Online
Pagans
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September October 2010
onlinepagans.com
Issue #2
E
Ancestors, Elders,
Mentors & Family
Skull photo by Ben Gruagach.
Contents
4
Editor’s Note by Ben Gruagach
6
Communion by Fyrsweord
10
Magi-Media Views And Reviews: Mentors In Pagan Fiction by Toriach
14
Thou Art Fair My Lady by Mystic Fool
15
Un Lourd Secret by Sunil Narayan
18
The Bile: A Celtic Family Tree? by James Byrne
20
Divination: How to Get Advice from Hidden Sources by Ben Gruagach
27
A Guarded Secret by Sunil Narayan
30
A Mage Alone: Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants by Toriach
33
Psychomanteums and Magick Mirrors by Ben Gruagach
36
Mdvanii Stirs Her Lover’s Desire! by Sunil Narayan
38
An Interview With Raven Grimassi by Ben Gruagach
42
Of Dates and Deities by Mystic Fool
45
Pagan Bookshelf: Magickal Life Stories by Ben Gruagach
48
A Swan Who Wallows In Lotus Laden Ponds by Sunil Narayan
50
Meditation: Night Ride on a Broomstick by Ben Gruagach
53
Īshwar by Sunil Narayan
75
Glossary and Notes for the Poems of Sunil Narayan
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 3
Editor’s Note
By Ben Gruagach
W
elcome to the second issue of Online Pagans
Magazine! This issue is dedicated to the memory of our ancestors, elders, mentors and family who have gone before us. A special thanks to Isaac
Bonewits (October 1, 1949 – August 12, 2010) for the
amazing work he did in the Druid, Wiccan, and larger
Pagan community. He rests now with the Shining Ones
on the other side of the Veil after a courageous battle
with cancer. He will be greatly missed.
We hope you enjoy the included articles, poems, and
artwork. They are given as offerings of our creativity and
hard work to our mentors, elders, ancestors, Gods and
Goddesses, to you our readers, and to the Pagan community at large. May they inspire you to create your own!
4 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
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Cernunnos from the Gundestrop Cauldron.
Photo by Ben Gruagach.
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Communion
By Fyrsweord
B
y whatever term your tradition uses to describe
the date 31 October is fast approaching. It is a
time when many feel the dead walk the earth.
A time when one can more easily connect with the ancestors. A time when one should protect from the not
so well meaning entities that may reside in the night
shadows. A time when kids dress up and go knocking on
doors to supply a sugar fix for the next month or two. A
time when parents check all the candy under the guise
of making sure it is safe, when in fact, we are looking for
our favorite candies to snitch.
from the traditional paranormal investigation findings,
and pagan rites to contact the dead. I am going to share
with you an experience I had a year ago and then continue with this narrative. Why? Because I learned that any
time, or any day of the year one can part the veil - one
can commune with the ancestors, or the dearly departed.
There are pagans that perform rites to honor and reach
those that may walk amongst us as shadows or wraiths.
Whenever I think we will be going anywhere where I may encounter something of a spiritual nature I bring an offering. I
My story. My coming home.
Last summer I was at a site on the Missouri here in North
Dakota that is basically made up of burial mounds. It is a
beautiful area. The visit was not meant to desecrate, and off
There are Christians who avoid this date and all it en- on a brief tangent, I find areas such as this more cleansing and
tails, as in their beliefs it is the night of evil. The devil peaceful than anything else. It is also important – I think – to
walks the earth and all god-fearing people who will save note that this site is a few miles away from Fort Lincoln . This
their souls from hell’s torment pray to themselves and is the fort that Custer was stationed at when they headed off to
judge those who revel in that night.
the Little Big Horn in Montana .
I am going to move away from the
traditional Halloween ghost stories,
things that go bump in the night
and how we can scare ourselves silly.
Or the number of people who think
paranormal investigations are best
done on this evening, or the media
that hounds said groups for ghost
stories, and evidence that they can
scoff - depending on the slant the
reporter takes.
I am going to take a road less-travelled by most non-Christians at this
time of year. I am going to deviate
Missouri River at dusk.
Inset: the author at Double Ditch - site of
large Mandan settlement - Mandan ND.
6 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
brought an offering of dried white sage, sweet grass and tobacco
leaf.
that I could not catch it and record it correctly. There were
scenes of children playing and laughing. People were playing
games. There was hunting on foot and horseback.
Okay, there was this one mound, a bit off the beaten path that
really drew me. That happens also sometimes – a mound – an
object – a picture of a long dead person – draws me in. So, I
presented my offering and a request that I be allowed to lay
there on the mound with no malice intended. I did not get any
‘bad vibes’ from the request. Quite the opposite as it felt even
more welcoming. My friends were wandering off so I basically
alone. So I lay down and closed my eyes.
The scents of cooking food. Hides being worked. What I think
was being in a sweat lodge that really hit me as I felt I was
given a glimpse into something truly sacred. Men around a fire
speaking. Then wagons and dugouts and sod houses and white
men and buffalo herds turning into smoke and the deer would
run away… Women were crying and the chanting. That was
one thing that stuck with me later. It was a singsong cadence
but it got stronger. Almost deafening and I wanted to break
away but the whole time this elderly – Shaman? Guide? Was
Now, I admit I find these places wonderful for meditation so with me and he wouldn’t let go of my hand and I don’t think I
I started to match my breathing with what I felt was the pulse could have let go of his when I think back on it.
of the earth and I went in really quick. It usually takes me at
least a half an hour to get to that state. This time it took maybe I remember angry voices and calm voices speaking a language I
a handful of minutes. I suppose it should also be noted that I didn’t know. Men around a fire, and lots of color by now. And
tend to let myself go where I will or where I am lead.
the strangest smelling smoke that I liked. A pipe? Then there
were horses and guns and men. Screaming, cries, anger, pain,
Okay, so the beginning and the end tends to be much clearer despair and blood. There was lots of blood. Thick, suffocating
than the middle. Admittedly, I do have to wonder if I imagined air. Satisfaction and vengeance and despair because it was the
beginning of the end.
it all.
Anyway, I am drifting and I sense mist rising around me or fog
or smoke. Out of this mist walks an old man with a stick? A
staff? He had long white hair and was wearing a leather tunic
with beadwork. I think. I knew him to be Native American.
Which tribe I can’t say as this area
has been the home to the Mandan
, various Sioux tribes, some Cheyenne – I even think the Apache
made it this far over the centuries. What is really odd is I can’t
describe him more than as being
elderly, with a stick. What caught
me was when he got closer to me
he was holding out his right hand,
palm up. In his palm was my offering. He clasped my hand with his
and the offering was held by both
of us.
This is where it gets terribly fuzzy.
It is like snippets of memories. I
can remember it being vivid for all
Then I am back at the mound with the gent and he gestures
with a smile and the mist/smoke starts to part and a black wolf
with the greenest eyes runs passed me. The wolf is followed by a
white mare with a lightening blaze and sparks from her hoofs.
He lets go of my hand and starts to walk into the mist and I
don’t want him to leave. But I hear a screech in the sky above
me and there is this large golden eagle and he is tilting his wings
and loses a feather and I watch it float down to my feet.
What does this have to do with the 31st of October you
may ask. It is a bit convoluted but stay with me here. The
premise that the veil is the thinnest at this time of the
year, that we are more able to contact those that have
gone before us is not necessarily true. What happened
changed me in a myriad of ways that I still cannot fully explain. I have found that I do not need the dark of
night, I do not need a full moon, or any special ritualized
means to reach out to the past and learn. To hear and
see those that have gone before me with a clarity that was
not matched by experiences prior to my vision.
Images: Double Ditch - Mandan ND.
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 7
Background photo: Hills overlooking Fort Lincoln, Mandan ND.
8 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
I have found a place physically that draws my soul into
the earth and the past as surely as if I lived there.
Perhaps I did.
I have found a place within that I did not know existed
and have found myself experiencing more encounters
with the nether-world then every before. Sometimes
it befuddles me, sometimes it scares me, sometimes it
brings me amazing moments of clarity. Regardless of the
nature of my subsequent encounters all of have enriched
my spirit. I bring the premise of All Soul’s Night with me
twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
As this special night approaches may you all touch that
which we tend to block during the hustle and bustle of
our daily lives. May you all see the beauty of the natural
and spiritual around you. May your lives and spirits be
enriched.
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 9
Magi-Media Views And
Reviews: Mentors In
Pagan Fiction
By Toriach
A note on terminology: Since this column is meant to offer views However not all mentors are created equal, neither in
and reviews on all media, not just books or movies specifically, real life, nor in fiction. In this article I am going to be
talking about four different kinds of mentors that one
fiction is used to mean any story told in any medium.
will generally find in Pagan themed fiction. Obviously
ne of the most popular themes in Pagan fiction there are always exceptions but in my experience these
is the idea of a character meeting an older wiser four are the most common.
O
figure who serves as their mentor.
This is something that sometimes is an incidental part of
the story as is the case with the original Star Wars. Sometimes it is the whole point of the story as is the case with
the recent movie starring Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel,
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
Before we go forward perhaps we should talk a bit about
what is a mentor.
Well a pretty typical definition found at Dictionary.com
says,
“–noun
1.a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.”
This definition is good for giving us a base to start from.
Another definition more specific to Paganism could be,
“One who seeks to pass on occult knowledge to another.”
Finally to fuse the two gives us,
“A wise and trusted counselor or teacher who seeks to pass on
occult knowledge to another.”
10 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
1: The Classic Mentor.
For the longest time this was the kind of mentor most
commonly encountered in fiction. The classic mentor is
often more of an archetype than a fully realized character. They might have flaws, or quirks, but these usually
only serve to make their powers and other worldly ways
all the more striking. The classic mentor is almost totally
selfless, dedicated only to teaching the initiate. Furthermore they have no ulterior motive, or if they do have one
it is still ultimately related to the well being of the initiate
either directly or indirectly.
Three of the best known classic mentors, are also arguably three of the best known characters in all of fiction.
They are Merlin, from the Arthurian legends, Gandalf
from The Lord Of The Rings, and Obi Wan Kenobi
From Star Wars.
The classic mentor often will give their life literally for
their charges. This will sometimes be followed by a rebirth, as in the cases of Gandalf, or a transition to another state of being, like Obi Wan. Sometimes though
the classic mentor will have to suffer what is perhaps
the worst fate that can befall
such a character. Having to
stand by and watch as their
charge fails and even dies.
A few other classic mentors
include Albus Dumbledore,
and Minerva Mcgonagle of
the Harry Potter novels, and
Granny Weatherwax of the
Discworld novels.
As is the case with many
things in fiction, great changes have taken place in the
way the mentor character is
thought about and presented, the classic mentor giving
way often to...
2: The
Mentor.
Postmodern
The postmodern mentor, is
usually a more rounded and
fully realized character. The
postmodern mentor usually
has a life outside of their duImage CC http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nuremberg_chronicles_-_
Merlin_%28CXXXVIIIr%29.jpg
ties as a mentor, a life that
those duties sometimes can
interfere with. Also the postmodern mentor is often singularly devoted to his charge. At the same time he
bound by a hierarchy that never seems to bother classic has The Watchers Council that he must answer to, and
mentors. Dumbledore, might have to put up with the when he chooses the well being of the Slayer over their
Ministry Of Magic, but they seem to exist to throw ob- wishes he is punished for it.
stacles in his journey on the path of right doing. Never
does he seem to truly take their wishes into account or With Giles we also see that there is more than one kind
ever put them ahead of the well being of his charges. The of sacrifice. He loses people he loves, and basically has
same for Gandalf. Saruman might be an obstacle, but no meaningful personal life because of his commitment
only as an opposing wizard, never does he try and actu- to the Slayer, and even takes up a moral debt on her beally force Gandalf to not help Frodo, through any means half, committing what amounts to cold blooded murder
to protect her.
other than brute force.
Perhaps the single greatest example of a postmodern
mentor to my thinking is the character of Rupert Giles
from the Buffy The Vampire Slayer TV series and comic
books. Giles as he is usually called, on the one hand is
As different in many ways as Giles may be from the classic mentor, he is still a mentor true because his focus is
on giving his charge the knowledge he has and helping
her to stand in the world.
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 11
Another excellent example of a postmodern mentor is
the character of King Mob in Grant Morrison’s comic
series The Invisibles.
But there are other kinds of mentors that are not so positive. One kind means well, and the other kind means
anything but. We’ll look at the former next.
3: The Unready Mentor.
4: The Dark Mentor.
A true mentor works to bring out the best in their charge.
To give them the tools to face the world and the confidence to do so. The dark mentor however is really only
interested in the aggrandizement of self, or some other
agenda. They want a copy of themselves, or they wish to
remake their student into a particular type of person.
They have no boundaries, and will use lies, violence, seduction, whatever they believe it takes to achieve their
ends.
The unready mentor is one that believes wrongly that
Two of the best examples of a dark mentor I can think
they are prepared to take on a student, and because they
of are Emperor Palpatine (Darth Sidious) from the Star
are not, they wreak unbelievable havoc in both their own
Wars Hexology, and Jadis The White Witch from The
life and the life of their charge.
Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe. Both of these individuals take a young boy under their tutelage, under the
Usually the unready mentor has only the best of inten- pretense of freeing them from the shackles of spiritual
tions, but they simply either are not skilled enough or oppression. But in both cases they care less than nothing
they do not have the patience and foresight needed. In for their young charges. In the case of Jadis she perceives
many ways the unready mentor could be seen as the Edmond as the weak link that she can exploit, and use
shadow side of the postmodern mentor. One well known as her cats paw in her war against Aslan. In the case of
example of the unready mentor is Morpheus from The Palpatine, he sees Anakin’s Force potential and is deterMatrix Trilogy. In the first movie he quickly hits a wall, mined to make him into a weapon for the Sith, and in
beyond which he really does not know any more than doing so deprive the Jedi of one of the few remaining
Neo does, and even has to rely on Neo to save his life hopes for saving their dying order. In both cases, their
after getting captured by the machines. In subsequent greed blinds them to the realization that the ones they
movies Morpheus always seems to be full of good inten- thought of as mere pawns have grown wise to their agentions, but easily thrown off by all the things he doesn’t da and have turned against them.
know.
Another example of a Dark Mentor is arguably Grace
Branagh in Alan Moore’s Promethea, although she is
Another good example of unready mentors come again
more thoughtless and selfish than truly evil.
from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Willow tries to take
Buffy’s little sister Dawn under her wing during a time I hope you’ve enjoyed this overview of the four basic
that she herself has become addicted to raw magic, and types of mentors in Pagan fiction, in a future issue I will
in the seventh and eighth seasons we see Buffy trying to be revisiting this topic by looking at some of the best
act as a mentor en mass for what amounts to an army of mentor characters from Movies, Television, Comics, and
Slayers and things often going very very wrong, resulting more.
in many characters dying, or being harmed in other ways.
Peace
And
As dangerous as the unready mentor can be though, it
Long
must be remembered that they are still trying to do what
Life
they believe to be right, they are just failing miserably at
it. Unlike...
Toriach
12 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 13
Thou Art Fair My Lady
By Mystic Fool
Thou art fair my Lady;
Gazing at the skies at night,
yearning for the silver touch,
to bathe in thy purifying light.
I seek for thy face
as the mist descends;
Whilst the creatures of night
abide your commands.
I lie on the earth,
awaiting for thee,
as dew soaks the grass,
to thee I plea.
Where art thou Fair Maiden?
Enchantress of beauty untold;
Usherer of beginnings new,
Thy mysteries of youth enfold.
Cradle me in a maternal embrace,
abound with power divine.
A fertile Spring art thee,
procreation is forever thine.
Keeper of wisdom art thou,
Crone of age undefined;
To drink from your knowledge I seek,
in you, life and death are entwined.
The wheel of life you spin,
revealing the future in signs;
The story of man you weave,
in intricate alluring designs.
Be it waxing, waning or full,
the Moon of thy presence reminds;
As I make my way trough this life,
my hope in your bounty abides.
Image CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/realsmiley/4629658981
14 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Blessed be the Maiden fair,
Blessed be, Mother of all,
Blessed be oh Crone so wise,
In your presence I enthrall.
Un Lourd Secret
By Sunil Narayan
Mdvanii spoke to her brushed chienne when he
whimpered at the sight of a still empty bowl: “Il est
toujours par voie de douleur que l’on arrive à plaisir”
To be given grapes and bread is a reward not a
privilege
One must starve for as long as his master deems fit
Mdvanii is the master of all couturiers!
Her coiled black whip is made from the skin of
deceased orphans
Oiled each day by her esclave’s sweat
It shines under the dusty ceiling light
With one lash she frightens her shivering putain
Aldric begs for a lengthy bruising by the chipped
paddle
Unfortunately, Mdvanii will not relax her firm hold
on his body this time
She is in control of the narcissistic esclave’s ego
Its skin is punctured by the heels of her ruby-studded
shoes
A few nights ago it dawned on her: great pleasure can
be achieved if one walks all over this vermin’s chest
Ripping bits off the skin with her glue-covered red
heels
He will scream as a torrent of blood flows down his
chest
A poor old German seamster being forced to endure
heightened torture!
Dragged by his owner across the muddy floorboards
Aldric’s hair is pulled harder with each grunt
The scalp rips off an unwashed head every time!
Mdvanii reminds him a good designer never succumbs
to arrogance: afin de connaître la vertu,
nous devons d’abord nous familiariser avec le vice
The room is made out of solid steel to keep the crying
of a belittling artist sealed
It is un prostitué’s screams of enlarged pleasure
drowning out the neighbor dogs’ barking
Mdvanii puts cotton balls in her ears when the nipples
of her fat cochon are stretched to the waist by two
short
chains with unpolished hooks
This toy is attached to a block of cement stained
covered
with his tears
Aldric cleans dirt off the floor with his tongue, exposing
his scarred derrière
His chest swells and dries till skin sags from the bones
A pêche freshly picked from the nobleman’s garden
becomes mushy right before the farmer’s eyes
Perhaps Mdvanii is a domestique, tilling the soil of
centuries worth of bitter pride
It must be broken and put back together so the world
will lower their heads in respect
Flaming torches shall no longer melt the king’s palace!
Instead, they will turn on the noblemen for betraying
their loyal domestiques!
Preaching of false notions for an ideal reality
A calm muse sits in her chair to read a newspaper on
politics
She is interested in the behavior of noble rulers and
tyrants
To her their power lay in the twisting and beautifying
of the people
Everyone becomes a victim of another person’s ignorant
mind or the partaker in the fruits of carefully constructed
labor
It is a world so tightly wound yet absorbing all the
sweets and stale bread one can get their hands on
Functioning as a monstrous machine with oil flowing
from one end of the pipe to the other
Devouring the human essence as if it were un gâteau
aux fraises
A field covered in white balls of joy disappear with
each grab: l’ordre social au détriment de la liberté
n’est
guère une bonne affaire
Our dear Antonia tortured by self-destructive authority
A poor Austrian girl who simply wanted to fit in
No one could stand looking at the images of her
dressed
luxuriously like Déesse Vénus
She was a symbol of unfiltered disgust
The clock struck midnight and Mdvanii must retire to
her opal chamber
She bids goodnight to Déesse Diane for her friend
Remains hushed when the screams of Aldric fill
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 15
fill the foggy streets of Paris
He finally falls asleep despite having not been fed
scraps of old sandwiches
Our grande dame never tires herself of debasing elite
couturiers
She is a humbled secret covered in diamond dresses
Only those with greedy claws can unveil the violent
nature of a cursed muse
If they are daring enough to rip her skin off that is!
Nearly a century ago, her dominating Charles died
leaving her empty of satisfaction
He taught her to be quiet and grateful for his kindness
In her heart she always yearned for the excitement all
women experience when visiting a new boutique de
marque: lecteurs sensual excédentaire pitié chez
l’homme
It is the only jewel she held onto during her escape
when he lost himself in glasses of bière
Mdvanii begin to hop from couturier to couturier,
noticing
the chic girls were too involved in their looks
Their blue purses and fur-coats were the new trend of
Paris
Decades ago, all of a sudden a rainbow splashed the
imagination
Everyone had to own velvet gloves with gold sewn
into the edges or shoes adorned with a diamond rose
on the front
Mdvanii sighed in disappointment at how obsessed
the city became with her new lover’s collections
There is more to life than luscious garments or jewelry
made of black pearls
By nature, it is her duty to dissolve the extravagant
culture imprisoning the wealthy people of Paris
The pain seamsters both grande and petit experienced
in the beginning is incomparable to the mutilation in
the end
She witnessed generations of couturiers indulge in
yards of bright fabrics made of crushed gemstones
for the sake of it
Smiling as domestiques dress them in silk and satin
when their money could be used to feed the starving
children
The artists of Paris no longer remember their simple
childhoods
For they excitedly jumped into the river of fame: ce
n’est pas mon mode de pensée qui a causé mon malheur,
mais le mode de pensée des autres
16 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Severe Goddess CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwhyte/158973209/
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 17
The Bile: A Celtic Family
Tree?
By James Byrne
T
he term family tree might be particularly apt in traditional Irish culture where sacred trees have been
a symbol of social integrity for larges family groups
since before the written word arrived on the island. If
rival groups wanted to destroy the heart of their enemies
the most devastating thing they could do would be attack the physical trees themselves and cases of that happening were so shocking to Irish people that they are
remembered as great crimes in poetry and historical annals. Today the traditional territories of the large family
groups are gone for the most part having been diminished by the politics of colonialism and modernity but
in some places the sacred trees survive. My family name
is Byrne. Like the majority of Irish family names it’s the
personal name of a famous ancestor who managed to
secure enough prestige and land to found his own family. In the case of the Byrne family name, that ancestor is
Bran Mac Mael Mordha; a 10th century King of Leinster
who was himself a descendant of the politically dominant Ui Dunlaing family group. Through reading history
books, I found the original O’Byrne territory, founded
by Bran, was in County Kildare and that the traditional
inaugural site of the Ui Dunlaing kings was nearby on at
Lyons Hill/Liamhan – Elm Tree Hill and the elms are
still around in Lyons village. The elms there are a symbol
of the centuries of strength that members of my family
showed in defending their territory, actually being one
of the last families to keep their territories in colonial
Ireland. Before I knew that, my name was just a name,
now it’s a constant source of strength in hard times and
I walk on Lyons hill with a pride and sense of belonging
that I would probably never otherwise have experienced.
and trees that really are only accessible to people in Ireland, Irish family names can be of interest to the neopagan outside Ireland; from the late medieval on they can
give us ancestral deities through the veneration of the
founding member, in my families case Bran Mac Mael
Morda and even more interesting might be the otherworld ancestors in early Irish genealogies where it was
believed that deities founded the greatest of family lines.
It’s a belief that may be in tune with the sacral kingships
in early and medieval Ireland where we know from the
descriptions of kings that their role was primarily ceremonial and that he was a symbol of familial integrity; literal,
political and spiritual. In the cases of the greatest kings
they may have even symbolized the divine masculine virility that ensured the success of the harvest through a
sacred marriage to the land goddess of the area. A king
ritually marries a regional goddess immanent in the land
and if he is worthy she makes the crops grow, the cattle
fertile and healthy and protects the people in the constant battles they faced. But if he is not worthy disaster
falls on the people and one early winter or wet summer
could bring both famine and plague at once and the family group might die off completely. It was important that
a king be worthy prior to the sacred marriage and a test
may have been performed using a symbol of the divine
ancestor in the Bile trees in the inauguration.
A king involved in the sacral kingship may have been
expected to be at least semi divine through descent from
the otherworld ancestor. The bile trees themselves might
have symbolized the masculine energy of the otherworld
ancestor and their use in the inauguration might have
indicated a test of ‘worthyness’ took place prior to the
Genealogy can change the way we view ourselves and as marriage as a preventative. We could view the standing
an expression of historical interest in traditional Irish stone at the Hill of Tara as a bile symbol; it personifies
culture, it’s changed how people perceive Irish families the masculine energy of Fergus Mac Roich and folklore
for a long time. Apart from the concerns of sacred sites presents it as his penis and encourages women hoping
18 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
to conceive to touch the stone, in literature it
was also used to test the ‘worthyness’ of High
Kings. The Bile tree itself is linked to ancestral deities in early Literature; in the life of
Patrick when the saint curses a bile tree and
the families’ ancestral deity is sucked into hell.
We might speculate that the bile symbols use
in the ritual was to test the kings’ divine descent through the otherworld ancestor or the
ancestral deity specific to the family group and
their territory. If we take that as the case the
trees which vary in species might be symbolic
of a regional deity and a sacred tree, a Bile
tree might in the truest sense be a family tree.
Through understanding who our ancestors
were, who our ancestral deity and our otherworld ancestors might have been we as neopagans can furnish ourselves with a tree totem
linking us to our ancestors, both mortal and
divine and the essential masculine energy that
kept our people alive long enough to conceive
our great great great great great grandparents.
And as it might do the same for us maybe it
could also continue to function as the secular
symbol of familial integrity that it might have
been for millennia past.
Stone at Tara. Photo CC http://www.geograph.ie/photo/896698
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 19
Divination: How to Get
Advice from Hidden
Sources
By Ben Gruagach
D
ivination is a way of getting information. You ask
questions, even very general ones, and then see
what sorts of responses come back. The responses might be extremely accurate for you or they might be
20 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
completely off. They might make perfect sense. They
might be gibberish or so wrong you’d be a fool to heed its
advice. But in any case the information you get back can
help you to look at your question in a way that might en-
able you to make a better decision. Regardless what sort
of information divination provides the final decisions are
always yours. You can’t blame the consequences of your
decisions on anyone or anything else because it’s always
up to us to decide what to do with the information we
have. Even when we think we are forced to do something
we are ultimately responsible for deciding to go along.
Divination doesn’t decide things for us but rather suggests alternatives.
towards the consequences that we desire.
Where does the information come from in divination?
Different people have different explanations although to
date none have been conclusively proven. Some believe
the information comes from entities in a nonphysical
realm, whether they are ghosts of people who have
died, angels, demons, elemental spirits, or even deities.
Others believe the information comes from within the
person who is doing the divination. In this explanation,
How you approach divination will have a lot to do with the practitioner is tapping into their own knowledge,
your ideas about destiny and free will. Personally, I think perhaps buried in their subconscious, and is drawing it
of divination as a way to see time in three-dimensional out through the process of divination. Most divinatory
terms rather than just as a straight line. Time, to me, is like symbols can be interpreted in many different ways so the
a landscape, and the present is where I am at the moment interpretation given in a particular reading might involve
in that landscape. I might be in an open plain, on a hill, significance being applied by the practitioner based on
down in a valley, or on the seashore. The future is where what they already know.
I will travel through that landscape. The past is the path
Some Tarot readers believe the cards that turn up in a
behind me where I have already gone. Divination helps
reading are not really random but are manipulated to
me to get a look around me, looking towards the past
turn up so a specific meaning can be expressed. Perhaps
as well as the future. I can look to the left, to the right,
this is true, but is that guiding force the reader’s own
down at the small area right in front of my feet, or off
subconscious or is it an external entity? On the other
into the distance. Divination lets me see what is around
hand maybe particular cards aren’t forced to turn up but
but it doesn’t make my decisions for me. It’s still up to
rather the reader is influenced to see in random cards the
me to decide where to put my feet. Do I stay in one spot
meaning whispered to them by spirits, ghosts, or deities.
for a while, turn to go a new direction, or perhaps even
Or maybe the reader is just seeing the meaning that they
spin around and retrace my past from a new perspective?
want to see and there’s nothing supernatural about it at
Divination could help me see what is directly in front of
all.
me and help me decide to change my direction completely
in order to avoid what I saw. Sometimes that obstacle is From a mechanical viewpoint divination methods that
so large in the landscape that it will take a huge amount involve seemingly independent motion of an object such
of effort to edge around it without confronting it. Other as a planchette on a Ouija board or a pendulum only work
things that I might see as obstacles could be deceptive and when the practitioner has physical contact with them.
will turn out to be nothing if I choose to approach them The planchette doesn’t move across the board unless
directly. Just like in the physical realm, sometimes we’re in at least one (and usually more than one) person has a
a position where our view is blocked by something and finger on it. A pendulum only moves when it’s held in the
we need to travel a distance if we want to see around it.
person’s hand. Scientists explain that the movement of
No matter how you look at ideas like destiny and free will,
we always have choices to make. We can always decide to
act, or to refrain from acting. Choosing to do nothing is
as much a decision as choosing to act. Decisions can be
hard to make but they are always there for us. Regardless
how empowered we might feel about particular decisions
we will always have to live with the consequences of our
decisions. It makes sense to try and consciously work with
the options we have and make decisions that will bring us
these objects is the result of subconscious motions in our
hands and arms – twitches so small that we don’t realize
we’re actually doing it. When the planchette or pendulum
moves scientists say it’s the result of the ideomotor effect.
Even though divinatory systems such as the Ouija board
and pendulum work by subconscious movements of
our own bodies it’s still unproven exactly where the
information obtained from these sources originates.
Perhaps we really are just telling ourselves things we
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 21
already know or at least suspect deep down. Perhaps we’re
responding to messages from outside ourselves and are
merely allowing that information to express through us.
Maybe those sensational horror movies are right: invisible
beings really are present and are moving things around!
We still don’t know for sure if any of these explanations
are correct.
Regardless where the information in a reading is coming
from it’s wise to always practice safe divinatory techniques.
Before you start do whatever magickal or spiritual tricks
you feel are necessary to protect yourself. Cast a circle or
at least purify and bless your space where you’re going
to work. Always ground and center to put yourself in a
peaceful state of mind. After you’re done your divination,
do another purification or banishing in order to clear
the space in case there is anything lingering around that
shouldn’t be allowed to remain. It’s always better to be
safe than sorry!
more material you will have to interpret. The key detail
in a vision might not always be the most obvious item in
the scene either. Sometimes the most important symbol is
the one that was off to the side, partially hidden by other
things, but is most important because it triggers a strong
reaction in you.
Scrying relies on the practitioner being able to see things
clearly with their mind’s eye. Not everyone is able to do
this, though, and some are only able to learn how to
visualize clearly after a lot of training and practice. Many
who practice scrying use physical props such as crystal
balls, black mirrors, or bowls of water to assist them in
obtaining visions. Some, though, are able to merely close
their eyes, relax, and then find visions will come to them.
There are other freeform divination methods though
which don’t rely as much on having strong visualization
skills. For instance, you can often find symbols or omens in
random patterns such as cloud formations, the crisscross
of tree branches or leaves in vegetation, the way that sand
spills across the floor. Tealeaf reading is a well-known
method that works this way. First you drink a cup of tea
with a few bits of loose tea leaves in your cup, and then
when there is just a tiny amount of liquid left you turn
the cup upside down on a saucer and rotate the cup a few
times before you turn the cup back up to look inside. The
tea leaf bits that are clinging in the cup are inspected for
any shapes or patterns they might make. Significance is
also usually interpreted based on whether the symbol is
closer to the bottom or the rim of the cup. The bottom
of the cup usually means farther in the future, and closer
to the rim means closer to the present time.
There are many ways to perform a divination. No matter
what method you use, the key is to use a set of symbols
that are meaningful to you. Often this involves studying
the symbols that make up the particular system whether
they are images on cards or something more abstract
such as letters or diagrams. When the symbolism of your
divinatory system is so familiar to you that it becomes
almost automatic it has a tendency to open up new layers
of meaning for interpretation. It’s like learning a language
– once you are fluent, you will find it easier to understand
what others are saying to you as you no longer struggle
over each word or phrase and try to translate it in your
head. When you’ve internalized the symbolic language of
a particular divination system the surface meanings open
No matter what method is used the patterns or symbols
up like a blossom and reveal deeper significance.
observed are open for a wide variety of interpretations.
There are two basic forms of divination: freeform Different cultures associate different meanings for the
and structured. Freeform ones include dreams, crystal same symbols. For instance, in some cultures the colour
gazing, and observing patterns in random sources such white is considered to be a pure and desirable colour. In
as open flames, smoke, tealeaves, or clouds. Structured others, white is associated with death so it is considered
ones include systems such as the Tarot, astrology, runes, to be a bad omen. The same goes with interpreting the
I-Ching, pendulums, and Ouija.
meaning of animals as symbols. Some might see a dog
as a faithful companion, a symbol of unconditional
Some people find the freeform divination methods suit love and perhaps protection. Others might see a dog
them best. Freeform divination such as scrying requires as more threatening, or in some cultures as unclean. In
the practitioner to be observant. Messages can come as some cultures snakes are considered to be wise, healing
single images or symbols or as complex scenes. The more animals that have the secret of eternal life symbolized by
detail you can observe and remember about the vision the their shedding of skin for renewal. Others see snakes as
22 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
deceptive, poisonous, and threatening.
Thirteen Tips for Doing Divination
When doing a divination it’s important to attempt to
interpret the symbols in whatever way feels most right
to you. What makes sense, especially in the context
of the specific question you were pondering for this
reading? How do the various symbols in the reading
work together to present a message? It often happens
that a single symbol, interpreted on its own in a negative
way, is actually not really that bad when it’s taken in
context with other symbols in the same reading. Look at
the whole picture as well as the individual components
to get an accurate reading.
1. Always protect yourself. Use a protective magickal or spiritual
technique such as casting a circle (even just visualizing a basic
protective circle or shield) before you start!
Freeform divination methods rely on the practitioner
being familiar with their own internalized symbolism.
They need to be able to explain the meaning of any
symbol that comes up. This is one of the reasons why
some find more structured forms of divination to
be easier as the symbolic language tends to be more
formalized and getting a good reading can be more a
matter of learning an established symbolic language
than figuring out one’s own symbolic grammar and
vocabulary.
One of the most popular structured divination systems
is the Tarot. Tarot decks are designed with specific
symbolic meanings encoded in the form of pictures
and relationships between the cards. Learning to use
the Tarot usually involves the practitioner studying
the particular deck they have chosen to use, learning
the general meanings of the symbolic images, and
internalizing that language so that they can interpret the
patterns made by randomly turning up cards.
2. Ground and center. You need to be in a peaceful, observant,
and receptive frame of mind to get the messages and hints you
seek.
3. Remind yourself that the information you might receive is
just advice. Decide for yourself if it is worth heeding or should
be ignored.
4. Look for overall patterns.
5. Look at the individual symbols to see how they fit into the
overall patterns.
6. Pay attention to anything that seems to jump out at you! Listen
to your own gut feelings. Sometimes a symbol might be clear in
its meaning to you even though it’s different from the meaning
given in a book.
7. Remember that divination only shows us possibilities and
what’s likely. We always have a choice and can change our futures
through our decisions. The future is not engraved in stone!
8. If you are confused or unsure about specific parts of a
divination’s message, ask for clarification.
9. If a divination is completely muddled and makes absolutely
no sense then perhaps you’re asking the wrong question, or
things are very mixed so there is no clear answer that can be
given at this time. Or perhaps you are just not in the right frame
of mind to do a divination and should try later.
10. After you are done your divination, always do purification
or banishing rituals to clear the space. It’s better to practice safe
divination than to suffer through unwanted after-effects!
The most popular and influential Tarot deck is
undoubtedly the one often called the Rider-Waite or
Rider-Waite-Smith deck. This deck was the product
of the combined efforts of A. E. Waite and Pamela
Coleman Smith, both members of the Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn in the early 1900s. In 1909
Waite devised the symbolism for the cards and Smith
illustrated them, and in 1910 the Rider publishing
company began mass-producing the deck.
11. Don’t abuse your divination system. Do you really need to
do a divination to help you decide if you should wear the blue
or the red shirt today? Treat your divination system with respect
and it will be respectful and helpful to you as well.
Many subsequent Tarot decks are based on the RiderWaite-Smith deck. There are many other decks that
have been designed with other symbolism systems that
13. Beware letting your divination success go to your head. An
over-inflated ego can turn good readings into worthless readings
just like magick!
12. Learn the symbolic language of your chosen divination
system. The better you understand how the system is structured,
the more easily you will find interpretation becomes. One you’ve
mastered the basics it becomes easy to step beyond the basic
interpretations.
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 23
differ from the Golden Dawn and hermetic symbolism
used in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. For instance, the
Rider-Waite-Smith deck and many of its descendants
attribute the suit of wands to the element fire, and the
suit of swords to the element of air. Other decks, such
as some modern ones created specifically for Wiccan
practitioners, attribute the sword to fire and the wand to
air. If you compare the Major Arcana cards between decks
you’ll also find that it often happens that the cards are
numbered differently, or some cards will be completely
different between two decks. For instance, in Crowley’s
Thoth deck instead of a card called Temperance he has
one called Art. Instead of Strength, his card is called
Lust. Instead of Judgment he has a card called The Aeon.
Other decks include completely different major arcana
cards although there are usually a few that are common
across most decks. The key to using Tarot successfully is
to find a deck that uses symbolism that makes the most
sense to you so it’s easier for you to interpret and relate to
your own deeper wisdom.
In recent times there has been an explosion of other
divinatory decks, usually called oracle decks to distinguish
them from Tarot, which are based on unique symbol
systems or have unique structures not based on Tarot
standards. Some of these decks, such as Brian Froud’s
“Faery Oracle” deck, are quite beautiful. As with Tarot
decks they work best when you understand and feel
connected to the symbolism embodied in the particular
deck.
Other structured divinatory systems include things such
as runes and the I-Ching. Runes are literally letters of an
alphabet, although in divinatory methods each letter has
specific meanings and is interpreted singly as well as in
patterns with other runes nearby. A practitioner could
just pull out a sequence of rune stones or cards and
see what words or phrases are spelled out, but it’s much
more common to look at each rune as meaningful on its
own rather than as just one letter in a word or phrase.
Sometimes runes are cast like one would throw dice in
a game, and the rune symbols interpreted based on the
configurations they form, how close or far they might
be to the reader, and whether they are displayed upright,
sideways, or inverted. You can also draw diagrams such as
the astrological wheel and then toss the rune stones onto
it, and interpret the meanings based on which rune falls
in which house of the wheel.
24 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
The I-Ching is a Chinese divinatory system based on the
concepts of yin and yang, complementary opposites in
a binary system. It’s often performed using three coins
that are flipped to produce four possible outcomes: a yin
line, a yang line, a moving yin line, or a moving yang line.
Three of these lines combined form a trigram with one
of eight possible interpretations. Two trigrams are put
together to form a hexagram, which has one of sixty-four
possible meanings produced by combining the trigram
meanings. Moving lines are special in that they are to be
read in two ways, so a hexagram that has any moving lines
actually has two different configurations, and therefore
two sets of meanings that combine for a more complex
reading. Each moving line in a hexagram also has specific
modifying interpretations that add to the significance of
the reading.
The I-Ching is such a complex system that it would
take a lot of study to memorize all the meanings for the
trigrams, hexagrams, and the six moving line meanings
for each of the sixty-four hexagrams. Most modern
practitioners keep an I-Ching book handy to look up
interpretations rather than rely on memory. It’s much
easier to study other structured divination forms, such
as runes or the Tarot, and get to the point where you
can do readings without having to refer to a book for
interpretations. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the
Tarot and runes are much more popular among modern
practitioners than systems like the I-Ching which require
looking things up in a reference book.
Divination, however you choose to practice it, can be a
valuable tool for insight and decision-making. It exercises
our ability to look at alternatives. It opens up possibilities
for us. If we approach divination in a balanced way
and see it as providing possibilities rather than destined
outcomes it can be a positive part of a magickal spiritual
path.
Suggested Resources for Learning More
Websites
http://skepdic.com/ideomotor.html An explanation of
the ideomotor effect behind the Ouija board and the
pendulum methods of divination.
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/ Probably the best Tarot
site on the web. Includes reviews and sample cards for
hundreds of decks. Great for helping you decide which
deck to buy!
http://www.facade.com/ One of the first websites to
provide information and free online readings using a
variety of divination systems including runes, Tarot,
I-Ching, and more. The site is a bit slow sometimes but
the information is good.
http://www.tarahill.com/runes/index.html The Runic
Journey: explores the history, meaning, and use of Norse
runes.
Books
“Zolar’s Encyclopedia of Ancient and Forbidden
Knowledge” by Zolar (Arco Publishing Inc., New York:
1984.) This book is a solid introduction to occultism
including various divination techniques such as
numerology, astrology, and scrying.
“Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot” by Rachel Pollack
(Element Books, London UK: 2001.) This book presents
a good overview of the Tarot, its history, how it is
structured, and shows lots of example cards from various
decks. Those wishing to learn more about how to use the
Tarot for divination will need to read more that just this
“Rune Magic” by Nigel Pennick (Aquarian Press, London one book.
UK: 1992.) Explores the history and use of runes
in a magickal context. Includes lots of good how-to “Tarot for Your Self ” by Mary K. Greer (Newcastle
instructions and exercises.
Publishing Co., North Hollywood CA USA: 1984.) This
is my favourite in-depth manual for learning how to use
“Buckland’s Book of Spirit Communication” by the Tarot as a divination tool.
Raymond Buckland (Llewellyn, St. Paul MN USA: 2004.)
Everything you ever wanted to know about contacting “I Ching” by Sam Reifler (Bantam Books, New York
the hidden realms. Includes good information on using USA:1974.) Reifler’s interpretation is my favourite
methods such as the Ouija board and pendulum as well as version of the I Ching meanings. Explains everything in
more direct-contact methods associated with traditional a straightforward and yet poetic way.
psychic mediums.
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 25
Mother Goddess photo CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/subharnab/2937263311
26 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
A Guarded Secret
By Sunil Narayan
Īshwar and his lover saved Bhūmī-Devī from
persecution, thus the many arts of mankind blossomed
like the mallikā
Everywhere the delightful scent of Svargáloka encircled
the minds of unimaginative men and women
Thrusting them into a fantasy of a guarded jungle
with celestial flowers and rivers endlessly flowing
towards the sunset!
Blue butterflies follow the trails never taking a moment
to rest
While the selflesss Parinirvivapsā-Devī will offer a tender
touch to any one who asks, her abundant hair began to
fall to the grassy floor
No one knew about this humble maiden who kept
two isolated lovers alive for many years
She was stricken by a dreadful abandonment
It is the thorny fate all women run away from
One warm night, a small bhūruha containing the heart of
the divine muse dropped onto the bank
She grabbed it before the hovering balíbhuj could swoop
down
It was the fire that consumed Īshwar and Parīkṣit
during their lovemaking
Too hot and heavy to hold when fresh but glistening and
light when cool
As she lost herself in admiring the pearl, its surface changed
from white to deep red
Parinirvivapsā-Devī turned away from Rajanīpati-Devá,
hiding her treasure with kuṅkumam palms for no one
can take away what is rightfully hers!
She had no diamonds or turquoise jewelry yet
Rajanīpati-Devá is bedecked with nīlagandhika pādakilikās
and maṇícīras
Śatárūpa-Devī’s gift to her shall be hidden in the soil
so no one can find it!
The next morning Parinirvivapsā-Devī saw a woman
clothed in a light yellow śāṭī in the forest inhaling the
mixture of campakas, bakulas and mādhavīlatās
She carried a basket of yellow kundamālā though did
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 27
not speak
Her eyes were two blue pools reflecting the majestic
Candrá-Devá
Hidden by a yearning for love in the form of
deep pink satin
The ethereal seer’s skin as white as the yuthikā had
no scars
It was adorned with māṇikyamaya armlets and
necklaces of yellow, orange and white!
The hair woven tightly was covered by long strands of
mālatī
On each wrist a prāvṛṣya bracelet sparkled under
Sūrya-Devá
No parāgas were worn though the śāṭī covered her feet
She walked from one mākanda tree to another, her
dress fresh as if it were just bought at the market!
Her long neck lengthened to capture the scent of fragrant
orange flowers
She is a perfect jewel unknown to mankind yet loved
by the Divine!
A secret pearl offered to a miserable woman as a gift for
showing compassion towards the son of Sarasvatī-Devī
Parinirvivapsā-Devī’s daughter looked at her for a few
minutes
In her mind she heard the name “Ouimi”
Sounds can be rubies crushed by hammers but to her
they were the jingling of maṇíguṇanikara
When she awoke from a nightmare she heard the calming
name “Ouimi” from the rāgitarus
A lost spirit whispering her name
She seems so far away like the golden rājabhavanam of
Mahādevī
Unreachable by a small being such as an earthly creature
A tired devī touched her tummy, surprised by a life
forming inside
She was left wondering how such a miracle could
befall her
For many months her belly swelled while the mādhavīlatās
continued to multiply
It was the least a celestial plant could do for a generous
friend
When Ouimi saw her mother for the first time she gazed
at her with sincere gratitude
The varṣártu grew more violent yet no rain drop
28 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
touched the radiant face of a newborn child
Sāvitrī-Devī blessed the loving nourisher with an oracle
inside a red jewel
By instinct Parinirvivapsā-Devī buried it near her resting spot
It is where Sāvitrī-Devī dug it up and pushed inside
the motherless āryan’s mind while she slept
To mankind a gift is an oracle who can guide them to
righteousness, though to a woman a child is all she
wants
She can wear the most luxurious garments and still
feel empty if there is no one to share them with
A child is her pricelesss treasure for each moment
is more valuable than a parihārya or parihāṭaka set with
bhārgavakas
Collecting mālatī off of vines that cover marble
sculptures is the enchanting Ouimi’s favorite activity
The smile of each one belongs to Lakṣmī-Devī
She touches the hard lips to feel the expanding
warmth
It has an alluring scent that rubs against her cheeks to
give a permanent perfume!
Every day a blissful mother laughs with her daughter till
Sóma-Devá awakens from his needed rest
It is the sound of a dundubhí echoing through the
minds of all mortals, devás and devīs
When the rain hits the ground hard these creatures hide
under the branches
The giggling of Ouimi helps them to endure the
temper of Índra-Devá
Ouimi has no reason to be angry since she sits on the
vájratulya laden chair of Bhūdevī
A fortunate fate she received when her mother and Bhūdevī
became sisters
The comfortable lap of a selfless mother is what Ouimi
will ask for in every afterlife
Nothing to her but the unlimited grace of a mother matters
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 29
A Mage Alone: Standing
On The Shoulders Of
Giants
By Toriach
If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders
of giants.
- Isaac Newton, Letter to Robert Hooke, February 5, 1675
and hard to fathom than a VCR. Not to say that it was
boring, but rather than the whole tone was one of absolute certainty in the reality, the concreteness of what
was being written about. That feeling of certainty was
ny of us who have embraced the Pagan path owe inspiring for a nascent Mage who was still unsure as to
much of the foundation of our practice to an whether or not Magick was really real, or if it was all just
Elder. While this would be viewed as axiomatic my mind playing tricks on me.
for one who is involved in a group practice, it is equally
true for those of us who fall under the label of “Solitary.” Never having been content to merely follow the paths trod
I cannot speak for others, but for myself, I owe my pres- by others, I began to blaze my own. Or so I thought. Every
ence in the world of Magick first and foremost to one
person.
A
Scott Cunningham.
Today I identify more with Quantum Theory, and Chaos Magick than with the Wicca derived system that Cunningham wrote about in his book, Wicca: A Guide for the
Solitary Practitioner. However if it had not been for that
book I suspect I would have assumed that one could only
practice Magick properly as part of a group and would
have quickly gotten discouraged and given up. (As I shall
discuss in a future installment I am really really not a
group activity sort of person)
Not long after I discovered Donald Michael Kraig and
his original version of Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in
the High Magickal Arts it filled my head with notions of
casting circles, and calling spirits. But more than that I
got a sense of how solid, how real it all can be. There was
something about Kraig’s writing style that made me feel
as if what was being written about was no more sinister
30 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
time I would start to think that I was truly “Boldly going that one feels that only the most churlish could continue
where no one had gone before” I would discover that I to dismiss the possibility of Magick’s reality out of hand.
was actually just catching up to where some of the real
trailblazers had already been.
There have been other influences on my beliefs and
practices as well. Kerr Culhain’s Full Contact Magic, and
One of the most memorable of those was Isaac Bonewits. Oberon Ravenheart Zell’s The Grimoire For The Apprentice
I had not had the pleasure of reading his best known Wizard are two of my favorites.
work Real Magic until very recently, but even so I have
come across ideas taken from it, everywhere my explora- There have been many more, and will be still more to
tions have taken me. Some have taken from his work come I’m sure.
reverentially making sure we all know who the original
source is, others trying to pass his work off as their own,
If there is one common thread tying all of these people
and a few seeming to reference Isaac’s work only to attogether, it is that all of them seem to stress that nothtempt to tear it down
ing should be taken as true simply because they say so.
Rather that the practitioner should use their own reason
As I moved on I began to walk down a path that original- and experience and not substitute the reason and experily I had been both derisive and afraid of. That of Chaos ence of another.
Magick. What I had seen originally of Chaos magicians
was not inspiring. They mostly seemed like a bunch of
This, is the idea that is at the core of my Magick and my
contemptuous snots who delighted in pissing all over
spirituality.
anyone who dared to have a formalized belief system.
Even while I did not care for formalized beliefs myself
I did not think much to the haughty tone that many of To all those that have inspired and informed my beliefs
them seemed to affect. Then I found the writing of Phil and practices, I thank you for your broad shoulders, and
Hine. I’ve not yet added his two best known works Prime I hope that some day my own might serve as a fitting
Chaos, or Condensed Chaos to my library, but they will be place for others to stand to see a little farther still.
added soon. One of the things that stuck with me was the
intelligent and respectful tone of Hine’s work. A sense Peace
that he didn’t speak with contempt, but rather respect And
for what had gone before, while pursuing a burning need Long
to move forward and discover what lay ahead. Also much Life
like Kraig, Hine talks so matter-of-factly about Magick,
Toriach
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 31
Image CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/guitavares/4099346341/
32 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Psychomanteums and
Magick Mirrors
By Ben Gruagach
“Mirror, Mirror, on the wall,
Who’s the fairest of them all?”
- Snow White’s wicked stepmother
If you stand in a bathroom at night with a lit candle in
your hand, look in the mirror and say “Bloody Mary”
three times, you’ll see the ghost of a murdered woman
behind you in the mirror.
- urban legend
experience as one where the viewer’s own reflection appears to change into the face of someone else entirely,
which then communicates as an independent being with
the viewer. Regardless which method happens for you it
is a rather remarkable experience when it occurs.
One way to make a special mirror to be used for magick
is to purchase or make a nice picture-frame the size you
want to use for the mirror. The only thing that is required is that the frame must have glass in it to provide
irrors and reflective surfaces have been used in a reflective surface. Then instead of a picture put a sheet
magick for a long time. Staring at a reflective of black paper or a piece of black cloth (velvet works well)
surface, whether a pool of liquid, the surface of in the frame. Some people choose to paint the back of
a polished stone, or into a glass object has been a way the glass black instead of using black paper or cloth.
to induce a prophetic state and encourage visions for as
Once the mirror is created, keep it covered except for
long as people have been practicing magick.
when you want to use it for magick. You can charge it
In ancient Greece and Rome, reflective surfaces such by uncovering it and bathing it in the light of the moon.
as pools or basins of liquid were placed in darkened The light of a full moon is best of all, of course. You
rooms where those with questions could go to consult can also charge your mirror by gently washing the surface
with the spirits of dead ancestors, planetary forces, or with a specially prepared potion. Franz Bardon’s “fluid
even Goddesses and Gods. Eventually pools of liquid condensers” are one popular substance used to charge
were replaced with mirrors. These special mirrors were magick mirrors. Sometimes these potions are gently
sometimes called psychomanteums, a term that has been painted on the back of the mirror, or are soaked into a
revived in recent times in New Age groups along with piece of cotton or blotting paper which it then attached
the practice of mirror-gazing as a way of contacting spirits to the back of the mirror. There are lots of creative ways
of the dead. Modern practitioners such as Dr. Raymond to use charged substances to impart their power to a mirMoody and Dr. Irene Blinston have focused on using the ror.
M
psychomanteum for therapeutic grieving. Scrying and
mirror-gazing, though, has been practiced pretty much
uninterrupted for a long time.
Some find that gazing at a reflective surface triggers an
altered state of consciousness where images can be perceived. Others, most notably Carroll “Poke” Runyon in
his book “The Book of Solomon’s Magick,” describe the
To use the mirror, put it in a place where you can sit or
stand comfortably and see your own face reflected. It’s
best to do this at night in a room that is as dark as you
can make it. There should be a very small amount of
light present; I find a single candle (a small votive in a
glass container) works best.
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 33
Some people find that holding the lit candle in their
hands while they stand or sit before the mirror works
well. I’ve tried that way and didn’t have much luck. Instead I put the candle behind me, on the floor, and have
had some amazing results! If one way doesn’t work for
you be sure to try the other.
in the room, behind me, it was very dark but there was
just enough light so that I could see my own face in the
mirror. I stood there, breathing deeply, and waited. As
I gazed at the mirror it only took a few minutes, maybe
five or ten at the most, before I discovered I wasn’t looking at my own face anymore but the face of an older
man, a man in his prime, with a full
dark beard! I’m clean-shaven with light
reddish-blond hair, and this face was
also a bit broader than my own so the
change was quite significant.
I asked the man a favour and he nodded. I was so surprised by the vividness
of it all that I didn’t think to ask any
real questions. I didn’t try to drag out
the experience at all but thanked him
for coming, and then bowed my head,
turned and blew out the candle, and
turned on the bathroom light.
Some other recommendations I’ve
read about using the magick mirror
say that it works best if you go into the
experience with a specific question in
mind, or the name of a specific departed person, entity, or deity you wish
to contact. Apparently it helps to start
by calling out to the person you wish
to speak with, and if someone else appears ask if they can get the right person for you. And once you’ve got someone to speak with, be polite in asking
your questions, and listen carefully to
the answers.
Before experimenting with a magick
mirror it’s a good idea to do some basic protection tricks like taking a moment to ground and centre, perhaps
Image CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexkon/229950288/
putting on some protective jewelry or
anointing yourself with a protective
oil. Burning protective incense won’t hurt either. And if
My most recent experience (which was so successful it
you feel uncomfortable with what is happening, draw a
was startling) happened using the regular old bathroom
pentagram in the air with your finger or with an athame
mirror late one night, with a single votive candle lit and
or wand, visualize it as a flaming star, and command
placed on the floor behind me. With just the one candle
34 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
the spirits to do no harm. If you feel there are less than
helpful spirits present then draw multiple flaming pentagrams and command them to leave. You could even do
a full-fledged circle casting before doing mirror work if
you feel it is appropriate. I would recommend that the
mirror be placed outside of your protective magick circle
for maximum safety.
Recommended Resources
Psychomanteum entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Psychomanteum
Dr. Irene Blinston’s website, http://www.blinston.com/
Psychomanteum/index.html
As you become more proficient with mirror work, you
might find it helpful to devise a regular evoking rhyme Dr. Raymond Moody’s website, http://www.lifeafterlife.
to start it off, to get you quickly in the appropriate mood. com/
Here’s one that I use:
Scott, Tim “Who Was Franz Bardon?” article
found on the web at a number of sites, including
“Mirror, mirror, clear and true,
http://angelmessages.paradisenow.net/bardon_s_
Show me what I ask of you.”
books.html#Franz_Bardon’s_Biography This article includes a recipe for one of Bardon’s “fluid condensers”
Mirror work can be quite moving and significant. It’s used to charge magick mirrors.
more than just a fairy-tale plot device. It’s a real and very
effective magickal tool. If you use it with determination
it can provide a helpful channel for advice and personal Sherwood, Simon J. “A Comparison Of The Features Of
Psychomanteum And Hypnagogic/Hypnopompic Expehealing.
riences,” in The Journal of Parapsychology, September
2000 issue.
Runyon, Carroll “Poke” “The Book of Solomon’s
Magick,” Church of the Hermetic Science Inc., 1996.
ISBN 096548811X. This book presents some very useful
instructions regarding scrying with mirrors.
Zolar, “Zolar’s Encyclopedia of Ancient and Forbidden Knowledge,” Arco Publishing Inc. New York: 1970.
ISBN 0-668-05894-3. The chapter “Using the Magic Mirror” is especially helpful.
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 35
By Sunil Narayan
The designers of Paris say Mdvanii is an immortal muse who lives in the heart of every artist
From her chair she imparts ideas to a grand couturier expecting nothing in return
Sitting on a silk seat containing the feathers of Zeús’ eagle
The legs made from the crushed material of diamonds
She sees her master in all directions, a large man standing proudly
Yet, is trapped in a luxurious home with no one to keep her company
How can an emotional lady survive this arduous life?
Her enlarged heart and sophisticated walk enchanted the socialites of the city
Now, the reality of Mdvanii is a preserved muse for a demanding couturier
She looks upwards to see lust and creativity colliding
From such a powerful fight pearls strung with gold fall into her hands
A meager compensation for a sumptuous lady!
She sighs before changing into her evening dress
The spring season once blossomed like her marigolds
Surprising all who lounged at the saloons
As if Gaïa was splashed with the color of the forest trees!
In the corner of her room a closet with shelves perfectly lined with
shoes made from colors of the rainbow
Pink, blue, red, orange and yellow!
Each day she picks a pair to match her silk gloves
A string of pearls to tie around her waist, gold bracelets to place on her light wrists, and moonstone pins to hold
her thick hair in a chignon
A refined lady has choices, choices and choices!
Twenty evening dresses made for the Queen of Norway hang from the hooks
They’re waterfalls of creamy colors from the Amazon jungles
For each one gold thread was sewn into the fabric to form a blossoming magnolia
As she puts on her heels Charles wraps a silk shawl made of crushed rose quartz
around her supple body
He adorns her smooth neck with a ruby necklace so long it rests between her breasts
She barely notices this sweet gesture while applying pink blush
Her eyes in the shape of the waning Selēnē are lost in serenity
A man who drinks to squash his guilt must continue to lavish his goddess with pieces befitting the Queen of the
Universe!
Gemstones smuggled from India are crushed into light powder
He sprinkles it onto white strips of cloth then smoothes it out
36 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Image CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/parisbeyrouth/4771387154/
Mdvanii Stirs Her Lover’s
Desire!
Although,
a doubt
pricks his
mind, making
him feel guilty for
doing a cruel deed
His clients knock on the
rotting door of his studio
demanding their garments
Charles shoos them away as if
they are wandering beggars
His mind fixated on a refined woman
entrapped in his heart
He gives her potent lust to taste yet Mdvanii
rejects it
What seems to be the magnificence of couturier
is in fact Mdvanii!
She runs along his arms tickling him
With one hand the resplendent muse blows blue petals
into his mind
To her surprise the wind snatches her white hat snickering
in delight
Mdvanii’s eyes turn red with bubbling anger
She’s a cat ready to pounce a taunting
mouse!
On his sewing table a large red
gemstone manifests
Cut in the shape of a
tulip, its sharp edge
is hardly noticeable
Passion gives it
color for which
Charles fixates on
He rubs the edge
unaware of blood
sliding down the
treasure
Mdvanii plays her
games without
giving a reason
She is a muse of
few words but
her actions have a
language of their
own
Charles will
never see her
inner world for he was devoured by his own
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 37
An Interview With Raven
Grimassi
By Ben Gruagach
R
aven Grimassi was born in 1951 and is the author of many books on Wicca and witchcraft. His
book “The Wiccan Mysteries” was awarded Book
of the Year and First Place Spirituality Book by the Coalition
of Visionary Retailers in 1998. More recent books include “Crafting Wiccan Traditions: Creating a Foundation for Your Spiritual Beliefs & Practices” and “The
Cauldron of Memory: Retrieving Ancestral Knowledge & Wisdom.” Other books by Raven include “Italian Witchcraft,” “Hereditary Witchcraft,” “Spirit of
the Witch,” “Wiccan Magick,” “The Well Worn Path”
and its companion “The Hidden Path” book and deck
sets, as well as many others. Raven and his wife Stephanie also give workshops and talks at Pagan festivals as
well as providing training through correspondence and
in-person courses. Check the websites at http://www.
ravengrimassi.net, http://www.collegeofthecrossroads.
org/ and http://www.ravensloft.biz/ for details.
Q: In your autobiographical entry in your “Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft” you talk about coming
from an Italian family witchcraft tradition. What is it
Q: Did all of your Italian side of the family practice
like learning witchcraft from family members?
witchcraft?
It is probably like growing up in any religion, whether one
is raised a Catholic, Methodist, Jew, or whatever. Your
parents teach you what they believe. It is easier when you
are young, but as you get older, well, then you ask questions and you question things in general. I think some
parents are better at handling that than others are. In my
teens I explored other belief systems, and for a while I
was involved in Eastern mysticism. But I always came
back to the Old Ways. The one thing that was different
growing up, compared to my friends and their religious
belief, is that I was not at liberty to talk about the Old
Ways. Catholicism was the veneer for me for many years.
38 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
No, there were also many actual Catholics on that side.
Q: Did family members encourage or discourage
you from exploring witchcraft?
No, it was all just part of the way things were. I think the
main opposition was, and is, my being public about it.
Q: You’ve taught witchcraft for over thirty years.
What changes have you observed in that time?
It is more widespread, of course, but many of its modern
branches have become something different in many ways
from what I would call Witchcraft. There appears to be
a contrast between the Witchcraft I was taught and what
I encounter in various places today. Primarily what I see
today is a Witchcraft stripped of its previous religious elements and isolated as merely a practice of sorcery.
I am proud of that. I think my encyclopedia is a good
resource book, and I like to think it is helpful to our community in that regard. I like Spirit of the Witch because
it was a departure for me from writing dry quasi-academic books. I tried to write in a more personal way.
Q: Which one seems to have touched the most people?
Q: Are students today much different from those you
taught decades ago?
Most of the positive feedback I receive comes from readers of the Spirit of the Witch. I think this book hit a
Yes they are very different. There are fewer who are will- spiritual cord, which is what I hoped for. It is odd being a
ing to do the hard work of mastering the Craft. I think a writer, because for me I spend a lot of time sitting in my
lot of people today want to pick and choose rather than study and writing. My manuscripts go out and become
commit to an established training program, or even a way books and I often wonder what good they do anyone.
of doing things. They tend not to complete what training Critics are more vocal than supporters, and so many authey will even allow their teachers to establish, and they thors tend to hear more negative than positive feedback
seem to want instant results with little if any personal ef- (and I think this happens more to writers of our genre).
fort. Today out of a starting class of thirty-five students, Therefore positive reader mail helps authors to keep goon the average ten will remain to begin serious training ing. I also get a fair amount of mail from readers of my
and of those, four will follow through (and one will go Italian Witchcraft books. They express appreciation that
on to teach the system to others). In the late sixties and a book exists for them as people of southern European
early seventies this was almost unheard of in Craft circles. descent. It is a great feeling to know that my work can
make a difference in a positive way.
Q: Are the topics you teach much different?
Q: What publishing projects are you working on
What I teach is the same traditional material but it is much now?
more organized and is intentionally designed to be more
interesting (compared to the way I was taught). What is I am currently putting the finishing touches on my comdifferent today is that students do not want to learn it all. pilation of the works of Charles Leland. This book has
They want to pick, and they seem to resent the suggestion been many years in the making and will likely come out
that by studying areas that might not appear interesting at in the autumn of 2011. What I have done is to take all of
first glance they can discover greater vistas. I try and liken Leland’s books on Witchcraft and extract the important
the process to going to college and taking the required chapters. I then present them with my own commentaries
courses as well as those that are of particular interest.
along with supporting evidence from literary and folkloric sources that demonstrate the authenticity of Leland’s
Q: You’ve written quite a few books on witchcraft: writings in this field. I also include excerpts from Leland’s
the award-winning “Wiccan Mysteries,” “Spirit of personal journal along with letters of correspondence (all
the Witch,” “Italian Witchcraft,” “Hereditary Witch- of which reveal his dealings in the field of Witchcraft).
craft,” “Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft” as I think that what I can now present will shock many of
Leland’s critics and take a great deal of wind out of their
well as others. Which one is your favorite?
sails. I believe this will be true for my critics as well.
I do not really have a favorite per se, and I like the books
for different reasons. Wiccan Mysteries was my first Q: Do you think Leland’s work is getting more attensuccessful book in terms of the amount of copies sold, tion today compared to the past?
which I regard as a sign the book was well received. So
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 39
Q: Like other authors, you’ve come under criticism
for some of your work. How have you dealt with that?
Raven and Stephanie in “The Well Worn Path” deck
In the beginning not so well. But with maturity I have
come to regard criticism of my work as the indications
of how people misunderstand what I put forward in my
writings. And sometimes it’s an indication of how people
intentionally misrepresent my work. But in any case my
critics inspire me to try and become a better communicator and researcher. Over the years I have come to an appreciation that the critics believe they are doing a service
through their disagreements, and I think it’s true that by
looking at both sides of an issue we can better discern a
work and its value.
Q: Tell us about your work with the College of the
Crossroads. You’re also a member of the Grey Council (which runs Oberon Zell-Ravenheart’s online
Grey School of Wizardry.) Are these your first forays
into online or correspondence courses?
It is something I did back in the nineteen-eighties as well,
so no it is not my first venture. But I do believe that the
College of the Crossroads and the Grey School are posiYes, I do believe that his work is more widely known tive ways for people to work with experienced and trained
and discussed today. He was quite a controversial figure, teachers. As an author who travels the U.S. a fair amount,
and I suppose he still is. Part of the interest in Leland I can say that there are a lot of isolated people who have
is because his work is earlier than Gardner’s, and some no local teachers available to them. I believe that online
of Leland’s writings appear in Gardnerian material. The and correspondence courses are extremely valuable to
classic Charge of the Goddess, for example, contains a such individuals.
paragraph that is only slightly altered from the way it read
in Leland’s book on Aradia. Leland was among the first The idea for the College of the Crossroads came to me
to make direct contact with people who claimed to be while doing some research. I ran across this quote:
Witches, and to write from their perspective.
Q: Would you recommend Leland’s work to those
who wish to learn more about witchcraft today?
No, not as a means of learning about Witchcraft. However I do recommend his books to people who are well read
on the topic in general. His work is important but it needs
to be understood more between the lines and also within
the context of Witches fighting back against persecution
and oppression. I never recommend Leland to beginners.
40 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
“The Lares are friendly gods, without prejudices. About their altars on the cross-roads they collect all the vagabonds, all those who
have no family, no hearth, no worship of their own. Their humble
devotess combine to celebrate their feasts as best they can, forming
Colleges of the Cross-roads, collegia compitalica…History being
wholly aristocratic and political, hardley noticed them. For they lived
outside history, so to speak, content to be alive under a sunny sky, on
a land which they loved. They needed no more than a few very simple
ideas inherited from their forefathers and a few homely rites to give
them confidence and joy. A loyal, courageous race, feeling no dread in
the presence of the unknown and, at bottom, not really caring much
about it, when the thoughts and fancies of the Mediterranean came
pouring in they kept alive the original conceptions and religious acts
of the first masters of the Italian soil” - Albert Grenier, The
Roman Spirit in Religion, Thought, and Art
This text made me think of how ancient Witches were
said to have gathered at the crossroads, and how they
were rejected from society. This, coupled with the fact
that the ancient Greeks placed Witches in the category
of wandering vagabonds, presented me with a vision for
a modern day College of the Crossroads. It was founded
in 2003 by me and co-director Stephanie Taylor, who later
became my wife.
dealing with the American Indians. I think our greatest
challenge is an alliance of the tribes. Until we can respect
each other and support each other, we can never expect
outsiders to ever grant us acceptance.
Q: What advice would you give to those starting out on
the path exploring witchcraft and Wicca?
Read and discuss as much as you can, and learn both
sides of any debate related to the Craft. Know that no
mystery is closed to an open mind. So be open-minded,
but not so open-minded that your brains fall out. Also,
consider that both tradition and individuality can exist
The College was originally located on approximately four in harmony, and that both are valuable. Therefore be
acres of secluded property in a rural area of southern open to both old and new ideas.
California, but we are now in transition and looking for
a new location. We currently offer a full online curricuQ: What advice would you give to elders in the witchlum of study in Witchcraft. Our courses focus on the
craft and Wiccan community today?
ancient roots of Witchcraft that preexist the origins of
modern Witchcraft and Wicca. The curriculum includes
techniques for self-empowerment, Nature veneration, Ironically my advice is pretty much the same I gave to
ritual & magical arts, and the study of authentic forms beginners in reply to the last question. I can add that it
of the associated occult arts. Each course offered by the is important to understand that today is not like yesterCollege of the Crossroads includes a certificate of com- day. We live and work now with tribes that have changed
pletion, and a certificate of appreciation for supporting from the days of traditional values. Therefore, do what
the school. More information is available on our website: you do because you feel called to do it. Do it because it is
your true passion. Do not expect support or a reward of
http://www.collegeofthecrossroads.org/
any kind. Do not allow yourself to become discouraged
by the absence of signs of appreciation for the sacrifice
Q: What do you hope the Wiccan and witchcraft comof time and effort on your part for the benefit of others.
munity will look like in the future?
Come to the realization that you do your work not for rewards or recognition. You do it because the work needs
I am about to reveal myself as a dreamer by saying that I to be done and it has come to your hands to carry it on.
hope to live long enough to see us united by the things
we hold in common and not divided by the things that
make us unique. I hope for a people who are not feared
and misunderstood. I hope we nourish our roots and
care for the new growth. Without deep roots we wither
and die in time. Without new growth there will be no
seeds for the future.
Q: What do you see as our greatest challenges in attaining this future?
The ancient Romans knew that to conquer a people you
need only keep them divided and encourage their hatred
of one another. The U.S. cavalry knew this as well when
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 41
Of Dates and Deities
By Mystic Fool
E
very day millions of people throughout the world
honor the Ancient Deities unconsciously and
keep alive a millennial tradition just by writing
down the date. In the fast track world that we live in, few
have the time to think and ponder upon the meaning
of things. We lack the commodity of time to stop and
reason for ourselves what January means and where it
originated from. Hopefully, we all know that January is
the first month of the year …..but what does the name
stand for and was it always like that? In this article I will
be giving brief information on the names of the calendar months and days of the week. As you are aware, the
world did not always use the present system, introduced
by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, and hence known as the
Gregorian Calendar. Different methodologies were applied throughout the world, reflecting the knowledge
and the needs of the different populations, but as the
continents drew nearer to each other, through travel and
commerce, a single civil calendar was adopted. In spite
of being introduced by a Roman Catholic Pontiff, the
present calendar adopted the names used by the Roman
Empire and hence it reflects many a pagan theme.
FEBRUUS, from their predecessors – the Etruscans. A
festival of purification, called Februa, was celebrated in
Rome during this particular month.
March (Martius). Romulus named the first month of the
Roman year after MARS, the God of War and protector
of crops and fields. The military campaign season was
inaugurated in this month of renewal. On the first day
of March, wives were given presents by their husbands in
a tradition called Matronalia.
April (Aprilis). The etymology of the word is uncertain.
Whilst Ovid associates April with APHRODITE (Venus), others are of the opinion that April derives from
the word APRIRE (to open), since this was the month in
which flowers and fruits blossomed. During this month
several agriculture festivals were celebrated, amongst
which Cerialia, Vinalia and Robigalia. Another important festival, Floralia, was celebrated in honor of Flora,
the Goddess of vegetation and flowers.
May (Maius). Being a month of hard work in the fields in
preparation of the harvest to follow, this month was assoMONTHS
ciated with the underworld during which the festival of
LEMURIA (dedicated to the dead) was celebrated. The
January (Ianuarius). The Roman month of Januarius de- houses were purified of evil spirits during this month,
rived its name from the God of beginnings and endings considered to be unlucky. There is a possibility that this
JANUS. Being the God of gates and doors (ianua), the month is named after MAIA, the Goddess of growth
deity was represented by a double-faced head, each face and bounty.
looking in opposite direction. It makes sense to name
the first month after Janus as this God symbolizes a year June (Iunius). This month is dedicated to the patron
that has gone by and the beginning of a new one. Janu- Goddess of Rome, JUNO (the Greek Goddess Hera),
ary, in a figurative sense, is the doorway to the new year protector and special counselor of the state. She is the
ahead of us. The Romans worshipped Janus at the begin- daughter of Satrun and sister / wife of Jupiter. She is also
ning of important events such as harvest time, planting, the mother of Mars, Minerva and Vulcan. An important
marriage and birth. Ironically, Jannarius was the elev- festival, called Vestalia, was celebrated in June to honor
enth month in the Roman Calendar and not the first.
Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, home and family.
February (Februarius). The Romans adopted the worship of the God of the underworld and purification,
42 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Ancient Roman calendar. Image CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/snickclunk/675597785/
July (Julius). Formerly known as Quintilis, meaning the October (Octobres). This was the eight month of the
fifth month, it was renamed after JULIUS Ceaser, as this year, thus OCTO. October marked the end of the war
was the month of his birth.
campaign season which had begun in March and ceremonies in honor of Mars were preformed. October
August (Augustus). Named after AUGUSTUS, the sixth is also associated with viniculture because this was the
right time for the vintage.
month of the Roman year was a time of harvest.
September (Septembre). The name derives from the
number SEVEN, because this month was the seventh
in the old Roman Calendar. Being a time of repose after
the harvest, during this month, the Romans organized
games known as the Ludi Romani.
November (Novembres). Like the months before it, its
name derives from a number (NOVE), being the ninth
month of the year. Circus games were performed from
the 4th till the 17th of the month.
December (Decembres). In TENth month of the Roman Calendar many festivals were celebrated, amongst
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 43
of which Saturnalia, in honor of the God Saturn, and a God Mercury – God of trade and profit, patron of travcelebration in honor of the Bona Dea (Good Goddess). elers and merchants)
Thursday (Giovedi) – Dies Jovis (Day of the God Jupiter
/ Jove)
DAYS OF THE WEEK
Friday (Venerdi) – Dies Veneris (Day of the Goddess
Venus – Roman Goddess of love and beauty)
Sunday (Dies Solis). The Romans named this day after Saturday (Sabato) – Dies Saturni (Day of the God Satthe Sun, thus Sun’s Day, symbolizing the God. Another urn)
name for Dies Solis was Dominica, meaning the Day of
God.
Conclusion
Monday (Monandaeg). A word of Anglo-Saxon origin
The calendar can help us in expanding our knowlmeaning the Moon’s Day, symbolizing the Goddess.
edge about different Dieties. It would be a very interesting exercise if each month we did some research on
Tuesday (Tyr). The third day of the week is named after
the God / Goddess after which that particular month
the Norse God, Tyr – God of combat, victory and heroic
is named and the festivals of worship associated with
glory.
the deities. Where the months do not represent Deities, we can look up information on Gods / GoddessWednesday (Woden). The fourth day is named after es represented in the names of the days of the week.
the God of War and chief God Woden. Orginally worshiped by the ancient Germanic people under the name
Example :
of Wodan, he was known as Woden or Wotan to the
January – Janus
Saxons and later Odin to the Norse.
February – Februus
March - Mars
Thursday (Thor). The Norse God of Thunder, Thor, April – Aphrodite / Venus
gives his name to fifth day of the week.
May - Maia
June - Juno
Friday (Frigg). The sixth day is named for the Norse God- July – Tyr (representing Tuesday)
dess Frigg. The wife of Odin, is the Goddess of love and August – Odin and Mercury (Wednesday)
fertility and patron of marriage and motherhood. Frigg September – Thor and Jupiter (Thursday)
shares a similarity with the Goddess Freya, who might be October – Frigg / Freya (Friday)
the same deity worshiped under a different name.
November – Saturn (Saturday)
December – Sol
Saturday (Sater). The last day of the week is named after
the God of agriculture Saturn, in Anglo-Saxon sater daeg No matter to which path we adhere to, be it Pagan,
(Saturn’s Day).
Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu or else, we live
our lives under the gaze of the Ancient Gods.
The Romans had different names for the days, also concerning Gods. A variation of the old Roman names is
still used in Italy today.
Sunday (Domenica) - Dies Solis (Sun’s Day) or Day of
the God.
Monday (Lunedi) – Dies Luna (Moon’s Day)
Tuesday (Martedi) – Dies Martis (Day of the God Mars)
Wednesday (Mercoledi) – Dies Mercurii (Day of the
44 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Pagan Bookshelf:
Magickal Life Stories
By Ben Gruagach
W
e modern Pagans are a rather literate lot. In
addition to the many handbooks, theoretical
works, folklore collections, poems, songs, rituals, and workbooks in print, there are also quite a few
illuminating biographies and autobiographies. Reading
about the lives of others following magickal and Pagan
spiritual paths can help us understand better what came
before and where our community might be headed. We
might also discover that famous occultists often faced
the same dilemmas that we do today!
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which operated in the UK and Europe at the end of the 1800s and
into the start of the 1900s, was one of the most influential occult groups spawning a huge amount of material
which is still widely used in the modern Pagan community today. “Women of the Golden Dawn: Rebels and
Priestesses” by Mary K. Greer (ISBN 0-89281-607-4)
explores the lives of the often unsung women who helped make the
Golden Dawn what it was. Many
of the history books talk about the
men who were involved, and not
enough is written about the equally
important women. This book is a
good start.
The name Aleister Crowley is widely
known in the modern Pagan community but few know more than
some vague details about the man.
“Perdurabo: The Life of Aleister
Crowley” by Richard Kaczynski
(ISBN 978-1556438998) is a comprehensive recently updated and expanded biography of the mysterious
and often controversial Crowley.
Kaczynski’s book provides an honest look at what made
the man tick.
“20th Century Magic and the Old Religion: Dion Fortune, Christine Hartley, Charles Seymore” by Alan
Richardson (ISBN 0-87542-673-5) takes readers into the
actual magickal diaries of two of the leading figures in
Dion Fortune’s Society of the Inner Light. He also provides some insightful details about Dion Fortune and
the Society in general. It’s no wonder that the Society is
still active today!
Around the time that Gerald Gardner in the UK was
putting his finishing touches on his groundbreaking
book “Witchcraft Today,” another openly public witch
was making waves in Australia. Look for “Pan’s Daughter: The Magical World of Rosaleen Norton” by Nevill
Drury (ISBN 1-869928-31-8) to find
out about this intriguing bohemian
artist’s life, spirituality, and work.
Of course there are books that examine the life of Gerald Gardner, the
key person to present Wicca to the
world. “Gerald Gardner: Witch” by J.
L. Bracelin (ghost written by the Sufi
scholar Idries Shah) (ISBN 1-87218908-3) started the trend, which was
picked up and expanded greatly by
Philip Heselton in his books “Wiccan Roots” (ISBN 1-86163-110-3) and
“Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of
Inspiration” (ISBN 1-86163-164-2). For
a more rigorous scholarly examination
of Gardner’s life and influences be
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 45
sure to look for “The Triumph of the Moon” by Ronald
Hutton (ISBN 0-19-820744-1).
There are also autobiographies and
biographies written by people who
have worked with Gardner going
back to the early 1950s. Doreen
Valiente’s “Rebirth of Witchcraft”
(ISBN 0-919345-39-5) is a must-read,
as is “Fifty Years of Wicca” by Frederic Lamond (ISBN 0-9547230-1-5).
Books written by later initiates include “High Priestess: The Life &
Times of Patricia Crowther” by Patricia Crowther (ISBN 0-919345-87-5)
and “Conversations With a Witch”
by Lois Bourne (ISBN 0-7090-70640). All are great reading!
will be missed dearly by all who were touched by her
wisdom and love.
Another non-Wiccan witchcraft
tradition has its American origins
documented in the recent book
“The Forge of Tubal Cain” by Ann
Finnin (ISBN 0-9796168-3-2). The
Clan of Tubal Cain is based on the
teachings of Robert Cochrane (aka
Roy Bowers) who worked in the UK
in the 1960s before his tragic death
in 1966. The book relates the lives
of Ann and her husband Dave, and
how they came to lead the Clan in
the United States.
There are books written by others
who were Wiccan initiates but not
One of Gardner’s leading competinecessarily who worked directly with
tors was a man named Alex Sanders.
Gerald Gardner. One of particular
For a rather sensational (and not alnote is Scott Cunningham whose
ways truthful) biography, try to find
book “Wicca: A Guide for the Solia copy of June Johns’ “King of the Witches: the World tary Practitioner” triggered a huge influx of solitary
of Alex Sanders” (ISBN 0-432-07675-1). Books about the practitioners into the Wiccan community. “Whispers of
lives of some of Alex’s leading initiates, which also in- the Moon: The Life and Work of Scott Cunningham”
clude revealing details about Alex
by David Harrington and deTraci
and his groups, include his wife
Regula (ISBN 1-56718-559-2) and
Maxine’s recent book “Fire Child:
the more recent “Cunningham’s
The Life & Magic of Maxine
Book of Shadows: The Path of An
Sanders ‘Witch Queen’” (ISBN
American Traditionalist” (ISBN
1-869928-78-4) and “Stewart Far978-0738719146) explore the life of
rar: Writer on a Broomstick” by
this influential writer.
Elizabeth Guerra with Janet Farrar
(ISBN 0-9791402-7-7).
“The Last Bastion” by Ralph Harvey (ISBN 1-903065-40-2) is a memAnother witchcraft tradition unoir of an influential Wiccan initiate
related to Gardner’s Wicca is the
still active in the UK. He peppers
Feri tradition taught by Victor and
the text with anecdotes from his
Cora Anderson. Cora passed away
past along with a lot of general Wicon Beltane eve in 2008, and left
can teachings.
behind her book “Fifty Years in the
Feri Tradition” (ISBN 0-9710050An intriguing account of a rather
4-4) along with others as a record
unique Wiccan tradition is presentof their lives and teachings. Cora
ed in “Courting the Lady: A Wiccan Journey” by Patrick M. McCol46 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
lum (ISBN 0-9777986-0-7). What makes this of particular
note is that McCollum talks about being initiated into a
Wiccan coven in the early 1960s in California, around
the same time or even before Ray Buckland was bringing
Gardnerian Wicca to the United States for the first time.
McCollum’s tradition is clearly based on Wicca (and is
therefore at least inspired by Gardner’s system), but it is
also quite distinct from other varieties.
Moving out of Wicca and
witchcraft we find “My
Life With the Spirits: The
Adventures of a Modern
Magician” by Lon Milo
Duquette (ISBN 1-57863120-3). Duquette is one
of the leading ceremonial magickians today,
an acknowledged expert
on the topics of Thelema
(Crowley’s system) as well
as Enochian and Goetic
grimoire magick. “My
Life with the Spirits” relates how his interest in
magick developed from the time he was a young boy.
Some books examine the lives
of a number of modern Pagans. “Wiccan Wisdomkeepers” by Sally Griffyn (ISBN
1-57863-257-9) and “Modern
Pagans: An Investigation of
Contemporary Pagan Practice” by V. Vale and John Sulak
(ISBN 1-889307-10-6) provide
interesting articles, along with
photos, of various Pagan personalities. My favourite article
is the one on Doreen Valiente
in “Wiccan Wisdomkeepers.”
mation” by Nevill Drury (ISBN 0-7867-0782-8). If you
only want to read one book this would be the one I’d
recommend, as it gives a summary of the lives of many
influential occultists and
Pagans with
the larger picture filled in
to give it all
meaning.
One thing to
note
about
tracking down
books: some
books
are
quite expensive to purchase as they
have become
collectors’
items. Check
at your local
public library,
and investigate the inter-library loan system often available there, if you want to read a particular book but
don’t want to have to buy a copy for yourself.
Happy reading! And keep writing your own journals, diaries,
blogs, and memoirs – perhaps
one day yours will be listed
alongside these too!
And finally, to put it all in a bit
of historical context, look for
books such as “The History of
Magic in the Modern Age: A
Quest for Personal TransforSeptember October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 47
A Swan Who
Wallows In
Lotus
Laden
Ponds
By Sunil Narayan
She walks into the banquet room of the
Château de Versailles feeling out of
place
Such a refined lady with skin as soft as
a doe’s coat
Pearls that dangle above her swan-like
neck
Eyes so tranquil, flutter like butterflies in
a garden
A woman who floats from room to room
unaware of everyone’s presence
They look into those lotus petal shaped
eyes to see a secret world
Gardens stretching for miles fill the air
with the scent of roses
Uṣás-Devī cannot help but inhale this
sweet perfume
Radiant marigolds bask in the Sun’s warmth
Jasmine trees stand tall to give shade for all
of Pṛthivī’s critters
They lay at the base sighing for amour had
consumed them
A gazelle who once nestled at the feet of PṛthivīDevī is now an elegant lady
48 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Yes! Suraiyā is the child of Pṛthivī-Devī
Her hands decorated in emerald rings have fingers that
flow like the Gangā
So pure and gentle men have followed her around the
world just to be caressed by those fingers
They are savages who have succumbed to the feminine
power of an untainted goddess
Yet, why does she not look at these men?
At the far end of the room gourmet Indian dishes line up
a long glass table
An aroma of mixed spices travels through the air
Men who smell it divert their eyes to Suraiyā
She stands before the table delighted by such a sumptuous
feast
Her hands move towards the glass spoon dipped in the dāl
bowl
Ashamed by bad manners Suraiyā pulls her hand back
The host who has been seduced by Suraiyā’s beauty tells her
it is quite alright
A smile transforms Suraiyā’s face like Uṣás-Devī bathing the world
in light
Those eyes of her enchants the host, bringing him to his knees
His heart grew ten times with each pulse sighing in joy
A goddess has locked eyes with a humble king
An elegant lady created in the nest of the Pṛthivī-Devī looks into the
eyes of many
The pain, the happiness, the frustration, the excitement, the joy!
These emotions are the colors in her gardens
And all men, women and children have their own inner gardens
Suraiyā’s lotus-petal eyes see the world’s inner beauty permeating all things
Even the Sky, an ocean for the Devás, is a jewel created by Pṛthivī-Devī!
Suraiyā’s śāṭī is fashioned from the Devás’ water
A long train from her shoulders floats above the floor as she walks around the room
All guests spend hours watching Suraiyā create a stream with her śāṭī
The scent of lilacs flows from the fabric into their noses
Śakra-Devá’s heaven cannot compare to the moment they are lost in!
A rarity in this world is locked away for centuries but comes out when humanity
has submerged in harmonious bliss
Image by Brettpress [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 49
Illustration CC http://www.flickr.com/photos/bibliodyssey/3606618641/
Meditation: Night Ride on
a Broomstick
By Ben Gruagach
T
his meditation guides the seeker through a mythical witchcraft experience: flying on a broomstick
in a night sky. This can be a helpful way to explore
astral travel and to attune more closely with the element
of Air.
50 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
For more guided meditations similar to this one, including free MP3 recordings, visit the author’s website at
http://www.witchgrotto.com
Make sure you are seated or lying down in a comfortable and fat, your bone. Each breath in draws more of the
position. Feel free to loosen your clothing a bit so you earth energy up into you, each breath out helps it spread
don’t feel constrained.
through your body, healing, relaxing, filling you with refreshing energy.
During the meditation session you will be in complete
control of yourself, your body, your senses, and your ex- Feel the energy flow in as you breathe, spreading through
periences. If you feel any discomfort or become aware your body as you breathe out. In, and it seeps in, out,
of any danger you will be able to handle it easily, or will and it spreads through your body even more. In, and you
immediately return to your normal level of awareness if fill with energy, out and the energy heals, and charges,
required. You will remember everything that happens. and refreshes your body.
When you come out of the meditative state you will feel
relaxed, refreshed, and energized.
As your body becomes charged, as your body becomes
Start now by closing your eyes and focusing on my words.
Take a deep breath, slowly, in through your nose for a
count of four. Hold for a count of four, then slowly out
through your mouth for a count of four. Hold for one,
two, three, four, then in through your nose, two, three,
four. Hold, two, three, four. Out through your mouth,
two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. In, two, three,
four. Hold, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. Hold,
two, three, four. In, two, three, four. Hold, two, three,
four. Out, two, three, four.
Continue the breathing pattern, in through your nose,
hold, then out through your mouth, hold, then in again.
Hold, then out through your mouth. Hold. In through
your nose.
energized, your inner senses become more acute. As you
think about something your senses will sharpen and focus on it. The things you encounter on the astral are
as real and as vivid as anything you experience in your
everyday life.
You find yourself surrounded by a soft, warm mist that
glows with a faint silvery light. It protects you, charges
you, and cleanses you. Turn slowly in the mist to look
around you. Instinctively you will know which way is
east. Face east, then stop and express your respects to
that direction. Pause for a moment, then turn slowly to
the south. As you face south, express your respect for this
direction, the elementals and watchers who guard the
southerly quarter. Pause. Turn west, and again give your
respects to the direction. Pause, and then turn to the
north and give your respects. The circle is cast.
Feel the solid earth beneath your body, supporting you.
It is very solid, very strong. The floor rests on beams and
concrete that is cradled in solid rock and hard-packed
soil, which is very dense and goes down, down, down for
miles. The earth is huge, solid, and supports us. It is also
very much alive and has a gentle energy we can tap into.
The mist thins and then dissipates in a light breeze that
blows to you from the east. You find yourself outside
in an inspiring place, the night sky above you with the
moon shining down. Look around yourself and note
what you can see. What does the vegetation look like?
Can you hear any sounds of water, of wind, of wildlife?
As you breathe, in through your nose and out through Are there any smells: rich earth, plants or flowers, the
your mouth, feel the solid earth beneath you. Feel the clear scent of water? Feel the breeze blowing on your skin
subtle energy of the earth beneath you, supporting as you look around you at this moonlit landscape.
and sustaining you. That energy flows gently into you
through the ground, through the floor, through your On the ground nearby you notice there is an old handcontact with the solid earth. Feel that energy, gentle, made broom lying next to a bundle of cloth. You pick
flowing like a quiet pulse. It ebbs, it flows; each breath in up the cloth and realize it is a hooded cloak. You shake
draws it up from the ground and into your body. Each it out and put it on. It fits you perfectly. Notice how the
breath out spreads the energy through your body, help- cloth feels, the quality of the weave, the weight and smell
ing it to seep into your blood, your muscles, your sinews and texture. You can feel it against your neck as it drapes
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 51
over your shoulders. It will keep you warm, safe, and hidden if you wish as you explore.
You pick up the broomstick and feel how satisfying it
feels in your hand. The handle is polished and smooth,
the bristles rustling together and making a pleasing
sound. You can feel a hum of energy in this broomstick.
You can almost hear it singing – a song of longing, and
joy, and speed, and flight. It is eager to be aloft. It wants
to take you on a ride.
You grasp the broom firmly and with a gesture it lifts you
up. It’s almost like you have suddenly become weightless,
or filled with helium. You can sit comfortably on the
broom handle however impossible it might seem. You
have perfect balance and are in no danger of falling off.
The broom is absolutely amazing. You can hover in one
spot, and just as effortlessly you can zoom off in any direction. You can turn sharply from one direction to another with exhilarating speed. The broom can take you
for a leisurely ride or on a ride that puts roller coasters to
shame. It’s completely up to you.
The broom can take you any place you would like to visit. All you need to do is give it a destination and it will do
the rest. Or perhaps you just want to explore without a
particular destination – that is fine too. It’s all up to you.
your broom can take you back to where you started in
the twinkling of an eye. It flies, straight as an arrow,
zooming and banking and then bringing you back to the
start. It gently settles to the ground so that you are again
on the solid Earth. The energy hum in the broomstick
calms down, and you can almost hear it, like a whispered
“thank you for sharing the ride,” quietly in your ear.
Every time you explore the astral realms like this, every
time you go within like this, you will find that it is easier
and easier to do. Your experiences will become more
vivid, more real, each time you attempt to reach these
states of awareness. You will find your awareness unfolding, new insights and abilities coming forward for you.
You will also find that things will come more easily to
you. You will be more in control. As the spirit realms become more familiar you will find yourself more relaxed,
more empowered. And this strength and empowerment
will remain with you no matter where you are or what
you are doing, whether you are awake, or asleep, or in a
meditative or spiritual state like you are now.
Breathe in the energy all around you, feel it coursing
through your body, healing and charging you with power. You are being cleansed, softly, gently, made whole.
You are at peace.
A mist gathers around you again until you can see nothTake whatever time you want to fly around on your ing but the gentle, moving whiteness. It caresses your
broom – time will expand or shrink so that you always body. It has a faint scent that brings back memories of
have enough time. Pay attention to what you see, hear, feeling safe. The mist is warm, inviting, and healing. Evand experience. Remember who you might meet, what erything is quiet and serene in the mist.
you might learn.
And then the mist dissolves and you find yourself comBreathe and feel the energy flowing through you, ing back to your physical body, back into your physical
through your broomstick, as you fly through the sky. Feel senses. The mist dissipates and you can feel your physithe wind on your face and hands, against your body as cal body again. Feel your arms, your legs, the ground
you soar and turn. You are safe and in control. You will beneath you. Breathe deeply and feel energized as you
return to your normal senses, your normal state of being.
remember what you experience here.
Move your fingers, then move your arms slowly, then
shift and move your body and stretch when you’re ready.
(Pause for five minutes or as long or as short as the participants
And when you’re completely back, open your eyes and
require to explore.)
sit up comfortably. You’re safe, back in your body, at ease
and rested and filled with energy and inspiration.
Your journey is coming to an end and it is time to return home. No matter how far you might have flown,
no matter what labyrinthine path you took to get here,
52 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Īshwar
By Sunil Narayan
I
Īshwar was born from the heart of Sarasvatī-Devī
As a white-skinned boy smiling so sweetly
His power lay in the strings of his mother’s vīṇā
plucked for her amusement
Nāga flowers cover the surface of the shiny
jackwood kudam
Sniff along the dandi etched with the sacred words
for Gāyatrī-Devī
It is the scent of Índra-Devá’s pāṭala trees!
One wishes to inhale such sweet perfume while
pondering Sūrya-Devá’s multitude of brilliant arms
They reach around a shy Bhūdevī to charm her into
eternal union
Such a day the Devás still reminisce while drinking
sweetened sóma
Their golden chalices etched with praises from
devotees who spent their daily lives to meditate on
sublime beings!
Ink containing crushed moonstone was used to write
sensual calligraphy
It was Īshwar caressing their cheeks like a caring
mother who aided them in impressing the Devás
He wears a white ṣāṭī adorned with blue turquoise
stones from one end to the other to form a flowing
tributary
A design her most sacred divinity, the Gáṅgā-Devī
blessed before the satin was decorated with jewels
His hair flowing like a river is woven and adorned
with mallī flowers every morning
His slender ears are decorated with śirīṣa flowers
Īshwar delighted in drinking cow’s milk when
visiting Umāpatiḥ-Devá at his modest abode in the
afternoon
Upon request the generous ascetic provided him a pot
of fresh milk to take home
He wanted to turn such a lovely gift into a ṣāṭī that
floats in the air like the monks’ jasmine incense
smoke
In each step it brushes a man, giving him the light of
creativity!
Trees bow in respect to the kind-hearted boy of
Sarasvatī-Devī
He brings joy to all with his generous touch and
warm eyes
Let us praise the muse of mankind!
Let us touch his uncovered milky feet to rejuvenate
our minds!
II
Sóma-Devá glowed intensely, hiding his smile from
the world
He sleeps happily after watching his faithful
muse write ślokas praising his sharpened purity
The hand moves fast across a banana leaf
Not a second to sigh, for the muse is fasting
till sunrise!
His mind fixates on the joyous devá
Wondering if he is all omnipotent and capable of
loving everyone
Sóma-Devá never appears during the day
However, he is fond of the chilly evening
Each time he lifts the heavy yellow blanket off
Bhūmī-Devī body
He shows her a sky black as tar with countless of
tiny sómas
An ocean of mystery that shines like Bhūmī-Devī’s
vaidūryas strewn all over our ocean’s shores
He leans forward to dip his fingers in the water
A snake slithers in front of Sóma-Devá, breaking the
enchantment
He lunges into the water scared by such an intrusion!
Bhūmī-Devī sees a mauktikaratna falling into her lap
Finding delight in the perfectly polished surface
Joy lighted her whole body as she looked over this
precious jewel
For scratches before hiding it in her vájra-encrusted
jewerly box
A devī who is hardly spoiled cannot help wanting to
own a rare find!
It is a soul as round as Lakṣmī-Devī’s mauktikamālā
glowing with the optimism of a saint!
The kumudinī flowers blossomed in Bhūmī-Devī’s
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 53
garden, releasing a scent to send her into a world of
temptuous leisure!
Candrá-Devá tucked inside Bhūmī-Devī’s jewelry
box, rolls along the silky purple cushion as the devī
explores the bountiful jungles
chaste devádāsī
Blue and white balíbhuj sing to get her attention, not
stopping till she glances at them
With excitement they dance on the branches for she
blessed them with eternal refuge
Devoid of the fire that brightens in the heart!
Is such a quality correct for an Āryan!?
To be looked at by the smiling devī is to become
enamored with her vibrant beauty!
In each step her feet gives nourishment to squashed
life
The plants suddenly spring up with leaves catching
the rain drops and the bugs wake up eager to gather
food!
She smiles while her bhūruha glows repeatedly in
joy
III
The muse who writes poems as tribute to the naked
Rajanīpati-Devá
Remains in awe at its brilliant strength!
To endure the disastrous solar conflicts unscathed
shows a firm footing in Pṛthvī-Devī’s ocean floor
He is unmoved by all the damage caused by petty
rivalries
The one thing to cause deep sorrow is losing the
sacrificial union his devotees share with him
He has been in a dense state of fear throughout his
life
When asking Sarasvatī-Devī to create a muse to keep
humanity from leaving the Āryan dhárma
Rajanīpati-Devá knew the risk of living on Earth
The Devás fear touching the muddy paths with their
bejeweled feet
Such clean and smooth soles can absorb the wave
of inner filth
Black energy forms a stormy world within each
mortal
Lightening strikes all life leaving
Dyauṣpitṛ-Devá coughing from inhaling so much
smoke!
In this age humans have begun to shed their
piousness
To accept greed as their new skin!
From morning to night they think of how to steal a
brother-in-law’s satin slippers
Or what ways to tempt a noble saint to deflower a
54 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
All for their own amusement!
Without looking at the consequence of behaving
recklessly their hearts turned into black rocks
The ātmā slowly begins choking as the body moves
about the town
Unaware of what is happening to the shell’s mind
It lived peacefully till the world was shaken
violently during the varṣártu
Frightening it for lightening hit mountainsides,
sending boulders of rocks into the villages!
The heart’s condition disrupts the flow of the pure
ātmā
Bit by bit it freezes giving the mind a vague look at
the surface
IV
Closely tied to the eternal spirit we are!
Too focused on ourselves to care!
Īshwar, oblivious to this dilemma lives his life as a
hermit
Meditating on the Supreme Mother and writing praises
to all the Devás
His life before awakening on Rátnavatī-Devī is
unknown to him
Even though he comes from Śakrá-Devá’s svargá his
memory only begun when he awoke in the protective
arms of Rátnavatī-Devī
A child who was reared in the rightful place of the
Devás!
Left his teary-eyed mother, whose lustrous love was
dripping with distress
Her heart sunk like an elegant swan abandoned by
its loyal friends
Falling into the abyss where nothing can breath
To her love is shared with those who have
selflessness in their nature
It comes as pure as the melted snow from Himávat
A taste rivaling that of the heavenly nectar the Devás
yearned after defeating the Rākṣasas in
Samudrámathana
However, all the food the Devás gorge upon during
banquets are not delectable when tasting the love
Rátnavatī-Devī has to offer
Such a kind-hearted devī she is!
Allowing us mere mortals to inhabit her lands to do
boundless plundering!
rare find!
He thinks of his children first and leisure last
She begs for her trees to be spared from the torches
of blood-thirsty armies
If a constant flow of tears forming a puddle at her
feet do not make a difference then what will!?
She asks for the knowledge of virtue to be consumed
by all in childhood
To her horror the Ṛṣis have abandoned their homes to
live in subservience to Himávat-Devá
Long trails of sweat from his forehead fill his eyes
Vivásvat-Devá’s heat turns it into acid water
Where will our defenseless children turn to for
inspiration?
Where will they go for guidance!?
In this age hope seems useless
Although, a shining boy with deep blue eyes
will save the human race from destroying itself
V
In the previous age Dharitrī-Devī opened her heart’s
doors for the orphaned Rātri, Uṣas and Priyā to walk
into
They were astounded by the nīlagandhika laden
marble palace filled with the scent of blue roses
She provided a journey to eternal bliss without
any hurdles thrown at them
To please her daughters with luxury befitting the
Devás
It was her compassion in dire times that shone like
the bhārgavakas in a mahārāja’s crown
An enormous emotion that could shake the
universe in one step if latched onto anger
It was her might and gentleness the Devás revered!
Although, in this present age her wrinkles show an
exhausted state
Such a tired old maiden whose grace flew through the
Sky like white cranes
Reviving the ātman of all who steered away from the
path of the Āryans
She could soften the spikes protruding from one’s heart
Turning them into tall roses with hints of her eye color
The doe whose lashes so thick and long fans the dust
off crusty jewelry boxes
To open and admire the bhārgavakas scattered on top
of the pink cushion
Human character is a jewelry box waiting inside the
cracks of Dharitrī-Devī’s skin
For a kind soul to break the latch with his steel blade
Any farmer who tilled the field would miss such a
He screams so loud neighbors run to his aid
The terrified farmer fled to the forest to dive into the
blue lake
Dharitrī-Devī shakes her head in disappointment at
this spectacle
Her brother is no longer pulled by the selfless virtue
their mother gifted to them
She cannot stand a human screaming till the
pāṇḍaravāyasas squawk for peace
It is a cruel deed to commit towards someone who is
loyal to her
With her vájradaṇḍa she stomps the ground in
frustration
Glaring at Vivásvat-Devá emanating enormous pride
VI
The world suffered a fate far worse than the previous
ages
It lost the ability to create poetry, music and dance!
Our Supreme Mother’s name remains lost in rumor
and satire
Her divine love replaced by that of the need for
unrestrained hedonism
She was nipped of her bond with the human race
For the reason her compassion went unappreciated
by the mahārājas
A saint who can turn the world faster on its axis than
Kumāra-Devá had to be created immediately!
Īshwar is the answer to Bhūmī-Devī’s crisis!
Made from the virtue of inspiration he brings life to
all dead beings
Turning the eerie silence of a forest into a symphony
of orange and red birds chirping in excitement
Pushing rocks off old texts to let his curiosity take
him on a journey
As his fingers turn the yellow, muddy pages, his mind
is zapped into an alternate reality
The conscious runs too fast for the memory to keep up
A kaleidoscope of many universes become large and
small by his will!
With each one he can smell Sāvitrī-Devī’s kundamālā
A scent untainted by the alcohol breath of Śakra-Devá
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 55
Before him the pages of the book become white and
clean
The wrinkles smoothed down by his own selfless
magic!
He was caught up in the secret guarded by the
immortal mahāṛṣis
His mind suddenly throbbed as if Śakra-Devá forced
dozens of bowls of thick sóma down his throat
He could not understand why he saw everything nor
the sweet smell that distracted him from looking at
the
Exploding compacted balls of surreal colors in large
planets
An explanation his young mind is capable of
understanding
Sits still in the belly of a cursed swan
VII
Īshwar’s home was a jungle filled with mango trees
He enjoyed filling his belly with the soft mangoes
Succulent fruit sucked from one end to the other
Smooth surface that leaks juice if touched
White kámalakhaṇḍa elongated to reach this
blue-eyed muse
They shake when he is preoccupied with writing, to
create more beauty for the spacious abode
Īshwar sleeps on the tiger-skin rug fashioned by
Umāpatiḥ-Devá
A man would complain of the grassless bed for it
is not soft at all!
A boy with the patience befitting a ṛṣi is appreciative
of such a miracle
Turning to a mighty ascetic for help is only possible
when destiny has planned it even if one cannot
recollect such a fine deed!
When the kuvalaya-īkṣaṇā boy begins to dream his
mind transforms into heavenly kingdom
Where the poets are revered by the Devás as the
vessels of truth
The virtues of mankind sit in their sealed mouths
How do such beings speak when faced with an
impending doom?
They are not meant to utter words of eloquence
Their hands speak to the curious onlookers
The written word is more precious than one’s ego
It lasts for eternity, taking many refreshing guises
When all of mankind disappeared like the mist in the
56 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
jungle during the winter season
The texts will lay under the ground undisturbed
Dharā-Devī will suffer terrible episodes of
destruction
However, she will not let go of the precious Word
Mahādevī is encapsulated in the many scriptures
mankind has a lack of regard for
They choose to create their own paths without
listening to the pleas of the ātman
Īshwar shall live for eternity to protect these holy
texts from the thunderous temper of Dharā-Devī
To achieve such a path he must learn the past
mistakes of the Devás and the mortals
VIII
The morning flew by slowly with trees covered in
cold rain
The punnāg trees caressed by the wind, shook the
drops off its petals
Deer awake from dreaming of forested paradise
To gather the family before dining on the
Dharā-Devī’s tall grass
Small snakes slither in between the hooves towards
the holes in the mud
Quietly so as to not alert the sleeping mice
The deep blue lake with ripples of foam gives a loud
splash
A swan has fallen from Dyauṣ, unable to continue
fleeing!
He moans on his back limp from flying for miles
without water
A hunter who has no restraint shot an arrow through
the swan’s neck
He came to the meadow with a velvet bow and a pack
of long golden arrows
His will to hunt the most beautiful bird in the
kingdom was too great
The mahārāja could only be pleased by the vicious
deeds of his chief hunters
He enjoyed hearing their tales of raping virgin girls
and killing herds of grazing gazelles
If the smiting of harmless character cannot satisfy
this uncouth monarch then what does?
An unlimited potential in such a lord is a grave
kind!
He screams for help, scaring off the curious grey
hares and red foxes
His neck moves wildly about to shake the arrow out
Īshwar heard the agony of a man with wide eyes
He heard the gurgling pain of a depressed soul!
This sweet boy ran to the Parinirvivapsā then stopped
when noticing no one was there!
