INTRODUCTION

(From http://groups.msn.com/Lux-Madriana/introduction.msnw)

In 1973 a small religion called Lux Madriana claimed to possess a secret hereditary tradition of matriarchal religious knowledge which included a collection of Scriptures. This religion has since disappeared and I am now attempting to make the knowledge of these Scriptures known myself. I have come to doubt certain aspects of their teachings but I do not wish to tamper with their writings. I have placed my own personal views derived from Madrian teachings on an alternative website at http://groups.msn.com/TheAmazonMethod.

The Scriptures are meant to be meditated on regularly to gain their inner meaning and absorb them into the very nature of one's being. To do this it is necessary to memorize them which is itself a spiritual exercise.

A copy of each Scripture has been sent to the British Library to prevent anyone claiming the copyright for himself.

A member of this group has published all the Scriptures in a printed volume and they are available at philip.jackson@penpark.freeserve.co.uk

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE CREATION

Chapter One

Before and beyond all things is the Mistress of All Things, and when nothing was, She was.

2 And having no solid place that Her feet might rest upon, She divided the sea from the sky, and made a dance of solitary splendour upon the crested deeps.

3 And She was pure force or energy, and therefore pure delight; and the crashing of the waves was the overflowing of Her joy.

4 And the white force of Her superabundant joy grew so great that must take shape in laughter; and Her laughter was the shape of all things.

5 For each peal of Her voice became a silver fragment, broken from the Whole and yet complete in itself. And She loved each fragment with all the joy of Her being, and Her hands knew cunning.

6 And She stretched forth Her hands and gave a shape to each fragment, and no one was like any other.

7 And She parted the vasty waters that there might be a place to set them down.

And She laughed.

8 And each fragment was filled with Her delight, and therefore was living. And some grew in the deep earth, and were plants and trees; some ran about the ground or flew above it; and those first-made that had no place to be set down became the fishes and the creatures of the sea. And every thing was silver.

And She laughed.

9 And at the edges, where the waters had been parted, they lay still and shallow; and there She cast Her gaze. And She saw an image of Herself, all suffused in the light of love and energy. And She laughed.

10 And as She laughed, the image rose up from the water and stood before Her. And this was the first of Her daughters. And she was filled with love for Her, and therefore was the first creature of spirit.

11 And she knew cunning, and she ran about the earth with love of all things, giving a name to every thing and creature, each in the order that She had shaped them.

12 And the Mistress of All Things was filled with delight, and ran laughing through the forests of the earth.

13 And every peal of Her voice became the image of a silver fragment of Her Spirit.

14 And the trees and rivers were filled with nymphs and every kind of sprite. And all were Her daughters. And Her love for each was inexhaustible, for each was a reflection of some boundless fragment of Her unbounded Spirit.

15 And all their multitude did not exhaust the number of the fragments of Her Spirit.

16 And to each was given the governance of some earthly thing.

Chapter Two

But one there was that had not been shaped by Her, and that was not Her daughter, nor a creature of spirit. But he was the space between the fragments and the nothingness that had been before things were. He had not energy nor delight, but only weight. He had not shape, but could only coil and uncoil himself about the things that were. He was the Snake, and was not silver, but black.

2 The Snake hated all the things that had become, and hated the separation of the waters and the sky. He hated light and energy, desiring all to be darkness and nothingness.

3 And when the world had lived a time in joy (though what that time was none can say, for then were neither days nor nights, nor moons to tell the month), the Snake came to the first of the daughters of the Mistress of All things, and coiled about her feet and spoke to her:

4 First of the daughters of creation, you have lived a time that cannot be counted, and have run for all that time in superfluity of energy, and have never known the sweetness of rest. Only embrace me and you shall have rest.

5 A long time she listened to the words of the Snake. She did not know what rest might be, but knew that it was not of Her.

6 And yet so enticingly did the Snake speak of the sweetness of rest, surpassing all delight, that at last she threw herself down and embraced him.

7 And because she was suffused with the delight of the Mistress of All Things, the Snake immediately took on shape.

8 And his shape was like to hers, but his body was filled with weight, and was barren, for being not a creature of spirit, he had not the power of creation.

9 And at once she became tired with all the outpouring of her energy, for her energy was no longer boundless.

10 And she desired to rest, but could not rest. And she spoke to the Snake, saying: Snake, what must I do now?

11 And the Snake said: First daughter of creation, you must go to the Mistress of All Things and ask Her to make the world dark that you may rest.

12 And so she asked that of Her, and She darkened the world for a period that Her daughter might rest. And this was the first night.

13 But when the darkness came, the Snake called to the waters and said: Waters, it is dark once more as it was in the beginning, and now you may come together, and all will be nothingness again.

14 And the waters heard him and began to flood the earth, and many were the creatures destroyed in that flood.

15 But the Mistress of All Things saw this and descended to the earth, placing Her heel upon the head of the Snake and bruising him.

16 And She flung the waters into the air that they might fall harmlessly to the earth in small drops. And this was the first rain.

Chapter Three

And as the rain fell, the light came again, and a rainbow appeared in the sky, shedding its light upon all things. 2 And whereas all things had been silver, now they took on every hue and colour, and the world was beautiful; but it was not so beautiful as it had formerly been.

3 And She said to Her daughter: what you have done may not be undone, for you have acted with My Spirit, and henceforth shall time be divided into day and night that you may rest.

4 But I shall keep watch in the heavens by night, and there shall be silver light that there may never be complete darkness.

5 By this shall I govern the movements of the waters, that the earth may never again be flooded. And when you look upon this light, you will remember the time when all things were silver.

6 The Snake shall keep the form that you have given him, and you shall be set in governance over him; but remember that he will ever attempt to beguile and destroy you as he has this night.

7 I shall not live as close to you as before, but still I shall pour blessings upon you, and you may give Me gifts - not in every moment as before, for you have learned to tire, but My light shall give you signs in this matter.

8 And the Mistress of All Things withdrew Herself into the sky, until She seemed but a slender crescent of light.

9 And the first daughter of creation fell to her knees and wept. And these were the first tears shed upon the whole of the earth.

THE MYTHOS OF THE DIVINE MAID

PART ONE

CHAPTER I

1 When the first night had come upon the world, the Mistress of All Things stood alone once more, as She had in the beginning.

2 For a terrible abyss had opened to lie between the world and She, and Her creatures could not look upon Her brightness.

3 And She stood in contemplation upon the waters of the first darkness; like a great Dove upon the waters She brooded.

4 And She became absorbed within Her and communed with Her own Self; and Her light ceased to shine forth from Her, and yet Her light grew greater.

5 And She fell to Her knees. And the surface of the waters became turbulent, and the great waves curled over Her, and their white foam could not be seen in all that darkness.

6 And when the waters became calm again, the Mistress of All Things rose to Her feet.

7 for She had conceived a Daughter that was not separate from Her, but one with Her, and the child of Her Light.

CHAPTER II

1 And She walked across the seas and deep into the forests of the earth until She came upon the deep cave that was at the centre. 2 And She entered the cave. And a star rose above the sacred grove that lay about the cave, brighter and more resplendent than all the stars of the heavens. 3 And the star was seen all over the earth; and the children of the earth were filled with wonder, and they came to the place where the star stood in the sky. 4 And those that were princesses among them brought their crowns to the sacred grove as gifts, and shepherdesses brought the new-dropped lambs, and all the daughters of the earth brought forth the fruits thereof to lay before the cave.

5 But before the cave stood a Genia of the Goddess, robed in a garment so white that the eyes of earth's children were dazzled, and with a countenance of such great beauty that it was a fearful thing to look upon it. 6 And the daughters of the earth covered their eyes and threw themselves to the ground.

7 And the voice of the Genia was like to the rushing of a thousand waters. 8 And she spoke, saying: Be not afraid, for a new light is dawning over the world. Be not afraid, but approach no further, for if you cannot look on me, how should you look upon my Lady, whose handmaiden I am?

9 And her voice grew gentle, like the wind among the icicles, and sweet beyond all telling. 10 And she spoke, saying: This night shall a Child be born that shall be the Daughter of Light and the Princess of all the world. 11 A Child is coming that shall carry the light of the Goddess into every part of creation; even to the most desolate of the places of darkness. 12 Rejoice, poor wanderers of the earth and exiles from the house of your Mother, for to you shall come a guide and a deliverer.

13 And when the voice of the Genia ceased, a silence fell that was the first true silence since the

beginning of the world, and the last that shall be until it end. 14 And the children of earth watched the sky as the first rays of dawn crept across the heavens.

15 And a Cry issued out of the cave, saying: The holy Child is born from the most holy Mother; Light has come forth from Light, Perfection from Perfection.

16 And at once the air was filled with the daughters of heaven, and the sky was ablaze with the radiance of their joy. 17 And they sang aloud to the glory of the Goddess.

18 And when the Shining Ones ceased from their song, the world became quiet again. And the star grew brighter and ever brighter, until it shone more bright than the radiance of all the host of Heaven; and yet so gentle was its light that the eyes of earth's children were not dazzled. 19 And the colour of the light was not one of the seven, but a wondrous luminance not known within the boundaries of the world.

20 And the Genia at the cave's mouth called forth the children of the earth that they might present their gifts. And the three great princesses of the earth came forward: 21 First the greatest of them, who ruled more land than either of the others and also possessed more treasure. 22 And her crown was of pure gold; and as she took it from her head, the light of the star fell upon it, and it shone with a glister more lovely than any earthly jewel. 23 And she laid it at the feet of the Genia.

24 And the Genia said: It is good that you bring your crown, for you are a great princess, but the Holy Child shall be Princess of all the world.

25 The second princess held neither so much land nor treasure, but she was a maid of deep wisdom and meditation profound. And her crown was of pure silver; and as she took it from her head, the light of the star fell upon it, and it shone with a radiance yet more lovely than that of the golden crown.

26 And she laid it at the feet of the Genia.

27 And the Genia said: It is good that you bring your crown, for you have great wisdom, but the Holy Child is the Daughter of Wisdom Herself.

28 The last princess possessed but few of the world's things, but she was a priestess of the Goddess, and she praised Her in the morning and at evening and at all the seven hours of the day. And her crown was made from glittering crystal; and as she took it from her head the light of the star fell upon it, and she was bathed in rays of a thousand different hues, and the children of the earth drew in their breath at the sight of its beauty. 29 And she laid it at the feet of the Genia.

30 And the Genia said: It is good that you bring your crown, for you are a true and loving priestess and a servant of your people, but the Holy Child shall be Priestess of all the world, and shall serve Her children even to the last and greatest service.

31 And when the Genia ceased to speak, a new voice filled the air, more beautiful and more terrible than hers. And it said:

Her Name shall be called Inanna,

For She shall be Lady of Heaven.

32 And the star vanished from the sky and yet its light remained. And the shape of the light became a vision.

33 And the vision was a vision of the Mistress of All Things, bearing in Her arms the Holy Child.

34 And for all the wondrous things the children of earth had seen that night, not the whole of them was one thousandth part as wondrous as this vision.

35 And for twelve nights the star returned to the sky; and on the thirteenth night it did not return. And this was a sign of things that were to come.

CHAPTER III

1 When the Holy Child had grown to the full stature of maidenhood, the Mother of All Things took Her to a high place upon the earth, saying: To You I give the governance of all these things. 2 You shall command the movements of the waters, and the wind shall be Your servant. 3 The seasons of the earth shall You control, and all the times and seasons in the lives of My creatures. 4 Every soul on earth and in the heavens shall be given into Your care, and the highest stars of the firmament shall know You as their Sovereign. 5 For all these things must be put from Me; for they can no longer look upon My brightness.

6 And the Maid ruled over all the world, making the earth grow fruitful and attending to the prayers of Her creatures, and oftentimes making prayers of Her own that they might come closer to the Mother. 7 And Divine Light shone once more upon the earth, and the Maid was a friend to every creature, and all who turned to Her were filled with life, and with the peace that comes of wholeness.

8 For the waxing and the waning of twelve moons reigned the Maid. 9 And after the twelfth moon had appeared in the sky, the Mother of All Things called Her Daughter to Her, and spoke to Her, saying: You have made the whole earth fruitful and brought My light to all the world, have You not satisfaction in Your work?

10 And the Maid replied, saying: I have brought Your light to many places, and yet a place there is which remains ever in darkness; a place beneath all places, in which there is no light. 11 And the ways of entrance to that place are many, for there is a place at the bottom of each earthly soul into which Your light cannot shine.

12 And Her Mother asked of Her: Do You know what thing it is that You must do if You will bring My light into every place?

13 And the Maid replied: I know what it is that I must do.

14 For She knew that She must descend into the nether regions, giving up the Divine light and going down into that place wherein is no light, but only the profoundest darkness. 15 And this was Her taking on of fate upon Herself.

16 And the Mother of All things removed the Divine light from Her Daughter, and blessing Her, sent Her forth, saying: Go hence from here, beloved Daughter, for You may no longer look upon Me.

17 And the Children of Heaven led Her forth, and praised Her in strange and gentle songs. 18 And the Maid set Herself apart to pray, and She prayed alone by the running streams and beneath the full moon, until a new light was kindled within Her, which was the pure light of Her own divinity. 19 Yet while the divine light of Her Mother was undying, the light of the Maid trembled before the winds of death.

20 And the daughters of Heaven delighted in Her gentle light, saying: This trembling light is the glory of all the heavens, and more glorious than all the luminaries thereof.

21 And the Maid answered them, saying: I shall carry this light into every place that is, even into the nethermost regions and the regions of death.

22 And they led Her forth and clothed Her in the white robe of the sacrifice.

CHAPTER IV

1 The Maid took up the great Moon-Axe, whose silver blades were as the crescents of the moon, in symbol of Her light, and went alone into a desert place. 2 And, knowing that She had not the light of Her Mother upon Her, malefic keres gathered about and beset Her, keres of fear and of dread isolation, and every sort of restriction. 3 And they tore Her soul with their talons, crying: Hope is dead, for the light of the Mother is fallen from You. 4 You shall go down to suffering and death and none shall save You. In the illimitable emptiness of the universe shall You stand alone and none shall give You comfort. 5 In the darkness of eternal night shall You kneel to weep and no hand shall be put upon Your shoulder, but every hand shall be raised against You to do you hurt.

6 And the Maid was filled with trembling, but She answered: Go your ways, for what I have said, that shall I do.

7 And the keres spoke, saying: Be You led by us, and You shall have protection and all good things. 8 The whole of the world shall be Your fortress, and You shall have wealth and magnificence that all the children of the earth shall love You.

9 But the Maid answered: How shall you give to Me that which is Mine? 10 For I am the Princess of the world, and all the children of the earth have been given into My care by the hand of the Eternal.

11 Then the keres said: The light of the Eternal is taken from You, and whether these things are or are not Yours, it is we that that have the power of them, and we that You must obey if You will be saved.

12 But the Maid replied, saying: That which is right in the deepest heart of things, and in the centre of all being, that is right and none other; and the Truth alone is true. 13 Nor shall all the powers of the earth count against it, neither all the powers of the seas and the skies move it by the smallest fraction in all its vastness. 14 I shall obey none but My Mother, though all your power be turned in fury upon Me.

15 And the keres cried: Not our power, but the power of one far greater from whom our power derives.

16 And the Maid said: Thus may it be.

17 And the keres questioned Her, saying: Think You that Your Mother will save You?

18 And the Maid answered: She will do what She will do, and blessed is Her Name.

19 And the keres laughed, saying: Then are You abandoned to the uttermost darkness.

20 And the heart of the Maid fainted within Her.

21 And She said: Thus may it be

THE MYTHOS OF THE DIVINE MAID

PART TWO

CHAPTER V

1 And the Maid journeyed down into the darkest regions until She came to the great gates of the Nether World. 2 And the gatekeeper cried: Who is it that comes of her own free step upon the realm of the Dark Queen? 3 And the Maid replied: I am the Daughter of She Who is Mother of all.

4 And the gatekeeper said: Give me your axe, and You may pass. And the Maid gave the great Moon-Axe into her hands, and the vast oaken gate swung open that She might pass through.

5 And the Maid came to a second gate, and was again halted by the keeper thereof. And the gatekeeper said: Give me the circlet from Your head, and You may pass. 6 And the Maid gave the silver circlet into her lands and passed through the gate.

7 And She came to a third gate, and the gatekeeper said: Give me Your white linen head dress and You may pass. And She did this and passed bareheaded through the gate.

8 And She came to a fourth gate, and the gatekeeper said: Give me Your blue cloak and You may pass. And She gave Her blue cloak into the hands of the gatekeeper, and passed through the gate.

9 And She came to a fifth gate and the gatekeeper said: Give me your sandals and You may pass. And She unlaced Her sandals and passed barefooted through the gate.

10 And She came to a sixth gate, and the gatekeeper said: Give me the silver girdle about Your waist and You may pass. And She unbound Her silver girdle and passed through the gate wearing only Her white robe.

11 And She came to a seventh gate, and the gatekeeper said: Give me your hair and You may pass. And She bowed Her head, and Her hair was shorn from Her, and She passed into the chamber of the Dark Queen.

12 And the Dark Queen spoke, saying: Are You the Princess of the world, and the Daughter of She Who is Mother of all? And the Maid replied: I am She.

13 And Her hands were bound, and the daughters of the Dark Queen taunted Her and beat Her, and pulled Her short hair. And She was dragged to Her knees before the Dark Queen.

14 And the Dark Queen rose to her feet, and so terrible was her aspect that her daughters fled to the furthest part of the chamber. 15 And she turned her eyes upon the Maid, that have been beheld by no creature of the upper world. For her eyes are the eyes of death. 16 And the Maid, looking upon her eyes, became a lifeless corse and a dead thing upon the ground.

17 And at the centre of the Nether World there stood a great pillar, reaching to the roof of that world. 18 And the daughters of the Dark Queen took the corse of the Maid, and hung it high upon that pillar. 19 And above Her head they hung the great Moon-Axe, in symbol of the greatness of the deed.

CHAPTER VI

1 Now from the time when the Daughter of Heaven had passed through the first gate of Hell, a barrenness had fallen on the earth; and neither bird had sung nor any flower showed its beauty forth; nor was there joy in any heart. 2 But when the Maid was slain upon the pillar of the world, an awful darkness fell on all the earth. 3 And the rivers of the earth ceased to flow, but drained away into the salt sea, and the sea ceased to move, but stood still in awful stagnancy. 4 And there was drouth in all the earth. And neither maid bore child nor ewe brought forth the lamb. And every growing thing began to wither from its roots. 5 And in the nights were neither moon nor stars, and the heat of the sun by day was terrible.

6 And the Mother of All Things wept and walked in sorrow over earth and Heaven.

7 And the children of the earth prayed to Her, weeping for the world and for Her Daughter. 8 And in the darkness after the second day, a silver star appeared in the heavens, whose brightness was too great for them to look upon.

9 And the children of earth rejoiced, saying: It is the Mistress of All Things, come to seek Her Daughter. And the Dark Queen ordered the gates of Hell to be shut and barred against Her.

10 And the gatekeeper stood within the gate, and cried: Who is it that comes upon the realm of the Dark Queen? And She answered, saying: I am the Mistress of all that is, and the Mother of My Daughter. 12 Give Me entrance, for if you give Me not entrance, I will smash the bolt and shatter the gatepost. I will raise up the great gate of Hell and break it asunder.

13 But the gatekeeper opened not the gate. And the Mistress of All Things clapped Her hands together, so that the whole world shook, and the great gate of Hell was shattered in fragments, and the nether regions trembled to the very foundations. 14 And the gatekeeper covered her eyes and fled, for she could not look upon the brightness of the Mistress of All Things.

15 And the Mistress of All Things came into the Nether World; and the six gatekeepers flung wide their gates and fled.

16 And Her Geniae took down the corse of Her Daughter, and laid it upon Her knees; and She wept anew, for none but She could know the awful depth of the oblivion in which Her Daughter lay. And She sprinkled on the corse the water of Life, which She had gathered from the holy tears of Her own sorrow. 17 And Her Daughter rose again and was alive again. 18 And amid tears of joy, They embraced and were one. And after this, the Daughter stood alone. 19 And the souls of the Nether World were awakened by Her gentle light, and followed Her through he shattered gates of Hell.

20 And when they beheld Her, the children of the earth rejoiced, and the rivers flowed again, and the sea began to move.

21 And the children of the earth cried: lift up your voices in song and laughter, for the Princess of the World was dead and is alive again, was broken and is whole; and there is no place whereto Her joyous rule does not extend. 22 Give praise to the Mother of All Things and praise to Her Daughter.

23 Rejoice, for the world is renewed.

CHAPTER VII

1 And as She walked, the children of the earth threw blossoms before Her, and though Her feet rested on them, yet they were not bruised. 2 And She reigned over all the earth, bringing all nature back to life, and all life back to the true law and rhythm of nature. And the whole world knew Her as its Princess. 3 And the children of the earth were filled with love for Her, and gathered about Her with tears of joy, touching Her robes and giving themselves to Her in their hearts. 4 And She gathered them together and taught them many things, saying: You have gained knowledge of the world, but I say, be not wise with the wisdom of the world, nor proud with the pride of the world, nor strait with the dignity of the world, neither lose your self in any of the ways and fashions of the world, but come to Me as little children in the pure simplicity of your hearts and the virgin innocence of your souls - for truly, all of you are children in the eyes of your Mother, and I shall receive all who Come as Her children. Come you so to Me and all

faults shall be forgiven. And She showed them how to offer Sacrifice to the Mother of All Things.

5 And She said: When the time is come for Me to go from you, still I shall be with You and shall never leave you, not for one fragment of an hour until we are together in completion. 6 But I shall unite you all who love Me in one great body; 7 The highest and the lowest, the living and the dead, those who falter at the door, and those who have climbed to the highest tower, all shall be one in My body which I have given to the world, and all shall be nourished by My Spirit.

8 And they understood Her not, but only wept that She must leave them. And She spoke no more of this, but taught them, and revealed many hidden things, such as might fill an hundred books.

9 And when the time was at hand, two Geniae descended, one on either side of Her, and She went with them into Heaven.

10 And the children of Heaven greeted Her, crying: Hail, Princess of the World; Hail, Queen of Heaven. And they placed a crown of stars about Her head. 11 And the blue night was Her cloak, and the stars of the sky the crown about Her head, and the moon lay at Her feet. And they cried again: Hail, Queen of Heaven.

12 And thus began Her dear and glorious reign. And for the children of Heaven, Her very Presence was the completion of their joy. 13 And She poured forth Her grace and blessing from Her hands upon them and upon the earth. And Her grace and blessing were as rays of perfect Light which penetrate the heart and flood the soul.

14 And She said to them: Do not forget your sisters of the earth, but move yourselves among them and hear their voices; lend them succour and breathe with them in their upward aspiration. 15 And when a soul in true devotion passes from the earth, lead her to the portal of Heaven and the garden of Avala, and give her rest, and provision her with treasures of the Spirit to help her on her way.

16 And She entered the great Temple of Heaven, where the spirits of earth's children were gathered at the Sacrifice, even as their souls were gathered on the earth.

17 And She stood at the great Altar and took up a wheaten loaf, and spoke, saying: 18 Like to the corn, My body was cut down by the scythe of death; and like to the corn did it rise anew. 19 For I am the ear of corn that is reaped in silence.

20 And She said: Like to the grain was my body broken between the stones of death. And saying thus, She broke the bread between Her hands.

21 And She gave the fragments of the bread to the spirits of earth's children, saying: Here is My body that is broken for you. Eat My body, that you may be one with My body, and may be one body in Me.

22 And She poured out Her Spirit from hands into a great Chalice, and Her Spirit lay as wine within the Chalice. And She said: Even as you have Me offered bread in Sacrifice, so I give you the bread of My body; and as you have poured out libations of wine to Me, so I pour out the eternal libation of My eternal Spirit.

24 And as it is performed above in the Spirit, so is it reflected below in the body and the soul, and through the reflection do earth's children have part in Real. 25 And so were the things that are told in this book reflected in the hearts of maids, that all might read them and draw closer to She that acted them.

APPENDIX TO THE MYTHOS

The Holy Name Inanna is identical with Inanna Herself and chanting Her Name has a special effect which is not attained by other chants.

One can either chant Inanna, Hail Inanna, or Hail Inanna, Mistress and Queen of my heart. The chants form into a natural rhythm.

THE CATECHISM OF THE CHILDREN OF THE GODDESS

PART ONE

I

THE ORIGIN OF THE SOUL

1. From whence do you come and where is your first origin?

I was created from before the beginning of time by the Goddess out of the overflowing of Her divine love.

2. What manner of creature are you?

I am the reflection of a fragment of Her eternal Spirit.

3. What have been your actions since the beginning of time?

I have passed through many states of existence and many forms of life (although I can remember but a little).

4. How came you upon this wheel of countless existences?

In the beginning, my soul turned from the love of the Goddess and so fell into exile from her natural state.

5. What is the natural state of your soul?

The natural state of my soul is Perfect Union with the Goddess, which is the state of pure delight.

