IN THE GODDESS' LAUGHTER AND THE GODīS WIT

Babylon
(Copyright: British Library Photographic Service)

By Lishtar


For those of you who may find strange a piece on laughter and wit in a section about incantations and spells, I would like to make clear the following magical and religious points:

In what follows, letīs play with myth and magick and share the joy with the gods and goddesses!

In love and laughter and guts and play,
Lishtar, the Priestess of Normal Things Who Makes the Ordinary Extraordinary and the Extraordinary Mundane

 


 

1- ON THE CONSCIOUS PURSUIT OF JOY-THE DISCIPLINE OF PLEASURE

I was around 15/16 years old when I read in one of my motherīs equivalent to Mills and Boon that happy people did not have a story. This statement puzzled me. I realized that I did write a lot, but tended to do it when I was blue, so immediately decided to change things radically. I bought then a diary and decided to count and write down in it of my happy days. Very simply, for a year I wrote there of the everyday little somethings that made me high, i.e. sunshine, a wonderful chat with a friend, a success story at school, the externals that affected directly the internal me, etc. As an example, I remember writing about a party and a bloke I had danced with the night away with (was madly in love with him, we had been best friends for two years and were becoming lovers). In the diary I wrote "I am glad I am writing about this, sort of grasping again the bubbly feelings and making the evening physical in a piece of paper". At the end of that year I found out I had had 33 happy days. Never repeated the experience of counting the happy days during the year, but I guess the number is more or less so.
The experience of writing about these little happy events, nevertheless, marked me profoundly and it is a practice I pursue consciously. What I still do is very simple. Whenever something special happens to me, I scribble about the fact in a piece of paper and put it in a book, in the pocket of a jeans trousers or suit, in a drawer I don't use that much, etc. Then, when I wear the trousers, suit, open the book or drawer, and find the piece of paper, it is like retrieving a piece of happiness again and again. Easy, simple and most magical.
The second thing I do is to give myself (and the gods) little presents that cost nothing for a job well done, or the achievement of little goals during the week/day. Have you ever thought of sharing a strawberry bite with the gods? It is also lovely to feel accompanied by the gods during oneīs day. Have you ever walked with Enlil as the wintry chill playing with your unbound hair, said silent jolly "hi" to Nanna's full brightness when you are taking a ride home late at night, or shared a favorite part of a movie, song or play with your fave deities? You can also acknowledge the gods in the people you interact with, and face the little everyday trials as a Spiritual Warrior. Have you got an impossible Ereshkigal in your life? Talk with her and make her laugh: you will be healing the real Ereshkigal too, if you offer the talk you and time you are sharing with the human woman to the Goddess.
The third thing I do consciously is to enjoy at least a day in the week to be active or lazy, and go frivolous. It is normally a Frivolous Saturday, because I am incredibly busy during the week. Even routine will not be boring, if you think it sets up the path to eternity. In plain words, Be Lusty. The Sumerians and Inanna and Enki in special would love you to love yourself better and share this knowing and knowledge in all worlds with everyone.
Life for me should be seen as a conscious Pursuit of Joy and Pleasure, despite the tears and beyond all challenges of mind, body, heart and soul. As much as you can, live your life as a chant of joy to Existence, to the enchantments of flesh and spirit, which are revealed by the Everyday Bewitchments of Love and Hate. Try and transcend them, and perhaps with some wishing and witching you will have the fulfillment of your heartīs desire so that you can finally celebrate the Marriage Inner and Outer of your soul with the Lover and the Beloved within and without, and also become a True Magician/Sorceress in experiencing the Adventure of your Life in all worlds you dare to fare!

Joy comes into the world through gentle means, but springs from a solid inner base. The power of pure joy should not be underestimated. The enjoyment of learning and discovery, for example, has been the source of much material progress. Accordingly, that which brings joy into the world is a source of considerable power. If happiness is supported by personal stability, it will in time wear down the stiffest barrier and win over the hardest heart. True joy is a beacon in the world, and though it is indeed rare, its presence is an indication of great good fortune, both now and in the future. How could it be otherwise?

 


 

General MISCHIEF starts HERE:

 1 - THE MOVIE CHART OF GODS AND GODDESSES

I emailed some of our fave deities about their movie preferences, This is the list I got:

GOD/GODDESS

MOVIE CHOICE

Anu

Star Wars, Star Trek series)

Anzu (bird)

Firebird

Aries-Mars-Nergal

War Games, Death Wish

Athena, Arthemis, Hestia

The Untouchables

Black Alchemist

Romancing the Stone

Bast

Cat People

Cerberus

Beethoven and Lassie (the whole series)

Demeter

Not without my daughter

Dionysus

Apocalypse Now, Bogey Nights

Epona

Black Beauty

Eros

Hot Shots, Contact

Five-Pointed Star

The 5th Element

Gaia/Ki

Forbidden Planet, Germinal

Guardians of the Thresholds

The Schindlerīs List

Hades-Ereshkigal

Home alone

Helios

Chariots of Fire

Hestia

Backdraft

Inanna

Braveheart

Ishtar

Voyage to the Center of the Earth

Isis

The Jewel of the Nile

Isis and Horus

Terminator II

Loki

Dances with Wolves

Maat/Underworld Judges

Unforgiven

Medusa

Hair

Osiris

How green was my valley!

Satan

Heaven can wait

The Pythia of Delphi

Nostradamus

Sekhmet

The Lion King

Ningal

Moonstruck

Ninlil

Gone with the Wind

Poseidon

Titanic, 20,000 leagues under the sea

Maiden, Mother and Crone

The Three Faces of Eve

Tiamat

Dragonheart, Killer Mom, Anaconda

Shamash

The Veredict (and all courtroom pictures)

Shiva

Come dance with me

Nabu/Nisaba

The X Files - series and movies

Enkidu and Gilgamesh

The King and I (and all buddy-buddy movies)

Marduk

Babylon 5 - the series

 

 


 

Extracts updated from Wizard and Whips, an amazing Dragoness Production
Powerful pagan or naff new ager? Crystal waver or crowley wannabee? Here is a quizz for you:
WHAT IS YOUR PATH?
1. What is your secret magickal name? It is
a. A secret
b. Frater/Soror Sodomia Non Sapientia
c. Rainbow Child
d. Leonardo Di Caprio mixed with Cindy Crawford.
2. What is your preferred magickal weapon?
a. Your will(y)
b. Someone else's will(y)
c. The nurturing and combative power of love
d. A machine gun
3. Your dream date shows up. What makes him/her so special?
a. The animal scent that lingers around him/her
b. The aura of 100th degree initiate that irradiates from him/her
c. His/her sensitivity and gently balding head
d. His/her macho/decadent dress sense, all guts, no talk and ACTION!
4. During a ritual, a 50 feet tall demon appears in your magical mirror. Would you:
a. Invite it to join your morris-dancing frenzy
b. Change the original ritual intent and explore its sexuality (or lack thereof)
c. Try to heal its inner child
d. Smash the mirror and become fundamentalist Xtian, Jew, Islamist. On the spot!
5. It is full moon again. What do you do?
a. Go to the woods and have a massive bonfire
b. Invoke all hosts of incubus/succubus and servitors to do your bidding
c. Energise your crystals
d. Write to the Star Trek fan club
6. A fundamentalist knocks on your door. Would you:
a. Invite him/her in to tell about the thrills of goddess worship
b. Use the opportunity to research on the reactions to your Beast 666 ideas
c. Keep calm while doing your ioga practice... in front of the fundamentalist
d. Say you believe in anything the fundamentalist does
7. Your lover suggests doing something rather special tonight, and leaves it up to you to choose. You:
a. Plump for a whole tantric section
b. Plan for a long, long ritual with much chanting, incantations in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, dancing, little food and booze
c. Try out the most difficult Kama Sutra positions (I mean ultimate fakir style) after a light meal at a. vegan café
d. Go to a goth gig
8. Your pet is behaving oddly. What do you do?
a. Assume it is possessed and welcome its new identity
b. Assume someone put a hex on it and prepare for full magic combat
c. Take it with you to therapy
d. Have it put down
9. A valuable family heirloon is missing and your mother is coming round in an hour. What could you do?
a. Get your pendulum and start desperately dowsing its whereabouts
b. Tell your mom you cast an invisibility spell to protect the damn thing
c. Prepare yourself to meet the Dweller of the Threshold
d. Leave a note on the door saying you moved
How did you do?
Give yourself a 1 for every a, 2 points for b, 3 for c and absolutely zero for every d. A low score probably means you are destined to be a Wiccan. No offence at all, why, isn't it where almost we all began in the Path???? I did! The next high score shows that you are going to be a moody thelemite, full of zest and high resounding voice and bows to the Quarters (the more the better). The highest score will show you will always be blessed with an everlasting smile, a patronising and positive attitude that will be a bore in all senses.
If you scored a zero... you are well on your OWN self-styled path... whatever it is, and will change it perhaps a couple of times until you finally make up your mind.
Now, why did you all bother to go this far and answer these silly questions anyway?

 


 

EYE-SPY PAGAN: new to the pagan scene? Here is a guide that will prove invaluable next time you visit a psychic fayre or magical event. Donīt leave your home without it!

Wiccan: pentagram pendant or ring, usually silver; hairdos vary, but the female of the species often wears hers long with a centre parting; listen out for words such as goddess, spiral dance and skyclad; the male will often sport facial hair, perhaps to attempt a Green Man look; if spotted in a rural location at night, look out for 12 others. This is the coven.

Thelemite: every significant Thelemite speech or correspondence is preceded with the words " Do what thou will shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law, love under will". Expect to have these words repeated by the true follower many, many times. Man in Thelema expect all women to be Babalon. Worse still, some silly female of the species think they are Babalon! Is the ritual too long, with high resounding words in dead languages, bows and sigils traced endlessly in the air? Do you feel underdressed for the occasion? You are in a Thelemite ritual. Let them do the work and visualize your thing. Thelemites like dark shades. Most have posh voices. And will ask you about your degree in Magic, i.e. MagicK. Say it is high, if you expect the conversation to continue.

New Ager: look for sycophantic cheesy grin and "save the planet" politics; whiff the pervading aroma of cheap joss-sticks and patchouli oil; note crystal pendant, crystal ball, crystal rock, as garment or decoration; listen out for key phrase indicators, such as inner child, therapy, healing, finding your dolphin within, wounded healers and caring and sharing. Donīt please get into long conversations with them. Did I say conversations? They are aimed at your conversion!

Chaos Magician: black T-shirt with chaosphere logo. Black hair, black garb, black makeup; listen out for words such as paradigm, role-playing, Eris, discordia; chaos chicks are foxy vamps, so look out for spikey heels and stockings. Look out for books with black covers and any tome with the prefix Liber... in the suspectīs rucksack.

Urban shaman: unruly hair (lots of facial fur too); shamanic thingys; bones, stone and wood jewellery; drums (and they BANG on them too); dream of the olden days... in the backyards of their posh parents or National Parks. They also hug trees. All are happy to find the goddess in you... then they become your son-lover. Good choice if you like to be in control. No, this is not S&M!

Flower Witch/Adore-Me-I-Am-Goddess: female of any age who finds the Goddess in herself and get the Real Thing all mixed up within acting her confusions out. Male equivalent is Magician-for-The-Show/Godsī Gift to Womankind (?). Both are incredibly irritating. I recommend you banish them with laughter and humor, but please please please BE SERIOUS WHEN YOU SAY THE FOLLOWING. Say "need to do my long hours of meditation and chanting" (these people are shallow, so they will run away if you do magic the old traditional way), for the insistent male, I save "decided to do a vow of chastity" (always effective if you look bland), and for the determined bore "my guru waits online" (they are into technology... most of them!). If nothing of this works, contact your Totem Animal and incarnate the beastīs spirit. Never got to this stage, but am fully prepared to do so when need be!

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