Inner Marriage - 4
Week 4 - Integration of the Masculine Feminine Within
Day 24 - Heiros Gamos Ceremony
“The Inner Marriage process is also called the Heiros Gamos by the alchemists,. Until the two polarities are integrated within our own beings, the idealized or distorted and judged images that we hold of our undeveloped polarity, will continue to sabotage attempts to authentically communicate or relate to relational reflections in our outside world. The idealized image we hold of the perfect man or perfect woman outside of ourselves, necessarily leads to disaster as soon as the chosen external person/reflection, fails to live up to those idealized expectations or images we have projected onto that relationship. After a time, idealized projected images are simply unable to live up to our expectations. Then the self-adoration that was masquerading as mutual adoration, in what is called “falling in love” by the ego, turns sourly into projected self judgment onto our partner, that we now label with words like boredom, disappointment, feelings of failure, frustration, unworthiness etc. As we stop giving power to these projected false images, instead choosing to come into wholeness within ourselves, miraculously we begin to “see” the person we are in relationship with, as they actually are. We begin to “see” the unity and cooperation of all life, rather than the contracted, fearful, jealous, competing version of reality that before, seemed so real. Inner wholeness implies healing perceptions/images that operate out of fear that separates, judges, competes, makes right or wrong. Rather, as we choose to consciously move toward wholeness within, we naturally begin to desire to cooperate, commune, and harmonize, which inevitably leads us into the expanded awareness and embodiment of Unity consciousness, which is the final goal of the Inner Marriage.” Ariel Spilsbury
This is the final week of this alchemical journey of the Inner Marriage. A courtship with the Divine who has awakened the Truth that you are loved and you are LOVE!
Feel that right NOW, what does it feel like to truly know this not as a concept but as an actualized experience?
Do you love yourself just as you are not in spite of what you are?
Create the space this week to prepare for the Heiros Gamos ceremony just as you would for your wedding day for that is what it is.
Alchemical Tune- Up
Mudra Meditation of Embodied Union
Find a comfortable upright position…. place both hands on your thighs, palms turned up in a receptive posture, open handed, open hearted, the hands are extensions of the Heart they represent how we extends this love by giving and receiving in the world. Feel your hands allow your awareness to be in an open, receptive nature.
Bring your awareness to the right shoulder, the right arm. Draw your awareness all the way down to the right hand. Feel your right hand.
Lift your hands off your thighs so that they are suspended in air without the support of the knees. Feel your masculine energy in your right hand.
Allow the left hand to come over gently supporting the right hand guiding it to center. Feel your feminine presence holding it, feel the left hand as the chalice of the feminine, a chalice that can be empty, open, receptive and ready to support the masculine.
Feel the masculine right hand surrender into this support, feeling held, nurtured, sustained. Sense the masculine who feels seen, loved, and appreciated. Give appreciation and love to the masculine aspect within you.
Feel how the energy of the hands starts to soften and open even more.
Now feel the left hand begin to slowly move away . Feel the right and left hands moving back to rest on your knees. Again both hands are open and receptive.
Now bring your awareness to your left shoulder, your left arm, your left hand. Allow the left hand to lift off the knee floating in the air, all alone, feel what it feels like to be trying to hold it all together, all alone. Then move the left hand to center.
As the right hand moves to the center placing it underneath the left hand, gently hold this left hand, hold the feminine part of you.Feel the strength of the container when the masculine is supporting the feminine to be fluid, spacious, supporting her to let go, surrender. Now you are able to tap into your deep wisdom when you feel you can really let go of the doer and just BE.
Feel how this support encourages the softening of the feminine. Surrender into this feeling of being held by the masculine.
Rest in this bath of love and when ready allow your hands to rise and unite in a prayer mudra.
Bring your palms together in front of your heart, palm to palm, pressing the thumbs into the heart. Take a deep breath in, and feel radiant golden light, solar light flooding down through your crown and merging in the sanctuary of your open Heart.
Feel this union within... feel the freedom and the power it brings.
Feel the Oneness as you feel this integration.
Begin to see that you are neither left nor right, you are neither male nor female as you move into the sacred third,the sacred third that is androgynous, that is beyond masculine/feminine, that is beyond gender. Shine from this point of light in the center of your Heart. Move beyond the perception of duality into Unity consciousness.
Breath into the One Heart that is here to be ecstatically free to live in harmony, balance and experience this inner union.
Blessed Be!
Alchemical Audio Meditation:
Alchemical Affirmation
“I AM Union... I AM Grace...I AM Freedom”
Archetypal Activation
Alchemical God/dess of Ecstasy
The Path of Harvesting the Gold Within
She Who Shape-Shifts
“I am Whole, I am Union, Freedom, Grace,” sings the Alchemical Goddess.
“I am all faces of the god/dess – as she moves through you. I am the path of harvesting the alchemical gold of your being. I am here to herald the deep beauty of all that you are. I bring to you the exalted grace of fluidity, acceptance of what is, and staying perfectly poised in the present moment. I offer you a portal to the perfection of every imperfection as seen through the eyes of wholeness. I celebrate you as perfect and whole and Here Now.”
Qualities:
wholeness
constant change
union
transcendence
ecstasy
unconditional love
spiritual surrender
feasting
grace
alchemical marriage
solar androgyny
cosmic consciousness
fluidity
abundance
manifestation
abandon
freedom
the Bread of Presence
Shadow: expectation, struggle, moving against the flow, resistance, fixity
Symbols: rainbow, fountain, night rainbow, butterfly, frog, sacred hoop, cornucopia, sun/moon, Phoenix, gold, mandala
Color: silver/gold/rainbow
Animal Totem: dove, swan
Scent: lotus
Herb: curry, passion flower, turmeric
Myth: of Change in the Changeless
Goddess Archetypes: Parajana Parameta, Changing Woman, Amaterasu, Eurynome
Tree: mistletoe, golden raintree
Crystal: diamond, opal, labradorite, amytrine
Flower: orchids (watch their growth cycle)
Our Freedom is Here NOW!
