Page:What Men Want - Initial Thoughts on the Male Goddess Movement.pdf/19

Rh Upon finishing this I had to imagine the priestess touching my forehead lightly with her fingertips whilst channelling the Goddess into my body. I was asked to imagine a pulse of female energy entering my forehead and circulating through me. I had to then meditate upon the nature of my masculinity and my relationships with women, the Maiden, Mother and Crone. After two or three minutes of this contemplation I was to imagine the priestess, still touching my forehead, chanting the following:

"LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF THE GREAT MOTHER. SHE WHO WAS OF OLD CALLED ARTEMIS, ASTARTE, ATHENE, DIONE, MELUSINE, APHRODITE, CERRIDWEN, DANA, ARIANRHOD, ISIS, BRIDE, AND BY MANY OTHER NAMES. SHE IS THE ONE, SHE IS THE GREAT MOTHER GODDESS THAT CREATED ALL, IS IN ALL AND WILL END ALL.

HEAR HER WORDS IN THE DUST OF WHOSE FEET ARE THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN AND WHOSE BODY IS THE UNIVERSE. I ENTER YOU IN SPIRIT. YOU ARE AN EXPRESSION OF THIS SPIRIT. WOMAN AND MAN. MOTHER AND FATHER. MOON AND SUN. LISTEN WELL!"

The priestess continued her soliloquy with me having to repeat each sentence as if making a vow:

"YOU ARE NOW ONE WITH ME (line repeated by me),

AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN (repeat),

I WHO AM THE BEAUTY OF THE GREEN EARTH(repeat),

OF THE WHITE MOON AMONG THE STARS (repeat),

THE MYSTERY OF THE WATERS (repeat),

AND THE DESIRE OF THE HEART (repeat),

CALL UNTO THY SPIRIT AND COME UNTO ME (repeat),

FOR I HAVE COME INTO YOU (repeat),

MAN IS WOMAN, WOMAN IS MAN (repeat),

ALWAYS BE TRUE TO THYSELF (repeat),

FOR I AM REBIRTH AND I AM DEATH (repeat),

FROM ME ALL THINGS PROCEED (repeat),

AND UNTO ME ALL THINGS RETURN (repeat),

FOR I HAVE BEEN WITH THEE FROM THE BEGINNING (repeat).

AND I AM THERE AT THE END (repeat)."

At once a fast double drumming sprang from John. Unguided by words, with my head swimming, I opened my eyes to see him, as if possessed, drumming and turning tight circles in a hopping parody of a pirouette or an imitation of a whirling Dervish. I feared at times that he might fall into the embers of the fire such was the frenzy of his dancing. Eyes closed, his drumming winding up into ever faster rhythms, he let out a guttural cry: 323