The Aval Communion
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
Priest(ess):
Anoints foreheads of the Celebrants with drops of essential oil first. Rose oil is a good choice.
Priest:
Lifts incense.
"This scent represents the Breath of the Maiden –
Essence of Intelligence and Empathy."
Lifts candle.
"This flame represents the Blood of the Maiden –
Essence of Passion and Compassion."
Lifts fruit.
"This fruit represents the gift of the Maiden’s Flesh -
Essence of Proportion and Beauty."
Lifts cup of spring water.
"This spring water represents the Milk of the Maiden –
Essence of Mercy and Tenderness."
Lifts small leafy branch of tree with autumn leaves.
"This Korythalia presents the Will of the Maiden,
Everlasting Life and Joy for the unique as well as the Universal.
And what is the Quintessence of the Maiden Soul?"
Holds up flower.
"
“The Holy Fascination of the Supremely Alive and Beautiful”. (*)
And what is the Penultimate of the maiden Spirit?
Innocent, childlike Love."
Priest and Priestess kiss. Celebrants share a kiss all around their circle. Male and female alternation, if possible.
Music: 'The Bells' by Sergei Rachmaninoff, with solo voices, chorus and orchestra. Words by Edgar Allen Poe.
Priestess:
On a tray she has a small bowl with cut-up fruits of the season 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 Artemis. Commercially
bottled spring water may be substituted.
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 in each mouth.
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.
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 I I
"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!
Evoe Kore Kai Kouros!
Evoe Potnia Kai Potnios!
Arretos Koura!
Ev-a-ee-yo!
A-wee-ya!."
The nucleus of this Kore Prayer was completed in the Spring of 1968. Conceived while wandering in Britain in the early Spring of 1968.
Potnia and Potnios, Kore and Kouros comprise the Divine Tetrad or Holy Family on the Plane of Generation. Examples are to be found in 'The Hebrew Goddess'
by Rabbi Pitai, and in the 'I Ching'. The ineffable and paradoxical Source at the Centre is Arretos Koura. Of course, in the eternal sense, we are all Korai and
Kouroi within the Great Pleroma (Fullness) of all Souls, both human and extra-human.
(*) Robert Kork; “The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies”, Aberfoyle, Scotland 1691.
Closing of Temple, Four Quarters and Centre
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
In the open air stone ring, with only Initiates remaining, the Priestess or Priest extends her or his arms outward to the right and left. She/ he intones the following
enchantment:
Priest(ess):
"Moon Door, Moon Door!
Ash and Alder crossed with Willow! Close!
Covering demiurgic dark of the Mystery Night!"
Slowly, weightily, the Priestess or Priest swings her or his left hand inward and across her/his breast, tips of fingers touching right shoulder, thus closing the Moon Door.
"Sun Door, Sun Door!
Thorn and Oak crossed with Holly! Close!
Covering azure golden Day and archetypal Light."
Slowly, deliberately, Priestess or Priest swings her or his right hand inward and across her/his breast, tips of fingers touching left shoulder, thus closing the Sun Door.
"The Panetheral Precincts of this great temple of Love,
Koreion (* name of your own Temple),
Are closed and hermetically resealed.
May the distillate of our blessings
ripen within the close of these old stones,
And may the altar irradiate the whole region, Earth and Sky,
With Love, beauty, Kindness, Vitality, truth and Wisdom.
Ho! So be it!
We offer thanks to all great Spirit Beings
who have attended our Telete, our Sacred Rite.
May They bear the Blessings and Love of our devotions
into all worlds, realms, zones and planes!
KONX OM PAX!
CONSUMATA EST!
She is Complete and perfect!"
Priestess or Priest returns to the Hearthroom and rouses the celebrants, the Convivium, to a festive pitch.
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.
During the course of the festivities, celebrants should be encouraged to wander into the Ring and to offer small libations to the Stones and the Centre, with prayers
and thanksgiving, of course.
After the Closing of the Temple, the Ring is spiritually vivific; it is “streaming and tingling”, to quote Wilhelm Reich. And so is the surrounding natural milieu. Most
participants are now ‘high’ and they can sense this. And so, the Ring is ripe for pledges and re-affirmations of love between lovers, for sharing more vibrant embraces,
kisses, caresses, whole soul and body radiance quietly sustained. Of course friendships can be re-affirmed, comradship in the Great Work of transmuting Orchard
Island Earth into Paradise. Prayers for healing may be addressed to the Goddess Fount, the “supremely alive and beautiful” (from W.H. Keith), divine sentiency,
wisdom and love.
The renewed and invigorated Ring is ideally suited for circle dancing, chanting and singing. Jests, pranks and merriment vivify the outer surrounds of the Ring. "A'ntic
corybantic jollity" (*) of the Fays is also necessary to the sacred atmosphere of the timeless fiesta of the stars.
"Kore Blessings of Earth Love!"
All return to the Hearthroom.
Music: 'Suites from the Ballet Cydalice et le Chêvre-Pied' by Gabriel Pierné.
Priestess:
"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. Brandy refinement from the grape for Dionysos. Triple-sec, lemon and sugar for Artemis. The sweet-sour Essence of Life.
The drink is called ‘Triple Amber Ecstasy’.
A feast follows with colour-coded table setting and the same code for the foods. This means orange and beige for early Autumn. E.g. an orange coloured bean dip
(Greek/Armenian); orange gelatinous mould; puree of large orange squash; chick-pea dishes like Hummus (Syrian); fresh orange slices; preserved mandarins
flavoured with Grand Marnier; potato or rice casserole with paprika; cauliflower with ceddar-cheese sauce in casserole; marinated kumquat; vegetarian tamale
pie; orange coloured corn chips; cheese enchiladas; apricot pie.
Everyone offers toasts. When the toast is given each celbrant raises glass and cries in unison.
All: (First Toast)
"Evoe Artemis!"
(Second Toast)
"Evoe Dionysos!"
Then follows the festive social encounters.
(Suggested popular music: Edith Piaf; Russian Gypsy songs; Greek folk music).
FINIS
(*) Quoted from Warren Keith and Gleb Botkin.
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