SAMHAIN
A Mysto-Poetique Celebration
of Persephoneia Kai Aidoneia
Perse
(by Lady Svetlana)
Musical prelude: 'Swan of Tuonela' by Jean Sibelius.
Priestess: (Recitation to music which continues)
“Gather all ye mortals for the Festival of the Dead and for yourselves – the once and future dead. But never fear, suspend doubt; your essential – your unique being
shall be transfigured by Kore Persephone at the threshold of another life in other mysterious realms and then once again in this ‘rough and ready’ dimension where the
soul is subdued and the spirit lacerated. But healing is quick and progress swift if you stare into Her abyss with unflinching eyes. Yet do not look straight but see Her
out of the corner of your orbs – the Black Goddess – Mistress of the Dead – Lady of Ghosts – Guardian of the Spiral Bridge – Transformer of Souls. Behold the Darkness;
Her revelation is at hand. The Black Swan sings Her last and only song.
Blow out all lights, my Adelphai, for a three minute meditation while the music of Sibelius quietly stops.”
After 3 minutes, end Sibelius.
Another musical excerpt from Strawinsky’s ‘Persephone’ – only the chant – starts.
Light candle and announce the festival to come – of Hekate, Plouton, Demeter and Persephone.
Priestess:
“The Goddess and God return to their dream chamber, ‘le Cave sur la Terre’."
Music stops.
Unsealing the Astral Doors
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
Priestess:
She crosses her arms over her breast, right arm over left, her hands open and palms down. She intones the following recitation:
"Sun Door, Sun Door!
Thorn and Oak crossed with Holly! Open!
Revealing azure golden Day and archetypal Light."
She may draw an upward pentagram.
Her right arm and open palm swing out to the right to open the great Sun Door. With powerful radiance of kinesthetic energy she intones:
"Moon Door, Moon Door!
Ash and Alder crossed with Willow! Open!
Revealing silver celestial seas in the Mystery Night!"
She may draw an upward pentagram.
Her left arm and palm swing out to the left to open the great astral Moon Door with the same windy blast of etheric force.
During the proceedings, the instructed should entertain inner ‘telesmatic’ imagery of humming spheres, trilling stars and the resounding road of the Galaxy: the so
called ‘Music of the Spheres’.
Priestess:
"The inner pneumatic precincts of this great Temple of Love,
Koreion (* name of your own Temple),
have been opened and hermetically unsealed.
May all great and harmonious Spirit Beings
who attend these Sacred Rites
assist us in our devotions of Love!"
She enters the Ring.
Invocation of the Cross-Quarters
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
One of the celebrants, preferably an Initiate, evokes the Cross-Quarters upon the four Cross-Quarter Points (points due Southeast, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast).
In accord with ancient Greek tradition, from Anaxagoras and Empedocles to the School of Hippocrates, Feraferia assigns the four Elements to the four
Quarters in the following arrangement:
Air – Wands - East; Fire – Staves or Swords - South;
Earth – Pentacles -West; Water – Cups -North.
For cross-quarter ceremonies such as Samhain, the seasonal Fays may be evoked facing the cross-quarter (or inter-cardinal) stones: Northeast, Southeast, Southwest
and Northwest.
The evocateur always begins her or his circumambulation of the Quarters at the stone, post or station immediately following the stone of the present season, so as to
terminate the round at the Quarter of the season being celebrated. Thus the ‘atmospheric body’ of the current season is granted the strongest tincture.
Four Celebrants may perform this invocation. One Celebrant assigned to each stone.
Celebrant:
Facing Southeast on the Cross-Quarter Point he/she intones:
"Sylphs of Air bless this whole planet and its ley lines
with your purifying air announcing new birth.
Tauria! Bring joy to the Aethers and Hathor."
Go around with incense.
Facing Southwest on the Cross-Quarter Point he/she intones:
"Salamanders of Fire bless this land and its surround plus its vertical upward lines
with the essence of cleansing heat.
Lea! Breathe upon the desert and Sekhmet."
Go around with candle.
Facing Northwest on the Cross-Quarter Point he/she intones:
"Gnomes of Earth bless this world, her environ and its curving ‘woivre’
With the flora and fauna of soil.
Scorpia! Let the land grow abundant for Selket."
Go around with sand.
Facing Northeast on the Cross-Quarter Point he/she intones:
"Nyads of Water bless Gaia and Her Biosphere
with your clarifying moisture and Her curvilinear lines.
Aquaria! Moisten the Earth and bring happiness to Isis."
Go around with spiced water.
Evocation of Centre
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
Priestess, Priest or instructed celebrant evokes – and all assembled invoke – the spiritual Fount at the Centre of the Ring. She or he intones:
Priest(ess):
"Zenithides Kai Nadirides
Join hands and lips, bellies and hips
Here upon the white weddingstone of Earth;
Beneath the starry shade of the Cosmic Mill Tree,
Where all souls press into the echoing root of Touch,
There to enclasp living altar,
And to kiss pulsing Omphalos of the Bride,
From Whose shimmering, quivering Flesh, now and forever,
The Four Rivers of Faerie into all Worlds flow!"
When the Four Cross-Quarters, Zenith, Nadir and Omphalos (navel) are magically established (felt to be present in the hopefully fused and expanded sensorium of the
assembly), the minimum number of positions necessary to describe a Magic Sphere are in place. They are Seven in number, as living tones in a diatonic scale and the
seven stars of Ursa Major. One hemisphere is in the air and the other in the earth. In the consciousness of the theurgist, this Sphere of the Art is expandable, contractible,
even transportable. End of opening.
Re-enter hearthroom (The Main temple).
Priest(ess):
"It is the Festival when the Goddess and God return to their caverned Dream chambers;
It is the time of Demeter, Persephone, Hekate and Adis.
A-O-O-EE-YE-AH!
Please join us at the Gates to the Underworld!"
Priestess: (Puts on mask)
"All proceed to Underworld. Follow me!"
Use another room for Hades’ realm. If a basement is available in beautiful condition, use it.
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