Brigid of the Rainbow Planets
Adventures of the Alchemical Twins
Fellowship of Isis Liturgy by Olivia Robertson
Realm of the Planet Neptune: Grael of the Heart's Desire
Ritual No. 7
To Attain the Heights the Pilgrim Endures the Depths
THE TEMPLE OF ALCHEMY
Priestess Alchemist: (to Twin Apprentices) To achieve harmony between the divine and the earthly, we need to invoke the Goddess of the Source, the Fulfillment and the Depths of Inner Space. Let us invoke the Goddess Morgana.
Priest Alchemist: I invoke the Goddess Morgana, Virgin of the Springs of Life: Queen of Love: Bringer-in of Death and Resurrection. Help us to reach the eternal sea of stars, as we travel through the river of space.
ORACLE OF THE GODDESS MORGANA
Oracle: Creation divides Its Self into two, and the polarity between these Two brings ecstasy, anguish and divinity. For Deity knows Its Self through each stream of life, whether this be a galaxy, a constellation or the configuration of an atom. One may liken the art-work of creation to a spider’s web, where the spark of individuality starts within the Matrix, and then leaves the Mother to attain ever expanding consciousness through successive circles, each interlinked in a mighty spiral.
Know that your end is your beginning and your successive deaths through many shapes, bring expansion of your individual consciousness. Or we may liken the cosmos to a mighty bee-hive! Every creature, each atom and star, brings its nectar to enrich the Heaven of Heart’s Desire, which all beings know as Home.
This Heaven is not on some distant star, some inaccessible planetary monastery. Home is now. It is not yesterday nor tomorrow. It is now, where you are, when the lines of time strike the spirals of space. So, however high you rise, however low you sink, always centre yourselves where you are. The waters from the Grael of Heart’s Desire come to you with every breath you breathe. Be yourself!
Priestess Alchemist: We give thanks to The Goddess Morgana for her Oracle.
Priest Alchemist: (to Twins) Aiden, you are about to achieve the summit of your spiritual longings. You are to seek the Holy Grael. Many fail in this quest. Only Sir Galahad the Faery Knight achieved the Grael, without turning to left or right, or reaching up or down. You will make the quest in the Realm of the Planet Neptune. We will accompany you in your trance journey. There is no dishonour in failing. Most noble knights did so.
Trance
Aiden: I realise this is the ultimate test. I make my way up the avenue leading to the Temple of the Sacred Planets with foreboding. I always get into such ridiculous situations, despite high hopes. ***** I enter the Temple and offer incense at the central altar of the Sacred Flame. I reach the seventh Portal in the North West. On the left is a statue of a sea-God bearing a trident. He wears a robe of smoky blue and green. I wonder is he Manannan? On the other side is a mermaid with long floating green hair like weeds, a blue and green body and an iridescent fish’s tail – or is it a spiral of stars? I part silver and violet veils, and enter the realm beyond. ***** I am amazed! I shrink back in fear. Before me are vast arcs of constellations of every conceivable form and colour. I feel these are inhabited by hosts of aerial Beings whom I cannot see – but they can see me. Am I being watched? Then I look below and I feel vertigo. I am poised, as if floating, over the depths of a black abyss.
Suddenly through mists of stardust there appears a most lovely maiden! She is silvery in colour with violet eyes. Her hair is silver and she is holding a wand, on which writhes a green serpent with gold eyes. We can communicate by telepathy. She tells me: “Aiden, I know you, although you do not recognise me! I haunt your dreams, yet you have never until now seen my face. To see me unveiled in my spirit form means that you have attained the purity that alone permits you to attain the Grael.”
I am overwhelmed. She smiles and takes me by the hand. We ascend higher and higher until we reach a sphere of dazzling white stars. She tells me that this is the Heaven of Spiritual Light. Then I see the Grael. ***** It is a starry cup. It has within it a luminous matrix that continually changes its rainbow colours. The Cup emanates seven rays in successive circles, forming a luminous spiral of stars.
She tells me: “You may call me Lucina of the Light. I can give you a drink from this Grael, and you will be as the Blessed Gods on high. But first you must help me by overcoming evil. You need to fight my sworn enemy, The Lord of Darkness.”
I feel excited. I always like films when there comes a fight of right against wrong, often enjoying the battle rather than the victorious outcome. I vow to help her.
