Continuing their 25th anniversary updates of The Templar Revelation, L&C focus on the controversial Chinon Parchment released by the Vatican on the 300th anniversary of the mass arrests of the Knights Templar in 1307. Is it the smoking gun that proves that the Templars were guilty of heresy? Or, as some argue, proof of their innocence?

And in the roundup of their series on the origins of today’s 'secret ruler' superconspiracies, L&C review the evidence, and ask if such theories are really total fantasy - or is there a core of truth to them?

Patrons on the P&P Partner Plus tier will also receive 'The Sacrificed Daughter's Tale: Ancient Israel's Warrior Goddess Revealed?' and 'Bad Faith, Bad Science: Extremists on Both Sides of the Great Evolution Battle'.

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Although often portrayed as a new phenomenon, unique to our time, their feature shows not only that belief in conspiracies has been around for a very long time, but that both genuine conspiracies and conspiracy theories have played a big part in shaping history - something long ignored, but now increasingly recognised by historians.

She tells of two jaw-dropping - and very paranormal - Charles Dickens-related incidents - one winning Lynn her dream temporary job, and the other involving his direct descendant. She's terrorised by mice and turn into a sociopathic mouse-murderer, but an atrocious trap is too traumatising - never again! And she's inspired to write The Secret History of Lucifer...

Details of the broadcast to follow...

Exciting new evidence not only sheds revealing light on this key question, but much more besides...

Lynn and Clive are off to Rome to film a documentary for the National Geographic Channel about their work on Leonardo and the Turin Shroud, but the director hates Lynn on sight... But everything runs smoothly, apart from being thrown out of St Peter's in the Vatican (ticking that one off Lynn's bucket list) - until something terrible happens across the world. The date is 11 September 2001. The immediate problem for Lynn and Clive was would they be stranded in Rome?

Continuing their 25th anniversary updates of The Templar Revelation - and the 20th of Lynn’s Mary Magdalene - in the first feature Lynn and Clive explore new evidence unearthed by Bible scholars that sheds exciting new light on one of the big questions about Mary Magdalene: was she the same Mary who 'Christ-ened' Jesus in the strange anointing ritual at Bethany? The new findings have extraordinary significance for L&C's own work...

In the second feature, L&C begin to draw the threads together in their series on the history of superconspiracy theories. Are we really living in a new age of conspiracy theory - and practice - or have things always been that way? What's new about movements such as QAnon, and what do they have in common with centuries-old beliefs in secret rulers such as the Illuminati?

Patrons on the new P&P Partner Plus tier will also receive 'Sisters of the Temple: The Mysteries of Women in the Knights Templar' and 'Not the Messiah, But a Very Naughty Boy: Introducing the Real Leonardo da Vinci - Trickster and Heretic'.

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Post-9/11, conspiracy theories entered the political arena as never before, with believers forming a new voter base to be courted by politicians. And although political movements had used conspiracy theories before, for the first time one emerged that had the superconspiracy at its heart. In 2019 the FBI identified extremism driven by conspiracy theories as a domestic terror threat, and many now see them as having been not just politicised, but weaponised. But, L&C ask, is that really new?

Welcome to the world of crisis actors, lone wolves – and the rise of QAnon....

For £5 per month (plus VAT/sales tax in relevant territories), newcomers and existing patrons who upgrade will receive the usual two new monthly features PLUS those from the same month three years ago.

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As revealed in L&C's recent Patreon feature, it was this book that got them their cameos in The Da Vinci Code.

For the first time, they tell the inside story, exclusively for their patrons on Patreon.

In the first, to mark the 20th anniversary of the launch of Dan Brown's controversial mega-bestseller The Da Vinci Code - as well as The Templar Revelation celebrating its 25th anniversary - for the first time Lynn and Clive tell the full story of exactly how their book inspired Brown's novel, and the impact its phenomenal success had on their own work.

In the second, L&C's series on the evolution of the superconspiracy theory reaches the present day. They examine how, in the febrile post-9/11 atmosphere, the belief in secret forces that run the world began to have a real political impact, and ask whether the weaponising of conspiracy theory really is such a new thing...

How have their conclusions stood the test of time? As they show, although certain major discoveries have shifted some of the emphasis, the evidence for L&C's core arguments has become stronger and stronger, and a remarkably consistent – and exciting – story has emerged...

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A near-stranger tells Lynn about chance meetings with her mother - who, it transpires, is regarded as the local madwoman. There's yet another terrifying paranormal encounter during an overnight stay in York. Lynn also remembers her dear friend David, who reveals the ritual abuse of his childhood. On a happier note, he takes her to see Shirley Bassey and Liza Minnelli (supercampery!), and she meets David's friend, actor Murray Melvin, star of Torchwood. David is championed by Harry Potter's Miriam Margoyles - but sadly his life takes a downward turn. And there's an awkward collision of worlds when Stephen Prior comes to York.

The episode, directed by Jonny Haug, is also available to view on History's website and iTunes.

