Born 28 June 1916
image by permission of Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone
Died 7 February 2000
"40 YEARS A FRIEND - the Gods move in mysterious ways! I first met Stewart Farrar 40 years ago in England, whilst still at school, before either he or I knew Wicca even existed. At the time ( about 10 years before he met his wife Janet) he was dating my geography teacher, who later became his fourth wife. When we met again, he gave me photographs he had taken of me on school trips to Dorset, England and Avignon, France when I was 15. After I moved to Ireland in 1991, Stewart would joke that I was his oldest friend in Ireland . I said that could not be so because of the gap in our acquaintance. He smiled and said Oh!, we won't worry about the gap! He did, of course, have friends in Ireland who had known him almost from the time he arrived here, and whose friendship spanned more years, but none in Ireland who had met him quite as long ago as I did. We met again in 1989 after I had discovered Wicca, not realising at the time that he was one of its most respected Elders. After a longer than usual time of study (he said I was ready, but I thought I still had 'L' plates on my robe!) Stewart initiated me and set me upon my pathway in The Craft. He has been my valued mentor as well as a friend. The things I will remember most about him are his gentle and subtle sense of humour, his way with words, his smile, and the way he had of always being so encouraging to everyone. He inspired confidence in all whom he met; and has been very kind in praising my own writing and photography - which I find humbling considering his own lifelong expertise in those fields! I was privileged to attend Stewart's unique and moving cremation service in Dublin with Janet, Gavin, Stewart's family and Pagan friends. As an omen to reassure we Pagans that reincarnation is a fact; on a bright, breezy afternoon with small white clouds, a large dark cloud moved behind the chapel and a rainbow briefly appeared - arching over its roof at the exact time Stewart's coffin arrived from Kells. We will "meet, know, remember and love again." in The Summerlands.
Hail and Farewell, Dear Stewart! Jill, Tipperary, Ireland February 2000."© J.R./J.M.
