Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Online Pagans Magazine - Issue 2 - September October 2010
Online Pagans Magazine - Issue 2 - September October 2010
Online Pagans Magazine - Issue 2 - September October 2010
Pagans
M A G A Z I N E
Ancestors, Elders,
Mentors & Family
Skull photo by Ben Gruagach.
Contents
4 Editor’s Note by Ben Gruagach
6 Communion by Fyrsweord
10 Magi-Media Views And Reviews: Mentors In Pagan Fiction by Toriach
14 Thou Art Fair My Lady by Mystic Fool
15 Un Lourd Secret by Sunil Narayan
18 The Bile: A Celtic Family Tree? by James Byrne
20 Divination: How to Get Advice from Hidden Sources by Ben Gruagach
27 A Guarded Secret by Sunil Narayan
30 A Mage Alone: Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants by Toriach
33 Psychomanteums and Magick Mirrors by Ben Gruagach
36 Mdvanii Stirs Her Lover’s Desire! by Sunil Narayan
38 An Interview With Raven Grimassi by Ben Gruagach
42 Of Dates and Deities by Mystic Fool
45 Pagan Bookshelf: Magickal Life Stories by Ben Gruagach
48 A Swan Who Wallows In Lotus Laden Ponds by Sunil Narayan
50 Meditation: Night Ride on a Broomstick by Ben Gruagach
53 Īshwar by Sunil Narayan
75 Glossary and Notes for the Poems of Sunil Narayan
W
elcome to the second issue of Online Pagans Our magazine is available in a variety of formats. Elec-
Magazine! This issue is dedicated to the mem- tronic formats are available for free, and a full-colour
ory of our ancestors, elders, mentors and fam- print version is available for the cost of printing and
ily who have gone before us. A special thanks to Isaac shipping. Please check out the menu options at the top
Bonewits (October 1, 1949 – August 12, 2010) for the of our website http://www.onlinepagans.com to obtain
amazing work he did in the Druid, Wiccan, and larger your copy. All our magazine content is also available on
Pagan community. He rests now with the Shining Ones this website for free.
on the other side of the Veil after a courageous battle
with cancer. He will be greatly missed. If you would like to submit content for a future is-
sue of Online Pagans Magazine please email us at
We hope you enjoy the included articles, poems, and submissions@onlinepagans.com
artwork. They are given as offerings of our creativity and
hard work to our mentors, elders, ancestors, Gods and
Goddesses, to you our readers, and to the Pagan com- Cernunnos from the Gundestrop Cauldron.
munity at large. May they inspire you to create your own! Photo by Ben Gruagach.
www.onlinepagans.com
Communion
By Fyrsweord
B
y whatever term your tradition uses to describe from the traditional paranormal investigation findings,
the date 31 October is fast approaching. It is a and pagan rites to contact the dead. I am going to share
time when many feel the dead walk the earth. with you an experience I had a year ago and then contin-
A time when one can more easily connect with the an- ue with this narrative. Why? Because I learned that any
cestors. A time when one should protect from the not time, or any day of the year one can part the veil - one
so well meaning entities that may reside in the night can commune with the ancestors, or the dearly departed.
shadows. A time when kids dress up and go knocking on
doors to supply a sugar fix for the next month or two. A My story. My coming home.
time when parents check all the candy under the guise
of making sure it is safe, when in fact, we are looking for
Last summer I was at a site on the Missouri here in North
our favorite candies to snitch.
Dakota that is basically made up of burial mounds. It is a
beautiful area. The visit was not meant to desecrate, and off
There are Christians who avoid this date and all it en- on a brief tangent, I find areas such as this more cleansing and
tails, as in their beliefs it is the night of evil. The devil peaceful than anything else. It is also important – I think – to
walks the earth and all god-fearing people who will save note that this site is a few miles away from Fort Lincoln . This
their souls from hell’s torment pray to themselves and is the fort that Custer was stationed at when they headed off to
judge those who revel in that night. the Little Big Horn in Montana .
There are pagans that perform rites to honor and reach Whenever I think we will be going anywhere where I may en-
those that may walk amongst us as shadows or wraiths. counter something of a spiritual nature I bring an offering. I
Anyway, I am drifting and I sense mist rising around me or fog Then I am back at the mound with the gent and he gestures
or smoke. Out of this mist walks an old man with a stick? A with a smile and the mist/smoke starts to part and a black wolf
staff? He had long white hair and was wearing a leather tunic with the greenest eyes runs passed me. The wolf is followed by a
with beadwork. I think. I knew him to be Native American. white mare with a lightening blaze and sparks from her hoofs.
Which tribe I can’t say as this area He lets go of my hand and starts to walk into the mist and I
has been the home to the Mandan don’t want him to leave. But I hear a screech in the sky above
, various Sioux tribes, some Chey- me and there is this large golden eagle and he is tilting his wings
enne – I even think the Apache and loses a feather and I watch it float down to my feet.
made it this far over the centu-
ries. What is really odd is I can’t What does this have to do with the 31st of October you
describe him more than as being may ask. It is a bit convoluted but stay with me here. The
elderly, with a stick. What caught premise that the veil is the thinnest at this time of the
me was when he got closer to me year, that we are more able to contact those that have
he was holding out his right hand, gone before us is not necessarily true. What happened
palm up. In his palm was my offer- changed me in a myriad of ways that I still cannot ful-
ing. He clasped my hand with his ly explain. I have found that I do not need the dark of
and the offering was held by both night, I do not need a full moon, or any special ritualized
of us. means to reach out to the past and learn. To hear and
see those that have gone before me with a clarity that was
This is where it gets terribly fuzzy. not matched by experiences prior to my vision.
It is like snippets of memories. I
can remember it being vivid for all
Perhaps I did.
A note on terminology: Since this column is meant to offer views However not all mentors are created equal, neither in
and reviews on all media, not just books or movies specifically, real life, nor in fiction. In this article I am going to be
fiction is used to mean any story told in any medium. talking about four different kinds of mentors that one
will generally find in Pagan themed fiction. Obviously
O
ne of the most popular themes in Pagan fiction there are always exceptions but in my experience these
is the idea of a character meeting an older wiser four are the most common.
figure who serves as their mentor.
1: The Classic Mentor.
This is something that sometimes is an incidental part of
the story as is the case with the original Star Wars. Some- For the longest time this was the kind of mentor most
times it is the whole point of the story as is the case with commonly encountered in fiction. The classic mentor is
the recent movie starring Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel, often more of an archetype than a fully realized charac-
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. ter. They might have flaws, or quirks, but these usually
only serve to make their powers and other worldly ways
Before we go forward perhaps we should talk a bit about all the more striking. The classic mentor is almost totally
what is a mentor. selfless, dedicated only to teaching the initiate. Further-
more they have no ulterior motive, or if they do have one
Well a pretty typical definition found at Dictionary.com it is still ultimately related to the well being of the initiate
says, either directly or indirectly.
“–noun
1.a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.” Three of the best known classic mentors, are also argu-
ably three of the best known characters in all of fiction.
This definition is good for giving us a base to start from.
They are Merlin, from the Arthurian legends, Gandalf
Another definition more specific to Paganism could be, from The Lord Of The Rings, and Obi Wan Kenobi
“One who seeks to pass on occult knowledge to another.” From Star Wars.
Finally to fuse the two gives us, The classic mentor often will give their life literally for
“A wise and trusted counselor or teacher who seeks to pass on their charges. This will sometimes be followed by a re-
occult knowledge to another.” birth, as in the cases of Gandalf, or a transition to an-
other state of being, like Obi Wan. Sometimes though
the classic mentor will have to suffer what is perhaps
2: The Postmodern
Mentor.