Suddenly from the abyss below there forms a black shape of menace. It exudes evil. I am horrified. It is like a Black Hole with consciousness. Is this anti-matter? It shoots out a tentacle which entwines me, to drag me downwards. Lucina puts a shining sword in my hand and orders me to cut myself loose. I do so. The form of anti-matter changes and assumes a diabolic human form with a swirling black cloak that blots out the stars. Lucina gives me a star, but he succeeds in wrapping his black cloak around me, stifling the star. In terrifying spirals I am dragged down into the abyss. I feel the presence of evil spirits who gloat over my downfall. Lucina, too pure to descend with me, speaks to me from afar; “Command him in My Name to show his true form!” I do so. *****
Slowly this Lord of Darkness is changing into a mighty dragon with mighty purple and green coils, which are strangling our galaxy. Lucina sends me a golden spear. She commands me to strike off the dragon’s head. Feeling at last a true heroic Knight, I prepare to do so. But just as I aim the spear with its deadly golden point at the heart of the dragon ***** I hear, not Lucina, but the distant voice of my old friend, the Red-haired Witch: “Dragons are an endangered species. Those injuring them will be prosecuted!”
I cannot help myself. I burst out laughing. The dragon has shape shifted – it has become a small green lizard on a rock-path in Greece that once I had carelessly trodden on.
I feel bitterly disappointed. I have failed again. I return to the Temple of the Sacred Planets admitting defeat. But there is a surprise! The Red-haired Witch is standing before the Sacred Flame holding a cup. She says: “Drink of the Waters of the Heart’s Desire.” I drink. Suddenly I awaken into a kind and happy elation. She says: “My name is Mèlusine.” She shape-shifts into Lucina, giving me a star. And just for one moment she appears as my twin sister Elaine. Now I am back with you all here, and I am happy to be where I am.
As Aiden recovers full consciousness the company agrees that he has passed his final seventh degree in Planetary Alchemy. His willingness to admit defeat was commended, as Planetary Alchemy involves bringing the stars down to earth - energy brought into matter.
End of Rite
Sources: “Mélusine, Une Fée venue du Fond des Temps”, A Troyes, 1677 ("A Troyes" translates as published in Troyes, France, 1677). “Comte de Gabalais”, Nicholas Pierre Henri Villars, Abbé de Mountfaucon, (full title of book: “Entretiens Sur Les Sciences Secretes, Ou Le Comte De Gabalis: Renouvelle & Augmente D’Une Lettre Sur Ce Sujet”),1670. “Aradia. The Gospel of The Witches of Italy”, Charles G. Leland, David Nutt, London,1899. “The Avatars: A Futurist Fantasy”, AE (variously AE, A.E., Aeon, the pen name of George Russell), Macmillan, London, 1933. “Irish Fairy Book: Myth and Romance of the Old World”, Alfred Percival Graves, Senate, London 1994.
Note: FOI members who are interested in learning more about Mélusine:
1. For those who read French and would enjoy an account of the legend of Mélusine that dates from the same time period as that of “Mélusine Une Fée venue du Fond des Temps” :
The “History of Mélusine”, (“L'histoire de Mélusine”) originally published in Troyes by Jacques Oudot, in 1699, consists of 136 pages plus illustrations made by wood engravings. Currently a modern reproduction of this edition is available from Nouvelle Bibliothéque Bleue de Troyes (The New Blue Library of Troyes) located in Troyes, France via mail order from their website.
2. A good reference book written in English on the subject of Mélusine:
“Mélusine of Lusignan: Founding Fiction in Late Medieval France,” Donald Maddox and Sara Sturm-Maddox, editors, University of Georgia Press, 1996. This book is a volume of scholarly essays which examine the French prose narrative the “Roman de Mélusine” (1393), written by Jean d'Arras.
The people of Normandy often refer to Mélusine as “Mére Lusine,” or Mother Lusine. A lingual correspondence may be found to Mére Lusine in old Danish songs about mermaids which use the terms maremind and mareqvinde. Normandy (nor-man, norseman) was invaded and settled by Vikings/Northmen in the early Middle Ages.
There is an asteroid named “373 Mélusine”, with the aid of a telescope it is visible in the night time skies of the northern hemisphere September through October. It was discovered by Auguste Charlois on September 15, 1893 in Nice.
Back to Brigid of the Rainbow Planets
Back to Fellowship of Isis Liturgy