From a Traditional story, rewritten slightly by Rick Johnson 
PO Box 40451
Tucson, Az.
85717
RikJohnson@juno.com
Once long ago the Great Mother Goddess and Her Horned Consort decided to give birth to a different form of animal. This animal had no fur to keep it warm, no claws or sharp teeth with which to defend itself or to hunt, no wings or long legs to pursue prey or escape predators. Thus the Goddess decided to give this new animal a weapon of the greatest power and potenŽtial for good or evil ... She gave this new animal a thinking brain and called her Lilitu. Lilitu was a woman and was the first of her kind so the Goddess sent her out into the world to experience and learn and then the Goddess lay back to watch and see how her new child would act.
Lilitu traveled over the world eating plants and fruits and nuts, learning first by trial and error which were safe to eat and which were poisonous. Later she learned to watch the other animals and so her life was rich with experience. She learned to be capable and to survive yet she was lonely.
So one night she looked up to the face of her Mother, the Full Moon and prayed for a mate for all the other animals had companions of their own. And the Goddess, thinking of another lesson to teach, told her of a garden in the desert. This garden was made by another god and within this garden was a companion for Lilitu. But, the Goddess warned, the god who made this companion was jealous and sought to keep his creation separate from the world and so the way to him would not be easy.
But Lilitu said that all her life little had been easy and often the best things had been the hardest to find and acquire so she set off to find this garden. The way was, indeed, difficult, for the god had hidden his garden in a valley in the desert to prevent the inhabitants from escaping or to prevent others from entering. But eventually Lilitu found the garden, and guarding the entrance was a messenger of the god who made the garden.
This messenger held a weapon unlike any possessed by any animal. It was a tooth that it held in it's hand. But this tooth was as long as Lilitu's leg and shone in the light like lightening. Any who sought to approach the garden was killed or scared away by this messenger and its weapon. So Lilitu was concerned and afraid. But so intent was she on entering the garden that she approached the messenger And sought to pass. But the messenger stepped her and sought to turn her away.
Lilitu asked the messenger why she could not enter and see the person within and the messenger told her that this garden was made by its own god for his own pleasure and all within was made by him for him alone. He then sought to kill Lilitu with his weapon but she, with the quickness learned from avoiding the sharp claws of the lion, avoided the slash and ran away.
Lilitu sat in the sun and thought. Surely there must be a way to get into the garden. Then she had an idea! She carefully found a pride of lions and led them to the garden. Knowing that if they were angry or scared enough, they would attack or run, she tricked the lions into running towards the garden.
The messenger drew his weapon and attacked the lions who were more irritated than angry and ran away. The messenger chased them to be certain that they did not return and while he was away, Lilitu snuck into the garden.
The garden was beautiful beyond compare but Lilitu noticed that there were only two of each kind of animal present Two zebras, two unicorns, two eagles and so on. And, there were no young to be seen.
Then she saw a strange animal. It was similar to her so Lilitu assumed that it must be the companion that she sought, but it was so strange and ugly. The creature had fur on its face and it had no breasts. True, it had nipples but its chest was as flat as Lilitu's was when she was younger. The creature had no navel and strangest of all, it had what appeared to be a snake hanging between it's legs.
On second thought, Lilitu realised that this was the thing that some animals had that they used to pee with. To her mind it seemed like a waste as the thing would always get in the way but she had also seen some Animals make theirs grow larger and then stick it into the back end of another animal for some strange and visually rediculous reason. Lilitu decided that she would hit this creature if it tried to do that to her.
But the lion looked different than the lioness so maybe this was just another form of herself.
She approached it carefully, aware of danger but the creature seemed to know nothing of danger and was completely open. Strange! She introduced herself to the creature and it responded by calling itself Adam or something. The creature spoke strangely and Lilitu had some difficulty understanding it. Eventually the two of them were friends and began their lives together.
One day, when the Moon was full, Lilitu called upon the Goddess, her Mother and asked if this was all that there was to life. And the Goddess said that She would give Lilitu something more to experience and to wait for the Companion of Her Lord, the Horned God.
And it came to pass that shortly afterwards when Lilitu was picking some fruit from one of the trees she saw within the branches a snake with the horns of a ram, the companion to the Horned God, from whom He was rarely absent. Lilitu was not frightened for she knew that all snakes were good, for they killed the rats that would eat the stored food and this one was divine.
And the snake spoke to Lilitu and told her that each day he would teach her something new that would make life easier and more pleasant. And the first day he taught her to plant seeds that her favorite plants would grow and she would never be hungry. And the second day he taught her to weave baskets to hold the food that she harŽvested and the third day he taught her of fire and the fourth day he taught her to bake clay and the fifth day he taught her of the pleasures of love-making.
Lilitu was shocked at the description of love-making and at first refused to do such a useless rediculous thing but she had to admit that all the other ideas that had been taught to her had been useful so she finally agreed to try the thing.
Adam was, at first, opposed to this new idea as he was to all the thoughts that she gave him. His attitude was that if he had been meant to use this thing called a basket, his god would have given it to him, but when she touched him so, he relented and tried out the idea. At first it was uncomfortable for Lilitu but soon she found herself enjoying it even more than Adam did. So much did they enjoy this that they did it often.
But Lilitu began to complain about the rocks in her back and asked if she could lay on top of him for once. And Adam refused saying that she must submit to him as he submits to his god. At this, Lilitu became angry and told him that she submitted to no person
or god, not even the Goddess who gave her birth. She would honor the Goddess but submit? Never! And Adam became angry and ordered her to stop honoring her Goddess and to submit herself to him and his god, and so they fought.
Hours later when they fell asleep with exhaustion Lilitu woke up and remembered how the Goddess had seduced the Horned God in His sleep and so as Adam lay asleep on his back, she lay on top of him and took her pleasure.
But Adam woke up and became angry that she was above him and cast her off and made to strike her but she avoided the blow and broke a pot over his head. Lilitu stood there shaking with fear and anger. THIS was the companion that had been promised to her? There were far too few good times and far too many demands that she do what he wished. She gathered her belongings into a basket and left the garden.
At the gate, Lilitu filled a pot with water and as the messenger who guarded the gate tried to stop her, she cast the water upon it and ran through the steam caused by the water touching the messengers weapon. Long was it she ran until she could go no further. She then found a place by a river and began to make a home for herself.
But the life was not easy, for in the garden there were no animals to eat her and the fruit was there for the picking. Now, Lilitu had to work for her food and hide from the lions. She grew strong again but was lonely and thought of the pleasure of laying and sleeping next to Adam. Almost, she wished to return to the garden but she knew that that could not be. So one night Lilitu called to the Full Moon and asked the Goddess for another companion.
The Goddess appeared and told her that the time in the garden was necessary to give her time to learn many things and also to realize that sometimes, things are not what they seemed. Then the Goddess told Lilitu to make her own companion of clay and She, the Goddess would give it life. But to be careful for she would have to live with the results of her actions.
So Lilitu gathered clay from the river and formed another companion, similar to Adam for she still had some fondness for him, but Lilitu remembered the Shrine to the Goddess that had been destroyed by Adam and determined that this would never happen again, so she placed upon the face of her companion a Shrine to the Goddess and Her Consort that could never be destroyŽed and could always be found when needed. She called this Shrine a smile and when she was finished, she again called upon the Goddess who appeared to give life to the clay.
But as the Goddess was about to touch the statue, Lilitu cried for her to stop and suddenly Lilitu poked the clay image in the belly with her finger. Laughing, she told the Goddess to proceed for now this new companion had something that Adam never would have, a navel.
When the image came to life, Lilitu told him that she was his companion and they could have a wonderful life together if both respected each other and loved each other. The new man agreed that this was best and so to test him, she lay with him, first below then above and Lo! he enjoyed it both ways and she loved him for this. And they lived and loved for months until Lilitu noticed that she was growing large in her belly and that something was moving inside her.
Lilitu and the man were frightened for they thought that some parasite was inside her and she would die so they again called upon the Goddess who laughed at them and with them and told the couple that Spring was here and soon they would, together, give life just as the animals did. And the couple were filled with joy at this word.
Shortly afterward, did Lilitu give birth and through it all was her companion who had worked with her in the fields and home for together they worked and together they loved and together they helped this new life come into the world.
But suddenly, a shadow appeared. The messenger who guarded the garden appeared and spoke how long had he been sent to find and punish Lilitu for her crimes. Unbidden had she entered the garden of the messenger's god. Unbidden had she taught Adam of love-making and unbidden had she refused to submit. Now Adam had a new woman who did as she was told and now Lilitu and her family must die.
But the man, remembering the story that Lilitu told him, cast water upon the messenger and then took up a stick and began to fight the messenger to protect his family. Long did they fight but the messenger was too strong and as the man began to weaken, he called upon the Horned God to help him. The God sent his snake, and the snake wrapped itself about the messenger's legs and bit the messenger on the arm. The messenger tripped and fell, dropping his weapon and the man then struck it upon the head and shoulders and so the messenger fled.
The Horned God appeared and said to the man that together he has Lilitu had worked for a life and together the snake and man had worked to protect Lilitu and the children so never forget that as more and more people would be born, life would be easier and safer if they worked together, protecting one another and working with each other.
And in time, more children were born and more companions, male and female were made and the tribe was formed. All working together for each other for all were the children of the Goddess and so were taught love first and respect second and all was good even though none of them lived in a garden and all had to work hard to live.
At to this day the legends say that there are two races in the world, the race of Adam and the race of Lilitu of the Goddess.
*****
Note: I used to know the name of the clay man that Lilitu made but have since forgotten. If anyone knows, please let me know.
MEANING:
Consider that you are a woman and you are told that all humanity is evil because of the actions of one woman so long ago that no one knows the date.
Suppose that you are told that everyone will go to hell because all women carry this sin.
Suppose that you are told that God is a man and only men can be priests and women are so low that when the savior comes, only a virgin can birth him? Or that in a brother religion ,when this savior is born, women are so low that a man will birth him?
How does that make you feel?
To contact me or to request topics to be covered, send to RikJohnson@juno.com
by: Rick Johnson
PO Box 40451
Tucson, Az.
85717
