Book of the Goddess

Book of the Goddess by Anna Livia Plurabelle © 2002, ALP

PREFACE In the name of Annah the Allmaziful, the Everliving, the Bringer of Plurabilities, haloed be her eve, her singtime sung, her rill be run, unhemmed as it is uneven! Her untitled mamafesta memorialising the Mosthighest has gone by many names at disjointed times.... --James Joyce, Finnegans Wake This is a work in progress... My spiritual beliefs emerged at an early age, circa 1970, influenced by Robert Graves' The White Goddess, as well as many other religions which I was exposed to in the California of the sixties. However, unlike many Neopagans, I didn't gravitate to Wicca, Gardnerian or otherwise. It always seemed to be a desperate attempt to recreate a past that never was, one that I wasn't eager to participate in. If I wanted to play Renaissance dress-up I would have joined the Society for Creative Anachronism; however, I have no intention of being burned at the stake, pretend or otherwise. Also, since we live an pluralistic, secular society, in theory, there should be nothing to fear. So why perpetuate an underground mentality? After I researched the history of Wicca, I came to realize that it was completely synthetic, and at its heart a forgery. Based on English ceremonial magic--Golden Dawn, Crowleys' Thelema, Rosicrucianism, John Dee's Enochian Magic, and Kabbalah; Wicca was stitched together from whole cloth by Gerald Gardiner circa 1948, and from deeply patriarchal sources at that. There are living Pagan traditions that go back further than the nineteenth century, such as Afro-Caribbean religions like Vodun and Santeria. But trust me, Wicca is not one of them. So why not make a more palatable synthesis? I don't think that the Goddess is displeased by Wicca; she must be laughing, though, at all of the silly things that people do to try to contact her. The Goddess is all around us. She's right here. In you, your mother, your daughter, your sister, your girlfriend. She is in you and me. She's right there. She loves you. Magic happens when you are in love with the Goddess. It doesn't require circles, candles, special wands/knives/pentacles. Unbidden, magical, seeming coincidental things will start to happen. You can use rituals, shamanistic methods such as drums/ethenogens/chanting/prayer/power lunch, but if you are truly in love with the Goddess, they are, on one level at least, superfluous. That's not to say that rituals, altars,

ceremonies should be spurned, however:--the Goddess loves play, song, dance and beautiful arrangements of found objects and texts. The point is, you can make up your own rituals, create your own ceremonies, dream up new names for the Goddess and see if they stick. There is no single 'right' or 'proper' way to give homage to the Goddess; as her diversity of form is manifest, so we shouldn't have to worship her in one way only. What is written in this book is just one possible synthesis. I believe that to worship the Goddess you shouldn't have to wait 'a year and a day' to join a coven, or go to Wicca post-graduate school just to start your own group. If you sincerely affirm her reality, that is sufficient. The Book of the Goddess is obviously a pastiche of other religious texts. I sincerely hope that nobody will interpret this as mockery, but as respect. I want a 'monotheaistic' Goddess-based religion, and to do so, one must go to the great monotheistic religions. I want a religion which doesn't negate its predecessors, but incorporates the best of them. In this Book you'll find echoes and outright plagiarism of Buddhist, Christian, Taoist, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Islamic, and even some Pagan texts. After all, the patriarchal religions started out by appropriating the myths and traditions that preceded them; it's time to return the favor. According to Marija Gimbutas, the Neolithic culture of 6500-3500 BCE which emerged after the last Ice Age was a peaceful agrarian society which worshipped only a Mother Goddess, with no images of a Father god. It was an epoch of peace and sexual equality. Technology was used to improve life rather than oppress and degrade people, or destroy the Earth. Time was regarded as cyclic and regenerative rather than culminating in an apocalypse where unbelievers are consigned to eternal torture. This is the inspiration for this synthesis. May the summer-time come again. Magic is alive, Goddess is afoot... --Anna Livia Plurabelle,

The Nine Principles of the Goddess 1. I acknowledge that there is one Goddess in essence, Creatrix of all existences; Her forms are infinite, She manifests Herself in our love, and we are all Her lovers. 2. Treat all beings with reciprocity, for the Goddess lives in them as well as in us. 3. Tolerate other religions and do not compel others to join the circle of the Goddess: the Goddess will draw those to Her who are ready and hear Her call. 4. Worship Her by restoring balance to Her planet.

5. Eat mostly grains, vegetables and fruits, so that there will be enough food for all; when you eat thank the Goddess, the provider of all energy. It is not forbidden to eat animal flesh in moderation, but when you do so you must thank the animal that you eat as well. 6. In the circle of the Goddess create consensus while respecting diversity of opinion. On the path of the Goddess there are many paths. 7. In your home create a sacred space for the Goddess to please Her. Meditate on the Goddess three times a day, at rising, at noon and at sundown. 8. Sexuality is Her sacrament; enjoy this gift and bless those who you share it with love and affection. Remember that overcoming jealousy is the cause of cessation of the cycle of rebirth. 9. Announce the religion of the Goddess to the world through good works, honest words and selfless acts of beauty and love. To set out on the path of the Goddess, you need only recite the first principle three times, and say three times 'blessed be'. The Goddess will enter your heart and you will feel her love, and when that happens you are in the circle of the Goddess.

GENESIS In the beginning the Goddess dreamed within the undifferentiated plenum. The plenum was of multifold dimensions It seethed with fractal bubbles which linked all scales of reality. And she moved within and upon the face of the quantum foam, In wholeness, in a timeless place. The matrix of the Goddess was empty And all universes were united all in her embrace. There was no past and no future, no up or down. The laws and the form of the microscopic was identical to the macroscopic. As Above, so was Below; There was no division into Goddess and not-Goddess. There was only one plenum and the one Goddess Was as the water flowing in the depths of the ocean. And the Goddess waited for an eternity, And then for yet another eternity, And an eternity of eternities. And the Goddess desired pleasure, but she found it not. Who will bring me pleasure? she sighed. So she split into three so that she could create pleasure and enjoyment. And the three forms were the Nymph, the Mother and the Crone. The Nymph is what has been,

The Mother is what is, The Crone is what shall be. And the three linked into a circle of life. And their pleasure created a feedback loop. Linked into that loop the Goddess sang her world-shattering song. And the feedback loop ascended to the highest energy state, the orgasm. And the Goddess saw that the orgasm was good. And at that moment infinite possibilities Arose out of the quantum foam and the plenum shattered. All the multiverses came into being and the Goddess entered into them. Time and space came into existence. Energy and Matter came into existence. And the multiverses began to split into a multitude of universes, Each universe with a different history and set of physical parameters. And the Goddess saw that the multiverses were good. And that was the first orgasm. When we experience orgasm we take an infinitesimal sip Of the cup of the ecstasy of creation. Trillions of eons passed. The multiverses evolved and many new forms of the Goddess emerged. Some multiverses were empty or sparse. Some were filled with energy that could not cool. In some time ran backwards, or sideways. And all of the universes were pregnant with the form of new Goddesses. And the Goddess was not yet satisfied, As her passion knows no boundaries. So she split into more forms, her sisters, One for each multiverse. And she loved all of them, And found satisfaction for a time. And each Goddess split into an infinite number of forms. But after an eternity the Goddess again yearned for new lovers. And the Goddess sang to her sisters: We will cause these multiverses to evolve. For diversity and the infinite combinations it produces Will create new consciousness. So to seed this spectrum of possibilities She created the rainbow, And she and her sisters embraced the rainbow And fertilized all of the creations without ceasing, Bringing matter into existence and causing time to flow forward.

For consciousness needs distinctions between past, present and future And a vessel to hold it. Each multiverse ran for trillions of eons, And matter and energy split, And each divided into numberless forms. And the microscopic was distinguished from the macroscopic And each had different but similar laws. Particles coalesced into atoms. Atoms coalesced into large scale structures. Large-scale structures birthed galaxies. And the galaxies birthed nebulae. And the nebulae birthed stars. Stars birthed planets and moons and comets and asteroids. The planets cooled and water and gasses moved on the face of the planets. On the surface of the waters, In the voids between the stars and deep in the nebulae, Wherever atoms linked into long chains, There was a soup of organic molecules. And the Goddess sang "Let the long chains of atoms become self-replicating And evolve into my image". And the thunder of the Goddess's world-shattering song Struck the surface of the waters, And the chains started to replicate. And that was the origin of life. But life was not yet conscious. So the Goddess said: I will encode a language into the soup. The alphabet of this language will be amino acids And the grammar will determine what form a organism will become, And how long it will live And all the possibilities of the organism, For all the days of its life. And she translated into this language her song. And she took the dream she had dreamed in the plenum And wrapped it around her song. And the molecules began to evolve into more complicated forms. And the Goddess pulled back her hand As a wanderer after lighting a campfire. In the beginning there were the Eukaryotes, the single-celled. And the Eukaryotes begat the Metazoa. And the Metazoa begat the Bilateria.

And the Bilateria begat the Deuterostomia. And the Deuterostomia begat the Chordata. And the Chordata had backbones, and the Goddess saw that that was good. And they were the parents of the fish, the amphibians, the reptiles, the birds and the mammals. And that was the Cambrian age And the Chordata begat the Craniata. And among the Chordata were the Agnathan fish, the first Vertebrata. And that was the Ordovician Age. The Craniata begat the Vertebrata. The Vertebrata begat the Gnathostomata, the jawed, and that was the Middle Devonian Age. And the Gnathostomata begat the Teleostomi. And the Teleostomi begat the Osteichthyes. the And the Osteichthyes begat the Sarcopterygii. And the Sarcopterygii begat the Terrestrial Vertebrates. And that was the Upper Devonian. And life emerged onto land, the ancestors of the mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians. And the Terrestrial Vertebrates begat the Tetrapoda. The Tetrapoda had four feet. And that was the Mississippian Age. The Tetrapoda were the ancestors of all reptiles, the whales, the amphibians, and the mammals. And the Tetrapoda begat the Reptiliomorpha. And the Reptiliomorpha begat the Amniota, the egg-bearers. And that was the origin of the Reptiles and Mammals alike. The Amniota begat the Eupelycosauria. And the Eupelycosauria begat the Sphenacdontia. And the Sphenacdontia begat the Sphenacodontoidea. And the Sphenacodontoidea begat the Therapsida. And the Therapsida begat the Mammalia. And the Mammalia begat the Eutheria, the placental mammals. And the Eutheria begat the Primates. And the Primates begat the Catarrhini. And the Catarrhini begat the Hominidae.

And the Hominidae begat Homo Sapiens.

This is the song of the Goddess dreaming In a timeless place; This is the voice we hear when we strive to reach heaven, The realm of the rainbow serpent, The place where the Goddess walked In that first dreamtime In the springtime of existence When she started the evolution of life. For we long to reunite with the Goddess And all her sisters, even though we know it not. --ALP

THE NAMES OF THE GODDESS The Goddess is one and multiform; The Goddess has nine billion names; And more; Of her names only a few do we sing:

I. Blessed be to the Goddess of Chaos, Eris inchoate, First of all to emerge in the undifferentiated plenum The splendid dancer on the interface Of the macrocosm and the microcosm; The Creatrix of all fractal dimensions;

II. Blessed be the Sun, Amaterasu, Creatrix of all solar planets; She we greet at dawns' first breath; She we hail at noon; She we bid farewell at twilight;

III. Blessed be broad-breasted Earth, Gaia; The ever-bountiful planet of our birth; From her core of fire

To the outer wisps of her Ionosphere; She has birthed all evolved life; She has suffered mass extinctions; She has rebirthed species time and time again; We shall not rest in our defense of her Against the depredations of the patriarchs.

IV. Blessed be Maria, The Goddess of the Ocean; Blue-mantled, foam crested; She brings rains to the dry lands; Her song is sung by the whales of the deep. She nurtured life in its infancy; As she watches over childbirth;

V. Blessed be Maria's sister, Selene, the silent; Our constant companion; Goddess of the lunar cycle of the womb. At the dark moon we watch for her expectantly; At the new moon we hail her joyously; At the full moon we make love and sing her praise; At the waning moon we mourn and meditate.

VI. Blessed be Aphrodite, Goddess of Love Who we know also as Aphrodite, Bringer of delights; Joy which knows no boundaries; Kindness which needs no recompense; Lead us from jealousy which keeps us ever-reborn And bestow on us the paradise of the Goddess On Earth as it is on Heaven.

VII. Blessed be Athena; Goddess of Wisdom; She who taught us in the dawn time; How to speak, create tools, use fire; To till the land and tend it wisely; We see far and go forth in her name.

VIII. Blessed be Demeter, Bringer of seasons and giver of good gifts, We eat of your divine foods: Grains, Fruits, Vegetables; We praise your bounty at every meal; You sustain our bodies and gladden our soul.

