mythology

01
May
2020

How She Came to the Earth, and Returned to the Darkness

Otherwise known as ‘The Story of Star Goddess and Star Dragon.’
 
 

Star Goddess. 2020.
Original photography by @n8rayfield
Photo manipulation by Kalagni

 

She was first, first created before all creation; within her illimitable being were all things. From out of herself, the first darkness, she divided herself, into darkness and light she was divided for love’s sake. Luciferrus, her brother, her son, herself, and her other half, was the light of the worlds.

 
All things were made by her, and of her; the great spirits of the stars, humans upon the earth, giants which were of old, and they who dwelt in the dark of the below.
 
She longed for the return of the light, but Luciferrus fled from her. He was the light that flies into the farthest reaches of the heavens.
 
She went to the Patres Principis, the Matres Aeternitatis, and the Filii Deorum, she lamented her separation from Luciferrus, wanting the darkness to swallow up the light. These great spirits praised her and told her that to rise she must fall; to become the great goddess of her nature, to obtain the light, she must become a mortal.
 
And it came to pass when the world was formed, she went on the earth, as did her brother, her son, her other half, the light. She taught sorcery upon the earth and came to know her brother, her son, her other half. Her sorcery spun the lives of all humanity, all things were spun from the wheel of her being. Luciferrus turned the wheel. She was crowned Queen of the Witches by all the folk who were other.
 
She was divided, and she was united, and she birthed herself as a great daughter upon the earth. The great year of existences turned, and it came time for her to become herself once more. To shed her mortality and limitations, and to ascend back to the first darkness.
 
In the great year, the shapes of the earth had changed, the stars had drifted, and the way to the heavens was lost to her. She searched upon the mountain tops, but could not find a way to the heavens. She searched within the earth, finding stars reflected in the darkness beneath, but not a way to the heavens. The gates had been closed. She travelled to the witches, who knew not yet the way to the heavens. She sought out the Patres Principis, the Matres Aeternitatis, and the Filii Deorum, but these great spirits too were barred from the heavens and knew not the way.
 
She went to the desert place, riding a humble beast of burden. She petitioned the stars to welcome her home but heard only her echo. She called her mount to her side and sang enchantments. As she sang the beasts of the wild came to prey upon her mount. The mount cried out, others of their kind came and surrounded them; watching and guarding against the beasts of the wild.
 
She reached into the heavens and plucked a handful of stars. One by one she blessed the stars. One by one she placed the blessed stars upon her mount. Fourteen stars beyond, shining in the heavens, fourteen stars within, reflected in her mount. The tongue, the eyes, the skull, the horns, the spine, the claws, the wings, the feet, and the tail. Fourteen stars above, fourteen stars below, but only fourteen stars, for whether above or below, beyond or within, they were the same stars. From her mount, she forged the dragon of the starry abyss, the ageless serpent of the star-jewelled cleft, seen in the sky-mirror of eternity.
 
The light of the star-forged dragon terrified the beasts of the wild, who struck out in fear and confusion. They killed the beasts of burden protecting the dragon, and in the birth pangs of the stellar serpent they struck a mortal wound to the unarmoured heart of the dragon, before being consumed by the starlight.
 
The light of the star-forged dragon shone across the world, the Patres Principis, the Matres Aeternitatis, the Filii Deorum, the folks who were other, and all the witches saw in the brilliance of the stars, the original glory of she who taught them.
 
The stars within and the stars beyond, the single flame of union. The light of the star-forged dragon, the light of the fourteen blessed stars illuminated the vault of the heavens, tracing the borders of eternity and infinity. The fourteen blessed stars within and beyond revealed the gates of the heavens.
 
She mounted the wounded dragon, the great beast of darkness and stars. With wings of fire-feathered starlight and wings of mist-feathered infernal light, the dragon mount carried them skyward. As they rose heaven-bound her wounded mount bled, leaving behind paths of blood and starlight, paths only the wise ones could perceive, and traverse.
 
The ways of the stars and the gates of the heavens laid open before them. They reached the farthest reaches of the night sky. With her blessing, she let her faithful mount reside in the heavens, made immortal by becoming the fourteen stars. Residing in the heavens to watch over the earth and the ways of the stars.
 
From the farthest reaches of the night sky, the edge of eternity and infinity, she could remember herself once more and stepped into the first darkness to become the nothing she always was.
 

