Priest Hierophant: (Invocation of the Goddess) Pallas
Athena, Goddess
of Wisdom, come to Your Daughter now that she
may be inspired by Thy Divine Spirit! Endow us with Thy Wisdom and Thy
Might
that Thy ancient glories may once more shine
before the world!
Oracle: (through Priestess
Hierophant) It has been written that the
Iron Age should prevail over the earth bringing with it suffering, toil
and
evil, through neglect of the Deities. Its
darkness is not the holy night of the Owl of Wisdom, but the limitation
of ignorance.
Its light is the transient glow that comes
from superficial knowledge gained from curious, probing, rather than the
spiritual
illumination that emanates from the Deities.
It was not necessary for the world of men to choose the Age of Iron; but
destiny
that the choice be offered. For what goodness
is there in worshipping the Gods and Goddesses when They reveal
Themselves easily
to all? It is simple to satisfy curiosity,
but the labour of years of experience to gain wisdom! Sentiment is
pleasant but
passing: the warmth of love is ever-renewing.
Understand the meaning of what I am, and you will gain
comprehension
of your own lives and destiny. I am not
divided against Myself: Bright Pallas with her Spear of Light does not
war with the
Dark Owl of Night. Nor do the terrible flames
of the Inner Sun that are Veiled upon My shield attack Athena, the
Teacher of
philosophy and the arts. I am Holy. Be Ye
Holy. Be at peace within yourselves and cease from your philosophical
warring! In
verity the catastrophes of the Iron Age are
due to deep division between mortals and the Deities; between mankind
and nature;
and between differing ideas which are but the
quivering reflections of absolute truth.
The veil upon My
Shield
is beginning to wear thin, and the glory of
the Rays of Medusa become apparent to earthly gaze! The inner power of
the atom
has been violently exposed, and reduces the
physical body to the shadow which in verity it is. My Spear of Light
brings Divine
Inspiration to the mind, while My Owl carries
messages of warning from the dark Rulers of the universe, which will be
known
to be what it is: whole and perfect. On your
troubled earth mortals struggle and learn through harsh experience to,
put on
Immortality; which in truth is latent in each
creature. A bird knows more of Elysium than doth mankind! Do not reject
any
aspect of the universe, but recognise it as
part of a glorious pleroma in which even suffering and evil are
transformed through
wisdom into good. Listen for My Voice. I
speak in the silence.
(N.B. The Priestess
Hierophant may channel an Oracle through trance)
Priestess
Hierophants wear crowns and hold sistrums in
Ankh form. Priest Hierophants wear Egyptian mitres and hold crooks. All
wear
pectorals. Magi wear star robes, Maga star
crowns, Magus, star head-dresses. Companions wear robes in colours of
the Lyceum
and lamens of the Lyceum symbol. Psychopompos
wears the insignia of Hermes and bears the Caduceus. Guardian as Anubis
by doors.
Altar with lighted candles, incense, oil,
nearby are candidate's crown or mitre, pectoral, sistrum or crook.
Outside temple
door stands the candidate in priestly attire
save for headdress and wand/staff, with two priestesses and two priests.
Music.
1st Priest knocks three times on doors.
Priest Hierophant: Who claims admittance to this holy Temple
of ***.
Hermes: A Priestess/ Priest of our Lyceum who seeks Consecration
as Hierophant.
Priest Hierophant: Let her/him be admitted!
(Guardian
opens doors. Hermes conducts Candidates.
Procession before Priest and Priestess Hierophant guided by Hermes.)
Priestess Hierophant: (shakes sistrum and uplifts it)
I invoke the Goddess Isis and the
Goddess *** of this Lyceum. Holy Isis and
***, be amongst us for the consecration of this Priestess /Priest as
Hierophant
of the College of Isis. Bring her/him Your
vocation.
Priest Hierophant: (uplifts
crook) I invoke the God Osiris and the God *** of this Lyceum. Divine Osiris and ***, inspire her/him for your Divine
Service.
Priest Hierophant: What spiritual gifts has the Candidate to offer?
(Hermes from a scroll reads the encomium of the candidate)
Priest Hierophant:
(to Magi and Companions) Is the Candidate acceptable as Hierophant?
1st Maga:
In solemn assembly we have deliberated on the
claims of the Candidate to guide and teach, and we accept *** (name of Candidate)
as worthy to be Hierophant, dedicated to the aims of our Lyceum.
1st Magus: We have
in careful council assessed the character of the Candidate, and deem *** (name of Candidate) worthy to be Hierophant,
to show forth the aims of our Lyceum.
Hermes: (to Candidate) Stand forth! (Candidate
stands before High Altar. Priestess
Hierophant shakes sistrum and anoints him/her on head heart and hands
with holy oil)
In the Name of
Isis and of *** the Goddess/Goddesses of this Lyceum I consecrate you
Hierophant!
Priest Hierophant: (places crown/mitre on Candidate's
head) With this Crown/Mitre I honour thy Spirit!
Priestess Hierophant:
(places pectoral around shoulders of Candidate) With this Pectoral I consecrate thy heart!
(If the Candidate is a Priestess she is presented with a sistrum)
Priestess Hierophant: Accept the sacred sistrum that
you may awaken those who sleep!
(If Candidate is a Priest he is presented with
a crook)
Priest Hierophant: Accept the Crook.
Care for those committed to your charge!
(Candidate is turned by Hermes to face
company. Priestess Hierophant and Priest Hierophant on right and left)
Priestess
Hierophant: (shakes sistrum) In the Name of Isis and of *** , Goddess of this Lyceum, I declare our
Priestess/Priest Hierophant of the College of Isis!
Priest Hierophant:
(uplifts crook) In the Name of Osiris and of ***, God of this Lyceum, I declare our Priestess/Priest
Hierophant of the College of Isis!
Magi & Lyceum Companions in Turn Declare:
I accept the
Consecration of our Priestess/Priest as Hierophant of the College of
Isis.
Hermes: May our new Hierophant give us her/his Oration.
(New
Hierophant gives oration concerning aims for his/her Lyceum.
Meditation
Reports
on plans. Sending forth of Light and Wisdom to the College of Isis, the
Fellowship of Isis and to
the world. Hierophants give thanks to the
Deities invoked. Procession to solemn music out of the Temple. Guardian
closes the
doors.
Sources: “Sophia,
Cosmic Consciousness of the Goddess”, Olivia Robertson, Cesara Publications, Clonegal Castle, Fellowship of Isis
Foundation Centre, Ireland, first published 1986. “Panthea, Initiations and Festivals
of the Goddess”, Olivia Robertson, Cesara Publications, Clonegal Castle,
Fellowship of Isis Foundation Centre, Ireland, first published 1988. Existing leaflets. "The Manual
of the Fellowship of Isis - Communion with the Goddess", two issues of this series "The
Temples of Asia Minor and Greece, First Part", and "The Temples of Greece, Second
Part", Lawrence Durdin-Robertson, Cesara Publications, Clonegal Castle, Fellowship of Isis Foundation Centre, Ireland,
1977. New material.
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