The Green Stone Fund: Q+A

[imported_SimonMember]

I’m expecting quite a few questions regarding the recently launched Green Stone Fund, so to make the answers visible to all, I suggest that we use this thread for the discussion.

[imported_jamesMember]

I have remained quiet about this so far as I wasn’t sure how I felt about it all! But after a considerable amount of thought and discussion I agree that the only sane solution is to keep these artefacts within the questing community. It is a shame, however that it has come to this. I personally feel that this sale may set a worrying trend for those that hold psychic questing artefacts in their possesion. We must all remember that we are only the guardians of these sacred treasures, none of us should ever fall into the trap of thinking that they belong to anyone. Questing artefacts are given/found for specific powerful reasons. Therefore it is essential that we make sure that we all act on this one with integrity.

Alex Langstone

[imported_SimonMember]

Hi Alex,

Thanks for the vote of confidence and support. I agree that in an ideal world you would have a seamless transition of caretakers for the artefacts. However, maybe something in this whole exercise is important that we can’t see at this point in time. Maybe it will serve to raise the profile of Questing or start a new Quest that will have dramatic results. Who knows?

As for the artefacts themselves, Andy Roberts has kindly supplied me with some photographs which I include below:

[img]http://www.icontrail.com/images/artefacts1a.JPG[/img]

[img]http://www.icontrail.com/images/artefacts2a.JPG[/img]

[imported_jamesMember]

Further to my recent post above, I have decided to auction one of my last 3 personal copies of Bega and the Sacred Ring (signed) on eBay to see if I can raise some money for the Questing consortium. The auction will start tonight at 8pm and will end at 8pm on Sunday evening (5 day auction). The winning bidder will also get a free signed advance copy of Spirit Chaser (when available later this year).

see my eBay shop for details

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Spirit-of-albion-books

Cheers

Alex Langstone

[imported_MartinMember]

So who would be “in charge” of the looking after the materials?

Would there be a democratic way of voting how exactly the items would be used? And if the items generate any monies at all – would that be shared between the people who paid £50?

MJ

[imported_Andy_MMember]

Hi Guys

I have to say I agree with Martin here.

Who would actually take charge of the items, where would they be held, would we all have access to them?

They are important and need to be looked after, but if we’re contributing to the purchase do we all get access to them?

AndyM

[imported_SimonMember]

Hi Martin and Andy M,

The highest bid currently stands at £7,000 which, I believe, is the offer of a private collector. What I’m calling the “Questing Consortium” has managed to get together a substantial sum of money – but are not yet in a position to outbid the private investor. The Green Stone Fund initiated by psychicQuesting.com is simply a goodwill gesture to help “top up” the Questing Consortium’s own funds and secure the future of the artefacts within the Questing community.

When I set up the fund I thought that if 20 members donated £50 that would arm the Questing Consortium with another £1,000. However, even if we hit that target (which is possibly over-ambitious) it clearly only constitutes the minor part of the amount.

Thus it was felt that to keep the logistics simple all “control” of the artefacts would reside with the Questing Consortium (which counts Andrew Collins and Graham Phillips amongst its members). Their intention is that the artefacts are kept within the Questing Community and “that they might be employed in future quests or power attunements at sacred sites throughout the UK, and also be made available at public events”.

So in answer to your question there will be no shared control over the artefacts, no democratic voting, no shared revenue. Andrew Collins, Graham Phillips and the other consortium members will take control over the artefacts. I guess you’ll have to trust that they will be in safe hands. Having met Andrew and been utterly convinced of his sincerity, I know that I do. However you will get unique access to the artefacts via the special “day with the Green Stone” as described in the Fund instructions. This will appeal to some but not others (particularly members living overseas) but again the all-day event itself is simply something that can be done to thank contributors, it is not the main focus of the fund.

I appreciate that on the face of it this seems like some mad “get poor quick” scheme but I’d rather undersell the concept than mis-sell it because £50 is a lot of money. All I can say is that I’m personally convinced of the value of doing what I can to help Andrew, Graham and co., hence all the time that has gone into the launching of the Fund with accompanying newsletter and the changes to the website to support this – as well as me putting my hand in my own pocket and contributing (and in fact I will probably also be bidding at Alex’s auction).

So if this is for you then I do urge you to go for it…

Simon

[imported_supernaturalistMember]

I’d just like to add my own comments to Simon’s post.

I think that if you accept the accounts of the discovery of the Green Stone and its surrounding events (part of the foundational mythology of the psychic questing movement if you like), then it is part of something larger and older and more important that my own legal claim over a tiny chip off one of the artifacts. The consortium is led by Andrew Collins and Graham Phillips. These two people were instrumental in the uncovering of the Green Stone and I think they have a just claim to be trusted as custodians. They may not have had anything to do with the other items for all I know (except the casket), but it all comes as a package and let’s face it – the Green Stone is the big draw here. At least the items would remain in good hands, the hands of those who found the Green Stone, and the alternative is probably that they will disappear forever into someone’s collection. Should it ever come to pass that, one day, someone else does have a valid need to use the objects for one reason or another, I think that Andrew, Graham and co. are at least more likely to give a sympathetic hearing and be suitably guided by whatever led them to the Green Stone in the first place. So I guess you can tell that I’m backing this horse.