'Ground Zero: The Horror and the Fallout' explores the impact that the tragic events of 11 September 2001 had not only on those who already believed in the superconspiracy but, through revelations of government deceptions that were uncovered in their wake, on many others' openness to conspiracies. The result was the first global community based on a shared belief in a conspiracy, the 9/11 Truth movement or 'Truthers'. L&C examine the spectrum of theories - including the official conspiracy theory that was used to sell an invasion – and how the fallout from 9/11 set the scene for today's conspiracy culture.

Landmark anniversaries are always a time for looking back and seeing how a work has fared. What new is there to say about the subjects covered in The Templar Revelation? Has anything come up that strengthens L&C's conclusions – or undermines them? Is there anything they'd have done differently in hindsight? Did they make any mistakes (heaven forfend!) - or miss anything important?

In this first feature, L&C highlight the most significant modifications to this evolving story, beginning with the themes explored in the book's first part, 'The Threads of Heresy', which delved into Europe's heretical and esoteric 'underground stream'.

It was the decade of The X-Files, accompanied by high-profile nonfiction books such as Jim Marrs' Rule by Secrecy, with even the serious media getting in on the act. Conspiracy favourites such as the Bilderbergers and Bohemian Grove reached a wider public.

And this new cumulative focus revealed that not everything the conspiracists believe can be easily dismissed...

Lynn and Clive's bizarre and exciting life working on Double Standards: The Rudolf Hess Cover-Up continues. Lynn has a terrifying night alone in co-author Stephen Prior's Surrey country house - and then there are invisible bedroom visitors and even a ghost horse! Stephen's hotel in Scotland, hub for two Knights Templar organisations, plays host to various high-ranking former intelligence officers, including a founder of the CIA and the Pentagon's web master... Yes, Lynn knew about Stephen's previous career as a counterterrorism expert with Britain's security and intelligence services, and that he was a top Templar, but just who was he?

Described as 'a manuscript unlike any other in the history of book arts', in words and pictures it tells the Magdalene's life story, drawn from the gospels and legends, including those of her as an apostle in France. And it has some big surprises when compared to the Church's traditional image, depicting her not as a pathologically guilt-ridden penitent, but very much as a woman of authority.

What does this tell us about Louise? And just what did she know about the real Mary Magdalene?

In the Scottish village of Gullane during the writing of Double Standards: The Rudolf Hess Cover-Up, she finds herself trapped as an unwanted guest in the supper party from hell - then with the same nightmare family on Millennium night. Edinburgh celebrates (they can see it!) but Gullane is literally somewhat behind the times. And a close friend and fellow researcher vilely betrays Lynn and Clive, and even hacks Clive's and others' emails - resulting in the police being involved...

She's been one of their stars before but there's much more that's significant about this remarkable woman - especially her fascination, even identification, with Mary Magdalene. Far from the usual role model of female piety, penitence, humility, and chaste love for Jesus, L&C argue that Louise saw the Magdalene not just as the embodiment of female power but as the true power behind the throne - and the bestower of sacred kingship.

Surreal diversions, concerning broken down vehicles and loos... Lynn and Clive wreck a famous comedian's car, which bursts into flames on a motorway, but get miraculously rescued by their co-author Stephen Prior (and incomprehensible firefighters). After speaking at a weird conference in Blackpool they encounter New Age Nazis. Their van breaks down on the return journey, but they might as well have been down the rabbit hole with Alice. Lynn looks back in awe and amazement at a whole series of small, interwoven miracles that literally saved her and Clive, over and over... Do the gods like them after all?

Icke is infamous for his strident allegations that not only is the world secretly ruled by Luciferian extraterrestrials, but that world leaders - including the British royal family - are alien reptiles who can shapeshift into human form. How did he get there? Was he onto something? Or is Icke himself, as some believe, being manipulated by shadowy forces with a political agenda of a much more Earthly kind? Following the trail uncovers some important - not to mention scary - implications.

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In this part, they examine how, as the now alien-infused superconspiracy theory pinged back across the Atlantic in the 1990s, the ET elements found an even more receptive audience than in the USA - and merged with a variety of European esoteric, New Age and even political ideas. At the centre of this evolution were the interconnected theories of the two most influential - and controversial - names in today's European conspiracism: Germany's Jan van Helsing and Britain's David Icke.

To subscribe, see Lynn and Clive's Patreon page.

Lynn and Clive meet Erich von Däniken and even speak at his Ancient Astronaut Society... Lynn appears on TV with a Dr Who companion... but her decades-long correspondence with Sir David Attenborough - 'call me David' - ends with a sad whimper... L&C launch The Stargate Conspiracy in the run-up to the Millennium and certain big-name authors they criticise really kick off...

Details of the season's run will follow when they're available.

In this feature, L&C look at one of the most influential books on the superconspiracy theory: Milton William Cooper's 1991 Behold a Pale Horse. It wasn't only the direct inspiration for conspiracist stars such as Alex Jones and David Icke, but also had a significant cultural impact, influencing both far-right extremists - with tragic consequences - and hip hop culture.

And it provided the final part of the superconspiracy puzzle: enter extraterrestrials and UFOs...

Lynn and Clive's The Stargate Conspiracy manages to help rock the very conference circuit they loved and depended on (and which sometimes reduced them to hysterical laughter, admittedly). There's the extraordinary tale of the Psychic Questers, introducing the pioneering cast of one-off characters who quested for - and found - the now-legendary Green Stone, plus musings on what might underlie many psychic phenomena. And Lynn meets a truly amazing woman, a future close friend - and a remarkable friend of the Weird...

In this feature, the story reaches the point when the superconspiracy breaks out of the tight little subcultures that nurtured it and really goes public. L&C explore two key new themes that emerged in the 1980s: the belief in special bloodlines and 'psychodramas', the idea that world-changing events such as the JFK assassination are essentially magical rituals - with the conspiracy theories that follow being an essential ingredient...

If one image screams 'conspiracy' and 'secret rulers', it's the one that stares out – literally – from the US dollar bill. It's that unfinished pyramid with thirteen steps and hovering above it a hologram-like, glowing triangle from which a single wide-open eye coolly observes us. And then there's that Latin motto under the pyramid, Novus ordo seclorum - 'New Order of the Ages'... a coded reference to the sinister New World Order? Whatever your views on the superconspiracy theory, it's almost impossible to look at the image without thinking 'Illuminati' and/or 'Freemasons'. So what's the truth behind it? The answer, as L&C show, is surprising for both conspiracy believers and sceptics…

'Despite having written a highly critical book about the royal family - War of the Windsors, co-authored with Stephen Prior, with additional research by Robert Brydon - we are genuinely saddened at the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She was the shining example of duty and decency, besides humour and grace, not only to the world, but also - hopefully - to her own family.'

In this, she and Clive seriously upset a major American military player with their talk at the Templar Lodge Hotel near Edinburgh - but make important friends. And their ex-MI5 host invites them to co-author a book about the Rudolf Hess mystery, claiming it is intertwined with the peculiar death of the Queen's uncle, the Duke of Kent, in 1942. It's got to be a bestseller, surely! What could possibly go wrong?

In this feature, they look at the classic 1975 work that fused the 1960s' far-right and counterculture conspiracy theories together and brought the Illuminati to a whole new international audience in a way that would shape everything that came after.

Ironically, it was a satire that set out to parody not just conspiracy theories but a whole lot more - and like all satires there was a serious point behind the humour...

In this, she appears on BBC2's Weird Night, which features a friend's jaw-dropping coincidence. She and Clive visit Uri Geller who shows them private footage of his amazing experiments at the Stanford Research Institute. She suddenly spots da Vinci's enormous joke in his 'Virgin of the Rocks' - what a VERY naughty boy he was! And she's invited to lecture at the Templar Lodge Hotel in Scotland where she meets the ex-spy who would change her and Clive's lives...

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L&C are particularly proud that it's remained in print in the UK, USA and many other countries for a quarter of a century, with an updated edition in 2007.

L&C describe how Sinziana made the journey from astrophysics to hypnotherapy, and how she uses each to shed light on the other - besides providing customised and insightful therapy for individuals, as Lynn can attest...

As it's a favourite place, full of magick and magickal people with very warm hearts and vast esoteric knowledge, they did the shop proud, especially celebrating its owners, two generations of female Beskins - Geraldine and Bali - friends and inspirations.

Lynn appears in three episodes:

26 July – Satanic Encounters

23 August – Sacred Bones

27 September – Secrets of Abandoned Places

All this is in the latest episode of Lynn's memoirs, The Unchosen at Number 15, out today exclusively for her patrons on Patreon.

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The article looks at the influence of ancient astronaut theories on the Stargate film and TV franchise - and vice versa.

Great success - and a revelation! - at Lynn's Turin Shroud exhibit at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television... weirdness in Bronte-land... off to Egypt in the wake of a tourist massacre... what is the Great Pyramid? Could aliens have built it?... could a terrifying running man be armed?... an eccentric taxi driver... caught in a howling sandstorm...

It's a deeply tragic story, bound up with the greatest horror of the century, but it involves colourful characters such as 'the first lady of conspiratology' and even the 'Greatest Briton of all time'. And as usual the story is more complicated than both believers and debunkers of conspiracy theory want us to think...

Thanks to producers Jean Donohue and Fred Johnson, and the crew, for a stress-free and enjoyable shoot.

From very unpromising beginnings, through its campaign to infiltrate Freemasonry, the Order of the Illuminati had managed to inveigle itself unto the heart of the Bavarian Establishment and grab a degree of influence. However, that very success was to bring about their downfall: they became too conspicuous, inevitably attracting the attention of the watchful authorities. And because of that they were to suffer a spectacular fall – while ironically a myth was woven around them that grew into the 21st-century legend of their sinister all-powerful presence in our lives.

Lynn and Clive encounter not only hostility from a certain 'Shroudie' society, but also hysterically funny surreality. Lynn finally snaps and takes the story of their Leonardo/Shroud research and the shenanigans of that society to a major London newspaper - but it also mentions her affair with Ian. The fallout includes her being physically ejected from a meeting (while trying not to laugh) - but much more significantly there's the offer of a book deal from a major publisher. Lynn's life as a co-author with Clive begins...