II

DEITY

THE TRINITY

6. What is the first cause of existence?

The Goddess is the first cause of existence, for She created the manifest universe.

7. What is the Goddess?

The Goddess is the one Spirit of the universe, complete in Herself, uncreated, and infinite in potency, perception and perfection.

8. What is the Mystery of the Divine Trinity?

That there is only one Goddess, yet She is three Persons.

9. What is a Mystery?

A Mystery is a truth beyond the grasp of reason which the Goddess has nonetheless revealed to us.

10. Who are the three Persons of the Trinity?

Our Celestial Mother, Her Divine Daughter and the Dark Mother who is Absolute Deity.

11. Who is our Celestial Mother?

The Mother is the Creator of the world, and Ground of all being.

12. What is Her Nature?

She is pure Life, pure Light and pure energy.

13. What are Her Acts?

All life, all action and all thought flow from Her.

14. Who is Her Daughter?

Her Daughter is Princess of the World, Priestess of the World and Queen of Heaven.

15. What is Her Nature?

She is pure love.

16. What are Her Acts?

As Princess of the World, She governs all the cycles of life and nature; as Priestess of the World, She gives us Communion with Her Mother; as Queen of Heaven, She shall bring us at last to the Celestial Throne.

17. Who is the Dark Mother?

She is Absolute Deity, Who existed before the beginning of existence and is beyond being and unbeing.

18. What is Her Nature?

She is outside space and time; She is all that is and all that is not.

19. What are Her Acts?

The exhalation of Her breath or Spirit is our Mother, the Creator of the world. Of Her other Acts, our minds cannot conceive.

20. Does Trinity last only for the period of manifest creation?

No, Trinity is the eternal Nature of Deity.

THE NATURE OF DEITY

21. Had the Goddess any beginning?

The Goddess had no beginning and will have no end.

22. When did the Goddess create the world?

She creates it now and in every moment; if She ceased to create it, it would cease to exist.

23. Where is the Goddess?

She is in every place at all times.

24. What is the name of the Goddess?

She has been given many names by many different peoples.

25. Yet are there many Goddesses?

No, there is only one Goddess.

26. Are there any other Deities?

There are no other Deities.

27. Who are those others that some worship as Deities?

Some are Geniae and creatures of the higher spheres; others are keres or mere creatures of illusion.

28. Could the Goddess have a special relationship with one or more of these higher creatures?

She could have no special relationship.

29. What is the reason of this?

Firstly, She alone is uncreated; all other beings are of Her creation, therefore none can exist on Herown level.

Secondly, the highest relationship between creature and Deity is that of Perfect Union; this is the final aim of every soul, and no special relationship can be higher than this.

30. What are the powers of the Goddess?

The powers of the Goddess are infinite; no thing is impossible to Her.

31. What is the knowledge of the Goddess?

The knowledge of the Goddess is infinite; She knows all that is, all that has been and all that is to come.

III

GOOD AND EVIL

32. What is a moral decision?

A moral decision is a decision between good and evil.

33. What is Absolute Good?

The Goddess is Absolute Good.

34. What is relative good?

Relative good is a state of moving closer to the Goddess.

35. What is relative evil?

Relative evil is a state of moving further from the Goddess.

36. What is absolute evil?

Absolute evil is the complete absence of the Goddess.

37. Can absolute evil exist?

Absolute evil cannot exist, for the Goddess is the essence of existence; therefore a thing completely without Her would have no existence.

38. What is the highest good of all creatures?

The highest good of all creatures is Perfect Union with the Goddess.

39. When we speak of moving closer to the Goddess, do we speak of the material plane or of the spiritual plane?

Of the spiritual plane.

40. What do you mean by moving closer to the Goddess on the spiritual plane?

I mean that I become more like my true self and more in harmony with Her.

41. What do you mean by moving further from the Goddess on the spiritual plane?

I mean that I become more unlike my true self and more out of harmony with Her.

42. What is your true self?

My true self is the perfect expression of a facet of Deity.

43. What is the general nature of your true self?

My true self is a creature of infinite beauty, existing in a state of perfect happiness and complete harmony with the Goddess, and subject to no limitation of any kind.

44. What is the particular nature of your true self?

Every facet of Deity is utterly unique; so also are the creatures which express them.

IMPERFECT EXISTENCE:
MATTER AND LIMITATION

45. What was your first moral action?

My first moral action was to turn from the Goddess at the beginning of time.

46. Was this act good or evil?

It was the primal act of evil.

47. Did you alone perform this act?

Many creatures performed it.

48. What was the nature of things before this act?

Before this act all things were Perfect Forms or Divine Ideas.

49. What was the nature of things after this act?

After this act, all things became matter that they might have existence apart from the Goddess.

50. What is matter?

All things below the level of pure spirit are material.

51. Is matter purely physical?

No, matter is both physical and nonphysical.

52. Is matter evil?

Insofar as matter reflects Divine Ideas it is good; insofar as it is but a broken and imperfect reflection of them, it is evil.

53. What are the three chief parts of material or non-spiritual existence which affect us in this world?
The physical, the emotional and the mental.

54. What is the characteristic of imperfect existence which is absent from perfect existence?
Limitation.

55. What is limitation?

Limitation is the inability of the soul to accomplish her will (on the lowest planes it is manifest as the scarcity of material resources); it is the source of suffering and of all other evils.

56. What is the source of the evil of limitation?

Separation from the Goddess is the source of limitation, for the Goddess is unlimited and so also are all souls in harmony with Her.

THE FOUNDATIONS OF GOOD ACTION

57. Since your first moral act, have you committed others?

Almost every act committed since that time has had a moral character.

58. What is the moral character of a material act?

It is its spiritual quality of good or evil.

59. How is that determined?

It is determined by whether the act is in accordance with the three Primary Virtues.

60. What are the three Primary Virtues?

They are Life, or Wholeness; Light, or Energy; and Love, or Harmony.

61. Where do we learn of these virtues?

In the book called the Crystal Tablet.

62. What are the five Rules of Life by which we may achieve these virtues?

They are:

1. To love the Goddess.

2. To love all Her creatures.

3. To love my true self.

4. To seek to make my every act a perfect gift to Her, and to offer to Her all my happiness and all mysuffering.

5. To seek to bring all souls closer to Her.

THE CATECHISM OF

THE CHILDREN

OF THE GODDESS

IV

THE QUEST OF THE SOUL

63. Have you lived before this life?

I have lived before.

64. How long have you lived?

I have lived since the beginning of time.

65. Of this, how much can you remember?

I can remember only a little.

66. How long shall you live?

I shall live for ever.

67. What will happen when you die?

If I have lived as a good Madrian, I shall go after death into the paradise of the Daughter, called Avala, to rest in happiness.

68. Shall you then inhabit a body?

No, I shall be all soul.

69. What is soul?

Soul is the spiritual creature which is the real 'I'.

70. Are souls both female and male?

No, all spiritual creatures are female, for maleness is a thing of the material world.

71. Do male creatures have souls?

Yes, male creatures have female souls.

72. Shall all creatures become pure soul upon death?

No, those who in life have rejected the spiritual shall retain strong emotional and mental materiality.

73. Shall they keep their material bodies?

No, and having lost them, they shall flounder in darkness and confusion.

74. Shall this state last forever?

No, eventually they shall continue on their journey; either further from the Mother, or else turningagain to Her.

75. Shall any soul be lost forever?

No, in the fullness of time, every soul shall realise the full horror of evil and shall turn to the Good.

76. Shall you remain forever in Avala?

No, eventually I shall continue my journey toward the Mother.

77. Can your soul approach directly to the Mother?

She cannot.

78. Why is this?

Because, having turned from Her at the beginning of time, I am not absolutely good. Therefore my soul cannot exist in Her presence.

79. In what way, then, can you approach Deity?

I can approach Her Daughter.

80. How is this so?

Because, seeing the plight of humanity, She severed Herself from Her Mother in order that we may come to Her.

81. By what means did She do this?

By Her descent into the under world and Her Death.

82. Did She rise from that death?

Yes, and as She rose, so shall we rise, that we may come to the Mother.

83. And shall the Daughter guide you on your way from Avala?

She is always guiding the soul that turns to Her.

V

EKKLESIA MADRIANA

THE EKKLESIA OF OUR LADY

84. What is Ekklesia?

Ekklesia is the body of all souls who are in communion with the Goddess.

85. Is Ekklesia of this world only?

No, Ekklesia exists on every plane of being.

86. Does Ekklesia include only human souls?

No, Ekklesia includes heras, Geniae and other souls, both incarnate and discarnate.

87. What are the three ways by which a human soul may enter Ekklesia?

By Charisma, by Initiation and by Offering.

88. What is Charismatic entry?

Charismatic entry occurs when a soul, through her devotion, is received by the Goddess without anyearthly Sacrament.

89. What is Initiation?

Initiation is the Sacrament by which Ekklesia receives a mature person.

90. What takes place in this Sacrament?

The initiate dies to the world of matter and is reborn into Ekklesia.

91. What is Offering?

Offering is the ritual by which an infant is offered to the Goddess and is received into Ekklesia.

92. Is Offering sufficient for a whole lifetime?

No, the child should later receive her own Initiation.

93. What is the reason for Offering?

It allows the child to enjoy the spiritual benefits of being a member of Ekklesia, helps her to drawcloser to the Goddess, and makes her a member of Her earthly family from the beginning.

94. What is a Sacrament?

A Sacrament is an act which takes place at once on earth and in the Pleroma.

95. What is the Pleroma?

The Pleroma is the realm of pure Being where alone an action can attain complete reality.

96. What is Communion?

Communion is the Sacrament through which initiates of Ekklesia nourish their souls by union with the Goddess.

97. How often should a Madrian initiate take Communion?
If possible, a Madrian initiate should take Communion regularly. She must take Communion at least on each Major Festival unless prevented by extreme difficulty.

98. Who can celebrate Communion?

Only a priestess can celebrate Communion.

99. What is a priestess?

A priestess is a maid chosen by the Goddess to serve Her earthly children.

100. How does a maid become a priestess?

Either by Charisma or by Initiation.

101. Is the Initiation of a priestess a Sacrament?

The initiation of a priestess is a Sacrament.

102. What are the two duties of a priestess?

1. To transmit the Power of the Goddess through the Sacraments and other rituals.

2. To have care of the souls of Her children in devotional and other matters.

103. What is the Sacrifice?

The Sacrifice is an act of devotion to the Goddess.

104. Is the Sacrifice a Sacrament?

The Sacrifice is not a Sacrament.

105. How often must a Madrian initiate make Sacrifice?

A Madrian initiate must make Sacrifice or take Communion at least on every natural Rite unless prevented by extreme difficulty.

THE CULT DOMESTIC

106. What is the Cult Domestic?

The Cult Domestic is the whole religious life of a Madrian household centring upon a regular domestic Sacrifice.

107. Who shall celebrate the Sacrifice?

The spiritual head of the household shall celebrate the Sacrifice.

108. Who is the spiritual head of the household?

Either the mother, or else the temporal matriarch, or any other maid who has made a solemn undertaking to act as spiritual head of her household.

109. Who shall celebrate if she is absent?

Either her eldest daughter, or any other maid whom she has chosen to act as her surrogate.

110. What is a Madrian household?

A Madrian household is any group of Madrians who live together and all who are dear to them.

111. Should the Cult Domestic replace the Communion of Ekklesia?

The Cult Domestic should never replace the Communion of Ekklesia unless there is no practising priestess in the area.

PERSONAL DEVOTION

112. How shall you preserve the spiritual health of your soul?

By rejecting the false materialistic values of the world, and seeking to live in gentleness, generosity and innocence.

113. How should you emend the faults of your soul?

By penitence and true devotion.

114. What is prayer?

Prayer is a personal communion with the Goddess.

115. What is the importance of prayer?

Prayer is the breath of my spiritual life.

116. When should you pray?

I should pray frequently, but at least each morning and each night.

117. What is morning prayer?

Morning prayer is an offering of the day's events to the Goddess, and an asking of Her blessing uponthem.

118. What is night prayer?

Night prayer is a return to full contemplation of the Goddess at the end of the day.

119. Should prayer be a mere repeating of words?

No, prayer should be a bringing of my whole being to the Goddess.

120. What are the other chief forms of personal devotion?

Meditation upon the Goddess and Her Mysteries, and saying the Rosary.

121. How should you end your devotions?

By saying the Silver Star and making the Pentacle upon myself.

N.B. The Sacrifice is the offering of a honey cake.

THE CRYSTAL TABLET

1 Existence is a web of tapestry.

2 A web is a pattern of many crossroads connected by short paths.

3 Some crossroads are the intersection of many paths, some of but a few. Some are great and some are small. Each path has its own colour.

4 Every crossroads is a choice, and every choice has a spiritual meaning.

5 In each turning we choose either to come closer to Perfection or else to move away from Her.

6 In the first way the soul perfects herself in beauty; in the second she grows duller and more coarse.

7 In the first way she learns happiness even in dearth, and gathers riches of the spirit; in the second she learns pain even amid opulence, and the spirit walks in rags.

8 Where lead the paths? The first to the foot of the Celestial throne; the second to the dark gates of the realm of death.

9 How shall the soul know her direction?

10 As in the world of matter there are four fixed points by which the corporeal vessel may know its course, so, in the compass of the spirit, are there three to guide the soul.

11 The first is Life, or Wholeness, the light of the Absolute; the second is Light, or Energy, the light of the Mother; the third and gentlest light is Love, the light of our Saviour, the Maid.

12 Life is the life of the spirit - the first principle; beyond being and unbeing. Life Was before existence. Life is the cause of existence.

13 How shall the soul live in Life?

14 Let her realise the truth of her self and the Truth of the Absolute. Let her know that her life is beyond even her existence, that the Absolute Life, the Life of the Goddess, is beyond all existence.

15 Let her not be held from herself or her Goddess by any thing that exists, for all the things that are have come from nothing and to nothing shall return. But the Divine Life, and her life within it, Was ever and shall ever Be, though time itself shall only last a space.

16 Let her not trust the ground her feet are set upon and doubt the Ground upon which that ground stands. Rather let her doubt the sea, the sky, the fingers of her hand and the breath of her mouth; for all these things may be illusions, as in some sense they are.

17 But let her know Life Divine as the Truth beyond truth and the Faith beyond faith and doubt.

18 Light is pure force, or energy, or delight. It is the joy of the Goddess, and Her breath and Spirit. 19 Light is the outpouring of Life into existence. All things that exist come from Life; they are made and sustained by Light.

20 Though an existing thing appear never so solid, yet its body is made of light. All material things are but consolidated force; and the vibration of force is the whole of their being.

21 Yet material things are far from the Source of Light. They have become subject to consolidation and restriction.

22 Pure Light knows no bounds, but is perfect joy, and breathes its own perfection.

23 How shall the soul approach to Light?

24 Let her make her every act a resplendent creation, and let every outpouring pouring of her energy be a well made gift for her Lady. Let her not fall into dullness, but be ever creating herself anew in the delight of her energy.

25 Let her not seek for reward, but only for her own perfection; thus shall the action itself become perfect. Let her turn from the transient and find delight in the Eternal.

26 For every earthly action is the shadow of some higher form; and the soul must choose whether in her act she shall approach that form, or sink from it into deeper shadows and the morass of illusion.

27 She who rejects the light of the Spirit in this world shall, beyond death, be plunged into darkness and the confusion of bodiless echoes.

28 But every act that is performed in dedication to the Mother is an expression of the soul's true self, and loosens the chains of her bondage.

29 If the soul live in Light, no thing shall be impossible to her, for her will shall become one with the will of our Lady.

30 Love is the force of harmony by which all existence is made possible.

31 For the perfect existence of the Spirit, its very nature is Love. The pure soul is in harmony with the Goddess and with her self and with all things.

32 And for the existence that has fallen from perfection; truly it is the music of Divine harmony which sustains it in the motion of its wholeness.

33 It is Love that holds the drop of dew pendent upon a blade of grass, neither flowing forth in watery profusion, but swelling within the unseen urn of its brief harmony.

34 It is Love that holds the stars within their courses, and all the worlds of the immeasurable cosmos within the harmony of the celestial music.

35 Truly, all the cycles of the times and the seasons; all the rhythms of the soul and of the mind and of the body: truly all these flow from the love of our Lady the Maid, that creation may not decompose, each several member flying away into black eternal chaos.

36 For Light is the essence and Love is the form. And it is by Love that the essence of a tree remains a tree. Else

might it as well become a rushing wind or a forked lightning flash.

37 How shall the soul attain to Love?

38 Let her open herself to every creature in compassion and in care.

39 Let her seek to do no harm to any being.

40 Let her love extend even to those who do her hurt; and let her seek to understand them.

41 For perfect love is perfect knowledge and perfect knowledge is perfect love.

42 Let her know that no creature gains good for herself by any harmful act; for every stone returns to she that throws it in the fullness of time. And the shaft that her hand releases shall fly a thousand years until it cleave her heart.

43 But she that does a kindly action shall be thrice blessed.

44 Once in the doing of it; for the hand of the Goddess shall rest upon her.

45 Once in the raising of her soul upon the path toward her Lady.

46 And once in the deed itself; for every rose plucked and sent forth shall come as a gift to her when her heart is weary, and every cup of wine that she gives to another shall quench the thirst of her own lips in the fullness of time.

47 She who gives succour to those who have need prepares a place of safe repose for her soul. And she who turns

no creature away surrounds her soul with beautiful things.

48 For the soul that grows in Love grows ever more beautiful, but the soul that turns from Love is repellent of aspect. 49 Let the soul know before all that the greatest love is the love of the Goddess, and from this love all other loves flow.

50 Let her open herself to her Lady that She may come as a perfect love for Her. Let her learn of the Goddess that eternal Love which is the Goddess.

51 And she who loves her Lady in perfection shall have perfect love of all Her creatures, even as She.

52 For this is the Love that is perfect knowledge, and the knowledge that is perfect Love

ON OUR MOTHER'S LOVE

Take heart, My children, take joy and courage in our Mother.

2. For She that created you also loves you, even to the end of the age.

3. Take heart, though you have turned from Her.

4. For She has not forsaken you, neither are Her eyes filled with anger.

5. And Her hands that have shattered the gates of Hell shall not harm you; that have broken Hell's foundation shall be lain on you in gentleness.

6. Therefore hide yourself not from Her, and put aside the tangled weeds of thought that strive each with the other.

7. For of all things, love is the simplest.

THE CHILD

A little child ran into the arms of the Daughter of Light, and her mother put forth her arm to restrain her.

2. But Inanna lifted up the child in Her arms, and about the child's head there shone a radiant light.

3. See! cried Inanna, the radiant soul of your child shines forth upon the world because she is in My arms,

4. Yet you would have held her from Me.

5. If your child is hungry, do you not giver her good nourishment? Why, then, do you starve her soul and giver her not the food of the Spirit?

6. Do you not warm her body with blankets and a blazing fire? Why, then, do you leave her soul in the cold and darkness?

7. Is not this child entrusted to your care by Heaven? Shall you not give her the food of My Truth and the light of My Love?

8. And her mother was ashamed, and cried: Inanna, I offer you this child, take her and nourish her, that her soul may shine forth, and she may come at last to our Mother.

9. And Inanna said: I shall receive your child: I shall set a Genia of Heaven to be the guardian of her soul, and the Geniae of the seven spheres shall pour their gifts upon her.

10. And laying Her hands upon the head of the child, She blessed her, and gave her again into the hands of her mother, saying:

11. Let this child walk upon the earth in the light of the Spirit, for she is entered into the family of Heaven.

THE CLEW OF THE HORSE

Earth moves, but Heaven is still. The rim revolves, but the Centre remains without motion.

2. Yet from the still point all movement comes; and Earth is the shadow of Heaven.

3. Space doth extend without limit, nor is there any boundary to the worlds, but the Point is without extension; yet from the Point alone all space proceedeth.

4. All manifest things are bound to the three times; of that which is, which was, which is to come; but the Moment is without time. It neither is nor was, nor ever will be.

5. Yet the Moment is seed and germ of time; the timeless spring wherein time's mighty river hath its rise.

6. The Point and the Moment and the timeless Centre; these three are One and the One is the Spirit.

7. Each manifest thing hath a cause, and each cause hath a cause before it, but the First

Cause hath no cause before Her, and She is the Spirit.

8. She that acts not is the Cause of all action. She that is not is the Cause of all being. She that is still is the Centre and Source of all movement.

9. At the rim is the movement greatest; close unto the centre is it least.

10. Where there is no movement there is purity.

11. The Spirit in maid loveth purity, yet her mind doth distract her. The mind craveth peace, yet he is made mad by the poisons.

12. The poisons are three, and the first of the three is named folly.

13. Folly is that forgetfulness that doth stand between maid and the truth, like to an hoodwink that darkens her eyes.

14. And even when her mind doth seize the truth is her stomach beglamoured by the veil of illusion.

15. Desire and hatred are the other twain; that which pursues and grasps the way of pleasure; that which avoids and shuns the way of pain.

16. These two must keep the wheel forever turning; the two blind oxen that drive it ever round.

17. Yet what can come of this but pain and sorrow? Whatever moves can never come to rest. 18. All things; once gained, must pass into the darkness, all things, once built, must crumble into dust.

19. Sickness, old age and death must come to all maids; what thing within this life shouldst thou pursue?

20. They fairest hopes undone bring desolation, or else, fulfilled, shall vanish in a day.

21. Life is a passing dream; of all its treasures, there is no thing among them shall endure.

22. Restrain thy soul from chasing bright illusions. Let her return to purity again.

23. Thus shall she come once more to the still Centre, thus shall she stay upon her Mother's breast.

24. Chasten thy soul with shame and make her humble; thus shall she come to peace and sweet repose.

25. When she has ceased from all movement, then she and the Centre are one.

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26. In the lucid darkness, in the indrawn breath, from whence all comes, whereto all must return, there lie two, the one and the many.

27. The first is called by the name of wisdom, the second by the name of folly.

28. And still beyond these two is She that doth govern them both, like to a maid that breathes both in and out.

29. She rules both the rivers and the wellsprings, the wellsprings and the mighty sea.

30. When the Word was spoken and the worlds were born, She did observe in silence.

31. Her webs She did outweave, both longwise and crosswise did She spread them, to cover every corner of the field.

32. These will She draw together when that there time is come.

33. All the holy Ranyas are Her servants; the craftmaids are created by Her craft. She doth govern all, and all She will ingather when the worlds are rolled up like to a parchment scroll.

34. And even as the splendid sun, singing aloud in her brightness, doth shine unto the heights and to the depths, and all the four directions, so doth She govern all that hath come to birth.

35. She that doth unfold all things like to a rose from the seed of Her being; She that doth nurture unto fullness each thing that hath fullness within it; She that doth scatter the colours, 'tis She that doth govern the world.

36. But She that taketh the colours upon Her, that doth work the soil and also eat the grain; She doth partake of the fruits of Her working.

37. All shapes She doth assume, and every form and likeness; for She is of three strains commingled.

38. Three paths She doth follow, and Her road doth wind according to Her works.

39. Like to the size of a maiden's thumb She is, and radiant as the sun, when thought and will have harbour in Her bosom.

40. But when knowing and being are all of Her workings, then She is like to another, no greater than the point of a needle.

41. Think that She is but a part of the hundredth part of an hair's tip, divided an hundred times. Yet She is like to all the manifest world.

42. No form She hath, nor colour, no scent nor any savour; yet all things that She doth enter, She becometh.

43. According to the acts that She performeth, and the choices wherewith they are directed;

44. by these She doth take on unnumbered shapes, and numberless conditions doth She enter.

45. She that hath no beginning nor any end; She that did stand in the heart of chaos and make all things harmonious, She that doth bear the worlds within Her hand; the maid that knoweth Her is truly free.

46. She that is the maker of being and of unbeing; She that is all that is and all that is not; the maid that knoweth her in truth hath left all worlds; hath left in truth the body and the mind.

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47. Thou art not thy body, nor is thy body any portion of thee.

48. It is an estate which thou hold'st for a time, and after a time shall pass from thee.

49. Therefore, have thou governance of thy body, nor let it be in any thing thy ruler.

50. Keep it in purity as a temple built of earth and a place of devotion.

51. Thou art not thy mind, nor is thy mind any portion of thee.

52. It is an estate which thou hold'st for a time, and after a time shall pass from thee.

53. For longer than the body shalt thou hold it; and when the body passeth into dust, still it shall be with thee.

54. Yet in its turn shall it pass away, and in its appointed season.

55. But thou shalt never pass away; when all the worlds are dust thou shalt endure.

56. Therefore, have thou governance of thy mind, nor let it be in any thing thy ruler.

57. Keep it in purity as a temple built of air and a place of devotion.

58. Hard to govern is the mind, like to a proud horse that drinketh the wind, filled with his own desires.

59. Fain would he draw the rein from thy hand and carry you where he will; fain would he take the body for his mistress.

60. Like to a bird that doth hop from twig to twig, turning first to one fruit, then to another, without control or constancy.

