Good Readers and Title Magicians All, recently my past has been colliding with my present. No, not just the one magical example that I will speak about in today’s blog. Nay, the count is many times over now. I suppose this is bound to happen, if you live long enough. Yes, I have definitely lived long enough. Crones of the world, unite, I say! Staffs raised triumphantly.
Once upon a time, when magic emerged like a dandelion from beneath the technology of our industrial age...and the frolic of dancing had come upon the land again...disco. Once upon a time, I viewed a real live unicorn – in all it’s beautiful white-silky coated flesh. The enchantment was nearly overwhelming, even though it was the unicorn of medieval tapestries, and not the horse unicorn of my fantasies.
If you have ever been to a Renaissance festival of ye older years, you may have also seen these magnificent beasts, these unicorns from ages past, reborn again unto our land.
So, begins my Crone’s tale (on a disappointing note: no shapeshifter’s furry tail yet despite the spells and mind concentration).
Mid 1980's, the advertisement was in the newspaper...full page, in black and white, a picture of the mythical beast with one of its owner/creators, Morning Glory. Mom and I stared in sheer bewitched fascination at that ad. We studied, trying to see anything about that huge jutting horn that looked fake. Anything! What further intrigued us was that Morning Glory and her unicorn were going to be at Hall’s department store on the Plaza. Hall’s, now long disappeared from Kansas City’s world-renowned Plaza, was comparable to an upscale Dilliard’s department store. Shopping land of the snooty, chic and definitely rich.
Loving all things magical, especially beasties, and loving all things genetic – that is, we were creating our own breed of super dogs, mom and I couldn’t resist this opportunity, even though it meant arranging time we didn’t have to get there. Fortunately, when we arrived there weren’t many people gathered around the roped off platform area. And there they were, the exquisitely lovely Morning Glory and her amazing magnificent, obviously very male, unicorn – looking exactly like the unicorn laying beside the maiden in the medieval tapestry we’ve all seen. While staring, besotted fool-like I’m sure, mom and I peppered the gracious Morning Glory with questions.
How? When? The genetics of the unicorn. As I recall, she explained that they, she and her husband, had found ancient medieval manuscripts describing how to create a unicorn from a certain breed of goat. Wisely, she gave away no real secrets in the process (currently under patent), they had successfully used. When we could finally tear ourselves away – the unicorn having provided a further demonstration of his reality by taking a giant pee on the floor – mom and I puzzled and pondered over our adventure into true sorcery during our drive home.
As the years passed, I had the sweet enchantment of glimpsing these unicorns of Morning Glory and her husband, at the Ren Fairs. I also knew they were eventually featured in the Barnum and Bailey Circus, only because I would come across the advertisements.
Hold your wands back, magicians! This is where my past and present collision occurs. Sunday night, January 14, 2007, with Ian Punnett on Coast-to-Coast am – the Wizard Oberon Zell Ravenheart was the featured guest. Husband of Morning Glory, partner in creating the real live unicorns, he has written a new tome, A Wizard’s Bestiary.
Wizard Oberon Zell Ravenheart is an incredible man, a man of true wisdom in many ways. Perhaps not the flash and magic of a Harry Potter character...no, he’s real, just as his unicorns were real. I recommend listening to his interview and checking out his website (oberonzell.com), including reviewing the many tomes he has written. If you’re a writer of the paranormal, and all things mystical – if you desire an entrancing trip inside a real magical world, use your finger wands and fly on over to see Oberon Zell’s story, the photos of his unicorns, photos of him and Morning Glory – or, if you just want to experience one of the best, most magical things to occur in the eighties, go to the website, Sideshow World (sideshowworld.com/interview-OZ.html).
Being of the Flower Child generation, it was easy to realize back then, that the very lack of magic in our age of the industrial military complex, was one of the dynamics in creating the counter-culture. Where, once again, magic revived itself. Becoming the weed, the dandelion, the dandelion blowing in the wind...the seeds of change...that cannot be stamped out, nor poisoned out of existence. Nay, not to be destroyed forever by those who refuse to believe and by those who would use it to rule over us.
Magic surfaces everywhere now. The Medusa of the modern day world. Cut off one serpent strand of hair, and two more fantastical novels are published. Everywhere, in every domain magic – magic in it’s myriad of forms and lights, lives...and wants to thrive among us all.
Indeed, the magic of Morning Glory’s real unicorn, straight out of medieval lore, in the prominent middle of Hall’s department store, lo those many years ago – sparked the magic in my heart to a higher, fiercer flame...for which I am eternally grateful.
Title Magician, Lexie O’Neill, is a finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough contest. Check out her entry, The Eddy Complex, in the romance category at amazon.com/abna.
If you haven’t taken a quick peek yet, here’s my reminder to check out All Shades of Blue Paradise on the coming soon page of Siren Publishing. In the World of the Blue Pearl Moon, every shade of blue has its own fantasy seductive quality.
Blue unicorn...hum...? Just a Muse-whispered thought for another story...
Blue unicorn kisses from the Kougar...
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