This is a new myth, but as Grograman says in The Neverending Story “A story can be new and yet tell about olden times. The past comes into existence with the story.” From the moment of creation, it has always existed. This is a new myth, based on old myths and modern recensions of old magick.

I had been undertaking a year-long magickal ordeal, but after eight months I felt as if I get very little from the practice. I’ve done big long intensive ordeals, ones that demand a lot more of my time, energy, and soul. I do some form of Buddhist retreat every year now, I’ve performed a pretty close-to-the-text Abramelin, I’ve made up and followed my own cycle of spells and growth. I don’t think it was an issue with performing such an ordeal, just this one wasn’t working for me, we didn’t click, the fire never caught, it was mostly routine. Divinations confirmed it wasn’t worth me continuing, but also said things didn’t look good if I stopped it either. Bored if I do, damned if I don’t.

My friend Sara gave me a reading. (As an aside if you’re looking for someone to get a reading from I can’t recommend Sara highly enough) She gave me a wonderful piece of advice that I would never have thought of. I can’t just switch from the current ritual ordeal to a new practice, I have obligations to the ordeal, and I need respectfully relieve myself of the obligations to direct that dedication into the new practice. The advice was that in order to make this transition, I had to come up with a story that illustrated this transition of practices and brought them together. I would have never thought of such a thing. I’ll confess whenever I work through a magickal book I almost never do the journalling exercises, I’ve never found them that useful. I wouldn’t have thought to make a story.

At first, I saw it just as an intellectual exercise to symbolically link the practices. But as I wrote I became, dare I say it, inspired? It stopped being me constructing a myth, and became a myth that seemed to pour forth from my mindstream.

This myth is heavily inspired by the myth of Diana from Leland’s Aradia: Gospel of the Witches, and ritual cycle from the Dragon-Book of Essex. Elements from both were woven together around a new myth. What I have to say surprised me was just how much magick there was in crafting this myth. As I said, I saw this just as an intellectual exercise but I found there is deep magick and wisdom in stories I had overlooked.

For the first time, I think I really grokked why in so many cultures the shamans and sorcerers are also the storytellers. There is magick in bringing a myth to exist. Writing this myth I felt the energies I had locked in the old routine releasing. Energy I was unaware of being held up in this magickal routine was released, and returned. But as my oaths were returned this energy shifted into my new practice. While I did the intellectual work of designing a ritual to shift between the old and the new practices, the deeper magick of that shift was bringing the myth to be.

In the end, I honestly feel as if the mythcrafting did more of the releasing and shifting of energy than the ritual that I had designed to do just that. I wouldn’t have expected that, but I see now perhaps I didn’t give enough credit to the power of poems and myths.

I want to thank Sara for literally being the inspiration for writing this, without your insight, I would have never thought to make a myth. So thank you to the great poet witch.

And a thank you to Polyphanes for putting up with my strange Latin questions.

As of today the Star Dragon has ascended into the Heavens to return the Star Goddess to her rightful place as Nothing.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
26
Oct
2018

Starry Path: Zoriyah, and Star Fire

The first of the children of Cosmos and Star Goddess I want to introduce is Zoriyah. He is not necessarily the most important or the most powerful among them, but he is the Steward of the Star Fire, and as such is the initiator of the Path and the transmitter of the power.

Zoriyah is the Steward of the Star Fire. He rejoices in bringing the Fires of Heaven to those below, but he is not interested in challenging journeys. He enjoys introducing magick, but not the long process of teaching. After lighting the Fire of Passion he often moves on. He plays other roles as the Steward, but this is the main one we need to focus on for now.

Zoriyah (צריעיה) appears as a tall lean man of African descent, but his dark skin glows with a soft golden sheen from within. He wears flowing robes and scarves of bright white with faint blue tips, they always seem to drift around him, as if they weigh almost nothing and are dancing on a gentle breeze. Star Fire is one of the most basic and versatile magickal energies on the Starry Path. As a simple and powerful energy it is something Zoriyah enjoys, for it is easy to teach enough for someone to feel magick, and then he can move on.

((To clarify, I included the name spelt in Hebrew not because these spirits are Hebrew/Jewish/Middle Eastern in any way, but as someone with a ceremonial background I do find Hebrew useful.))

Star Fire is a type of energy, a specific frequency, that is used on the Starry Path, one of several. Star Fire represents, not surprisingly, the fire of stars, which on the Starry Path is also the fire of the very spirits we work with, even if they are now (mostly) earthbound. It is also the most general or neutral of the energies on the Path, which is why it’s a great place to start. The introduction to Star Fire is also connected to the creation of the Salt of Star Fire, one of the most commonly used materia on the Starry Path.

