious structure lies in the center of a vast sanctuary, whose extent and complexity was revealed by excavations conducted between 2013 and 2016. The site’s history dates back to Neolithic times and underwent an important phase of monumental construction in the 1st century CE. The temple was abandoned at the onset of the Early Middle Ages, and its structures were later reused in the fashioning of a Medieval defensive work. The temple has retained two sides of its square cella at a height of over 20 meters, as well as vestiges of its ambulatory and side structure foundations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Janus_(Autun)

The Roman Ampitheatre: The next port of call was the very well preserved Roman ampitheatre where great public events would have been staged in past times and if one were to close one’s eye today and listen carfefully, one can almost here the roar of the crowds and the rumbling wheels of the racing chariots! The semi-circle of stepped seating is very well preserved and one can see underground ‘caves’ presumably for holding animals and gladiaters (maybe poor slaves too) Discovered a few years back by accident, concerts and gigs are now held here and nearby is the House of the Warden of the Roman Theatre. The link below contains a lot of extra info to the theatre and to the whole area, so well worth a look.

https://www.romeartlover.it/Autun.html

The Roman Ampitheatre and Wardens House <click to enlarge>

The Pyramid of Couhard: The pyramids of the area, which we visited next, two more being nearby of which there is not much written about, hold great energy and power within the landcape, obviously from a templar point of view, one reason why we are questing here and one reason why Arthur, on his own Grail Quest would have also been here in the area. The pyramid we visited is different to the ones we have aforetime visited, and unlike the ones found in Egypt either, for this one had funerary connections. When the land was being excavated and being prepared for farming, thousands and thousands of cremated ashes were found in urns, all dotted around the area. When further excavations were carried out, a big pillar/marker was found dating from about 100 AD. This turned out to be the marker post of a memorial garden, similar to todays modern rose memorial gardens; a very fascinating place with more than a hidden secret or two…. The views from atop the pyramid area is amazing, one can see the cathedral in the distance and of course the mystery more pyramids in the landscape.

http://worldtourisminfo.com/france/2994-The-pyramid-PierredeKuhar-photos-description-Pyramide-de-Couhard.html

The Pyramids and views <click to enlarge>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • Arthur (real name-Lucius Artorius Castus from the family Artoria) passed through Autun, as part of the Roman army and as a military commander
  • Nascien Desposyni; our head researcher’s 49th GGF (480-551)

Next a total delight, not part of our quest as such but a rare find indeed, because of it’s mystery, history and heritage, this little church just in the vicinity of the pyramid at Couhard, just drew us inside. Ancient and full of amazing energy, it harks back to a time when christianity was more magical and ‘pagan’ than modern day paganism and the rites performed were so very different from todays christianity.

There were symbols here that connected to magic, the enochian ways, the All Seeing Eye, the Alpha to Omega in true magical context, proving that what is be refered to as ‘the occult’ in many circles is certainly deep Craft or old christian knowledge, waiting to be dicsovered here; but hidden within plain sight and never actually ‘seen’…

Please click on each image to fully reveal the symbolism here

We stopped at a lovely town for a lunchbreak and a spot of food shopping, but i have completly forgotten where!

Eglisse, Church of Saint Ferreol, Le Bourge, Curgy: After lunch and another short journey, still remaining very much in the area we found ourselves at what was without a shadow of a doubt, a true Templar church. Geographically one of the most prominent places in the area, this church was originally built and owned by the Knights Templar, as the surroundings and building would indicate and one of the most truest templar builds that one could see in one’s lifetime. The Templars would have operated from out of this religous building until the year 1369, until it all suddenly came to a halt due to the Papal Bull and the subsequent arrest of the Knights Templars. Moving forward in time Pope Clement VII (1478-1534) performed a marriage ceremony for Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) (his niece) to King Henry II of France. The wedding took place here, in this church, on 28th Oct 1533. What an honour and how wonderful to actually go inside where kings, lords, ladys etc had been to what was certainly a major wedding of that time.

Sadly not much on the internet, especially in English that i can share but did find a mention to the series of statues, the very wooden polychrome of the XVIIth century and in the cul-de-four of the apse, and to the splendid wall painting of the XIIth century of the Christ in glory in a mandorle, above the altar, surrounded with the tétramorphe, the four evangelists represented by the symbols of the book of Ezéchiel and of the Apocalypse.

A wonderful church, steeped in Knights Templar history and most certainly a place, at the left side of the main altar, where knights would have received their ‘accolade’, would have been made knights; very much like the famous painting entitiled ‘The Accolade’ but for real here. See our video below for much more detail. At the other side of the altar, hidden behing a curtain, is an original painted fresco featuring the Archangel Raphael with a sun disk above and very much worn away, an ascending Benu Bird. On the way out we stopped near a modern representation of the Maddona or Ava Maria or Mary Magdalen or the Black Maddona, to ponder upon the many names used for this Lady within time and space, yet all one and the same within history.

Thje Templar & Roman sites of Autun

 

 

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  1. Desposyni connections to the area, both Nascien (450-494) and Galains (480-551) (48th GGF)

 

Putting aside the spiritual side of our quest and all the knowledge gained for a moment, this was the most amazing road trip ever. We journeyed through 6 countries including the uk; the experience of a road trip is mind expanding in itself; an experience that i fully embraced and will never forget. A sense of being ‘on the road’ is mind expanding, a great and can be likened to Life’s Great Journey – a true gift indeed. Many friends and followers have followed our quests since the very beginning and have read my in depth write-ups, so have a good idea of what the quests are about. It is always from a physical, spiritual and metaphysical purpose that we partake of these quests, which deepen with every new journey.

 

The Keeper of Scrolls”  March 2020

Knights of the Red Order

Email me at ‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

DSC09879.JPG 1

THE GRAIL QUEST

“The Grail was claimed to have healing abilities and to bring enlightenment connecting it to the metaphysical realms. Long before the time of Jesus, (the Jesus) stories tell of Angels (Djinn) (Ninansians) bringing the ‘cup’ from heaven and given to ‘sacred’ or round table knights, which ties in nicely with the tales of King Arthur’s knights partaking of their quest to find the Holy Grail. If the grail was bought from heaven, which seems very likely, to Tara, then why and what was it’s purpose here on this earth, has it still got a purpose today and how or if, does it connect to humankind?”

QUEST 28: GERMANY & LUXEMBOURG

31ST OCTOBER 2019

Germany into Luxembourg

  • Basilica of Saint Castor Church, Koblenz: Germany
  • Notre-Dam Cathedral, Luxembourg City
  • Notre-Dam Church, Wiltz, Luxembourg
  • Saint Sebastion Church, Ettelbruck

Day Five: We knew we would have a long day ahead as we made our way on day five on Thursday 31st October (a memorable date in many calendars) driving from Germany into Luxemboug, but with some lovely places to see on the way and the weather was most definitely in our favour. The sun was shinning and the weather was extremely warm as we arrives at our first and most beautiful destination of the day. Even the chemtrails in the skies above (not often seen in Germany) did not lower our spirits. After a two hour drive we arrived in Koblenz, Germany.

Basilica of Saint Castor Church, Koblenz, Germany: Modern day Koblenz is very popular with tourists and one can certainly see why; it is very pretty with mountains around and sits on the banks of the Rhine, where the river is joined by the Mosselle. It is full of energy and life; i had visited before as a pure tourist and my memories of it were very possitive. Koblenz was established as a  Roman military post by Drusus around 8 B.C. Its name originates from the Latin meaning “(at the) confluence” of the two rivers. The actual confluence is today known as the “German Corner”, a symbol of the unification of Germany that features an equestrian statue of Emperor William 1. As the Roman Soldier that he was, King Arthur travelled through here; and a representation of him inside the church certainly attests to this fact. The history of the area has a strong connection to the Romans which one can read much more anout in the link below.

Koblenz is a principal seat of the Mosel and Rhenish wine trade, mineral waters, the manufacture of automotive parts, pianos, paper, cardboard, machinery, boats, and barges. Since the 17th century, it has been home to the Konigsbacher brewery, the Old Brewery in Koblenz’s city centre, and now a plant in Koblenz-Stolzenfels. It is an important transit centre for the Rhine railways and for the Rhine navigation. The headquarters of the German Army Forces Command was located in the city until 2012. It’s successor, the new formed German Army Command is based at the von-Hardenberg-Kaserne in Strausberg, Brandenburg. In the more ancient part of Koblenz stand several buildings which have a historical interest. Prominent among these, near the point of confluence of the rivers, is the Basilica of St Castor or Kastorkirche, dedicated to Castor of Karden, with four towers. The church was founded in 836 by Louis the Pious, but the present Romanesque building was completed in 1208, the Gothic vaulted roof dating from 1498. In front of the church of Saint Castor stands a fountain, erected by the French in 1812, with an inscription to commemorate Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.

The unique representation of King Arthur, situated just inside the side door, testament to him having travelled through here as a Roman soldier which is of paramount importance for people to know; nearby a winged serpent and and angel keep silent watch over….

The Basilica of St. Castor:  is the oldest church in Koblenz situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. A fountain called Kastorbrunnen (Castor Well) was built in front of the basillica during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812 and the church is worth seeing for the historical events that have occurred in it. See link below for deatailed history.

The church of St. Castor was built between 817 and 836 by Hetto, the Archbishop of Trier with the support of Emperor Louis the Pious, just outside the city of Confluentes, the city founded by the Romans and dedicated on 12 November 836, but Louis did not come to Koblenz until after the consecration of the church, pointing to the importance of the Archbishop in the building of the church, especially as the church was until the 13th century outside the city of Koblenz. The church honours St Castor who is said to have worked as a missionary on the Moselle in the 4th century and to have founded a religious community in Karden, Rizza, the alleged daughter of Louis the Pious, is venerated in the church as a saint of the city of Koblenz and her shrine still stands in the church.

As one would expect the church is kept in immaculate condition with many piecies of fine artwork displayed

An extra treat of the day, and a very enjoyable one at that was a ride on the cable car across the beautiful Rhine, which was situated just behind the church, so far too good an opurtunity to miss and one could also get a great view of the equestruan statue mentioned above. What a lovely day it had turned out to be!

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Arthur as the Roman Soldier travelled through Koblenz.

It was an interesting two hour drive as we made our way across the German border and into Luxembourg, over what proved to be a very mountainous and scenic route, but as we got higher and higher nearer to the clouds the weather closed in and it was a very wet day as we pulled into Luxembourg City; still very exciting though!

Notre-Dam Cathedral, Luxembourg City: The cathedral here is situated in a very built up area so it was very hard to get good views of it especially in the rain and gloom, and the photos did i manage to take were quite atmospheric. Howerver once inside the cathedral it, is a whole different story and it really was most beautiful, full of many paintings and tapestries and also very busy with tourists on such a wet day. It was originally a Jesuit church, and its cornerstone was laid in 1613. It is the only cathedral in Luxembourg and is a noteworthy example of late gothis architecture; however, it also has many Renaissance elements and adornments. At the end of the 18th century, the church received the miraculous image of the Maria Consolatrix Afflictorum, the patron saint of both the city and the nation.  Around 50 years later, the church was consecrated as the Church of Our Lady and in 1870, it was elevated by Pope Pius IX to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

Luxembourge and cathedral on a very wet and gloomy day!

From 1935 to 1938 the Cathedral was enlarged and expanded: the rebuilding of the exterior architecture on the Gothic-style cathedral presented a challenge, since the goal was to harmoniously integrate the church with the surrounding buildings, as well as the old residential houses. The Cathedral has three towers, the west tower, which was the tower of the Jesuit church and which contains the bells, the east tower, and the central tower, which stands over the transept. When the Cathedral was enlarged in 1935-1938, the east and central towers were added. The central tower, which is only a third of the height of the other towers, consists of a wide, pyramid-shaped base and a narrow peak covered with copper. On Good Friday, 5 April 1985, around mid-day, work on the roof caused the west tower to catch fire. The church bells, i.e. the Virgin Mary bell, the Willibrord bell, the Peter bell, and the Cunigunde bell were destroyed in the fire. When the tower collapsed, the roof of the central aisle was also partly damaged. It took until 17 October 1985 for the tower to be repaired. It was here that King Arthur found his information and instructions in his quest for the Grail, at this pivotel point in time; a point in time indicated as to its true meaning by researching the old maps of Luxembourg…

The many stunning artworks inside the cathedral <click to expand>

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Arthur found his information here in his quest for the Grail.