Peace and respect,

Michael

[imported_MartinMember]

I do think its a good idea that Phillips and Collins are involved. Does this means its a verification of the authenticity of the items. I am sure that the last thing a private collector want is for Phillips or Collins to admit they hoaxed the whole thing?

However what worries me if that if Phillips and Collins once again fall out – indeed that is the rumour at present, then the items will be split between them both. There needs to be someone independant – maybe you Simon or Yuri on the board to ensure the protection of the items.

“Should it ever come to pass that, one day, someone else does have a valid need to use the objects for one reason or another, I think that Andrew, Graham and co. are at least more likely to give a sympathetic hearing and be suitably guided by whatever led them to the Green Stone in the first place. So I guess you can tell that I’m backing this horse.”

Can I ask how many times in the past that Collins and co have ever let any of their items to private researchers in the way you describe above? What makes you think they are going to do this now after paying possibly a five figure amount for them? I have been disappointed that after repeated lines of communication that Collins etc have prefered to hide away other items detailed in the books.

MJ

[imported_Andy_MMember]

Please don’t think I being awkward, but as you say £50 is quite a bit.
Well any contributor be allowed ‘private access’ to the items, or only at public events?
I don’t mean just ‘show up when they feel like it’, but on certain occasions pre-arranged with the ‘holder’, if, for example a person feels that there may be a connection to what they are working on at any given time?

Andy M

(I put my post up before reading’s Michael’s post, but he’s making the same point as I am regarding access for future ‘quests’)

[imported_SimonMember]

Hi Martin,

The provenance of the items is being attested to buy the seller, Andy Roberts (through his wife Gaynor who was involved in the events). I don’t think there is any question that they are genuine because Andrew (Collins) and Graham Phillips are willing to part with so much of their own hard-earned cash to get them back.

I received further information on the artefacts included in bundle from Andy R this morning. He says:

“As we go through Marion’s things a few other Questing items have surfaced, which aren’t on the photos, but which will be included in the sale to wheoever gets the artefacts. These are the 1786 parchment (mentioned in one of my messages), a ‘tribal’ sword in a wooden scabbard and a pheonix medallion thing. These were all apparently from minor quests which were receievd in the early days of the Green Stone and which didn’t seem to have been pursued by anyone. Gaynor will provide full written information on the circumstances and provenance of these items when the auction is concluded.”

So again as to their authenticity I am pretty certain that there is no hoax being perpetrated and certainly not by AC + GP.

[imported_SimonMember]

As for Martin and AndyM’s other concerns, I guess I’d have to say that ideally there *would* be some mechanism for ensuring the safety of and controlling access to the artefacts.

Two practical points, however:

1. We are still only talking about the minor part in the auction price. If The Green Stone Fund raised 50% of the necessary funds then there’s certainly need to be some formal recognition of the individual donors but right now we’re aiming for about 10% so I don’t feel that we have the same claim.

2. If there was an easy and workable way to ensure access to the Green Stone by the donors then that would be an option but I can’t think of anything better than “leave it to the discretion of Andrew Collins and Graham Phillips”. My understanding is that the donors get their one-off day where they have one-to-one access to the artefacts and after that they will be displayed at the various shows (QuestCon for example). But you can imagine that access at these events would be severely curtailed. Whether they’d be happy to organise viewing by prior appointment I couldn’t say but I can ask for you.

Longer term, again if you had all the money in the world you could set up a Board of Trustees and codify all the access rule etc but as soon as you involve the legal profession it quickly gets very expensive.

Having said all that I’m sure that if anyone has a good idea for how it could work, it would be listened to.

Thanks for your continued interest,

Simon

[imported_SimonMember]

As an aside, if you incorporate a company in Belize, instead of the “Limited” suffix you get here in the UK, you can choose between a few of which the clear winner is “Société Anonyme”. What better name for the caretaking organisation of the artefacts then “Meonia Société Anonyme”? Given that they mean what they say about there being very little record of what such companies do (no tax returns for example, no publicised list of directors) you can see how in 500 years time we could become the new Priory of Sion!

[imported_Andy_MMember]

Quote:

we could become the new Priory of Sion!

And hopefully more real than the old one!!

AndyM

[imported_YURIMember]

Andy C is a very reasonable guy who is eternally enthusiastic to all questing… If you wrote to him and explained all the reasons why you felt the Green Stone should be used at a specific time and place… I’m sure he would certainly be open minded about it, and would be inclined to co-operate

It would be down to you to present a valid use, rather than just having it on whim.

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