The Aval Communion
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
Music: ‘Psyche’ by César Frank.
Priestess:
"Listen quietly, enjoy, and promote love feelings and intuitions everywhere throughout the universe."
Priestess anoints foreheads of the Celebrants with drops of essential oil first. Rose oil is a good choice.
Priest:
"This scent represents the Breath of the Maiden -
Essence of Intelligence and Empathy."
Priestess: Lifts incense.
Priest:
"This flame represents the Blood of the Maiden -
Essence of Passion and Compassion."
Priestess: Lifts candle.
Priest:
"This fruit represents the gift of the Maiden's Flesh -
Essence of Proportion and Beauty."
Priestess: Lifts fruit; strawberries for Beltane.
Priest:
"This water represents the Milk of the Maiden –
Essence of Mercy and Tenderness."
Priestess: Lifts cup of spring water.
Priest:
"And what is the Quintessence of the Maiden Soul?
'The Holy Fascination of the Supremely Alive and Beautiful'."
Priestess: Holds up flower.
Priest:
"And what is the Penultimate of the Maiden Spirit?
Innocent, childlike Love."
Priestess and Priest: Seal with kiss. Each blows kisses to the celebrants.
Priest:
"And finally what is the Will of the Maiden?
This Korythalia is for life ever-lasting,
Delicacy and Joy for the unique as well as the Universal."
Priestess: Shows Korythalia in the mode of Eleusis. Soft music continues.
Avala
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
Priestess:
On a tray she has a small bowl with strawberries and a big, beautiful glass full of virgin spring water slightly touched with herb or spice. The spring water
should be obtained when the New Moon is visible. The flask in which spring water is kept must be blessed in the name of Kore. Commercially bottled spring
water may be substituted.
Priestess: Lifts up the sacred Tray.
"Ambrosia of trees – Quintessence of Fire and Earth –
Eonic Body of the Maiden.
By Her Love freely given and with harm to none
thine own body become."
She presents the Tray to each celebrant in the circle and delicately places a piece of fruit of season in each mouth.
Priestess: Lifts up the crystal Bowl of spring water.
"Nectar of springs, Quintessence of Air and water –
Eonic fountainhead of the Maiden.
By Her Love freely given and with harm to none,
Thine own fountainhead become."
She presents the grail-bowl to each Celebrant, who takes it and swallows a sip.
Kore Prayer
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
(Recited by all celebrants together, while holding hands in the circle).
Priestess: (guides)
Part I
"Oh Nameless Maiden!
Everything that is, IS,
And everything that is not, still is,
Because of Thy Certain Something
Always strangely elsewhere,
In windy resonance of vast Virgin Distances
Whispering infinitely Thy Intimate Nearness Here."
Part II
"Oh Holy Maiden!
Of the Kindling Quick,
Of merging mist and mazing echo,
The innocent bounty of the trees
Bears Thy Faerie Flesh of Wildness,
Wonder, Magic, Mirth and Love
.
They Beauty seals our Bridal with all Life.
The dance of Thy Green Pulse unfolds all Souls,
all Bodies and all Blessings
From Earth’s fragrant Form.
Grant us therefore the Blessings of Life Everlasting
Altogether in rapture of Love ever revealing Mysteries of Paradise
Everywhere surrounding and open to All!"
Priestess: (twirls alone and sings)
"Evoe Kore kai Kouros!
Evoe Potnia kai Potnios!
Arretos Koura!
Ev-a-ee-yo!
A-wee-ya!"
Closing of Temple, Four Cross-Quarters and Centre
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
Priestess: (as Megeia)
"I shall now close the Temple.
This side – a sinistra – of Tauria-Lea
Is concealed.
The other side – a destra – of Scorpia-Aquaria
Is also concealed.
The Gates of (* name of your own Temple) are closed
Till the next revelation.
The Spirits of all Cross-Quarters
Are asked to return to the nether realms and dimensions
Till Their next revelation at Lammas
So mote it be.
The Aval Communion is completed, the Temple is sealed –
The Bacchanalia begins.
Listen with joy to this music
while the Libation is concocted."
Priestess and Priest:
They prepare the Libation; ‘Lady of Souls or Turquoise Royale’ which is turquoise tequila (or rum) for ladies for Eros; and ‘Blessed Psycheia or
Pink Royal’ which means hot pink gin drink for gentlemen for Psyche. Interchange of opposites.
Everyone offers toasts to the Gods. When the toast is given each celebrant raises glass and cries in unison.
All: (First Toast)
"Oh Hail and Bless Hermes!"
All: (Second Toast)
"Oh Glorify and Bless Psyche!"
A feast follows with colour-coded table setting, this means hot pink and turquoise for Beltane. The same applies for the vegetarian foods; use basic white
foods for colouring turquoise with blue and green food colouring added.
Festive social encounters follow. Suggested music: Scandinavian, Dutch springtime folksongs and dances. Symphonic folk dances of Edvard Grieg and
Anton Dvorák are good examples. Also cabaret songs inkeeping with the light, lilting quality of the season. Of course this also suggests the Waltzes of
Johann Strauss Jr. and operettas. Gay, spritely music. Let us not forget antic, buoyant passages from Gioacchino Rossini and Amadeus Mozart’s ‘Eine
Kleine Nacht Musik’; or the festive Jewish round dance, Polynesian dance music, Near eastern ‘belly dance’ music or Irish jigs.
A few celebrants who are instructed, preferably Initiates, remain in the Ring to complete an esoteric sealing. This sealing is not intended to block off the
flow of Sacred Energies, but to insulate, condense and channel them, so their flow is grounded and pooling. The Ethers and the numinous afterglow must
be conserved for slow continual circulation at a gentle level of intensity, assimilable by everyday consciousness. Some current and radiance must be
guided into the home and the whole surrounding landscape to benefit all beings.
For an ancient ‘Mystery Drama’ of Psyche and Eros, from Hellenistic – Roman times, see the fascinating novel of Apuleius, ‘The Golden Ass’;. A good
English translation was provided by the celebrated poet of the Goddess, Robert Graves.
FINIS
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