Kelmscott Manor, near Lechlade, was the final home of William Morris, pioneer of the Arts & Crafts Movement. It dates from around 1600 and has an outstanding collection of the possessions and works of Morris, his family and associates (Benson, Burne-Jones, Rossetti and Webb among them) - furniture, textiles, pictures, carpets, ceramics and metalwork. Included is a set of sketches of the signs of the zodiac and there is an Icelandic sea monster in the garden !
Morris worked as an architect, poet, painter and designer, became a prominent socialist and in 1861 he and others founded Morris & Co, whose designs and ethics came to embody the Arts and Crafts Movement. His designs for fabrics, wallpapers, furniture and glass were to prove a massive influence in Britain (the Laura Ashley aesthetic is a lineal descendant of Morris's rustic nostalgia). This period coincided with Neptune’s last sojourn in Pisces, so maybe the time is ripe for a revival of the movement’s ideals.
We will have the charts of Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti to see how some simple astrology illuminates their lives and work, plus the telling synastry of their tangled relationships with Morris’s beautiful wife Jane. The tour of the house may inspire you creatively, so we will especially consider Venus in the charts of Morris et. al and in our own charts, to explore how we as individuals respond to particular styles of art. Probably over some indulgent cake from the teashop. If you wish, bring a copy of a piece of art that has inspired you.
For lunch there is a café on site and a village pub, or you can bring a picnic to eat in the garden. Please feel free to bring your non-astrologer friends for a nice day out.
Postcode is GL7 3HJ. There are local signs to the Manor. Meet in the car park at 10:45am. (This is earlier than the previously published time) The house is a 10 minute walk through the village.
Anyone needing a lift from Oxford should get in touch via oxfordastrology@gmail.com.
