FOI Online Liturgy
Nuit of the Milky Way,
Alchemical Journeys of the Questing Twins
By: Olivia Robertson

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THE TEMPLE OF ALCHEMY

PRIEST/ESS ALCHEMIST (TO TWIN APPRENTICES): Your tenth ordeal through the zodiac gateways is to face hard facts, even if these destroy your cherished illusions.  Let us receive the Oracle of the Goddess Ariadne of Crete, She Who holds the shining thread of Truth, that guides us through the labyrinth of our beliefs.

ORACLE OF THE GODDESS ARIADNE OF CRETE

PRIESTESS ALCHEMIST: Wise Ariadne of the deep sea, High Fruitful Mother of the Barley, Thou whose starry crown of Thetis shines in the heavens, bring us Thy guidance.  Skilful weaver of the shining thread of Life that holds all spheres in patterned beauty, inspire us with Thy wisdom!  Thou who art above the Labyrinth of the mind, aid us in our thought.  For Thou, Daughter of Truth, art wed with fiery Dionysus of the fruitful vine, and so from Truth and Love bring all creatures into harmony.

ORACLE:  When you are young, you seek that which is like yourself. And you reject the non-self, and call it your enemy.  And so through reconciliation with the enemy comes creation.  For the votary of high spiritual Truth needs the warm glory of the Lover, lest she freezes into an ice maiden.  And the Lover, demoniac in his passions, seeks the Ice Maiden that will still his ardour. And between these two comes the harmony of the spheres.

As you face the gateway into birth you receive My shining cord. But as you penetrate deeper and still deeper into the Labyrinth of time and space, the thread becomes thinner, more ghostly. For as you remember My thread, it becomes strong; and when you forget it, it wanes. As you move through the years, you leave behind you a snail-like pattern of thread, that brings you memory of your true being.  Yet you look ahead and see no light:  the light is behind you.

When you reach the Nadir of the Labyrinth, and face that which you most fear, you may drop the thread, But fear not!  I am always with you, though you see Me not.  I am Conscience, and My Mother, Pasiphae, is Nature, and my Father, Minos, is Philosophy. Call upon Me and I shall aid you: so are you saved by My grace, and not by your own will!  And this must be.  For who would be saved through the separate self, rather than be aided by the Immortal Beloved!

So you return through the mazy windings of the Labyrinth, but now you face the cord, and it gleams before you like My Silver Snake.  And when you reach the entrance of the Double Axe, you soar above the maze, and look down upon it. And now you see the meaning of the spiral pattern, and enjoy its beauty.  And you aid others who lose their way in it as you did, and lead them to their goal.

PRIESTESS ALCHEMIST:  We give thanks for the Oracle of the Goddess Ariadne.  May She guide our apprentices through the labyrinth of their Initiations.  (TO ELAINE) Elaine, you are required to guard the shining thread of your true conscience, as you experience the labyrinth of ideals.  We shall accompany you in your trance journey.  Now that you have learnt to do so, you will keep a part of your consciousness with us, so that you can report on what befalls you.

MUSIC.   TRANCE JOURNEY.

ELAINE:  I face the ordeal of Capricorn with trepidation, because I love visions and daydreams.  I find myself rising through the clouds until I reach the glories of the stars!  The Stargates of the spiritual Temple of the Zodiac, loom high over me, blacking out the stars and pulsing with some inner glow with a rhythmic beat like that of wings.  Then I realise that I face two mighty Sphinxes, their wings reaching the Stars.  I walk boldly through the gates, and honour the Perpetual Flame within. Then I face the portals of the constellation of Capricorn.  The symbol above it shows a dark ocean of space, and a white Goat is bravely facing the enveloping waves with lowered horns – impudence in face of overwhelming might!  I pass through . . . I find “the Eirestone,” a spindle of sheep’s wool, which I know is The Thread.  It glows faintly.  I pick it up . . . This is not what I expected . . . I am greeted lovingly, by a joyful crowd of men and women with their hair bound with white veils. They tell me I am honoured to be a seeker of the Light, and now they will guide me to my goal.  There is an everlasting Light in the centre of the labyrinth to which their Master has access, so I do not need to stumble in the darkness, following my own pale thread.  Rather, I can join their triumphant crusade to certain glory!  This is exactly what I like and have longed for all my life!  Here are friends on the same path as myself.  I shall never again be lonely. 

One woman is leading us – tall and beautiful with strange pale eyes, and floating white draperies.  I say: “You are all so beautiful!”  But one of them, a lovely young man in white robes says: “Ah, but you have not seen our Master!  When you see Him you will see eternal truth and goodness.  He is All That Is. We have totally surrendered to Him ourselves and souls and bodies.  We do not question Him – we worship and obey.”

I am led into the Presence of the Master.  He has the most compelling eyes I have ever seen.  He addresses me kindly, as his followers push me to my knees, and He says: “Do you surrender yourself to Me, Who am the only God?”  I hesitate.  Then He says: “Have you any enemies?”  And I, proud of my goodness, say, “No.” Then he says: “Well, you have now!  There are those who dispute my Divinity, and will seek to kill you.  There is a holy war.  But fear not. I shall prevail, and you and other believers will enter the Light within the Labyrinth!”

But suddenly I remember Aiden’s adventure with the Order of the Forked Flame… We are telepaths. I hear - very faintly in the distance – Aiden’s voice: “Watch out!”  I shout, “No – I do not surrender my soul!  I don’t need your Light!  I have my sheep’s wool thread.  It only has a glow worm’s light, but at least it’s mine!”

Then a strange thing happens. The Master slowly withdraws and I hear his voice like a whisper in my ear.  “Thank you. My followers, who worship me as God, and fight my enemies, imprison me, until they awaken.  But those who defend their own souls, free mine.  One day I shall be free, when all beings are saved from delusion.”

I realise with awe that I have been in touch with a Bodhisattva, One Who stays on earth and then in hell, until all are saved. 

At last I am free from delusion!  I have seen the Light.  I can now sit and meditate and drop my thread.  I do so . . . 

It seems like aeons since I have sat here in bliss.  I live through many lives in many forms but still retain my eternal bliss. I receive Enlightenment.  I am God.  I am All That Is. But in the distance I hear a laugh, and Aiden’s voice.  “Oh Elaine, you are not All That Is.  You have a twin brother.  You are self-imprisoned in the greatest delusion of all.  You are still within the Labyrinth.”  I come to myself, with a terrible jerk.  I stand up and pick up my neglected sheep’s wool thread.  It has lost its glow.  I burst into tears and call upon my mother.

Suddenly I am here, back in our temple, surrounded by friends. And I realise that the Centre of the Labyrinth is everywhere – when you have found your inner Truth.

End of Rite.