Friday Worship at Samhain

Welcome to Friday Worship

Today is the Feast of Samhain, known as Halloween and in honour of such an auspicious date we are dedicating today's Friday Worship to Witchcraft, both in images and in words. The beautiful words are, in fact, the Charge of the Goddess as used by Gardnerian Covens all over the world.

Now listen to the words of the Great Mother,
who was of old also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Bride, and by many other names. At her altars, the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made due sacrifice.

Whenever ye have need of any thing,
once in the month,
and better it be when the moon is full,
then shall ye assemble in some secret place, and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all witches.

There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet have not won its deepest secrets;
to these will I teach things that are as yet unknown.

And ye shall be free from slavery;
and as a sign that ye be really free,
ye shall be naked in your rites;
and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise.
For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and mine also is joy on earth;
for my law is love unto all beings.

Keep pure your highest ideal;
strive ever towards it, let naught stop you or turn you aside;
for mine is the secret door which opens upon the land of youth,
and mine is the cup of wine of life,
and the cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Grail of immortality.

I am the gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man.
Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal;
and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom,
and reunion with those who have gone before.

Nor do I demand sacrifice;
for behold, I am the Mother of all living,
and my love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess;
she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven,
whose body encircles the universe.

I who am the beauty
of the green earth and the white moon upon
the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.

For I am the soul of nature
that gives life to the universe.
From me all things proceed and unto me
they must return.
Let My worship be in the
heart that rejoices, for behold,
all acts of love and pleasure
are My rituals.

Let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion,
honor and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to know me,
know that the seeking and yearning
will avail you not,
unless you know the Mystery:
for if that which you seek,
you find not within yourself,
you will never find it without.

For behold,
I have been with you from the beginning,
and I am that which is attained
at the end of desire.

If you would like a particular theme or poem for Friday Worship, please feel free to ask. We exist to serve love, joy and Ishtar.

Happy Samhain!

Praise to Ishtar

Praise to Ishtar

Friday Worship

Welcome to Friday Worship

As Ishtar is present in the body of all women thus the love of one woman for another can be considered the worship of Ishtar by Herself. The following poem expresses this beautifully.

At the risk of being considered Philistines we have modernised the poem's language to a small extent. We believe that in so doing we have made the poem's beauty and sensuality more accessible and comprehensible to a modern audience. To any who believe that in so doing we have destroyed its purity we can only apologise.


SAPHO TO PHILÆNIS

Where is that holy fire, which Verse is said
To have? Is that enchanting force decayed?
Verse that draws Nature’s works from Nature’s law,
You, her best work, to her work cannot draw.
Have my tears quenched my old Poetic fire;
Why quenched they not as well, that of desire?
Thoughts, my mind’s creatures, often are with thee,
But I, their maker, want their liberty.
Only your image, in my heart, does sit,
But that is wax, and fires environ it.
My fires have driven, yours have drawn it hence;
And I am robbed of Picture, Heart, and Sense.
Dwells with me still my irksome Memory,
Which, both to keep, and lose, grieves equally.
That tells me how fair you are: You are so fair,
As gods, when gods to you I do compare,
Are graced thereby; And to make blind men see,
What things gods are, I say they are like to thee.
For, if we justly call each silly man
A little world, what shall we call you then?
You art not soft, and clear, and straight, and fair,
As Down, as Stars, Cedars, and Lilies are,
But your right hand, and cheek, and eye, only
Are like your other hand, and cheek, and eye.
Such was my Phao a while, but shall be never,
As you were, are, and oh, may be ever.
Here lovers swear in their Idolatry,
That I am such; but Grief discolours me.
And yet I grieve the less, lest Grief remove
My beauty, and make me unworthy of your love.
Plays some soft boy with you, oh there wants yet
A mutual feeling which should sweeten it.
His chin, a thorny hairy unevenness
Does threaten, and some daily change possess.
Your body is a natural Paradise,
In whose self, unmannered, all pleasure lies,
Nor needs perfection; why should you then
Admit the tillage of a harsh rough man?
Men leave behind them that which their sin shows,
And are as thieves traced, which rob when it snows.
But of our dalliance no more signs there are,
Than fishes leave in streams, or Birds in air.
And between us all sweetness may be had;
All, all that Nature yields, or Art can add.
My two lips, eyes, thighs, differ from thy two,
But so, as yours from one another do;
And, oh, no more; the likeness being such,
Why should they not alike in all parts touch?
Hand to strange hand, lip to lip none denies;
Why should they breast to breast, or thighs to thighs?
Likeness begets such strange self flattery,
That touching my self, all seems done to thee.
My self I embrace, and my own hands I kiss,
And amorously thank myself for this.
Me, in my glass, I call you; But alas,
When I would kiss, tears dim my eyes, and glass.
O cure this loving madness, and restore
Me to me; you, my half, my all, my more.
So may your cheeks red outwear scarlet dye,
And their white, whiteness of the Galaxy,
So may your mighty, amazing beauty move
Envy in all women, and in all men, love,
And so be change, and sickness, far from thee,
As you by coming near, keep them from me.

