The Chalice - Part 1 of 2

I will begin this post where I finished my previous one ("And Here Will I Wait") that is, in the Temple which had spontaneously arisen at the beginning of that earlier stage of this pathworking. A great deal has been experienced during the intervening meditations, but as things stand no final resolution to the questions that have arisen can be offered. Now it is not my intent to record here all the tortuous paths that both reason and intuition have obliged me to follow. Much detail, therefore, has been dispensed with in the hope that the view of the wood will not suffer from the interference of the trees.

When I returned to my throne, situated about halfway down the entrance flight of stairs, I noticed three changes immediately. The arms of the throne sported moldings that nestled comfortably in the palms of my hands. Under my right hand I felt the carved head of a Cheetah, whilst under my left hand I felt the carved head of a Wolf. Atop the back of my throne stood, with wings outstretched as if in flight, the carving of an Eagle-Hawk. In this kind of situation, any creatures featured do so because they reflect the qualities, modes and attitudes of the path worker. As an example of this, the Cheetah and the Wolf are hunters, or in this context, they are Seekers. The Cheetah expends energy in relatively short, high speed bursts thereafter requiring a rest period. It is the one "big cat" that cannot withdraw its claws; once committed to its task, it remains so. The Wolf on the other hand (significantly placed on my left, hidden or dark side) is capable of following its goal for long, extended periods, thus showing great stamina of purpose. The Eagle-Hawk has far-sightedness, and is unafraid to look on the face of the Sun, God, with unflinching gaze. This seeing afar, or seeing the 'grand picture', not wishing to sound too grandiloquent, often runs the risk of ignoring, forgetting or simply not seeing the necessary steps required to get from here to there. Put another way, there is the risk of wanting to jump to a 'hereafter' situation, eloquently described with reference to Shakespeare's Macbeth, by "Slow Reads" in "Ice, hail, & reign hereafter." 

The Sword that had appeared, hanging above the Altar in the previous post, reveals itself sheathed in white mist, an image of mystery. But here it is no longer alone, but held by a female Hand at the end of a right arm, extending up to the shoulder. The upper arm is clothed in white, misty raiment. At the same time that the image appeared, the name "Sophia" also came to mind, which intimated that the Sword she grasped was not that of Truth which I had previously assumed, but of Wisdom. (Again, as an interesting detail, the Sword is held by the right hand, symbolic of intellectual reasoning, rather than the use of intuition.) Barely had this conclusion been reached when another mental association was made, and that was with the "Lady of the Lake" of Arthurian romance. 

Briefly, I first met this Lady during a past pathworking, whilst being rowed from the material world of Glastonbury, through a corridor of white mist, to the inner realm of Avalon. Thus she can be seen as representing the guardian of the unconscious mind, as well as the one who carries a seeker to her realm, similar to, but not the same as, the boatman who ferries souls across the River Styx in Greek mythology. There are further possible links between the "Lady", (Merlin's pupil Viviane, who gained all his wisdom) and the Tarot card "High Priestess". On the Qabalistic Tree of Life, the "High Priestess" is linked to the "Magician" via the sephira Binah or "Understanding". Enough of that? I think so. It seems to me that belief in what I am describing here, other than belief that I am truthfully describing these inner events, is not required. All that is needful to see is that the unconscious mind is choosing to use this particular imagery for its own purposes. 

There was movement. I found myself suspended above the Altar on which had appeared a golden Chalice. I descended, and as I did so, the cup became larger and/or I became smaller until I entered the Chalice. It was as if I travelled through a golden vortex that was to end in deep, dark space beyond. (Compare this experience with that described in, "Into the Abyss", 22.6.2013.) I arrived to see, far off in the distance, a group of Divine or Primal Sparks being shepherded, towards a distant light, by Sirius the Dog Star. 

I will reserve for the second part of this essay, what happened thereafter.