On ‘Arcane Love’ - Lubi Runidyos

In the time before time, in the Ansanton Temellon[i], there was a great sea of everything, where everything was interrelated and the boundaries and borders between things did not, and could not, exist. But within the swirling sea was an egg unlike any that would come after it, for within this egg sat a being diademed in stars, differentiated and formed within a place without difference or form, the first being. After a timeless time, She deemed it right to emerge and bring about light to any who may be dwelling in the same placeness as Her.

Timeless darkness, hear me speak now,

Emerging, I am of You and -

Not. Adorned with light I rise.

I am a beacon to the Others,

In the darkness they will see me,

Striving to reach me, they will rise,

And they shall be greeted with grace,

The Era of Darkness is done, rise.

Having spoken the first words, the being who we have come to know as Sirona, the starry one, rose Herself up high into the darkness and shone Her gentle silver light for any beings who may be languishing in the non-place.

Two beings lost but driven by their limitless Galā[ii], rode around the undifferentiated darkness seeking something among the sea of everything. These beings, the World Rider[iii] and the Emerging[iv], travelled for a timeless time across a placeless space, until a silver light shone out into the darkness. By the grace of Sirona’s light, They travel once again, but this time illuminated with purpose. They spoke out to the diademed one.

Silver lady, hear us speak now,

Illuminated in the dark,

We now see the way beyond here,

Under your graceful radiance –

We faithfully seek communion,

Lead us ever toward yourself,

Guide us toward our destinies,

By your silver grace we are risen.

Another being rose from the darkness, finding themselves wandering aimlessly for a timeless time, until they saw a light more beautiful than any they could dream of, and it was this light they knew they were searching for. Prostrating themselves before the light, the diademed queen came down before the seeker, and lifted up their head, saying to them:

Hear me now eternal watcher,

You are now where you need to be,

Within the first light you will grow,

And become the stalwart warden,

The first druid and priest of Bitus[v],

A land which is yet to become,

And yet you must ready yourself now,

Rise kindhearted Esus, rise now.

And with the soft but influential words of Sirona, Esus did indeed rise to His position. While many other beings passed by under the light of the lady, Esus stayed for a timeless time, honing His arts as a warden, a priest and a philosopher under the tutelage of Sirona and His imagination, and with this He became embodied, one with Delwātos[vi]. He rose up His hands in praise and lifted His words to the diademed queen.

Hear me now, great mother of mine,

Steadfast under your silver light,

I have learned my arts and rites,

And with your gift, I am formed.

Grant me your divine grace once more,

As I head out to spread your word,

I am your staunch warden and word,

Now all who hear me will know you.

Beyond the placeless darkness, there stood an ever-flickering flame. It sat for an incomprehensible moment in the only place, until two beings of great Galā, Gobannos and Aphrodite, appeared within its light, Andelwātos[vii]. These two beings sought solace and form within the light and noticed that the space around the flame was differentiated from the darkness, it was Santon.[viii] They began to imagine Themselves with form and became Delwātos, embodied. Marveling at their forms and ability, they in turn began to honour the flame.

Shining bright you broke the formless,

Your ever-burning flame is spring,

And we are newly sprouted seeds,

Growing in the warmth you share.

In your presence we are formed,

We delight in and worship you,

Ever-sitting flame, resplendent,

In your honour we spread your gift.

With their newly found form, Gobannos and Aphrodite made their home among the light of the eternal flame. Aphrodite formed soil from which She could grow a tree, and within the soil Gobannos mined shining golden ore. Within the heat of the flame, Gobannos smelted the ore and gilded the tree, strengthening it with hammer and magic, at the same time Aphrodite encouraged it to grow ever taller. With the union of their Galā and Lubi[ix], there now stood a twisting tree-tower, gilt with gold and filled with rooms, which were accessed by a circling staircase. Marveling at the majesty of form and their creation, Gobannos and Aphrodite enjoyed the tree-tower together for a time before they finished what they started. At the top of the tree-tower was a space, a container and basin in which to rest the ever-sitting flame. Gently and with grace, Gobannos carried the flame to the top of the tree-tower, to its final resting place.

By the grace of the silver queen,

We found you and grew in your heat,

Rising against the everything,

We found ourselves within your light.

Now we take you into our hands,

We lift you to the highest point,

Radiate your shining glory,

Bathe the world in your completeness.

Enthroned within its golden seat, the eternal flame bathed much of the world in its wholesomeness, but, there was an unknowable amount of space that did not feel the eternal lights touch. Gobannos and Aphrodite knew that the more space which fell within the light of the flame, the more growth and differentiation would occur, and whole worlds would be made, but they were both unwilling and unable to leave their post, lest the flame fall into the wrong hands. So, Gobannos and Aphrodite grew and forged a being who could ride out into the emptiness and find Her. Gobannos spoke to the flame and, with His hammer, Wīrocellos[x], began to craft.

Hear me now, oh flickering flames,

With my hammer and with my hand,

I forge you a-new for this task,

Rise up and take shape – fit and strong,

Champion my blazing causes,

Ride far and wide – enlighten,

Bring your light to those who need it,

Illuminate those in the dark.

And with the final strike of His hammer, part of the flame willingly bent to His will, and He Who Shines[xi] was born. Though now Luxovios was given form and shape, He was lacking the spark which facilitated true life. Aphrodite stepped up to Luxovios, and whispered into His ear this;

Enflamed and free – you are a spark,

Ride too far, and you will blow out,

But I am like bellows to you,

I will stoke your embers and spark,

Through my will - all will be strengthened.

