However, in the frenzy of the enlightenment of practical science, the very efficiency of the practical mind inhibits those divine faculties, which explain the inexplicable and given leaning to chaos. For although science gives mundane explanations for mundane facts - what is divine not only eludes such analysis, but atrophies the soul. A "fallen Angel", according to Milton, chooses to reign on earth rather than serve in heaven. Unfortunately what happens is this: At first heaven is remembers as an option - the bright spirit may choose to repent and go home. But, as such an ambitious spirit becomes entangled in space and time, at the end, knowledge of heaven vanishes. Goddesses, Gods, heavens, paradises, the eternal, is believed to belong to children who day-dream, the mythos of primitive races.

The child, the so-called savage, the ignorant, "uneducated" women, believe in eternal love, happiness and goodness, and that beyond death are loving Beings ready to welcome their straying souls home - an everlasting one too!

The Ancient Magi sought to preserve memory of nobler states of consciousness through using the language of symbols, handed down through initiates of various Mystery Schools. Their pupils could not write or read: So the Teachers used the sky instead, a perfect ever renewing books of fascinating stories! They used people’s own perceptions of the starry patterns to bring through spiritual awareness. Children see stories in clouds, fire-flames, wells. But these stories are not useless hallucinations. Imaginary friends may be spirit guides. The Myths speak to the soul and guide the quest for the divine.

Our present problem is this. As man developed intellect and scientific techniques: he began to assume a literal interpretation of sacred scriptures and esoteric lore. He endeavoured to turn the angelic symbols of astrology into a system of prognostication. The oracles of the Roman Sybils and those of Delphi were taken over by male Priests, often the Priestesses killed - in order to use the oracles for political machinations. The same happened to the Mystery Schools. Ashamed of being accused of propagating false visions and superstition, teachings were given a literal interpretation, devoid of inspiration. Whereas in the past the new spiritual humanity was culled through burning at the stake, at present the very symptoms of human evolution are sterilised by a denial of the very spiritual and psychic abilities that bring about the transmutation of earthly humans into divine Beings.

In the lore of Alchemy, reconciliations of opposites bring about harmony - Yin-Yang, male-female, spirit and nature. The two mighty manifestations of Divinity, Truth and Love, need a third factor to bring about harmony. Otherwise, you have the dogma of the mind in conflict with the passions of the heart.

This third way is through the Arts. If we study religions and political history, we are faced with cruelty, violence and stupidity. But I found another history when I studied at Dublin University the History of Art from 1200 to 1900. This led me to wonder at the splendours of the arts throughout the world. If an observer from the stars were to study humanity entirely through the arts and crafts, he would perceive a race of angels! The mighty temple of Antiquity, Gothic cathedrals, the magnificent paintings of the Renaissance, and the subleties of Japanese No plays would excite awe. A divine awareness through intuition, not intellect, resonates through all these works, involving the esoteric Golden Proportions. A lovely correspondence with Nature - the geometric rhythms of sea tides, shells, and tree branches, the structure of spiders’ webs and the spiral web of the cosmos replicate. The lesser reflects the greater. There is divinity in all that is.

This elegant and intuitive way of seeing the harmony of all that is, is associated with the starry traveller Hermes, the poet Rumi of the Sufis, and the lore and the way of Lao Tse. This hermetic path of spiritual alchemy does not deny the way of various other mental and emotional disciplines. What it does bring about is the joyful participation of the Dance of Siva, the quest for the Grael, and a joyful participation in the living drama of life.

The eternal Goddesses and Gods wish to enjoy creation. So, through descending spirals of consciousness, They project Themselves through descending spheres of being, with each descent losing a part of Their divinity. Thus each spheres of being is a projection of that which is more vast but less particular. For the essence of the Dance of Creation is to gain experience of originality. And a Spirit only obtains individuality through concentration on one single aspect of itself. To watch a film, we switch off the lights! Thus the Great God becomes Eros, and descends through the spheres as Aries, Mars, Bacchus - a human, a lion, and ram, down to the very element of fire and air. He moves from star to planet to atoms. The Goddess starts as Sophia and descends through Virgo, Venus and Isis. And from thence She manifests through a cat, a ladybird, and finally to the element of water and earth.

From thence the reverse spiral comes into being, as creation folds in on itself. In verity these two mighty spirals of descent, incarnation and ensouling, take place continuously, in harmony with the ascending spiral of evolution, and increase of consciousness from atom to planet to star consciousness.

What is the point? The ascending beings have gained experience of incarnations of wisdom, beauty and interest! Returning home, the Goddesses and Gods are well satisfied. And so shall we be . . .

How does this help us in daily living? We can learn to ascend a sphere in order to rearrange and improve on our incarnation. We can help our guides by changing our own projected life programme for good. We can become co-creators with divinity, in helping to weave our own part of the tapestry of past, present and future woven by The Fates - the Mothers.

In this Odyssey of the questing twins, Aiden works through the elements of fire and air; Elaine, with earth and water, the elements associated with each sign given them. Finally, they achieve union of these opposites by honouring each other, while retaining their own originality. For every being and existence is a star in the celestial body of Nuit. They discover the White Star of Truth and the Golden Sun of Love in harmony through the Rainbow Bridge of the Arts. Stars and sun are shown forth through the mirror of Hathor, the Moon. Every projection of a sphere is a mirror reflection sent forth by a greater state of being. Through this ever changing beautiful mirror of colour and sound, visions and magic, two realms, greater and lesser, are brought together. This is the Vesica Pisces, two circles overlapping yet retaining perfect originality. These are the Starry Twins that produce the Jewel of Perfection.

 

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Original painting by Lady Olivia Robertson, used as cover art for the FOI Liturgy book "Nuit of the Milky Way, the Alchemical Journey of the Questing Twins."  All rights reserved.  Reproduction is prohibited.