Through Her Veil

Priestess Alchemist: (To Twin Apprentices, Aiden and Elaine) Deity divides itself into Two that it may enjoy itself! The inner secret of every heart is to find its missing Deity, all compelling but concealed. Let us invoke the Goddess Hathor, The Starry Cow, crowned with sun and moon, bestower of love and joy.

Priest Alchemist: (Raises Wand) I invoke Thee, Hathor, Star of our longing; lost One of our Souls. Without Thee life is dull, worthless, an arid waste-land.

ORACLE OF THE GODDESS HATHOR

To draw forth my help, place both your hands over your hearts and say: “My Heart My Mother.” You will feel my warm love within your heart. But you long to leave your mother, to find your heart’s desire. Lift up your right arm and say : “My Heart My Lover,” but you need more than one, you need the All. So lift up both your arms in a V and say: “My Heart of My Becoming.” So you embrace the cosmos which is My Body, for love is the flame of life within all that is.

Words alone will not bring you love. It is deeds, even the smallest act of kindness. As you rise to the heights of your Spirit, do not lose your way, as so many do, by seeing all below you as of little worth – small, ignorant. I am in all. To despise even one person, one creature, is to despise Me. I am in the stars, but I am also in the clod of earth beneath your feet. Give love and you will receive it. I give My Blessing!

Priest Alchemist: We give thanks to the Goddess Hathor. Let us perform this, Her ancient magic, which is still alive now.

The Company Perform The Hathor Magic

Priestess Alchemist: (To Aiden) We have joined you in your many adventures seeking to find your elusive Feminine Divinity! Have you lost heart?

Aiden: Every time I have fallen in love in vain, whether with a vampire or a demon, I have gained. At least my love was true. I will undertake the quest.

Priestess Alchemist: (Shows Him Tarot Card From Altar) Tell me what you see in this card.

Aiden: I see a podgy woman with a double chin, and lines under her eyes. She is dressed up as a Pope. This is “La Papesse.” Personally I am more attracted to the Waite pack “High Priestess.” This woman wears the triple Papal crown, and has the crossed Osiris X of balance on her breast. She has an open book. I begin to respect her more than the glamorous High Priestess. May be she really does know something – a Wise Woman? I think I would believe her Tarot Reading.

Priest Alchemist: I see you wish now to be accurate rather than romantic. You are determined not to be deceived again! As you enter trance we shall accompany you, but not help you.

Trance Journey

Aiden: I mount the Hill of the Temple of the Zodiac with firm step. I feel sure of myself now, having learnt from experience. I enter and find the Portal of Taurus. Ah! I see it embodies what I now understand. On the left is a stained-glass window of a woman of Pre-Raphaelite beauty, in trailing saffron robes, crowned with roses. I wonder is she real – some sort of doorway? I thought she smiled at me. I am on guard. On the other side of the veiled doorway is a stained-glass portrait of a very different woman. She is middle-aged with a lined face and grey hair. She is bending over a scroll which she is ornamenting with drawings. I get a shock – I had the thought that she was drawing me *** To escape these two pictures with eyes that look sideways at me, I push through the gateway ***

Oh, what a relief! I find myself in an Ancient Egyptian Temple, with a concourse of priests with shaven-heads, wearing leopard skins. My leopard skin is scratchy. They greet me courteously. They conduct me to a low table on which are sheets of papyrus. There are pots of colours and paint-brushes. An old priest with a kindly face addresses me.

“My son,” he says, “You have now reached the stage when you may learn the skill of magical painting. Know that when the Initiates painted Deities, these Deities live! They use our divinely inspired works of art to commune with us. So we receive untold bliss and inner wisdom. This is why the ignorant fear and destroy our work, for they fear the eyes of the Goddesses and Gods. But though costly jewellery and chests of gold are stolen, our work lives on, for we paint for the Houses of Eternity.”

A young priest addresses me. “Our secret is that we shut our eyes that we may see better! The Deity we invoke guides our hand. We do not strive for exact portrayal, or new ways, for the old tradition is easiest for direct inspiration.“

I pick up a brush. I know Elaine is the artist, but perhaps my very inexperience may help. I know the value of children’s drawings. So I shut my eyesWhat wonder! I am in a lush meadow with every sort of wild flower. The scent in this warm weather is overpowering. I find myself running and running, with joy, as I did when a boy.

Finally I reach a mighty river and I plunge in and swim. I spend what seems like days and nights here, the nights rich with many-coloured stars. I recognise Aldebaran with its ruddy glow, and the Hyades and the Pleiades. From the Stars I see a beautiful woman dancing, laughing and singing. Are these Egyptians? Some are black and some fair and many brown *** I begin to feel afraid. The women draw near and make a circle around me. At first I hope they are friendly – but somehow they are now menacing. At a distance I thought they were beautiful. But now I see that some are obese, others aged, many ugly, and a few with spiteful and cruel expressions. These come up to me and scratch my arms. I begin to feel my vitality draining from me to them. They are draining my life away in order to materialise.

Fearful of death I call upon the Goddess Hathor! She does not come. But a school-mistress woman with a plain face and stringy hair suddenly comes sharply to my rescue. I don’t like her tone, nor her harsh words. “You are a fool!” She says. “You are an artist deceived by the very forms you create. Look at me with the Eye of Truth!“

I look at her and every face I have ever loved or hated or despised pass like a mirage through her face. “See through the painted veil,” She says, “and you will find Me!”I reach for the veil over her face – instead I find myself slumped over a table by a badly drawn figure of a woman with cows’ horns on papyrus. “Not bad for a first attempt,” says the old priest.I find myself back in the Temple of the Zodiac – but now the two women beside the Portal of Taurus have changed places. Are they laughing at me?

“No,” says the young girl – or is it the old one? “We never laugh at artists.”
I am back with you all. I think I may take up painting.

End of Trance

Aiden returns from trance. Thanks are given and reports shared. Aiden’s degree is postponed until he comes up with a painting.

End of Rite