With the emergence of the Order of the Illuminati in 18th century Bavaria, all the pieces were on the board on which pretty much all the sensational super-conspiracy theory games would be played out. Because of the Illuminati's stellar role in conspiracy thinking, it's fascinating to rewind and explore their origins. After all, they're the foundation for a whole superstructure - but if the foundation was shaky then everything that came after had better fasten its safety belt...

L&C are thrilled to have yet another international readership...

As suspicions about Freemasonry spread during the increasingly conspiracy-minded Europe of the 18th century, the mirror-image relationship between those promoting a conspiracy theory and their targets becomes even more convoluted. It ends up resembling a hall of mirrors, with reflections all over the place - many of them very distorted. The Jesuits - the Society of Jesus - are at the centre of the story, both as promoters and targets of conspiracies. And sometimes they were even accused of being behind the very conspiracies they were trying to expose! Today's conspiracy culture begins to look tame by comparison...

Among the Usual Suspects widely believed to be great conspirators are the Freemasons. They're still routinely accused of dreadful, even Satanic, plotting behind their mysterious lodge doors - but what's the truth about these favourite bogeymen? In this feature L&C ask where they came from, how they rose to power and the nature of their great appeal.

Everyday life is grim. Lynn is broke and collapses after being yelled at by a tax inspector. But on another level life is becoming exciting and magical. She and Clive start serious research into the Turin Shroud - a medieval or early Renaissance fake, yes, but the most amazing hoax ever. As there's no paint on it, how was it created? And as the image 'behaves like a photograph' could that be an incredible clue? And why does Leonardo da Vinci's name keeping cropping up in this context? Could it even be that the Shroud of Turin is actually a da Vinci selfie? This is just the start of their complex, profound and often surreal journey, partially inspired by a mystery man just called 'Giovanni'...

'Satanic Encounters' explores the belief in the existence of Satan - is he just a myth or does he really have the power to create mayhem in the world? Among the other contributors are professor of religion Joseph Laycock, sociologist Christopher Bader and exorcist Stephen Rossetti.

Lynn will be appearing in three episodes: the opening 'The Hunt for Hidden Treasures', 'Satanic Encounters' on 12 November, and 'Sacred Bones' on 10 December.

The season will also be available for download/streaming on Amazon in the USA.

'Invisibles Through the Looking Glass' details the very first appearance of the classic scenario of a secret cabal of sinister occultists - a many-tentacled organisation controlling cells across different nations - working to subvert society under the orders of the Devil himself. Or so it was believed.

And they look at an organisation that was pretty much the inventor of the modern super-conspiracy theory besides - ironically - becoming a target itself.

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In this, she observes the weirdest little man in a restaurant - who probably wasn't actually there. There's evidence of amazing psychic ability. Ill-advisedly Lynn goes on a New Age retreat to south-western France at a grim venue with Dickensian standards, where there's a mutiny against the group leader, the vision of a demon at the famous church in Rennes-le-Chàteau, and a Dark Night of the Soul followed by a hideous, mind-messing fog. An unexpected angel rescues Lynn from a nightmare companion. Then it's back to reality...

But there's a big personal question - are Lynn and Clive themselves conspiracy theorists...?

The big opening night of 'The Unexplained', the exhibition Lynn guest-curated for the Royal Photographic Society in Bath, is a great success, with VIP Uri Geller's last-minute metal bending being little short of literally awesome. Lynn's offer of interviewing Ian about reincarnation seriously backfires, as he and The Wife set up a trap - though it proves just as cruel for her. Then the far past reasserts itself curiously: the battle between Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci is played out in microcosm, preparing the path for Lynn and Clive's big discoveries (and, indeed, for The Da Vinci Code)...

They delve into the evidence that early Gnostic texts revealing the true role of the Magdalene in Jesus' ministry - and life - were circulating secretly in medieval Europe. L&C suggest that they influenced the symbolism of Margaret's major architectural legacy, the church in Savoy that is her final resting place - and that she may literally have taken her secret to the grave...

Bard will also be publishing a translation of The Forbidden Universe early next year.

Startling racism, abuse of confidentiality and Princess Diana's secrets revealed by a close associate; a glorious year at the Groucho Club; shocking revelations of ritual sexual abuse at a religious school from a close friend; and an invitation to guest-curate the Royal Photographic Society's exhibition, 'The Unexplained' - starring the Turin Shroud...

Lynn and Clive look at her place in the power politics of her day - such as her part in negotiating the Paix des Dames of 1529 between France and the Holy Roman Empire - and her patronage of art, literature and music. Margaret's use of art to send a political message leads L&C to consider the implications of the recent discovery that paintings of Mary Magdalene produced under her patronage are, in fact, 'crypto-portraits' of Margaret herself.

A food tasting of snake and alligator marks Lynn's entry into TV. As Nessie 'expert' she films for children's TV, complete with inexplicable Groucho Marx crouch. When promoting her Encyclopaedia of the Paranormal, Lynn falls foul of Sky News' Kay Burley. As the 'UK's Only Paranormal Agony Aunt' on LBC she takes calls from 'Sven', who turns out to be Peter Cook, before getting fired from Radio 5 for legal reasons. She meets her hero, TV comedy writer and 80s star Peter Tilbury, who soon becomes her boyfriend, while Rex scarily ups his game as her stalker. And a completely pivotal event is about to unfold...

