Sphinx, Goddess Myths and Mysteries
Fellowship of Isis Liturgy
VII. Neptune: Melusina of the Dragon Power
ORACLE OF THE GODDESS GODA
Invocation: Divine Goda, Consort of God. You form the Dragon of Space with Your net of glittering constellations. Through your dark embrace with the God of Light, You create myriads of living beings. We love life and dread death. Through Your Dragon of Fire awaken our souls to immortality!
Oracle: So you would be immortal! To do so you need not only the dragon power of Spirit, but the mind to appreciate it! Too often when people plead for immortality, they can only visualise a sameness derived from petty dreaming. To be aware and enjoy infinity you need the mind of a genius, the passions of a lover and the ability to enjoy the company of others! Otherwise immortality is a prison for the ego, entrapped in delusions of self-importance, the only companions being reflections of self. Your world may be seen as a series of myriad faery stories which you create during the night and enact in day-time. Occult knowledge is only the next scene you seek to uncover, by peering behind a womans veil! And indeed that is what your scientists have done, during the process tearing a dangerous hole in the earth's ozone veil.
The Gods do not interfere unless they are asked. This is to protect your free will - your right to choose good or evil - and learn from the consequences. But some there are who love Us because they hope We exist! My Being is reproduced not through races or groups but through each original offspring. So - every one of you - if you believe in Me, we can talk! Tell Me the deepest longing of your heart and I will fulfil it. My emblem is the Dragonfly.
Priestesses wear silver moon crowns, purple and silver robes and carry silver wands. Priests wear gold headdresses, blue and gold robes and carry gold staffs. Women wear silver circlets, men, gold headbands and both wear blue and green robes. On a violet and silver draped altar are 3 lighted candles, a silver bowl of water, and burning incense. Music may be played throughout.
Priest Hierophant: Companions, we are assembled in this holy temple to awaken the dragon power of immortality. (offers incense.) I offer incense to Thee, divine Goda Who holds the trident of the dark ocean space entwined with spiral galaxies.
Priestess Hierophant: I offer incense to Thee, Almighty God, Consort of Goda, Whose penetrating spears of Light bisect the cycles of time.
1st Priestess: (anoints each brow with water.) May this water awaken your soul!
1st Priest: (lights 3 candles:) Heed the words of the Bard of Eire. "We must live within the Spirit's Fire, or pass like smoke."
Priestess Hierophant: The Deities conceal the inner secrets of the soul's transmutation in faery-tales, obscure to the learned, clear to simple people and children. To awaken your inner dragon, friends, return to your childhood and enjoy a good legend!
FAIRY LEGEND: MELUSINA OF THE DRAGON POWER
SCENE 1. CAER OF THE WHEEL OF STARS
Enter 3 Goddesses, Aradia, Morrigan and Cerridwen. They wear gold masks, lunulae and snake bracelets.
Aradia: Before We inundated Atlantis with our purifying ocean, I was adored as Arianrhod, Goddess of the Silver Wheel of Stars. Among an improved race of humans an aeon or so later, I rose from the sea as Ariadne of the labyrinth of sea-caves. At the dawn of the new aeon I returned as Aradia. I was born through the guile of My Mother, the Moon Goddess Diana, Who ensnared Lucifer, God of Light, to be My Father. I bring magic, visions and starry journeys to enrapture my forlorn earth children. My plan is to produce a new humanity!
Morrigan: (laughing) Your dreamy followers are not capable of producing anything of a practical nature on earth! I am The Morrigan! The earth is threatened by human folly and greed. Drastic remedies are the kindest. I recommend striking the earth with a well-aimed asteroid.
Cerridwen: It is I, Cerridwen, Who can combine your visions Aradia, with your energy, Morrigan. I bestow on My initiates the 3 sacred drops of Wisdom, Imagination and Creativity. Let us put our secret plan into action!
Aradia: Nothing can be actualised on the material plane until it is created through the Imagination. Who can help us create our plan so that humans will comply?
Morrigan: Who else but Taliesin, half-God, half-human. He will have the experience to bring our scheme into fruition.
Aradia: Taliesin of the shining brow, come to us!
Enter Taliesin in Druid oak leaf chaplet.
Taliesin: I am the first-fruits of your new humanity. I have listened to your plan and I can help you. As Gwion the mortal boy I have received the 3 drops from your cauldron, Cerridwen. I have rested 9 months within Your womb. I have been 3 aeons in your starry Caer, Arianrhod of the Wheel. I shall exist until the Day of Doom on the face of the earth. Then shall I ascend to our Caer in the summer stars.
Aradia: Display to us our scheme being put in motion on earth!
Taliesin: Behold the lost island of Avalon in mediaeval Europe! Pressine and her daughter Morgaine discuss your plan.
SCENE 2. THE LOST ISLE OF AVALON
Morgaine: My dear mother, how can you even contemplate marriage with a mortal? The idea disgusts me, even if you use our faery method.
Pressine: Morgaine, I know too well your delight in nature as it is. You say you are conserving an endangered human species, encouraging violent ways. My high aim is to change human nature itself. I shall use magic - and the relevant genes.
Morgaine: You are so misguided, you idealists! Many times in past aeons you have indeed transformed human species for the better. When your plans do not live up to your dreams - you drown the lot - just preserving a few obedient families. My evolution of survival of the fittest - without interference - kills far fewer people than your "new races". My victims don't have to endure sermons and commandments - nor do they have to grovel in penitence for their Original Sin.
