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.
"This Korythalia presents the Will of the Maiden,
Everlasting Life and Joy for the unique as well as the Universal."
Holds up flower.
"And what is the Quintessence of the Maiden Soul?
'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.
Soft music: ‘The Bells’ by Sergei Rachmaninoff, with solo voices, chorus and orchestra. Words by Edgar Allen Poe.
Avala
(by Fred McLaren Adams)
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. 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)
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 or Priestess:
"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 Panethereal Precincts of this great temple of Love,
Koreion (* name of your own Temple),
Are closed and hermetically resealed.
The four Fairies of Taste disappear to the realms beyond.
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!
CONSUMMATUM EST!
She is Complete and Perfect!"
Priestess or Priest returns to the Hearthroom and rouses the celebrants, the Convivium, to a festive pitch.
All return to the Hearthroom.
Music: ‘Isle of the Dead’ by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
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; ‘La Nouvelle Kyklon’ or ‘La Pomme Transformé’. This is for Samhain only: whiskey, cider and ale with barley, mint leaf beer and a touch
of opium dissolved. A toast to Hellas and Russia – a toast to the main Divinities of the Eleusinian Pantheon – Kore, Demeter, Hekate, Adis and Iachos.
Everyone offers toasts. When the toast is given each celebrant raises glass and cries in unison.
All: (First Toast)
"Evoe Hellas!"
All: (Second Toast)
"Evoe Russia!"
All: (Third Toast)
"Evoe Kore!"
All: (Fourth Toast)
"Evoe Demeter!"
All: (Fifth Toast)
"Evoe Hekate!"
All: (Sixth Toast)
"Evoe Adis!"
All: (Seventh Toast)
"Evoe Iachos!"
A feast follows with colour-coded table setting, this means dark orange and black for Samhain. Serve gnomic foods; e.g. roots of the earth or those close to the earth –
carrots in sauce, potato salad, pickled beets, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, mushrooms or carrots sautéed with onions, hot turnips with butter, rutabagas, melted
cheese crackers decorated with parsley; white cheese with French bread.
Play Greek or Russian folk music. Festive social encounters follow.
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.
FINIS
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