Last week Andrion had an intense dream, and also had a disappointing conversation with his mother, Savandra. You can read this bit here.

So now the stage is set for the all-important Full Moon Rite, and I am thrilled that I can post this week’s episode to coincide with the Virgo Full Moon on 19th of February! Tensions & passions are mounting, and so it’s probably not so strange that Orydia feels completely fed up, and decides to take matters into her own hands.

Which is where Fate starts to take an interest, probably never a good sign…

Oh, and there is a Moon Spell chant that could actually be useful to some of you!

 

 

XXI Song of the Palace – Noon

 

Orydia, the lovely princess, has once again woken

With a new determination: but now not just for

Fullfillment of ambitions, but for revenge. It has

Been enough. She will punish whoever hurt her:

Brother, mother, Oracle, she will defeat them all.

 

And so she has risen early, taking up residence

In the Palace Library, the section of magical texts.

The Librarian, a small elderly woman, has found her

When she arrived, already surrounded by open scrolls

And ancient tablets. She surely wastes no time when

She sets her mind to something. Being a bright girl

She enjoys herself immensely, reading these fascinating

Books of spells, of rituals and recipes, taking many

Of them down, not for now perhaps, but they could

Come in handy some day. But by noon she still has

Not found what she is looking for. Something she will

Recognize when she comes across it. Just when she

Starts to feel frustrated, the Librarian announces

She will go have a bite to eat. Orydia nods in an

Absent-minded way and does not even look up.

 

But no sooner have the older woman’s footsteps

Died away, or she darts to her desk. For she knows

From long experience that the Librarian always

Forgets to take her keys with her. Including the one

For the room of the forbidden books. There aren’t

Many, for this is a permissive and open court.

Only the ones that could be seriously harmful

Are kept out of harm’s way. So the room is more like

An alcove or large closet. She quickly opens the door

And steps inside. Excitedly she scans the scroll tags,

Gets no wiser, and feels annoyed again. And then

She stubs her toe on something heavy, half hidden

Under a bottom shelf. She bends down and pulls it out.

 

It is a Wheel Book, an ancient stone disc, carved with tiny

Writing, sprinkled with sigils and pictograms, spiralling

Towards its center. It is a glorious, rare artefact. Orydia

Reverently lifts it in her hands. The power in this thing

Makes her body tingle. It is not just a book, but a

Tremendous talisman as well. But when she realizes

What it says, what those age-old letters mean, her heart

Beats in her throat. Her mouth is dry. She has heard of this

Once, during her lessons about the more unrefined parts

Of the House’s remote history. And she remembers well

That she was fascinated. This is the Forbidden Rite.

 

It was the custom centuries ago, but has fallen

Into disuse, and presently goes burdened with

A crushing taboo. She can barely take in right now

What it means that she has found it at this moment,

In her present situation. This must mean something.

 

What if Spirit wants this rite to be restored? It being

The Full Moon today, and things being as they are,

This must be Fate. And if she combines it with a spell

She saw earlier, it will all be perfect. She’ll get her revenge

As well as her ambition. She quickly places the heavy

Wheel book in a scroll basket, covering it with innocent

Scroll books and tablets, returns the key and sits down

To take a deep and well-earned breath. Then the princess

Rises calmly, takes the basket and walks out, showing

No undue haste. Orydia is certain that she will be right

And prove herself a great and gifted priestess on this night.

 

XXII Song of the Palace – Evening

 

Savandra is still drumming, singing, seeing visions

In her trance. The rising Moon’s vibrations strike her

Expectant body, and make it hum like a taut string.

Her underbelly also feels the currents of the Earth

Quickening and opening to receive the blessing life force

The High Priestess and High Priest will generate by

Their symbolic act of love, uniting male and female,

Above and below. All the Palace is alive with expectation,

All men and women, but also the House itself

Is as it always does happily helping to spread the joy

And has new buds of night-blooming blossoms, that attract

The most gorgeous of night butterflies, for no one could

In seriousness call these exquisite creatures moths. Even the

Hummingbirds are staying awake in order to enjoy this feast.

 

The Palace cats are yowling on rooftops and in gardens, all in heat,

As are the dogs. And around the Living Palace, in the rest of the land,

People are rejoicing at the blessing they will receive, and if they

Want to, they can of course participate. All is permitted, nothing

Compulsory. Such is the custom in this abundant forest land.

 

So it is probably not strange that the Wise One, both

Source and receiver of this whole tide of power,

Does not detect a subtle magic undercurrent, gaining

Strength, both of itself and feeding on hers. If she feels it

She must presume it is all part of the same event. As it

Will be, in a way. For it is of course the doing of

Orydia, who is preparing some ritual of her own.

 

Having had no time for fasting and extensive drumming

She has dosed herself with an extract of blue vine flower

That has put her straight into the right state of mind, and

Now everything feels both far away and really close,

Both hazy and crystal clear, her body drowsy and alert.

Feeling what she has to do, rather than remembering

What she has read that day, she chants certain chants,

Burns certain spices, until a disquieting fragrance fills

The room and weaves itself out of the window, to a

Certain destination. The princess smiles, for she feels

How her magic starts to burn itself into her soul,

Into her body. It is time to insert the little jade egg

That Palace women often use for excercise and

Pleasure, but that -as she has learnt today- can

Also be used for other things, if dressed in the right

Oils, painted with the correct sigils, and instead

Of a silk pulling cord, using a few long hairs (naturally

Not your own). All these preparations done,

Orydia now takes up the drum, and sings her

Vengeful and ecstatice little heart out.

 

XXIII Moon Spell Chant

 

Moon, hear my voice

Moon, hear my song

I call down

I call down your power

I call down your light

 

Mistress of Night, hear my voice

Goddess of Dark, hear my prayer

I call down

I call down your power

I call down your darkness

 

Great Double Mistress, hear my voice

Threefold Destroyer, hear my praise

I call down

I call down your power

I call down your vengeance

 

Great Sun and Moon, hear my voice

Great Heavenly Lovers, hear my chant

I call down

I call down your power

I call down your love

 

In the name of the Great Mother

She who creates and destroys

The great Threefold Mistress

 

And all the powers of Earth

And all the powers of Heaven

And all the powers of Ocean

 

As it was

As it is

As it shall be

 

Next week the Moon rises… but everything else will go downhill fast!