In the first, they look at Margaret, Archduchess of Austria's irresistible rise in the power politics of 16th century Europe, before turning to her immense cultural influence through her patronage of art, literature and music - and what it tells us about her own intriguing beliefs. And - for obvious reasons, being them - L&C focus on her devotion to Mary Magdalene, and the recent discovery that portraits of the saint created at her court were actually 'crypto-portraits' of Margaret herself.

The second delves further into the reasons for Margaret identifying herself with the Magdalene: was it based on the traditional Christian image of the saint or Gnostic ideas about her kept alive by heretical sects? And new research into her funeral monument has not only revealed that she - literally - took her secret to the grave but also something else quite astonishing...

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In this, she wonders if she has accidentally discovered the cure for the common cold. And, inevitably, she goes yet further down the rabbit hole of Ian's bizarre world: he expects The Wife to choose a flat for him to share with Lynn and then accuses Lynn of magically killing his father. Rex raises eyebrows at a former top model's weekend course, and Lynn finishes with him - or so she thinks. She and Clive start to focus on the Turin Shroud, when almost everyone else has gone off it, en route to their startling discoveries....

In this first feature about her, they explore in more detail a remarkable book - dedicated to Margaret - that they discussed The Templar Revelation. 1529's On the Nobility and Pre-eminence of the Female Sex by the great occult philosopher Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa argued that women were not only the equal of, but superior to, men! Margaret's patronage of Agrippa raises important questions about her own beliefs.

Margaret of Austria was a member of the immensely powerful Habsburg dynasty, wielding real authority on behalf of two Emperors. And through her hands-on patronage of artists, writers and religious reformers she even embodied the spirit of the age. But that's not all - Margaret was also patron of occultists, alchemists and magicians, including the great Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. She was also utterly devoted to Mary Magdalene – but not for the more obvious pious reasons. And there was also the little matter of Margaret being a role model to the young Anne Boleyn…

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As the 1980s draw to a close, Lynn takes part in past life hypnotic regression experiments – was she really an infamous fraudulent medium from 19th-century London? She muses upon the most persuasive case for reincarnation ever - Jenny Cockell and her 'lost' Irish family. She discovers Rex's very dark side as he sets up cameras to spy on her, and tells how the champion of the 'Shroud' of Turin proposed to her on their second illicit date - all doomed, but somehow all fated to happen! And she meets a young man called Clive Prince...

L&C discuss the exciting discoveries in When God Had a Wife about the original importance of the sacred feminine in Judaism and Christianity - and how both religions cynically and deliberately - suppressed it.

In 2011 the sensational discovery of a long-lost painting by Leonardo da Vinci was announced to a world still in the grip of Da Vinci Code mania. This 'new' da Vinci, a distinctly unsettling depiction of Christ, is the Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World). Nothing about it was straightforward - and it still isn't. The questions just keep coming... Where was it for the last 500 years? Where is it now - and who really owns it? Is it a genuine Leonardo, or was its provenance overstated to inflate its value? Could it even be a fake?

L&C examine all those questions, which are, however, merely the preamble - though fascinating in its own right - to a much more significant revelation about the Salvator Mundi.

The show goes out on Saturday, 31 July on Cliff's Earth Ancients web site, and will be available on the archive afterwards.

It continues the story of her time as a freelance features writer on Best magazine, highlighting some of her amazing colleagues - including the Charlotte Brontë lookalike who is actually a descendant of the family (and also a successful novelist!). Lynn also learns hands-on healing from the most tested healer in the world, former 'poltergeist boy' Matthew Manning - and relates the baffling and unpleasant end to their partnership. But did she really heal that woman of a tumour overnight? The woman thought so - but then blanked Lynn as a 'witch'. And Lynn meets Ian Wilson, champion of the Shroud of Turin, who will turn her world upside down and usher in a whole new life...

Published by Howes' Whole Story imprint, the unabridged audiobook is read by actor David Timson.

Many thanks to Kathryn Sephton at Howes for organising the renewal.

Excited by her first book deal, eventually she produces Flights of Fancy? - a collection of paranormal oddities – and goes on a PR tour. There's hilarity with an old friend, then a quiz show where she falls foul of Gyles Brandreth. TV again, with lovely Fern Britton and Jilly Cooper (fans) and Julia Foster (very much not a fan!). Lynn becomes a feature writer on the new Best women's magazine, and a mystery phone call worries her about her increasingly controlling lover...

In this feature, L&C show how the belief in - and even training for - female power was handed down through the generations by a network of highly-placed female leaders, particularly focusing on two remarkable Annes who left their mark on Early Renaissance France - and much else....

Anne of France, daughter of the 'universal spider' King Louis XI and regent for her young brother Charles VIII, was a remarkable power broker, known as 'Madame la Grande'. Through her schemes and remorseless networking she even created the Tudor dynasty in England! She also built a female power matrix - from which emerged the next generation of women of power.

Then there's Anne of Brittany, twice Queen of France, and a big importer of the cream of Italian Renaissance culture as patroness of poets, artists and musicians. But she had quite another side – also supporting alchemists, astrologers and occult philosophers, including the enigmatic and significant Jean Perréal.

