This month vanea had an opportunity to interview someone that is known to many in the Gorean community. So far the interviews have all been of the male gender…but not this month. This month we will learn a bit more of a female we know as Mistress Opal. For any who have not had the opportunity to meet or speak with Mistress Opal, vanea will tell you that Mistress Opal is the FreeCompanion of Master Pantheus.

Mistress Opal was born in Perth, Western Australia. She tells vanea that it was a very long time ago but no birthday was mentioned. vanea is sure it couldn’t have been that many years ago…grin. Her home is now in Paradise, California. Now isn’t that a nice name for a city. Relocation to California came about two years ago. "Well, I was Pantheus’ free companion online, I came here on holiday to meet him in December 1997, and as they say, the rest is history", says Mistress Opal.

vanea asked what her profession was and got a most interesting reply. "Does professional freecompanion count?", asked Mistress Opal. vanea is not sure but if Mistress says it is then it counts, especially after Mistress Opal says a "freecompanions work is NEVER done"….that sounds pretty much like a life profession to vanea.

Mistress Opal used to chat on the www at a place called NetCentral, but it was so slow. She had the irc program on her computer, so one day she tried it out and here she has been since. This was about 4 years ago. Back about that time she was the product of about 30 years of hell. A broken, battered woman with no self-esteem and a feeling of despair. She will tell you that this was definitely not a good reason to be on Gor, but here she was.

One of the first channels she visited was Silk&Steel. She was dared by a vanilla friend to go there and was collared the very first night. She did not stay there. After a couple of weeks she was scared witless and ran like hell, which also earned her a ban from there. She has worn two collars which she considered disastrous.

Something good happened in that time though. She says, "because of my exposure to Gor, I gained strength, strength enough to get out of the death throes of my failed marriage…something I had tried many times in those years to do, but lacked the courage to achieve."

Shortly after that, Mistress Opal met Master Pantheus, a man she had admired for some time. She begged his collar and wore it proudly albeit only for a couple of months. Mistress Opal says, "Pantheus saw in me, something others and certainly I had not seen. Yes, I knew I was submissive but he saw a growing self-confidence. He was aware of some qualities in me that he wished to be his alone. In March, 1997, after many hours of discussing this together, and me at last knowing that I was only submissive and not a true slave, he freed me from his collar. He took me as his FC and we have been companioned ever since."

This event of meeting, and becoming FC to Master Pantheus is considered by Mistress Opal as saving her life and sanity. Mistress Opal says, "Why would I not look up to him and give him my all? We have just renewed our companionship for the third time and in a few months we will celebrate our second wedding anniversary." Mistress Opal has no slaves, says she doesn’t have a need for any and enjoys looking after Master Pantheus and their home.

Mistress Opal left behind a family, one who knows of her lifestyle and commitments to Master Pantheus. They may not really understand it all that well but have come to accept it, especially after seeing a big change in her. They can now see her happy and with self-esteem, something that was rare or gone before. Her family just wants her to be happy so that’s good enough for them. Actually, after they finally got the opportunity to meet Master Pantheus in person it was all much easier to accept. They all care very much for him and are happy that Mistress Opal has found true happiness.

Mistress Opal shared this with us about her family. "My son and his wife are both sergeants in the Royal Australian Air force and they have a son who will be turning 6 soon. They are stationed in Darwin in the Northern Territory. I have just heard my grandson played his first game of Aussie Rules. They hope to visit us for Christmas this year. My daughter and her husband have a little girl who will turn 3 shortly. They live in a small mining town in the center of Western Australia. My daughter is camp manager and my son-in-law has just completed an adult apprenticeship as an electrician. Both are employed by the same gold mine. My granddaughter is the most beautiful child who absolutely adores Pantheus. She will get on the phone and say" hiya Nana…where’s Poppy?"… too bad about me, Pantheus has won her heart! Needless to say I love my kids with all my heart and I am so very proud of them. I do not really miss living in Australia. I do miss my Mum and kids naturally, but I am very happy here".

"The only thing that I dislike about the USA in comparison to Australia is health insurance. It is so expensive. I am used to socialized medicine. In Australia, most medical procedures are covered for everyone by Medicare, and private health insurance to cover other things such as private hospital, optical, dental, and specialized services is reasonable."

In the 70’s, Mistress Opal had read a couple of Norman’s books. She had two small children to raise and three businesses to run at that time so the philosophy did not sink in, the books were just a read. She thinks some elements did lie in her subconscience, and because of that she thinks it was easy for her to embrace the lifestyle when the time was right for her.

Mistress Opal has read all of the books…several times and says she is about due to re-read them again. One of her favorite books is the Tribesman of Gor. Mistress Opal said, " I think coming from Western Australia, where the whole state is practically sand, struck a cord. My daughter lives in a small town on the edge of a desert with tribes of nomad aboriginals in the vicinity. The town is akin to an oasis and the camaraderie of the people there reminds me of those characters in the book, it has to be so in order for the town to survive. Also in a previous life I had a lot to do with people from the Mediterranean so the customs/traditions are familiar to me".

Her least favorite book of the series is Hunters of Gor. She is not sure why, but found this book a hard read. vanea smiles as vanea also is finding it a hard read.

One question vanea finds interesting to know from people in the lifestyle is just what does it mean to them to be "Gorean" and if they consider themselves Gorean. Mistress Opal says it means freedom to her, standing up for what she believes in, and to like herself for what she is. As far as if she is Gorean, she has this to say. " I am not from a fictional planet. Sometimes I wonder, especially when I look around at other freewomen here. I see them engaging in cybersex and at the same time extolling how they are faithful to their husbands. The taking of underage slaves, the shouting how they do not need men to allow them to be free. In all I am mostly ashamed at their actions. I guess it is for other Goreans to judge me. I have been in this lifestyle seriously now for three plus years".

"I have spoken publicly many times on the subject of freecompanionship, looking at it from the books and from my experience. A freecompanion walks a middle road, she is not slave, she is free. She does not however, have the same freedoms that single freewomen do. Her companion will be judged on her behavior. She may or may not be under the discipline of her companion but she is certainly under his direction".

"What people do in their relationship behind closed doors is their own business, it is unnecessary to flaunt their private lives in front of others. Companionship is more than a sexual attraction. If sex is the only binding thing between two people then that relationship is doomed to failure. It must be more, there might be times of illness or hardship that sometimes put sex on a backburner and the relationship itself overcomes these obstacles. We are all growing older whether we like it or not and sex becomes not so important as it did when we were in our prime. The relationship has to endure, this is what being true companions is all about."

Mistress Opal had a few comments on gamers or players we often hear mentioned on the Internet.

"They will always be around unfortunately. I just wish they would call themselves anything else but Gorean. I think however a lot of those now in this lifestyle came from gamer channels. They realized there was more to Gor than a game and sought it out. If someone is serious enough about our community they will seek it out, and because of their experiences can become a valuable member."

Do you think we all owe it to our community to give something back to it, Mistress Opal?

"Pantheus and I have gained so much from the philosophy and lifestyle. We consider it a privilege to give back to the community a little of what it has given us. Therefore we have our own domain   www.Pantheus.com and Pantheus along with good moderators operates, "The Gorean Public Boards", and of course this publication, "The Gorean Voice". I plod along and help where I can with these endeavors. I also have very large shoulders that I lend out to any that need them and often times they get pretty damp from kajira tears."

Do you have many people that you would call Gorean that live near you and Master Pantheus, Mistress Opal?

"Well, not in the immediate vicinity but Ragnar lives about 100 miles south of us, and many other Goreans just a bit further south than that. We have met quite a few and shared a kettle with them. It is always a joy to find people we speak to online in a Gorean setting to be the same offline as they are online. I guess this speaks for the philosophy itself, there is no pretense or sham amongst Goreans."

"This lifestyle is our life. I am by nature a submissive person, whilst Pantheus is a very strong man. We both have high ideals, and the philosophy has helped both of us understand ourselves. My life these days has done a complete 360-degree turn to what it used to be. I am happy, content and completely at peace with myself these days."

The funniest thing Mistress Opal can remember seeing in a channel was long ago in #Tahari-Oasis. There a slave was being particularly mouthy, one that likes to hear the sound of her own voice so to speak. One of the ops, Master TarnRider placed a vulo egg in her mouth and told her to keep it there for three days. The slave had to attend the channel, but could not speak. Mistress Opal thought that must have been agony for her but it worked so thought she would try it. Mistress Opal tried it once with another slave, but the slave misunderstood the intent and ate the egg.

Why do you not spend as much time online Mistress Opal as you once did?

"Well, I guess, at the moment I need a break from online. I was starting to become disenchanted at what I was seeing, and I do not like the way freewomen seem to be taking over. Save for a couple, they do not know their place, nor who they are. It seems most times I log on the channels are full of them extolling their Gorean-ness….I just cannot relate to them. But the main reason is, I am enjoying my life with Pantheus. Life is for living, not sitting around bemoaning how unfair it is."

What do you think of the state of online Gor, Mistress Opal?

"Apart from the gamers, I think online Gor is evolving as it should be. More people are meeting offline, there is more discussion and debate than ever before. The philosophy is now seen as a feasible way of living your life. Online Gor these days is so much more than the game/cybersex newbies/kids think it is."

When not online you might find Mistress Opal raking leaves, building a garden, stacking some firewood, building a fire, cooking, and latch hooking…what..a hooker??…vanea grins..You will still find Mistress Opal online some but mostly she has been messing around with graphic programs and now has one which she can design patterns for her hooking. Mistress Opal got involved in graphics actually by necessity. Master Pantheus told her to "do it" so she "does it". She will tell you she is no artist and never would profess to be one but she sure does a nice job, especially for The Voice. She also keeps in touch with her children and some old friends in Australia via email.

Mistress Opal you were once a slave..but Master Pantheus freed you in early 1997…why did he do this?

"Because it pleased him to do so. He saw more value in me as his companion than his slave. Though I did not understand this at the time, I understand now his reason, and our relationship is stronger than ever."

vanea ponders a moment…well how did it feel when you were freed, Mistress?

"Mixed emotions, I guess. I think Pantheus had to put in more time "training" me to be his freecompanion than he did to be his slave. It was a very scary time and I would not like to go through it again. Free and slaves alike messaging me, abusing me and calling me a switch was not a pleasant experience. What was funny though, was when Pantheus removed my collar, the channel was full of people I think the count was 53. No one knew that Pantheus was freeing me in order to take me his companion, and many slaves thought I was being released, so he could take a FC. They were actually crying offline and messaging Pantheus and I, telling us what an awful thing it was Pantheus was doing. One girl was begging to leave the channel because she was so upset."

OHHHHH almost forgot one interesting question…Why do you not drive in the USA, Mistress??

"Ha, Ha, Ha! Pantheus told you to ask me that didn’t he? Well for one thing you drive on the wrong side of the road. I am easily disoriented and can see myself in a collision. Anyhow, Panth and I always go everywhere together so I don’t need to drive. I guess in an emergency I would though."

vanea smiles, sticks her pencil behind her ear and whispers a soft thank you to Mistress Opal for sharing with all of us more of herself. See you all next month with a really special surprise…stay tuned…don’t touch that mouse…vanea winks. All suggestions, comments, and lots of guidance are always welcome. Just drop a line to this site and Master Pantheus will forward this to vanea. vanea wishes you all well.