Our Crest
The phoenix dates back to distant mythology. It was thought to be a magical bird as large as an eagle, with scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. It was said that only one phoenix existed at any one time. As its end approached, the phoenix made a nest of aromatic branches and spices, set it on fire, and was consumed in the flames. The next morning, from the ashes rose a new phoenix. Scholars regarded the bird as a metaphor for the sun as well as a being a symbol of immortality. Ancient Chinese, Sumerian, Assyrian, Egyptian, Incan and Aztec tales all tell of this fascinating creature.
A little closer to home, in the early 1900's, Rudolph Giloi started the Phoenix Garden Hotel in Kimberley. The owner's granddaughter is our very own Edna, who went on to marry David McLean (Edna and David bought Thelema in 1983). But that's not all as synchronicity would have it, the Webb family crest is also the phoenix. This can be traced back all the way to England in the 1700's.