While addressing those big questions, to L&C there's something much, much more interesting about this singularly important artwork... In fact, it's their 'smoking gun' - hard evidence to back up their claim that Leonardo faked the Shroud of Turin. They present new evidence linking the two creations, not to mention certain rather exquisite ironies...

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In this episode: Lynn's new boss humiliates her publicly - then extraordinary phenomena drive her out of her flat; she very nearly oversees the dismantling of a Dickens' First Edition (from the London Library); she is temporarily paralysed; and then she finally gets made redundant - but a famous publishing house asks her to write a book about the paranormal - and a whole new era begins...

The opening feature, 'The City of Ladies', focuses on Christine de Pizan, Europe's first professional female writer, no less, whose story also involves great names such as Joan of Arc - and some less well known women of the time.

For exclusive twice-monthly instalments of The Unchosen at Number 15, sign up to Lynn’s story on Patreon.

It's a story that involves modern-day Templars and international intelligence agencies - and they weren't even the problem!

Early June – The Untold Story Behind Double Standards: The Rudolf Hess Cover-Up: May 2021 marked 20 years since the launch of Double Standards, co-written with Stephen Prior and Robert Brydon, on the enduring wartime mystery of the flight of Hitler's Deputy Führer, Rudolf Hess, to Scotland in May 1941. A week after its first publication, Double Standards was withdrawn from shops and libraries - and all copies pulped. The full story behind that episode has never been told, but now that two decades have passed, and most of those involved are, sadly, no longer with us, L&C feel that the time is right to reveal how a legal action by the Grand Master of the Knights Templar lay behind it (no, really!). And that's not even the strangest part...

Mid-June - Women of Power, Part 1: Returning to a key theme of their current research, L&C look at a long-neglected aspect of the power politics of Renaissance Europe: the rise of women to positions of political power and cultural influence, and how they changed the course of history, not just through their roles in landmark events but also by championing religious reformation and their bold thinking that included empowering esoteric philosophies.

In the first part L&C concentrate on the queens and queens regent who wielded unprecedented power in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century France - and the very special woman whose writings inspired them.

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In this episode, which continues the story of Lynn's life in the 1980s, her Mum gets increasingly creepy and scary paranormal events surround her: a totally different personality, 'Professor Mum', emerges, only too briefly, and Lynn experiences very real fears her mother will murder her (or she will murder her mother). Lynn remembers her gay friend and rising star of the British theatre, Edward Duke - dead at 40 of AIDS. There's a champagne evening to remember, her job takes a turn for the worse - and is her new boyfriend quite what he seems?

It was good to be back among old friends, especially after such a prolonged break. Thanks to Joy and Chris Millar and Julia for keeping the flag flying - especially in such difficult times - and organising such an enjoyable event.

L&C's twice-monthly features are available exclusively to their patrons on Patreon.

In this packed episode: Lynn joins the oldest actors' club in the world; her (very quickly ex-)boyfriend turns out to be a Nazi; she becomes Editor of a Coronation Street publication, and romps with the soap's flamboyant creator, Tony Warren, but falls foul of 'Bet Lynch' (actress Julie Goodyear); she has breakfast with Miss Marple and coffee with Nigel Havers; TV's Sherlock Holmes lies sobbing in a hotel bed; she moves to the world-famous Abbey Road; and has a chilling encounter with her Mum's creepy dolls...

Although announced as the last part, L&C have found so much more to say that there will now be a third and final instalment to the miniseries, which will be out on 16 May. They are holding over their feature on the untold story behind Double Standards: The Rudolf Hess Cover-Up until June.

5 May - The Forbidden Universe 10 Years On: The Search for the Mind of God (Part 2): In the final part of their update of The Forbidden Universe, exploring the parallels between today's science and the Hermetic philosophy, L&C look at developments over the last decade in the great mysteries about the origins and evolution of life, the nature of consciousness and its relationship to the physical world, and growing challenges to the prevailing 'physicalist' worldview that are doing something amazing... they are letting magic back in.

16 May - The Untold Story Behind Double Standards: The Rudolf Hess Cover-Up: This month sees the 80th anniversary of the flight of Hitler's Deputy Führer, Rudolf Hess, to Scotland on 10 May 1941 - and it's also 20 years since the launch of L&C's book Double Standards, co-written with Stephen Prior and Robert Brydon, on the enduring wartime mystery. A week after its first publication in April 2001, Double Standards was withdrawn from shops and libraries - and all copies pulped. The full story behind that episode has never been told, but now that two decades have passed, and most of those involved are, sadly, no longer with us, L&C feel that the time is right to reveal how a legal action by the Grand Master of the Knights Templar lay behind it (no, really!). And that's not even the strangest part...

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This feature concentrates on the great cosmological mysteries explored in the book, which challenge the conventional assumption that the origins and evolution of the universe can, as Stephen Hawking put it, be explained by 'luck and probability', and which even suggest an element of purpose in the cosmos.

For those who missed it, the show will be available on Where Did the Road Go? archive in about a week.

The series is available on Amazon Prime Video in the USA.

Date podcast goes live to be announced shortly.

Published by Alma dos Livros, it's a fresh translation that includes an extensive update, based on the UK 10th anniversary edition (not previously available in Portugal) but with even newer material updating the update.

Many thanks to all at Alma dos Livros, especially Sara Nabais, for their work in getting the book out in very difficult times.

House-sitting in upscale Chelsea brings the horror of the Mystery of the Wall That Disappears in the Night; Lynn hosts visits from two stars of the heretical science scene - with rather different outcomes; controversial medium Doris Stokes gives astonishing evidence of her powers at a private demonstration, while psychic Coral Polge delivers a distressing message apparently from Lynn's dead father; the second person ever to hear the truth about the Cottingley Fairy Photograph hoax, Lynn discovers there's a very telling twist that's usually overlooked…

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This landmark also makes L&C's thoughts turn to Stephen and Bob, both of whom are no longer with us. Stephen passed away in 2003 and Bob in 2014.

Not only is it one of L&C's most controversial works (and that's saying something) but also the one with the most chequered history: the first edition was withdrawn and pulped as the result of a legal challenge - the full story of which has yet to be told.

This details new discoveries and the latest thinking about two giants of the scientific revolution, Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton, and on the true relationship between the occult philosophy and the birth of science - taking the story even further.

1 April – The Occult Origins of Science (Part Two): Continuing their review of new research into the impact of the Hermetic philosophy on the scientific revolution, L&C revisit enigmatic references to 'Antilia', a group connected with the origins of the Rosicrucian movement. They also look at the latest scholarship on the magical obsessions of Francis Bacon and Isaac Newton - besides the emerging academic trend that reveals the influence of the occult philosophy on science went even further than L&C thought...

16 April – The Search for the Mind of God: Moving on to the second part of The Forbidden Universe, exploring cutting-edge scientific discoveries and thinking in cosmology and quantum physics that seem to be confirming the vision of the Hermetic philosophy, in this feature L&C look at new developments in the last decade.

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'The Hidden Side of the Prado' examines some of the esoteric symbolism encoded in the gallery's 'arcanon' (arcane canon), such as Hieronymus Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights and Velasquez's Las Meninas, before going on to explore the reasons for the symbiotic relationship between art and magic - long an interest of L&C's.

The book explores the relationship between science and 'occult' philosophies, primarily as set out in the Hermetic texts. It shows just how big a debt the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries owes to them - and how the latest discoveries and thinking in today's science, especially cosmology and quantum physics, are uncannily fitting in with the ancient Hermetic vision.

L&C are currently publishing a series of updates to The Forbidden Universe, with new developments in the story over the last ten years, for their readers on Patreon.

In this part, she tells of the joys of the great Cambridge conference where US military came psychic talent spotting, relates the tale of the poltergeist that slashed with an invisible razor, and shares confidences about Prince Philip's private suppers to discuss the paranormal. There's the Near Death Experience that was bang on time to help her dying father, and terrible scenes with her Mum - did she actually kill her Dad? The doctor suspected she had... And in his last days, did her father leer at her? She is deeply disturbed...

Thanks to Laura and Paul for making it happen.

The talk will be available online shortly.

They start with the book's Part One, which explores the critical influence of the Renaissance occult philosophy - especially the books of the Hermetica - on the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries. They set out new historical research on the surprising impact of apocalyptic expectations on the era - the world was going to end! - plus the real reason a 15th-century pope had images of ancient Egyptian gods painted in his personal apartments in the Vatican, and reveal new evidence for a plot to subvert the Catholic Church from within Rome itself, in which a remarkable woman of the age played a key role. With more to follow on 1 April.

In this instalment, continuing the story of her years as Deputy Editor of The Unexplained, more paranormal cases crash the Boggle Barrier, including the group that created a ghost and the woman whose imaginary beings became so real other people saw them. Lynn shares memories of her friends, the rackety but lovely Frank Smyth, whose completely fictitious ghost story famously took on a life of its own, and the eccentric Brian Inglis and his extreme aversion to non-drinkers. She suffers from alcohol poisoning (deservedly) but gets cured by a psychic healer, experiences the aftermath of the Brixton riots, and attends a great Cambridge conference where US military come psychic talent-spotting...

L&C detail recent discoveries about this extraordinary woman that shed surprising new light on Leonardo da Vinci's last great project, besides cutting-edge research that provides some missing pieces to the puzzle in their very first book, Turin Shroud: How Leonardo da Vinci Fooled History.

Lynn and Clive send their best wishes to their friends at Alma dos Libros and hope they and their families get through this particularly grim time safely.

1 March - A Woman of Power (Part Two): Continuing their celebration of the amazing Louise of Savoy, Lynn and Clive turn to her role as Leonardo da Vinci's last patron and inspiration, and her great project that enticed him to France. And excitingly, Leonardo's connections with the French court also enable L&C to close the loop on some of their earliest discoveries.

16 March – The Forbidden Universe 10 Years On: Part One – The Occult Origins of Science: This month marks the 10th anniversary of the publication of The Forbidden Universe – always a good time to check how a book has stood the test of time. In this feature L&C look at its first part - on the long-denied inspiration of certain occult texts for the Scientific Revolution, and presenting new evidence that has sometimes surprising insights for their work.

