Themis Primordial Priestess, New Moon in Libra + Solar Eclispse & Frankincense

Photo my Jimmy Teoh

Another devastating news, the war rages between Palestine and Israel, senseless killings. A Music Festival blighted, several dead, many hostaged. Then Israel bombing Gaza, burrying children under collapsing buildings, dust filling in lungs. As a deep empath, my heart goes out to all those who suffer needlessly under brutalist systems.

For over 2000 years, and maybe more, Patriarchy has dominated our social conditioning. I understand it is uncouth to place blame, the outer after all is a reflection of our inner reality. And that is perhaps where we went wrong, we suppressed the Feminine, demonised her sacred symbols, pushed her into the darkness and now she is enraged, her wrath is unrelenting.

If you’ve watched Moana, you’ll know.

And as someone who seeks wisdom in fairytales and myth, it was only a matter of time when I brought Moana in the picture. After all its Eclipse season, and as Jill Wintersteen of Spirit Daughter says “this is the time to have uncomfortabe conversations, instead of swalllowing what we have to say.”

Our religious, political and business spheres are dominated by toxic masculinity. We are realising that this system is not serving any of us. Suicide rates in Men are at an all time high, women and others are silenced again and again, war spills casualties, people displaced from their homes, borders shut. Then there’s the destruction of ecosytems, threat of global warming, machines taking over the world, tell me, who is this system serving?

Uncovering the Orgins of the Priestess

Here at Wild Tantrika, we explore the wisdom of our ancestors, scriptures of tantra and vedanta and the myth and lengends inscribed by poets and writers from ages long lost. Few days ago, I shared the recounted story of “The Descent of Inanna” by the female author Gilgamesh and today, I want to speak about Gaia, her daughter Themis, the brutal suppression of the Chtonic Goddesses by Apollo and how knowing our past can give us hope for a better future, if not for us, then at least for our children.

You may already know of the great Oracle at the Delphi. The Oracle was a High Priestess who lived in the Temple of Delphi, and was said could enter into trance states and enter into communion with Apollo. In this way, she gained his wisdom which she shared as prophesies to all those who sought her. This story is widespread across our current understanding and we have accepted it.

But look back even further and a more profound truth emerges. Max Dashu, the acclaimed historian, to my knowledge was one of the first women who dared look back into history and challenged our preconceived notions. Piecing together lost verses of Aeschylus and Plutarch, she reveals a more profound origin of the Priestess.

In her legendary Secret History of Witches, Max introduces the indigenous Aegean Goddess - Gaia. Dwelling in the centre of the world, in between fissures of the Earth, from where an efflugence of spring water bubbled to the surface, a place called the Delphoi, meaning womb, existed. Here lived the Shamanic Priestess - Pythia - the Serpent Woman. “Her prophetic powers came from a she dragon in the Castalian spring, whose waters has inspirational qualities,” shares Dashu “she sat on a tripod breathing vapors that emerged from the Earth, entering into trance states, chanting in verse”.

Photo by Fashion Anatomy

At night during the powerful transitions of the Moon, filling up and emptying again, the Pythia prophesised. She burnt herbs and grains into an everlasting fire and bathed and drank from the sacred waters. Her inspiration came from “mantic wind”, the “breath of Python”. Her own breath laced in perfume as she chanted verses.

Then came Apollo, the new God, whose lusty eyes fell on the female “Drakaina” (note how this Greek word is similar in intonation to the Sanskrit word Dakini), the female dragon, and he wanted to usurp the powers for himself. So he slayed the Dragon. The rotting corpse released fumes that everyone who breathed them in was put in a state of trance. In the hymn Eis Apollana, the Dragon is branded evil, she is separated from her waters, removed from her shrine. “The Son of Zeus killed the bloated great she-dragon, a fierce monster wont to do great mischief to men upon earth, she was the very bloody plague,” reads the hymn to Apollo.

Thus the Oracle no longer invoked the Springs, no longer invoked the Earth, or the Water Nymphs. Apollo displaced Gaia and her great Female Dragon. This was perhaps the first legend describing the slaying of the dragon which paved way for hundreds of strories and saints such as St George and Archangel Michael, as well as knights in shining armour, slaying the dragon. This right here, as Janet Conner states “is an ancient renactment of the patriarchal command of destroying the Goddess.”

Reinstating the Priestess

Today is Friday the 13th, the day of the Goddess. Another term inscribed with fear, reduced to the devil by the commanding patriarchy. In truth, Friday is named after the German Goddess Frigga, and the number 13 falls in the middle of the menstrual cycle, representing the midway point between death and rebirth - where a woman sheds her womb during menses and begins ovulating and thus rebirthing.

And tomorrow, 14th of October, 2023 is New Moon in Libra and total Solar Eclipse, a powerful time of magic, filled with energy, a time where many truths will be revealed. A solar ecplise occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, partially or completely blocking the Sun's light. During a New Moon, the Moon is positioned directly between the Earth and the Sun, with its dark side facing us, which is why it can obscure the Sun and create a solar eclipse. This symbolizes a moment of profound change, carries enormous potential for transformation, and revelations. This supercharged New Moon in Libra is associated with Themis, the Daughter of Gaia, who is depicted as a poweful Priestess across Myth. Themis, a Titan goddess, embodied the principles of divine law and order. She also held a prophetic role, overseeing ancient oracles, including Delphoi (Delphi). In this capacity, she served as the divine voice (themistes), imparting the fundamental laws of justice and morality to humanity.

Andrea Dupuis of Rising Woman states that over the next few months, themes of justice, fairness, and truth can come to the surface. We are called to look at our relationships and reexamine how we relate to eachother and ourselves.

Frankincense & its connection to Female Spirituality.

The greek poetess Sappho described Frankincense’s powerful ability to induce Trance states. She was said to have a meat free diet so she could heighten her spiritual sensitivity. Another piece of biblical literature from Jeremiah states that Frankincense was used by women in connection with worshipping the ‘Queen of Heaven’. They were said to gather in circles on rooftops and anoint themselves with Frankincense whilst invoking the Goddess.

This New Moon Solar Ecplise we are invited tune inwards and witness the cosmic dance played out in our inner reality. Journey with Frankincense, the inducer of trance states and access theta brainwaves that allow you to reliquish the hold of your rational mind, and journey into the realms of spirit.

Anoint yourself with our special Frankincense and Blue Lotus Oil so you can begin explorations of new beginingns. The Solar Eclipse adds an element of transformation and new beginnings. This is an opportunity to set powerful intentions for change, whether it's related to your relationships, your approach to diplomacy, or your aesthetic and creative pursuits.

Libra as an air sign, ruled by Venus, the planet of love, harmony and beauty and thus inspires us to embark on our own artistic and creative projects to appreciate and cultivate beauty wherever we go.

Now perhaps more than ever, we need to embody Love and Beauty, eternal symbols of the Feminine, lay down our wrath and anger and truly become the magnificent change that you seek in the world.

No matter the adversity, remain connected deep with yourself, ground yourself in your sacred being, surround yourself with people that you love, and remember, you are here to bear witness, just that. In becoming awareness, we shed our judgement and fear and experience life for what it truly is, an ephemeral reality that can vanish with a blink of an eye.