Five Canticles of Wisdom

Last updated on: July 11, 2012 at 11:48 pm by Aidan Kelly

Five Canticles of Wisdom 2012-07-11T23:48:28-07:00 Aidan Kelly

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In the beginning, there is no beginning:
There is only the Goddess, and Her name

Is Everything-All-the-Same, and Fullness

When Her name is Wandering Wide,
She danced on the waters.
Before She turned upon the wind,
The stars are Her daughters.

She turns upon the elements
A dance of celebration
That to watery nothing gives
A name and habitation.

Her dancing turned upon the wind;
The wind snake winds about Her,
And this is how it all begins:
In dancing, and in laughter.

When Her name is Snake, She danced,
And when Her name was Dove, She lays
A silver egg to rule the night,
A golden egg to rule the day.

From the golden egg is born
The maker of all wealth,
Love, who will not let us lie;
and from the silver egg, Herself.

Love is the only god She knows:
He feeds upon the heather
To fill all space with honey cells;
His name is, The Revealer.

III

Beneath the sacred tree She stands
Where the sacred serpent brings
The sacred apple, that Her hand
Will offer to the sacred king

Gifted, he falls beneath Her gaze.
The dark god kneels, to plunge the knife.
His heart is pierced; the bright god dies.
His dance unwinds him into life.

When Her name is Brine and Tears,
The king usurps Her sovranty.
Squatting on Her throne, he shouts,
“Death is a necessity!”

When Her name is Memory,
Her voices are a choir;
They stir the cup of music,
Of poetry and fire.

Before the cave of Memory,
Order, Night, and Justice dance,
Where Flowing bangs Her brazen drum
To prove, “Necessity is chance.”

When Her name is Mystery,
She brews the cup that sings,
“All who drink shall be reborn;
All shall have the prize of kings.”

She stands before, She stands beside:
The Maiden has become the guide.
The spiral dance, the egg of life,
Replace the apple and the knife.

Bushes burn because my mind is fire.
The Queen Bee reigns; I am Her hive.
As words make honey of my breath,
I make the world, to be alive.

Yet She hunts with Her silver knife;
Yet She swells in the ebb and flood;
Yet She keens in the golden leaves:
The Triple Goddess in bone and blood.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

July 8, 2012

Another Three Pagan Poems

Next Post

July 16, 2012 What Is a Witch?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Gnostics Pagan Paganism Poetry Social Justice Theology Uncategorized Witches

Select a Month August 2018 April 2018 February 2018 January 2018 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 November 2015 September 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 September 2014 August 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz