Melusina, Life Centres of the Goddess
Fellowship of Isis Liturgy by Olivia Robertson
Lighting the Rainbow Aura
Ritual no. 12
ORACLE OF THE GODDESS TARA THROUGH HER PRIESTESS
Priestess: (Invocation) I invoke Thee, the Goddess Tara! Thou art the Pristine Spirit, the Ultimate Nature and the clear Light of Heaven. Thou art the One Who encloses the Universe. Help us to rise above the sorrows and follies of this material world!
Oracle: Have Peace. Peace is now, in your heart, if you will accept it. You will not attain Spiritual Light by refusing to face the darkness. The darkness not only contains your past but also, through transmutation, your future. Have courage. I have gone before you as a mortal woman and shall come again. I breathe my life into all beings and I suffer with them and share their ignorance and follies!
The greatest evil you fear is death. There is no death. While you are identified with a body of clay you find it difficult to enjoy the bliss of the heavens. You are beset by grief, hatred, violence and cruelty. But you also acquire merit through overcoming these obstacles to Illumination. There are souls who never incarnate upon the earth. And these shine like the stars with pure light. But those such as yourselves who struggle bravely every day with its worries and sorrows gallantly walk backwards into the future! You do not know even what your next day will bring.
The peace I bring is faith in the Divine Love, Buddhi. Take my lotus of ever-renewing life and so accept the future, whatever this may bring you. Know that the delusions of this earth become the material for creation in the Heavens. My magic is renewal. I do not ask you to reject evil, but to transmute it through understanding into good. I am Tara of the Many Selves: of the Heavens, of the dreaming moon, of the harsh earth. I enclose all these Selves in my rainbow Halo that encompasses all beings in my eternal Love, Beauty and Truth.
Priestesses wear silver tiaras and hold gold wands: Priests, gold headdresses and carry silver staffs. Women Companions wear silver circlets, men, gold headbands. All wear robes of indigo, white, green, yellow, red and blue. Candidate wears yellow. On gold and silver draped altar are eight lighted candles with lighted lamp in centre; a silver vessel of water, burning incense and three yellow, red and blue flowers. Music may be played throughout.
Priest Hierophant: Pilgrims, we are assembled to light the Rainbow Aura around our souls and bodies! The Goddess of the Rainbow Chakras is extolled by the Rishis of India: "She is beautiful as a chain of lightning and fine like a lotus fibre, and shines in the minds of the Sages. She is exceedingly subtle; the Awakener of pure knowledge; the embodiment of all bliss, Whose true nature is pure consciousness."
Priestess Hierophant: It is necessary for the Devotee to bring all the spiritual centres, the chakras, into harmony within the aura, for divine power needs to flower freely throughout each being, from head to foot. (she offers incense) I offer incense to Thee, Tara, the Star from Whom all stars proceed. Thou art all-pervading, radiating and garlanded with a halo of Rainbow Light. Tara of 108 Names, Thou dost manifest as the White, Green, Yellow, Red and Blue Taras of the five universal elements. Bring us into harmony, both within and without.
Priest Hierophant: (offers incense) I offer incense to Thee, the God Brihaspati, Consort of Tara, Who presideth over the planet Jupiter. Bring us Thy gift of focused power and the will to use it for good.
1st Priest: A Candidate is present who would learn how to light the Rainbow Aura!
Priest Hierophant: (to Candidate) To achieve universal harmony is to shed particular obsessions, however dear to you! Are you ready for this?
Candidate: I am willing to abandon delusions to attain greater consciousness.
Priestess Hierophant: Your intention is good. We shall present a Tibetan 'Chod' Mystery Drama. These show the effect of experiences on one particular person. In this drama that person is Tara. Let the "Taraka Maya" Mystery be enacted!
THE TARAKA-MAYA MYSTERY PLAY
Two gong strokes. The players are in rich Southeastern and Tibetan robes and perform in stylised ritual mime. Asian music.
1st Priestess: Behold the Goddess Tara! She is enthroned on a lotus, her right leg drawn in, her left leg extended. She wears a Cone Tiara and Her Crest Jewel is the Moon. In her right hand she holds a wheel, in her left, a blue lotus, the Utpala. Around her are enthroned the Eight Divine Mothers, the Matris. These are the Mother of the Space of Heaven, Mamaki, Sangyay Chanma, She of White Raiment, Gokarmo, Dolma, Amogha-Siddhi and Gandhema. Her beloved husband the God Brihaspati, Master of Magic, is absent, in consultation with the God Brahma. Tara feels lonely. She leaves her throne, and descends to the earth as a human woman!
1st Priest: The Moon God, Soma keeps the earth as part of his empire, Bardo. Here he holds captive souls intoxicated by his spells! His 27 Wives, the Moon Goddesses, weave a net of dreams to draw all humans under their sway. Those who are entrapped cannot attain Illumination.
1st Priestess: Soma recognised Tara disguised as an earthly woman! He had his greatest enemy in his power, for the light of Tara's Thousand Stars dispel all delusions. So he crept upon her unawares with the net of dreams, and abducted her by force! She was guarded by a host of demons.
Moon God and demons seize Tara in a net.
1st Priest: When the great God Brahma in the Highest Heaven was told of this He commanded Soma to release Tara - who refused!
Brahma is seen commanding Soma who pushes him away angrily.
1st Priestess: Now great anger came upon Tara and She regained Her power! She broke free of the net and gained her sword and dagger! Riding on a lion She headed an army of the Gods and made war on Soma. It was the laughter of Tara that brought the Demons under Her sway.
War enacted between Soma and Demons wearing Denton Masks and Tara leading the Gods.
1st Priest: When the God Brihaspati learnt of Soma's abduction of his wife, He fell into a terrible fury and threw Himself from High Heaven. He joined in the war with his weapons of destruction.
Priestess: But when Tara saw Her Divine Husband lose his divinity in cruel violence for Her sake, She drew Her Rainbow Halo around Her, thus uniting Her many Selves. She regained her Lotus of Peace. Harken to Her hymn:
1st Priestess: "Then the true and gentle Tara held Her Husband and Her Spouse,
And a woman's deeper wisdom spake in woman's loving words;
Wherefore like a rain-fed forest swell thoughts of Wrath;
Like withered blossoms from thy bosom cast them away.
Discord with a younger brother rends an empire broad and fair.
Wait 'till dawns another morning, wait 'till thou dost truly know."
1st Priestess: So Tara in Her wisdom brought peace between the spheres of Bardo and Highest Heaven. And She brought forth a radiant child called Buddhi, which is Love. One gong stoke.
End of Play
Priestess Hierophant: (to Candidate) What do you learn from this Mystery?
Candidate: I realise that to receive the Light one must also reconcile oneself with darkness. Dreams also have their purpose, when they reflect the Truth.
Priest Hierophant: We accept you as candidate, for you speak with understanding.
2nd Priest: In order to light the Rainbow Aura, we need to bring into harmony the triple Spheres of Tara; moon, constellation and zodiac. Let us, through dance, create a rainbow space ship around us! Dance. An etheric sphere is formed around the pilgrims.
2nd Priestess: We need spiritual vision for our journey. (She anoints each brow with water.) Receive the Light of true vision!
3rd Priest: Let us be seated within our ship. To attain motion, we need to intone the sacred Mantram of Tara.
Omnes: (chant) "Om Tare Tare Tut-tare Ture Swaya. Hum."
3rd Priestess: Let us invoke the guidance of a Rishi. "On the radiant path of discriminating wisdom, may our Teacher be with us!" Lo, he has come! He is the Bhavagan Amitabha, bearing a lotus. He says he will instruct me through thought and the Priesthood will transmit his words. We are to still our minds and close our eyes. Through the enchantment of the God Brihaspati, our ship rises into the air above the earth: it is empowered by the magic Garuda Bird. We are approaching the haremarked moon. This is the Loka of Bardo, domain of the Moon God Soma and the 27 Moon Goddesses.
THE LOKA OF BARDO
3rd Priest: Through our transparent ship we see a white arched gateway guarded by lions. The presiding Deity of Bardo is the Yellow Tara-Maya. It is through Her creative power that Soma and the 17 Goddesses are enabled to spin dreams. All dreams of earth emanate from this realm. Visions of delight and terror entrap the unwary souls caught in their net! (o Candidate) Are you willing to enter the Loka of enchantment, and yet retain your own mind?
Candidate: I am willing. I wish to create, and so must live through the creations of others!
3rd Priestess: So be it. Leave the ship and pass through the archway. Already many-coloured clouds of dreams envelope you, bringing memories of many lives, many loves, too many wars. We shall follow.
Contemplation
3rd Priest: Let us return. (to Candidate) What happened to you?
Candidate: At first I was overwhelmed by the stories swirling around me bringing long-lost faces and hands stretched forth to me! I was drowning in emotions of joy, anger and passion. But then I discovered that by using my will and imagination I could change fear to love, anger to serenity. I was even beginning to create a story on my own, and found others willing to act in it! But then I saw Tara Herself resplendent as the harvest moon! She gave me a yellow lotus.