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Because of her job as Deputy Editor of The Unexplained, Lynn encounters many classic paranormal cases, including the still-controversial Enfield Poltergeist... and discovers - far, far too late and very bizarrely - that one of its investigators had feelings for her. And that he was a spy. She takes part in a classic telepathy experiment at Cambridge University with very thought-provoking results.

The all-day conference, followed by a dinner for Society members and speakers, will (hopefully) be at the National Musical Museum in Brentford, Middlesex. For full details see the Saunière Society web site.

This part explores Louise's political power and long-neglected influence on history, and her use of magic in court rituals, setting the scene for the real story behind Leonardo da Vinci's move from Italy to the French court.

Gary probes L&C's thoughts on Hermeticism and the occult origins of science, the nature of reality, entities, magical thinking, free will, ancient Egypt, lost civilisations, the Templars, bloodlines, and other deep subjects.

Many thanks to Gary for the invitation.

As the 1980s begin, Lynn gets her dream job as Deputy Editor of The Unexplained, working with the likes of Colin Wilson and J. Allen Hynek - and even she is astounded by the drinking culture she's now working in. Once again, she is in genuinely life-threatening trouble from a tiger - without leaving England. On holiday she witnesses an act of Serb/Croat cruelty. She finds UFOs boring - until she sees one. As her marriage deteriorates the paranormal escalates around her, while life is about to get a whole lot more interesting - not to mention weirder...

Giving an insight into their research for The Templar Revelation, Lynn and Clive describe how their search for the truth behind an account of an alleged 19th-century encounter with an immortal Flamel led them into a very strange world of deliberate intrigue, dead ends, half-truths and outright mischief-making - and to confront the mystery of one of the most enigmatic of European secret societies.

The two-hour talk, via Zoom, is on Sunday, 21 March, at 9am Pacific Time (5pm in the UK). For details on how to join in, see the Cuyamungue Institute web site.

Thanks to Laura Lee and Paul Robear for the invitation.

1 February - Nicolas Flamel and the Lying Raven (Part Two) In the second part L&C show how their attempts to unravel the story of Nicolas Flamel, and his appearance on the Grand Masters' list of the controversial Priory of Sion, led them to a very modern, but equally intricate scenario, plummeting them into a bizarre world of apparently pointlessly elaborate intrigue - layer upon layer of it, which just kept on coming…

16 February - A Woman of Power: The Remarkable Triumphs of Louise of Savoy - Leonardo's Last Inspiration Picking up on a theme of their feature 'Bad Omens: Fear and Apocalyptic Angst in Elizabethan England' - the unprecedented rise of women to positions of power across sixteenth-century Europe - Lynn and Clive look at one particular example. Louise of Savoy exercised considerable authority not just politically but also over artistic, cultural and even occult circles. And recognising her true achievements sheds new light on L&C's favourite, Leonardo da Vinci, closing the loop on some of their earliest research. In Part One, they examine the life of this extraordinary female influencer, setting the scene for revelations about Leonardo's true role at the French royal court.

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Living up to its name, the show ranged over all manner of subjects sparked off by L&C's books: Hermeticism, the nature of reality, magical thinking, Templars, Atlantis, free will, and many more. Big thanks to Gary for the invitation, and making it a very enjoyable - and thought-provoking - couple of hours.

The podcast will be online in a couple of weeks.

Based in New Mexico, the Cuyamungue Institute, inspired by the work of anthropologist Felicitas D. Goodman, is committed to transforming consciousness through the ancient wisdom of ecstatic trance postures.

The session will be available shortly as a podcast on the Institute's web site.

Thanks to President Paul Robear and Director of Research and Outreach Laura Lee for making it a fun experience, and to David Elkington for the introduction.

The show is being broadcast by History in the USA only.

In this instalment: Lynn gets married under odd - and somewhat unpromising - circumstances; becomes Editor of a 'relationships' (soft porn) publication and employs a prostitute; meets her real mother; hovers on the verge of a breakdown; gets fired by her bitch-boss, but is briefly comforted by Tommy Cooper (yes, really); she falls out bigtime with her born-again sister-in-law; becomes a housewife (!) but gets approached to become a spy; and a viscount shows her his piggeries...

If all that isn't enough of a tease, what is? To learn more, become Lynn's patron.

Their examination of Flamel's history and the growth of his legend sets the scene for their own experiences in the head-spinning world of French esoteric orders during their research for The Templar Revelation.

To become patrons and receive twice-monthly exclusive features from Lynn and Clive, click here.

In this, she smashes eggs over her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend in front of his boss, finally meets her birth family (apart from her mother), joins the Not Terribly Good Club of Great Britain (but is seriously over-qualified for membership), and makes two of the gravest mistakes of her life: she gets drawn into the vicious and murky world of 1970s politics - and into marriage...

Lynn and Clive's features, giving updates to their books and insights into their ongoing research, are available exclusively to their supporters on Patreon.

The series will also be available on Amazon Prime, again in the USA only. There's no news yet on a UK screening.

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