Perhaps the single greatest example of a postmodern As different in many ways as Giles may be from the clas-
mentor to my thinking is the character of Rupert Giles sic mentor, he is still a mentor true because his focus is
from the Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV series and comic on giving his charge the knowledge he has and helping
books. Giles as he is usually called, on the one hand is her to stand in the world.
Mdvanii spoke to her brushed chienne when he Aldric cleans dirt off the floor with his tongue, expos-
whimpered at the sight of a still empty bowl: “Il est ing
toujours par voie de douleur que l’on arrive à plaisir” his scarred derrière
To be given grapes and bread is a reward not a His chest swells and dries till skin sags from the bones
privilege A pêche freshly picked from the nobleman’s garden
One must starve for as long as his master deems fit becomes mushy right before the farmer’s eyes
Mdvanii is the master of all couturiers! Perhaps Mdvanii is a domestique, tilling the soil of
centuries worth of bitter pride
Her coiled black whip is made from the skin of
deceased orphans It must be broken and put back together so the world
Oiled each day by her esclave’s sweat will lower their heads in respect
It shines under the dusty ceiling light Flaming torches shall no longer melt the king’s palace!
With one lash she frightens her shivering putain Instead, they will turn on the noblemen for betraying
their loyal domestiques!
Aldric begs for a lengthy bruising by the chipped Preaching of false notions for an ideal reality
paddle
Unfortunately, Mdvanii will not relax her firm hold A calm muse sits in her chair to read a newspaper on
on his body this time politics
She is in control of the narcissistic esclave’s ego She is interested in the behavior of noble rulers and
Its skin is punctured by the heels of her ruby-studded tyrants
shoes To her their power lay in the twisting and beautifying
of the people
A few nights ago it dawned on her: great pleasure can Everyone becomes a victim of another person’s igno-
be achieved if one walks all over this vermin’s chest rant
Ripping bits off the skin with her glue-covered red mind or the partaker in the fruits of carefully con-
heels structed
He will scream as a torrent of blood flows down his labor
chest
A poor old German seamster being forced to endure It is a world so tightly wound yet absorbing all the
heightened torture! sweets and stale bread one can get their hands on
Functioning as a monstrous machine with oil flowing
Dragged by his owner across the muddy floorboards from one end of the pipe to the other
Aldric’s hair is pulled harder with each grunt Devouring the human essence as if it were un gâteau
The scalp rips off an unwashed head every time! aux fraises
Mdvanii reminds him a good designer never succumbs A field covered in white balls of joy disappear with
to arrogance: afin de connaître la vertu, each grab: l’ordre social au détriment de la liberté
nous devons d’abord nous familiariser avec le vice n’est
guère une bonne affaire
The room is made out of solid steel to keep the crying
of a belittling artist sealed Our dear Antonia tortured by self-destructive author-
It is un prostitué’s screams of enlarged pleasure ity
drowning out the neighbor dogs’ barking A poor Austrian girl who simply wanted to fit in
Mdvanii puts cotton balls in her ears when the nipples No one could stand looking at the images of her
of her fat cochon are stretched to the waist by two dressed
short luxuriously like Déesse Vénus
chains with unpolished hooks She was a symbol of unfiltered disgust
This toy is attached to a block of cement stained The clock struck midnight and Mdvanii must retire to
covered her opal chamber
with his tears She bids goodnight to Déesse Diane for her friend
Remains hushed when the screams of Aldric fill
T
he term family tree might be particularly apt in tra- and trees that really are only accessible to people in Ire-
ditional Irish culture where sacred trees have been land, Irish family names can be of interest to the neopa-
a symbol of social integrity for larges family groups gan outside Ireland; from the late medieval on they can
since before the written word arrived on the island. If give us ancestral deities through the veneration of the
rival groups wanted to destroy the heart of their enemies founding member, in my families case Bran Mac Mael
the most devastating thing they could do would be at- Morda and even more interesting might be the other-
tack the physical trees themselves and cases of that hap- world ancestors in early Irish genealogies where it was
pening were so shocking to Irish people that they are believed that deities founded the greatest of family lines.
remembered as great crimes in poetry and historical an- It’s a belief that may be in tune with the sacral kingships
nals. Today the traditional territories of the large family in early and medieval Ireland where we know from the
groups are gone for the most part having been dimin- descriptions of kings that their role was primarily ceremo-
ished by the politics of colonialism and modernity but nial and that he was a symbol of familial integrity; literal,
in some places the sacred trees survive. My family name political and spiritual. In the cases of the greatest kings
is Byrne. Like the majority of Irish family names it’s the they may have even symbolized the divine masculine vi-
personal name of a famous ancestor who managed to rility that ensured the success of the harvest through a
secure enough prestige and land to found his own fam- sacred marriage to the land goddess of the area. A king
ily. In the case of the Byrne family name, that ancestor is ritually marries a regional goddess immanent in the land
Bran Mac Mael Mordha; a 10th century King of Leinster and if he is worthy she makes the crops grow, the cattle
who was himself a descendant of the politically domi- fertile and healthy and protects the people in the con-
nant Ui Dunlaing family group. Through reading history stant battles they faced. But if he is not worthy disaster
books, I found the original O’Byrne territory, founded falls on the people and one early winter or wet summer
by Bran, was in County Kildare and that the traditional could bring both famine and plague at once and the fam-
inaugural site of the Ui Dunlaing kings was nearby on at ily group might die off completely. It was important that
Lyons Hill/Liamhan – Elm Tree Hill and the elms are a king be worthy prior to the sacred marriage and a test
still around in Lyons village. The elms there are a symbol may have been performed using a symbol of the divine
of the centuries of strength that members of my family ancestor in the Bile trees in the inauguration.
showed in defending their territory, actually being one
of the last families to keep their territories in colonialA king involved in the sacral kingship may have been
Ireland. Before I knew that, my name was just a name, expected to be at least semi divine through descent from
now it’s a constant source of strength in hard times and the otherworld ancestor. The bile trees themselves might
I walk on Lyons hill with a pride and sense of belonging have symbolized the masculine energy of the otherworld
that I would probably never otherwise have experienced. ancestor and their use in the inauguration might have
indicated a test of ‘worthyness’ took place prior to the
Genealogy can change the way we view ourselves and as marriage as a preventative. We could view the standing
an expression of historical interest in traditional Irish stone at the Hill of Tara as a bile symbol; it personifies
culture, it’s changed how people perceive Irish families the masculine energy of Fergus Mac Roich and folklore
for a long time. Apart from the concerns of sacred sites presents it as his penis and encourages women hoping
D
ivination is a way of getting information. You ask completely off. They might make perfect sense. They
questions, even very general ones, and then see might be gibberish or so wrong you’d be a fool to heed its
what sorts of responses come back. The respons- advice. But in any case the information you get back can
es might be extremely accurate for you or they might be help you to look at your question in a way that might en-
5. Look at the individual symbols to see how they fit into the
Freeform divination methods rely on the practitioner
overall patterns.
being familiar with their own internalized symbolism.
They need to be able to explain the meaning of any 6. Pay attention to anything that seems to jump out at you! Listen
symbol that comes up. This is one of the reasons why to your own gut feelings. Sometimes a symbol might be clear in
some find more structured forms of divination to its meaning to you even though it’s different from the meaning
be easier as the symbolic language tends to be more given in a book.
formalized and getting a good reading can be more a 7. Remember that divination only shows us possibilities and
matter of learning an established symbolic language what’s likely. We always have a choice and can change our futures
than figuring out one’s own symbolic grammar and through our decisions. The future is not engraved in stone!
vocabulary.
