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(by Fred McLaren Adams) Priestess: The Festival of Enscaled Buds on bare branches, And also of first shoots. Through portals of earth, branch and cloud Her burning belly bursts the locks of frost The babe lowers Torchlit processions lead the Goddess out of the Underworld. Her Belly is fully stretched. The Head of the Holy Infant drops for delivery. Slush from snows thawing off the heights, And mud from new rains signal the bursting of the water sack."  Grandfather Frost and Snow Maiden (by Lady Svetlana) Priestess: "Grandfather Frost has been driven away by his reindeer to hibernate till the beginning of next Winter and so He is falling, falling asleep till the next late Winter thaw begins… The precognition of Snow Maiden of Her Candlemas melting as She learns of first love, are starting to manifest. As Her tears drop to the ground they no longer congeal to diamonds of frost. She has learned what it is like to fall in love but with this singing joy She also knows what it is like to melt into the flowing waters of Spring in the coming season wherein Her perfect formfulness will dissolve into the disintegrating liquescence of endless streams. High up on the thin long poplars crows are building their nests and cackle mischievously at the animals below. What a wonderful, intelligent bird all dressed in black with a raucous demeanour and proud mien. In the streams salmon by the millions are dashing against the currents as they get ready for the Ostarian spawning coming up in several weeks. Every where there is preparation for the coming vernal births… In honour of Amphitrite and Poseidon the otters dive to the bottom of the shallow sea to get their shellfish and then, lying on their backs, crack them as tasty morsels for their nourishment. They play and frolic near the oceanic shoals for they love life given them by the Almighty Tethys. Further away the hard but smooth-skinned dolphins dance their wonderful ballet. They are a very beneficent and sensual species with a special non-intrusive form of intelligence unknown to Hominus. They frolic and play and should be an example for our species to follow in their jovial ways. Still further away are the wonderful whale-behemoths who travel thousands of miles beneath the seas of Neptune and communicate ultra-sonically across the great expanse of waterways. All the cetaceans have great minds; in the next cardinal water astrological age, approximately 25,000 + years hence, the time shall be called, 'The Age of the Cetaceans' not the 'Age of Fishes'. The last has been one of anguish, suffering and destruction. If we survive, 'The Cetacean Age' shall bring happiness, joy and ecstasy. In the very depths of the oceans of Thetis all kinds of microscopic life multiplies quickly and maintains the proper chemo-biological balance in the salten waters. There are innumerable fishes wiggling their way through brown-tentacled rings of adult polyps. All around there are anemones and corals… By spawning billions of young, the corals insure that enough survive to perpetuate the species and the reef. The algea surround them and help promote the coral's growth. Then occasionally an octopus appears and when frightened squirts out black ink to camouflage her existence…. All around are varieties of crustaceans, who set up stations for plucking parasites from finned customers, signaling with their semaphore antennae when necessary. And, of course, there are plankton - plankton everywhere plus multitudinous kinds of seaweed and fern… Ah, the richness of the great oceans of the world existing for billions of years upon this strong yet fragile planet of ours… Now let us remember - a very long time ago - when the world was young… The seas covered almost all the whole Earth when the Great Goddess, Eurynome, appeared and danced upon the waves. For a long time, Eurynome danced by Herself, but one day She felt She had been alone too long. She decided She needed a playmate to share Her culvilinear dancing so out of the Earth She brought forth Ophion, a giant serpent, who became the 'Old Man of the Sea'. He wrapped Himself around Her and after Their copulatory embrace, They brought forth Titans, who were predecessors of the Gods. And thus the tale began - quite long ago - very far away. Music: "La Mer Symphony’ by Claude Debussy. All: Chant: Priestess: (as Megeia) "Mystai - let us form a candlelit procession for a sojourn to Oceanic Olympia where we are to be cleansed by the primordial waters of Tethys and the seminal ragings of Oceanos. Chant several times while the procession moves to the statue of Amphitrite. Megeia clicks small glasses as accompaniment. The statue of Amphitrite as Water Nymph has a watersnake wound around her, and close by are oceanic decorations including sand in bowls to put candles in. Next to this is salten water, and each celebrant washes his or her hands in this scented liquid. Priestess: (as Megeia) Wash or dip your hands or fingers into its blessedness and rejoice." Priestess: Sings: Keep all waters clean - So all may thrive within."" Hymn to Amphitrite (by Lady Svetlana) Another Adelpha: "The ices of Winter are melting; the snows disappear. Tethys, Great Goddess of ocean depths release the spirits of moisture to inundate the land for the coming birth. In Your primeval seas the quivering protoplasmic dance of life shimmied into being; fragile and vulnerable forms slithered into existence. Oh, Amphitrite, You are the Fluidic Source of all nascency… Beautiful nacreous Lady of bounteous Pregnancies and Fecundity!!! Ah, Neptunis, Halia, Rhodos let Your increasing and intensifying Fertility and endless Creativity inspire us to ever developing spiritual and psychic expansion. We pray that Your undulating waters purify our souls as they cleanse our bodies. Without Your sacred fluids, your salten tangy-tasty Moisture, all organic activity would be stilled. The depths of the unconscious would dry up… The forces of life depend upon You, Mother of ocean depths - let us all be enlivened - most Holy Thetis - Hail Amphitrite - EVOE mighty Tethys - blessings to You Eurynome… Demeter, sorrowing Mother of deep Earth, bring forth souls from the dead from caverns deep to quicken the pulse of enfolded life. Through Your longing for Your Holy Daughter, a truly humane existence for all creatures becomes possible. Demeter, You are the Supernal Spouse of Poseidon or Poteidan - Hypios, whose name means 'Husband of the Goddess Da'. Also 'The Horsed One'. This presuposes an early and close alliance with 'Terra Firma'. Also, Demeter turned Herself into a mare and He, in turn, into a stallion, who finally caught Her in His embrace. Demeter, gentle Mother transform pain and anguish in all realms and dimensions. The wolf and deer, the lion and zebra, the dolphin and shark, the rabbit and fox, the titmouse and hawk shall play together to extol Your virtues. Ah! Demeter let Your Divine Knowledge and Kindness permeate our hearts so we may embrace the entire biosphere... Chione, born of Orytheia, the Raging One and Boreas, the icy wind of artic night, come forth as the snow white swan of tranquility and cosmic completion. Now in procession we return to the oceanic chamber of Poseidon, Nereus, Oceanos, Proteus, and Triton." Music ends. All move in procession to the statue of Poseidon. Adelpha: May the torrents of Poseidon purge your flesh and spirit from the cauldron of Cerridwen and Amphitrite." Take small jigger of salten water and pour on each head of celebrants. bequeath us gifts of prophecy so we may be guided on the path of Divine Service… The rampaging waters rush. The deluge brings the Goddess forth.” Clanking of metal cups. Adelpha: "Now please sit and meditate on the cleansing of all oceans and waterways of our pearly planet, Gaia, while the two Orphic Hymns are read.” Ting Shaws (Tibetan small cymbals) and white bowl. ORPHIC HYMNS (from ‘Orphic Hymns’ translated by Thomas Taylor, London 1792) Priest: Hid in a veil obscure from human sight. Great oceans Empress, wandering through the deep And pleased with gentle gales, the Earth to sweep Whose blessed waves in swift succession go, And lash the rocky shore with endless flow. Delighting in the sea seren to play. In ships exalting and the watery way. Mother of Venus, and of clouds obscure, Great Muse of beasts, and source of fountains pure. O venerable Goddess, hear my prayer And make benevolent my life Thy care, Send, Blessed Queen, to ships a prosperous breeze And waft them safely o'er the stormy seas. Hail Blessed Tethys.” Priest: In seas cerulean, Daemon of the deep With fifty nymphs attending in Thy train Fair virgins artists glorying through the mein. The dark foundation of the rolling seas And Earth's wide bounds, belong much famed to Thee. Great Daemon, source of all, whose Power can make The Earth's unmeasured, holy basis shake, When blustering winds in secret caverns pent By Thee excited, struggle hard for vent. Come, Blessed Nereus, listen to my prayer, And cease to shake the Earth with wrath severe, Send our sacred rites abundant health With peace divine and necessary wealth. Hail…. O-One-of-Waters-Nereus, Po-sei-don! Hail!” Priestess: (as Megeia) "For those who wish to reaffirm their Knighthood and Damozelhood for the Goddess, please come forth and kneel before me.… I knight/ damzel you Sir/ Lady (* fill in name). Arise, oh Sir/ Lady (* fill in name) And know the One I am.” Megeia kisses the Initiate three times. Priestess: (as Megeia) Poseidon, Poseidon, Poseidon, Bring the winds and storms - Bring torrential rain…” Clanking of metal cups. Hail.” Invocation to Poseidon (by Lady Svetlana) Another Adelpha: "Oceanos, God of rolling seas unleash Your mighty storms. Let the turbulent gates burst the seams of our world. Poseidon, Grand Inseminator, we summon You from Your liquid domain. Purge the Earth of cosmic criminals, who pollute the elements, who destroy the very essence of life - a gift from the most ancient and Holy One. Let Your tidal waves carry away the debris of diseased civilisation. Boreas, may Your roaring winds clear the air and clarify our mental faculties. Enosicthon, Ennsigaius, Ennosidas - let Your earthquakes shake the foundations of being into becoming. Rage, rage - mighty earthshaker….rage! Neptune, Nereus. Parched land await Your fertilising downpours. Let torrential rains soak the ground. Flood the Earth to insure Her procreation. Rain… Rain… Bring forth rain…."  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