In the center of the heaving water lay a white haṃsá
sobbing
Tears dropped into the clean water
Making it sigh with sympathy
Īshwar treaded the deep body with firm feet
Crows fly down to bite his head
Blood soaks his hair yet his eyes remain fixed on a
noble creature in need
Standing before the dying haṃsá his hands caress the
swollen neck
IX
Unable to contain his tears he let them fall onto his
haṃsá’s belly
His heart suddenly closed its window, becoming
willful to save this victim
Small steps you once took towards my
welcoming arms
Laughing with each graceful fall
You look into my eyes to see a radiant
mother
My love for you is as generous as a golden
ball
Rest your head on my lap, sweet boy
No more worrying tonight
Índra-Devá has blessed you with strength
To keep you in his welcoming light
X
Īshwar’s long hair rested on the haṃsá’s side
His rose perfume traveled into this creature’s orange
beak
As he awoke he shook his head
Īshwar laughed and pet the haṃsá’s neck
When inquiring of who this wounded creature was
The ascetic cursed to live as a haṃsá lowered his head
in embarrassment
The soft bird whose wings were kept close to his
chest
Whimpered as the compassionate muse carried him
to his resting place
Unable to speak of a curse which deprived him of
human luxury
The taste of fruit and love are reserved for those who
speak and walk upright
For hours the white creature writhed with the golden
arrow stuck in his long soft neck
Īshwar soaked his purple ṣāṭī in warm water and soap
before cleaning the blood off this poor animal’s body
Īshwar cupped his new friend’s curved beak, looking
adoringly upon the swan’s face
The bandaged creature introduced himself as Parīkṣit,
an ascetic who was cursed to be murdered by a hunter
while in the form of a haṃsá
It was a sight no devá could stand to witness!
All of Índra-Devá’s brothers and sisters turned away
when hearing the piercing screams
Īshwar had begin pulling the arrow from the neck
while rubbing the swan’s belly tenderly
He shushed him to sung a lullaby once locked
away in his memory:
Rest your head on my lap, sweet child
No more worrying tonight
Índra-Devá blessed you with strength
To keep you in his flourishing light
Rest your fears till Sāvitrī rises
Dream only of Candrá’s soothing glow
Leave your hands in mine so I can kiss them
Skin as spotless as Kailāsa’s snow
You are lost in your pleasure garden
Drinking coconut juice from a wooden bowl
Yet, I am lost in loving the joyful eyes you
open
A feeling your heart is eager to dole
The way to break such a horrible spell is by meeting
Bhūdevī’s waterfall of inspiration
To touch it as if it was a pearl just pulled from the
mouth of a seashell
Water unparalleled by Gaṅgā-Devī herself springs up
miles towards Dyauṣpitṛ
So cool and refreshing one cannot help but drink
from the fountain three times!
Looking down into the shimmering water the world
suddenly transforms from a dry land devoid of
nourishment
Into a kingdom of bright colors and myriad creatures!
Sāvitrī-Devá may be resplendent but he is humbled
when the colors of Bhūdevī’s creations become
brighter as the water is sipped from gentle hands
As if all the dirt floating in her womb diminishes by
divine will!
Enchanted by this description, Īshwar wondered
where such a fountain existed
Parīkṣit told him the fountain exists in human form
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 57
safely guarded by Bhūdevī’s mṛgárājas
XII
XI
They spent days under mākanda entwined in amour
Unable to consummate a tender relationship
storytelling became a much-needed distraction
Īshwar held Parīkṣit tenderly in his arms
Caressing his long feathers to restore his beauty
A lonesome haṃsá is struck with amazement by how
selfless this stranger is!
People are too self-absorbed to take notice of the
injured!
When weeks have past with Sūrya-Devá retreating to
his abode to let his sister submerge into darkness
Parīkṣit’s wound healed completely for the touch of a
thoughtful boy made him feel as fortunate as GaṇápatiDevá
His heart had grown large with each kiss from the
soft-skinned beauty
He could not utter a goodbye so decided to leave
quietly before Vibhāvarī-Devī overwhelmed
Rātri-Devī with her radiance
The māyūra were sleeping soundly under mākandas
If Īshwar were to be warned of something serious the
māyūra would shout in unision
Indeed, they did when Parīkṣit got up to run from the
forest!
He flapped his wings as practice before taking one
last glance at his savior
The magnificent māyūra that flirt by opening their
bright feathers awoke at that moment, noticing an
ungrateful haṃsá taking small steps away from their
friend
They shouted and fluttered their feathers, awakening
a loving companion!
Īshwar saw Parīkṣit waddling away from him
He was distraught a friend would leave without
saying goodbye
Leaping to the entrance of the forest, Īshwar blocked
the haṃsá’s path
This healed being looked up into the muse’s eyes to
see flames clashing
Our selfless boy had marked his territory with just
one glare
Parīkṣit accepted his place, thus remained in the
bountiful forest
These two quiet creatures did not speak for weeks
They merely lay next to eachother smiling as the
mākanda offered its ripened fruit
58 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Īshwar listened carefully while sitting in front
Parīkṣit
From the shiny orange beak of his beloved haṃsá
came the first tale
The game between six siblings whose mother wanted
to test their grasp on unfiltered motherly love
A challenge of proving the heart’s worth before a
towering nurturer
Devotion flows from Himávat-Devá to the green
plains sloping into secluded villages
As delicious as chilled coconut juice, all children
reach for this milky stream
The stream flowing from our Supreme Mother’s heart
into Himávat-Devá’s mind is what the children will
never figure out
Their faith in an omnipotent devī has surpassed that
of the Devás!
One day Mahādevī observed her children from her
Pārijāt-covered seat
Vāyú, Vivásvat, Sóma, Śākra, Pṛthvī, Rātri, Vāk
and Vibhāvarī played a game of hide and seek in
the campakâraṇya
To her they were the most beautiful in all of her
empire!
Worthy of her precious love for there is no sinful
bone in any of her shiny children
However, they fought for long periods of time
without stopping to catch their breath
Always about their white skin and lush hair, never
over their mother’s heart!
Mahādevī gathered her daughters in one group and
her sons in another
She told them both there will be a game of tug-o-war
The rope will be fire fashioned by Agním-Devá
himself
Sisters will hold one end and brothers the other
The one person whose feet do not slip will prove
he is most worthy Mahādevī’s lavish generosity!
A sweet-smelling candrákānta paṭala full of
maṇíkarṇikās, maṇícīras decorated with haritâśmas
and māṇikyamaya parihāryas
XIII
Pṛthvī looked at her mother puzzled by such a silly
idea
She stood by her mother’s side holding her hand
The barren devī found herself in a comfortable spot
once again
She inhales the scent of the flowers flowing from her
mother’s seat
It is more relaxing to remain quiet while watching the
Supreme Mother entertain her
A game she plays shows the complexity of an ancient
Intellect
Who is this sublime devī that sleeps on saffron sheets
While her children play on top of a large bed made of
red silk?
They cling to the bedposts made of haritâśmas as
if the jewels were theirs all along!
Unable to grasp the choice a selfless mother makes
for her children
Mahādevī’s heart is closed from the world for she
cannot share the mystery that makes the universe
breathe
It will burst the eardrums of her children and the
heads of her mortal subjects
She is the red blood that boils when fists clench
She is the moon that radiates for eternity when
darkness submits to noble character
Her lotus-petal, golden eyes shimmer when
Vivásvat-Devá looks at his caring mother
He smiles showering her with rays of joy
Long black lashes clasp the rays to absorb them
Her eyes shudder from the enormous bliss contained
in all
He reaches for her arms to look into those soothing
eyes
To see an abundance of Śephālikās blossoming to
please him
XIV
Pṛthvī-Devī watched her brothers whose silky hair
shone like their prāvṛṣya laden parihāṭakas stand on
side of the bare ground
Her sisters whose woven hair carries the scent of
vánacandrikā stood on the opposite side
Their wooden sandals firmly planted on the dry
forest-floor
Hands decorated with aṅgārakamaṇi rings clutch the
flaming rope
The boys in their yellow satin dhotīs tied by draping
kákṣa, stuck their chests out like warriors
The girls’ blue silk ṣāṭī flowed like the rivers of
Kailāsa, so alluring yet filled with secrets
Excitement was in the air and the baskets filled with
yuthikās add an aroma befitting such an occasion!
Flowers with the color of purity shower these adoring
children
Mahādevī watches from her golden throne with eyes
glued to the clear spot in forest
Who will prove to be most worthy of her finest
treasure?
All the Devás think of the prestige that will be
bestowed on one fortunate child
To receive this gift of opulence is to become the
most treasured creature of all the Supreme
Mother’s empire!
The Devás dream of being their mother’s favorite
child for it is a position anyone wishes more than
anything in life!
To receive the comfort of the grandest luxury is to
experience everlasting bliss
Pṛthvī-Devī owned only a green ṣāṭī for her main
concern in life is to please her mother in every
second so she will never feel unhappy
She rubs feet white as Himávat’s snow and
padmarāga soles with appreciation for this lovely
opportunity
XV
Rátnavatī’s skin covered with forest and water sighs
in sadness at how her thin neck is bare
She dreams of wearing maṇíguṇanikara while looking
upon butterflies resting on śivávallabhas
She inhales the sweet perfume as if the flowers are
hers only
Vivásvat warms her body with a massage to untangle
the tight knots
For once our beloved devī feels she is special
Her identity is just as important as everyone else’s
No one ignores her, no one degrades her
Her scent that rivals that of amṛta
All who wish to experience a bright heaven which
has
Air made out of bliss should reside with Rátnavatī
She owns a myriad of ponds contaning padmaṣaṇḍa
of blue, pink, red and white!
Wearing a padmamālin the Devás immediately
prostrate before her when she arrives at Bráhman’s
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 59
palace to offer spend time her
villagers!
In her hand exists a long śivápattra with petals
perfectly curved to her desire
It breathes the scent of the ocean to please her
whenever she wishes
Accusing each other of not being fair yet refuse to
abide by the rules
Her frustration with such behavior became
Rátnavatī’s state
When the Devás ask their radiant mother why
Rátnavatī does not seek the lustrous fabrics and
perfectly cut pearls they are met with silence
Bráhman does not care for such finery for her task
as a mother is to care for little ones who are always
demanding her attention
These two beautiful creatures share the same nature
For Bráhman could not bear to create only effuglent
devás who will forget why they exist
Rátnavatī is the same as her brilliant mother whose
eyes remain in constant observance
She feels her heart beat faster when seeing the joy on
her siblings’ pearly faces
XVI
Rátnavatī watches her siblings stretch to impress their
mother
They tie their hands with white cloth to protect
against the hot rope
XVII
The shameless Rātri throws her sandalwood shoes at
Vivásvat hitting him in the face
He screams as his eyes become bloodshot
With a strong will as hot as his skin he begins to
growl like a lion
He grunts with each tug and chortles with the
momentarily slips of Vāk
Vāyú, who is gentle and loving, is shocked by Rātri
recklessness
He blows in her direction dust to burn her eyes
These little kṣatriyas think they are going to war over
an unseen box of sparkling treasure!
What such foolishness their egos choose to bathe in!
She shouts of the unfairness of this boyish mischief!
Her eyes bleed yet she continues to growl while
pulling the rope harder
Rátnavatī laughed as the Devás and Devīs shouted
insults back and forth
To rile the opposite team so as to ensure a victory
The game went on for hours with no break!
How can a little devá or devī be so bold!
The Devás pull the fiery rope hard, laughing as the
Devīs lose their footing
They were stunned when Uṣas pulled twice as hard
making them stumble!
Our yellow devī whose light floods the world every
morning
Snickers at the thin legs her brothers possess
Bráhman’s children shout louder over how hard the
other side is pulling
Calling eachother names when asking to be gentle
They frown when jerked three times in a row for
amusement
The fire brightens under the watchful eye of
Bráhman
White clothes that protected those sweaty hands
have burned to a crisp
Now scorched flesh is set aflame as the fire’s tails
lengthen with each pull
Bráhman’s children view themselves as supremely
elegant
To her shock they are suddenly behaving like angry
60 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
The fiery rope became so thin it diminished!
Bráhman’s children were bruised and covered in
blood
No team won the game for it was played with every
rule broken
Neither will receive the sparkling treasure in their
mother’s chest!
Bhūdevī watched her brothers and sisters wash their
faces in a large pot of water from the lake
She smirked for the prize did not exist at all!
Bráhman whispered to her admiring daughter the
real reason for such a challenge
She laughed before describing the real treasure is the
limitless love she has for her children
It floods a dry riverbed when the snow rapidly melts
Bringing life to everything slumped over the ground
The sparkling blue river never loses its beauty
Even when a rain of fire turns kingdoms into
carcasses
When one begs for money he is not remembering
the moment his mother fed him her milk
A selfless act to nourish a creature brought into this
new world
can be obtained
Her heart grows with each pulse of amour
How can a child melt the glassy exterior of a woman’s
heart?
Śaṃvat, an old hermit, lived in the mādhavīlatā
forest far from civilization yet close enough to the
Gańgā
He wrote poetry during the day and meditated on
Mahālakṣmī-Devī’s unique beauty at night
He is able to with eyes filled with playful innocence
Two smiles fixed in a state of joy!
The sacred gem is Bráhman’s love for all her children
who simply wish to receive it
Money, power, fame and glory are rocks when
compared to the boundless river springing forth from
our Supreme Mother’s heart
She tested her children to see if they viewed her love
as being more precious than any jewel
The Devás and Devīs who tugged the fiery rope till
their fingers bled onto the floor cry over which side
fell first
Will the Supreme Mother reveal the truth?
No, she takes her tired children in a tender embrace
With the end of her saffron ṣāṭī, the Holy Mother
wipes their flowing tears
She kisses the cuts and burns till they fade away
Perhaps these playful Devás will never understand
the mind of their mother
Fortunately, at least one child does!
XVIII
Īshwar gave a hearty laugh for the tale of the mighty
Devás behaving foolishly in their childhood
Parīkṣit begin to laugh for he too found it to be
ridiculous!
The smiling haṃsá asked Īshwar where his mother
is
Softly, this sad boy uttered words of pain
He had no idea where his mother is!
The last memory he grabbed onto was when he
awoke in this forest wearing nothing but a white ṣāṭī
Parīkṣit nuzzled Īshwar’s open palm to offer his
sympathy
The lonely muse hugged his new friend tightly
The following morning they found themselves in the
same sitution
A student learning the follies and joys of humanity
and its divine rulers
Parīkṣit began his second tale, one of unexpected
tragedy
He advised Īshwar to not run away when hearing
the ruthless part for it is where fragrant wisdom
To him she was a woman whose beauty is sharper than
that of the other devīs
She is unpercievable by the human eye, but the
ātmán can see her from the pādakilikā set with
bhārgavakas to the puṣkarêkṣaṇa face
He was rarely bothered by the giggling village girls
Gopīs ventured into the forest to collect
heavenly-scented mādhavīlatā
Yet Śaṃvat did not notice them at all!
Bráhman enchanted him with her passionate energy
flowing through space like milk poured from a pot
onto the liṅgaṃ
The aroma of such a gift is more pleasant than the
celestial kánakacampaka tree
A stream of the pollen from her púṣpagranthana
Containing this emotion sinks into the devotee’s
mind
When one gopī, Śriyā, decided to play a joke on this
faithful lover of Mahālakṣmī-Devī
His adoring devī switched the girl’s destiny to the
other end
She was meant to be the favorite muse of the Mahārājá
Puṇḍárīka’s sculptor later in life
Now, she will soon endure an intolerable fate no girl
has the strength to!
Śriyā went back to her village to write a false letter
on her mother’s last banana leaf
Her words of a dire emergency in the nearby
temple for Mahālakṣmī-Devī will surely hook his
attention!
She smiles devilishly when approaching the sleeping
hermit
Quietly, so as to not stir him, she places the carefully
written letter next to him
XIX
Rātri-Devī took a rest to let her carefree sister
Vibhāvarī-Devī soar through all open spaces in the
world!
Śaṃvat yawned, noticing a green banana leaf with
sensual calligraphy
On it was written the Mahārājá Puṇḍárīka’s edict to
destroy all the temples of villages, towns and the capital
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 61
A statue of his mighty self will be erected in her place
This crime is made against the most compassionate
devī in all of Bráhman’s land!?
Who has the audacity to behave so cruelly!?
A tired old man he surely was, but never failing in
defending the honor of our holy vessel of
righteousness!
He grabbed his pāreraka and ran to the village
mandira
To his shock Mahārājá Puṇḍárīka postrated before the
pearly sculpture
He offered cakes, money and śatádalas in return for
protection against misfortune
Śaṃvat asked a girl approaching the mandira about
Mahārājá Puṇḍárīka’s order to demolish the temple
She laughed, telling him no such thing can happen
for their Nṛpáti is a devotee of Mahādevī’s most
charitable devī!
It dawned on him he was subjected to a heartless joke
Anger flooded his body turning it hard and black like
a volcano’s cooled lava
He offered his lover pañcāṅgapattra plucked from a
nearby lake
The naive gopī watched from her window laughing
quietly to herself
What fun it is to treat a solitary old man like a child!?
He is surely the most gullible hermit out of all the
ones who inhabit Gańgā’s forests
Śriyā thought, “Tonight I will leave another note but
write about the statue being defiled by ásuras”
As Rātri-Devī showered Dyauṣpitṛ with her many
crystals, this fair-skinned gopī with wide eyes and a
voluptuous body walked towards the forest with a
fresh note in her hand
XX
Being naive is something Śriyā knows all too well for
it leads to ridicule and scorn
She is too hopeful to assume an early death will latch
onto her
Śaṃvat was told by his rājñī the same deed will occur
soon
He chose to lay awake with eyes closed to deceive his
talentless jokester
Śriyā tip-toed towards the saffron bedsheet Śaṃvat
is slept on
Leaving a message written on a banana leaf next to
the hermit
62 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
As she turned to leave her pādukā was clutched by
the scowling hermit
She glanced at an angry bearded man whose neck
became veiny
Śriyā whimpered when he demanded an explanation
She told him it was an act to humor herself for she
had nothing to do in her spare time
Śaṃvat’s skin turned bright red before he began
degrading her virtues
His tongue became sharp as a knife, pricking the
ego till it bled entirely
She sank to the floor with her head lowered in shame
Shedding tears of regret for behaving viley
Śaṃvat saw genuine sorrow though it did not matter
to him, justice must be delivered!
He picked up his bowl of water scooped from the
Gańgā
XXI
Śaṃvat shouted, “You who have made a fool out of
a man thats spends his life
swimming in the milky ocean
Mahālakṣmī-Devī presides over
this sparkling realm with the utmost
gratitude to her husband
Those who surrendered to her
divine love did so willingly
Their only wish is to live at her feet
and be carressed by her soothing
hands
A rare gift that for many is
impossible to receive
To my horror you spat on my love
for the Supreme Majesty!
I curse you to never know the
feeling of amour in this life or the next!
Your heart will shrivel before old
age arrives leaving you devoid of
of the red ocean that forms ripples
when lust and admiration interwine
Alone you lay in a room with
scurrying hungry mice
Crying over your friends who died
in your youth without saying
goodbye
Deaf and blind after an angry mob
beat you viciously with sticks
For letting the mandira’s
Brāhmaṇa purchase for your
virginity!”
The raging devoteee threw the holy water on this
heartless girl
She looked up to find no one standing before her!
Śaṃvat vanished into thin air leaving all his
belongings behind
She sat still for a long time, unable to make sense
of a merciless deed
In her mind curses were a myth for no one could
possess such a power
Although, she was overwhelmed with terror as the
poison seeped into her skin
Īshwar interrupted, “What happened to her?”
Parīkṣit answered, “The curse unfolded exactly as
it was given
Her skin remained as soft and
shiny but internally nothing
existed”
XXII
to his dungeon to be beaten and raped by the prison
guards
He delighted in hearing stories of screams filling the
cold, filthy blockstone cells
Rats bite into unwashed feet to drink the poisoned
blood
A mere thought jumping from one’s mouth to the
ears of a tyrant
Is hardly worth depriving innocent women and girls
of their dignity!
Unfortunately, bravery amongst Mahārājá
Dāruṇa’s army shakes from the toes to the
chiseled face in fear
They are always lowering their heads to avoid staring
into the eyes of their lord!
XXIII
A maharṣi whose name is Púṇya could see the
past and future
She walked into a village asking strangers for food
Īshwar asked his smiling friend for another tale
One with a strong woman who posssesses a spiky
nobility
A kind fisherman could not resist helping an elderly
woman
He offered her a bed to sleep on and as many days
she needs to satisfy her hunger
Parīkṣit licked Īshwar’s pink palm and nuzzled it
He said if grapes were fed to him he will share a
a powerful tale
Pleased by an offer of fresh milk, dhal baath and
seasoned fish
The wise elder asked her smiling host about the village
Īshwar laughed showing his sparkling white teeth
His smile became like Sūrya-Devá’s: two rows of
bhārgavakas!
Púṇya waited for a response though the fisherman saw
through the room’s open window to see a kṣatriya
suspiciously staring at him
His knees wobbled uncontrollably, breaking his
balance
He fed his affectionate entertainer with green grapes
One by one his doted swan swallows
Ruffling his long feathers a tale is rushing to the
back of his beak
Īshwar listened closely so as to not miss any hidden
lesson
Dāruṇa, a sadistic mahārājá lived as a bachelor
He was content with just seducing courtesans and
eating past midnight
It was the life his forefathers indulged in greedily
For a mahārājá is destined to please himself only
Those who come across his path to confront such
needless behavior are met with a gada made from
mahāloha
His Majesty’s power over people was more exilirating
than the sóma!