8. If you are confused or unsure about specific parts of a
One of the most popular structured divination systems divination’s message, ask for clarification.
is the Tarot. Tarot decks are designed with specific 9. If a divination is completely muddled and makes absolutely
symbolic meanings encoded in the form of pictures no sense then perhaps you’re asking the wrong question, or
and relationships between the cards. Learning to use things are very mixed so there is no clear answer that can be
the Tarot usually involves the practitioner studying given at this time. Or perhaps you are just not in the right frame
the particular deck they have chosen to use, learning of mind to do a divination and should try later.
the general meanings of the symbolic images, and
10. After you are done your divination, always do purification
internalizing that language so that they can interpret the
or banishing rituals to clear the space. It’s better to practice safe
patterns made by randomly turning up cards. divination than to suffer through unwanted after-effects!
The most popular and influential Tarot deck is 11. Don’t abuse your divination system. Do you really need to
undoubtedly the one often called the Rider-Waite or do a divination to help you decide if you should wear the blue
Rider-Waite-Smith deck. This deck was the product or the red shirt today? Treat your divination system with respect
of the combined efforts of A. E. Waite and Pamela and it will be respectful and helpful to you as well.
Coleman Smith, both members of the Hermetic 12. Learn the symbolic language of your chosen divination
Order of the Golden Dawn in the early 1900s. In 1909 system. The better you understand how the system is structured,
Waite devised the symbolism for the cards and Smith the more easily you will find interpretation becomes. One you’ve
illustrated them, and in 1910 the Rider publishing mastered the basics it becomes easy to step beyond the basic
company began mass-producing the deck. interpretations.
Many subsequent Tarot decks are based on the Rider- 13. Beware letting your divination success go to your head. An
Waite-Smith deck. There are many other decks that over-inflated ego can turn good readings into worthless readings
have been designed with other symbolism systems that just like magick!
Websites
Books
“Zolar’s Encyclopedia of Ancient and Forbidden “Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot” by Rachel Pollack
Knowledge” by Zolar (Arco Publishing Inc., New York: (Element Books, London UK: 2001.) This book presents
1984.) This book is a solid introduction to occultism a good overview of the Tarot, its history, how it is
including various divination techniques such as structured, and shows lots of example cards from various
numerology, astrology, and scrying. decks. Those wishing to learn more about how to use the
Tarot for divination will need to read more that just this
“Rune Magic” by Nigel Pennick (Aquarian Press, London one book.
UK: 1992.) Explores the history and use of runes
in a magickal context. Includes lots of good how-to “Tarot for Your Self ” by Mary K. Greer (Newcastle
instructions and exercises. Publishing Co., North Hollywood CA USA: 1984.) This
is my favourite in-depth manual for learning how to use
“Buckland’s Book of Spirit Communication” by the Tarot as a divination tool.
Raymond Buckland (Llewellyn, St. Paul MN USA: 2004.)
Everything you ever wanted to know about contacting “I Ching” by Sam Reifler (Bantam Books, New York
the hidden realms. Includes good information on using USA:1974.) Reifler’s interpretation is my favourite
methods such as the Ouija board and pendulum as well as version of the I Ching meanings. Explains everything in
more direct-contact methods associated with traditional a straightforward and yet poetic way.
psychic mediums.
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders and hard to fathom than a VCR. Not to say that it was
of giants. boring, but rather than the whole tone was one of ab-
- Isaac Newton, Letter to Robert Hooke, February 5, 1675 solute certainty in the reality, the concreteness of what
was being written about. That feeling of certainty was
A
ny of us who have embraced the Pagan path owe inspiring for a nascent Mage who was still unsure as to
much of the foundation of our practice to an whether or not Magick was really real, or if it was all just
Elder. While this would be viewed as axiomatic my mind playing tricks on me.
for one who is involved in a group practice, it is equally
true for those of us who fall under the label of “Solitary.” Never having been content to merely follow the paths trod
I cannot speak for others, but for myself, I owe my pres- by others, I began to blaze my own. Or so I thought. Every
ence in the world of Magick first and foremost to one
person.
Scott Cunningham.
“Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, experience as one where the viewer’s own reflection ap-
Who’s the fairest of them all?” pears to change into the face of someone else entirely,
- Snow White’s wicked stepmother which then communicates as an independent being with
the viewer. Regardless which method happens for you it
If you stand in a bathroom at night with a lit candle in is a rather remarkable experience when it occurs.
your hand, look in the mirror and say “Bloody Mary”
three times, you’ll see the ghost of a murdered woman One way to make a special mirror to be used for magick
behind you in the mirror. is to purchase or make a nice picture-frame the size you
- urban legend want to use for the mirror. The only thing that is re-
quired is that the frame must have glass in it to provide
M
irrors and reflective surfaces have been used in a reflective surface. Then instead of a picture put a sheet
magick for a long time. Staring at a reflective of black paper or a piece of black cloth (velvet works well)
surface, whether a pool of liquid, the surface of in the frame. Some people choose to paint the back of
a polished stone, or into a glass object has been a way the glass black instead of using black paper or cloth.
to induce a prophetic state and encourage visions for as
long as people have been practicing magick. Once the mirror is created, keep it covered except for
when you want to use it for magick. You can charge it
In ancient Greece and Rome, reflective surfaces such by uncovering it and bathing it in the light of the moon.
as pools or basins of liquid were placed in darkened The light of a full moon is best of all, of course. You
rooms where those with questions could go to consult can also charge your mirror by gently washing the surface
with the spirits of dead ancestors, planetary forces, or with a specially prepared potion. Franz Bardon’s “fluid
even Goddesses and Gods. Eventually pools of liquid condensers” are one popular substance used to charge
were replaced with mirrors. These special mirrors were magick mirrors. Sometimes these potions are gently
sometimes called psychomanteums, a term that has been painted on the back of the mirror, or are soaked into a
revived in recent times in New Age groups along with piece of cotton or blotting paper which it then attached
the practice of mirror-gazing as a way of contacting spirits to the back of the mirror. There are lots of creative ways
of the dead. Modern practitioners such as Dr. Raymond to use charged substances to impart their power to a mir-
Moody and Dr. Irene Blinston have focused on using the ror.
psychomanteum for therapeutic grieving. Scrying and
mirror-gazing, though, has been practiced pretty much To use the mirror, put it in a place where you can sit or
uninterrupted for a long time. stand comfortably and see your own face reflected. It’s
best to do this at night in a room that is as dark as you
Some find that gazing at a reflective surface triggers an can make it. There should be a very small amount of
altered state of consciousness where images can be per- light present; I find a single candle (a small votive in a
ceived. Others, most notably Carroll “Poke” Runyon in glass container) works best.
his book “The Book of Solomon’s Magick,” describe the
Image CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/parisbeyrouth/4771387154/
By Sunil Narayan
The designers of Paris say Mdvanii is an immortal muse who lives in the heart of every artist
From her chair she imparts ideas to a grand couturier expecting nothing in return
Sitting on a silk seat containing the feathers of Zeús’ eagle
The legs made from the crushed material of diamonds
She sees her master in all directions, a large man standing proudly
Yet, is trapped in a luxurious home with no one to keep her company
How can an emotional lady survive this arduous life?
Her enlarged heart and sophisticated walk enchanted the socialites of the city
Now, the reality of Mdvanii is a preserved muse for a demanding couturier
She looks upwards to see lust and creativity colliding
From such a powerful fight pearls strung with gold fall into her hands
A meager compensation for a sumptuous lady!
She sighs before changing into her evening dress
The spring season once blossomed like her marigolds
Surprising all who lounged at the saloons
As if Gaïa was splashed with the color of the forest trees!
In the corner of her room a closet with shelves perfectly lined with
shoes made from colors of the rainbow
Pink, blue, red, orange and yellow!
Each day she picks a pair to match her silk gloves
A string of pearls to tie around her waist, gold bracelets to place on her light wrists, and moonstone pins to hold
her thick hair in a chignon
A refined lady has choices, choices and choices!
Twenty evening dresses made for the Queen of Norway hang from the hooks
They’re waterfalls of creamy colors from the Amazon jungles
For each one gold thread was sewn into the fabric to form a blossoming magnolia
As she puts on her heels Charles wraps a silk shawl made of crushed rose quartz
around her supple body
He adorns her smooth neck with a ruby necklace so long it rests between her breasts
She barely notices this sweet gesture while applying pink blush
Her eyes in the shape of the waning Selēnē are lost in serenity
A man who drinks to squash his guilt must continue to lavish his goddess with pieces befitting the Queen of the
Universe!
Gemstones smuggled from India are crushed into light powder
He sprinkles it onto white strips of cloth then smoothes it out
R
aven Grimassi was born in 1951 and is the au-
thor of many books on Wicca and witchcraft. His
book “The Wiccan Mysteries” was awarded Book
of the Year and First Place Spirituality Book by the Coalition
of Visionary Retailers in 1998. More recent books in-
clude “Crafting Wiccan Traditions: Creating a Founda-
tion for Your Spiritual Beliefs & Practices” and “The
Cauldron of Memory: Retrieving Ancestral Knowl-
edge & Wisdom.” Other books by Raven include “Ital-
ian Witchcraft,” “Hereditary Witchcraft,” “Spirit of
the Witch,” “Wiccan Magick,” “The Well Worn Path”
and its companion “The Hidden Path” book and deck
sets, as well as many others. Raven and his wife Stepha-
nie also give workshops and talks at Pagan festivals as
well as providing training through correspondence and
in-person courses. Check the websites at http://www.
ravengrimassi.net, http://www.collegeofthecrossroads.
org/ and http://www.ravensloft.biz/ for details.
E
very day millions of people throughout the world FEBRUUS, from their predecessors – the Etruscans. A
honor the Ancient Deities unconsciously and festival of purification, called Februa, was celebrated in
keep alive a millennial tradition just by writing Rome during this particular month.
down the date. In the fast track world that we live in, few
have the time to think and ponder upon the meaning March (Martius). Romulus named the first month of the
of things. We lack the commodity of time to stop and Roman year after MARS, the God of War and protector
reason for ourselves what January means and where it of crops and fields. The military campaign season was
originated from. Hopefully, we all know that January is inaugurated in this month of renewal. On the first day
the first month of the year …..but what does the name of March, wives were given presents by their husbands in
stand for and was it always like that? In this article I will a tradition called Matronalia.
be giving brief information on the names of the calen-
dar months and days of the week. As you are aware, the
April (Aprilis). The etymology of the word is uncertain.
world did not always use the present system, introduced
Whilst Ovid associates April with APHRODITE (Ve-
by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, and hence known as the
nus), others are of the opinion that April derives from
Gregorian Calendar. Different methodologies were ap-
the word APRIRE (to open), since this was the month in
plied throughout the world, reflecting the knowledge
which flowers and fruits blossomed. During this month
and the needs of the different populations, but as the
several agriculture festivals were celebrated, amongst
continents drew nearer to each other, through travel and
which Cerialia, Vinalia and Robigalia. Another impor-
commerce, a single civil calendar was adopted. In spite
tant festival, Floralia, was celebrated in honor of Flora,
of being introduced by a Roman Catholic Pontiff, the
the Goddess of vegetation and flowers.
present calendar adopted the names used by the Roman
Empire and hence it reflects many a pagan theme.
May (Maius). Being a month of hard work in the fields in
preparation of the harvest to follow, this month was asso-
MONTHS ciated with the underworld during which the festival of
LEMURIA (dedicated to the dead) was celebrated. The
January (Ianuarius). The Roman month of Januarius de- houses were purified of evil spirits during this month,
rived its name from the God of beginnings and endings considered to be unlucky. There is a possibility that this
JANUS. Being the God of gates and doors (ianua), the month is named after MAIA, the Goddess of growth
deity was represented by a double-faced head, each face and bounty.
looking in opposite direction. It makes sense to name
the first month after Janus as this God symbolizes a year June (Iunius). This month is dedicated to the patron
that has gone by and the beginning of a new one. Janu- Goddess of Rome, JUNO (the Greek Goddess Hera),
ary, in a figurative sense, is the doorway to the new year protector and special counselor of the state. She is the
ahead of us. The Romans worshipped Janus at the begin- daughter of Satrun and sister / wife of Jupiter. She is also
ning of important events such as harvest time, planting, the mother of Mars, Minerva and Vulcan. An important
marriage and birth. Ironically, Jannarius was the elev- festival, called Vestalia, was celebrated in June to honor
enth month in the Roman Calendar and not the first. Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, home and family.
July (Julius). Formerly known as Quintilis, meaning the October (Octobres). This was the eight month of the
fifth month, it was renamed after JULIUS Ceaser, as this year, thus OCTO. October marked the end of the war
was the month of his birth. campaign season which had begun in March and cer-
emonies in honor of Mars were preformed. October
August (Augustus). Named after AUGUSTUS, the sixth is also associated with viniculture because this was the
month of the Roman year was a time of harvest. right time for the vintage.
September (Septembre). The name derives from the November (Novembres). Like the months before it, its
number SEVEN, because this month was the seventh name derives from a number (NOVE), being the ninth
in the old Roman Calendar. Being a time of repose after month of the year. Circus games were performed from
the harvest, during this month, the Romans organized the 4th till the 17th of the month.
games known as the Ludi Romani.
December (Decembres). In TENth month of the Ro-
man Calendar many festivals were celebrated, amongst
W
e modern Pagans are a rather literate lot. In Kaczynski’s book provides an honest look at what made
addition to the many handbooks, theoretical the man tick.
works, folklore collections, poems, songs, ritu-
als, and workbooks in print, there are also quite a few “20th Century Magic and the Old Religion: Dion For-
illuminating biographies and autobiographies. Reading tune, Christine Hartley, Charles Seymore” by Alan
about the lives of others following magickal and Pagan Richardson (ISBN 0-87542-673-5) takes readers into the
spiritual paths can help us understand better what came actual magickal diaries of two of the leading figures in
before and where our community might be headed. We Dion Fortune’s Society of the Inner Light. He also pro-
might also discover that famous occultists often faced vides some insightful details about Dion Fortune and
the same dilemmas that we do today! the Society in general. It’s no wonder that the Society is
still active today!
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which oper-
ated in the UK and Europe at the end of the 1800s and Around the time that Gerald Gardner in the UK was
into the start of the 1900s, was one of the most influen- putting his finishing touches on his groundbreaking
tial occult groups spawning a huge amount of material book “Witchcraft Today,” another openly public witch
which is still widely used in the modern Pagan commu- was making waves in Australia. Look for “Pan’s Daugh-
nity today. “Women of the Golden Dawn: Rebels and ter: The Magical World of Rosaleen Norton” by Nevill
Priestesses” by Mary K. Greer (ISBN 0-89281-607-4) Drury (ISBN 1-869928-31-8) to find
explores the lives of the often un- out about this intriguing bohemian
sung women who helped make the artist’s life, spirituality, and work.
Golden Dawn what it was. Many
of the history books talk about the
Of course there are books that exam-
men who were involved, and not
ine the life of Gerald Gardner, the
enough is written about the equally
key person to present Wicca to the
important women. This book is a
world. “Gerald Gardner: Witch” by J.
good start.
L. Bracelin (ghost written by the Sufi
scholar Idries Shah) (ISBN 1-872189-
The name Aleister Crowley is widely 08-3) started the trend, which was
known in the modern Pagan com- picked up and expanded greatly by
munity but few know more than Philip Heselton in his books “Wic-
some vague details about the man. can Roots” (ISBN 1-86163-110-3) and
“Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister “Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of
Crowley” by Richard Kaczynski Inspiration” (ISBN 1-86163-164-2). For
(ISBN 978-1556438998) is a com- a more rigorous scholarly examination
prehensive recently updated and ex- of Gardner’s life and influences be
panded biography of the mysterious
and often controversial Crowley.
