Fortuna, Creation Through the Goddess
Fellowship of Isis Liturgy by Olivia Robertson
Pillar of Fire
Ritual No. 11
ORACLE OF THE GODDESS MARAMA
ORACLE OF THE GODDESS HAUMEA
Invocation: Mother of the Moon, White Bird, Dark Goddess of the Oceans of Space, weave us dreams of beauty and secret wonder. Bring us White Light from your veils of darkness.
Oracle of the Goddess Marama : Those who seek me seek for their very souls, trapped in the stifling cage of petty activity. I call softly to those who long for beauty. But the soul hides itself, because when I call, all earthly attractions pale into insignificance. The splendour of the night is mine, enriched with circling galaxies of celestial light. Yet from one drop of My cosmic ocean which is concealed within each one of you, you may attain harmony with the infinite Mystery of the Spheres. I call! Leave your place of hiding and come forth.
Invocation: Mighty Goddess Haumea, Warm Pillar of Fire from which all existences proceed, bring us eternal life! Give us the power to love, to act, to co-create with the deities.
Oracle of the Goddess Haumea: You are wise to invoke My aid. Any vitality that you draw from your own separate life force manifests only for a short while, and then diminishes and dies. To enjoy the creativity of the Deities you need to bathe in the fire of Spirit, and surrender your barricade of self. Within the heart of the fire of life and love you will find your true spirit, which is both individual and yet one with all. Hence you gain eternal life and love not through struggling for this for yourself alone, but through sharing in the infinite Being of the cosmos. You will then see through myriad eyes, sing with countless voices and dart through the skies with shining-tailed comets! You will rise to spiritual heights, and sink into the depths of others' passions which become your own. But at the end of your cycles of activity you will rest in the azure arms of My Mother Marama, from whose tranquillity all evolving life proceeds.
Priestesses wear tiaras, orange and blue cloaks and carry wands, Priests, yellow headdresses, red and green cloaks, and carry staffs. Women Practitioners wear flower chaplets and wear red and blue cloaks. Men wear chaplets of leaves and green and blue cloaks. On blue draped altar are 7 lighted candles, a vessel of water and burning incense, coral and a shell, and cards XVI and XVIII of the Marseilles Tarot Deck. Music may be played throughout.
Priest Hierophant: Fellow practitioners of the magical arts, we are assembled to learn the alchemy of uniting fire and water without the destruction of either. Our Earth floats in the oceans of black space, illuminated by innumerable suns. Presiding over the cold moon and deep space is the Goddess Marama.
Priestess Hierophant: (offers incense) I invoke the Moon Goddess Marama, Who as Uri holds the Serene Flame of Peace. From her depths emerge all suns. Arise! Be with us with your wisdom.
Priest Hierophant: (offers incense) I invoke the God Eri, twin of Uri, Who with Uri is creator of the encircling stars, following their ordered path in the firmament of space. Descend! Come to us with your light.
Priestess Hierophant: (offers incense) I invoke the Goddess Haumea, Daughter of Marama! Descend, O Haumea, from the obscure mountains of the Blue Heaven, from whence human souls emanate. Bring to us your eternal Flame of Life and Love.
Priest: (offers incense) I offer incense to the God Tane. We project our prayers with ardour to the Heaven of the God Tane and His sons, Rono, Tanaroa and Tun. The Gods fly through the blue sky in their opalescent canoe, the Auva'ararua, which darts like a comet above the red islands and roaring ocean. Descend, great Tane! Give us courage and strength.
Priest Hierophant: Who will be Apprentice Magician?
1st Practitioner: Allow me to try.
Priest Hierophant: (shows two tarot cards) What do these symbolise?
1st Practitioner: "La Maison Dieu" - House of God - number XVI, shows a castellated tower struck by lightning. Red and Gold flames from the sky decapitate it! 2 men thrown out are reaching for grass growing in a desert. This shows the spiritual power of Mana as it rises up the spine. No. XVIII, "La Lune", shows a new moon above a pool containing a crab - Cancer. 2 dogs on the bank howl at each other, before 2 towers. This card depicts the duality to be overcome in the psychic sphere.
Priest Hierophant: You are accepted as apprentice. Further to comprehend the Alchemy of uniting Fire and Water you need to witness a Mystery Drama.