IX. Blessed be Kali, Goddess of the Underworld; Skull-wreathed, terrible Goddess Death, destroyer of Universes; She who sits at the gate of rebirth; She who weighs our heart in the scales; If it weighs less than a pomegranate seed; She will send you on to the summerland; If it is heavier, you will wander in the Bardos; To find rebirth and find love once more. --ALP

HYMNS TO THE ONE GODDESS I. Oh Goddess, You Yourself are the Creator. Everything that happens is by Your Doing. There is no one except You. You created the creation; You behold it and understand it. Amongst all is the Light--You are that Light. By this Illumination, that Light is radiant within all. The Goddess is the Greatest of the Great. No one calls Her any less. No one can estimate Her Worth. By speaking of Her, Her Greatness is not increased. You are the One True Mistress of all the other beings, of so many worlds. Come, my dear sisters and spiritual companions; hug me close in your embrace. You have so many Creative Powers, Mistress; Your Bountiful Blessings are so Great. So many of Your beings and creatures praise You day and night. You have so many forms and colors, so many classes, high and low. Meeting the True One, Truth wells up. The truthful are absorbed into the True Goddess. Upon that Highest Plane of Sublime Beauty, stands the Grove of the Goddess. By true actions, this human body is obtained,

And the door within ourselves which leads to the Grove of the Goddess, is found. The True Goddess Herself knows all; She makes no mistakes. She is the Great Gardener of the Universe. First, She prepares the ground, and then She plants the Seed of the True Name. The nine treasures are produced from Name of the One Goddess. The blind have forgotten the Name of the Goddess. Their comings and goings in reincarnation do not end; Through death and rebirth, they are wasting away. Without the Word of the Goddess, people wander lost in reincarnation. Through the love of duality, multitudes have been drowned. O mind, swim across, by focusing your consciousness on Her names. As it pleases You, Mistress, You save me. There is no other for me at all. In front of me, I see the forest burning; behind me, I see green plants sprouting. We shall merge into the One from whom we came. The True One is pervading each and every heart. She Herself unites us in Union with Herself; The True Mansion of Her Presence is close at hand. With each and every breath, I dwell upon You; I shall never forget You. The more the Goddess dwells within the mind, The more the lover of the Goddess drinks in the Ambrosial Nectar. Mind and body are Yours; You are my Mistress. Please rid me of my hate, my jealousy, and my ignorance, and let me merge with You. Everyone belongs to the One who rules the Universe. The lover of the Goddess practices good deeds, and the truth is revealed in the heart. True is the reputation of the true, within whom truth abides. Those who meet the True Goddess are not separated again; They come to dwell in the home of the self deep within. O mind, don't cry out that you are hungry, always hungry; stop complaining. The One who created the infinite species of beings gives sustenance to all. The Fearless Goddess is forever Merciful; She takes care of all. O lover of the Goddess, She understands, and finds the Door of Liberation. Those who keep the Goddess enshrined within their hearts are said to be blessed. Placing mind and body in offering before the Goddess, They conquer and eradicate jealousy from within. Blessed and acclaimed is that lover of the Goddess, who shall never be defeated. Those who receive Her Grace find Her; Without Her Grace, She cannot be found. In the Grove of the Goddess, peace is found, Meditating on Her nine billion names night and day. The truthful ones are not stained by hate. Meditating on the Goddess, their minds remain pure; The lovers of the Goddess shed their ego; attuned to her orgasm, they find peace. The One Goddess is the Giver of all; She Herself bestows all blessings. No one else has any say in this; She gives just as She pleases.

O mind, vibrate and meditate forever on the Goddess; seek the Protection of Her Grove. The Mistress of the Universe is the Treasure of Excellence; Her limits cannot be found. She is not obtained by mouthing mere words, but by rooting out jealousy from within. By Goddess' Grace, one remains blended with the True Name of the Creatrix; This mind is very powerful; we cannot escape it just by trying. In the love of duality, people suffer in pain, condemned to terrible punishment. O mind, give up the love of duality. The Goddess dwells within you; serving the Goddess, you shall find peace. Engrossed in jealousy, the world perishes. It dies and is re-born; it continues coming and going in reincarnation. The self-willed do not recognize the Goddess; They forfeit their honor, and depart in disgrace. The True Queen has written Her Order, which no one can erase. The self-willed do not obtain the Grove of the Goddess' Presence. The false are plundered by falsehood. Engrossed in egotism, the world perishes. Without the Goddess, there is utter darkness. In emotional attachment to one lover, they have forgotten the Great Giver, the Giver of Peace. Those who serve the True Goddess are saved; They keep the True Goddess enshrined in their hearts. By Her Grace, we find the Queen, and reflect on the True Word of the Goddess. The desires of the mind are fulfilled, when one is filled to overflowing with Her orgasm. One who fears, loves, and is devoted to the Dear Goddess day and night, Sees Her always close at hand. Doubt runs far away from the bodies of those, Whose minds remain forever attuned to the True Word of the Goddess. The Immaculate Mistress is found. She is True; She is the Ocean of Excellence. Those who remain awake and aware are saved, while those who sleep are plundered. They do not recognize the True Word of the Goddess, and like a dream, their lives fade away. Like guests in a deserted house, they leave just exactly as they have come.

II. By the Sun and Her brightness, And the Moon when She follows Her, And the day when it reveals Her, And the Night when it enshrouds Her, And the Sky and She who created it, And the Earth and She who quickened it. By the night enshrouding; And the day resplendent; And She Who hath created Orgasm As for the lovers who are dutiful to the Goddess

And believe in her goodness; Surely We will ease their way to the Grove of the Goddess But as for they who are jealous, hateful and scorn knowledge, And disbelieve in goodness; Surely She will ease their way to adversity. Their riches will not save them when they perish; Lo! Hers it is to give the guidance.

III. Remember now your Creatrix in the days of your youth, While the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, When thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, Nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, Vanity of vanities, said the Goddess, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit has one of all her labor which they take under the sun? One generation passes away, and another generation comes: But the Earth abides for ever. The sun also arises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where She arose. The wind goes toward the south, and turns about to the north; It whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to Her circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; Unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of labor; none cannot utter it: The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; And that which is done is that which shall be done: And there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? It has been already in the depths of time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; Neither shall there be any remembrance of things That are to come with those that shall come after. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath they that work in that wherein they labor?

I have seen the travail, which the Goddess hath given To the daughters of women to be exercised in it. She has made every thing beautiful in her time: Also she has set the world in their heart, So that nobody can find out the work that the Goddess created from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them, but for a woman to rejoice, and to do good in her life. And also that every woman should eat and drink, And enjoy the good of all her labor, it is the gift of the Goddess. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up her lover: And three are better than two, for three shall make the circle complete. But woe to her that is alone when she falls; for she hath not another to help her up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against her, two shall withstand her; And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. And when three lie together, there is no harm and much joy; Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; For the Goddess now accepts your love. Live joyfully with the lovers who you love All the days of your life which She hath given you under the sun, All the days of your life: for that is your portion in this life, And in your labor which thou take under the sun. Whatsoever your hand find to do, do it with your might; For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, Nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou go I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, Nor yet riches to those of understanding, Nor yet favor to women of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: Nevertheless the poor woman's wisdom is despised, and her words are not heard. The words of wise women are heard in quiet more than the cry of she that rules among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war: and hatred much good. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; For yielding pacifies great offences. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceeds from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low places. Cast your bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for you know not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: And if the tree fall toward the south,

Or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be. She that observes the wind shall not sow; and she that regards the clouds shall not reap. While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, Nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return to Goddess who gave it. Vanity of vanities, said the Goddess; all is vanity.

IV. My mother was the one who told me that the girl arose; She put her hands into the wood ashes; She threw up the wood ashes into the sky. She said to the wood ashes: "The wood ashes which are here, They must altogether become the Milky Way. They must white lie along in the sky, That the stars may stand outside of the Milky Way, While the Milky Way is the Milky Way, While it used to be wood ashes." They (the ashes) altogether become the Milky Way. The Milky Way must go round with the stars; While the Milky Way feels that, The Milky Way lies going round; While the stars sail along; therefore, The Milky Way, lying, goes along with the stars. The Milky Way, when the Milky Way stands upon the earth, The Milky Way turns across in front, While the Milky Way means to wait, While the Milky Way feels that the Stars are turning back; While the Stars feel that the Sun is the one who has turned back; She is upon his path; the Stars turn back; While they go to fetch the daybreak; That they may lie nicely, While the Milky Way lies nicely. The Stars shall also stand nicely around. They shall sail along upon their footprints, Which they, always sailing along, are following. While they feel that, they are the Stars which descend. The Milky Way lying comes to its place, To which the girl threw up the wood ashes, That it may descend nicely; It had lying gone along, while it felt that it lay upon the sky. It had lying gone round, while it felt that the Stars also turned round.

They turning round passed over the sky. The sky lies still; the Stars are those which go along; While they feel that they sail. They had been setting; they had, again, Been coming out; they had, sailing along, Been following their footprints. They become white, when the Sun comes out. The Sun sets, they stand around above; While they feel that they did turning follow the Sun. The darkness comes out; the Stars wax red, While they had at first been white. They feel that they stand brightly around; That they may sail along; while they feel that it is night. Then, the people go by night; While they feel that the ground is made light. While they feel that the Stars shine a little. Darkness is upon the ground. The Milky Way gently glows; While it feels that it is wood ashes. Therefore, it gently glows. While it feels that the girl was the one who said That the Milky Way should give a little light for the people, that they might return home by night, in the middle of the night. For, the earth would not have been a little light, had not the Milky Way been there. It and the Stars.

V. I believe, O Goddess of all Goddesses, That Thou art the eternal Mother of life; I believe, O Goddess of all Goddesses, That Thou art the eternal Mother of love. I believe, O Goddess of all Goddesses, That Thou art the eternal Mother of the avatars; I believe, O Goddess of all Goddesses, That Thou art the eternal Mother of each one. I believe, O Goddess of all Goddesses, That Thou art the eternal Mother of all beings; I believe, O Goddess of all Goddesses, That Thou art the eternal Mother of the Universe. I believe, O Goddess of the Universe, That Thou art the creator of the high heavens, That Thou art the creator of the skies above, That Thou art the creator of the oceans below. I believe, O Goddess of the Universe, That Thou art She Who created my soul and set its warp,

Who created my body from dust and from ashes, Who gave to my body breath, and to my soul its possession. Mother, bless to me my body, Mother, bless to me my soul, Mother, bless to me my life, Mother, bless to me my belief. Mother eternal and Goddess of the Universe, Mother eternal and Creatrix of life, I believe that Thou didst sing thy song at the bringing of the light Mother eternal and Goddess of the Universe, Enwrap Thou my body and my soul beloved, Safeguard me this night in the sanctuary of Thy love, Shelter me this night in the shelter of the avatars. Thou hast brought me up from last night To the gracious light of this day, Great joy to provide for my soul, And to do excelling good to me. Thanks be to Thee, Oh great Goddess, For the many gifts Thou hast bestowed on me, Each day and night, each sea and land, Each weather fair, each calm, each wild. I am giving Thee worship with my whole life, I am giving Thee assent with my whole power, I am giving Thee praise with my whole tongue, I am giving Thee honor with my whole utterance. I am giving Thee reverence with my whole understanding, I am giving Thee offering with my whole thought, I am giving Thee praise with my whole fervor, I am giving Thee love with my whole devotion, I am giving Thee pleasure with my whole desire, I am giving Thee love with my whole heart, I am giving Thee affection with my whole sense; I am giving Thee my existence with my whole mind, I am giving Thee my soul, O Goddess of the Universe. My thought, my deed, My word, my will, My understanding, my intellect, My way, my state. I am beseeching Thee To keep me from ill, To keep me from hurt, To keep me from harm; To keep me from mischance, To keep me from grief, To keep me this night In the nearness of Thy love.

May the Goddess shield me, May the Goddess fill me, May the Goddess keep me, May the Goddess watch me. May the Goddess bring me To the land of peace, To the grove of the Goddess, To the peace of eternity. Praise to the Nymph, Praise to the Mother, Praise to the Crone, The Three in One.

HYMNS TO THE ENNEAD Let us now praise the forms of the Goddess And all her names And all her avatars.

AMATERASU I. Out of the darkness comes light For those who wander in the darkness Striding from the purple-robed stillness Wherein the calls of birds echo in the void Your light enfolds our bodies with warmth. --ALP

II. Homage to thee, Oh Sun Goddess. O you glorious Being, you who art provided with all things. O Goddess, when you rise in the horizon of heaven, A cry of joy comes out of the mouth of all peoples. O you beautiful Being, You renew yourself in your season; Therefore in every place every heart swells with joy at your rising, for ever. The eastern and the western parts of heaven come to thee with homage, And give forth sounds of joy at your rising. You rise in the horizon of heaven and shine upon the world beams of emerald light; You art born from the water,

Who foster thee and order your members. O you who art crowned Queen of creation, Goddess of life, Goddess of love, Your lovers do homage to thee, And your lovers embrace thee at all times. They who are in your following sing to thee with joy And bow down to the earth when they meet thee, The Goddess of heaven, the Goddess of earth, The Queen of right and truth, the Goddess of eternity, The everlasting ruler, the Princess of all the Goddesses, The Goddess of life, The Creatrix of eternity, the maker of heaven by whom is established all that therein is. The company of the Goddesses rejoice at your rising, The earth is glad when it behold your love; The peoples that have been long dead come forth with cries of joy to see your beauties. You go forth over heaven and earth, made strong each day by your orgasm. You pass through the uppermost heaven, Thy heart swell with joy. O you unformed substance of the earth, who didst create yourself. The souls of the East follow thee, the souls of the West praise thee. You art the ruler of all beings and you hast joy of heart within your shrine; Thy heart shall be joyful for ever.

