By Land, Sky & Sea (16 page)

Paragraph 4 ultimately speaks of divine wholeness (we’re all in it together as one); however, it initiates this by encouraging the individual to look beyond the ego into the “beyond”—the bigger picture, or what is more than the sum of its parts. I take this as “look only at difference if, when you do, you can see the unity that joins all things.” When we truly understand this sacred truth, we are initiated into the mystery and we become one—we are enlightened.

In paragraph 5, the underlying theme of the oneness of things is continued; however, in this paragraph, the sacred “I”—the universal identity—is proclaimed as being of great value when we understand that the “I” is the common factor, or quality, that unites us all. We can each attest to being “I,” and thus is “I” a sacred expression of being, especially when it is contextualised by “am.” The channeling then goes on to give what I assume is a biblical reference to Moses discovering Yahweh (the “young tribal god”) in the burning bush on the mountain, and the deity describes himself as “I am that I am.” However, the deep teaching here is that in the case of “I am,” it is the “I” that gives form to the “am,” for the “am” is preexistent, as existence can only exist when there is “I”—the sacred identity of what exists—to make it so. However, the I alone cannot exist unless the “am” generates or lends force and therefore birth to what can claim or identify “I.” Interestingly, as I was re-reading the channelled message and particularly paragraph 5, I realised that in regard to the whole “I am” business, I felt a sudden mental linguistic paralleling; the English word “am” actually reminds me a lot of the Sanskrit “Aum”—the universal sound of all existence. There may be no historical or linguistic connections whatsoever; however, I have decided to make that intriguing connection here.

Paragraph 6 seems to be describing the rising of the Kundalini (serpent) energy from the base/root chakra to the crown, which many Hindu sages say can bring enlightenment. It seems that in this case perhaps it is true. Once again, the message relayed is that of divine unity between all things—all are cells (possessing the same DNA and concentration of life force) within the great body of life. The deepest within is the farthest beyond. There seem to be quantum parallels being drawn here (see page 59 for information on quantum physics). Regarding the rising serpent power through the body, the message seems to be suggesting that this energetically occurs during channeling and that when the power reaches the crown, it is a beacon to the spirits who “flow with the tide of nature.” I would interpret this to mean those spirits which are of “the Good” in the Platonic sense. In terms of channeling, this is beneficial in that the aid of spirits external to the ego, or the “I” quality, of the human channel provides great leverage when it comes to acquiring and delivering messages. If the flame that ignites at the crown of the conduit draws in only benevolent spirits, then this is great news!

Paragraph 6 carries on to say that each of us are emissaries of the tide of nature and poetically identifies the individual consciousness with the four daily stations of the sun (i.e., sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight). Briefly, if we equate childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and elderhood with dawn, noon, sunset, and midnight respectively, a pattern of developing consciousness can be imagined. At dawn we awaken to the first stirrings of consciousness; at high noon we discover the “I” in the “am.” At the setting of the sun, our selfhood is invested in the care and attention of others to whom we wish to bear patronage, and in the silence of midnight we are brought to the heart of the Mother and bear the ancient gift of wisdom. It is this cycle that must be woven as living, breathing, evolutionary consciousness and as a way of mentally and psychically aligning while preparing oneself to be a channel.

In paragraph 7, the message speaks of the “light of the world” and the earth (moist and sweet). The words almost carry an undertone of Christ, and in a sense I can understand how many Wiccans would interpret this (and rightly so) to refer to the god of the sun and the earth mother (the God and the Goddess theology—Wiccan ditheism). However, the “third” is what is brought forth between the two, and this is the mantle of the most holy—the great mystery. We are all “third” (what equalises and balances, affirms and destroys [the illusion of] the two), as we came from the biological union of sperm and egg (father and mother). When channeling, focus on this simple fact—that we are all children who have been born of a lineage that never began in a time-continuum sense—we simply are and will continue to be. We are worthy of the Divine, for it is our birthright and our birth origin.

Paragraph 8 seems to indicate that when channeling we must begin with the peace which is instilled by the very process of becoming at one with the all-pervasive divine unity. After this, the expression, or way of communicating a divine message through channeling, can either be done in silence and stillness or through movement and revelry! Whatever part of the spectrum of human emotion best illustrates the point should definitely be used, and wholeheartedly so! Let there also be joy and peace in the hearts of those who have gathered to receive the wisdom, and let there be celebration in honour of the great Divine. The message conveyed in the last sentence of this paragraph, in my opinion, is that we should always aim to be open to inspiration, because to have the spirit within (in-spired)
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is to be touched by truth, and this is a holy communion that brings many blessings.

Paragraph 9 begins the finalising of the “statement” of channeling. The spirit that has inspired the message is describing itself through poetic image and feeling, but in terms of the art of channeling, it seems that we have reached the part of the process in which the message has already been delivered and received, and silence and rest is now the key for the channel. This is the way of the Mother, and thus to honour her and invite her comfort, we are to honour her wish for silence. It is interesting that the phrase “let it be” is used in relation to a Divine Mother, for it brings to mind the Beatles’ song “Let It Be” and the reference to Mother Mary (or a mother named Mary) nurturing the lost and troubled and speaking her wisdom.

In paragraph 10, the summation of the process of channeling is given so as to assert it within the mind of the beholder of the message. In fact, there are even suggestions as to how to place oneself physically to bear forth the messages of the Divine. When delivering the message of the gods, it is essential to speak in one’s sense of knowing and understanding the world, as it is much easier for a human to understand and draw meaning from another human, as we are of similar experience. The next part of the paragraph seems to present advice on the practicality of channeling and drawing a crowd to listen and bear witness to the message. Let the world continue in its business around you as you bring forth the wisdom of the immortals, as there is no point in stopping the ways of all things simply to bring complete focus to one human channel communicating with the Divine. This can be done in all times and in all places, and life can continue. The sacred is everywhere, and it is only where we place our minds and our hearts that determines whether or not we can truly experience the world as such. Also, in terms of those who gather, the channeling seems to suggest that only in the spirit of complete surrender (in the Islamic sense of the word) can we all share sacred time and space for such an event. This spirit of surrender is the spirit that flows with the tide of nature, as explained previously. The words that are the channel’s to speak will be made obvious, as the “torch” (the inspiration) will guide the way. Merely allow the words, which will already be there, to cross from the unheard into the heard. Be the bridge between the worlds—this is the job of the channel, to join the heavens with the earth, and we are children of both.

And as for paragraph 11, I feel no point in expanding on what is already so forthrightly and evocatively said. I would simply have to suggest that you re-read it again and again, for there is more in those words than directions and advice on how to (be a) channel.

The Summation

It wouldn’t hurt to summarise the key points of my interpretation of the channelled message on channeling to extract a comprehensive method to do just that:

• Centre and understand that self is Self (you are aligned and synonymous with the Great Being of the cosmos—the All-Self that is all-encompassing, all-pervasive, and underlying everything).
  
• Breathe in the divine unity that allows and provides access into the hidden realms of ancient knowledge and wisdom. Open to this power current and be at peace with the oneness that makes this possible.
  
• Prepare for truth and its multifaceted nature. Do not fear truth, for it is truth. Receive truth uniquely, and let others do the same.
  
• Go beyond the ego and embrace the beyond (the bigger picture), which can be found in the deepest part of the self.
  
• Repeatedly chant “I am,” either inwardly or aloud, until it becomes one resounding “Aum.” Let the repetition of the chant transform your consciousness.
  
• Allow the serpentine Kundalini force to rise, if it wills, from the base chakra to the crown, and allow a light to shine forth as a beacon to the benevolent spirits that would only seek to aid you and yours beneficially. Keep this intent pure and clear in your mind. As the Kundalini rises, feel it cleansing your energetic bodies and preparing your spirit for the flow of divine knowledge and wisdom.
  
• Visualise and focus momentarily on the four daily stations of the sun (sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight), and allow your consciousness to evolve with the energy that is carried by each station. When you see the sunrise (in your mind’s eye), feel the freshness and innocence of youth. When you see the noonday sun blazing brightly, feel the peak of vitality coming into, affirming, and celebrating your unique identity. When you see the sun setting over the horizon, feel the journey into deeper mysteries. When you envision what the midnight sun may look like buried deep within the womb of the Mother, honour the wisdom of the elders; it is at this point when you become ready to receive it.
  
• Now break the illusion of duality and become what balances and unites all things. Be the equaliser that inspires the profound silence of the observer. Be silent within but alert. You are the observer to what ensues. Be receptive. Affirm your divine worth within.
  
• Let the spirit move you while you convey the message as it should be conveyed. Move or be still…whatever emotion wishes to surface and be heard, let it have the platform. You are a channel of what is required (or conjured) to be heard.
  
• After the channeling, rest and be at peace in silence.
  

14

The Descent of the Goddess

In death she reveals the way to her communion.

—Raven Grimassi,
Hereditary Witchcraft

The main mythos that pervades traditional Witchcraft
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is that of the descent of the Goddess. This myth has been popularised in the Neopagan community ever since the publication and distribution of the Gardnerian (British Traditional Witchcraft) “Legend.”

The
Legend of the Descent of the Goddess
is what I call a woman-finding story. It concerns our beloved Lady of the Moon and her quest to deepen her understanding of the cycles of life. Our lord of death and dying initiates her in the underworld, and the Goddess takes on the mantle of the circle of rebirth. She becomes the prototype of the Witch figure herself.

The descent mythos is important because it is multi-layered and speaks, as good myths do, to the deep unconscious, stirring primal archetypes within the human psyche. In the Wiccan descent myth, there can be found several cultural influences that weave together to present the legend as it is given in the Book of Shadows. There are Sumerian (Inanna) undertones—e.g., the Goddess must remove all signs and symbols of her sovereignty and power (her crown, her clothes, her jewellery). There are notions in the myth that could connect with the Norse goddess Freya—e.g., the necklace/circlet of rebirth (Brisingamen, won from the four dwarves of the elemental directions). There are also direct Mediterranean/Aegean references that are written about at length in Raven Grimassi’s works on Stregheria (Italian Witchcraft). Whether or not Wicca’s native land of Britain affected the oral story that presumably became the myth is questionable, however, in that there are no known uniquely British mytho-symbols within the descent mythos that cannot be reflected or embodied within any of the aforementioned cultural contributions.
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The cross-cultural descent mythos informs the initiatory rites and inner psyche of the Witch who wanders with purpose through the Wyrd-ways of the weaver’s web (life). In fact, in the second degree of Wiccan initiation, the descent mythos is enacted dramatically by the initiate and the high priest/ess to arouse the theme of inner death, ultimate transformation, and descent into the darkness to face one’s Shadow, and to integrate and accept it. This is part of the process the late Carl Jung called individuation.

The Goddess descends into the underworld and passes through the gate of death because she longs for the warmth and radiance of her son/lover/king—the Horned God of the Witches. In the WildWood Tradition, we know the Horned One as the two-faced/natured deity of Wolf and Stag; darkness and light, waning and waxing, day and night. He is our beloved lord of ecstasy, revelry, and expansion, and he is also the harbinger of decay, the primal exhilaration of the hunt (the dynamic dance of hunger, lust, and fear between the hunter and the hunted), and the old sage who beckons to the Witch seeking the threshold to initiation.

The Old Ones whisper, “If you are listening, you will learn.” This is the force (the Horned One) the Goddess mourns; however, the Lady is momentarily suspended in disbelief that such a bright god of the sun, light, and the fulfilment of the harvest could also be the cold, wintry king of death and slumber.