I elevate you in my arms,

Rise now child of my profound love,

Enkindled anew, you are ready.

The Shining One, a child of the eternal flame, now made whole and new, held aloft the First Torch and addressed the forge from which He arose.

Heed me oh august inferno,

Keenly I watch your flickering,

And I am filled with direction,

Come and enflame me with reason,

Fill me with your eternal light,

Allow me to champion you.

I hold you aloft in the dark,

And I am uplifted by you.

Enflamed with purpose and motive, Luxovios rode out into the starless sky, seeking to illuminate the undifferentiated darkness with the gift He was born from. Stalwartly Luxovios fulfilled His duty, racing about the endless darkness, until He came upon a being who had somehow differentiated themselves in this place without difference.

Before the stars were set in the sky, and before even Their Mothers[xii] realisation, She Who Wonders[xiii] was entrapped in the undifferentiated darkness, snared by Her thoughts and desire for structure. Her imagination was limitless, yet She was limited beyond Her mind by the endless sea of everything beyond Her. She rested restlessly with Her mind filled with wonder and desire to create, but without form, Andelwātos, She was unable to express Her will.  

Luxovios rode forth to this great being and held aloft His torch, and said unto Her;

Within the sea of everything,

You firmly distinguished yourself,

Raising yourself with great Galā,

You have won yourself my passion.

With my torch I give you wholeness,

The light distinguishes your shadow,

Through my radiance you are you,

And through your darkness I am me.

Brixta, now embodied under the light of Luxovios, embraced Luxovios in a way which was not possible before and said unto Him;

Through your radiance I am me,

And through my darkness you are you.

Seen under your eternal light,

The world anticipates our hands.

From our union arises light and dark,

The form and foundation of us,

And now the world is waiting,

Follow me, Shining One, we rise.

The coming together of Brixta and Luxovios was the coming together of complimentary opposites, and the union that arose gave birth to the very structure of the world. Within Brixta is a darkness, deeper than what exists beyond Her bounds, and within Luxovios is a pure light, brighter than all the suns combined. But it was within Luxovios’ bright light that Brixta’s darkness could be seen for what it was, and it was within Brixta’s darkness that Luxovios’ light could shine most bright.

As Luxovios shone His great torch, flickering stalwartly against the dark of the void, it cast shadows across space, creating true darkness for the first time, and brightening the sea of undifferentiated darkness, Ansanton Temellon. Coalescing within the shadow cast by Luxovios’ light, a new thing formed, broiling and roiling within the dark. This stuff, Giamos[xiv], unmade and remade itself over and over. At the same time, within the light where Brixta conjured Her will, formed a stuff of brightness, Samos[xv], a substance of structure and order, warmth and comfort. On the margins of the light and the dark, Samos and Giamos intermingled, Samos unmade by the force which was birthed in the shadow, Giamos, which would nip and tear at the seams, finding weak spots and causing the collapse of the structures which Samos strove for. Samos would grow anew in the spaces left by the destruction wrought by Giamos, growing stronger in the ruins of its previous forms. These forces forever pushing and pulling, creating and destroying, yet both formed from the same interplay of light and shadow, from the same source. Within each of these principles was a part of the other, they were not entirely separate things but part of a greater whole. Both born from the same source carried by the First Sworn[xvi]. It was from these two complimentary opposites that Brixta then begun to weave together Her spells and give form to the things within Her mind.

Brixta and Luxovios looked out to the new world, which was growing, shrinking and regrowing cyclically, and sent forth their will, like whispers on the wind.

Gifted with form – the seed is sown,

Through our darkness you are yourself,

Through our radiance you are yourself,

Rise now, beings of great Galā,

Grow within the ever-sitting flame,

And coalesce within the shade.

We wait in the mists - seek us now,

Following the flickering flames.

Endnotes

[i] The undifferentiated darkness, ansenton: undifferentiated, temellon: darkness. The darkness before creation was undifferentiated as no matter or form existed, there was only an uniform void.

[ii] Gala, skill, ability, force, valour.

[iii] Gobannos Dubnoredos, Gobannos the World Rider, a travelling arcane smith deity.

[iv] Aphrodite-Venus, Goddess of unions, growth, and creation.

[v] Bitus, the middle world, the perpetual world, world of life.

[vi] With form, image, shape, delwātos. Within the structure of Samos, the Gods could imagine Themselves with form.

[vii] Without form or shape. Before there was matter and form within the cosmos, the Gods themselves were without form, Andelwātos.

[viii] Differentiated, the eternal flames light creates Samos, order and structure.

[ix] Lubi, love.

[x] Wīrocellos, True-Striker, True-Hammer.

[xi] He Who Shines, Luxovios, is the torchbearer who shines forth the light of truth, casting shadows where secrets may hide.

[xii] The Mother of the Stars can be seen as Sirona, who gave birth to the stars in Her goodness to guide those who look to Her domain, giving us a way to see when the seasons change, when a ritual is appropriate, and giving us a way to know other sacred matters.

[xiii] She Who Wonders, Brixta.

[xiv] Giamos, winter, darkness, cold, dividuality, destruction and re-creation.

[xv] Samos, summer, light, heat, individuality, structuring, boundaries and creation.

[xvi] Luxovios, in His birth, made the first oath to Gobannos and the eternal flame to locate and protect Brixta.