Hi!

[Aoife]

Hello Everyone,
I’m sorry - I launched into posting, thrilled to find Diana here - without first introducing myself.
I’m Eve, Aoife from AT - not that I was a prolific poster, so I doubt anyone will remember me. On joining AT I chose the title ‘novice crone’. Well, my novitiate has long concluded, and thankfully have more time to indulge my love of Tarot.
I share my interest between Tarot of Marseilles, Waite-Colman-Smith and Thoth, but TdM commands my love.

Thank you Joan Marie for creating such a fascinating forum.
I’m really looking forward to participating.

But first, for those of you who knew Firemaiden… Paula… who recently died…

I had presumed that when the end finally came, very soon afterwards the words would come, after all, it was through the power of words that I and most of you reading here had known Paula. But it was as though Life… The Universe… Whatever… was stunned by what had been done. A silence, a respectful veil descended in acknowledgement that it had been wrong, in every sense, to take Paula from this life before her three score years and ten and more, much more.

I had, and in the almost seventeen years since, never met anyone like Paula. In some sense she was born to the wrong time. The brash modern world - and particularly its music - often assaulted her senses. And yet she was the most computer-savvy person I’ve known. Those many, seemingly contradictory characteristics shaped a multi-faceted jewel of a personality able to create such glorious prose and music.

I believe that the love of Paula’s life was Beauty - be that in the movement and music of ballet, and opera… and art and literature… and history and archaeology… and the natural world of flowers and insects, and puppies. But, at risk of sounding hopelessly mawkish, it was Paula’s ability to see the best in people, the hidden beauty, the pearl of wisdom beneath a heap of stupidity, that was so remarkable. Yes, I know that such is said about most people when they die, but we all know its said as a salve. About Paula, it was true.

And those privileged to have taken part in, or read the tales of Firemaiden and her Cosmic Toaster will have had just a taste of Paula’s sublime, anarchic humour. Too many times to count I had had to step away from the computer, helpless with laughter. To borrow a cliche, Paula was a ‘radiator’… an exquisite, thumping furnace of positivity and light and love.

Fly free my beautiful, wondrous cyber-cyde-kick. It was an honour, and pleasure beyond measure to have known you.
Ay-woof

[Diana]

Aoife, the joy I felt when I saw your activity on these boards was immense. I have missed you more than you could ever imagine.

And thank you for your beautiful obituary for firemaiden who brightened up the path of every single person she ever met. The world and Aeclectic were a brighter place whenever she was around. She just radiated light and built rainbows everywhere she went.

[Joan Marie]

Thank you for joining us Aoife.
And thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute.