Alison and I don't often give talks together. Usually it's just me and in wider scope. Alison has her own things to do and has to plan such events around her stamina, her health, and around her electro magnetic sensitivity. Finding a decent B&B without Wi-Fi was a nightmare, although we struck it lucky with the Arosa guest house which was welcoming and comfortable and had a room that was Wi-Fi free for Alison to sleep in. Actually, since I have a close friend who is sensitive to this particular form of microwave, it kind of amazes me that all these places have 'free' Wi-fi bombarding the rooms, often when no one is using a computer/device. There's been enough hoo-ha about passive smoking in the past but no one sees the danger in Wi-fi microwaves. Really there ought to be a small Wi-fi room set aside and let everyone else be free of it in the public areas or confine it to homeplug devices.
Anyway, I digress after my little rant. The talk itself went very well indeed. We had an audience of 200 and the two hours simply flew past. As part of our talk, Alison gave a short demonstration of what happens when I ask her to access the Akashic Records and the below is what emerged taken directly from the digital recorder. To be used in a novel further down the line, I have no doubt!
Akashic excerpt transcribed from a session done in front of a live audience of 200 at Southend Library. 31st March 2010.
I asked Alison to go to the Empress Matilda and Eleanor of
Alison: Connecting with the Empress first: Alison breathes out very hard and then sniffs as if crying. The Empress Matilda is very upset. She’s saying ‘She shouldn’t do this to me. She really shouldn’t do this to me.’ She is crying bitterly. She is feeling over-ruled and she feels as if this woman has walked all over her as well. I am seeing the image of a lady in very fine robes with a trailing gown – sort of blue and gold and decorated like curtain material these days. Big patterns and this very upright woman with sort of tawny-golden hair in a net. She’s walking through the room and too close to the Empress and totally ignoring her. The Empress is saying ‘I,m not even invited – not even invited!’ She’s saying ‘I would NEVER have done this to my kin. How could she do this to me after all I’ve done? After all the suffering. After what I’ve gone through to put her where she is now with my son! And she does this to me!’
Do you know what she’s done?
Good question! I’ll need to go back and find out what happened before this. Hmmm. The Empress is feeling fine here. She’s just doing something with her hands. She’s sewing. It seems quite a nice day, the window is half-open. Eleanor’s not there. There is another lady in the room over to one side.
She’s looking forward to having guests. She always like to have guests, particularly special guests. Very close to her heart, because they are coming from
Eleanor has come into the room and the Empress is very keen to explain what she has been organising and the seating plan. Eleanor doesn’t seem that interested. She’s kind of waving it off and dismissing it. She’s saying ‘No, no, we’re not having that. We’re going outside. It’s such beautiful weather and we are going to have flowers all along the table and we are going to have traditional English al-fresco outside. It’s all going to be fresh and new and they’re going to see it as a new dimension, a new episode in history because this is a new monarchy. Eleanor (I am going over to Eleanor now) is really thrilled. She’s bubbling with excitement. She is a person who likes very precise aesthetics. She likes things to be very beautiful, but not overdone, overblown. She regards her mother in law as a bit gaudy. So Eleanor just goes out. She doesn’t even notice that the Empress is upset and that’s why the Empress got the impression she was just walked over.
What else does Eleanor think about her mother in law? Well, she does go on for goodness’ sake. She always goes on about the past and what she did. One would almost think she was a soldier herself the way she carries on. You expect her to come marching in wearing armour! Eleanor is not very complimentary because she says something very unkind – ‘it might have been better if she had died on the battlefield. Then she wouldn’t have had to live with the aftermath, the comedown.
Is there any jealousy between then over Henry? Alison laughs. Not while Eleanor’s around! Eleanor is a lioness really and she will guard her mate with claws. No one will get within yards.
And how does the Empress feel about having Eleanor as a daughter in law? I get the feeling this changes over time, so where would you like me to go to? Go to the beginning, to an incident early in the marriage. Oh, the Empress is upset again. Her solar plexus is tight, eyes closed, holding back tears, upset. Her son has slighted her. She wanted him to do something with her – expected him to do something with her. Something to do with a religious house, an investiture or something I think. He has decided to go with Eleanor to do something else, which to her seems very whimsical and that she regards as much less important. She wanted him to go and do some thanksgiving for his success. She feels it’s important because the gratitude needs to be given to God for the success. It’s important because it will bless and benefit his reign, and he’s neglecting it. She regards it as almost a sin. It’s a crime. It’s what he’s been born for and he needs to take it more seriously. For her it has been everything.
Does she see the marriage to Eleanor as good politics? I would need more of a location. So go to when the idea of the marriage is first mooted. Hmmmm. From a distance she sees Eleanor as a spirited young lady but feels quite capable of coping with that. I get the impression that it wasn’t a great deal to do with her opinion. It wasn’t really in her hands, but she felt that she could cope with it.
To finish, go to a time if and when they got on well together. Let’s finish on an upbeat note if possible. This is lovely. The Empress is cradling a child in her arms. It’s so lovely. At last, the dynasty is secure and what a dear, perfect child. The Empress is a very caring person emotionally and she is caring very much for Eleanor as a new mother and making sure she is properly looked after, and being extremely considerate. I can see her at the side of the bed. Eleanor is in the bed with clean sheets very nicely presented. Everything is nicely ship-shape and Matilda is cradling the baby. So Eleanor’s achievement is in producing a son for the dynasty? Yes. ‘And are the women still difficult with each other? No. The Empress is feeling very kind-hearted towards Eleanor, particularly because of Matilda’s own experiences because she had some horrendous childbirth experiences, so she can empathise very much with another woman.
This would accord with my research into Matilda which shows this strong. Soldierly type, but in the background she was called ‘Matilda the Good’ by various church members and had a particular kindness to children.
End of excerpt.
1 comment:
Fascinating account, Elizabeth. The ladies' changing relationship is telling. Intriguing.
Thank you for posting.
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