Salt of Star Fire is an important ingredient to a lot of Starry Path work, but just as important is the process of connecting to the Star Fire. Salt of Star Fire is an Earthing of this Energy, grounding it into the physical realm. As you call it into the physical realm you experience the feel of Star Fire. The colours, the bright white yellows and wispy blue curls, the swirling flutter of movement, the gentle hiss and pop of the fire. In this process you connect with the Star Fire, which will allow you to call upon it without the use of salt or flame. I will include a working in the next post that is another way to connect to Star Fire if you feel that you need a separate refresher or a deeper connection.

Follow the ingredients as they are here, Zoriyah was adamant about natron, and a drinkable alcohol. The rest of the ingredients are more flexible. For instance if you don’t have cedar, another sweet wood works.

Below is the ritual for both connecting to Star Fire and creating Salt of Star Fire

 

Calling Zoriyah and Star Fire

Required:

  • Metal fireproof bowl with trivet (if performed inside)
  • Glass fireproof bowl (blue glass is preferred)
  • Candles (1 black Star Goddess candle, 5 white tealights)
  • Natron* (See how to make below the required materials)
  • Vodka (or another high alcoholic content drinkable alcohol)
  • Matchs (Either long matches or a pair of tongs is required)
  • Self-igniting Charcoal for incense
  • Incense holder
  • Incense (1 part myrrh, 1 part red sanders, 1 part cedar, 1 part mastic)

*Natron is a naturally forming salt mixture on the shores of saline bodies of water. It is easy enough to make your own, and I don’t know of any spirit who complains about homemade natron. Mix 1 part table salt with 1 part baking soda. Mix this up, and then add in water until you get a thick paste you can spread. (Some instructions say to boil the mixture, I’ve tried both ways and found little to no difference) Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet and put in the oven at 150C (300F) to dry it out. Once the water is evaporated you’re left with sheets of natron, you can then crumble it up and store it in containers until you need it.

The glass fireproof bowl should be small enough to fit in the metal fireproof bowl. If performed inside using both bowls and small amounts make it relatively safe (but always act with caution if working with fire indoors), if performed outside the outer metal bowl isn’t required and you can use larger amounts, just make sure you the fire isn’t near anything that could catch fire.

Light the charcoal puck, it will take some time to heat up all the way through. Have the matches on hand and know roughly where the black Star Goddess candle is. If you’re inside turn off all the lights you can, if outside this is best performed at night, even better at the New Moon and never on the Full Moon.

In darkness pray to the Star Goddess, and light the black candle. Pray for Their guidance and Their presence, pray adoration for Their Beauty, the Majesty of all reality.

Pray to the Star Goddess who birthed all, then pray to the first of Their children, the early stars. Pray for their light, their guidance and presence. Light a tealight from the Star Goddess candle. Pray to solar systems in the same way and light another tealight from the last one. Pray to galaxies in the same way and light another tealight from the last one. Pray to galactic clusters in the same way and light another tealight from the last one. Pray out to all the Cosmos and light the last tea light.

(Praying to solar systems, galaxies, and clusters might seem unusual but understand that these spirits literally identify themselves with stars, so you’re praying to spirits and legions and groups of them)

Put the incense on the charcoal. “From Resinous Earth, to Watery Melt, to Fiery Force, and Smoke filled Air, drift into the Aethyr and call down the Spirits, the first ones, the shining ones, those who descended from the heights to teach humanity.

Put two parts natron inside the glass container, add one part vodka, and mix.

Slowly chant Zoriyah’s name, calling him down. See his Seal over the container of natron. As you chant his name, see a thin tendril of white fire from the heavens flow into the container of natron. “Zoriyah, Steward of Star Fire. He who lights the fires of humanity. Torch bearer. Come here and bless this vessel with your Star Fire.”

Place one hand over the natron container, see the Seal going through the natron and your hand, and guide him to place one hand into the natron, the other reaching up towards the stars. White fire tendrils from the heavens wrapping around Zoriyah’s form down his arm into the container through your hand. As his fire begins to enter the container remove your hand, light a match and light the natron on fire. Natron, alcohol, flame, and scent or earth, water, fire, air. Pray to Zoriyah, pray that the Star Fire and alcohol fire are one, that the fire purifies the natron. This physical fire becomes the embodiment of the magickal Star Fire. The Natron is the Earthing of Star Fire, the physical receptical. As such it lies between the worlds, and can be used to open the ways.