MYSTERY DRAMA: GODDESS VERSUS HOG MAN
Drum roll. Enter Kahunas in Polynesian robes.
1st Kahuna: Catastrophic was the arrival of the Fire Goddess Pele to our islands of paradise! Pele, Goddess of Fire and Earth, came to the Pacific islands in Her canoe, accompanied by the great Gods Ku and Lono and many lesser Deities. They landed on many islands and attempted to dig caverns to live in. But the sea drove them away. At last they arrived on Hawaii, and there Pele forced Her way into the mountain Kilauea. And forthwith She enjoyed Herself by creating an eruption of fire and flowing lava.
2nd Kahuna: After the first devastation, the eruption brought life to the island, replacing barren rock with fertile soil. The islanders lived well and performed hula, wearing gay garlands of flowers. But Hog Man, a monster who could transform himself into plant - fish - anything - was greedy to possess the island and indeed the whole earth! So he disguised himself as a human man and he courted Pele with rich gifts.
1st Kahuna: But unfortunately for him, Pele noticed bristles sticking out from the back of his cloak. And she mocked him, calling him "Pig!" and "Son of a Pig!" Hog Man was enraged and he attacked her, and the two fought a mighty battle. Pele spewed forth flames and rocks and lava but Hog Man smothered her fire with fog and ocean. Finally they came to a settlement. Pele kept her wild terrain of mountain and waste land, while Hog Man grew his crops and tended his herds on the fertile soil. Only when he invaded Pele's territory did she attack him. So it was. So it is in these modem days.
2nd Kahuna: On the tiny Pacific island of Pere two men and one woman were having a bitter argument.
Enter Rono, in modern suit and Tanaroa and Rua, lovers, in Polynesian attire.
Rono: It is essential that we should accept this offer and sign the deeds. This money could be used to build a supermarket - a casino - a leisure centre and marina.
Tanaroa: I'd rather die. Missionaries meant well when they imported sheep to my island - but the sheep barked the trees and now all my family has is bare rock! They fleeced us as well. We've had to leave.
Rua: That's nothing compared with these "white people's" atomic tests. It's diabolical - they've given us women deformed children. My aunt gave birth to a baby with a jelly head.
Enter Company Director, with Wife in sunglasses and beach robe.
Director: I heard that! Believe me, we in Detroit have formed a charity to help with test victims - if the atomic connection can be proved.
Rua: What can your money give us to make up for your destruction of our health, our religion and our culture?
Director: Everything! Our technology can provide subsistence on bare rock - we've settled on the moon let alone a bare island. Our cloning and biological engineering will provide you with perfect children on demand. My wife here is a research biologist! She has just bought half your island. Why, we came here on her yacht!
Wife: And I've a seat on your company board, honey. We can work wonders. We shall transform the earth.
Tanaroa: You can't make us happy.
Director: Oh yes, our scientists can. We can program human embryos with the happiness gene. We can do anything. We are the Gods! We shall clone a new race. We'll have Goddesses and Gods on demand!
Drumming.
Wife: (removes sunglasses and beach robe) Blasphemy! At last, you greedy pig, you are totally in my power! Know that I am the Goddess Pele! (makes magical arm movements) Even now a column of fire is ascending from the depths of my earth that shall purify the planet by exterminating the wicked!
Enter Fire Spirits. With Pele, they perform the Volcano Dance.
Enter Messenger.
Messenger: Fly ! A tidal wave is approaching like a walking mountain! Flames are reaching the sky!
Humans flee. The Dancers finish with triumphant finale.
Enter Kahunas.
1st Kahuna: And it was even as Pele had prophesied. The evil works of Hog Man were obliterated. The earth was cleansed and a new humanity was brought forth from the secret places.
2nd Kahuna: And Pele and Hog Man dwelt in the rainbow of harmony.
Drum roll.
End of Play
1st Priestess: (to Apprentice) What did you make of this Mystery?
Apprentice: However useful scientific progress may be - nature backtracks on us and goes into reverse. And this awakens our souls.
1st Priest: To understand this tidal flow of cycles, you need to make a spiritual journey to the Constellation of Cancer.
THE WINDOW OF CANCER
3rd Priest: Companions, let us be seated in a circle.
