Paradiso

The glory of him who moves everything penetrates the universe and shines in one part more and, in another, less.

I have been in the heaven which takes most of his light, and I have seen things which cannot be told, possibly, by anyone who comes down from up there.

Because, approaching the object of its desires, our intellect is so deeply absorbed that memory cannot follow it all the way.

Nevertheless, what I was able to store up of that holy kingdom, in my mind, will now be the matter of my poem.

O you who are in your little boat, anxious to listen, having followed so far behind my ship which puts to sea singing,

Turn back and revisit the shores you have left: Avoid the high seas in case, perhaps, losing me, you should find yourself bewildered.

The water I venture upon has never been sailed: Minerva breathes, Apollo shows the way and the nine muses point to the bears.

You other few, who have stretched up your necks in time to the bread of angels, upon which life is lived here and no one has too much,

You may well put out on the salt deep with your ships, following in my furrow before the water closes up again.

Dante, Paradiso

Perfect Golden Mind

The top of his fin cut the air like a knife, carving a circle of pure white light. Seven sacred colours framed his perfect, golden mind, as Artemis declared to him: “We two are one, combined!”

The sister of the Moon said: “Give me now my silver arrows, for I should strike down dead any one who would dare come between us.”

The brother of the sun held out his golden bow to her: “A weapon such as this may only be brought from the abyss”.

His answering voice was like an echo of her dream before she dreamt it.

“Swim, enchanting sister, while my light is still cool, deep, into the salt-filled waters”.

The Moon queen cast off her linen robe and dipped one foot into the ocean, shielding her eyes from the blue-lit morning star as it rose up on the Eastern horizon. Every other face turned toward the rising sun as she made her way to the bottomless abyss, heedless of the dragon chained within

Ancient Script

The scene changed again and we were in a completely dark chamber. All I was aware of was a kind of book she placed in my hands, but it was not like an ordinary book. I’m not sure what it was made of but it was white and a double ‘page’ and at first it was completely blank.

As I peered at it, somewhat puzzled, writing began to appear, just a few letters, which I could not understand at all. The words just materialized as if they were being written or carved in front of me, from right to left. The only thing I could think was that it was all in triangles, apart from one letter that was comprised of three short diagonal lines in parallel.

I spent a fair bit of time afterward looking up ancient scripts for something that might have matched it, and found a few things that might have fit the bill. I can only really remember two of the letters for sure: The complete triangle and the one with 3 diagonal lines on the left of it, which was like an epsilon.

I felt a bit below par for not understanding and a moment after that the scene changed again. My entire vision was filled with a smooth, grey, soothing and pleasantly curved object. Lifting my head I soon realized I was lying face down staring at a big pebble and, as I got to my feet, it was to find myself on the shore of a very clear, calm, green-grey sea in daytime.

I looked out to sea and was struck with a sense of profound wonder and mystification, because there was nothing but calm sea in front of me, but I felt certain I had just been somewhere beneath the waves.

I was not thinking of Atlantis at this point, I was just wondering where this place had come from or gone to. I wondered how it was that I’d seen the sky so clearly if the place was underwater. I had an impulse to dive back into the water and on impulse started to move forwards, intending to do just that, but then a face suddenly appeared in front of me which made me jump out of my skin.

It was a very friendly, smiling black man with shining eyes and short dark hair, but he made me jump so much I was scared. It was like I’d never seen a black man before! A moment later I felt guilty for being scared and gave him a hug, apologizing quite profusely. I had a kind of feeling he may have rescued me in some way, or found me on the sea shore – chances are it was him that had pulled my head up.

The next moment I was back in my bedroom and shortly afterward I fell asleep.

The Fairy Bird Flies

I wandered absent-mindedly into another room and without warning chanced upon the pair I sought – my reason with the fairy – although they did not see me at first for I remained out of view, the quietest of those present.

Both of them appeared to have changed clothes and had become somehow more real looking, which served to diminish their power in my eyes and deprive the sprite (as she had become) of the intensity of pure magical beauty. Funny, then, that she attracted me somehow more strongly than when she had been composed entirely of fire and air.