3rd Priestess: You are learning the art of direct creation! Let us return to our ship. We are now leaving the solar system, and are travelling to the mystic thirteenth constellation of the zodiac, the Pleiades. It is the Pleiades who lead the great cycle of 25,900 years. Here is the Loka of Samanta-Bhandra.
LOKA OF THE DIVINE MOTHERS, SAMANTA-BHANDRA
2nd Priest: The Pleiades are the domain of the Seven Divine Mothers and the Goddess Dolma, twin sister of Tara. The Red Tara-Dolma presides over Samanta-Bhandra with her child of Divine Love, Buddhi. (to Candidate) Are you prepared to receive this love, realising that it will sweep away all selfishness?
Candidate: To love myself alone is to be lost in a desert. I will accept the Red Tara.
2nd Priestess: Before us we see a thicket of rose bushes, through which the branches form a small archway. You need to bow your head to enter. Leave the ship and do so. We are with you.
CONTEMPLATION
2nd Priest: Let us return. (to Candidate) What have you felt?
Candidate: I feel bliss. The Divine Tara showed Herself radiant with glowing Light. From the three roses shining from Her heart came a thorn which pierced my own! I feel love for all beings.
2nd Priestess: The Buddhi has awakened in your heart. Enter the ship with us. We travel through the constellations of the zodiac to the shining void, that is the matrix of our galaxy.
OG-MIN, LOKA OF HIGHEST HEAVEN
1st Priest: We have reached the Loka of Highest Heaven, Og-Min. Encircling Og-Min are concentric circles of mountains of golden light, alternating with silver oceans. Within is the Luminous Void. Presiding over this Loka is the Blue Goddess Tara of Spiritual Truth. (to Candidate) Are you prepared to face the Truth, even if this contradicts what your mind and heart hold most precious?
Candidate: Nothing is precious that conflicts with Truth. I will enter.
1st Priestess: So be it. Before us is a tranquil lake rich with blue and white lotuses. There is a narrow hooped bridge crossing it. Beyond is a dazzling landscape. Cross to it by the bridge. We shall follow you.
Contemplation
1st Priest: Let us return. (to Candidate) What have you learnt?
Candidate: That I know little and so may learn much! The Blue Tara showed Herself to me robed with deep space sparkling with stars. Her gleaming girdle was the zodiac and the Milky Way was her veil. Yet she presented me with a blue lotus, and She was within its heart.
1st Priest: Om Mani Padme Hum. Amitabha says you have passed the Third Initiation of the Rainbow Halo. He instructs us to look above us at the Highest Heaven! Behold the Goddess Tara of the Stars! Her eyes are as lightning and Her face is as a hundred full moons. Around Her as a garland are the twelve flames of the zodiacal constellations, the thirteenth constellation, the Pleiades, She holds in Her right hand, and the seven stars rotate as a wheel. In Her left hand She holds the white lotus of ever-renewing Life. She stands with Her left foot forward. Radiating from Her eight sacred chakras is the Sambhoga-kaya, Her Rainbow Halo. Each of us receives a ray which illumines the whole of our auras, bringing harmony.
1st Priestess: Let us return to our earth bringing these lovely rays with us! The radiant vision disperses into the starry sky, and we see that each star and each planet is connected by myriad rainbow rays. * * * We enter our ship which rapidly descends from the Loka of Og-Min to the Loka of Samanta-Bhandra. We fall still lower until we reach Bardo. As we sink towards the earth, we now see that Earth, Bardo, Samanta-Bhandra and Og-Min are joined by the Anta-Kharana, the luminous girdle of Tara. Each sphere needs the other, in triple chord. Like a lotus petal we sink softly through our temple, and we find ourselves seated in a circle. Amitabha instructs us to dissolve our ship through dance. He blesses us and departs. We send forth the Blessings of Tara for compassion and wisdom for our earth.
Reports are shared. If successful, the Candidate is presented with three flowers. Thanks are given to the Deities.
Sources: "The Tibetan Book of the Dead", Evans-Wentz. Oxford University Press. "Magic and Mystery in Tibet", Alexandra David-Neal. Corgi. "New Larousse Encyclopaedia of Mythology", ed. Graves, Hamlyn. "The Goddesses of India, Tibet, China and Japan", "Idols, Images and Symbols of the Goddesses; South-east Asia and Tibet", Durdin- Robertson, Cesara. Phillips Star Map. "Star Names", Allen, Dover.
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