3rd Priestess: (anoints each brow) May the eye of vision awaken!
3rd Priest: We close our eyes. We surround ourselves with a rainbow - we feel a tingling through our bodies - we begin to hear celestial music - before us is a mist and through the mist we see the outline of a violet mountain. Rising above the mist, crowning the mountain, is the Temple of the Zodiac. We find we can float gently upwards, towards the Temple - we reach the great South Gate, guarded by two winged female sphinxes. We enter the Temple.
3rd Priestess: In the centre is the Perpetual Light upon an altar surrounded by a winged bull and lion, and an eagle and an angel. The alabaster floor is encircled by a sparkling stream. beyond, are 12 stained-glass windows of the Zodiac. We approach the window of Cancer. The picture shows a sheet of gold and silver light descending from the sky, coiled about a rising blue and violet ocean wave. Looking closer, we see that these two waves are composed of descending and ascending life forms. The window is suddenly blown open - and we are faced with the constellation of Cancer.
THE HEAVEN OF NU`UMEARONI
2nd Priestess: (to Apprentice) Behold the binary star Acubens, shining with mingled white and russet radiance! Within its spiritual aegis is the Heavenly Garden of Abundance, Nu'umearoni. This beautiful realm of golden light and happiness is ruled by Ra'i Ra'i, Goddess of Tahiti. "She is the warm pillar of Fire from Whom the flock of humanity and all creatures shot into existence. Hidden amidst luxuriant woodlands, the strange Body of the Goddess is veiled in unfathomable mystery." Leave this Temple and rise spiritually into this Heaven, there to find your true happiness!
Contemplation
2nd Priest: (to Apprentice) Return from the Garden of Abundance. What did you experience?
Apprentice: Perfect happiness. I was permeated by a rainbow and joined spirits in a dance to exquisite music. Happiness is its own justification. Without joy, virtue is of little value.
2nd Priestess: Accept this coral. 'Behold now the double star of Asellus - Borealis and Australia, shining with white and red light.
THE HEAVEN OF RAROVAIA
2nd Priestess: Within its penumbra is the Heaven of Rarovaia, ruled by the Goddess Rata of Inspiration. "Clothed in mist are the offspring of Rata, spirit-born beings of vision, pearly as seashells, winged as sea-birds, dark as the sea-serpent. From the profound matrix emerge the phantoms of Rata, rejoicing in their new-born life and form."
2nd Priestess: (to Apprentice) Sink into this swirling vortex and find the source of your creativity. We shall be with you.
Contemplation
2nd Priest: What happened to you?
Apprentice: I shall never be bored again! Within the depths of my own being I found infinity. In my mind I created masterpieces, hope of works to come. The Goddess's dark streaming hair wound through my dreams. I could have explored Her deeps forever!
2nd Priestess: Accept this shell. Friends, let us gaze upon the constellation of Cancer. Behold the two Goddesses, Ra'i R'ai and Rata, one golden, the other indigo blue. Their long hair is interlaced, gold and black, and their arms are intertwined. They are encircled by a rainbow which forms a labyrinth of suns winding through space.
VISION OF RA'I RA'I AND RATA
1st Priest: Friends, let us return to the Temple of the Zodiac - a wind shuts the window of Cancer - we leave the Temple by the Gate of the Sphinxes - and we float down the mountain above a tumbling stream - we reach our own earthly Temple.
Reports are given. The candidate, if deemed successful, is given the coral and shell. Rays of harmony are sent forth to all.
Sources: "Children of the Rainbow: The Religions, Legends and Gods of Pre-Christian Hawaii", Leinani Melville, Quest Books, The Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton, IL, USA & London, 1969. "Myths and Legends of the South Seas", Roslyn Poignant, Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., London, 1970. "Oceanic Mythology, The Myths of Polynesia, Micronesia, Melanesia and Australia", Roslyn Poignant, Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., London, 1967. "Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning", Richard Hinckley Allen, Dover Publications, New York, 1963.
Note: "Star Names" by Richard H. Allen and the Marseilles Tarot Deck are used for each Rite in Fortuna.
The tarot deck used for this ritual was provided by a friend of Rt. Rev. Olivia Robertson, the Rev. Joan Countess de Frenay, who is a gifted reader of the tarot. This particular deck is dated 1740.
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