As we were staying in Luxembourg for a couple of nights it was nice to not have far to travel to our digs on that very wet night; the modern apartment we stayed in was very posh and shiny with a ‘touch’ button for almost everything! All needs catered for exept as seems the norm in Europe – they dont ‘do’ toasters!!

Day Six: This day started off quite bright but the further we got into the scenic side of Luxembourg and i guess higher up, the weather did close in on us again, but very dramatic no-the-less! Wiltz is a lovely old town in the Luxembourg mountains, although not too much about it or the church on the internet, but according to the internet it is a commune with town status in north-western Luxembourg and situated on the banks of the river Wiltz. It was also a battleground in the Battle of the Bulge, near the end of  World War II.  The name “Wiltz” comes from a Celtic word meaning “on the creek.” Wiltz was originally inhabited by the Celts, and was first documented in 764AD. It received its town rights in 1240. The counts of Wiltz are among the oldest in Luxembourg

Notre-Dam Church, Wiltz, Luxembourg: This church does sit up in the mountains amidst stunning scenery and one often has to take one’s shots on the move as it were, for good views do come and go, so one takes one’s chances. There are many buildings around this church so not many good views down at ground level. There are many churches and cathedrals in Europe, and this is just one, that go by the name of ‘Notre-Dam’, which means ‘Our Lady’, (The Virgin Mary in various forms explained in future quests) yet most folks only know the one in Paris, many thinking that, that one is ‘the’ Notre-Dam, yet that is far from the truth. Although quite plain and stark on the outside, the beauty and artworks within have to be seen to be believed, all so lovingly looked after with a very ancient feel to the church with the the ancient ‘energies’ still there, and it is there that King Arthur recieved further instructions on his quest for the Holy Grail, on his travels/pilgramage around Europe. Sometimes one needs to travel to the ‘back of beyond’ as it were to see the correct and meaningful churches; for we too are travelling the route that Arthur took – what a wonderful journey we are being treated too with knowledge and enlightenment in abundace along the whole route. The church here unsurpringly, given the magnetics of the area, had the most amazing energy, which all connects to the quest for the grail; a very powerful place both physically and metaphysically.

Notre-Dam Church set amidst Luxembourg’s mountains.

In the European churches and cathedrals one can not help but notice that what one in this country would be described as ‘occult’ symbols are very present and evident in these old buildings, hinting at an older christianity very far removed from what is practiced in the UK today. Various versions of ‘The All Seeing Eye’ and the ‘Marasa/Alpha-Omega’ symbols were particulary evident and also if one looks closely quiet a lot of Enochian sybolism. This would indicate a time, a common point in time, before there was a separation of religions. It was here that King Arthur found his information in his Grail Quest.

There are some lovely artworks here, (see above) one wooden-carved statue in particular (guarding the entrance) showing some very unique and meaningful (to Craft) hand gestures – close up shown on the video. There is a wonderful representation of the Ave Maria over a ‘sea serpent’, very unusual and not often seen; she has her foot upon the serpent; obviously Maria/Mary is connected to the sea…. There is also an interlocking Alpha to Omega upon the altar cloth, which of course represents many other things including pyramid energy. In front of the altar is a traditional gong, where it is usually a bell. The Lamb of God here at the High Altar is unusual, a slightly different pose with the ‘All Seeing Eye’ looking down upon it, surrounded by sunflowers, roses and berries and at the very top ‘The Queen’ with her scribe carrying a sword. All very beautifully carved in wood with many historical connections to Templarism and to King Arthur and his pilgrimage, all within this stunning church at Wiltz.

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Arthur found his information here in his quest for the Grail.

Watch our video here:

Germany into Luxembourg – Koblenz, Luxembourg & Wiltz

After a lovely lunch at Wiltz we made our way once more into the mountains of Luxembourg; although it was a damp day, the scenery looked spectacular and oh so green and pretty. Fate took our hand once again and although our next unplanned destination was not a part of the actual quest itself, these little surprises do present themselves from time to time when one is off the beaten track, and who can resist a sign indicating a little historic chapel down a narrow mountain road! Thus we found this little octagonal chapel, dedicated to Saint Kunigunde and the only one of its kind in Luxembourg – so what an amazing find; a treasuee in the green mountains indeed.

A unique octagonal chapel chanced upon in the mountains on a wet and pleasant day

Saint Sebastien Church, Ettelbruck:  It was still raining when we made our way into Ettelbuck, which according to the internet is another commune with town status; the towns of Warken and Grentzingen are also within the commune. Until 1850, both Erpeldange and Schieren were part of the Ettelbruck commune as well, but both towns were detached from Ettelbruck by law on 1 July 1850. Ettelbruck lies at the exact spot where three rivers meet: the Sauer, the Wark, and the Alzette. This location has historically made Ettelbruck a major transportation hub for the country second only to the city of Luxembourg.

Germany occupied Ettelbruck on 10 May 1940 and US forces first liberated the town on 11 September 1944 but Germany retook the town on 16 December 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. US General George S. Patten on Christmas Day, 25 December 1944, led US troops in the final liberation of Ettelbruck from Nazi occupation. One of Ettelbruck’s main squares is named Patton Square, and is located at the exact spot where the German offensive into Luxembourg’s Alzette Valley was stopped, ending its attempt to reoccupy the country as a whole. Since 1954, the town has held a Remembrance Day celebration each July honoring General Patton and the US, British, French, Belgian and Luxembourgish troops who fought with him there.

Saint Sebastien Church and Ettlebruck town square: even though very damp we had a very enjoyable stroll around

The church is situated next to Henri Muller Street, which had a real personal connection to our lead researcher, whom felt very at home there. Again, not a lot on the internet about the church but i did find this with some nice illustations – see link below. The first stone of the present Neoclassical-style parish church of Saint Sebastien was placed in 1841. However, completion of the building was delayed due to marshy conditions. Finally, four lateral circular chapels were added to reinforce the building. Although completed in 1851, the church was not conscecrated until 1864 by the bishop Monseigneur Nicolas Adames. The interior of the Church houses several precious art objects: an oil painting by Joseph Probst titled “Le buisson ardent”, an African Shona sculpture, a beautiful eight-and-a-half register organ and several remarkable stained-glass windows presenting, among other things a panorama of Ettlebruck. The parish church was badly damaged during the Ardennes offensive. The formal reopening of the restored church took place in 1948.

In the church are to be found an emblematical representaion of ‘The Four Corners’ or ‘The Four Directions’ which are of particular interest from a Craft point of view and not generally known of in this context. Shown upon the four windows are The Sash, The Disc, The Challice and The Cross. The quest for the grail was particulary strong there and it was also another site where (King) Arthur found his information in respect of his grail quest.

The Four Corners or Four Directions, emblematical of higher knowledge

Luxembourge had proved to be very revealing in respect of Arthurs grail journey, also to us on our quest; knowledge recieved to be digested and devoured over the weeks to come….

Blood Line Connections:

  • King Arthur found his information here on his Quest for the Grail.

And so we returned to our high-tech digs for one more night before embarking upon a four hour journey into France the next day. Luxembourg had proved to be beautiful, revealing and very wet!

“Let Angels tell tales; and Demons too

Let the secret of The Grail forever ring true”

 

Knights of the Red Order February 2020

The Keeper of Scrolls’

‘moon.willow@ntlworld.com’

THE GRAIL QUEST:

“Some sources say the Grail Bloodline came from Christ, but we of Craft know it to be much older, yet ‘the’ Jesus was still a carrier of the royal bloodline in this timeline. We have been taught in later degrees that the dynasty of kings whom descended from this royal bloodline were known as sorcerer-kings, some of whom hinted or even stated outright that they were in fact descendants of Lucifer. There is much speculation too of the royal/grail bloodline being connected to Cain/Samael/Lilith and Asmodeus; far too much to write about here but maybe for another day?  We can of course pause for some dot connections here; why sorcery? What is the connection to the Knights of the Round Table? What is the connection to the Templars? What is the connection to the Apostles? Could they all be one and the same; i.e. all have the same source?”

