Fortuna, Creation Through the Goddess
Fellowship of Isis Liturgy by Olivia Robertson
The Power Users
Ritual No. 3
ORACLE OF THE GODDESS KALI
Invocation: I invoke the Cosmic Goddess, Devi Mahakali Ma. Kali, You are Mistress of Infinity, Conqueror of the cycles of time, Black Mother of all the stars and of each one of us. Aid us who are caught up in the death-trap of time, to attain your Power! For us our past is a dim dream and our future is uncertain. We would master our own Destiny.
Oracle: To understand Power you must learn that it has duality: there is the power of activity, which gives control of others and of circumstances. And this is sought for by conquerors and those who wish to create. But there is another power which is more subtle, more lovely. This is the power of total surrender. When a soul gives up the separate self and is willing from free choice to fall into My black embrace, small ego is free to attain the greater Self. An active soul sends forth bright arrows of desire to create new forms, fresh expressions of Divinity. But when the soul takes arrows from others to itself, its spiritual chakras are activated and the greater Spirit manifests.
You need therefore to balance these two forces, that which sends forth and that which receives. This should no be relegated to man nor to woman but should be in both. Your world now suffers from a surplus of extended energy which feeds upon itself, destroying all within its destructive range. What you need is to be still, and to accept everything which Deity sends you and others, whether you think it good or bad. Only then will you, through the darkness of the night, receive the Divine Power which will aid you to accomplish your part in My divine Cosmos. I love you and protect you as your Mother of Space. But when you mature, I free your bonds so that you may fly from Me. When you need the darkness I know you shall return to Me as free spirits.
Priestesses wear gold tiaras and carry gold wands. Priests, yellow headdresses and carry staffs. Women Practitioners wear yellow headdresses, men, yellow headbands, all wear yellow and black robes. On yellow draped altar are 5 lighted candles and brass vessel of water, burning incense, two stones and cards I and XI from the Marseilles tarot. Music may be played throughout.
Priest Hierophant: Fellow practitioners of magic, we are assembled to learn how to invoke power for good. Learn then of the Indian Goddess of Power, Kali! As Mahakali She is Infinite. She has 13 Manifestations. Through Her 3 eyes, Trikala, She is Sovereign over Past, Present and Future. Kali is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. She has 10 faces, 10 legs and 10 weapons. Among Her weapons is the Khadga, the Sword of Knowledge which bestows discrimination between relative beliefs and the eternal verities. Through Her Bow, Sank Palo, She creates the phenomenal Universe. With Her Conch She prevails over Sound and Space. To the human head She bestows bliss through total surrender of all obsessions. Her Mace is Light, Her Discus, Spirit.
Priestess Hierophant: (offers incense and with her wand makes the sign of the arrowhead of light) I offer incense to Mahakali Who is the soul of all beings. Your consort, the God Shiva, Who through His dance creates, sustains and destroys the world, is trampled beneath Your feet, subject to Your infinity. Bring us Your Divine Power!
Priest Hierophant: (offers incense and makes the sign of the trident of light) I offer incense to the God Shiva, the Great Yogi, Lord of Time, God of the Sacred Lingam. Teach us to use power with discrimination, and compassion.
1st Priest: Who has the courage to be apprentice?
1st Practitioner: I will try.
1st Priestess: (shows the 2 tarot cards) Describe these 2 Tarot cards!
Apprentice: The card marked 'I' is named "Le Bateleur", the Conjuror. It depicts a conjuror looking over his right shoulder. Before him is a table on which are gold and silver coins, 2 knives and variously shaped vessels. In his left hand he holds a wand, in his right, a ball. His hat has a figure of 8 brim and a yellow crown like a halo. His clothes are coloured green, red, blue and yellow. The other card, number eleven, is entitled "La Force" and shows a woman looking to the left. She wears a figure of 8 brimmed hat with a crown of 5 rays of yellow light. She wears blue, red and yellow and her bodice is tied with 5 crossed cords. What is extraordinary is that a lion is coming out of her body, emerging from between her legs! She holds his jaws open with either hand. What does all this mean?
1st Priestess: To elucidate, we present a play, "The Sacrifice", set in modem India.
PLAY: THE SACRIFICE
Actors wear modern Indian dress. 2 gong strokes, enter husband and wife.
Husband: Chamunda, it's still not too late! To see my own wife plant a bomb - you followers should surely give a telephone warning.
Wife: There can be no weakening. This is the time for us to destroy our oppressors.
Husband: But you'll be killing children as well - you, a mother.
Wife: Of necessity, yes. Our Cause demands sacrifices.
Exit Husband, head in hands. Enter Guru in saffron robe.
Guru: My Daughter, a Devi has inspired me to tell you a story!
Wife: I'm not your daughter, though my husband is your chela. But while I'm waiting for our liberation, this story will help us to pass the time. Let's hear it.
Guru: I speak of Kali Ma, the Black Mother. After a bloody battle, in which both the Demon King and his entire host were slaughtered by Kali Ma, She became intoxicated by the Sacred Madness. The Goddess gave a Victory Dance so terrible that the whole earth quaked. The Deities, though they had asked for the Demons to be destroyed, now feared for the earth itself and all upon it. So Kali's husband, the God Shiva, begged Her to stop Her mad dance. But She could not hear Him because of the roar of volcanoes. So Shiva cast Himself down under Her feet and She trampled upon His body. But on recognising Her husband, Kali's madness abruptly ceased - and She restored Him. She became' once more His gentle, loving wife. And the earth was saved.
Wife: These legends keep the people in superstitious slavery to outworn religious creeds. Your story means nothing to me.
Exit Guru.
Enter Follower: We have triumphed! Your enemies are destroyed. Those who escaped the explosion are even now being shot down. But your husband, in a vain attempt to defuse the bomb, was killed.
Wife: I have won the victory but lost my love. We shall make peace. Bring me my white widow's sari.
She is led away by followers, her head bowed in grief. 1 gong stroke.
End of Play
1st Priestess: (to Apprentice) What do you learn from this play?
Apprentice: When power becomes violence, a contrary flow of compassion restores balance. Without balance, a magician is insane.
1st Priestess: You are accepted as Apprentice. In order to attain the balance of power and peace, you need to experience the magic of the constellation of Scorpio, sign of scorpion and eagle.
THE WINDOW OF SCORPIO
2nd Priestess: (anoints each brow with water) May you feel spiritual light.
3rd Priest: Let us be seated in a circle, eyes shut. We visualise ourselves at the foot of a hill crowned with the Temple of the Zodiac *** We mount the hill *** About us are myriads of stars. We face a Temple surrounded by a rainbow *** We enter through the South-West portal flanked by 2 sphinxes. We enter *** In the centre of the temple is the Altar of the Perpetual Flame, surrounded by the statues of a bull, lion, an eagle and an angel.
3rd Priestess: Let us approach the Window of Scorpio in the West, overlooked by the eagle. We seat ourselves before this stained-glass window surmounted by the sign of Scorpio. It shows a man in green robes holding aloft a wand, entwined with a green and red cobra with raised hood. By him is a woman in purple robes, who is riding upon a tiger, her arm around his neck.
3rd Priest: Suddenly a wind rushes through the Temple, throwing open the window! Through it we see the ten brilliant stars of Scorpio, shining above a mountain by the sea.
THE PARADISE OF MOUNT KAILASU
3rd Priestess: (to Apprentice) Are you willing to enter the Paradise of Mount Kailasu of Scorpio, which is ruled by Kali, and by Nataraj Who is Shiva of the Dance of Creation?
Apprentice: I am willing.
3rd Priest: To be prepared, hear how Kali came to the mystic Yogananda. "On my visit to the Dakshinesvar Temple, I was outside the Temple of Kali, Mother Nature. I became emotionally entranced. I prayed to Kali: "Silent Mother with stony heart, Thou becamest filled with life at the plea of thy devotee Ramakrishna. Why dost Thou not heed the ways of this son of Thine?"
3rd Priestess: "Then, to my amazement, the temple became greatly magnified. Its large door slowly opened, revealing the stone image of the Goddess Kali. Gradually it changed into a living from, smiling, nodding in greeting, thrilling me with joy indescribable. The temple was filled with a rainbow light."
3rd Priest: (to Apprentice) Cross the little stream before the window and pass through. We shall be with you. You find yourself floating towards a red and emerald star, Antares. As you approach, you see a colour-filled land where fulfilled desires may be enjoyed. But beware! Do not lose yourself, caught by obsessive passions.
Meditation
2nd Priest: Let us return. (to Apprentice) What did you feel?
Apprentice: I experienced intense emotion beyond anything I have ever felt. But when I became aware of feeling angry, jealous, violent, I fought these with all my strength.
2nd Priestess: You have passed the first test. Let us now lift up our eyes higher than Antares, to the paradise of Mount Meru of Scorpio.
THE PARADISE OF MOUNT MERU
2nd Priestess: This paradise of spiritual truth is within the penumbra of Dechubba, the Eagle's Crown. Within grows the Tree of the Garden of Light, placed in the midst of the abyss. The realm is ruled by the goddess Bhavaneshi, other self of Kali. "Bhavaneshi has radiance like the rising sun. She fulfils the 4 objects of human life; is entire, enjoys Brahmananda, bliss; is Queen of the Universe. She is the aggregate of the 3 powers, will, action and knowledge. She is beyond birth and death."
2nd Priest: Bhavaneshi rules the paradise with Shiva, the great yogi. "Shiva is lustrous like the radiant halo of the rising sun, has 4 arms and 3 eyes, holds noose, goad, bow and arrow. He is red all over, faultlessly beautiful."
2nd Priestess: (to Apprentice) Ascend to the Eagle's Crown and there find the source of pure light and truth. But remember; sudden experience of Spiritual Light can cause a tragic fall through arrogance and contempt for others.
Meditation
1st Priest: Let us return. (to Apprentice) What have you discovered?
Apprentice: That to face the light is to be blinded. I turned my back on the light and saw clearly!
1st Priestess: You have passed the final test. Love and truth are in harmony within you *** let us return to the Temple of the Zodiac *** We enter by the window of Scorpio. It is closed behind us by a sharp wind. We leave the Temple by the South-West portal *** we descend the hill, accompanied by the tumbling Temple stream *** we return to our own earthly temple, remembering that which we need of our experience.
Reports are shared and rays of healing sent forth. The apprentice if successful is given the two stones. Thanks are given to Deity.
Sources: *The Marseilles Tarot Deck, also known as Tarot of Marseilles (The Ancien Tarot de Marseille), B. P. Grimaud, Paris. "Images of Devi in Pahari Paintings", Chhote Bharany, foreword by C. Sivaramamurti, Clarion Books, C-36 Connaught Place, New Delhi, 110 001 India, 1984. "Idols Images & Symbols of the Goddesses: India", Lawrence Durdin-Robertson, Cesara Publications, Clonegal Castle, Ireland, 1979. "New Larousse Encyclopaedia of Mythology", Introduction by Robert Graves, Hamlyn Publishing Group, Ltd., London, New York, 1969. "Autobiography of a Yogi", Paramahansa Yogananda, first edition, The Philosophical Library, New York, 1946, currently published by Self Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles.
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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