John Donne (London, 1572 - 1631)

The illustrations are by the Parisian artist Suzanne Ballivet (1904 - 1985). The poem was sent to us by our friend, Trey.

If you would like to suggest a theme or a praise poem for Friday Worship, please do get in touch.

With Love.

Praise to Ishtar

Praise to Ishtar

Friday Worship

Welcome to Friday Worship.

For many Ishtar is represented, as are all Goddesses, by the human female body - making not only the act of sexual pleasure, but the body itself divine. Please enjoy the following Praise Poem, entitled "To Thee".

To thee, oh queen of the burning passion
All praise and glory be sent forth from thy bosom
Hold all deep within your sensual touch
Awaken yourself in our hearts and as we make love in thy name

Lady of the heavens and sister of the raging fire
Show us your ways and lead us to that ultimate release
The culmination of all and nothing, the cosmic decree
For all of creation must fall unto your order

We worship thee in the temple, in the bedroom
In the woods and in the cities, in the brothels and in ourselves
Passion is perfection and in perfection lies the pathway to you
And so ever we seek passion, ever we seek you.

And ever we bask in that infinite rapture

By Daniel Yates

This week's theme was suggested, and the poem and pictures provided, by our friend, Daniel (Astral Pilgrim).
If you wish to suggest a pictorial theme or a praise poem for Friday Worship we would be very glad to oblige.

We exist to serve love.
The Temple of Ishtar.

Praise to Ishtar

Praise to Ishtar

Friday Worship

Welcome to Friday Worship.

Although sexual pleasure is the primary method of worshipping Ishtar, there are other ways. Chief amongst these is dance, particularly the sensual and beautiful art of bellydance. Please enjoy in Ishtar's name

Dancer’s Prayer

Incense smoke drifts, fragrant, curling tendrils of blue

The ney sounds, haunting melody lifting, twining with the smoke

Tabla beats, quiet, steady, slow

Emerging now, slowly swaying, She comes forth

Step, step-step

The earth trembles

Quivering beneath Her feet

Step, step-step

A lover’s skin awaiting soft caress

Expectant, longing

Arms rise and fall in opposition

Undulating slowly, sinuously

Fingers extended, beckoning

Eyes flick

Wrist turns, withholding

Hips twist

Each step shatters civilisations

Each step builds them anew

Rainbows fly from her spinning veils

The winds are born of Her flying hair

Step, step-step

Increasing tempo

Step-step, step

Hypnotic beat

Step-step, step

She charges forth,

Eyes ablaze

All fall back in awe before Her

She turns, sways back, arms raised, abdomen undulating

A turn of the head,

Step

A flick of the eyes

Step

Lowering arms, palms open

A gift,

This dance

For you

Step, step-step

How can I not dance with You

You who gave the Dance to me?

How can I hold back from You

Who gave the world to me?

Each step creating, destroying and renewing again

When I dance I honour You

When I dance, I dance for You

When I dance, they see You in me

Step, step-step

To the sound of ney and drum

By Sara Fitton

This week's praise poem and pictures were both suggested and provided by our friend Jessie Belle. If you would like to suggest a theme, prayer or poem for Friday worship please feel free to ask. We would be glad to hear from you.

We serve Ishtar and, through Ishtar, love.

Praise to Ishtar

Praise to Ishtar

Friday Worship

Welcome to Friday Worship

Unto the queen of the gods,
into whose hands are committed the behest of the great gods,
unto the lady of Nineveh,the queen of the gods,
the exalted one,unto the daughter of the moon-god,
the twin sister of the sun god, unto her who ruleth all kingdoms,
unto the goddess of the world who determineth decrees,
unto the Lady of heaven and earth who receiveth supplication,
unto the merciful goddess who hearkeneth unto entreaty,
who receiveth prayer, who loveth righteousness,

I make my prayer unto Ishtar
to whom all confusion is a cause of grief.
The sorrows which I see I lament before thee.

Incline thine ear unto my words of lamentation

and let thine heart be opened unto my sorrowful speech.

Turn thy face unto me,

O Lady, so that by reason thereof
the heart of thy servant may be made strong!

I, Ashur-nasir-pal, the sorrowful one, am thy humble servant;
I, who am beloved of thee, make offerings unto thee and adore thy divinity
. . . . I was born in the mountains which no man knoweth;

I was without understanding and I prayed not of thy majesty.

Moreover the people of Assyria did not recognise and did not accept thy divinity.

But thou, O Ishtar, thou mighty Queen of the gods, by the lifting up of thine eyes did teach me, for thou didst desire my rule. Thou didst take me from the mountains, and didst make me the Door of my peoples

. . . and thou, O Ishtar, didst make great my name! As concerning that for which thou are wrath with me, grant me forgiveness. Let thine anger be appeased, and let thine heart be mercifully inclined towards me.

The pictorial theme for today's Friday Worship was suggested by our friend ~Thumbelina~. If you would like a particular prayer or pictures, please ask.

May the blessings of Ishtar bring you love, joy and sexual pleasure.

Praise to Ishtar