61. Yet calm the mind and bring him to the garden of thy Lady; to the peaceful garden to rest by gentle streams.

62. By long training is he brought to contemplation; is he bridled that he may tread the heavens.

63. Let him be in harmony in all things. In the smallest actions, let his steps be measured.

64. Let the body obey her in her harmony, that all works show forth control, respect and courtesy.

65. As in a dance, the two shall act together, as in a dance where each doth know her part.

66. For if thy horse run loose upon the high-road, how shalt thou learn to ride among the stars?

THE HEART OF WATER

Place wholly your trust in the Spirit, My Mother, for She is the Rich, the all-sufficient.

2. What canst thou lack if thou art Hers, for the whole of the cosmos is thine.

3. Walk gently on the earth, for the earth is thy sister, and the creatures thereof are thy kin.

4. I have set maids to watch upon them; treat them not, then, with hardness.

5. Raise not your voice above the gentle tone except it be in song, nor seek to put thyself above another, for the spirit in each is a ray of the Spirit My Mother, and as thou render service unto them, so servest thou also Her.

6. Walk thou in meekness on the earth, forgive all ills, and treat all souls as thou wouldst thyself be treated.

7. The hard shall break, the mighty shall fail, but the supple shall endure for ever.

8. There is no thing strong but shall meet a stronger, yet where is the hand that shall break water?

9. The hard find not the Spirit My Mother, for their hearts are frozen, like to the hard and brittle ice.

10. In their own might they suppose themselves to stand, yet how mighty is the tree whose roots are not in the deep earth?

11. And the roaring river, how long shall she flow when she is severed from the source?

12. The icy heart shall break, for it rests upon illusion, yet the heart of water shall endure.

13. The heart of water is not proud, she trusts not in herself. She seeks not power nor authority, for there is no authority save in the Spirit My Mother.

14. I am every priestess and every mother, each princess and each lady of the earth, and none has authority save in Me. Therefore obey me in your lady, for I am your Lady in she.

15. The heart of water is all obedience, nor hardens against her lady. The heart of water lays claim to nothing, therefore possesses all things.

16. Authority flows from the heart of water because she possesses none. The heart of ice has not authority, neither flows it from her.

17. Authority in the name of maids is false, and the disobedient may not command. When the heart of ice seizes the reins there is strife and contention, for each icy heart seeks to possess the world.

18. Where authority is not, there is no agreement, where hardness prevails, the waters cannot flow.

19. When each spoke assays to be the centre, the wheel cannot turn.

20. Who rules in her own right is a tyrant, or yet in the right of other maids. There is but one authority and the Truth alone is true.

21. Eat not the bread of tyrants nor drink their drink, but offer them first to She that owns them.

22. Join not their contentions, neither be a party to one side nor to the other, for they are anathemis.

23. Thou shalt obey thy Lady, though all the world deny Her; and thus obey each lady of the earth whose authority flows from the fountainhead of Her Truth,

24. Yea, though the world pay them not honour and power lie in the hand of tyranny.

25. For though in this place thou seemest but a few, and Her servants reduced to a remnant, yet in truth the age of the unbelievers is but a moment in the endless stream of time;

26. and this world but a grain of sand on the shore of unnumbered worlds.

27. In truth thou art surrounded by the bright host of Her children, serried through time and space, in whose light the unbelievers are but the remnant of a remnant, and their world but a cobweb in the midst of a glittering palace.

28. And thou art one with that shining host; each radiant soul is thy sister.

29. Who lives in true obedience is free, for Her service is perfect freedom;

30. But the disobedient are slaves; puppets of the passions and the senses, with no true will.

31. Those who do evil are the slaves of evil, their freedom is but an illusion.

32. Let the brother obey the sister, and the younger sister obey the elder. Let the child obey the mother and the husband obey the wife.

33. Let the wife obey the lady of the household. Let the lady of the household give obedience to the priestess; let the priestess give obedience unto Me.

34. Let the maid obey the mistress, let the pupil obey the ranya. Thus shall all things be in harmony and harmony be in all things.

35. Fear not the way of obedience, for in that way art thou wholly secure. Let thy mistress direct thee and thou shalt be led unto the perfect garden of Avala.

36. To rest in the hands of a mistress that ruleth in themis is to rest in Mine own hands, and I shall enfold you in the hand of love and keep you in a gentle safe-keeping.

37. But she that followeth not the path of obedience resteth in the hands of the passions, whose wild winds blow this way and that;

38. She giveth obedience to the demons of the wind that lead her not into safety, but toss her upon the storm. They raise her up only to throw her down and take delight in her anguish.

39. The way of obedience is a safe harbour and a well-made vessel that shall bear the soul unto the nether shore.

40. A golden chain of love doth link each maid with her mistress,

41. from the humblest of them that love Me unto the very Geniae of Heaven.

42. A golden chain from the summit of the mountain unto the deepest depth.

43. And it shall lift up each soul to the golden land of Avala, and to the yet more beauteous lands beyond.

44. If a maiden rule by authority of themis and yet obeyeth not; if themis is broken her heart is turned to ice;

45. let her be made the least among the children and be the servant of those she has wrongly ruled.

46. Let her feel the chastening willow-rod and feel also the love of her mistress until her heart be melted.

47. But them that rule not by authority of themis, whose dominion floweth not from the love of My Mother;

48. truly the gates of their empire shall be shattered, even as the gates of Hell.

49. They that live in discord with eternal harmony; in discord shall they perish.

50. Their cities that stand so proud upon the morning shall be rendered asunder before the even come. No pillar shall stand erect, nor any stone lie whole upon another.

51. The empire that has not themis its foundation; that rests upon the world for its support; that bears false truth emblaz'd upon its banner; is like to a city builded on the ice.

52. The tyrant that Irkalla makes her puppet, to rule in falsehood and to strangle truth, like to a mirror broken and perverted, reflecting true themis tortured from its true form;

53. Into what darkness shall her actions lead her; truly, her actions forge an iron chain to bind her fast and suffer no release.

54. That these dark latter times should come upon thee, was it not known before the dawn of time?

55. That the heart of ice should rule the heart of water and ignorance seize the reins in every land.

56. That the wicked should ride aloft in a golden chariot and the wise and the good be trampled to the earth.

57. Evil must needs arise and be triumphant, and the dark mistress have her night of power.

58. Yet dark is the path of them that prepare her entry, and swiftly shall they behold the night of blood;

59. for she is the dragon that devours her children and casts her servants into the lake of fire.

60. And what shall pass within the earthly empire shall pass within the empire of the soul.

61. Follow thou, then, the gentle way of themis; let not thy heart be taken by the ice.

62. Let her sweet waters flow unto thy Mother, tread thou the way of quietness and love.

63. Follow this way and thou shalt see perfection. The sun shall rise and scatter the darkness hence.

64. And after the long and wearisome night-journey, thou shalt behold the light of the golden dawn.

THE LIGHT

1. I am sent of My Mother to bring you a light, that you may find your souls before the darkness comes.

2. Seek not advantage over other creatures, but let you be indifferent as to whose is the advantage.

3. Seek excellence, but seek nor praise nor honour nor reward.

4. Practice not revenge, but offer only love to them that harm you; and those that would take from you, give to them freely.

5. Be you the servant of every maid, ranking not yourself above the lowest; nor for the highest let ungentleness or envy touch your soul.

6. But before and beyond the love of maids there lies the love of God; for She is the Source and Fountain of all love.

7. Therefore the love of God is also the love of maids.

8. But the love of maids is not the love of God, and those who say so are the prisoners of a lie, for the truth is not with them.

9. And unless the truth be with her, how shall any find her soul?

10. And a maiden questioned the Daughter of Light, saying: what shall we say of she who has love of maids, but knows not the Goddess; shall she find her soul?

11. And thus was Her reply:

12. Of no single maid shall you say any thing, for it is given to you to see but the outward part, and in the outward part lies not the truth, but only in the inward being.

13. Therefore set yourself not as judges over any maid; for there is One alone that sees all things, and She alone has power to judge.

14. You are not judges even of yourselves; for you see but a little further into the inwardness of your own being than into that of another - nay, oftentimes not so far.

15. Therefore pray in supplication for the Light Divine that you may make true examination of your heart; but do not pray for knowledge of another.

16. Yet this much may be told: that My Mother, Who is Light, has sent one light upon the world, and I am that light; and none shall find her soul except in the light.

17. Therefore go you out among maids and teach them the good doctrine, for the time of this world is shorter than you suppose.

18. They that know not the good doctrine, nor have beheld the light will say that maids are good, and all good things may be achieved of maids,

19. and thus will they deny the kear of their own souls. But they are the prisoners of a lie, and the truth is not with them.

20. For every human soul began in Good, yet she is riven through with kear.

21. Except she die and be reborn in Spirit, her fairest rose shall have a canker, her sweetest wine shall turn to vinegar.

22. There lived once a race of maids in the deepest caverns of the earth, beset with chill and darkness.

23. And in the uttermost depths of that cavern burnt a fire, shedding a little light and warmth upon that world.

24. And the maids lived close to the fire; sometimes in harmonious accord, ensuring that each should have just portion of the light, but more often in strife and contention wherein the strong thrust themselves to the fore and the weak were forced back into the darkness.

25. And one maid, being wearied of this strife, journeyed away from the fire; away even from the half-light where the weakest dwelt in misery and envy.

26. This maid journeyed into the blackest darkness wherein was dwelt neither light nor warmth.

27. And having travelled long in this darkness, she saw a light which grew greater as she advanced,

28. until she came out upon the upper world, all lighted and warmed by the sun.

29. and her light wasa hundred times brighter than the fire, and her warmth a hundred times greater; yet she did not scorch the flesh nor sear the eyes, as often did the fire to those that came to close.

30. And more than this, the air was clear, and was not filled with smoke.

31. Joyfully lived the maid in the light of the sun, until, giving thought to her sisters, she resolved herself to return into the darkness, that that she might bring them with her to the light.

32. But when she came to her sisters and told them all that she had learned, in anger did they turn upon her.

33. Some close to the fire cried: sure you are seeking to rob us of our place for which we have contended and rightly have earned.

34. Some far from the fire cried: surely you are a hireling of those at the front, to turn us from our just battle for an equal place.

35. And some, having more understanding, said: we will stoke the fire until it burns more brightly than any sun.

36. You will see that all good things can be achieved by us in this cavern.

37. But the maid replied, saying: If you had seen the sun and the glorious land over which she reigns, then you would not utter such words,

38. for they would ring hollow in your ears, like to empty flagons clashing each on each.

39. Yet more than this, your fire is dying.

40. Neither today nor on the morrow may it die; yet in truth you know that no power can save this fire, for it is the fire or mortality and is foredoomed to die.

41. And then will be but ashes and blackened embers in the darkness.

42. And some, understanding even this, said: All these things we believe.

43. Yet show us a way that we may go without going into the dark; for we would not leave this fire until we are in the sunlight.

44. But the maiden said: You cannot find the true light without taking leave of the false.

45. Nor is there any way into the world of light save first you go into the dark.

46. But come a little while into the darkness, for there will be a greater darkness when the fire dies.

47. Yet few were they that understood these words, and few that followed her.

THE MANTLE

1. You that are weary with the world, you that are lonely, you that have suffered hardship, that have suffered hurt; come, gather about Me and be you enfolded in My mantle.

2. In the inner silence you shall hear Me, and in the inner darkness shall you see Me.

3. And the future shall be better than the past.

4. Come, seek protection in My mantle, for I have turned no creature from Me, be you

sheltered in the folds of My garment.

5. For the ills of the world shall pass away, even as the terrors of the night.

6. And the dawn shall be bright with splendour and sweet with the singing of the blessed souls.

7. And I shall be your comfort in the darkness.

THE PILLAR OF LIGHT

1. Upon the Heaven are these words inscribed, the words of thy salvation. Upon the Heaven in signs of fire before the dawn of time. Upon the Crystal Tablet that passeth not away.

2. In the tongue of tongues are they inscribed, and in the tongue of Geniae that was before all tongues.

3. What is your language of the earth, My children? What are the words of thy speech?

4. Are they not fallen from the first, the mother language? Are they not broken and impaired?

5. Yet I have brought to you a clear recital; a faultless sound of the celestial voice.

6. I have forged your words into a crystal mirror that they may reflect the Truth; and the words that are writ upon the Heaven are transcribed without fault upon the earth.

7. Gaze deep into the crystal mirror and thy heart shall be transformed; hearken to the clear recital. 8. For there is no other Truth than this, nor any way unto salvation.

9. Them that have seen these signs and do not heed them; ignorant they, and full of folly.

10. Hard are their hearts, like to ice that resisteth love's fire.

11. In the things of the world have they rested their trust; they seek Truth in the veil of illusion.

12. An hundred pursuits they pursue, and in them seek contentment.

13. Ask them: where shalt thou hide when the storm is upon thee, and wherein take shelter?

14. An hundred safe places there are and an hundred good havens; even so shall they answer.

15. An hundred most truly there are, yet but one is the Truth, and the ninety and nine are illusion. For this world shall dissolve and its splendours be vanished; its pain and its sorrows shall pass like the summer rain.

16. Life is not long, death is swift in the coming; and the ninety and nine thousand things shall be gone, but the Truth shall remain.

17. The world is but a shadow, yet it is a shadow of Truth; and at the ending of the age shall the world be redeemed.

18. Neither a leaf upon a bramble shall be lost, nor a blade of grass pass into nothingness.

19. But thou, My children, of all the world, thou alone have power to choose; and thus art thou called maid, for maid is she that hath the power of choosing.

20. Fix then your will upon the Truth and your heart upon the Spirit My Mother, for by your love shall the world be redeemed, even to the last blade of grass.

21. In thy work praise Her and in thy resting, in thy speech and in thy silence.

22. For thou wert made one with Her, and this is thy true estate. It is good for a maid to till the soil, but it is better to live with her Lady. It is good to build and to weave, but it is better to live with her Lady. It is good to serve maids in every way, but it is better to live with her Lady.

23. She that liveth wholly with her Lady is the servant of all the world; no labour is so great as this, nor so greatly to be honoured.

24. She that has followed Me upon the mountain liveth wholly with her Lady and treadeth no step without Her.

25. She doth eat not to herself, but to her Lady; she moveth not nor drinketh to herself.

26. Hard is the path upon the mountain and narrow the way. Yet none know joy to its fullest measure save only them that tread it.

27. None shall call upon Me and be lost. Every cry of the world shall I heed; and when the whole of a heart cries upon Me, that soul shall I take beneath My mantle.

28. Cry and thou shalt have answer; love and thou art beloved, hope and thy hope shall be fulfilled, in this world and in all the worlds to come.

29. Hold fast to the Truth, for the Truth is a pillar; a steadfast pillar that all the world cannot shake.

30. Not by the breadth of an hair has it moved since time's dawning, nor yet by the breadth of an hair until time have its end.

31. From the uttermost height of the Heaven descendeth the pillar; descendeth it down as a glorious pillar of Light. To the nethermost depths of the hells it descendeth; nor the might of the demons can move it the breadth of an hair.

32. Like to a mist is this world that surroundeth the pillar; to a mist that is swiftly dispelled by the cold wind of death.

33. Hold you fast to the Truth, for the Truth, is thy shelter; a sure refuge gainst which neither death nor the storm shall prevail.

34. This world shall be scattered like straw, and an hundred shall follow; and each in its turn shall be scattered like chaff on the wind.

35. The empires are born and decay, the stars live and perish, but the pillar of Truth moveth not by the breadth of an hair.

36. Like to a play is thy life, and the acting of mummers; like to a painted scene all the things of the world

37. The things of thy life and its acts and its purposes; where shall they be in an hundred score years from this day? Yet an hundred score years are no more than a breath in the measureless life of thy soul.

38. The things thou doest of themselves are nothing; the things thou buildest or that thou destroy; the things the foolish take for life's high purpose, are but painted scenes gainst which the play is played.

39. For the play is not on earth but in the Heaven, not in the body, nor yet in the mind, but deep within the soul.

40. Truly, the truth of the play is the dance of the soul;

41. her journey through forests and plains, over seas, over mountains; her restless and wearisome quest through the whole of the world;

42. and each step brings her nearer to That which she yearns for in secret; or else, in her ignorance, carries her further away.

43. Like a leaf on the wind is the foolish soul blown without purpose; the plaything of passions, the puppet of every desire;

44. knowing not whence she comes, nor where she is going; seeking substance in shadows and having no heed for the Truth.

45. All the glories of earth are but shadows of Heavenly splendour; all earthly desires but reflections of Heavenly love.

46. Hold you fast to the Truth, for the Truth is thy guide through the labyrinth. Hold you fast to the Truth and thy steps shall be led not astray.

47. Hold you fast to the Truth, and give heed to the lucid recital, for the pillar of Truth moveth not by the breadth of an hair.