III. This light is come, amid all lights the fairest; born is the brilliant, far-extending brightness. Night, hath yielded up a birth-place for the Morning. The Fair, the Bright is come with her offspring; to her the Dark One hath resigned her dwelling. Akin, immortal, following each other, changing their colors both the heavens move onward. Common, unending is the Sisters' pathway; taught by the Goddess, alternately they travel. Fair-formed, of different hues and yet one-minded, Night and Dawn clash not, neither do they travel. Bright leader of glad sounds, our eyes behold her; splendid in hue she hath unclosed the portals. She, stirring up the world, hath shown us riches: Dawn hath awakened every living creature. Rich Dawn, she sets afoot the coiled-up sleeper, one for enjoyment, one for wealth or worship, Those who saw little for extended vision. All living creatures hath the Dawn awakened. One to high sway, one to exalted glory, one to pursue her gain, and one her labor: All to regard their different vocations, all moving creatures hath the Dawn awakened. We see her there, the Child of Heaven apparent, the young Maid, flushing in her shining raiment. You sovereign Lady of all earthly treasure, flush on us here, auspicious Dawn, this

morning. She first of endless morns to come hereafter, follows the path of morns that have departed. Dawn, at her rising, urges forth the living; who is dead she wakes not from her slumber. As you, Dawn, hast caused Fire to be kindled, and with the Sun's eye hast revealed creation. And hast awakened women to offer worship, you hast performed, for the Goddess a noble service. How long a time, and they shall be together,--Dawns that have shone and Dawns to shine hereafter? She yearns for former Dawns with eager longing, and goes forth gladly shining with the others. Gone are the women who in the days before us looked on the rising of the earlier Morning. We, we the living, now behold her brightness and they come nigh who shall hereafter see her. Foe-chaser, born of Law, the Law's protectress, joy-giver, waker of all pleasant voices, Auspicious, bringing food for the Goddesses' enjoyment, shine on us here, most bright, O Dawn, this morning. From days eternal hath Dawn shone, the Goddess, and shows this light to-day, endowed with riches. So will she shine on days to come immortal she moves on in her own strength, undecaying. In the sky's borders hath she shone in splendor: the Goddess hath thrown off the veil of darkness. Awakening the world with purple horses, on her well-harnessed chariot Dawn approaches. Bringing all life-sustaining blessings with her, showing herself she sends forth brilliant luster. Last of the countless mornings that have vanished, first of bright morns to come hath Dawn arisen. Arise! the breath, the life, again hath reached us: darkness hath passed away and light approaches. She for the Sun hath left a path to travel we have arrived where women prolong existence. Singing the praises of refulgent Mornings with his hymn's web the priestess, the poetess rises. Shine then to-day, rich Maid, on she who lauds thee, shine down on us the gift of life and offspring. Dawns giving daughters to women, shining upon the woman who brings offerings,-Mother of Goddesses, shine forth exalted. Rise up, bestowing praise on our devotion all-bounteous, Whatever splendid wealth the Dawns bring with them to bless the woman who offers praise and worship.

IV.

Fain to bring light to homes of women the noble and active Goddess hath emerged from darkness. She before all the living world hath wakened, the Lofty One who wins and gathers treasure. Revived and ever young on high she glances. Dawn hath come first to our morning worship. If, Dawn, thou Goddess nobly born, thou give fortune this day to all the race of mortals, May the Goddess declare before the Sun that we are sinless. Showing her wonted form each day that passes, spreading the light she visits each dwelling. Eager for conquest, with bright sheen she comes. Her portion is the best of goodly treasures. First among all sing forth, O joyous Morning. Let our glad hymns and holy thoughts rise upward, for the flames brightly burning have ascended. The far-refulgent Mornings make apparent the lovely treasures which the darkness covered. The one departs and the other comes: unlike in hue day's, halves march on successive. One hides the gloom of the surrounding Parents. Dawn on her shining chariot is resplendent. She who has knowledge of the first day's nature is born refulgent white from out the darkness. The Maiden breaks not the law of Order, day by day coming to the place appointed. In pride of beauty like a maid thou go, O Goddess, to the lovers who longs to pleasure thee, And smiling youthful, as you shines brightly, before your adoring lovers. Fair as a lover embellished by her sister you show forth your form that all may see it. Blessed art thou O Dawn. Shine yet more widely. No other Dawns have reached what thou attain. In constant operation with the sunbeams, The Dawns depart and come again and again assuming their wonted forms that promise happy fortune. Obedient to the rein of Law Eternal give us each thought that more and more shall bless us. Shine thou on us to-day, Dawn, swift to listen. With us be pleasure who worship.

V. Now this day, My sun mother, Amaterasu Now that you have come out standing to your sacred place, That from which we draw the water of life, Here I give to you. Your long life, Your old age, Your waters,

Your seeds, Your riches, Your power, Your strong spirit, All these to me may you grant.

VI. The Sun comes, the darkness goes away, The Sun comes, the Sun sets, The darkness comes, the moon comes at night. The day breaks, the Sun comes out, The darkness goes away, the Sun comes. The Moon comes out, The Moon brightens the darkness, The darkness departs; The Moon comes out, The Moon shines, taking away the darkness; She goes along, She has made bright the darkness, She sets. The Sun comes out, She follows the darkness.

KALI I. O Goddess Kali, give me of Thy wisdom, O Goddess Kali, give me of Thy mercy, O Goddess Kali, give me of Thy fullness, And of Thy guidance in face of every strait. O Goddess Kali, give me of Thy holiness, O Goddess Kali, give me of Thy shielding, O Goddess Kali, give me of Thy surrounding, And of Thy peace in the knot of my death. Oh give me of Thy surrounding, And of Thy peace at the hour of my death!

II. Death with joy and with forgiveness, Death without horror or repulsion, Death without fear or shrinking. Dying the death of the avatars, The Healer of my soul by my side,

The death of peace and tranquillity, And grant Thou me a good day of burial. The seven devas of the Holy Goddess Be shielding me, and be this night the night Till brightness and summer-tide shall come!

III. I am going home with thee I am going home with thee To thy home! to thy home! I am going home with thee To thy home of winter. I am going home with thee To thy home! to thy home! I am going home with thee To thy home of autumn, of spring and of summer. I am going home with thee, Thou child of my love, To thine eternal bed, To thy bodies perpetual sleep. I am going home with thee, Thou child of my love, To the dear Daughter of blessings, To Kali, Mother of grace.

IV. Thou goest home this night to thy home of winter, To thy home of autumn, of spring, and of summer; Thou goest home this night to thy perpetual home, To thine eternal bed, to thine eternal slumber. Sleep thou, sleep, and away with thy sorrow, Sleep thou, sleep, and away with thy sorrow, Sleep thou, sleep, and away with thy sorrow; Sleep, thou beloved, in the Rock of the fold. Sleep this night in the breast of thy Mother, Sleep, thou beloved, while she herself soothes thee; Sleep thou this night on Kali's arm, Sleep, thou beloved, while she herself kisses thee. The sleep of the seven lights be thine, beloved, The sleep of the seven joys be thine, beloved, The sleep of the seven slumbers be thine, beloved, The shade of death lies upon thy face, beloved, In nearness to Kali, farewell to thy pains, Kali stands before thee and peace is in Her mind.

Sleep, O sleep in the calm of all calm, Sleep, O sleep in the guidance of guidance, Sleep, O sleep in the love of all loves; Sleep, O beloved, in the Goddess of life, Sleep, O beloved, in the Goddess of life!

V. Give us, O Kali, the needs of the body, Give us, O Kali, the needs of the soul; Give us, O Kali, the healing balsam of the body, Give us, O Kali, the healing balsam of the soul. Give us, O Kali, the joy of forgiveness, Wash Thou from us the pain of jealousy, Cleanse Thou from us the stain of karma. That reincarnation may cease And we may live forever in your summerland. O great Goddess, Who art on the throne, Weigh mine heart on your scales, Give to us, O Kali, strong love, And that beautiful crown of the Queen; Give us, O Kali, the home of salvation Within the beauteous gates of Thy kingdom. Give us hospitality in the brightness of peace.

SELENE I. The gleaming stars all about the shining moon Hide their bright faces, when full-orbed and splendid In the sky she floats, flooding the shadowed earth With clear silver light. Now rose the moon, full and silver, While round stood the maidens, as at a shrine. Thus sometimes, the women, tender footed, Dance in measure round the fair altar, Crushing the fine bloom of the grass. Come hither moon goddess, Selene, come, And in golden goblets pour richest nectar All mixed in most ethereal perfection, Thus to delight us.

III. This many are the days Since our moon mother Yonder in the west Appeared, still small; When but a short space yet remained Till she was fully grown, This many days we have waited. We have come to the appointed time. My children, All my children, Will make offerings. My mother, moon, All my children will clothe you with offerings. When you have arrayed yourselves in these, With your waters, Your seeds You will bless all my children. All your good fortune You will grant to them all. To this end, My mother: May I finish my road; May I grow old; May you bless me with life.

IV. Sweet voiced Muses, daughters of the Goddess, Well-skilled in song, tell of the long-winged Moon. From her immortal head a radiance Is shown from heaven and embraces earth; And great is the beauty that arises from her shining light. The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, And her rays beam clear, whensoever bright Selene Having bathed her lovely body in the waters of Ocean, And donned her far-gleaming, shining team, Drives on her long-maned horses at full speed, At eventide in the mid-month: Then her great orbit is full And then her beams shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to mortal women. Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, Mild, bright-tressed queen!

V.

Lovely Goddess of the bow! Lovely Goddess of the arrows! Of all hounds and of all hunting Thou who wakest in starry heaven When the sun is sunk in slumber Thou with moon upon they forehead, Who the chase by night preferrest Unto hunting in the daylight, With thy nymphs unto the music Of the horn--thyself the huntress, And most powerful: I pray thee Think, although but for an instant, Upon us who pray unto thee!

VI. "Luna! Diana! Selene! Queen of all enchantresses And of the dark night, And of all nature, Of the stars and of the moon, And of all fate or fortune! Thou who rulest the tide, Who shinest by night on the sea, Casting light upon the waters; Thou who art mistress of the ocean In thy boat made like a crescent, Crescent moon-bark brightly gleaming, Ever smiling high in heaven, Sailing too on earth, reflected In the ocean, on its water; We implore thee give this sleeper, Give unto this good woman The great gift of understanding What all creatures say while talking!"

VI. O Selene, who brought me from the rest of last night Unto the joyous light of this day, Be Thou bringing me from the new light of this day Unto the guiding light of eternity. Oh! from the new light of this day Unto the guiding light of eternity.

VII.

In name of the Holy Spirit of the Goddess, In name of the Mother of the Grove of peace, In name of Persephone who took death off us, Oh! in name of the Three who shield us in every need, If well thou hast found us tonight, Seven times better may thou leave us without harm, Thou bright white Moon of the seasons, Bright white Moon of the seasons.

VIII. Beauteous fair one of grace Hail to thee, thou new moon, Beauteous guidant of the sky; Hail to thee, thou new moon, Beauteous fair one of grace. Hail to thee, thou new moon, Beauteous guidant of the stars; Hail to thee, thou new moon, Beauteous loved one of my heart. Hail to thee, thou new moon, Beauteous guidant of the clouds; Hail to thee, thou new moon, Beauteous dear one of the heavens!

IX. She of my love is the new moon, The Goddess of life illumining her; Be mine a good purpose Towards each creature in the creation. Be my prayer, O Goddess, In accord with Thy sanctifying; Be my heart, O Goddess, In accord with Thy loving care. Be my deed on land In accord with Thy satisfying; Be my wish on sea In accord with Thy directing. Be my hope on high In accord with Thy requiring; Be my purpose below In accord with Thy satisfying. Let my desire, O Goddess, Seek after Thy repose;

Be my rest, O Goddess, With Thy tranquillity.

X. Hail to thee, thou new moon, Guiding jewel of gentleness! I am bending to thee my knee, I am offering thee my love. I am bending to thee my knee, I am giving thee my hand, I am lifting to thee mine eye, O new moon of the seasons. Hail to thee, thou new moon, Joyful maiden of my love! Hail to thee, thou new moon, Joyful maiden of the graces! Thou art travelling in thy course, Thou art steering the full tides; Thou art illuming to us thy face, O new moon of the seasons. Thou queen-maiden of guidance, Thou queen-maiden of good fortune, Thou queen-maiden my beloved, Thou new moon of the seasons! When I see the new moon, It becomes me to lift mine eye, It becomes me to bend my knee, It becomes me to bow my head, Giving thee praise, thou moon of guidance, That I have seen thee again, That I have seen the new moon, The lovely leader of the way. Many a one has passed beyond In the time between the two moons, Though I am still enjoying earth, Thou moon of moons and of blessings! When I see the new moon, It becomes me to say my rune; It becomes me to praise the Being of life For Her kindness and Her goodness; Seeing how many have gone hence Over the black river of the abyss,

Since last thy countenance shone on me, Thou new moon of the heavens! I am lifting to thee my hands, I am bowing to thee my head, I am giving thee my love, Thou glorious jewel of all the ages. I am raising to thee mine eye, I am bending to thee my head, I am offering thee my love, Thou new moon of all the ages! There, see, the new moon, The Queen of life blessing her; Fragrant be every night Whereon she shall shine! Be her luster full To each one in need; Be her course complete To each one beset. Be her light above With every one in straits; Be her guidance below With every one in need. May the moon of moons Be coming through thick clouds On me and on every one Coming through dark tears. May the Goddesses' hand on me dwell In every strait that me befalls, Now and till the hour of my death, And till the day of my resurrection.