He commanded their attention effortlessly
If any girl or woman shouted an insult she was sent
Púṇya asked her host what the matter was
No words could be uttered for the host’s attention was
held by the devious kṣatriya’s eyes
The the sage turned to look at an armed man
His skin color black as coal shone under the Sūrya
Eyes yellow like a cat’s squinted to peer further into
the house
It was as if Yamarāja had come to capture a sweet
fisherman’s soul
When glancing to the floor he noticed a joyous rṣi
eating off a banana leaf
Scooping baath in one hand and sipping fresh milk
with the other Púṇya turned to face the nosy soldier
By firmly concentrating on his feet Púṇya cut them off!
He screamed in agony as blood gushed onto the street
Legs shook violently, squirting blood onto terrified
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 63
onlookers
Sobbing and writhing from the excruciating pain, a
spectacle Púṇya ignored while finishing her meal
Unfortunately, some gifts are worth rejecting!
For she is not heavenly but has noble character
as her precious adornment
The fisherman hurried to the window to close its
curtains
He paced back and forth anxiously for Mahārājá
Dāruṇa will accuse his guest of witchraft and
him of giving her refuge
Mahārājá Dāruṇa was told of a celestial muse
who inspired starving children to sing and dance
She brought entertainment to the people who have
forgotten such a thing exists!
His advice for the gracious elder is to leave when
Vibhāvarī-Devī warms the world with her
immesurable body and stay away from this place
Mahārājá Dāruṇa will sentence a even stranger
to be tortured for many years before confessing her
crime
Púṇya understand the emphasis of this dilemma
She saw deep fright in his beautiful green eyes
XXIV
Púṇya watched this lovely man fall asleep on the bare
cement floor
She was offered a soft bed to sleep on for the night
but chose to lay down next to him for it is wrong to
deprive someone of their comfortable living
By her will this noble rṣi transformed into a senuous
apsará with a thin waist, wide hips and full breasts
Weilding a vīṇā made of wood from Śakra-Devá’s
bountiful prântara
She is an indīvarâkṣa musician submerged in eternal
tranquility
Her long hair pulled back into a thick bun is adorned
with pañcāṅgapattra at the top
She wears a dark blue ṣāṭī decorated with vájratulyas
along the border
It floats in the air as she glides over the ground
smiling to let others feel welcome in approaching her
Her smooth hair is coated in the scent of a surapuṣpa
So divine the Devás shower her in ketakī petals as a
blessing!
Her long fingers gently plucking the strings of her
wooden instrument to enchant onlookers
Children follow her across the village to listen to the
heartbeat of Bráhman
The apsará’s full lips are curved and red like the āmra
Her skin is as white as Nandi’s milk and posssesses
the softeness of a haṃsá’s feathers
She is a muse sent from purú to lift a tyrant into
ectasy!
Her healing touch will melt a stony heart
64 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
The sounds she produces are pleasing to the ears
It was a gift she wanted to give to dispel the dark
cloud hovering above the villagers
XXV
Mahārājá Dāruṇa ordered his yuyudhānas an
order to bring this intruder to his bhavanam
His men found her singing to a crying widow to lift
her spirits
They grabbed her without speaking, though she did
not shout or kick!
She was pulled towards the rājabhavanam while
gliding above the ground much to their annoyance
The yuyudhānas pushed her into the rājá’s court then
closed the white marble doors
She stood before a giant with arms so large a tiger
would flee at first sight
His eyes looked into hers to conquer an insolent
woman
To his surprise he saw nothing but a glowing spirit
untamed and expanding with each breath like
Vibhāvarī-Devī
He asked a silent musician what her name was
To the Mahārājá Dāruṇa’s shock she did not
speak
He told her to give him an explanation for her
disruptive deed
The passionate muse she did not flinch or speak for
she was enthralled by the laughter of his bitter subjects
The tyrant squeezed the muse’s arms tightly and to his
astonishment she did not whimper!
Becoming irritated the most powerful rājá in the world
screamed at her yet this fearless apsará did not shake!
She stood still for seven hours in which the ruler of
all tried to provoke her in every way
He threw food at her, threatened her with a knife,
crushed Śakrá-Devá’s sculptures and burned the Veda
To his aggravation she remained as still as a statue
As the evening arrived Mahārājá Dāruṇa fell
asleep in his maṇívara-encrusted golden throne
The muse manifested a poisonous dagger in one hand
She floated towards the lord’s side, covered his mouth
with one hand and stabbed him in the heart with the
other
His Majesty’s screams were muffled as he struggled
against such a cruel deed!
Deceived by the appearance of a gentle courtesan he
certainly was!
He died after the sixth stab, slumping in his throne
The village’s savior disappeared smiling before
Vibhāvarī-Devī opened her eyes to shower us with
rays of light
XXVI
Parīkṣit eyed a bowl of freshly sliced mukhapriya
Īshwar quietly peeled some more as his friend
became lost in a story of bravery and principle
Parīkṣit opened his mouth to receive dripping orange
flesh
The taste travelled down his throat releiving him of
years without enjoying such fine treats!
To Īshwar’s surprise Parīkṣit had another tale to give
A moment in our world’s history that shall be relived
till the end of time
Like a pūtâtman’s life in Índra-Devá’s svargá,
mortals live steadfast in their own pleasure gardens
smelling the púṣkara that bend for them
Pañcânana was born in an empire ruled by Mahārājá
Parigarvita
The creed laid down by the omnipotent leader is for
all subjects to devote their mind only to the boundless
Savitṛ-Devá
To swim in his everlasting light is like a child
enjoying the calming embrace of Gáṅgā-Deví
And drink white wine from his candrákānta vase
with great gratitude
The people’s lord is the direct descendent of
Savitṛ-Devá through his father’s side
His skill of incredible speed rivals that of the
shooting rays of Savitṛ-Devá
The House of Sūryakara is reborn in each century
but the presiding devá remains on his heavenly throne
Mahārājá of Sūryaprabha’s subjects give sweets and
money as an offering to him for the protection of
their descendents
The fear of gutting punishment never leaves their
minds
A curse leaving them jittery and alert of every action
committed
No other devá could live in anyone’s home
Mūrtis of them are prohibited by law!
XXVII
Born into a family of brāhmaṇas, Pañcânana had a
strict upbringing
She was rejected by her father when asking to
participate in yajñá and study the Ṛg Veda
No girl deserves to offer pétva to Agní-Devá
Their minds are too meager to grasp the profound
knowledge of the holy scriptures
Grooming for marriage and motherhood is the
appropriate education
For all girls must be prepared to serve others
perfectly throughout their lives
Pañcânana laughed at such a foolish notion
She even ridiculed the sacred rites
To her girls who are the purest in all of the empire
were often beguiled into submission
Their virtues twisted and thinned till the heart
collapses
Is this the noble behavior of Mahārājá Parigarvita’s
domain?
To fall into a trap where marriage eventually becomes
draining vessel!?
Cook, clean and serve others till old age when one’s
daughters have begun to endure the same cruel fate
Pañcânana said “No! I am much better than that!”
Against her father’s wishes she went to another
village to purchase a mūrti of Mahākālī-Devī
A sculptor put the large golden statue in a cart to be
pulled to Pañcânana’s home
Pañcânana grinned for she has begun her path to
Mahādevī s heart
To reside in the center of her most supreme beauty
is to observe Mahādevī in her true ravishing form!
XXVIII
The mūrti stood in the center of her room on top of a
nīlagandhika alter covered in red silk
Bhadráśraya piṇḍaka filled the room allowing
Pañcânana to immerse herself in deep concentration
She sprinkles rice on her mūrti before touching its
eyes and heart with a blade of grass dipped in pétva
On a nepāla bhājana she sprinkles rice so her loving
mother can sit on it
With mālatī dipped in water from the Gáṅgā she
washes her mother’s feet
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 65
In an oblation of water mixed with milk, honey,
yoghurt, ghee and sugar she dips her finger into the
bowl to rub onto the devī’s lips
Next to the treat is a glass of fresh water from a well
Pañcânana secretely took water from her mother’s
kitchen to replenish Mahākālī-Devī’s thirst
With a new mālatī she dips into a bowl of water and
in the bowl of sweet food to sprinkle her mother
When Pañcânana finished bathing her, she wrapped
red silk around the neck, draping it over the shoulders
Our blessed devotee adorns Mahākālī-Devī’s chest
with a golden sacred thread
She applies sandalwood paste to her forehead and
anointed it with kuṅkumam
With many a mālatī and its leaves she surrounds her
mother!
New bhadráśraya piṇḍaka are lit to enchant a beautiful
devī
She lits a lamp filled with pétva on a plate to wave
before her Iṣṭa-devatā
To give her mother lunch she offers slices of
rúciphala and drākṣās
Clasping her hands together in prayer she walks
around
Her mother asking her to protect her always
XXIX
With each breath of her mother she saw a different
flickering light of color
A candle whose voice would speak to her softly
She could barely understand what was said, though
in her heart she saw Bráhman opened her eyes
A white ocean calmly resting under Candrá-Devá who
looks upon her brother with adoring eyes
Pañcânana used to spend many vārṣikāns attempting
to reach her mother
She screamed in horror when pushed back to Pṛthvī-Devī
Sūrya-Devá thwarted each attempt to keep this
ambitious daughter of Mahākālī-Devī from succeeding
He saw her fidelity growing faster than
Hanumān-Devá’s mischievous tail
From his emerald throne he watched carefully in a
astonishment
No dissident would dare reach a devī without fearing
brutish punishment!
A special bond reserved for men of the highest
spiritual state
Yet, here is this young creature ignoring his
magnificent self!
She looked into her tender eyes she saw red smoke
flowing in circles
Electricity forming as the swirls move faster
She gave her life to Mahākālī-Devī who does not exist
in any of the sacred scriptures of Mahārājá Parigarvita’s
domain
For they are written as tribute to our lord’s supreme
divinity
Pañcânana took her polished vīṇā, beginning an
evening of music filled with hidden memories
Mahākālī-Devī listened to her thoughtful daughter’s
music as hearing subtle sounds of emotions
Mahādevī was regretfully ashamed of her narcisstic
son
To erase his power she sent a sculptor from
Svargáloka to Pṛthvī
Each one signifying a moment in her oppressed child’s
life
From the painful humilation at the hands of a violent
father to the first dream of sleeping in her accepting
arms
Her request was for sculptures of her daughter
Mahākālī-Devī to be created
Hence, an Āryan girl will feel the natural pull of her
heart
Pañcânana noticed her Iṣṭa-devatā’s face soaked in
tears
She pushed the vīṇā off her lap to hug her tightly
Both cried for the rest of the night, forming a large
puddle of loneliness on the cement floor
Understanding her daughter’s need for a stream
of love Mahākālī-Devī remained inside the mūrti
She would reach the market by foot with money
earned from selling butter to blacksmiths
When seeing the collection of gold, silver and copper
sculptures she would know by instinct which one is
blessed by Mahākālī-Devī
XXX
One black evening a storm brewed outside
Pañcânana closed and locked her windows
Heavy rain turned dry mud into a river descending
into the fearful Gáṅgā-Devī
66 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
The roofs of homes were cracked by large balls of
ice
All families huddled in front of a blazing havana
wondering what could have angered Sūrya-Devá
Lightening struck house after house setting them
aflame
Every wall hit by a giant black rock, crumbled from
the intense force!
Every man, woman and child ran outside screaming
for help
“Where is our lord? Where is he? Please save us our
our protector!?”
Throughout the panic-stricken village Pañcânana
remained in a deep meditative state
A body gave a white glow as she purposefully got
lost in the immeasurable love of Mahākālī-Devī
The scent of her mother’s padmaāsavam emanates
from the leaves comforting he saint
For decades her fidelity towards Mahādevī was a
virtue she guarded with her thick will
Unable to see any other view on love as valid
To this tired, old woman the one love that exists
forever resides
In the womb of a the forgiving and thoughtful
Supreme Mother
She brings her strength to the surface to squash
egotistical enemies
She brings her tenderness to her hands to sooth the
shaking grief of her battered children
What greater parent one can ask for?
Anāpadi viewed Mahādevī as her sole mother
Mahākālī-Devī’s heart melted into a milky sea for
she had succumbed to the delight of motherhood
Her daughter swam unharmed by the many floating
semantī
Unforeseen by the Devás she was imbued with great
powers as an act of appreciation from Mahādevī!
The heavenly bodies cannot defeat such a woman
for their powers are small in comparison
The world’s most fortunate being had achieved the
highest state one can reach as a mortal
She completely surrendered to her mother to remain
in her arms forever
Lacking the amṛta to churn these energies into
a massive force
The color of white eventually became less appealing
due to the internal stronghold of humility
How is it possible for a mere mortal let alone a young
woman reach a realm unknown to mankind?
No one is selfless enough to accomplish such a feat!
By terrible a hermit who sleeps in the Holy Mother’s
lap was born a mortal!
When reaching her last few years on Pṛthvī the body
crippled unexpectedly
XXXI
I will take the risk of revealing a truth: in the previous
life of the Brāhmaṇa’s daughter she was an extremely
powerful sage who could shake the world with her
laughter
The Devás feared another war with a mortal who
clutches the magnificent divine powers
In their minds Anāpadi was a threat to Índra-Devá’s
reign over all life, both heavenly and earthly
Fortunately, she was only interested in becoming one
with Mahādevī
Anāpadi lived as a hermit in the bakula forest,
listening to the songs of her Holy Mother
The melody caressed her cheeks to let her know she
is in a nurturing womb
Every time she left the world to listen to her mother
sing a mantra pieced itself together
When awaking from this slumber she wrote the
enchanting songs furiously across fresh banana leaves
Lines written in black ink tempt Anāpadi’s heart to
spring into a lake of passion when glowing
In one gasp it broke into countless of pieces like a
mahārājá’s porcelain vase knocked off its pedestal
Oh! Such a sad ending this poor daughter endured!
XXXII
Anāpadi’s ātman rested in a sublime state of peace
Truly happy with the silence for it gave her many
blissful dreams
When awaking from centuries of naps she sensed
something wrong had occurred
Looking at her unshapely body she saw a radiant light
She didn’t have arms, legs, teeth or anything of the
human nature
Even the blood that flows through red flesh to give it
life did not exist!
It dawned on her she had died in a solitary life for her
love for the Supreme Devī needed that much attention
What shall one do at this point?
Anāpadi did not achieve mokṣa so had to reincarnate
on Bhūmī-Devī
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 67
Her new form will be a Brāhmaṇa’s pious daughter
She will stay in the protective arms of the Supreme
Devī
To avoid the terrible consequences of mortality
The Anāpadi the world knew lived as a solitary
hermit
Her family died unable to find her after several
searches
A young girl who woke up realizing she must find
her mother
Ran into the bakula forest to find her, though never
coming out
In many lives before she took the form of a hermit
Reaching for the sky in hope the Holy Mother would
grab her hands
The reason for choosing a spiritual path regardless of
the pressures of life is the courage that exists in the
heart
Anāpadi possessed a blind passion to reach further
than the starry Dyauṣ regardless of the snow storms
and the Vārṣikān
XXXIII
Pañcânana sits before a mūrti in her bare room
All of her luxury and personal belongings stripped
as punishment
A mūrdhaka received an edict from Mahārājá
Parigarvita to deprive her of all the things that
that make a person a normal citizen!
However, what she really wanted in this life was to
be sleeping in her mother’s arms
She begged here righteous father to protect the
mūrti from harm
He ignored her plea for he did not believe in
rescuing a disobedient daughter
Her mother who imparted values turned away in
disappointment
As the wife of a brāhmaṇa she could not aid a
blasphemer
must be aware when the mūrdhakas arrive to take her
daughter away
Mūrdhakas stormed into this willful daughter’s room
One reads a message from a silk scroll: “By Mahārājá
Parigarvita’s law, harboring a devá who isn’t the
mahārājá of all celestial and earthly life, Sūrya-Devá
is punishable by imprisonment in the deepest
dungeons for six months, with little water and food,
a hundred lashes and lastly, death at the claws of
ten tigers!”
Pañcânana stood up proudly with her fists clenched
Even in a dire situation she knows her life will be
spared
Wiping her tears before looking at these scoundrels
She gutted them with words manifested by enveloping
valor
XXXIV
“Why is it that a citizen of this wealthy
empire must submit to a devá she has
no connection to?
Is it because Mahārājá Parigarvita is
descended from him, so we must
follow a divine being blindly?
I may be a righteous brāhmaṇa’s
daughter but I am not a dog
I do not bend to the wishes of a tyrant
nor do I follow laws which restrict the
freedom of my heart!
You can strip me bare and let the tigers
devour my flesh but as long as
Mahādevī resides in my heart
I will never give up my will! Never!!!
It is the Supreme Mother who rules
over all!
Her warmth and just character lead
the actions of the Devás and the
human race
Women had no choice but to follow the orders of men
It was their duty to take heed to a man’s advice afterall
She is the thought forming in your mind
and the breath you inhale
She is everything you see and is beyond
what our simple consciousness can
perceive!
Pañcânana looked at her mother with tears flowing
down her soft cheeks
Mahākālī-Devī heard the cries of her abandoned
daughter
If you touch my mother she will destroy
you in an instant!
In Bhūdevī’s previous lives she governed
her children till they died!
She opened her eyes as frustration turned into an
agníparvata
Our dear mother fought to contain her rage for she
Her power was feared by all yet respected
as the most virtuous quality
No one challenged her rule, no one dared
68 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
to mock her!
Our Holy Mother’s strength is beyond a
mortal’s grasp
Even her godly children are unable to
accomplish such a feat!
Will you take the risk of laying a
trembling hand on her stiff arm?
I dare you to try! Your life will
end before you can scream!”
XXXV
Trembling in their shoes these kṣatriyas laughed at
such nonsense
Two brushed her aside and laid their dirty hands on
the sculpture
The ground shook as it emnanted deep red energy
Stone cracked like an egg releasing whipping rage
throughout all the lands
Those who defiled women choked as their bodies
received hundreds of lashes
Throats burned as the lungs slowly shrinked from
the disappearance of consumed water
Kālikā-Devī lunged towards the kṣatriyas blazing
from the naked toes to the disheveled hair
Her hair wild as the moonsoon storm snaps at
soldiers
In one hand Kālikā-Devī weilds a mahāvadha and
in the other she holds a gada
She looks at her child with a smile to let her know
she will always come to her rescue when she is
being persecuted
XXXVI
Pañcânana, lost in the sight of her mother’s
unsurpassed beauty touched her feet to offer
respect
In her eyes the need to sacrifice herself to the
consuming fire that is Mahādevī is clearer than
the Gáṅgā
Kālarātri-Devī blessed this child with her soft touch,
opening the door of her heart to allow her
vulnerable daughter to walk through
Pañcânana gave up the perils of being human to dwell
in the essence of her mother
The luminous devī cannot be defined by the written
word
She sees all the troubles and joys in this world but is
unmoved
Her strength becomes the shield she uses when
gazing at her children from afar
She remains translucent to absorb their emotions
Every girl is harmed for the sake of power
Every woman is humilated for entertainment
She screeches so loud their eardrums could not
withstand it
Blood flowed from the ears onto the floor
Passivity is not Kālarātri-Devī’s way though
punishment is!
She squashes the poisoned ego in all its forms
Kālikā-Devī licked the blood off her weak victims’
faces
Smiling as they shed tears of fear!
Her gada breaks the shell to punch the flesh till it is
thin
She drinks the blood of her enemies as if it is Sóma
The terrible devī’s skin color is black like charred
bones
It is the night sky hiding secrets a mother chooses
to never divulge
Her mind fixated on annihlating all who poses a
threat to her soveriegnity
Our Supreme Mother: the defender of the righteous
and ruler of the limitless ego!
She opens her mouth, exhaling deadly black smoke
into the mouths of shaking soldiers
Their bodies fell to the floor, bonelesss and without
organs
She leaps to Mahārājá Parigarvita’s palace dripping
blood from her padákamalas across the village
With one angry roar she demands the ásura to come
outside and fight
She laughed while kicking these empty shells!
To her such a sight is amusing
XXXVII
Our rageful divine mother who shows compassion
in dire moments stays focused on conquering the
foe of virtuous nature
Innocent people crouch in fear though remain
unscratched
The fearless foe is quickly dressed in military garb
His breastplate made from silver is etched with
protection mántras given by Sūrya-Devá
His crown made from the stolen gold of Laṅkā is
adorned with yellow citrines
They form the long senuous rays of Sūrya
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 69
On both arms armlets made from the tusks of
pañcanakha display mántras for victory
Mahārājá Parigarvita’s polished gada is clutched by
his shattering fist
he possesses!
Before leaving his lustrous golden palace, he went to
his bedroom chamber
Upon seeing a tearful rājñī firmly holding a plate
with a lit lamp, a small pile of rice and a small pile of
kuṅkumam
Many yards our greatest warrior stood from the foul
enemy
Flinging fire, poisoned darts and axes at his chest,
arms and legs
Rājñī Bhāvinī shook for a pinching fear of her husband’s
death sits in the stomach
She muffled her sobs while waving the lamp for her
husband
With one finger the distressed rājñī annointed her
her lord’s forehead with kuṅkumam and sprinkled
him with rice
In her heart she was screaming for a truce to take
place
A voluptuous rājñī with pearly skin sunk into a state
of terror when watching her victorious husband
walk into battle
Mahārājá Parigarvita kicked the entrance doors,
breaking them off their hedges
He stood a hundred feet away from Kālarātri-Devī
whose eyes pierced the emperor’s heart with a
menacing stare
She is merely the creation of Bráhman’s will
To be pulled and squeezed for at his leisure
Nothing could hurt Mahārājá Parigarvita!
It was as if the monster was beyond mortality!
She grew frustrated with the difficulty in conquering
her daughter’s corrupted nemesis
Her eyes shot fire when the emperor begin degrading
her
They whipped the dirt path setting it aflame
Kālikā-Devī leaped through the smokey air,
landing in front of lord whose heart is meagre
XXXIX
Kālikā-Devī’s hair became a stream of fire whipping
everything in sight!
Stunned by such recklessness Mahārājá Parigarvita
striked her with his silver gada
Another surprise! Kālikā-Devī did not fall!
She hit her enemy’s chest and legs with her jagged
sword though the armor would not crack
They are two craters of black water forming ripples
Our Holy Savior’s disgust with the selfish ego is
magnified ten times when seeing this stray dog
sticking his chest out
How can a divine weapon forged in her flaming heart
not make even a dent?
She striked his body harder and harder in attempt
to break the impenetrable garb
XXXVIII
Mahārājá Parigarvita laughed as he hit her stomach
ten times
Kālikā-Devī remained standing without any bruises
The two bloodthirsty warriors did not budge till
Vibhāvarī laid down in her yellow satin bed
The incorruptible devī jumped, laughing at how
pungent the vile giant is!
Even in the beginning of a battle she finds humor in
smallest things
It gives her power a second to grow larger
Our Holy Mother screamed with such hot intensity
the dogs’ ears bled
It was deafening for the people whose ears are not
strong enough to handle such a powerful wave!
A million daggers she spit towards the towering
tyrant
None punctured his flesh or scratched the
breastplate!
He laughed at such childish tricks!
For a devī is no where near the immeasurable powers
70 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
She lunged at him, biting his neck as if it were raw
meat
The Mahārājá of Sūryaprabha howled in great pain
for the sharp teeth sank into his flesh all the way
Enraged by this foul act he threw her to the end of
of the village
She cackled knowing his weakness is the bare neck
Kālikā-Devī’s hair lifted her up as the fire from the
blood-soaked path devoured empty villages
During the battle she urged her children to run to the
mountains to keep eachother safe from her wrath
She grew taller than three Bhūdevīs combined while
her hair set her aflame
an unlimited inferior that enlarged with each breath!
She walked towards her great enemy bringing him to
his knees
He realized his effort to conquer a devī would not have
mattered
She is the ultimate divinity who received no attention
through the length of his dynasty
How such a circumstance came to be?
Kālikā-Devī’s steps shook Bhūdevī frightening
her
She prostrated before the Supreme Mother to offer
her heart’s respect
Kālikā-Devī looked down to see Mahārājá Parigarvita
crying hysterically for mercy
Our grand warrior smiled before picking his body up
to her mouth
She looked into his wet eyes to see what he is feeling
The swollen ego crumbled into pieces to open a box of
permeating insecurities
Kālikā-Devī put him in her mouth to crunch till nothing
except the bones are left
She closed her eyes to see Mahārājá Parigarvita’s mind
melt into small drops
XL
Kindness is given to the ones with pure hearts
One cannot find love if his virtues are missing
Virtues are the māṇava a person wears around his
spotless neck
A golden ornament the Divine would bestow on
anyone who is willing to forsake all ill qualities
As long as it remains unhooked one’s beauty
will blossom like the kṛṣṇákanda
In the bulb sits pollen poured gracefully by
Lakṣmī-Devī
The puṣkarêkṣaṇa devī expresses the beauty of an
adoring doe when her children vie for her attention
Unable to decide whom to lavish her virtues upon,
she divides them amongst them all
In Lakṣmī-Devī’s realm, the Kṣīradhi forms waves
in an attempt to reach her padákamalas
She notices their desire so dips her feet into the ocean
The resplendent devī sighs as the waves carresses
them
Her nights and mornings are spent taking care of
Nārāyaṇá
She gazes at her husband with genuine appreciation
He created her during the Samudrámathana
Fearing for what may happen to a radiant devī
He grabbed her body when she emerged from the
crashing waves of the Kṣīradhi
Her white body glowing so brightly the features
could not be seen
She was purity in its greatest form!
Nārāyaṇá saw in her virtues moving in a circular
motion
Sending the newly-born devī into a state of ectasy
Lakṣmī-Devī smiled for eternity even though her
intense joy simmered down
Her husband one day realized morality was created
to keep the universe from destroying itself
XLI
Īshwar smells the fresh mālatīmālā he made for
himself
One of his pleasures is to collect flowers from a tree
so he can fall into a paradise when dreaming
Parīkṣit’s throat begin to itch from not drinking the
whole day
He waddles to the misty lake to drink the cool water
and play in it
Parīkṣit and Īshwar slept facing eachother, satisfied
with the pleasing circumstances
A relationship that shall last till the end of the world!
Parīkṣit dreamed of his home where havana blazed
during each yajñá
He chanted prayers for Uṣas-Devī to keep the light in
his heart flickering forever
A taste of divine genoristy is something most do not
have the fortune of experiencing
One morning Parīkṣit received the blessing from
Uṣas-Devī he had been seeking
After Uṣas-Devī finished bathing the world gently,
Parīkṣit prostrated before her to offer his respect and
gratitude
He made a promise to devote his life to keeping the
moral strength of humanity intact
In this dream an unexpected surprise unfolds causing
Parīkṣit to smile with joy
Śatárūpa-Devī rose from the havana wearing a white
śāṭī laden with marakataśyāmas along the border
Proclaiming Īshwar as her son and the sacred muse
of humanity
His dhárma is to inspire artists to produce works
espousing the joys of possessing virtuous character
in times of great distress
He will also write scriptures made of the tales
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 71
memorized by his loyal companion, Parīkṣit
These two will go from village to village to
share monumental events in hopes the people
will be inspired to create art in the name of
Bráhman!
Parīkṣit will create divine melodies with a vīṇā
While Īshwar sing these stories as lovely as the
caṭakas
Parīkṣit cried in despair to the supreme muse of all
beings:
“How can I help a friend when my lord cursed me to
die in the form of a swan!?”
Śatárūpa-Devī understood his delimma, thus kindly
carressed his cheek
In this moment she blessed a compassionate hermit
to be free from a cruel fate
XLII
Awakening when Uṣas-Devī filled the sleeping
Bhūdevī with her joy, Parīkṣit touched his face,
arms and legs
Excitement rushed to his heart making him stand up
to shout Mahādevī’s exalted name
Īshwar awoke to see a bearded man with black hair
flowing to the small of his back
His brown eyes smile at him!
The muse hugged his friend tightly for he was
breathtaken by this unexpected moment
A man with a scarred spirit sighed for the first time
in many years
He smelled like a man and looked like one too!
Parīkṣit’s white skin shone under the blazing Sūrya
like satin
The world’s savior cried in enormous joy for he
finally
Could touch and hold his friend the way male
companions do!
After a few deep breaths he asked his friend how the
malicious curse was lifted
He listened carefully to a dream in which a
compassionate devī broke Parīkṣit’s cage
Śatárūpa-Devī broke the curse by revealing the name
of her son who is the heavenly muse
She did so for it was time to begin saving the voice of
Mahādevī from extinction
Too much knowledge was thrown into the havanas
for the sake of retaining power over a gullable
populace
The sacred scriptures which lay in layers of soil were
72 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
tossed by our youth who found hunting and
rendevouses with gopīs to be pleasurable
He was shocked by all of the news Parīkṣit shared with
him
To not know why one suddenly wakes up
in a forest far from civilization without any
memory is terrifying
He had been alone for years and cried under the
Candrá-Devá who at times joined him
To him there was no life before the forest!
When he begged Parīkṣit to bring his mother to him
his wise friend lowered his head in disappointment
He felt the pangs Īshwar harbored though could not
fulfill this request yet
Our world’s most sensual bard told him the duty must
be fulfilled before his mother lets him come back home
A boy whose eyes are serene as a swan’s, it is
unbearable to watch when he’s sobbing
He may be as emotional as a child yet his strength keeps
him from committing suicide
It his shield against the sins humanity hungrily gobbled
His virtues grew more intense as the years pass for
Mahādevī created him this way to aide her children
Īshwar eventually realized something bigger than
himself demanded his compassion
XLIII
The amorous Īshwar took his friends cold hands in his
to kiss them
His full lips soft as a pillow suckles the knuckles,
giving warmth to the hermit’s joints
Parīkṣit’s heart was washed with red water to give his
flourishing love more passion
He took his lover’s chin in his hand offering an
ensaring kiss
A moan escaping from our darling boy is the pink
smoke that floated in his heart
Parīkṣit caught it with his hand to inhale the
rose-scented perfume
Ectasy flows from his head to the naked feet
Clutching Īshwar to his chest he tore the white śāṭī
into pieces leaving a voloptuous boy half-naked
His fair body, slender and curvacious with a lustrous
surface!
Black hair so long and thick, is used as a pillow
Brāhmaṇas say nīlakaṇṭha are the most elegant creatures
Bhūdevī gave birth to
However, to Parīkṣit the limp slender beauty is more
ravishing!
He looked at his admiring preṣṭhatamaḥ from the small
head to the little toes
Nipples pink and large tempt him to chew on them
Indeed! Our brave sage pinned Īshwar to the ground
His teeth pinched the joyful boy’s nipples making
him shout in pleasure
For an hour Īshwar moaned as his nipples were softened
before receiving a massage by a strong tongue
It is a teasing game Parīkṣit learned in his youth
The smitten muse’s hands rested on his lover’s
mountainous back
He sank his nails into it when teeth bit into his shoulder
XLIV
Next to the two lovers lay tattered clothes
Their bodies kept warm by the hot passion pulsing
in every inch of flesh
Īshwar had no idea he could find pleasure in biting
and pinching
He turned his lover onto his back, straddling him and
clutching his shoulders
To Parīkṣit’s surprise his anukūla knew a few tricks!
His loins were softened by the boy’s forceful
grinding
He moans as sexual lust over took him due to the
furious massage
Parīkṣit bucked eight times sending Īshwar flying
through the air!
Sūrya-Devá catches him by the waist to prevent a
sudden death
He lays his loyal devotee next to Parīkṣit whose face
had turned bright red from the unrestrained tease
He carressed Īshwar’s chest while looking at him
with sorrowful eyes
White skin covered in sweat glistens under the
Sūrya
A once miserable haṃsá who swam in the
buddhisāgara, left it to delight in the essence of a
manhood
To not know the other good things men are capable
of is to forget about human existence
Parīkṣit transformed into a hungry beast, carrying his
heroine to the bank of the Parinirvivapsā
He lays him down on the wet mud, touching those
high cheekbones
The uncouth sage licked the sweat off those thin arms
as if they were sugar cane
His slave moaned when every inch of his body was
kissed to make him cave into being his lord’s servant for
tonight
Īshwar feared what would happen if he tried to
escape
He screamed when his delicate waist was clasped
tightly by knees hard as boulders!
XLV
The pain was too much yet Parīkṣit did not care
He covered the boy’s mouth to begin massaging his
twitching tanúhrada
Two fingers forcefully slid inside, swelling the pink
flesh
His dirty nails tickles the surface making the youth
shudder in pleasure
Īshwar shouted for his man to pound his poṭa to reach
a climax under Dyauṣpitṛ’s curious observance
Noticing animals peeking from the bushes, he wanted
to please them all with a display of insatiable lust
By the time Parīkṣit had finished relaxing his virgin’s
muscles he got off to turn him onto his belly
Ankles were tied above his sweet companion’s head
He watches a sore purīṣaṇa gaping to invite his phallus
to plunge into it
Grasping the light muse’s legs the lord begins ramming
his pauruṣá all the way to the back without any breaks
For an hour years of pent up bhága is exhaled by a
pure youth
He felt his soulmate’s meṇḍhra strike him repeatedly,
warming his cold body during a freezing midnight
Over and over Īshwar was kneaded by the force of a
madanâṅkuśa that increased with each strike
His body became red from the toes to the head,
signifying the melting of the heart
A bhoga overwhelmed him, hence there was a
need to freeze it
Pleasure remaining constant is coveted by the
deprived Īshwar
The lovers grunted in ratábandha, accidently letting
their seed spill onto the ground
Mādhavīlatā flower seeds that flew to the bank sank
in from the weight of their bodies
XLVI
The throbbing piṇḍika that plowed our gentle boy’s
tight flesh had loosened it
A feared sword eliminating the knot to offer needed
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 73
nourishment
Parīkṣit slept in his gentle lover’s arms as Candrá-Devá
opened its eyes to see if his faithful devotee was spared
from harm
He became calm at the sight of a glowing Īshwar
In any conquest the victim becomes a foul-smelling
cloth to be discarded
Parīkṣit was the hunter searching for something to
mangle for his own amusement
His heart attached itself to Īshwar’s for their love is
more luscious than the amṛta
An exhausted poet layed on top of his ruler in a kiss
They shared a breath that tasted of exotic fruit
Indeed, the love of the Devás is exotic for only
those with minds and hearts pure as the mahāpadma
can sniff the elongated flower
Parinirvivapsā brushes against them throughout the
evening
Asborbing the scent of the maithuná between two
kindred spirits
Parinirvivapsā-Devī sighed for a dream manifested in
reality before her eyes
She begun to pray to Bráhman to bring her this
fortunate fate
Her wish to experience the uplifting sensuality
flourished like her bosom
The animals who mate before her are clueless about
their friend’s feelings
Everything living in her world is unaware of the
beautiful character she posseses
The quaility of wanting love is unheard of in our time
but she cherishes it like a noble lady who frequents the
rāgitaru
74 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Glossary and Notes
for the Poems of Sunil
Narayan
Charles – Is a reference to Charles Frederick
Worth (10 October 1825 – 10 March 1895)
who is the father of Haute Couture. He created
his own fashion house in Paris, France with
Aldric – Is a reference to Karl Lagerfeld and an financial support from Swed Otto Bobergh. His
Ancient Germanic and French name that means brand was the first of its kind and with patronage
“old ruler”.
from Empress Eugenie of Imperial France the
couture label gained international fame. Worth’s
Antonia – A reference to Marie Antoinette, the clients included Princess Pauline Clémentine de
Queen of France
Metternich, Empress Eugenie of Imperial France,
Queen Maud of Norway and Cora Pearl (Emma
Āryan – A Sanskrit term for respectable, honorable,
Crouch). He catered only to the wealthy and the
wise, faithful or noble man.
royalty (France, Spain, Norway, Austria, Italy and
Bakula - Is a small Indian tree with fragrant white- Russia).
yellowish flowers. The biological name is Mimusops
Worth didn’t create simple designs, he created
elengi and it comes from the Sapotaceae family.
masterpieces. The way his business worked
was instead of creating garments according to
Balíbhuj - A Sanskrit term for sparrow.
exactly what the customer wants he created many
garments based on his knowledge of historical
Bière – Beer.
European and current fashion, then had his models
Bhārgavaka - A diamond.
show them to clients four times a year. If a client
liked a garment she put in her order and received
Bhūdevī - (also known as Rátnavatī, Pṛthvī-Devī, it exactly as Worth designed it. Worth is the first
Dharā-Devī, Dharitrī-Devī and Bhūmī-Devī) Is couturier to be creative so while his designs have
the Sanskrit name for the Goddess of the Earth.
hints of historical fashion he was very in tune
with the changes of fashion. The garments reflect
Bhūruha – A Sanskrit term for pearl.
society’s taste. It is why his couture house became
the dominant one in Europe.
Boutique de marque – A designer shop.
The following glossary and notes are provided
to add meaning to the poems of Sunil Narayan
included in this issue of Online Pagans Magazine.
Buddhisāgara – ocean of wisdom.
Campaka – Is the Sanskrit term for an evergreen
fragrant flower tree. Its botanical name is Magnolia
champaca and family is Magnoliaceae.
His business was continued by his sons GastonLucien Worth and Jean-Phillipe Worth. GastonLucien was the first president of the Chambre
Syndicale de la Haute Couture (located in Paris).
The organization established guidelines for a
couture house and for the business aspect. One
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 75
of the concerns in fashion was plagiarism so there
were rules enforced to protect the designers’
ideas. Other rules include having 20 people in an
atelier to produce at least 50 garments per year;
two showcases had to be held (one in January for
the Spring season and the other in July for the Fall
season).
Cochon - A pig.
Īshwar – A later form of the Sanskrit word Īśvará
which means “God”.
Lakṣmī-Devī/Mahālakṣmī – Is the Sanskrit
name for the Goddess of Wealth, Good Fortune,
Good Luck, Beauty and Fertility. When the prefix
of “mahā” (great) is used the name refers to
Mahādevī, in the form of Mahālakṣmī.
Derrière – Backside or bottom.
Mādhavīlatā – The Sanskrit word for a fragrant
white flower that’s also known as “The Spring
Creeper”. Its botanical name is Hiptage
benghalensis and family name is Malpighiaceae.
Déesse Diane – Diane, the Roman Goddess
(Déesse) of the Moon.
Mahādevī – Is the Sanskrit name for the Supreme
Goddess who is the female equivalent of Bráhman.
Déesse Vénus – Vénus, the Roman Goddess
(Déesse) of Love.
Mākanda – The Sanskrit word for the mango tree.
Couturier – A fashion designer.
Devá – Is a Sanskrit term for “god” as in “the God
Śiva”. When referring to the entire
Vedic or Hindu pantheon of deities one would say
“the Devás” or “the Gods”.
Devī – Is the Sanskrit term for “goddess”. When
referring to the goddesses of the Hindu pantheon
or Vedic pantheon one says “the Devīs”.
Domestique - A servant.
Drākṣā – A grape.
Dundubhí – Is a Sanskrit term for a type of large
kettle drum.
Esclave – A slave.
Gaïa – Is the Greek Goddess of the Earth.
Grande dame – A great (grande) lady (dame).
Mālatī – A Sanskrit word that means “a woody
climber with fragrant white jasmine flowers”. Its
botanical name is Aganosma dichotoma and
family name is Apocynaceae.
Mallikā – Is the Sanskrit term for Jasminum
sambac (botanical term), which is a fragrant white
flower and is grown all over India. The species
comes from the Oleaceae family. The synonyms
for this flower include mallī and vánacandrikā. Its
common names include “arabian jasmine” and
“tuscan jasmine”.
Maṇícīra – A Sanskrit word that means “a garment
adorned with jewels”.
Maṇíguṇanikara – A Sanskrit word that means “a
multitude of strings of pearls”.
Māṇikyamaya – A Sanskrit word that means
“made or consisting of rubies”.
Mdvanii – A highly aesthetic sculpture created
Kundamālā – Is the Sanskrit term for a garland by BillyBoy* that serves as a prototype for many
of a type of jasmine flower known as Jasminum different sculptures of the same quality (i.e. Ouimi,
multiflorum. It’s common name is “Star Jasmine”. Ishwar, Soraya, Dheei, Edie, Muio-Bix, Jobii,
Yucef, Rhogit-Rhogit, Zhdrick, Tiimky). All fit into
Índra-Devá – (also known as Śakrá-Devá) Is the the Avante Garde and/or Haute Couture genres of
Sanskrit name for the King of the Gods and the fashion.
God of the Sky, the Rain and Heaven.
76 Online Pagans Magazine September October 2010
Nīlagandhika – A Sanskrit word that means “a and Sāvitrī-Devī) Is the Sanskrit name for the
blue ruby”.
goddess who rules over the intellectual realm and
the artistic realm. She is the wife of Brahmā-Devá
Ouimi – The sister of Soraya (Suraiyā).
who is the creator of the universe or the God of
Creation.
Pādakilikā – The Sanskrit word for foot-ring,
ornament or anklet.
Selēnē – The Greek Goddess of the Moon.
Parāga – The Sanskrit word for sandal.
Parīkṣit – A Sanskrit word that means “one who
examines”.
Parinirvivapsā – A Sanskrit word that means “the
desire of giving” (it is also the lake that nourishes
the forest Īshwar resides in).
Sóma-Devá - Is the Sanskrit name for the God of
the Moon. His other names are Candrá-Devá and
Rajanīpati-Devá. The juice made from the sóma
plant is called “sóma”.
Suraiyā (Soraya) – Is the Persian word for “a
brilliant gem”.
Parihārya – The Sanskrit word for bracelet.
Sūrya – Is the Sanskrit name for God of the Sun
(also known as Vivásvat-Devá and Sāvitrī-Devá).
Parihāṭaka – The Sanskrit word for armlet.
Un gâteau aux fraises – Strawberry cake.
Pêche – Peach.
Un prostitué – The male prostitute.
Petit – Small.
Varṣártu – The Sanskrit term for the rainy season.
Piṇḍika – The penis.
Yuthikā – The Sanskrit term for a type of jasmine
flower known by the botanical name of Jasminum
auriculatum. It is from the Oleaceae family.
Poṭa – The rectum.
Prāvṛṣya – The Sanskrit term for the cat’s-eye
gemstone.
Putain – Whore.
Zeús – The Greek King of the Gods and the God
of the Sky and Thunder.
Rāgitaru – A Sanskrit term for the “red or
‘passionate’ tree”.
Rājabhavanam – The Sanskrit term for “a royal
palace”.
Ratábandha – Sexual union.
Rúciphala – A pear.
Śāṭī – Is the Sanskrit term for a strip of cloth used
to make a women’s dress (also known as a “sari”).
Svargáloka – Is the Sanskrit term for Índra-Devá’s
heaven.
Sarasvatī-Devī – (also known as Śatárūpa-Devī
September October 2010 Online Pagans Magazine 77