T
his meditation guides the seeker through a mythi- For more guided meditations similar to this one, includ-
cal witchcraft experience: flying on a broomstick ing free MP3 recordings, visit the author’s website at
in a night sky. This can be a helpful way to explore http://www.witchgrotto.com
astral travel and to attune more closely with the element
of Air.
I Sarasvatī-Devī
He brings joy to all with his generous touch and
Īshwar was born from the heart of Sarasvatī-Devī warm eyes
As a white-skinned boy smiling so sweetly
Let us praise the muse of mankind!
His power lay in the strings of his mother’s vīṇā Let us touch his uncovered milky feet to rejuvenate
plucked for her amusement our minds!
Nāga flowers cover the surface of the shiny
jackwood kudam II
Sniff along the dandi etched with the sacred words Sóma-Devá glowed intensely, hiding his smile from
for Gāyatrī-Devī the world
It is the scent of Índra-Devá’s pāṭala trees! He sleeps happily after watching his faithful
muse write ślokas praising his sharpened purity
One wishes to inhale such sweet perfume while
pondering Sūrya-Devá’s multitude of brilliant arms The hand moves fast across a banana leaf
They reach around a shy Bhūdevī to charm her into Not a second to sigh, for the muse is fasting
eternal union till sunrise!
Such a day the Devás still reminisce while drinking His mind fixates on the joyous devá
sweetened sóma Wondering if he is all omnipotent and capable of
Their golden chalices etched with praises from loving everyone
devotees who spent their daily lives to meditate on
sublime beings! Sóma-Devá never appears during the day
However, he is fond of the chilly evening
Ink containing crushed moonstone was used to write
sensual calligraphy Each time he lifts the heavy yellow blanket off
It was Īshwar caressing their cheeks like a caring Bhūmī-Devī body
mother who aided them in impressing the Devás He shows her a sky black as tar with countless of
tiny sómas
He wears a white ṣāṭī adorned with blue turquoise
stones from one end to the other to form a flowing An ocean of mystery that shines like Bhūmī-Devī’s
tributary vaidūryas strewn all over our ocean’s shores
A design her most sacred divinity, the Gáṅgā-Devī He leans forward to dip his fingers in the water
blessed before the satin was decorated with jewels
A snake slithers in front of Sóma-Devá, breaking the
His hair flowing like a river is woven and adorned enchantment
with mallī flowers every morning He lunges into the water scared by such an intrusion!
His slender ears are decorated with śirīṣa flowers
Bhūmī-Devī sees a mauktikaratna falling into her lap
Īshwar delighted in drinking cow’s milk when Finding delight in the perfectly polished surface
visiting Umāpatiḥ-Devá at his modest abode in the
Joy lighted her whole body as she looked over this
afternoon
precious jewel
Upon request the generous ascetic provided him a pot
For scratches before hiding it in her vájra-encrusted
of fresh milk to take home
jewerly box
He wanted to turn such a lovely gift into a ṣāṭī that
A devī who is hardly spoiled cannot help wanting to
floats in the air like the monks’ jasmine incense
own a rare find!
smoke
It is a soul as round as Lakṣmī-Devī’s mauktikamālā
In each step it brushes a man, giving him the light of
glowing with the optimism of a saint!
creativity!
The kumudinī flowers blossomed in Bhūmī-Devī’s
Trees bow in respect to the kind-hearted boy of
Blue and white balíbhuj sing to get her attention, not Devoid of the fire that brightens in the heart!
stopping till she glances at them Is such a quality correct for an Āryan!?
With excitement they dance on the branches for she
The ātmā slowly begins choking as the body moves
blessed them with eternal refuge
about the town
To be looked at by the smiling devī is to become Unaware of what is happening to the shell’s mind
enamored with her vibrant beauty!
It lived peacefully till the world was shaken
In each step her feet gives nourishment to squashed
violently during the varṣártu
life
Frightening it for lightening hit mountainsides,
The plants suddenly spring up with leaves catching sending boulders of rocks into the villages!
the rain drops and the bugs wake up eager to gather
The heart’s condition disrupts the flow of the pure
food!
ātmā
She smiles while her bhūruha glows repeatedly in
Bit by bit it freezes giving the mind a vague look at
joy
the surface
III
IV
The muse who writes poems as tribute to the naked
Closely tied to the eternal spirit we are!
Rajanīpati-Devá
Too focused on ourselves to care!
Remains in awe at its brilliant strength!
Īshwar, oblivious to this dilemma lives his life as a
To endure the disastrous solar conflicts unscathed
hermit
shows a firm footing in Pṛthvī-Devī’s ocean floor
Meditating on the Supreme Mother and writing praises
He is unmoved by all the damage caused by petty
to all the Devás
rivalries
His life before awakening on Rátnavatī-Devī is
The one thing to cause deep sorrow is losing the
unknown to him
sacrificial union his devotees share with him
Even though he comes from Śakrá-Devá’s svargá his
He has been in a dense state of fear throughout his
memory only begun when he awoke in the protective
life
arms of Rátnavatī-Devī
When asking Sarasvatī-Devī to create a muse to keep
A child who was reared in the rightful place of the
humanity from leaving the Āryan dhárma
Devás!
Rajanīpati-Devá knew the risk of living on Earth
Left his teary-eyed mother, whose lustrous love was
The Devás fear touching the muddy paths with their dripping with distress
bejeweled feet
Her heart sunk like an elegant swan abandoned by
Such clean and smooth soles can absorb the wave
its loyal friends
of inner filth
Falling into the abyss where nothing can breath
Black energy forms a stormy world within each
To her love is shared with those who have
mortal
selflessness in their nature
Lightening strikes all life leaving
It comes as pure as the melted snow from Himávat
Dyauṣpitṛ-Devá coughing from inhaling so much
smoke! A taste rivaling that of the heavenly nectar the Devás
yearned after defeating the Rākṣasas in
In this age humans have begun to shed their
Samudrámathana
piousness
However, all the food the Devás gorge upon during
To accept greed as their new skin!
banquets are not delectable when tasting the love
From morning to night they think of how to steal a Rátnavatī-Devī has to offer
brother-in-law’s satin slippers
Such a kind-hearted devī she is!
Or what ways to tempt a noble saint to deflower a
She begs for her trees to be spared from the torches Long trails of sweat from his forehead fill his eyes
of blood-thirsty armies Vivásvat-Devá’s heat turns it into acid water
If a constant flow of tears forming a puddle at her
feet do not make a difference then what will!? He screams so loud neighbors run to his aid
She asks for the knowledge of virtue to be consumed The terrified farmer fled to the forest to dive into the
by all in childhood blue lake
To her horror the Ṛṣis have abandoned their homes to
Dharitrī-Devī shakes her head in disappointment at
live in subservience to Himávat-Devá
this spectacle
Where will our defenseless children turn to for Her brother is no longer pulled by the selfless virtue
inspiration? their mother gifted to them
Where will they go for guidance!?
She cannot stand a human screaming till the
In this age hope seems useless pāṇḍaravāyasas squawk for peace
Although, a shining boy with deep blue eyes It is a cruel deed to commit towards someone who is
will save the human race from destroying itself loyal to her
White kámalakhaṇḍa elongated to reach this Small snakes slither in between the hooves towards
blue-eyed muse the holes in the mud
They shake when he is preoccupied with writing, to Quietly so as to not alert the sleeping mice
create more beauty for the spacious abode
The deep blue lake with ripples of foam gives a loud
Īshwar sleeps on the tiger-skin rug fashioned by splash
Umāpatiḥ-Devá A swan has fallen from Dyauṣ, unable to continue
A man would complain of the grassless bed for it fleeing!
is not soft at all!
He moans on his back limp from flying for miles
A boy with the patience befitting a ṛṣi is appreciative without water
of such a miracle A hunter who has no restraint shot an arrow through
Turning to a mighty ascetic for help is only possible the swan’s neck
when destiny has planned it even if one cannot
recollect such a fine deed! He came to the meadow with a velvet bow and a pack
of long golden arrows
When the kuvalaya-īkṣaṇā boy begins to dream his His will to hunt the most beautiful bird in the
mind transforms into heavenly kingdom kingdom was too great
Where the poets are revered by the Devás as the
vessels of truth The mahārāja could only be pleased by the vicious
deeds of his chief hunters
The virtues of mankind sit in their sealed mouths He enjoyed hearing their tales of raping virgin girls
How do such beings speak when faced with an and killing herds of grazing gazelles
impending doom?
If the smiting of harmless character cannot satisfy
They are not meant to utter words of eloquence this uncouth monarch then what does?
Their hands speak to the curious onlookers An unlimited potential in such a lord is a grave
kind!
The written word is more precious than one’s ego
It lasts for eternity, taking many refreshing guises He screams for help, scaring off the curious grey
hares and red foxes
When all of mankind disappeared like the mist in the His neck moves wildly about to shake the arrow out
Pṛthvī-Devī watched her brothers whose silky hair No one ignores her, no one degrades her
shone like their prāvṛṣya laden parihāṭakas stand on Her scent that rivals that of amṛta
side of the bare ground
All who wish to experience a bright heaven which
Her sisters whose woven hair carries the scent of
has
vánacandrikā stood on the opposite side
Air made out of bliss should reside with Rátnavatī
Their wooden sandals firmly planted on the dry
She owns a myriad of ponds contaning padmaṣaṇḍa
forest-floor
of blue, pink, red and white!
Hands decorated with aṅgārakamaṇi rings clutch the
Wearing a padmamālin the Devás immediately
flaming rope
prostrate before her when she arrives at Bráhman’s
In her hand exists a long śivápattra with petals Accusing each other of not being fair yet refuse to
perfectly curved to her desire abide by the rules
It breathes the scent of the ocean to please her Her frustration with such behavior became
whenever she wishes Rátnavatī’s state
When the Devás ask their radiant mother why These two beautiful creatures share the same nature
Rátnavatī does not seek the lustrous fabrics and For Bráhman could not bear to create only effuglent
perfectly cut pearls they are met with silence devás who will forget why they exist
Bráhman does not care for such finery for her task
as a mother is to care for little ones who are always XVII
demanding her attention
The shameless Rātri throws her sandalwood shoes at
Rátnavatī is the same as her brilliant mother whose Vivásvat hitting him in the face
eyes remain in constant observance He screams as his eyes become bloodshot
She feels her heart beat faster when seeing the joy on
With a strong will as hot as his skin he begins to
her siblings’ pearly faces
growl like a lion
XVI He grunts with each tug and chortles with the
momentarily slips of Vāk
Rátnavatī watches her siblings stretch to impress their
mother Vāyú, who is gentle and loving, is shocked by Rātri
They tie their hands with white cloth to protect recklessness
against the hot rope He blows in her direction dust to burn her eyes
These little kṣatriyas think they are going to war over She shouts of the unfairness of this boyish mischief!
an unseen box of sparkling treasure! Her eyes bleed yet she continues to growl while
What such foolishness their egos choose to bathe in! pulling the rope harder
Rátnavatī laughed as the Devás and Devīs shouted The game went on for hours with no break!
insults back and forth How can a little devá or devī be so bold!
To rile the opposite team so as to ensure a victory
The fiery rope became so thin it diminished!
The Devás pull the fiery rope hard, laughing as the Bráhman’s children were bruised and covered in
Devīs lose their footing blood
They were stunned when Uṣas pulled twice as hard
No team won the game for it was played with every
making them stumble!
rule broken
Our yellow devī whose light floods the world every Neither will receive the sparkling treasure in their
morning mother’s chest!
Snickers at the thin legs her brothers possess
Bhūdevī watched her brothers and sisters wash their
Bráhman’s children shout louder over how hard the faces in a large pot of water from the lake
other side is pulling She smirked for the prize did not exist at all!
Calling eachother names when asking to be gentle
Bráhman whispered to her admiring daughter the
They frown when jerked three times in a row for real reason for such a challenge
amusement She laughed before describing the real treasure is the
The fire brightens under the watchful eye of limitless love she has for her children
Bráhman
It floods a dry riverbed when the snow rapidly melts
White clothes that protected those sweaty hands Bringing life to everything slumped over the ground
have burned to a crisp
The sparkling blue river never loses its beauty
Now scorched flesh is set aflame as the fire’s tails
Even when a rain of fire turns kingdoms into
lengthen with each pull
carcasses
Bráhman’s children view themselves as supremely
When one begs for money he is not remembering
elegant
the moment his mother fed him her milk
To her shock they are suddenly behaving like angry
A selfless act to nourish a creature brought into this
Her heart grows with each pulse of amour Śaṃvat, an old hermit, lived in the mādhavīlatā
How can a child melt the glassy exterior of a woman’s forest far from civilization yet close enough to the
heart? Gańgā
He wrote poetry during the day and meditated on
He is able to with eyes filled with playful innocence Mahālakṣmī-Devī’s unique beauty at night
Two smiles fixed in a state of joy!
To him she was a woman whose beauty is sharper than
The sacred gem is Bráhman’s love for all her children that of the other devīs
who simply wish to receive it She is unpercievable by the human eye, but the
Money, power, fame and glory are rocks when ātmán can see her from the pādakilikā set with
compared to the boundless river springing forth from bhārgavakas to the puṣkarêkṣaṇa face
our Supreme Mother’s heart
He was rarely bothered by the giggling village girls
She tested her children to see if they viewed her love Gopīs ventured into the forest to collect
as being more precious than any jewel heavenly-scented mādhavīlatā
The Devás and Devīs who tugged the fiery rope till
their fingers bled onto the floor cry over which side Yet Śaṃvat did not notice them at all!
fell first Bráhman enchanted him with her passionate energy
flowing through space like milk poured from a pot
Will the Supreme Mother reveal the truth? onto the liṅgaṃ
No, she takes her tired children in a tender embrace
The aroma of such a gift is more pleasant than the
With the end of her saffron ṣāṭī, the Holy Mother celestial kánakacampaka tree
wipes their flowing tears A stream of the pollen from her púṣpagranthana
She kisses the cuts and burns till they fade away Containing this emotion sinks into the devotee’s
mind
Perhaps these playful Devás will never understand
the mind of their mother When one gopī, Śriyā, decided to play a joke on this
Fortunately, at least one child does! faithful lover of Mahālakṣmī-Devī
His adoring devī switched the girl’s destiny to the
XVIII
other end
Īshwar gave a hearty laugh for the tale of the mighty
She was meant to be the favorite muse of the Mahārājá
Devás behaving foolishly in their childhood
Puṇḍárīka’s sculptor later in life
Parīkṣit begin to laugh for he too found it to be
Now, she will soon endure an intolerable fate no girl
ridiculous!
has the strength to!
The smiling haṃsá asked Īshwar where his mother
Śriyā went back to her village to write a false letter
is
on her mother’s last banana leaf
Softly, this sad boy uttered words of pain
Her words of a dire emergency in the nearby
He had no idea where his mother is! temple for Mahālakṣmī-Devī will surely hook his
The last memory he grabbed onto was when he attention!
awoke in this forest wearing nothing but a white ṣāṭī
She smiles devilishly when approaching the sleeping
Parīkṣit nuzzled Īshwar’s open palm to offer his hermit
sympathy Quietly, so as to not stir him, she places the carefully
The lonely muse hugged his new friend tightly written letter next to him
Śaṃvat asked a girl approaching the mandira about Śaṃvat saw genuine sorrow though it did not matter
Mahārājá Puṇḍárīka’s order to demolish the temple to him, justice must be delivered!
She laughed, telling him no such thing can happen He picked up his bowl of water scooped from the
for their Nṛpáti is a devotee of Mahādevī’s most Gańgā
charitable devī!
XXI
It dawned on him he was subjected to a heartless joke
Anger flooded his body turning it hard and black like Śaṃvat shouted, “You who have made a fool out of
a volcano’s cooled lava a man thats spends his life
swimming in the milky ocean
He offered his lover pañcāṅgapattra plucked from a Mahālakṣmī-Devī presides over
nearby lake this sparkling realm with the utmost
The naive gopī watched from her window laughing gratitude to her husband
quietly to herself
Those who surrendered to her
What fun it is to treat a solitary old man like a child!? divine love did so willingly
He is surely the most gullible hermit out of all the Their only wish is to live at her feet
ones who inhabit Gańgā’s forests and be carressed by her soothing
hands
Śriyā thought, “Tonight I will leave another note but
write about the statue being defiled by ásuras” A rare gift that for many is
As Rātri-Devī showered Dyauṣpitṛ with her many impossible to receive
crystals, this fair-skinned gopī with wide eyes and a To my horror you spat on my love
voluptuous body walked towards the forest with a for the Supreme Majesty!
fresh note in her hand
I curse you to never know the
XX feeling of amour in this life or the next!
Your heart will shrivel before old
Being naive is something Śriyā knows all too well for
age arrives leaving you devoid of
it leads to ridicule and scorn
of the red ocean that forms ripples
She is too hopeful to assume an early death will latch
when lust and admiration interwine
onto her
Alone you lay in a room with
Śaṃvat was told by his rājñī the same deed will occur
scurrying hungry mice
soon
Crying over your friends who died
He chose to lay awake with eyes closed to deceive his
in your youth without saying
talentless jokester
goodbye
Śriyā tip-toed towards the saffron bedsheet Śaṃvat
Deaf and blind after an angry mob
is slept on
beat you viciously with sticks
Leaving a message written on a banana leaf next to
For letting the mandira’s
the hermit
Brāhmaṇa purchase for your
Parīkṣit licked Īshwar’s pink palm and nuzzled it Pleased by an offer of fresh milk, dhal baath and
He said if grapes were fed to him he will share a seasoned fish
a powerful tale The wise elder asked her smiling host about the village
Īshwar laughed showing his sparkling white teeth Púṇya waited for a response though the fisherman saw
His smile became like Sūrya-Devá’s: two rows of through the room’s open window to see a kṣatriya
bhārgavakas! suspiciously staring at him
His knees wobbled uncontrollably, breaking his
He fed his affectionate entertainer with green grapes balance
One by one his doted swan swallows
Púṇya asked her host what the matter was
Ruffling his long feathers a tale is rushing to the No words could be uttered for the host’s attention was
back of his beak held by the devious kṣatriya’s eyes
Īshwar listened closely so as to not miss any hidden
lesson The the sage turned to look at an armed man
His skin color black as coal shone under the Sūrya
Dāruṇa, a sadistic mahārājá lived as a bachelor
He was content with just seducing courtesans and Eyes yellow like a cat’s squinted to peer further into
eating past midnight the house
It was as if Yamarāja had come to capture a sweet
It was the life his forefathers indulged in greedily fisherman’s soul
For a mahārājá is destined to please himself only
When glancing to the floor he noticed a joyous rṣi
Those who come across his path to confront such eating off a banana leaf
needless behavior are met with a gada made from Scooping baath in one hand and sipping fresh milk
mahāloha with the other Púṇya turned to face the nosy soldier
His Majesty’s power over people was more exilirating
than the sóma! By firmly concentrating on his feet Púṇya cut them off!
He screamed in agony as blood gushed onto the street
He commanded their attention effortlessly
If any girl or woman shouted an insult she was sent Legs shook violently, squirting blood onto terrified
The fisherman hurried to the window to close its Mahārājá Dāruṇa was told of a celestial muse
curtains who inspired starving children to sing and dance
He paced back and forth anxiously for Mahārājá She brought entertainment to the people who have
Dāruṇa will accuse his guest of witchraft and forgotten such a thing exists!
him of giving her refuge
The sounds she produces are pleasing to the ears
His advice for the gracious elder is to leave when It was a gift she wanted to give to dispel the dark
Vibhāvarī-Devī warms the world with her cloud hovering above the villagers
immesurable body and stay away from this place
Mahārājá Dāruṇa will sentence a even stranger XXV
to be tortured for many years before confessing her
crime Mahārājá Dāruṇa ordered his yuyudhānas an
order to bring this intruder to his bhavanam
Púṇya understand the emphasis of this dilemma His men found her singing to a crying widow to lift
She saw deep fright in his beautiful green eyes her spirits
Pañcânana took her polished vīṇā, beginning an Mahādevī was regretfully ashamed of her narcisstic
evening of music filled with hidden memories son
Mahākālī-Devī listened to her thoughtful daughter’s To erase his power she sent a sculptor from
music as hearing subtle sounds of emotions Svargáloka to Pṛthvī
Each one signifying a moment in her oppressed child’s Her request was for sculptures of her daughter
life Mahākālī-Devī to be created
From the painful humilation at the hands of a violent Hence, an Āryan girl will feel the natural pull of her
father to the first dream of sleeping in her accepting heart
arms
She would reach the market by foot with money
Pañcânana noticed her Iṣṭa-devatā’s face soaked in earned from selling butter to blacksmiths
tears When seeing the collection of gold, silver and copper
She pushed the vīṇā off her lap to hug her tightly sculptures she would know by instinct which one is
blessed by Mahākālī-Devī
Both cried for the rest of the night, forming a large
puddle of loneliness on the cement floor XXX
Understanding her daughter’s need for a stream
One black evening a storm brewed outside
of love Mahākālī-Devī remained inside the mūrti
Pañcânana closed and locked her windows
Mahākālī-Devī’s heart melted into a milky sea for Unforeseen by the Devás she was imbued with great
she had succumbed to the delight of motherhood powers as an act of appreciation from Mahādevī!
Her daughter swam unharmed by the many floating The heavenly bodies cannot defeat such a woman
semantī for their powers are small in comparison
The world’s most fortunate being had achieved the Lacking the amṛta to churn these energies into
highest state one can reach as a mortal a massive force
She completely surrendered to her mother to remain The color of white eventually became less appealing
in her arms forever due to the internal stronghold of humility
How is it possible for a mere mortal let alone a young By terrible a hermit who sleeps in the Holy Mother’s
woman reach a realm unknown to mankind? lap was born a mortal!
No one is selfless enough to accomplish such a feat! When reaching her last few years on Pṛthvī the body
crippled unexpectedly
XXXI
In one gasp it broke into countless of pieces like a
I will take the risk of revealing a truth: in the previous mahārājá’s porcelain vase knocked off its pedestal
life of the Brāhmaṇa’s daughter she was an extremely Oh! Such a sad ending this poor daughter endured!
powerful sage who could shake the world with her
laughter XXXII
The Devás feared another war with a mortal who
Anāpadi’s ātman rested in a sublime state of peace
clutches the magnificent divine powers
Truly happy with the silence for it gave her many
In their minds Anāpadi was a threat to Índra-Devá’s blissful dreams
reign over all life, both heavenly and earthly
When awaking from centuries of naps she sensed
Fortunately, she was only interested in becoming one
something wrong had occurred
with Mahādevī
Looking at her unshapely body she saw a radiant light
Anāpadi lived as a hermit in the bakula forest,
She didn’t have arms, legs, teeth or anything of the
listening to the songs of her Holy Mother
human nature
The melody caressed her cheeks to let her know she
Even the blood that flows through red flesh to give it
is in a nurturing womb
life did not exist!
Every time she left the world to listen to her mother
It dawned on her she had died in a solitary life for her
sing a mantra pieced itself together
love for the Supreme Devī needed that much attention
When awaking from this slumber she wrote the
What shall one do at this point?
enchanting songs furiously across fresh banana leaves
Anāpadi did not achieve mokṣa so had to reincarnate
Lines written in black ink tempt Anāpadi’s heart to
on Bhūmī-Devī
spring into a lake of passion when glowing
Pañcânana looked at her mother with tears flowing If you touch my mother she will destroy
down her soft cheeks you in an instant!
Mahākālī-Devī heard the cries of her abandoned In Bhūdevī’s previous lives she governed
daughter her children till they died!
She opened her eyes as frustration turned into an Her power was feared by all yet respected
agníparvata as the most virtuous quality
Our dear mother fought to contain her rage for she No one challenged her rule, no one dared
She opens her mouth, exhaling deadly black smoke She leaps to Mahārājá Parigarvita’s palace dripping
into the mouths of shaking soldiers blood from her padákamalas across the village
Their bodies fell to the floor, bonelesss and without With one angry roar she demands the ásura to come
organs outside and fight
Before leaving his lustrous golden palace, he went to Many yards our greatest warrior stood from the foul
his bedroom chamber enemy
Upon seeing a tearful rājñī firmly holding a plate Flinging fire, poisoned darts and axes at his chest,
with a lit lamp, a small pile of rice and a small pile of arms and legs
kuṅkumam
Nothing could hurt Mahārājá Parigarvita!
Rājñī Bhāvinī shook for a pinching fear of her husband’s It was as if the monster was beyond mortality!
death sits in the stomach
She grew frustrated with the difficulty in conquering
She muffled her sobs while waving the lamp for her
her daughter’s corrupted nemesis
husband
Her eyes shot fire when the emperor begin degrading
With one finger the distressed rājñī annointed her her
her lord’s forehead with kuṅkumam and sprinkled
They whipped the dirt path setting it aflame
him with rice
Kālikā-Devī leaped through the smokey air,
In her heart she was screaming for a truce to take
landing in front of lord whose heart is meagre
place
XXXIX
A voluptuous rājñī with pearly skin sunk into a state
of terror when watching her victorious husband Kālikā-Devī’s hair became a stream of fire whipping
walk into battle everything in sight!
Stunned by such recklessness Mahārājá Parigarvita
Mahārājá Parigarvita kicked the entrance doors,
striked her with his silver gada
breaking them off their hedges
He stood a hundred feet away from Kālarātri-Devī Another surprise! Kālikā-Devī did not fall!
whose eyes pierced the emperor’s heart with a She hit her enemy’s chest and legs with her jagged
menacing stare sword though the armor would not crack
They are two craters of black water forming ripples How can a divine weapon forged in her flaming heart
Our Holy Savior’s disgust with the selfish ego is not make even a dent?
magnified ten times when seeing this stray dog She striked his body harder and harder in attempt
sticking his chest out to break the impenetrable garb
XXXVIII Mahārājá Parigarvita laughed as he hit her stomach
ten times
The two bloodthirsty warriors did not budge till
Kālikā-Devī remained standing without any bruises
Vibhāvarī laid down in her yellow satin bed
The incorruptible devī jumped, laughing at how She lunged at him, biting his neck as if it were raw
pungent the vile giant is! meat
The Mahārājá of Sūryaprabha howled in great pain
Even in the beginning of a battle she finds humor in
for the sharp teeth sank into his flesh all the way
smallest things
It gives her power a second to grow larger Enraged by this foul act he threw her to the end of
of the village
Our Holy Mother screamed with such hot intensity
She cackled knowing his weakness is the bare neck
the dogs’ ears bled
It was deafening for the people whose ears are not Kālikā-Devī’s hair lifted her up as the fire from the
strong enough to handle such a powerful wave! blood-soaked path devoured empty villages
During the battle she urged her children to run to the
A million daggers she spit towards the towering
mountains to keep eachother safe from her wrath
tyrant
None punctured his flesh or scratched the She grew taller than three Bhūdevīs combined while
breastplate! her hair set her aflame
an unlimited inferior that enlarged with each breath!
He laughed at such childish tricks!
For a devī is no where near the immeasurable powers She walked towards her great enemy bringing him to
She looked into his wet eyes to see what he is feeling Īshwar smells the fresh mālatīmālā he made for
The swollen ego crumbled into pieces to open a box of himself
permeating insecurities One of his pleasures is to collect flowers from a tree
so he can fall into a paradise when dreaming
Kālikā-Devī put him in her mouth to crunch till nothing
except the bones are left Parīkṣit’s throat begin to itch from not drinking the
She closed her eyes to see Mahārājá Parigarvita’s mind whole day
melt into small drops He waddles to the misty lake to drink the cool water
and play in it
XL
Parīkṣit and Īshwar slept facing eachother, satisfied
Kindness is given to the ones with pure hearts
with the pleasing circumstances
One cannot find love if his virtues are missing
A relationship that shall last till the end of the world!
Virtues are the māṇava a person wears around his
Parīkṣit dreamed of his home where havana blazed
spotless neck
during each yajñá
A golden ornament the Divine would bestow on
He chanted prayers for Uṣas-Devī to keep the light in
anyone who is willing to forsake all ill qualities
his heart flickering forever
As long as it remains unhooked one’s beauty
A taste of divine genoristy is something most do not
will blossom like the kṛṣṇákanda
have the fortune of experiencing
In the bulb sits pollen poured gracefully by
One morning Parīkṣit received the blessing from
Lakṣmī-Devī
Uṣas-Devī he had been seeking
The puṣkarêkṣaṇa devī expresses the beauty of an
After Uṣas-Devī finished bathing the world gently,
adoring doe when her children vie for her attention
Parīkṣit prostrated before her to offer his respect and
Unable to decide whom to lavish her virtues upon,
gratitude
she divides them amongst them all
He made a promise to devote his life to keeping the
In Lakṣmī-Devī’s realm, the Kṣīradhi forms waves moral strength of humanity intact
in an attempt to reach her padákamalas
In this dream an unexpected surprise unfolds causing
She notices their desire so dips her feet into the ocean
Parīkṣit to smile with joy
The resplendent devī sighs as the waves carresses Śatárūpa-Devī rose from the havana wearing a white
them śāṭī laden with marakataśyāmas along the border
Her nights and mornings are spent taking care of
Proclaiming Īshwar as her son and the sacred muse
Nārāyaṇá
of humanity
She gazes at her husband with genuine appreciation His dhárma is to inspire artists to produce works
He created her during the Samudrámathana espousing the joys of possessing virtuous character
in times of great distress
Fearing for what may happen to a radiant devī
He will also write scriptures made of the tales
Gaïa – Is the Greek Goddess of the Earth. Māṇikyamaya – A Sanskrit word that means
“made or consisting of rubies”.
Grande dame – A great (grande) lady (dame).
Mdvanii – A highly aesthetic sculpture created
Kundamālā – Is the Sanskrit term for a garland by BillyBoy* that serves as a prototype for many
of a type of jasmine flower known as Jasminum different sculptures of the same quality (i.e. Ouimi,
multiflorum. It’s common name is “Star Jasmine”. Ishwar, Soraya, Dheei, Edie, Muio-Bix, Jobii,
Yucef, Rhogit-Rhogit, Zhdrick, Tiimky). All fit into
Índra-Devá – (also known as Śakrá-Devá) Is the the Avante Garde and/or Haute Couture genres of
Sanskrit name for the King of the Gods and the fashion.
God of the Sky, the Rain and Heaven.
Rúciphala – A pear.