Descent of the Goddess

Listen to the Legend of the Descent of the Goddess to the Underworld! Long ago, when the world was young, it came to pass that Adonis, the Young Lord, was killed by a wild sow in the hunt; and His Spirit departed to the Underworld. Then did all things wither and die, for the Great Mother wept and mourned at the loss of the Young Lord, and Fertility departed from the Land. Now Kore, the Maiden, the Daughter of the Great Mother, had learned much of Wisdom from the Elder Gods, but She had learned nothing of the Mystery of Love, or of the Mystery of Death. When Kore saw that the flowers She so delighted in had all faded and died, She resolved to journey to the Underworld, the Land of Death, for She wished to solve all Mysteries. Traveling far and wide, She came at last to the Borders of the Land of Death, the Boundary of the Underworld; and She found Herself facing a Gate, and a Guardian, who challenged Her, saying,

"Remove Thy gowns and jewels, for naught mayest Thou bring with Thee into this, Our Land!" Accordingly, Kore removed Her gowns and jewels. Then did the Guardian say,

"Before I may admit Thee, Thou must know My Name, and be bound as are the Dead." And Kore replied,

"Thou art Auriel, Archangel of Earth." And, stepping within His Gate, Kore was bound as are the Dead.

Stepping within Auriel's Gate, Kore found Herself facing a second Gate, and a second Guardian, who also challenged Her, saying,

"Drink Thou from My Cup: it may be bitter and death to Thee, or it may be sweet with Life." And Kore answered,

"Thou art Gabriel, Archangel of Water. Thy Cup is death to Me only if I so love sensual pleasures that I let them enslave Me, lulling Me into sleep and forgetfulness. To Me Thy Cup is Life, for it is the Cup of Love, and Love conquers all." Stepping within Gabriel's Gate, Kore found Herself facing a third Gate, and a third Guardian, who also challenged Her, saying,

"Touch My Wand: it may strike Thee dead, or it may only change Thee forever." And Kore replied,

"Thou art Michael, Archangel of Fire. I fear not Thy Wand, for I know its Mystery: it is the Wand of Fire, and of the Will, and the Magickal Fire is the Fire of Transformation. My Will changed Me forever when it led Me to seek the Mysteries, at My own choosing, and now I see that death is but a change: from what was, to what will be; and every moment of life is a death, as future becomes past at our own choosing." Stepping within Michael's Gate, Kore found Herself facing a fourth Gate, and a fourth Guardian, who also challenged Her, saying,

"This, My Blade, will end Thy Quest, for its bite is death!" Kore replied,

"Thou art Raphael, Archangel of Air. Not yet is My Quest ended, for Thy Sword is the Blade of the Mind, piercing through the Veils of Illusion; and the flat of the Blade is the Bridge of Balance over the Abyss that separates us from the Supernal. I seek Your Lord!" Leaving Her body behind Her, the Spirit of Kore passed through Raphael's Gate, and found Herself at last in the Center of the Circle, facing Osiris, the Dark Lord of the Underworld Himself. Such was Her Beauty that Osiris knelt before Her, and gave Her the Fivefold Kiss, and said,

"Lady, Thou art lovely! What seekest Thou in the Land of Death?" Kore replied,

"I come seeking the Knowledge of the final Mystery of Death. Why dost Thou cause all things that I love, and delight in, to wither and die?" Then did Osiris say,

"I, whom all fear, do but serve the Will of the Dark Goddess: She who is Mistress of Fate. 'Tis age, and fate, which cause all things to wither; but when folk die at the end of their time, I give them rest, and peace, and strength, and refreshment between lives of striving to fulfill the Quest, so that they may return. But Thou! Thou art lovely! Return not! Abide with Me, and be My Bride!" But Kore said,

"O Lord of Shadows, I must fulfill My Quest for Knowledge of the final Mystery of Death; therefore I must experience it at Thy Hands. Behold, because of this I love Thee not!" The Lord of the Shadows said,

"Then Thou must feel the Scourge of Death!" And Kore replied,

"It is Fate: better so!" And She knelt before Him. And Osiris, the Dark Lord, took His Scourge and scourged Her tenderly.

Then Kore said,

"I will be Thy Bride! For I have felt the Pangs of Love!" And She embraced Him.

And They were United in Love; and this is the Mystery of the Lance Dripping Blood, and of the Holy Grail that receives it, the Cauldron of Regeneration. And She took His Crown, and placed it about Her Neck, and it became the Necklace which is the Circle of Rebirth. For there be Three Great Events in the Life of Man: Love, Death, and Resurrection in a new body; and Magick controls them all. For to fulfill love, thou must be reborn in the same time and place as the loved one, and thou must remember and love them again. But to be reborn, thou must die and be made ready for a new body. And to die, thou must first be born. And without love thou may not be born; and these be all the Magicks.

For our Gracious Goddess sayeth,