Melusina, Life Centres of the Goddess
Fellowship of Isis Liturgy by Olivia Robertson
The Creation of Life Forms
Ritual no. 5
ORACLE OF THE GODDESS NUT THROUGH HER PRIESTESS
Priestess: (Invocation) We call upon Thee, starry Goddess Nut, because we would obtain everlasting love. All those on earth die, as do we ourselves. Save us from terrible grief.
Oracle: You do well to invoke Me! You may gain eternal love by praying to the deathless Deities. Many seek to prolong their days by various practices, which only delay certain death. Eternity is not extension in time. Others seek to live on through their children: yet these children go their own ways and they also die. Mighty works upon the earth are built by the great, who wished to preserve their names and glories. But the monuments are but their tombstones, and their great cities have fallen into ruins. In your day men seek to extend life and even to produce it by artificial means. But they measure that which is constantly changing, and so even their own facts betray them!
The way to achieve everlasting life and love is to transcend both time and place! You cannot do this by using your material senses: these very tools are themselves subject to decay. A reflection is not to be moved save by moving the object which it reflects. This planet of matter, to you the only real world, is but My Shadow Sister Naut! All the Deities have Their shadows reflected in your sphere, and it is usually these shadows which you worship. But the distinction between the Deities and yourselves is this: the Deities do not believe their shadows to be real!
When you identify with your own physical body completely, and brood on disturbed emotions, you feed your shadow: it becomes a vampire and drains your soul. It may even consume you with unhealthy passions. When this happens, children and animals will avoid you, because they still have their own Spirit Light.
Become aware of your Body of Light, of which your physical body is but a reflection, too often distorted. Your Spirit is my eternal offspring, and like Myself is radiant with many-coloured stars. When you truly love, you awaken your Creative Star. Then through the divine art of magic you will be able to create forms of beauty, animated by Life Essence. But remember, it takes the love of two to create! It is through my union with the Earth God Seb that all creatures are born from the Cosmic Egg of Light!
Priestesses wear Egyptian crowns, star pectorals, indigo and gold robes and hold lotus wands. Priests wear Egyptian headdresses, brown and yellow robes, scarab pectorals and hold crooks. Women companions wear gold circlets and blue and gold robes; men, striped phra headdresses, brown and yellow robes. On deep blue draped altar are six lighted candles, a vessel of water, burning incense and a sheaf of wheat. Candidate is in white. Music may be played throughout.
Priest Hierophant: Companions who seek to create life forms, we are assembled to awaken the womb centre of Nut which is both cosmic and individual in each creature. The Indian Rishis depict this Svadisthana lotus, the sex centre, as having six vermilion outer petals around two eight-petalled white lotuses. Within is a shining white crescent moon, turned upwards. To the Druids this power centre was the Great Aug, the egg of creation. It was also revered as the egg of the Goddess Oester - Easter. To the Greeks it was the Delphis womb matrix.
Priestess Hierophant: In Her Cosmic Body, the Goddess Nut of Ancient Egypt was painted as our Milky Way Galaxy. Her body is indigo-blue spangled with gold stars. Her feet are wide apart, on Sagittarius and Scorpio. Her legs contain Aquila and Cygnus: they join at the white star Deneb. A bright cone of power in the form of a wheat sheaf pours from the womb centre, the Lacework Nebula. This stream of celestial essence brings life to all creatures.
Priest Hierophant: The body of Nut arches into the sky, bearing Cepheus. Her breasts, the great W of Cassiopeia, pour forth milk of stardust, the Andromeda Nebula. Her neck bends downwards through Taurus, and her lowered head has the stars of Orion in Her floating hair, Her arms reach downwards to clasp Sirius, the star of Her twin offspring, Isis and Osiris. Naut, her Shadow Sister, reaches upwards towards Her from the Underworld. Between Them reclines the recumbent earth God Seb. It is through the union of Nut and Seb that all beings are born.
1st Priestess: When the planetary Nut is painted protecting a mummycase, stars are shown around her, and the planets, depicted as red spheres, mark the line of Her power centres down Her body.
Priestess Hierophant: (offers incense and makes star sign with wand) I invoke Thee the Goddess Nut! Thou Who bringeth forth the stars, bestow on us Thy gifts of creation! The goddess Naut awaits us in Tuat, the Underworld, holding the gleaming moon. We would, like the Sun God Ra, travel unafraid through the spheres of Light and Darkness. May we, like Thee, bring forth a rich harvest.
Priest Hierophant: (offers incense and makes a sign of Earth, a circle) Divine Seb, God of the earth and its elements, Thou art great among the Gods and Their shadows! As Thou dost create creatures of clay and breatheth the fire of life into them, teach us the arts of magic! (to Candidate) Are you willing to undergo the Initiation of the Life Centre of Nut, that you may awaken Her creative star within yourself?
Candidate: With Nut's blessing, I am.
Priest Hierophant: So be it. That you may understand the spiritual power of this hidden centre, whose outer force is too much despised, witness a Mystery!
THE DANCE OF THE GREAT CACKLER
As the narrative is given, a dance drama is presented.
1st Priest: Know that in the ancient days before the dawn of time, there were two lovers: Nut, starry daughter of the Lion Sky Deities, Tefnut and Shu, and her beloved, the Earth God Seb. But the God Shu would not permit his daughter to marry Seb, for he desired to keep her in the heavens. So he held her high up among the stars beyond the reach of Seb upon the earth.
1st Priestess: However the amorous God Seb had great cunning. And he planned a way to overcome the power of Shu. From his own force he extended a mighty cone of fire from within the earth, and so he was able to reach Nut in the sky. And to aid him, Nut in her turn responded to his love by pouring forth star dust from her own body towards him. And when these two powers met, they joined together into a mighty egg of Light brighter than the stars! And so Nut became the starry goose, the Great Cackler, for she had laid the Primal Egg of Life.
1st Priest: And the sky and the earth heaved and there were hurricanes and earthquakes. And from the First Egg there broke forth a beautiful baby, no less than the Sun God, Ra. He was hatched upon Bakhau, the Eastern Mountain. And this was the First Dawn. And Ra waxed bright and strong as he ascended the body of his mother Nut, and he reigned over the whole earth. But in time he grew weak and aged, and so he sank into his mother's arms upon Manu, the Western Mountain. And this was the First Sunset.
1st Priestess: And Ra sank into the underworld of Tuat, which is the body of the Shadow sister of Nut, who is called Naut. And all on earth lamented at the loss of the Sun God. And they dwelt in darkness.
1st Priest: But their weeping and wailing gave way to hymns of joy when Ra rose in the east as Horus the Hawk God, reborn of his mother Nut! And so it is to this very day.
End of Drama
Candidate: The dance was graceful. But I cannot see what relevance this story about cackling geese and stars and blue women has to do with me! It was a fairy story, charming for very young children or primitive people, not for anyone with a modern education.
1st Priest: My friend, this is because you may be wise in knowledge of modern science, but yet know nothing of the cosmic language of symbols! Know that every object on one level of being is a symbol on a greater level. Symbols are the hieroglyphs of creation. Divine Correspondences link every sphere, both great and small. You cannot create, whether it be house or a book or a child, without first forming a concept. And this starts with a symbol, an image. So it is with the Deities. The Goddess when she brings forth progeny, whether these be stars, planets or organic beings, first creates these in her imagination. These conceptions need to be animated by Her Consort, the God. Whatever you create is a reflection of a greater reality.
To learn to create forms worthy to embody life, you need to expand your consciousness. Yet know that the humblest cow or sow or hen gives birth without any thought at all!
Priestess Hierophant: Facts convince the analytical mind. But none can come to terms with the spiritual sex centre through thought. Fairy stories speak to the soul. To awaken this centre, first honour it and lose all embarrassment wrought by fear of ridicule. Analyse after, not before an experience.
CREATING THE BOAT OF MILLIONS OF YEARS
2nd Priest: To awaken the Nut creative centre, let us make a magical journey to the planet Jupiter whose radiations are attuned to this power source. To do this, let us form the Boat of Millions of Years that carries Ra on his daily journey through the bodies of Nut and Naut! (Music.)
2nd Priestess: (anoints each brow with these words) May you receive the awakening of the Uachat Eye.
2nd Priest: Let us form the boat as a shining sphere around us, through dance! (Music. All dance to create a shining sphere around company)
2nd Priestess: Let us be seated in a circle within the Seket Boat as it rests in the West. To give it animation,, we need to chant the sacred syllables.
All: (chant) "Nu-u-ut. Na-a-aut"
2nd Priest: Behold, our Guide Anubis stands before us! He makes a sign and our boat begins to move on the path of the night of Ra. We are sinking in the West towards the darkness of outer space. We are sliding down the starry arms of Nut, past Sirius * * * we have entered the shadow body of Nut's sister, Naut. We leave the earth and fly past the white crescent moon * * * past the red Mars * * * We have reached the giant Jupiter with its four moons.
THE UNDERWORLD OF TAUT
3rd Priest: We are approaching the fiery red moon, lo the Cow Goddess. This satellite of Jupiter contains the greatest volcanoes in the solar system. This etheric realm of Taut is ruled over by Hathor, the Cow Goddess of Love, and by the fiery Horus the Hawk God. (to Candidate) Can you transmute tangled emotional relationships through love? Are you willing to exchange power with your soul-lover?
Candidate: With Hathor's blessing, I can try.
Contemplation
3rd Priest: (to Candidate) Anubis tells me that you have tried to share the feelings of your soul lover. You have passed the test. Let us re-enter the boat.
3rd Priestess: Let us offer a hymn to Hathor. "We adore the Goddess Hathor in her Holy Habitation. We have gained mastery over our hearts. We have gained mastery over our breasts. We have gained mastery over our whole bodies."
THE PARADISE OF AMENTI
2nd Priest: Our boat is now bringing us to a very different moon. This is Callisto, Bear of the Snows, shining white and pure like a crystal. Concealed by its ice lies pure water. This haven of Amenti is presided over by the starry twins of Sirius, Aset and Ausar - Isis and Osiris. In this astral realm, power is gained for the creation of beautiful magical forms, that can be animated by the life force. (to Candidate) Are you willing to learn this art?
Candidate: With the help of Isis and Osiris I am.
2nd Priestess: Enter Io’s crystalline realm with a soul as reflective as ice, that you may receive magical inspiration. We shall follow you.
Contemplation
2nd Priest: (to Candidate) Anubis tells me that a new creative gift is being born within you. You have passed the test. Let us return to our Seket boat.
2nd Priestess: Hear the words of Isis. "I am Isis that riseth in Sirius Who showeth the Path of the Stars: with my brother Osiris I reveal the Mysteries to human-kind, It is I who draw women to take the love of men. I ordain that the True be thought good, and I make a distinction between the beautiful and shameful in nature. With me the good shall prevail.
THE HAVEN OF SEKHET-HETEPET
1st Priest: Our boat is now approaching Jupiter itself! We see its multicolored cloud belts of yellow-red, brown, purple and blue. Our gateway is a red spot, next to two white spots. This gateway is the width of three earths. But as our boat sinks into it we do not fear, for we are safe in our spiritual bodies * * * We wonder what we shall find within this great planet of swirling gases.
1st Priest: In the very core of Jupiter we find a pure white moon, the Egg of Nut! It shines with dazzling light. It is from this primal egg that we are reborn. (to Candidate) Have you the courage to surrender to the Mother of All?
Candidate: As Nut is my mother, I am.
1st Priest: Leave our boat and enter the haven of Sekhet-Hetepet ruled by Nut and Seb. Within the egg you shall find all your previous lives, as you trod the path of Ra, from many births to as many deaths. Learn to re-create yourself! Enter. We shall follow.
Contemplation
1st Priestess: (to Candidate) Anubis tells me that you have found your true spirit reborn through many lives. You have passed the test. Let us re-enter the Seket Boat.
1st Priest: We offer a hymn to Nut. "Hail, Nut, in Whose head appear the two eyes of sun and moon! Thou hast bestowed upon us Thy Life. Thou hast given us our Heads, Thou hast brought us our bones, Thou hast collected our flesh, Thou hast brought our hearts into our bodies, Thou hast given us our children like unto ourselves. Spread thyself over us as Coverer of Heaven, and makest us to be as the Blessed Goddesses and Gods of the stars!"
1st Priestess: Our boat of return, Matet, rises from the centre of Jupiter and moves into the sky. It hovers and we look back. With the eyes of spirit we see beneath the protective layers of many coloured gases, the Egg of Creation. From its smooth white sphere pour forth rays of light. And we discern the form of a sun that is to be! We draw these radiations into our bodies and we feel glowing with strength and happiness. And from the fires of Io and the ice of Callisto come forth two streams of gold and silver radiations, and these we draw towards ourselves. From our creative centres we circulate power to our hearts and brows: we share love with all.
1st Priest: Anubis tells us to bring with us the wheat-sheaf of creativity, whether this be love for others, concepts, plans or works of art. We leave Jupiter and we reach our earth as we rise from the East, by the feet of Nut, rosy in the clouds of dawn. Like a shooting star we dart into our Temple, and our Matet Boat comes to rest on the floor. Anubis instructs us to dissolve it through dance. We thank Him and He blesses us and He fades from our sight.
Company dissolve boat through dance. Candidate gives report and may be presented with wheat-sheaf in token of initiation. Reports. Rays of creativity are sent forth. The priesthood give thanks to the Deities.
Sources: "The Gods of the Egyptians", Budge, Dover. "Anthology of Ancient Egyptian Poems", Elissa Sharpley, Murray. "Life in the Next World", Durdin-Robertson, Cesara. "The Serpent Power", Arthur Avalon, T. S. Publications. "The Concise Book of Astronomy", Ridpath, Orchard, Eds.
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