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Last updated 1 June 1996 CE.
The Lamentations of Isis
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"Come in, my sister, and wash your hands with the Tears of Isis which I bear in this consecrated bowl. As the tears of Isis are sacred to us, know also that your tears are sacred to Her. It is She, Isis, Who wails with us. We are purified by Her wailing. We are washed by Her tears."
Such are the words of the Priestess who greets participants for the Lamentations of Isis.
This Ritual celebrates a Feminine Mystery, the Mourning of Isis, which is the Mourning of all women. The purpose of the rite is to create a safe, supportive place, beneath the Wings of Great Isis, the Beautiful Mourner, in which women can come together as sisters to lament the ills of society and the world, their personal lives,,, even their spiritual lives.
From earliest times, lamentation-- specifically the lament of Isis for Her murdered husband, Osiris-- has been a part of the Isis religion. The late Dynastic period provides us with a number of the actual scripts of the laments for Osiris which were performed in the Temples by the Priestesses of Isis and Nephthys. Later, in Imperial Rome, the Isis religion was notorious for its large, highly emotional, public enactments of the Lamentations of the Goddess. The kathartic value of this emotional release was one of the attractive features of the religion for worshippers who found the Roman state religion too sterile for their tastes.
This new Rite of Lamentation also allows for an emotional release, the purpose of which is the Purification of the Pain of the Soul. It is designed for nine women. All of the participants act as Priestesses in the Rite. There are specific preparations for the Rite which participants are asked to make, including the preparation of a mourning robe.
The Lamentations of Isis
Ritual Run-Through October 20, 1995
Ritual Working November 18, 1995
(Ritual will be held in a private Temple.
Participants will receive directions.)
This Ritual is filling up quickly, so if you are interested, please contact the Hermetic Fellowship as soon as possible. Please make sure you can make both dates--the orientation run-through is very valuable and will make the Ritual go more smoothly.
About the Author of the Ritual
The author of the Lamentations, Isidora Forrest, has been a dedicated Priestess of Isis for more than a dozen years. She is an accomplished ritualist and lecturer, and is active in the Portland Magical community. She serves as a Priestess of the Hermetic Fellowship, a Priestess of the Circle of the Dance, and is a trained Adept in a Hermetic Magical tradition. She is also a member of the Fellowship of Isis. Isidora's published work appears in The Golden Dawn Journal, Volumes I, II, III, and (upcoming) IV.
About Your Guide
Your Guide for this Ritual is Amethyst, a skilled professional Healer and a powerful and gentle Priestess. Having made this journey before, during the first Working of the Lamentations of Isis, Amethyst has agreed to serve as Guide for this second Working.
To Register
SORRY; THIS WORKING OF THE LAMENTATIONS OF ISIS IS NOW FULL.
WATCH THIS LOCATION FOR NOTICE OF THE NEXT WORKING.
Fees
There is no charge for participation in the Lamentations of Isis. However, donations are gladly (very gladly!) accepted to help offset the expenses of the Hermetic Fellowship, which sponsors the Lamentations as well as other related programs, both ongoing and upcoming.
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