The Goddess’s initiation into the mysteries unfolds as the Lord of the Great Below (the other half to our bright and laughing upper-world king) teaches her of the necessity and generosity of the realm of death/rest in the grand scheme of things. He explains that those who have passed on may have respite before returning to the middle-world of challenge and hardship, though the choice to meet these tests with joy and mirth lies upon the being who is experiencing the earth-walk. The Goddess soon comes to understand the sovereignty and significance of death, and as the Dark Lord and Lady draw closer together in the winter cold, the two become intimately entwined in one another’s embrace. In the darkness, the Sun is conceived once more, and at the winter solstice, the Great Lord of Light is birthed from the womb of she who is Mother and Matrix. This is the Goddess who claims the crown of the King of the Underworld and transforms it into the circle of rebirth as she places it around her neck, declaring, “Here is the circle of rebirth. Through you all pass out of life, but through me all may be born again.”
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The Descending Ones

Here I will provide a brief insight into several myths that encapsulate deities who descend. The descent, as always, is a poetic metaphor for the spiralling inward of the seeker into the dark forever-womb and the rebirth into light (enlightenment) as a whole being.

Freya: Norse Goddess of Earth, Fertility, Love, Magick, Sexuality, and War

In her own hall in Asgard, the heavenly realm of the gods, Freya was gripped one morning by a sudden urge to pass by the rainbow—the pathway that bridged the worlds—and descend into Midgard. The golden goddess was unsure of the origin of this motivation, but the instinctual propulsion was too strong to ignore. Once in Midgard, the goddess entered a cave, and as she did so, she began to weep her tears of amber and gold. Deeper and deeper she travelled, as the narrow path wound to and fro, until Freya came upon a shining forge, in which the Brisings, the four dwarves of the four directions, bore a radiant, golden necklace—the Brisingamen.

As her piercing sight beheld the glowing necklet, the goddess felt such a great pang of lust and need for the Brisingamen that it almost broke her chest. She demanded at once that the necklace be hers in exchange for exorbitant amounts of gold and silver. However, the dwarves declined this offer and instead asked the lovely goddess if she would lie with them all, one night each. Freya agreed to the proposal, and so for four nights she lay with each of the dwarves in turn, and on the fifth morning she claimed her quarry: the Brisingamen. The golden goddess ascended adorned in the necklace of Brisings and returned to her hall in Asgard.

All the while, Loki, the trickster god, had been quietly observing the events as they unfolded. In his constant desire for chaos, he decided to visit the all-father—the one-eyed, terrible, war-waging Odin—and inform him of Freya’s newly acquired treasure. At once, Odin was beset with rage and demanded that Loki steal the Brisings’ necklace from the goddess Freya as she slept. Loki agreed to the foul assignment and transformed into a fly in order to penetrate the fortitude of Freya’s hall. He then had to transform once more into a flea in order to be small enough that he could move unnoticed on the goddess’s skin and ultimately sting her so that she would turn in her sleep and expose the clasp of the necklace to him. Loki undid the Brisingamen and stole away into the night with the treasure.

Freya awoke in the morning only to find that her beloved necklace had been stolen. She knew immediately that it was the work of Loki and that it had been sanctioned by Odin. Trembling with almighty and righteous anger, the goddess charged into the hall of Odin and ordered Odin to return the Brisingamen. Odin refused; however, if Freya would set the kings of Midgard against each other in bloody battle, the terrible god would consider returning the stolen necklace. Freya pondered over this predicament, but before she agreed to the new bargain, the goddess required that of the fallen in battle, she be allowed to gather and collect souls for her own glory in the heavens. The two agreed on this pact, and thus Freya became not only a goddess of fertility, magick, sexuality, and love, but also of war.

Inanna: Sumerian Goddess of Fertility, Love, Magick, and War

Inanna, the great queen of the above, of the star-glistening heavens, cast her mind to the great below, and thus she took up the sacred measures of the goddess—the crown, the wig, the lapis lazuli necklace, the egg-shaped beads, the dress, the holy mascara, and the pectoral. With Ninshubur—the vizier of her temple—in tow, Inanna began the journey to the underworld.

As the two travelled, Inanna instructed Ninshubur to go to the Great Ones once she arrived and passed into the shadow-realm of her sister, the dark queen Erishkigal. Firstly, Ninshubur was to return to Inanna’s various temples and begin the long lament. The vizier was also to visit Enlil, god of the atmosphere, and plead with him that Inanna would not be subjugated in the underworld. If Enlil would not agree to aid Inanna, then Ninshubur was to go to Nanna, the god of the moon, and appeal to him. If Nanna would not help, then Ninshubur was to visit Enki, the god of the sweet waters, and it would be there, in the temple of the wise lord Enki, that Ninshubur would be welcomed, and the goddess would be ensured divine witness. For Enki knew of the secrets of the heavenly waters—that they will fall to bring forth the green shoots from the bowels of the underworld. Inanna would bring life once more to the world. She would bring the harvest!

The two finally arrived at the gates of the underworld. Ninshubur left immediately to carry out the mission given to her by Inanna. The great goddess yelled to the guard and demanded passage to see her sister Erishkigal. The guard rushed first to report Inanna’s presence and desires to his dark queen. Erishkigal laughed and instructed her guard to bolt each of the seven gates of the underworld, but to allow her sister entry.

The guard, Neti, brought Inanna in through the doors of the underworld and then to the first gate. Here he removed her head-dress. Inanna, distressed by this infringement on her divine authority, questioned Neti as to his assault. Neti merely rebuked the goddess and instructed her to keep and honour the customs of the underworld in silence. At each gate one of the seven
me
(divine measures) was stripped from Inanna, until, bare-naked, the goddess was presented to Erishkigal in her royal chambers. The dark goddess called forth to the Anunnaki, the seven judges of the realm, and in anger and resentment the judgment was passed that Inanna be turned into a corpse and be hanged from a hook.

For three days and three nights Inanna hung lifeless. In the world of the living, Ninshubur had begun the great lament and had visited the three deities. Enki understood his task in securing the goddess’s return to the earth while keeping and honouring the law and custom of the underworld.

Erishkigal called for her guard Neti and demanded that he call forth the attendance of the gods and goddesses and sprinkle Inanna’s corpse with life-giving water—the gift of Enki. Enlivened once more, the goddess was given her freedom. As she passed back through the seven gates of the underworld, each of the sacred measures were returned. Inanna ascended into the bright world above; however, in exchange for this gift to the people of the land, the harvest lord Tammuz was to be given to the underworld, into the dark queen’s keeping.

Persephone: Greek Goddess of Initiation, Spring, and the Underworld

Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus, was gathering flowers with the daughters of Okeanos in the fields when a hundred-blossomed narcissus caught her undivided attention. She plucked the flower from the earth, and at the exact moment she did, the earth opened and the dark lord Hades rose up from the underworld in his horse-driven chariot. He scooped up the young goddess and retreated back into the shadow realms.

The goddess of grain and growth, Demeter, heard the cries of her daughter but was too late to save Persephone, as she arrived at the scene with nothing but a plucked narcissus. The wise and ancient titan Hekate came to console the goddess and suggested that the two visit Helios in the heavens, whose great eye sees all. Upon visiting Helios, the solar titan attempted to soothe the distressed mother as he relayed the events as they had unfolded—Zeus and Hades had arranged for Persephone to be married to Hades as his bride, and thus she was to become the queen of the dead. Furious, Demeter began a long lament for her daughter. She walked the earth in misery and torment, bearing before her the bright firebrand of Hekate, always in eternal vigilance and hope that her sweet-lipped daughter might return.