The attraction was more basic though, for mingled with clay and water she seemed quite human, even if the golden hair, which had lost some of its length and lustre, still tumbled past her slender shoulders and glistened invitingly in the half-light. She stood with her back to me, both hands joined with those of reason, who gazed at her in such complacent adoration that she did not see me at all. I could not tell if they were dancing, making love or struggling with each other. Slight annoyance was mingled with an overwhelming desire to touch them both; I was totally beside myself and moved towards them determinedly.

As soon as I stepped forward they turned around quickly. My reason beamed at me beatifically, “At last, you’re here, what on earth have you been doing, you were ages? We’ve been having a fantastic time!”

I acknowledged that the other one was less pleased to see me, but also that she grew lovelier once again as the weight of reason drew away from her. The same reason moved languidly to my right and rested her head on my shoulder, “I love you”, she murmured softly, once again my modest companion. Fire grew in the sylph-like eyes of the other and with every inspiration she became more like the wind.

Subtly, almost imperceptibly, her robes changed again to the hue of dawn on a bed of blossom and the coils of hair unfurled into their pure golden streams.

I abandoned myself for an instant and lay down on the dewy carpet. As she spread her wings I closed my eyes and sighed in half-forgotten ecstasy, while the fairy bird leaped silently into the air and across our reclining figures, touching the surface of our skin with the hem of her gown as she passed us by on the scent of lilies and melted into the future night, rosy as clouds before dusk.

Was this the appearance of my passion? I held it close as I lost consciousness and entered oblivious insight, soothed by the treasures of the sleeping mind.

Precession of the Equinoxes

Descending twilight saw the Master sitting on the floor facing East in a distinctly prayerful posture, calling the Earth to witness. By the time the sun had set and Venus rose like a diamond on its band of gold, each cardinal direction and each of the elements had been called upon in turn.

Flame, Air, Water, Earth, Reflection; Starlight is the love inflection.

Looking up at the sky, the Master saw how the quintessential force was thrown into relief by the glowing pharos of Mars, silently beckoning his paramour as he bequeathed to her the dark and endless night.

The god of war was preparing his surrender at the temple of beauty, but he also had a message for the Master and this was the key to understanding other things:

Here in orbit turn the star-lings – planets binding, suns inclining – in such ways that whole dimensions fold inside the vaults of Heaven.

Mars was in perfect conjunction with Venus and the half moon, signaling the return of The Lovers to Earth.

Not only this, but the equinoxes were on the verge of their precession; together they gave rise to the most potent cosmic conditions that had been witnessed from Earth since the Star of the Magi heralded the turning point of history.

That the cosmic design might remain undefined was inconceivable, but how, precisely, it manifest was a mystery beyond even this:

“Meek”, He said, “the World is Thine,

This the reason: Just, Divine.

Bless these words, inform the start.

Energy, Created Art.”

Quill of Hermes

Marked these words the quill of Hermes:
Raise the green-lipped youth Adonis.
Listen well, as if to Eros,
See the truth within his promise.

Through the self, a solar system
Metes out time. The planets singing,
Seal in lines the great revision.
“Light!” The cosmic bells are ringing.

Truth reflects within the like minds,
As are scanned the skies sky for giants’
Astronomic temples; sun-signs
Trace the thread of ancient science.

There in orbit turn the star-lings,
Planets binding, suns inclining,
In such ways that whole dimensions
Fold inside the vaults of Heaven.

Angels watch the hidden stargates –
One from North, a second South-side –
East and West. The seal is six-faced,
Secret form: A cube-shaped inside.

Know the birds sing as you enter
Into space. The sidereal turning
Back reveals inside the memories,
Log-book of a life-times’ journeys.

Star flight is the love inflection,
Four plus one, the whole quintessence.
Flame, Air, Water, Earth, Reflection,
Quantum leaps in five directions.

Twelve the signs that mark the time-piece,
Zodiacal months and sections.
Fiery Water, Earth-Air, star suite.
‘Now behold the Ram,’ says Hermes.