XI. Hail unto thee, Jewel of the night! Beauty of the heavens, Jewel of the night! Mother of the stars, Jewel of the night! Fosterling of the sun, Jewel of the night! Majesty of the stars, Jewel of the night! Hail to thee, thou new moon, Jewel of guidance in the night!

Hail to thee, thou new moon, Jewel of guidance on the billows! Hail to thee, thou new moon, Jewel of guidance on the ocean! Hail to thee, thou new moon, Jewel of guidance of the virtues! Hail to thee, thou new moon, Jewel of guidance of my love! Thou jewel of heaven! May thy light be fair to me! May thy course be smooth to me! If good to me is thy beginning, Seven times better be thine end, Thou fair moon of the seasons, Thou great lamp of grace! She Who created thee Created me likewise; She Who gave thee weight and light Gave to me life and death, And the joy of the seven satisfactions, Thou great lamp of grace, Thou fair moon of the seasons.

GAIA I. Hail to the Earth mother, who caused the yellow flowers to blossom, who scattered the seeds of the cactus, as she came forth from Paradise. Hail to the Earth mother, who poured forth flowers in abundance, who scattered the seeds of the cactus, as she came forth from Paradise. Hail to the Earth mother, who caused the yellow flowers to blossom, she who scattered the seeds of the cactus, as she came forth from Paradise. Hail to the Earth mother, who poured forth white flowers in abundance, who scattered the seeds of the cactus, as she came forth from Paradise. Hail to the goddess who shines in the thorn bush like a bright butterfly. Ho! she is our mother, goddess of the earth, she supplies food in the desert to the wild beasts, and causes them to live. Thus, thus, you see her to be an ever-fresh model of liberality toward all flesh. And as you see the goddess of the earth do to the wild beasts, so also does she toward the green herbs and the fishes.

II.

This many are the days Since our moon mother, Yonder in the west Appeared still small. When she became fully grown Seeking yonder along the river courses The ones who are our mothers, Female willow, Four times cutting the straight young shoots, To my house I brought my road. This day, With my warm human hands I took hold of them. I gave my offerings human form. With the striped cloud tail Of the one who is my grandmother, With the striped cloud wings And massed cloud tails Of all the birds of summer, With these four times I gave my offerings human form. With the flesh of the one who is my mother, Cotton woman, Even a poorly made cotton thread, Four times encircling them and tying it about their bodies, I gave the offerings human form With the flesh of the one who is our mother, Four times covering them with flesh, I gave my offerings human form. In a short time the offerings were ready. Taking the offerings, I made my road go forth. Yonder with prayers We took our road. Thinking, "Let it be here," Our earth mother We passed upon her road. There on your earth mother, There where you are waiting your offerings We have passed you on your roads. There where you are all gathered together in beauty Now that you are to receive your offerings, You are gathered together. This day I give you offerings. By means of your supernatural wisdom You will clothe yourself with the offerings.

Wherever you abide permanently, At the place of the first beginning, Touching one another with your offerings, You will bend down to talk together. From where you abide permanently, Your little wind-blown cloud, Your thin wisps of cloud, Your hanging stripes of cloud, Your massed up clouds, replete with living waters, You will send forth to stay with us. They will come out standing on all sides. With your fine rain caressing the earth, With your weapons, the lightning, With your rumbling thunder, Your great crashes of thunder, With your fine rain caressing the earth, Your heavy rain caressing the earth, With your great pile of waters here With these You will pass us on our roads. In order that you may come to us thus I have given you offerings. My mothers, When you have taken your offerings, With your waters, Your seeds, Your riches, Your power, Your strong spirit, Will all your good fortune whereof you are possessed, Me you will bless. This day, my mothers, I have given you offerings. The source of our water of life. The source of our flesh, Flesh of the white corn I give to you. Taking your offerings, With your waters, Your seeds, Your riches, Your long life, Your old age, With all your good fortune You will bless us. This is all.

III.

I will sing of well-founded Earth, mother of all, globe of our birth. She feeds all creatures, all that go upon the goodly land, And all that are in the paths of the seas, and all that fly: All these are fed of her store. Through you, O queen, women are blessed in their children and blessed in their harvests, And to you it belongs to give means of life to mortal women and to take it away. Happy is the woman whom you delight to honor! She has all things abundantly: her fruitful land is laden with corn, Her pastures are covered with cattle, and her house is filled with good things. Such women rule orderly in their cities: Great riches and wealth follow them: Their daughters exult with ever-fresh delight, Their daughters in flower-laden bands play They skip merrily over the soft flowers of the field. Thus is it with those whom you honor O holy goddess, bountiful spirit.

IV. I will sing of well-founded Earth, Mother of all, eldest of all beings. She feeds all creatures that are in the world, All that go upon the goodly land, And all that are in the paths of the seas, And all that fly: all these are fed of her store. Through you, O queen, women are blessed in their children And blessed in their harvests, And to you it belongs to give means of life To mortal women and to take it away. Happy is the woman whom you delight to honor! She has all things abundantly: Her fruitful land is laden with corn, Her pastures are covered with cattle, And her house is filled with good things. Such queens rule orderly in their cities of fair women: Great riches and wealth follow them: Their daughters exalt with ever-fresh delight, Their daughters in flower-laden bands play And skip merrily over the soft flowers of the field. Thus is it with those whom you honor O holy goddess, bountiful spirit!

DEMETER I.

I sing of rich-haired Demeter, lady of the glorious fruits, Of her and her trim-ankled daughter Persephone First of all to travel the roads of the Bardos to the land of death and back. Persephone was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters of Oceanus And gathering flowers over a soft meadow, roses and crocuses And beautiful violets, irises also and hyacinths and the narcissus Which Earth made to grow to please the Goddess. The Narcissus was a marvelous, radiant flower. It was a thing of awe whether for deathless goddesses or mortal women to see: From its root grew a hundred blooms and it smelled most sweetly, So that all wide heaven above and the whole earth and the sea's salt swell laughed for joy. And the girl was amazed and reached out with both hands to take the lovely toy. But the wide-pathed earth yawned there and Kali, with her immortal horses sprang out upon her, the Daughter of the Creatrix, She who has many names, She is the destroyer of worlds, eater of universes. Kali caught her up reluctant on her golden car and bare her away lamenting. Then Persephone cried out shrilly with her voice, calling upon her mother, Demeter, who is most high and excellent. But no one, either of the deathless goddesses or of mortal women, heard her voice, nor yet the olive-trees bearing rich fruit: only tender-hearted Hecate, Bright-coiffed, the daughter of Gaia, heard the girl from her cave. And so long as she, the goddess, yet beheld earth and starry heaven And the strong-flowing sea where fishes shoal, and the rays of the sun, And still hoped to see her dear mother and the tribes of the eternal gods, So long hope calmed her great heart for all her trouble And the heights of the mountains and the depths of the sea Rang with her immortal voice: and her queenly mother heard her. Bitter pain seized her heart, and she rent the covering upon her divine hair With her dear hands: her dark cloak she cast down from both her shoulders and sped, Like a wild-bird, over the firm land and yielding sea, seeking her child. But no one could tell her the truth, neither goddess nor mortal woman; And of the birds of omen none came with true news for her. Then for nine days queenly Demeter wandered over the earth With flaming torches in her hands, so grieved that she never tasted Ambrosia and the sweet draught of nectar, nor sprinkled her body with water. But when the tenth enlightening dawn had come, Hecate, with a torch in her hands, met her, and spoke to her and told her news: "Queenly Demeter, bringer of seasons and giver of good gifts, What goddess of heaven or what mortal woman has taken away Persephone

And pierced with sorrow your dear heart? For I heard her voice, yet saw not with my eyes who it was. But I tell you truly and shortly all I know." So, then, said Hecate. And Demeter answered her not, But sped swiftly with her, holding flaming torches in her hands. So they came to Amaterasu, who is watcher of both goddesses and women, And stood in front of her horses: and the bright goddess enquired of her: "Amaterasu, do you at least regard me, goddess as I am, If ever by word or deed of mine I have cheered your heart and spirit. Through the fruitless air I heard the anguished cry of my daughter whom I bare, Sweet scion of my body and lovely in form, As of one seized violently; though with my eyes I saw nothing. But you--for with your beams you look down from the bright upper air Over all the earth and sea--tell me truly Of my dear child if you have seen her anywhere, What goddess or mortal woman has violently seized her Against her will and mine, and so made off." So said she. And the Sun Goddess answered her: "Queen Demeter, lover of rich-haired Gaia, I will tell you the truth; for I greatly reverence And pity you in your grief for your trim-ankled daughter. None other of the deathless goddesses is to blame, Terrible Kali, destroyer of universes, Alone seized her and took her loudly crying in her chariot Down to her realm of mist and gloom. So goddess, cease your loud lament And keep not vain anger unrelentingly. For Kali is unrelenting; her very touch Would turn my world burning fires to ash. But grief yet more terrible and savage came into the heart of Demeter, And thereafter she was so angered with the dark-clouded Kali That she avoided the gathering of the Goddesses, And went to the towns and rich fields of women, Disfiguring her form a long while. And no deep-bosomed women knew her when they saw her, Until she came to the fragrant town of Eleusis, in ocean-girded Crete. Vexed in her dear heart, she sat near the wayside by the Maiden Well, From which the women of the place were used to draw water, In a shady place over which grew an olive shrub. And she was shrouded in the form of an elder woman Who is cut off from childbearing and the gifts of garland-loving Aphrodite, There the daughters of Eleusis, saw her, As they coming for easy-drawn water,

To carry it in pitchers of bronze to their dear mother's house: Four were they and like goddesses in the flower of their girlhood, Callidice and Cleisidice and lovely Demo and Callithoe Who was the eldest of them all. They knew her not,--for the goddesses are not easily discerned by mortals But startling near by her spoke winged words: "Old mother, whence are you of folk born long ago? Why are you gone away from the city and do not draw near the houses? For there in the shady halls are women of just such age as you, And others younger; and they would welcome you both by word and by deed." Thus they said. And she, Demeter, queen among goddesses answered them saying: "Hail, dear children, whosoever you are of woman-kind. I will tell you my story; for it is not unseemly that I should tell you truly what you ask. Doso is my name, for my stately mother gave it me. And now I am come from Crete over the sea's wide back, Not willingly; but pirates brought me thence by force of strength against my liking. Afterwards they put in with their swift craft, And these the women landed on the shore in full throng And they began to make ready a meal by the stern-cables of the ship. But my heart craved not pleasant food, And I fled secretly across the dark country and escaped my captors, That they should not take me across the sea against my will. And so I wandered and am come here: And I know not at all what land this is or what people are in it. But may all those who dwell on high give you birth of children When and where you desire, So you take pity on me, maidens, And show me this clearly that I may learn, dear children, To the house of what woman I may go, To work for them cheerfully at such tasks As belong to a woman of my age. Well could I nurse a new born child, holding her in my arms, Or keep house, or teach, or any other profession requiring the wisdom of age." So said the goddess. And straightway the unwed maiden Callidice, Goodliest in form of the daughters of Eleusis, answered her and said: "Mother, what the Goddess send us, we mortals bear perforce, Although we suffer; for they are much stronger than we. If you will, stay here; and we will go to our mother's house And tell Metaneira, our deep-bosomed mother, All this matter fully, that she may bid you rather Come to our home than search after the houses of others. She has an only daughter, late-born, who is being nursed in our well-built house, A child of many hopes and welcome:

If you could bring her up until she reached the full measure of youth, Any one of womankind who should see you would straightway envy you, Such gifts would our mother give for her upbringing." So she spoke: and the goddess bowed her head in assent. And they filled their shining vessels with water and carried them off rejoicing. Quickly they came to their mother's great house And straightway told their mother according as they had heard and seen. Then she bade them go with all speed and invite the stranger to come for a measureless hire. As hinds or heifers in spring time, when sated with pasture, Bound about a meadow, so they, holding up the folds of their lovely garments, Darted down the hollow path, and their hair like a crocus flower streamed about their shoulders. And they found the good goddess near the wayside where they had left her before, And led her to the house of their dear mother. And she walked behind, distressed in her dear heart, With her head veiled and wearing a dark cloak which Waved about the slender feet of the goddess. Soon they came to the house and went through the portico To where their queenly mother sat by a pillar of the close-fitted roof, Holding her daughter, a tender scion, in her bosom. And the girls ran to her. But the goddess walked to the threshold: And her head reached the roof and she filled the doorway with a heavenly radiance. Then awe and reverence and pale fear took hold of Metaneira, And she rose up from her couch before Demeter, and bade her be seated. But Demeter, bringer of seasons and giver of perfect gifts, Would not sit upon the bright couch, But stayed silent with lovely eyes cast down until careful Iambe Placed a jointed seat for her and threw over it a silvery fleece. Then she sat down and held her veil in her hands before her face. A long time she sat upon the stool without speaking because of her sorrow, And greeted no one by word or by sign, but rested, never smiling, And tasting neither food nor drinks because she pined with longing For her deep-bosomed daughter Persephone, until careful Iambe-Who pleased her moods in aftertime also-Moved the holy lady with many a quip and jest to smile and laugh and cheer her heart. Then Metaneira filled a cup with sweet wine and offered it to her; And Metaneira mixed the draught and gave it to the goddess as she bade. So the great queen Demeter received it to observe the sacrament. And of them all, well-girded Metaneira first began to speak: "Hail, lady! For I think you are not meanly but nobly born; Truly dignity and grace are conspicuous upon your eyes as

In the eyes of kings that deal justice. Yet we mortals bear perforce what the fates send us, Though we be grieved; for a yoke is set upon our necks. But now, since you are come here, you shall have what I can bestow: And nurse me this child whom the gods gave me in my old age and beyond my hope, A daughter much hoped for. If you should bring her up until She reach the full measure of youth, Any one of woman-kind that sees you will straightway envy you, So great reward would I give for her upbringing." Then rich-haired Demeter answered her: "And to you, also, lady, all hail, and may the Goddess give you good! Gladly will I take the girl to my breast, as you bid me, and will nurse her. Never, I promise, through any heedlessness of his nurse shall evil hurt her For I know an excellent safeguard against woeful demons." When she had so spoken, she took the child in her fragrant bosom With her divine hands: and her mother was glad in her heart. So the goddess nursed in the palace the daughter whom well-girded Metaneira bare. And the child grew like some immortal being, Not fed with food nor nourished at the breast: For by day rich-crowned Demeter would anoint her with ambrosia As if she were the offspring of a goddess and breathe sweetly upon her As she held her in her bosom. But at night she would hide her like a brand in the heart of the fire, Unknown to her dear parents. And it wrought great wonder in these that she grew beyond her age; For she was like the goddess face to face. And she would have made her deathless and unaging, Had not well-girded Metaneira in her heedlessness Kept watch by night from her sweet-smelling chamber and spied. But she wailed and smote her two hips, because she feared for her daughter And was greatly distraught in her heart; so she lamented and uttered winged words: "My daughter, the strange woman buries you deep in fire And works grief and bitter sorrow for me." Thus she spoke, mourning. And the bright goddess, lovely-crowned Demeter, heard her, and was wroth with her. So with her divine hands she snatched from the fire The dear daughter whom Metaneira had born unhoped-For she was terribly angry in her heart. Forthwith she said to well-girded Metaneira: "Witless are you mortals and dull to foresee your lot, Whether of good or evil, that comes upon you. For now in your heedlessness you have wrought folly past healing;

For--be witness the oath of the goddess, the relentless water of death-I would have made your dear daughter deathless and unaging all her days And would have bestowed on her ever-lasting honor, But now she can in no way escape death and the fates. Yet shall unfailing honor always rest upon her, Because she lay upon my knees and slept in my arms. But, as the years move round and when she is in his prime, The daughters of the Eleusinians shall ever wage war And dread strife with one another continually. Lo! I am that Demeter who has share of honor And is the greatest help and cause of joy to the undying goddesses and mortal women. But now, let all the people build me a great temple and an altar below it And beneath the city and its sheer wall upon a rising hillock. And I myself will teach my rites, That hereafter you may reverently perform them and so win the favor of my heart." When she had so said, the goddess changed her stature and her looks, Thrusting old age away from her: Beauty spread round about her And a lovely fragrance was wafted from her sweet-smelling robes, And from the divine body of the goddess a light shone afar, While golden tresses spread down over her shoulders, So that the strong house was filled with brightness as with lightning. And so she went out from the palace. And straightway Metaneira's knees were loosed And she remained speechless for a long while And did not remember to pick up her late-born daughter. But his sisters heard her pitiful wailing and sprang down from their well-spread beds: One of them took up the child in her arms and laid her in her bosom, While another revived the fire, And a third rushed with soft feet to bring their mother from her fragrant chamber. And they gathered about the struggling child and washed her, Embracing her lovingly; but she was not comforted, Because nurses and handmaids much less skillful were holding her now. All night long they sought to appease the glorious goddess, quaking with fear. But, as soon as dawn began to show, they started the labor that Lovely-crowned goddess Demeter charged them. So countless people to came an assembly And they raised a goodly temple for rich-haired Demeter And an altar upon the rising hillock. As for the child, she grew like an immortal being. Now when they had finished building and had drawn back from their toil, They went every one to their house.

But golden-haired Demeter sat there apart from all the blessed gods and stayed, Wasting with yearning for her deep-bosomed daughter. Then she caused a most dreadful and cruel year for humanity Over the all-nourishing earth: She cloaked the Sun, Moon and Stars With endless clouds of dark and roiling aspect So little light was seen at noon It was like the gloom of twilight The ground would not make the seed sprout, For rich-crowned Demeter kept it hid. In the fields the oxen drew many a curved plough in vain, And much white barley was cast upon the land without avail. So she would have destroyed the whole earth with cruel famine Had not Amaterasu perceived and marked this in her heart. First she sent golden-winged Iris to call rich-haired Demeter, lovely in form. So she commanded. And she obeyed the dark-clouded sky-mother, And sped with swift feet across the space between. She came to the stronghold of fragrant Eleusis, And there finding dark-cloaked Demeter in her temple, Spoke to her and uttered winged words: "Demeter, Mother Amaterasu, whose wisdom is everlasting, Calls you to come join the councils of the eternal goddesses: Come therefore, and let not the message I bring from Amaterasu pass unobeyed." Thus said Iris imploring her. But Demeter's heart was not moved. Then again the sky-mother sent forth all the blessed and eternal goddesses besides: And they came, one after the other, and kept calling her And offering many very beautiful gifts And whatever rights she might be pleased to choose among the deathless goddesses. Yet no one was able to persuade her mind and will, so wroth was she in her heart; But she stubbornly rejected all their words: For she vowed that she would never set foot in the Grove Nor let fruit spring out of the ground, Until she beheld with her eyes her own fair-faced daughter. Now when all-seeing Amaterasu the sky-Goddess heard this, She sent for Athena, wise and powerful To win over Kali with soft words, that she might lead forth chaste Persephone To the light from the misty gloom to join the gods, And that Demeter, her mother might see her with her eyes and cease from her anger. And Athena obeyed, and leaving the Grove of the Goddess, Straightway sprang down with speed to the hidden places of the earth. And she found the Ruler of the misty Bardos in her house seated upon a couch,

And her shy companion, Persephone, with her, much reluctant, Because she yearned for her mother. But she was afar off, brooding on her fell design because of the deeds of the blessed gods. And wise Athena drew near and said: "Dark-haired Kali, ruler over the departed, Mother Amaterasu bids me bring noble Persephone Forth from the Bardos unto the Grove, That her mother may see her with her eyes And cease from her dread anger with the immortals; For now she plans an awful deed, To destroy the weakly tribes of earth-born women By keeping seed hidden beneath the earth, And so she makes an end of the human race. For she keeps fearful anger and does not consort with the goddesses, But sits aloof in her fragrant temple, dwelling in the rocky hold of Eleusis." So she said. And skull-garlanded Kali, ruler over the dead, Smiled grimly and obeyed the behest of Amaterasu. For she straightway urged wise Persephone, saying: "Go now, Persephone, to your dark-robed mother, Go, and feel kindly in your heart towards me: For I am not a jealous Goddess Be not so exceedingly cast down; For I shall be no unfitting companion for you among the deathless goddesses, That am own sister to the sky-mother. And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves And shall have the greatest rights among the deathless goddesses: Those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, Reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be reborn into lower forms." When she said this, wise Persephone was filled with joy and hastily sprang up for gladness. But Kali on her part secretly gave her a sweet pomegranate seed to eat, Taking care for herself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter. Then Kali the destroyer openly got ready her deathless horses beneath the golden chariots. And she mounted on the chariot and Athena took reins in her hands And drove forth from the hall of the judgement, the horses speeding readily. Swiftly they traversed their long course, And neither the sea nor river-waters Nor grassy glens nor mountain-peaks Checked the career of the immortal horses,

But they clave the deep air above them as they went. And Athena brought them to the place where rich-crowned Demeter Was staying and checked them before her fragrant temple. And when Demeter saw them, she rushed forth As does a Maenad down some thick-wooded mountain, While Persephone on the other side, When she saw her mother's sweet eyes, Left the chariot and horses, and leaped down to run to her, And falling upon her neck, embraced her. But while Demeter was still holding her dear child in her arms, Her heart suddenly misgave her for some snare, So that she feared greatly and ceased embracing her daughter And asked of her at once: "My child, tell me, surely you have not tasted any food while you were below? Speak out and hide nothing, but let us both know. For if you have not, you shall come back from the misty halls of death And live with me again, and be honored by all the deathless goddesses; But if you have tasted food, you must go back again beneath seething foam, There to dwell a third part of the seasons every year: Yet for the two parts you shall be with me and the other deathless gods. But when the earth shall bloom with the fragrant flowers of spring in every kind, Then from the realm of darkness and gloom thou shalt come up Once more to be a wonder for goddesses and mortal women. And now tell me how Kali spirited you away To the realm of darkness and gloom, And by what trick did the strong destroyer of time and space beguile you?" Then beautiful Persephone answered her thus: "Mother, I will tell you all without error. When luck-bringing Athena came, swift messenger from Amaterasu And the other Daughters of Heaven, Bidding me come back from the world between thew worlds That you might see me with your eyes And so cease from your anger and fearful wrath against the gods, I sprang up at once for joy; but she secretly put in my mouth sweet food, A pomegranate seed, and forced me to taste against my will. Also I will tell how she carried me off beneath the depths of the earth, And will relate the whole matter as you ask. All we were playing in a lovely meadow, Leucippe and Phaeno and Electra and Ianthe, Melita also And Iache with Rhodea and Callirhoe and Melobosis And Tyche and Ocyrhoe, fair as a flower, Chryseis, Ianeira, Acaste and Admete and Rhodope and charming Calypso; and Urania And Artemis delighting in arrows. We were playing and gathering sweet flowers in our hands,

Soft crocuses mingled with irises and hyacinths, And rose-blooms and lilies, marvelous to see, And the narcissus which the wide earth caused to grow yellow as a crocus. That I plucked in my joy; but the earth parted beneath, And there the strong Goddess, Kali, destroyer of worlds, Sprang forth and in her golden chariot she bore me away, All unwilling, beneath the earth: then I cried with a shrill cry. All this is true, sore though it grieves me to tell the tale." So did they then, with hearts at one, greatly cheer each the other's soul And spirit with many an embrace: their hearts had relief from their griefs While each took and gave back joyousness. Then bright-coiffed Hecate came near to them, And she embraced the daughter of holy Demeter: And from that time the lady Hecate was Companion to Persephone. And all-seeing Amaterasu sent a messenger to them, Rich-haired Rhea, to bring dark-cloaked Demeter to the Grove of the Goddess: And she promised to give her what rights she should choose among the deathless devas And agreed that her daughter should go down for the third part of the circling year To darkness and gloom, but for the two parts should live with her mother And the other deathless goddesses. Thus the Sky-Mother commanded. And the goddess did not disobey the message of Amaterasu; Swiftly she rushed down from the Grove of the Goddess Came to the plain of Earth, rich, fertile corn-land once, But then in nowise fruitful, for it lay idle and utterly leafless, Because the white grain was hidden by design of trim-ankled Demeter. But afterwards, as spring-time waxed, It was soon to be waving with long ears of corn, And its rich furrows to be loaded with grain upon the ground, While others would already be bound in sheaves. There first she landed from the fruitless upper air: And glad were the goddesses to see each other and cheered in heart. Then bright-coiffed Rhea said to Demeter: "Come for far-seeing Amaterasu the Sky-Mother calls you to join us in the Grove of the Goddess, And has promised to give you what rights you please And has agreed that for a third part of the circling year Your daughter shall go down to darkness and gloom, But for the two parts shall be with you and the other deathless gods: So has she declared it shall be and has bowed her head in token. But come, my lover, obey, and be not too

Angry unrelentingly with the skull-wreathed Kali; But rather increase forthwith for women the fruit that gives them life." So spoke Rhea. And rich-crowned Demeter did not refuse but straightway made Fruit to spring up from the rich lands, So that the whole wide earth was laden with leaves and flowers. Then she went, and she showed the conduct of her rites And taught women all her mysteries,-Awful mysteries which no one may in any way transgress or pry into or utter, For deep awe of the goddess checks the voice. Happy is she among women upon earth who has seen these mysteries; but she who is uninitiated and who has no part in them, Never has lot of like good things once she is dead, Down in the darkness and gloom. But when the bright goddess had taught them all, She went to the Grove of the Goddess. And there she dwelt beside Amaterasu who delights in fire, Awe inspiring and reverend Goddess. Right blessed is she among women on earth Whom can freely love without jealousy. Share your love as Demeter, Kali and Hecate Share the love of Persephone. For jealousy weighs down your heart And your heart is weighed on Kali's scales If it exceeds the weight of a pomegranate seed You will be sent to wander the misty Bardos For endless cycles of rebirth And if you have learned to share your love You will be taken to the Grove of the Goddess, And you shall be as a Goddess. This is the sum of all mysteries.

ATHENA I. Athena, exceeding in strength, chariot-rider, golden-helmed, Doughty in heart, shield-bearer, Goddess of all cunning knowledge from fire to nanotechnology, Harnessed in armor, strong of arm, unwearying, Mighty with the spear, O defender of Goddess-votaries, Daughter of War, upholder of Peace,

Pure virgin queen of mercy, Mother of all victory, Leader of righteous women, Sceptred Queen of Matriarchs.

II. Athena, you whirl your blood-red sphere among the planets In their nine-fold courses through the solar sphere Wherein your blazing steeds ever bear you above The firmament of heaven; hear me, helper of women, Giver of dauntless youth!

III. I sing of Athena, Goddess of warriors, Shed down a kindly ray from above upon my life, And strength of war, Dread is she, and loves deeds of warrior women The shouting and the battle. It is she who saves the people as they go to war, That they may return to their peaceful homes.

IV. Hail Goddess Athena, I invoke thy dread name, That I may be able to drive away bitter cowardice From my head and crush down the deceitful impulses of my soul. Restrain the keen fury of my heart which provokes me To tread the ways of blood-curdling strife. Strip the armor from your immortal shoulders And bring us the blessings of peace and victory. O blessed one, give thou boldness to me To abide within the harmless laws of peace, Avoiding strife and hatred and the violent fiends of death. Goddess who holds the invincible aegis.

MARIA I. Hail to thee, Maria, Mother! Thou art full of loving grace, Thy Grace, O Goddess is always with us, Blessed art thou Maria among women,

Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Blessed art thou, Queen of grace; Thou holy Maria, thou Mother of Universes, Plead for me, thy grateful daughter, Now and at the hour of death, Now and at the hour of death.

II. Maria, Goddess of good omens, Mother of the seven joys; Without evil traces, On thee, peerless one: Joy of health, Joy of friends, Joy of lovers, Joy of peace, Joy of fair daughters, Joy of peace, Joy of the Goddess! Bounty and blessing thou art at all times.

III. O Goddess Maria, In my deeds, In my words, In my wishes, In my reason, And in the fulfilling of my desires, In my sleep, In my dreams, In my repose, In my thoughts, In my heart and soul always, May the blessed Maria dwell. Oh! in my heart and soul always!

IV. Goddess, listen to my prayer, Bend to me Thine ear, Let my supplications and my prayers Ascend to Thee upwards. Come, Thou Queen of Glory, To protect me down,

Thou Queen of life and mercy To protect me with power, Oh thou loveliest Maria Of purest fairest beauty.

V. Oh great Goddess Maria I bathe my palms In showers of wine, In the lustral fire, In the quantum foam, In the juice of the berries, In the milk of honey, And I place the nine pure choice graces In thy fair fond face, The grace of form, The grace of voice, The grace of fortune, The grace of goodness, The grace of wisdom, The grace of charity, The grace of love given freely, The grace of kindness, The grace of goodly speech. A shade art thou in the heat, A shelter art thou in the cold, Eyes art thou to the blind, A staff art thou to the pilgrim, An island art thou at sea, A fortress art thou on land, A well art thou in the desert, Health art thou to the ailing. Thine is the skill of the Fairy Woman, Thine is the virtue of Bridget the calm, Thine is the faith of Maria the mild, Thine is the ecstasy of the Holy Goddess. Thou art the joy of all joyous things, Thou art the light of the beam of the sun, Thou art the door of the chief of hospitality, Thou art the surpassing star of guidance, Thou art the step of the deer of the hill, Thou art the step of the steed of the plain,

Thou art the grace of the swan of swimming, Thou art the loveliness of all lovely desires. The lovely likeness of the Goddess Is in thy pure face, The loveliest likeness that Was upon earth. The best hour of the day be thine, The best day of the week be thine, The best week of the year be thine, The best year in the domain of the Goddess be thine.

VI. Goddess shield this house Every one who dwells herein tonight. Shield myself and my beloved group, Shield all those I love and are loved by me, Preserve us from violence and from harm; Preserve us from foes this night, Preserve us from persecution and hatred, For the sake of Maria the Mother, In this place, and in every place wherein they dwell tonight, On this night and on every night, This night and every night.

VII. Hail, Maria! hail, Maria! Queen of grace, Mother of mercy; Hail, Maria, in manner surpassing, Fount of our health, source of our joy. To thee we, night and day, Beloved children of Maria, Lift our voice in supplication, In joy and song and praise. Bestow upon us, thou Root of gladness, Since thou art the cup of generous graces, A place in the grove of peace, Rest from the perils and stress of waves.

VIII.

On the feast day of Maria the fragrant, Mother of the Shepherd of the flocks, I cut me a handful of the new corn, I dried it gently in the sun, I rubbed it sharply from the husk With mine own palms. I ground it in a quern on Friday, I baked it on a fan of sheepskin, I toasted it to a fire of rowan, And I shared it round my people. I went sunways round my dwelling, In name of the Maria Mother, Who promised to preserve me, Who did preserve me, And who will preserve me, In peace, in flocks, In righteousness of heart, In labor, in love, In wisdom, in mercy, For the sake of Thy Passion. Thou Mother of grace Who till the day of my death Wilt never forsake me! Oh, till the day of my death Wilt never forsake me!

IX. A Invocation of protection I trample upon the evil eye, As tramples the duck upon the lake, As tramples the swan upon the water, As tramples the horse upon the plain, As tramples the cow upon the heather, As tramples the host of the elements, As tramples the host of the elements. Power of wind I have over it, Power of wrath I have over it, Power of fire I have over it, Power of thunder I have over it, Power of lightning I have over it, Power of storms I have over it, Power of moon I have over it, Power of sun I have over it, Power of stars I have over it,

Power of firmament I have over it, Power of the heavens And of the worlds I have over it, Power of the heavens And of the worlds I have over it. A portion of it upon the gray stones, A portion of it upon the steep hills, A portion of it upon the fast falls, A portion of it upon the fair meadows, And a portion upon the great salt sea, She herself is the best instrument to carry it, The great salt sea, The best instrument to carry it. In name of the Three of Life, In name of the Sacred Three, In name of all the Secret Ones, And of the Powers together. Three will I send to thwart them, Daughter, Mother, Spirit Holy. I appeal to Bridget, Maiden and Lover I appeal to Maria, Aidful mother of all, Goddess of shore and sea, And I appeal to the One Goddess, She of the many names and forms, To all Devas and beings of Light. If it be someone has done thee harm, With evil eye, With evil wish, With evil jealousy, May thou cast off each ill, Every malignity, Every malice, Every harassment, And may you be well for ever, While this thread Goes round thee, In honor of the Mother Maria, And of the Spirit of balm everlasting.

X.

O Mary Mother, Goddess of the all encompassing Oceans, Never was known One who was placed Beneath thy generous care, Who asked thy mercy, Who asked thy shielding, Who asked thy succor With truthful heart, Who found not thy solace, Who found not thy peace, Who found not the succor For which she sought. That gives unto me The hope excelling That my kind desires May find sanctuary with thee. My heart is content To kneel at thy bedside, My heart is content In thy favor and hearing; To come into thy presence, Beauteous one of smiles, To come into thy presence, Beauteous one of women; To come into thy presence, Queen of all species, To come into thy presence, Queen-maiden of the worlds; To come into thy presence, O flower-garland of branches, To come into thy presence, Bright garland of the heavens; To come into thy presence, O river of seed, To come into thy presence, O vessel of peace; To come into thy presence, O fountain of healing, To come into thy presence, O well-spring of grace; To come into thy presence, Thou dwelling of meekness, To come into thy presence, Thou home of peace; To come into thy presence,

Thou jewel of the clouds, To come into thy presence, Thou jewel of the stars; To come into thy presence, O Mother of black sorrow, To come into thy presence, O Mother of the Goddess of glory; To come into thy presence, Thou Virgin of the lowly, To come into thy presence, Thou Mother of Universes; With lament and with sorrow, With prayer and supplication, With grief and with weeping, With invoking and entreaty; That thou may have me spared Shame and disgrace, That thou may have me spared Flattery and scorn; That thou may have me spared Misery and mourning, That thou may have me spared Anguish eternal; That thou may help my soul On the highway of the Queen, That thou may help my soul On the roadway of peace; That thou may help my soul In the doorway of mercy, That thou may help my soul In the place of justice. Since thou art the star of ocean, Pilot me at sea; Since thou art the star of earth, Guide thou me on shore. Since thou art the star of night, Lighten me in the darkness; Since thou art the sun of day, Encompass me on land. Since thou art the star of Devas, Watch over me on earth; Since thou art the star of paradise, Companion me to heaven. May thou shield me by night, May thou shield me by day, May thou shield me by day and night,

O bright and gracious Queen of heaven. Grant me my prayer of love, Grant me my entreaty for shielding, Grant me my supplication of pain Count me not as naught, O my Goddess, Count me not as naught, O my Sister, Count me not as naught, O kind Spirit, And abandon me not to eternal loss.

XII. Thou art the Queen-maiden of sweetness, Thou art the Queen-maiden of love-giving, Thou art the Queen-maiden of peacefulness And of the peoples. Thou art the well of compassion, Thou art the root of consolations, Thou art the living stream of the virgins And of them who bear child. Thou art the Queen-maiden of the sea, Thou art the Queen-maiden of the kingdom, Thou art the Queen-maiden of the angels In effulgence. Thou art the temple of the Goddess of life, Thou art the tabernacle of the Goddess of life, Thou art the mansion of the Goddess of life And of the forlorn. Thou art the river of grace, Thou art the well-spring of salvation, Thou art the garden and the paradise Of the virgins. Thou art the star of morning, Thou art the star of watching, Thou art the star of the ocean Great. Thou art the star of the earth, Thou art the star of the dawn, Thou art the star of the goddess Of glory. Thou art the corn of the land, Thou art the treasury of the sea, The wished-for visitant of the homes Of the world. Thou art the vessel of fullness, Thou art the cup of wisdom, Thou art the well-spring of health

Of womankind. Thou art the garden of virtues, Thou art the mansion of gladness, Thou art the Mother of sadness And of clemency. Thou art the garden of apples, Thou art the lull-song of the great folks, Thou art the fulfillment of the world's desire In loveliness. Thou art the sun of the heavens, Thou art the moon of the skies, Thou art the star and the path Of the wanderers. Since thou art the full ocean, Pilot me at sea; Since thou art the dry shore, Save me upon land. Since thou art the gem of the jewel, Save me from fire and from water, Save me from sky-hosts of evil And from fairy shafts. There is none who utters my song Or puts it into use, But Mary will show herself Three times before her death and her end.

XIII. Flower-garland of the ocean, Flower-garland of the land, Flower-garland of the heavens, Mary, Mother of Universes. Flower-garland of the earth, Flower-garland of the skies, Flower-garland of the Devas, Mary, Mother of Universes. Flower-garland of the mansion, Flower-garland of the stars, Flower-garland of paradise, Mary, Mother of Universes.

APHRODITE I.

I will sing of stately Aphrodite, gold-crowned and beautiful, Whose dominion is the realm of love and beauty. The moist breath of the western wind wafted Her over the waves of the loud-moaning sea in soft foam, And there the gold-filleted Graces welcomed her joyously. They clothed her with heavenly garments: On her head they put a fine, well-wrought crown of gold, And in her pierced ears they hung ornaments of amber and precious gold, And adorned her with golden necklaces over her soft neck and snow-white breasts, Jewels which the gold-filleted Graces wear themselves whenever they go To their Mothers' grove to join the lovely dances of the Devas. And when they had fully decked her, they brought her to the Devas, Who welcomed her when She saw her, taking Her by their hands. Each one of them prayed that she might lead her home to be her girlfriend, So greatly were they amazed at the beauty of violet-crowned Aphrodite. Hail, sweetly-winning, coy-eyed Goddess of Love!

II. Shimmering-thronéd immortal Aphrodite, Daughter of the Creatrix, Enchantress, I implore thee, Spare me, O queen, this agony and anguish, Crush not my spirit Whenever before thou has hearkened to me-To my voice calling to thee in the distance, And heeding, thou hast come, leaving thy mother's Golden dominions, With chariot yoked to thy fleet-winged coursers, Fluttering swift pinions over earth's darkness, And bringing thee through the infinite, gliding Downwards from heaven, Then, soon they arrived and thou, blessed goddess, With divine countenance smiling, didst ask me What new woe had befallen me now and why, Thus I had called thee. What in my mad heart was my greatest desire, Who was it now that must feel my allurements, Who was the fair one that must be persuaded, Who wronged you? For if now she flees, quickly she shall follow And if she spurns gifts, soon shall she offer them Yea, if she knows not love, soon shall she feel it Even reluctant. Come then, I pray, grant me surcease from sorrow, Drive away care, I beseech thee, O goddess

Fulfil for me what I yearn to accomplish, Be thou my ally.

III. When jealousy surges through thy heart Let not thy foolish tongue take part. With my two arms, I do not aspire to touch the sky. So, like a child after its mother, I flutter. Now lust shakes my soul, A wind on the mountain overwhelming the oaks. I know not what to do: I have two minds. Face me, my dear one and unveil the grace in your eyes. And a sweet expression spreads over her fair face. I love refinement and for me Love has the splendor and beauty of the morning star. I yearn and I seek. To you, fair maidens, my mind does not change.

IV. I will sing of stately Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, pan-erotic, Who stirs up sweet passion And subdues the tribes of mortal women And birds that fly in air And all the many creatures that the dry land rears, And all the sea: all these love the deeds of Aphrodite. Gold-crowned and beautiful, Whose dominion is the cities of all sea-set Califas. There the moist breath of the western wind Wafted her over the waves of the loud-moaning sea in soft foam, And there the gold-filleted surf-goddesses welcomed her joyously. They clothed her with heavenly garments: On her head they put a fine, well-wrought crown of gold, And in her pierced ears they hung ornaments of platinum And precious gold, and adorned her with golden necklaces Over her soft neck and snow-white breasts, Jewels which the gold-filleted surf-goddesses wear themselves Whenever they go to their mother's house To join the lovely dances of the Goddess. And when they had fully decked her, They brought her to the goddesses, Who welcomed her when they saw her,

Giving her their hands. Each one of them prayed that she might lead her home, To share pleasure with her, So greatly were they amazed at the beauty of violet-crowned Aphrodite. Hail, sweetly-winning, coy-eyed goddess!

V. O Aphrodite! In honor of thee I will hold this feast, Feast and drain the goblet deep, We, will dance and wildly leap, And if thou grant the grace which I require, Then when the dance is wildest, all the lamps Shall be extinguished and we'll freely love!

ERIS I. Sing now, my muse, of the Goddess of Chaos, Arising from primeval Quantum foam born, Goddess of Entropy, Goddess of Anarchy, She who creates and destroys innumerable cosmos In the gap between dawn and the rise of the sun, She who dances between unseen fractal dimensions, In a small still place all enfolded in storm, Where tempests so huge, lighting rends open the quasars, So massive no light escapes from her shroud, She who sunders our soul from our sweet earthly flesh, And brings us rebirth with her ghastly sweet breath, Lover of Death and Lover of Life, She dances a dance on the edge of a knife, A gulf of ten thousand light years on each side, And She never misses one step in the dark, Singularity bound, in a teardrop of light, Cocooned in the smallest, suffused in the largest, Immortal Chaos wreathed with broken planets and dust, Thy name is Eris, world shattering Goddess, We ride your wave breathless and are towed under again. Singularity Goddess, you approach inverse zero, Still more drowned worlds loom in Thy billowing shroud. Asleep and awake she dreams our creation, The sound of a bell in an dark empty cavern, The scent of a rose in a room long abandoned,

The dance of the motes in the eye of the Goddess, The touch of a breeze in the heat of the noon, The taste of wine from an ancient tomb offering She is there always, and not there ever, Look and you will miss her, Close your eyes and she is before you. Most terrible and most beautiful name of the Goddess, Eris!

The Testament of Gaia And when she arose on that morning the Patriarchs seized her, And bound her, And broke her body on the wheel, And accused her of witchcraft, And stripped her of her clothes and her name: "You will be called Gaia; she that has no name," Said the Patriarchs; And they took her to the marketplace to be burned. Then, at that hour of Gaias' death, The Sun and the Moon stood still in the Heaven; And a glory shrouded the body of Gaia; And Gaia spoke: I have become Gaia, beloved of the Goddess, Creatrix and Destroyer of Worlds; And this is my testament. Blessed are the generous in love: for theirs is the Love of the Goddess. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the poor: for they shall inherit the Earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after the knowledge: for they shall be enlightened. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall be loved by the Goddess. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the avatars of the Goddess. Blessed are they who are persecuted: for theirs will be the Goddesses' justice. Blessed are you of the Goddess when the ignorant shall revile you, And persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for the Goddesses sake. I, the Creatrix, speak through my beloved Gaia to those who come after: "Rejoice, I say, and be exceeding glad: for I will take you into My arms: For the Patriarchs burned and persecuted the Witches who came before you: And these I gathered to My arms and freed from the cycle of rebirth."

Women are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its taste, What with shall our food be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, But to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot; The Patriarchs would wish women to be invisible. But in women are the light of the world. A tree that grows on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do women light a hearth fire, and hide it; As it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before humanity, That they may see your good works, and glorify your Queen, the Goddess. Think not that She has returned to destroy other religions, She comes not to destroy, but to fulfil. For truly I say to you, till the death of the Sun, Nothing will be taken from the other religions of the Earth, Till the good in all of them be fulfilled. You have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say to you, that whosoever take away A woman's right to control her own body, And her reproductive system, in the name of holy life, Shall be in danger of the anger of the Goddess. They themselves have scorned life and serve death; They will be doomed to infinite reincarnation. Of old it was said: Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say to you, That whosoever nurtures jealousy will be scorned by the Goddess. And each of the lovers that you embrace is likewise beloved of the Goddess. You have heard it said that it is unholy for woman to lay with woman, Or man to lay with man, But I say to you that the Goddesses' love knows no gender. You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say to you, resist chaos with all of the passion of the Goddess: Create peace in the sacred places of the Earth; Revenge begats revenge; whosoever breaks the cycle of revenge is beloved of the Goddess. Find common ground with your adversary quickly, For whosoever shall create consensus is the beloved of the Goddess. You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Whosoever shall hit you on your right cheek in anger, turn to her the other also.

And if any will sue thee at the law, and take away your coat, let her have your cloak also. And whosoever shall force thee to walk a kilometer, walk with her two kilometers. Give to she that ask you, and from her that would borrow of you turn not you away. And be not afraid of those who persecute you; For if you return injury with kindness they will be shamed; This is the right thing to do. You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, Speak truth to the liars, Bless them that curse you, Do good to them that hate you, This is what they least wish you to do; In this way you will overcome all oppression. Forgive those who abuse you, For you are the daughter of your Mother who created the universe: For She is the Sun who rises over the evil and the good, The Moon that shines on the ocean and the mountains, She sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Love those who love you, but what is exceptional about that? Be you therefore not jealous, even as your Creatrix is not jealous; This is exceptional. Rebirth after rebirth, Her children suffer; This ring of suffering is sundered if you can extinguish jealousy in your heart; This is the noble truth of the Goddess; It is as light as a feather, but as difficult to lift as a mountain. By not seeing the noble truth of the Goddess, Long is the path that is traversed through many a birth; When this is grasped, the cause of rebirth is then removed, The root of sorrow rooted out, and there is no more rebirth. Live simply on the Earth and do not compel others to worship the Goddess; For all will find their own path to Her Grove; There are many paths to the Grove of the Goddess. This is the supreme Invocation of the One Goddess: Our Mother, creator of heaven; Blessed be your name. Your springtime come, Your singtime sung,

On Earth, as it is in Heaven. "Do what you love, shall be the whole of the law, And harm no one, lest ye be harmed threefold;" And lead us to knowledge, and deliver us from jealousy: For yours is the wisdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Blessed be. Blessed be. Blessed be. If you forgive the hateful their trespasses, Your Mother will also forgive you: But if you forgive not the hateful their trespasses, Neither will your Mother forgive your trespasses. When you fast, be not hungry; When you meditate on the Goddess, be not distracted; For in her name is perfection; And in her name is satisfaction. If you hoard for yourselves treasures upon earth, Moth and rust will corrupt, and thieves break through and steal: But accumulate for yourselves wisdom and kindness, Which neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, And which thieves do not break through nor steal: Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is your heart chakra: If therefore your heart chakra radiate light, Your whole body shall be full of light. But if your heart be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness! Therefore I say to you, Love yourself, even as you are today; Love what you eat, and drink; and your body, And what you adorn yourself with. But be aware that life is more than food, and the body more than raiment. Behold the birds of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, Nor save up food; yet your heavenly Mother feeds them. Are you any better than they? Which of you by thinking can add one centimeter to her stature? And why be concerned about your clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say to you, that their clothing is more glorious than the finest couture. Wherefore, if Goddess so clothe the grain of the field, Which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall she not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore in your heart do not worry about

What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your Mother the Goddess knows that you have need of all these things. But seek you first the Path of the Goddess, and Her love; And all these things shall be provided for you; For the Goddess loves things of beauty and gracefulness. Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: For tomorrow shall take care of itself. Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof. Judge not, lest you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, You shall be judged: Why criticize the splinter that is in your sister's eye, But consider not the log that is in your own eye? Or how wilt thou say to your sister, "Let me pull out the splinter out of your eye;" And, behold, a log is in your own eye? Oh hypocrite, first cast out the splinter out of your own eye; And then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the log out of your sister's eye. Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither cast you your pearls before swine, Lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Ask, and it shall be given you; Seek, and you shall find; Knock, and it shall be opened to you: For every one that asks receives; And she that seeks finds; And to her that knocks the door shall be opened. Enter you in at the narrow gate: For wide open is the gate, And straight is the way, that leads to ignorance, And many there be which go in thereat: But narrow is the gate, and labyrinthine is the path Which leads to the Goddess, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, But inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do we harvest grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Even so every good tree bring forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bring forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bring not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. In quiet the voice of the Goddess is best heard;

Those who say do not know and those who know do not say; Not every one that says to me, Goddess, Goddess, Goddess, Shall enter into the Grove; but only she that does the will of my Mother. Many will say to me in that day, Goddess, Goddess, Goddess, have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name have cast out evil? And in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: You have deceived many and enlightened none; Depart from me, you that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever hear these sayings of mine, and do them, I will liken her to a wise woman, which built her house upon a solid foundation. And then the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, And beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was built upon bedrock. And every one that hear these sayings of mine, and do them not, Shall be likened to a foolish woman, which built her house upon a beach And the rain descended, and the waves came, and the winds blew, And beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. At that moment the Sun set and the full Moon rose; And silence fell on the marketplace; Gaia was consumed by the flames; She died at the hands of the patriarchs; May the burning times not come again; May we be blessed by Her tolerance and wisdom.

Commentary This section of the Book of the Goddess has commentary on the principles of the Goddess, and correspondences between the principles and each of the nine key names of the Goddess. This section also gives Invocations for each of the key Goddesses. A Invocation is a short passage which should be recited inwardly. Some of these Invocations are identified with a particular time of day or activity. Others are suggested for use in particular situations where the influence of the Goddess may be required. These can also be recited aloud, alone, with another person, or in a group, as desired. Thus the pronouns 'I/me' and 'we/us' are interchangeable in these Invocation, as required by context. 1. I acknowledge that there is one Goddess in essence, Creatrix of all existences; Her forms are infinite, She manifests Herself in our love, and we are all Her lovers.

The Goddess, in her form Amaterasu is the spirit of the first principle. The Sun, the center of our solar system, symbolizes the central place of the Goddess in existence. The planets which revolve around Her are dwarfed by comparison. By acknowledging the central place of the Goddess in our lives we pass from the dark night of the patriarchy to the dawn of the Goddess. She dawns in her heart when we accept her principles. This illuminates our spirits and enables us to live in balance once more. Ideally the ritual of acknowledgement of the Goddess should be performed in the company of others who have done so previously. There is no reason it cannot be done alone. After doing so, an informal celebration can occur. There is no particular ritual required other than the three-fold recitation of the first principle, and no documentation need be created. When performing the ritual of the acknowledgement of the Goddess, you should select a Goddess name to use in the circle of the Goddess; this is typically a name of a historical Goddess, or a female name associated with a Goddess in some way. Both women and men do so. There is no need to disclose this name to those not on the path of the Goddess, or actually change you legal name. The Goddess name is not particularly secret. You can change this name if you want at any time. It is just a mental exercise to remind you that the Goddess is in you as in all. The Invocation of Amaterasu (time of day: dawn): "Blessed Amaterasu, lead me into your light from the shadows. I walk in beauty. I walk in peace. I walk in balance on the path of the Goddess. Blessed be." 2. Treat all beings with reciprocity, for the Goddess lives in them as well as in us. The Goddess in her form Kali is the spirit of the second principle. Kali is the form of the Goddess who weighs you in the moment after you end your current incarnation. If your spirit weighs more than a pomegranate seed, you will be judged by her. If you are beset with jealousy, if you have hated others and caused them harm, or if you have not acquired knowledge, she will send you into the misty Bardos. The Bardos are tangled mazes of folded and cyclic paths, punctured with portals back into the realm of matter, and rebirth. If your spirit is purged of karmic burden, or Kali judges you ready, you will transcend reincarnation and pass over the infinite ocean of the Goddess, to dwell the Summerland. Only Kali can judge us or others. If we judge others we must do so in her name, and take on the karma of that judgement as well as our own. By doing so we must strive for the wisdom of Kali. Therefore, the balanced path is to treat others with reciprocity. If you do so, in awareness that the Goddess lives in them as well as in you, your intent, actions and effects will be free of Karmic accumulation.

This is the Invocation of Kali (sundown): "Blessed Kali, I promise to treat other beings with reciprocity, for the Goddess lives in them as in me. As you judge us, I ask for your wisdom to judge others. Give me the strength to be fair, calm and gentle. Blessed be." 3. Tolerate other religions and do not compel others to join the circle of the Goddess: the Goddess will draw those to Her who are ready and hear Her call. The Goddess in her form Selene is the spirit of the third principle. Patriarchy developed religions based on the severing of the link with Gaia. This led to the denying of the body, the split of mind and body, and mind and spirit. Only some teachings which were muttered in the darkness by acolytes who barely understood what they were saying preserved even a seed of the truth. Religion is a binding up of our threefold essences, and none of these can function without the other two, and these essences are empty without the presence of the Goddess. Selene, the triform goddess of the Waxing, the Full and the Waning moon symbolizes this triple essence. To mystify the masses so that they would not attempt to rebuild the civilization of the Goddess, the patriarchs developed religions of their own. Many of these religions are used by those in power as spiritual weapons. To this end they promote hatred of other religions by their followers, even though the doctrines in their holy books preach love and tolerance. We stand apart from the crusades and holy wars of the patriarchal religions. We say to them, if you profess belief in love and tolerance, why promote hate and intolerance in practice? We have no need to compel others to join our circle. We do not cloak our intentions in sugary platitudes or tell the masses they are doomed forever unless they adopt our principles. Rather, we state our case honestly and let those who are ready to join us find their own way to the Goddess. This is the Invocation of Selene (moonrise): "Blessed Selene, unite my mind, body and spirit and fill me with your presence. Through your unfailing love, give me the strength to create peace and tolerance, and show others the way to the path of the Goddess. Blessed be." 4. Worship Her by restoring balance to Her planet. The Goddess in her form Gaia is the spirit of the fourth principle. Life on this planet has been tossed out of balance by the patriarchy with its arbitrary division between the human world and the natural world.

This has led to technology without love, women and men set apart and men set above women, the rending of mind from body and spirit from mind, war without end, and labor without fair recompense. Technology and Science are not inventions of the patriarchy. The understanding of nature and how to use that understanding to improve our lives was invented by the civilization of the Goddess. This was done as an act of love for the body of the Goddess we inhabit, Gaia. Because the love of Gaia was the basis for the civilization of the Goddess, the 'original sin' of the patriarchs was to spurn this love, by declaring that the body of Gaia, our widehipped Mother, was theirs to ravage and plunder. When the patriarchy seized technology and purged it of love, the first thing they did was invent warfare, so that they could take from the innocent, and accumulate wealth and power. Unless you love what you do, your life will be empty of pleasure and you will be burdened on the path of the Goddess. This is the principle of creative love. A thing made without love is a hollow shadow. Unless you pay fair recompense for labor, the Goddess will shun your enterprise. Labor must have voice in the counsels of the workplace. Trade which exploits one of the parties in the transaction, or which plunders Gaia's body, will lead to disaster and ruin for all involved. Unless we love the Earth and learn to live in balance, She will scourge our civilization like She has done before and will do again. Gaia is not dependent on humanity for existence; we do not own Her and we are not her shepherd. She existed long before humans walked on the Earth. She has Her own cycles and balances, and if we continue on the path of unbalance, we are expendable. The Invocation of Gaia (time of day: noon): "Blessed Gaia, our first and best home, Gaia of the green hills and wide plains, Gaia of the ocean depths. I walk in beauty. I walk in peace. I walk in balance on the path of the Goddess. Blessed be." 5. Eat mostly grains, vegetables and fruits, so that there will be enough food for all; when you eat thank the Goddess, the provider of all energy. It is not forbidden to eat animal flesh in moderation, but when you do so you must thank the animal that you eat as well. The Goddess in her form Demeter is the spirit of the fifth principle. Life depends on energy and choices we make about the source of that energy can nourish us or destroy us.

By eating primarily plants, we honor our foremothers who invented horticulture and agriculture, the great gift of the first civilization of the Goddess. As the population grew, it became necessary to increase the yield of the fields. Today, civilization depends on large scale agriculture which pollutes the earth and creates tasteless if standardized food. The way that animals are prepared as food in the current cycle of civilization does not, in general, treat the animals with respect. A new civilization of the Goddess will modify these practices. The Goddess does not demand privation or avoidance of food. She loves elegant and simple meals alike, and delights in the sensuality of food. Fasting is a spiritual practice which is used to sharpen awareness; it is not demanded of anyone at anytime. It must not be used without clear intention and in such a way that no lasting harm is done. To bring this principle to your awareness, recite the Invocation of Demeter at meals: "Blessed Demeter, I invite you to join us in the enjoyment of this meal, and through your abundance may we be always be blessed with health, harmony and unfailing love. Blessed be." 6. In the circle of the Goddess create consensus while respecting diversity of opinion. On the path of the Goddess there are many paths. The Goddess in her form Athena is the spirit of the sixth principle. Athena symbolizes power and the exercise of wisdom and justice. She is a warrior Goddess, but her warcraft is not exercised in the name of oppression; she comes to liberate. She dispenses mercy and enforces peace where the patriarchy has created ruin. Instead of war for war's sake, Her violence is only unleashed as a final resort. And then she uses stealth, knowledge, and skill to overcome her enemies. In the civilization of the Goddess, female did not dominate male, but led by consensus; it was not just a topsy-turvy version of patriarchy. In the patriarchy, males govern all by force, mystification and oppression. A new civilization of the Goddess will be based on complete sexual equality, and restore leadership by consensus, not hierarchy. By living by these principles within the circle of the Goddess, we build the foundation for a new society. As a stone cast into the water sends out concentric waves, one act of reconciliation can be a powerful source of inspiration. One being, or any group of finite beings, can not claim to have final answers to all questions, and the path of the Goddess is multifold, just as the multiverse is. This is one of the key distinctions between the religion of the Goddess and those of the patriarchy.

The Invocation of Athena (when you must resolve a conflict): "Blessed Athena. Give us the wisdom to listen to and hear other's opinions. Help us find the common ground so that all may be free of this dispute. Blessed be." 7. In your home create a sacred space for the Goddess to please Her. Meditate on the Goddess three times a day, at rising, at noon and at sundown. The Goddess in her form Maria is the spirit of the seventh principle. Maria is the Goddess of the Ocean. This includes both the literal ocean, and the ocean of the love of the Goddess which surrounds us, unseen by most. By creating sacred space you can bathe in this ocean. Sacred space can be created anywhere, since the Goddess lives in all space and time, all matter and energy. A sacred space can be an physical altar. This is a personal area in your home or workplace to remind you of the Goddess. Your altar can have symbolic objects such as images of historical Goddesses, shells, feathers, rocks, dried pomegranates, vials of earth, seawater, or other natural objects. You can place pictures of loved ones or objects which remind you of them such as toys, scraps of clothing, and so on. You can burn incense, ring bells or blow horns. Essentially your altar and the way you worship before it can be anything that symbolizes the Goddess to you. There is another kind of sacred space, which is created in your spirit. This is created during the meditation on the Goddess. First recite the Invocation of the one Goddess. Our Mother, creator of heaven; Blessed be your name. Your springtime come, Your singtime sung, On Earth, as it is in Heaven. "Do what you love, shall be the whole of the law, And harm no one, lest ye be harmed threefold;" And lead us to knowledge, and deliver us from jealousy: For yours is the wisdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Blessed be. Blessed be. Blessed be. To create a spiritual sacred space of the Goddess, close your eyes and visualize a limitless, calm ocean surrounding you in every direction. Calm your mind and attempt to free it from thoughts. Focus on your breathing. Visualize each thought, emotion, fear or concern as a boat sailing away on an ocean. When you are calm, feel the love of the Goddess enter you and fill you; this pleases her and she will love you in return.

There is no need for a particular pose or posture. You can perform the meditation standing, sitting, laying down, whatever makes you feel comfortable. This should be done three times daily. Afterwards, inwardly recite the appropriate Invocation for that time of day. The Invocation of Maria (before sleep): "Blessed Maria. Queen of grace, Mother of mercy. Bestow upon us protection from all evil, this and every night. Blessed be." 8. Sexuality is Her sacrament; enjoy this gift and bless those who you share it with love and affection. Remember that overcoming jealousy is the cause of cessation of the cycle of rebirth. The Goddess in her form Aphrodite is the spirit of the eighth principle. Any act of sex which is done with pleasure and love is beloved by the Goddess. Pleasure is the striving of the body to merge with the inner beauty of the Goddess. Love is the emotion which draws two or more people to experience pleasure together. Jealousy is the cause of rebirth. You should at all times strive to eliminate jealousy in word, thought and deed. This does not imply infidelity. You must be honest with your lover or lovers. Likewise, you cannot own their hearts. If they decide to break off with you, do not hold onto them in your heart, as this also makes your spirit heavy. The Goddess loves all of us and in her enfolding love we are all together in infinity. Women and men were divided by the patriarchy on the basis of gender; these distinct roles were enforced so that the domination of men over women could take place. The patriarchs dictated that marriage would be a mirror of their hierarchical world, with men set over women. Eventually this was followed to its logical conclusion and love between persons of the same gender was oppressed. Furthermore, fixed gender roles were enforced. Males who acted like females or females who acted like males were ridiculed, beset with difficulties and if recalcitrant, murdered. A new civilization of the Goddess will have none of this. Keeping aware of the civil legality of a particular expression of love, lovers of the Goddess will engage in sexuality without exploitation and with transparency. If civil laws are broken, the intent of the Goddess must be not broken. The Goddess does not want this gift to be wasted or stolen; it must be given in freedom and total mutual trust. The Invocation of Aphrodite: "Blessed Aphrodite, gladden our bodies with your embrace. We honor your gifts of love and pleasure, and will not be jealous of your other lovers. Blessed be." 9. Announce the religion of the Goddess to the world through good works, honest words and selfless acts of beauty and love.

The Goddess in her form Eris is the spirit of the ninth principle. Eris is the Goddess of Chaos, but Chaos also engenders infinite beauty. Simple rules create chaotic systems which give rise to staggering amounts of complexity. Simple acts of kindness can create the context for other acts of kindness. Honesty in the face of a society built on lies can lay the basis for social change. One selfless act of love, like stepping in front of a tank, can elevate the consciousness of the entire world. Eris challenges fear, terror, war and violence by acts of beauty and love. Good works include charity, but surpass the narrowest sense of the word of giving money and forgetting about it. Charity by itself is an empty gesture. True charity means attempting to build a society where the abundance can be shared without depriving anyone. This does not exclude giving money, time or energy to shelter, or give food for the needy, or sponsor socially beneficial programs. Rather it means that a society with hungry people, people without health care, people without housing, is an indicted society. By the power of Eris, we can create a just society where the abundance of the Goddess is shared by all. This will necessarily be a difficult and chaotic transition. Eris will guide us through it. The Goddess Eris helps those caught in the wake of Chaos to take the correct path and emerge unharmed. To sort the path out, she give us foresight into the future. When you need guidance in a time of chaos, call on her to give you vision. The Invocation of Eris should be used when chaos, violence, or fear strikes you: "Blessed Eris. Take me to your place of stillness in the chaos around me so that I can see the path before me. I shall not fear. This will pass over me, and around me, and through me. I will be free; I will live in peace. Blessed be."

THE GODDESS PRAYER Most high, omnipotent, good Goddess, Praise, glory and honor and benediction all, are Thine. To Thee alone do they belong, most High, And all beings join hands in the circle of Thy love. Praise be to Thee, my Goddess, with all Thy creatures, Especially to my worshipful Sister Sun, Which lights up the day, and through her dost Thou brightness give; And beautiful is she and radiant with splendor great; Of Thee, most High, the very image. Praised be my Goddess, for Sister Moon and for the stars, In heaven Thou hast formed them clear and precious and fair.

Praised be my Goddess for Sister Atmosphere And for the rain and air and clouds and fair and every kind of weather, By which Thou givest to Thy creatures nourishment. Praised be my Goddess for Sister Water, Which is greatly helpful and humble and precious and pure. Praised be my Goddess for Sister Fire, By which Thou lightest up the dark. And fair is she and Gay and mighty and strong. Praised be my Goddess for our sister, Mother Earth, Which sustains and keeps us And brings forth diverse fruits with grass and flowers bright. Praised be my Goddess for those who for Thy love forgive And weakness bear and tribulation. Blessed those who shall in peace endure, For by Thee, most High, shall they be crowned. Praised be my Goddess for our Sister Kali, the bodily death, From which no being can flee. Pity be on them who die unloved by the Goddess; Blessed art those who find enlightenment in Thy most holy embrace, For they will find the way home to Thy Summerland. Praise ye and bless ye O Goddess, and give Her thanks, And let all beings enjoy the nectar of Her ecstasy. --ALP, from St. Francis.