Evolution of my Altar
4 Comments | July 30, 2008 at 5:31 pm by mahud
Filed under Cosmogonic Myth, Paganism, Sprituality, The Cosmic Mysteries
The current incarnation of my altar
My Altar has been steadily evolving since I first set it up back in October last year. The mythical symbolism remains the same. The necklace (symbolic of lunar-cosmic space-time) I’ve replaced with a wonderful wooden snake I won at a medieval fair last weekend. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to have it 
. The two knives (actually a couple of throwing knives) have replaced the images of the waning and waxing moons; the waning moon blade points downwards towards the realm of death (corresponding with the tail of the serpent) while the waxing blade points upwards (corresponding with the serpent’s head), in the (mystery) tradition of the the Two Goddesses and the twin torch bearers of Mithraism. The Two Goddesses (Demeter and Kore/Persephone), I understand to be two aspects of the one Cosmic Goddess of Death and Rebirth. She is Medusa, Kali, and in Minoan cult of the Labyrinth she is Ariadne, wielder of the Old and New Moon double axe, with which she both slays and bestows the boon of life. Between the head and tail of the serpent I have a brass bath (I’d prefer a silver one, but it’ll do for now). Like the Labyrinth (which is often said to mean ‘place of the double axe labys‘), and the dark threshold of death and life is symbolic of the Womb of the Goddess:
The dark period of lunar death and rebirth can be symbolized as a oceanic journey upon an Old and New Moon boat, much like Noah’s Ark, or the various other vessels of death and rebirth. The myth of Adonis relates that Aphrodite hid him in a chest and gave it to the goddess of death for safekeeping. The ‘solar’ Lleu Llaw Gyffes was concealed in a chest by his uncle Gwydion, to be ‘reborn’ after the death of his waterborne twin Dylan. Osiris was tricked into a floating coffin by Set. In the medieval romance of Tristan and Iseult, the wounded Tristan is cast adrift in a boat, and later in a bath, is almost slain by his beloved. The infant Moses was hidden by his Hebrew mother in a basket among the reeds of the river Nile and “drawn out” by his Egyptian Mother, under the watchful eye of his sister Miriam (Exodus 2: 1–8). Clytemnestra murdered her husband Agamemnon in a bath. While, Danae and her son Perseus, were together shut up in a coffin (as were Semele and Dionysus) and cast adrift by Acrisius. All these myths are examples of Lunar-Cosmic rebirth, within the threshold of the Cosmic Goddess, that is also the access point to the Solar-Eternal realms beyond, as, for example, in the Chinese myth of the Island of the New Moon Passage.
Within the Lunar-Cosmic threshold is the hidden doorway (Both Ananda K. Coomaraswamy and Joseph Campbell referred to it as the Sundoor, although as far as I know they never placed it between the crescent moons). To give an example, in Mahayana Buddhism, at the point of death an enlightened being has the option (being in possession of the key to the door) of either passing, never to return, through the Solar Gateway of Nirvana and be forever released from the cosmic wheel, or may choose to re-enter (become a bodhisattva) the cyclic cosmic manifestation and reappear (like the first visible crescent moon) out of compassion for those still trapped within the serpentine wheel of ever-becoming to help them reach the very same state. Essentially the bodhisattva chooses to forgo the Buddhist version of Paradise and bestow the boon of life locked behind the Sundoor hidden in the dark lunar-cosmic womb (see also Lunar-Solar Buddha). To those who do not possess the key to the Sundoor, the eternal manifestation of the absolute offers only annihilation and have no option but to become cosmically reborn, but to those who possess the key can bathe eternally in rivers of bliss. Another iconic representation of the Sundoor is found in Genesis:
After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit of the second tree, they were expelled from paradise. This transition from bliss to wrath is marked by the revolving sword of fire that guarded the entrance to paradise, denying access to the tree of bliss, that had become the tree of wrath.
The revolving sword motif is possibly derived from the Mesopotamian glyph of the sun god Utu-Shamash, that is a stylized eight pointed ’star’ (the original pictographic representation of the Sumerian word for divinity) of four rivers (compare with the rivers of Eden. Also Shamash was responsible for watering the Mesopotamian paradise of Dilmun), and four sword-like objects, that could be interpreted as revolving, like a solar wheel.
Mythological Weapons Of Cosmic Destruction, Rebirth, and Bliss
Now, I’m not suggesting (although much mythology seems to point in this direction) that we ourselves are ultimately destined to enter through the sundoor into paradise forever, or, as in the case of Genesis, that the current cosmic manifestation of death and life is a disastrous mistake, a by-product of the serpent’s cunning resulting in perpetual conflict, hardship and death (see Gen: 3:15 “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”). Neither am I suggesting that our ultimate existence is non-existence as is the case with Buddhist philosophy. I’m not aiming for some kind of transcendent existence, as I have no way of knowing if such an existence is an option. But I do believe that the sacred/divine/holy/god/goddess/etc., is a light that fills the cosmos, even though (as the author of the Gospel of John reminds us) that divine light shining in the cosmic darkness is difficult and, for many of us, impossible to see. As Jesus is reputed to have said, the Kingdom of heaven is within or in our midst. It’s all around us, in us, in every living thing. Paradoxically It is us! Even death contains the seeds of life! This is the Grand mystery of mysteries!
Upon my altar I have a branch cut from one of the three pine trees outside our balcony (I’ve named Dionysos, Kybele and Attis ). The branch is symbolic of the Cosmic Tree of All Things. It is also the divine food of life that permeates the universe, is the universe and holds the whole thing together. In the Buddhist mythology mentioned above, this is the food of enlightenment. In a Norse myth it is the poet’s mead, obtained by Odin, who entered the cosmic cave in (lunar) serpent form to meet with the Guardian Goddess, and once he had quaffed all three draughts, transformed into a (solar) eagle and flew away. Again, this is just another variation of the same cosmic theme, represented upon my altar.
These three pine trees, from left to right are Dionysos, Kybele and Attis
Currently the objects on my altar are on a crappy piece of wood, but I intend to create my own using a pine trunk. The idea for using a tree trunk as an altar came from Raymond Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft (p.22).
It’s going to take me forever to cut through that thing!
While at the Medieval Fair (where I won the cool snake) I kept an eye out for a pentacle or pentagram necklace. To be honest I’m not particularly drawn to the pentagram as an expression of my Paganism, but I’ve wanted something to wear around my neck to identify myself as Pagan (at least to other Pagans). I like the symbol, which is often associated with the earth (because of the Tarot suit, I’m guessing), although I tend to think of it as a micro/macrocosmic symbol of the unending continuity of life (just my interpretation). Anyway, it doesn’t really fit in with my own cyclic mythos (unlike the Ouroboros), so I was really happy when I discovered this crescent-shaped dolphin necklace. As the cycle of the moon plays a bit part in my Paganism, it’s really quite perfect, although it doesn’t really identify me as Pagan, but that’s okay.
Crescent Moon Dolphin Necklace
Currently I’m wearing the moon dolphin in imitation of the waning moon. During the dark moon, I intend to remove the necklace, and when it reappears I’ll wear it as if it’s waxing. Not too sure what I’m going to do when the moon is full. I guess I need a full moon necklace as well . Anyways, this little ritual is all part of my desire to become familiar and more attuned with the Lunar Cycle, along with my Lunar meditation (which I hope to write about later).