QUEST 28: GERMANY

30TH OCTOBER 2019

St Nikolaus Church, Dusseldorf, Germany: a dull, slightly wetter day today, but certainly not cold as we drove an hour from our digs, to reach St Nicholaus Church in a very quiet suburb of Dusseldorf; the capital and second-largest city of the most populous German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, after Cologne. The city lies in the centre of both the Rhine-Ruhr and the Rhineland Metropolitan Regions; most of the city lies on the right bank of the Rhine (as opposed to Cologne, whose city centre lies on the river’s left bank). “Dorf” means “village” in German  but of course these days Dussledorf is now a large city. There are strong Roman connections here, and thus to King Arthur, yet when the Roman Empire was strengthening its position throughout Europe, a few Germanic tribes clung on in marshy territory off the eastern banks of the Rhine. In the 7th and 8th centuries, the odd farming or fishing settlement could be found at the point where the small river Dussell flows into the Rhine. It was from such settlements that the city of Düsseldorf grew.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BCsseldorf

St Nikolaus Church is a beautiful church and it was such a shame to find it locked, for it was the place of instruction for King Arthur, which is interesting for us and our quest; it is also the very same place where our head researcher’s grandfather recieved his instruction, for he was here in the area in relation to ‘religious’ reasons. A place of intruction too, in our current time frame, for holders of the quest/grail bloodline. So who know what treasures lie waiting inside but sadly the church was locked so those treasures inside were not for our eyes on this occasion, and we could find no telephone number to make contact with anyone.

This is an older-style church which has been here for the last 300 years, but obviously as we know with churches, built upon a much older and sacred site. There are some really nice Roman/Knights Templar connected artworks in the grounds of the church; a lovely peaceful feel to the site and a great shame we could not get inside. There is very little on the internet about this church, although it does have a facebook page, but more for social activities rather than history, so this church will remain an enigma…

The grounds and artworks at St Nikolaus Church, Dusseldorf <click on an image to expand>

St Nickolaus Church, Dusseldorf; last video on link

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Arthur; his place of Instruction
  • Place of instruction also of our head researcher’s grandfather
  • Frotmund (Frotherius) link to the year 794 AD

Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany: An approximately 50 minute drive bought us to the hustle and bustle of Cologne; one of Germany’s most well-know and much visited city. It is the largest city of Germany’s most populous federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth-most popolous city in Germany. With slightly over a million inhabitants (1.08 million) within its city boundaries. Cologne is the largest city on the Rhine and also the most populous city both of the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region.  Centered on the left bank of the Rhine, Cologne is about 45 kilometres (28 mi) southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia’s capital of  Dusseldorf, where we had just driven from.

Cologne was founded and established in Ubii territory in the 1st century AD as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, the first word of which is the origin of its name. An alternative Latin name of the settlement is Augusta Ubiorum, after the Ubii. “Cologne”, the French version of the city’s name, has become standard in English as well. Cologne functioned as the capital of the Roman province of  Germania Inferior and as the headquarters of the Roman military in the region until occupied by the Franks in 462. During the Middle Ages the city flourished as being located on one of the most important major trade routes between east and western Europe. Cologne was one of the leading members of the Hanseatic League and one of the largest cities north of the Alps in medieval and Renaissance times. Prior to World war two, the city had undergone several occupations by the French and also by the British (1918–1926). Cologne was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany during World War II, with the Royal Air Force (RAF) dropping 34,711 long tons (35,268 tonnes) of bombs on the city. The bombing reduced the population by 95%, mainly due to evacuation, and destroyed almost the entire city. With the intention of restoring as many historic buildings as possible, the successful postwar rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and unique cityscape.

The hustle & bustle of Cologne with many styles of architecture

Cologne Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of St Peter: is a Catholic cathedral whch lies right in the heart of Cologne and it’s famous spires can be seen from right across the river and makes for a compelling sight. It was actually built upon a past Roman Temple and a Roman museum is nearby full of fascinating history and finds. It is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires. The towers for its two huge spires gives the cathedral the largest façade of any church in the world. Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 but was halted in 1473, unfinished. Work did not restart until the 1840s, and the edifice was completed to its original Medieval plan in 1880.

When construction began on the present Cologne Cathedral in 1248,  the site had already been occupied by several previous structures. The earliest may have been for grain storage and possibly was succeeded by a Roman Temple built by Mercurius Augustus. From the 4th century on, the site was occupied by Christian buildings, including a square edifice known as the “oldest cathedral” commissioned by Maternus, the first bishop of Cologne. During excavations of the present cathedral, graves were discovered in the location of the oldest portion of the building; including that of a boy that was richly adorned with grave goods and another of a woman, popularly thought to be Wisigard. Both graves are thought to be from the 6th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral

Sadly there is no actual spirituality left at the cathedral, yet it is non the less a very splendid and impresive building, loved and visited by thousands. There is a bloodline connection here to King Marcomer 38-458, and there is much meaningful Templar symbology contained within this beautiful building.

Cologne Cathedral is full of beautiful & meaningful peices of art upon the floor and above… <click on an image to expand>

Grail Bloodline Conections:

  • King Marcomer 387-458 (51st GGF) born here, though a prior building.
  • King Arthur; the place of apprenticeship

St Paul’s Cathedral, Munster, Germany: With night-time almost upon us it was hit and miss whether we would make it to Munster on time to gain access to the cathedral as it was a two hour drive from Cologne, but made it we did by the skin of our teeth. The cathedral is a very imposing building set in a big square in the heart of the city and with festive lights sparking from the nearby shops, it cut quite an impresive sight. The name Munster is said to derive from Latin and Greek words meaning monastry and the building does indeed have a very monastry feeling to it. It is an independant city  in North Rhine-Westphalia,  Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Munsterland and is today it is known as the bicycle capital of Germany. The city’s built-up area is quite extensive. There are no skyscrapers and few high-rise buildings but very many detached houses and mansions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnster

Munster Cathedral; very impresive looking in the dark.

Münster Cathedral or St.-Paulus-Dom is the cathedral church of the  Roman Catholic Diocese of Munster in Germany, and is dedicated to St Paul. It is counted among the most significant church buildings in the city and along with the City Hall, is one of the symbols of the city. The cathedral stands in the heart of the city, on a small hill called Horsteberg, which is encircled by streets and the and the Munstersche Aa river. Today the cathedral is the parish church for this area. The cathedral had two predecessors. The first cathedral (called the Ludgerus Dom, 805-1377) stood to the north of the current cathedral; the second cathedral was built in the tenth or eleventh century and was demolished during the construction of the third and current cathedral between 1225 and 1264. The imposing westwek with its nearly identical towers was built as part of the second cathedral around 1192 and was incorporated into the current building. As a result, the cathedral is a mixture of styles, combining the Romanesque westwerk, old choir and west towers with the Gothic nave, transepts, high choir and ring of chapels.

Some rather nice artifacts inside the cathedral including the mechanical clock, that found us ‘stealing’ our photos of it, much to the disgruntlement of the cathedral ‘holy man’ and ‘jobsworth’!

As it was dark outside, there seemed to be a lovely warm glow inside the cathedral and there were one or two lovely items that needed closer examination but time and the lateness of hour were not in our favour. However it has to be said that both my brother and i objected to being hurried along in quite a ‘gruff’ fashion by one of the so called ‘holy men’; the priest ‘on duty’ there who was intent in getting us outside of the doors as quickly as possible for the ‘witching’ hour of 7pm was striking. We were at the door, having finished our historical research and just wanted to take a quick photo of the beautiful clock and its mechanism, just inside the door, but he was having non of it, making sure we knew they were now closed! So we just had to take the photos anyway. My brother and i are both ordained as priests and we were treated disrespectfully, but other than this it is no way to treat anyone whom has travelled from afar to visit a sacred building; ‘jobsworths’ are everywhere it seems and holy buildings are no exception, we were not expectng clergy to act like this. A lovely building yet sadly again with no spirituality.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnster_Cathedral

Grail Bloodline Connections:

  • King Marcomer 387-458, whom was educated here.
  • King Arthur

‘The Red Cross is the coded symbol used within the Grail teachings and you will see this symbol in many places around the globe’

X

The Knights of the Red Order January 2020

‘The Keeper of Scrolls’

moon.willow@ntlworld.com