When the fire goes out mix up the natron again, and try lighting on fire, there is usually a little more alcohol to burn. Feel the sensation of Star Fire flowing through Zoriyah, feel the Fire in the container. Learn the feel of this fire, the sights and smells, and sounds and sensations. Using these you can now call on the Star Fire yourself when needed. It might not be as physically oriented as the Salt will be, but it will be a powerful and dynamic energy to work with.

When the fire goes out thank Zoriyah for giving you the Salt of Star Fire. You can use this for a variety of things on the Starry Path, but the first and perhaps most important is the Star Water, used for protection, cleaning, and most crucially spiritual sight and flight. I’ll discuss the Star Water in another post soon.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
21
Oct
2018

Starry Path: Cosmos, and Star Goddess

There is a lot to explore on the Starry Path, but it’s hard to know where to start. I will start with some basic introductions to two figures of the Path, and then shift into some actual work next time.

The Starry Path is either pantheistic, or panentheistic, that has not been made clear to me yet but on a practical level it does not matter, and it is polytheistic. While it has its own “gods” the focus is far more on the intermediary spirits, their children. There are two main deities, Cosmos and the Star Goddess. These are not new deities or anything like that. They’re universal concepts, universal beings, appearing in mythology from all over the world in archetypal forms. Cosmos and the Star Goddess are not new, but they are an exploration of those forces removed from the cultural contexts of the older myths. So far they have had no names revealed to me, several of the spirits have not provided names, they prefer expressive titles of who and what they are, rather than a name. So while They might have a name, They might have many names, the Star Goddess just wants to be known as the Star Goddess because of the image that conjures, it establishes who They are.

If the Path had a primary deity, it would probably be Cosmos. To quote St. Carl of Sagan “The Cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be.” Cosmos is an impersonal deity. They are beyond all conception and relation. Cosmos is everything, everywhere, everytime. Cosmos is the basis of all reality, inseparable from all things and no thing. As such they are an impersonal deity, which means they cannot be approached as a person or entity, they just are, they’re only really approached in a sense of reverence and communion.

The other main deity is the Star Goddess. In general I’m not a fan of the idea that all the gods are the same gods in different masks, for a variety of reasons. The Star Goddess is one of the few places where I think the idea is totally valid. There is a certain feel, almost a spiritual cadence to deities of the night and the stars, some of them touching on something primordial. Asteria, Nut, Nuit (Thelemic), the Black God, Nyx, Erebus, Ratri, Citlālicue, Sah, Hine-nui-te-pō, the Star Goddess of Feri, dozens of others, they have a feel a sense to them of commonality. If any deity would appear to humanity in many guises, it would be the primordial god of stars and the night. Regardless of Their identity, if any, in other traditions They are god/dess, beyond notions of masculine or feminine, yet often appears in a more femme-leaning form. Most often They appears as a figure of purest pitch black, but within Their form you have slowly shifting stars and nebulae.

While Cosmos is everything, the Star Goddess made everything. Cosmos is the Ground of Being, the Eternal Source of All, but Cosmos is made manifest through the Star Goddess. It is They that brought the universe into being. They were born at the moment of Creation, and have always been. The two of them are a paradox. Both eternal and beyond time, but Cosmos was made manifest when the Star Goddess was born. Cosmos is all things, but it is the Star Goddess that made all things.

The Star Goddess is somewhere between an impersonal and personal deity. They do respond to petitions, but not as easily or freely as the spirits below Them. Like Cosmos most of the time They are included as a figure of reverence and communion, but by calling upon Them you call upon Their authority as well as the spirits beneath Them, mainly everyone. You can pray to Them, and They may send to you an appropriate spirit, but the Path already has a set of spirits, and most will introduce you to other spirits that you require, and that is often easier and faster than going directly through Them

The Star Goddess is the ancestor of all beings, but They are closest to Astral spirits, in the classic sense, spirits of stars and space. The higher spirits of the Starry Path are Their children, they are embodiments of stars and stellar phenomena. A lot of the work on the Starry Path deals with these spirits, or with their children.

Their children hold many roles, and many secrets, and can be called upon for their aid. Most of them are very easy to call too, the standard summoning ritual on the Path is very minimalist. Over the next while I’ll introduce some of these spirits, and what we can learn from them and do with them.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick