In honor of Olivia's birthday (tomorrow, the 13th of April), we have uploaded an audio file of her speaking of her experiences with the Moon Goddess:
(MP3 file: 6:46 mins. 1.5mg)
Audio transcript:
"In orthodox churches we were not encouraged when I was in the congregation, to have roses or mirrors. 'Rose-petals when they fall bring sweetness to all.' Lilies smell horrible, but they don't fall when they are old – they kept themselves to themselves. They die on the stem, on the altar. Roses mean romance: lilies - virtue. Mirrors show one – oneself. This might bring vanity.
When my brother and I created a Temple of Isis we chose another way. Our Temple was a labyrinth, and at each stage – through mirrors or indoor windows – you could see where you had been and where you were going. Go one way, left was past, right was future - go the other way, you see something completely different. I do remember the astonishment of one of our members when he thought he was alone, looking in a mirror – and then the reflected people began to move in and out. This was an indoor window. Even our outdoor windows were triple. On each side were mirrors that showed Mobius strips of endless reflections. They go on forever.
Recently I became enthusiastic about painting on mirrors – or putting painted cloths over them, which could be lifted. Why did I do this? Possibly this sprang from my own experiences of the Goddess of all mirrors – the Moon Goddess. We may never see Her face. She turns away.
My first lunar experience was in vision at night, on the 18th of October, 1977. I found myself at the end of a temple facing an altar. Behind the altar was a pale veil that loosely covered the whole background. Upon the altar was a silver stag’s head with eye closed, facing left. I found myself holding up my right arm and saying: 'I salute the altar.' The stag opened his eye, which was dark and looked at me. It reminded me of the haunting black eyes I had seen on Greek icons in Greece. From behind the veil appeared pale women’s arms gently waving. I advanced up the aisle when the stag-eye closed, and I stopped. I held up my arm and repeated the words, 'I salute the altar.' The stag opened his eye and looked at me. Then he closed it. Curiously, I felt his other eye hidden from me was golden. The arms once more appeared through the veil, women's arms, beckoning me. Then I heard a voice saying clearly: 'If you can bear it, do this for the third time.' So I approached the altar, lifted my arm and spoke. 'I salute the altar.' The stag’s eye opened and looked at me. It closed and the arms waved to me. With this a woman’s voice spoke clearly: 'What is your intention?' I felt that I was the first of many who were following me, and this was a very ancient Mystery. I answered: 'To reconcile the religion of Egypt with the tradition of Avalon.' The intention was accepted, and I was directed to leave by the right. I felt that others were behind me.
My next experience was not only in vision, because it affected my physical body. This was on the night of the full moon, on the 9th of March, 1982. I found myself in vision lying flat on a couch next to a friend, an occultist. Before us was a very tall woman. I once saw Dana and She also gave the appearance of having a different proportion to us humans – even 7-8 feet - much taller and beautifully proportioned. I could not see Her face, which she turned from me. I associated the colors of her filmy gown with the many colors of the moon – silvery, with a small touch of orange. She stopped and picked up a bottle containing saffron-colored oil with a sphere as stopper. She bent and anointed my friend’s forehead with this, thus forming a large circle. I was disappointed when She turned away, replacing the bottle. But then the Goddess picked up another bottle, and I thought it contained a violet-colored oil. She took out the stopper and bent over me. She made a full circle of the oil on my forehead. But still I could not see Her face. Now comes that sudden switch, when vision impacts on one’s waking mind and body. I was fully conscious of the fragrance of the oil which was both powerful and exquisitely beautiful. I lay awake for about ten minutes, then I got out of bed and went downstairs. It was ten to twelve. From the Castle balcony, looking over the yew walk to the south-east we can see the full moon. There was the full moon, and all this time I was experiencing the on-rush of electric-light power flow through me. First, I had felt it in my room, down the left side of my brain. When I entered the balcony, the power reached up my shoulder-blades. Finally it was like a white shining shower from some celestial fountain, as it flowed through my whole body from the top of my head to my feet.
Romantics search for The Immortal Beloved in the mirrored realm of Vision. I used the concept in our 'Wedding Rite.' The Maiden speaks: 'Some adore the Beloved in many lovely forms. Others honor the many in one loved face.' The Bard speaks: 'To find the Other you need to look within. Gaze deeply in a well; and you will find your Twin.' Now a Wise-Woman speaks: 'Look around you and you will find the Other! Gaze in a mirror: You will see your Brother.'
May you find your heart's desire, but know that the Immortal Beloved is always veiled. . ."
(Photo of Shrine of Isis, Osiris & Nephthys. Isis is painted on glass with a cloth background and Osiris is painted on the mirror above Her. Nephthys is also painted on stone at the very top and the mask of Osiris is on the shroud on the left. Copyright Minette Quick.)
