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Well done Rocky

Three hours later and I've done less than half. But I must boast that one of my first ones was 4d.

I think I have the right answer for 22ac, though I didn't know it, but cannot parse it and haven't got 14d to confirm all the crossers. I have ??A?R?E? Are my crossers correct.

Is the definition for 13ac "dealing"? Is 12 across another writer. Can I have a hint please and for 8d.

I still have much of the top to fill in, though I did get 1d, when I worked out how to parse it. I have an answer for 23ac, but can't see where the first four letters come from.

Starting late due to storm-related power outage.
Thanks to Picaroon, but somewhat of an inconsistent puzzle. Perhaps not quite up to his usual (high) standard.
About 2/3 was extremely easy and went in at warp speed, but a handful of complex parsings / unfamiliar words extended solving time to above the norm.

FOI 5a, LOI 15 (though 13 took most of the solving time and provided the key crosser).

COD 25 over 2 and 15, also liked 9 and 1.

I should have added that I'm not a catholic and have no idea what Redpete's hint was for 10ac

Hi roof et al
I did know 22, probably from Harry Potter.
In 14 your R is wrong.
13 definition at the end of the clue.
12 is a "writer", but not a person!
8 you might see these mineral deposits underground.

10 is an occasionally used collective term for priests.

Hi Chris

Oh dear - one step forward and two backwards. I've read Harry Potter, but can't remember the word for Magic used there. And I'm not religious and the only collective term I can think of for priests is clergy - clearly not right.

Back to the drawing board, but I'm getting bored. I may just have hit on the answer to 12 ac, but still have to parse it.

I actually nearly said "collective term for the clergy"! There's another one.

Roof
Expanding on redpete’s hint:
a male priest can be referred to as ‘a man of *** *****’
Don’t know if that will help!

Oh, and re 22: the definition is ‘magic book’ not just ‘magic’. The parsing is 4,1,3

Oh what a fool I be! I'd filled in the wrong last three letters for 1d, even though I had the right answer. This threw me enormously as I had a D as the second letter for 13ac. Once I spotted my mistake I was able to fill in 13ac, 14d, 8d and 10ac straight away. I can even see the theme now, though it hasn't helped me with 9ac or 11ac. I also have 2d and 5d to get.

My husband seems to have forgotten to cook, so I think I'll have a break to help him and that might get me back into it.