Pressine: It is the Will of the Goddesses - with your help - that we faeries must try again, to save our earth from destruction wrought by human folly and greed.
Morgaine: To protect my animals and trees, I will aid you.
SCENE 3. THE FOUNTAIN OF ALBANIE
Taliesin: We now visit the land of Albanie - Scotland. We observe the King who is hunting in a forest by the sea. He is amazed when he comes across a lady of exquisite beauty, seated by a fountain. He ties up his horse and bows to her.
King Elynas: Noble Lady, I am King Elynas of Albanie. Who are you, that guards this fountain?
Pressine: My name is Pressine. This is a faery fountain whose water brings the heart's desire. I will give you of the water, if you will take me as your wife!
King Elynas: Already my heart is yours! Be my wife!
Pressine: There is only one condition. You must make a solemn vow never to watch me giving birth! This is my secret. If you break your oath, calamity will befall!
Taliesin: Elynas took the solemn oath and Pressine gave him both water and his heart's desire. How fleeting honour can be! Years later, seduced by the jealousy of his brother, the King spied upon his wife at her lying in. He watched with terror as Pressine gave birth in a miraculous manner to 3 daughters at the same time! These were Melisande, Melior and Palestrine, And they were a wonder to behold. The King fled, and Pressine forthwith vanished, taking her three daughters with her to the lost Isle of Avalon. And the King's heart was broken.
SCENE 4. THE ENCHANTED FOREST
Taliesin: The plan continues to unfold in France. We behold Raymond, son of the Comte de Forez, wandering in despair in the Forest of Coulombier - Abode of Doves. While hunting a monstrous boar, he accidentally killed his Uncle, Emeric Comte de Poitiers. He comes upon a fountain around which are seated 3 beautiful ladies.
Enter Raymond who discovers Ladies. He bows.
Raymond: Ladies, have pity upon me! I have killed my uncle in error, while hunting a monstrous boar. Can you save me?
Palestrine: My name is Palestrine. I offer you the beauty of a faraway land where none know you.
Melior: My name is Melior. I can give you the power to vindicate your honour with your victorious sword!
Melisande: My name is Melisande. By my magic I can deceive the people into believing that it was the boar's tusks that slew your uncle and not your lance. Which gift do you choose?
Raymond: I choose your magic, Lady Melisande.
Melisande: To gain my gift, you need to marry me!
Raymond: I shall be honoured to have you as my wife.
Melisande: There is only one condition. You must swear on your honour never to see me naked! If you break your vow, disaster will follow.
Taliesin: Raymond gave his word. And he married Melisande, and everyone believed his uncle had been killed by a boar. Now for many a year, Raymond was true to his oath. But after his wife had given birth to 10 sons, Raymond's jealous son - by an earlier marriage - prevailed upon him to betray Melisande. The deed was done in the Chateau de Lusignan, a castle built by his wife.
SCENE 5. THE CHATEAU OF LUSIGNAN
Taliesin: We watch two ladies cover Melisande's bath with a curtain.
Enter 2 ladies who stretch out a curtain. Enter Melisande in a green robe. She disappears behind the curtain, handing out her green robe discreetly to a lady, who leaves. Enter Raymond stealthily. He creeps up to the curtain and peers round it. He starts back with a scream.
Raymond: My wife is half woman - half dragon! (Flees).
Taliesin: Surely enough, the terrified husband saw that Melisande had the body of a woman down to her waist, but from then on possessed the scaley body of a dragon, with claws and folded wings! Melisande unfolded her dragon wings and flew through the window. She circled the chateau three times, and each time she flew past the window of her two youngest sons, she made an anguished cry. Then she vanished forever. But in coming centuries she was revered as the Good Mother, through her sons, of all the royal families and nobility of Europe. But Raymond was dishonoured, for he had killed his uncle by accident, but had broken his oath by intent.
SCENE 6. THE SEASHORE OF BRITTANY
Taliesin: We reach the age where men have trodden upon Diana's moon. Descendants of faeries and mortals are assembled on the seashore of Brittany, where Raymond de Forez first found the faery fountain. They await the eclipse of the moon, sign that the lost Isle of the Blessed will rise from the ocean. They intend to wade out to it, despite the danger from drowning. (Crowd of half-faery, half-humans assemble.)
Music. Melisande, Melior and Palestrine appear before them wearing silver masks and shimmering robes.
Palestrine: Return to your homes and unite the earth with faery through painting, sculpture and music!
Melior: Go back to your cities and fight to save animals and trees!
Melisande: The Isle of the Blessed only appears every 500 years. Come back with me to your own rooms and I will fill your nights with the joys of the Many-Coloured Land! Form with us the Dragon Dance of Creation, that we may circulate our happiness throughout the whole earth!
Dragon dance in which the whole company participates.
End of Play
Contemplation
Contemplation of the Mystery of Melusina of the Dragon Power. Reports are shared. Rays of creativity are sent forth. Thanks are given to the Deities.
Sources: "Melusine, Une Fee Venue du Fond des Temps", A Troyes, 1677. "Comte de Gabalais", Abbe N. de Montfaucon de Villars, 1670. "Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race," Rolleston, Harrap. "Aradia, The Gospel of the Witches", Charles G. Leland 1891.
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