Day 25 - Creative Manifestation
Bring these qualities into embodiment with creativity. Draw them , paint them, bring them to life with your unique creativity. Here is an example of a participant in our Inner Marriage course who used her artwork to call forth this inner dance of the masculine feminine. She also painted the words that captured the energy of these qualities. Have FUN Play is the way. Call in your Muse!
Here is what Terre Busse has to say about her experience.
“In going thru the Alchemy of the Sacred Marriage course, I decided that to really experience this inner union I had to understand the light and the shadow of the Feminine and Masculine and the light and shadow of the union. I started first painting first words that represented the light side of the Masculine and Feminine. Then the words of the shadow of the MF. I did the same with the union. Then I layered colors and symbols that represented these aspects to me. I danced as I painted. I sometimes felt rage and sometimes I felt sensual in my brush strokes. Eventually I put the top layer on an image that represented the inner union of my own Masculine and Feminine natures. This painting process occurred over the course of about 4 weeks. In between the painting I noticed that what ever aspect I was working with at the time - i.e. light or shadow, would arise in my life. I saw this work in my everyday life as it moved thru me on a visceral level. The finished piece is about 5 ft by 5ft. It is a joyous piece that celebrates the divine masculine and the divine Feminine and celebrates our differences. I tried to keep her soft and round and him more angular.
Terre Busse artist www.cerridwynstudio.com
Day 26 - Preparing the Wedding Chamber
It is the week before you enter into the Sacred Ceremony of Inner Union a time of reflection and preparation to meet your beloved at the altar of your holy heart.
Feel the excitement!
It is time to prepare the space to declare this eternal love.
Take the time to reflect on the journey that brought you to this moment. All the that you have discovered about the beloved within, all the distortions and projections that have been cleared from the mirror of your mind.
Feel a new form of pure love rising to the surface of your heart expand it with gratitude for all that has lead you to this moment and will continue to lead you as you recommit to self- love.
Take the next few days to bask in the beauty of these reflections.
Alchemical Tune-Up
Embodied Love Massage
Caress your body with infinite love as you stroke lovingly the right side of your body. Start at the feet and work your way up, feel your right foot as solid and grounded, firmly rooted into the earth. Give thanks for this strong foundation of the Divine Masculine and the way that it supports you to act in the world of form. Move up the leg and feel your right leg as a trunk of a tree. What tree would it be? What scent would it have? Honor this tree with a loving embrace as you move up the trunk into the core of the tree, feel it's core as your core. Feel the heart of the tree of life that you are. From the heart imagine it's branches extending upward like arms open wide to receive the light of the Sun, The Solar Lord. Now let that light radiate down your ride side illuminating the Divine Masculine aspect of you. Thanking this aspect with your loving touch.
Now offer your loving touch to the left side begin at the sole of your left foot. Feel the soul of the Divine Feminine drinking in the life force of Mother Earth, Gaia. Drink in this holy nectar of love and allow it to rise up the left leg as you draw it up with your inviting touch. Feel it filling your left side with an elixir of love that is filling the chalice of your holy heart. Hold your heart chalice with a tender touch appreciating and honoring the heart of the Divine Feminine that lives within all beings. Empty this chalice and let the love wash over you. Stroking it down the left side of the body washing away any remaining wounding.
Now let the hands do a serpent spiral dance up the body intertwining the two energies as the movement of Shiva and Shakti dancing as One.
Bow in respect to this embodied holy union of the Divine that you are.
Alchemical Affirmation
“I ecstatically celebrate the body temple of the Divine.”
Sing... “I let the love wash over me I let I let ...it be.”
Day 27 - Empty to Receive
Prepare your vows to be offered to the Beloved Within. Write them out and place them upon your altar.
Alchemical Tune- Up
Spend some time in Empty Presence
“The most seminal skill in accessing Source/Divine Feminine, is practicing the art of Emptiness. In words it can be said to be a mind without thought to clutter it, a spaciousness, a sense of profound resting in non-doing. The ability to actually BE in Empty Presence is the foundation for all spiritual work! As with everything in the female Mysteries, you must have a direct experience of Empty Presence to recognize the state of consciousness and be able to demonstrate and maintain it. Take all the time you need to access this space of emptiness.
Stand about 2 feet away from a mirror so you can stare into it. Look deeply into your own eyes, as if you were looking into the eyes of the Beloved or Divine Mother, someone you trust and adore. As you hold this potent focus, relax your vision, let it go blurry and go out of focus. (You can even cross your eyes or look at you nose for a moment). This can be VERY uncomfortable for the ego/mind and it may try to do everything to distract you and say “This is ridiculous”. Just lovingly embrace the ego/mind and say “Thank you, please relax. I love you”
However many times you need to say this for the ego to stop talking to you, keep saying it and keep relaxing and looking into your eyes. At some moment, when the ego mind finally let’s go of its regularly held perceptual grids, you will see that your image begins to go “fuzzy” or diffused.. and as you further relax your vision, you will begin to perceive strongly etched shadow and light patterns, particularly around one side of your head or the other and then potentially around your whole head and body.. But don’t look for any effects, just be aware … (because, if you lose your focus looking for effects, the light will disappear.)
At some point in that journey.. you will, without effort, simply cease to have any thoughts, entering into pure awareness. You can tell that you are in pure awareness, because you will feel lighter, cooler, expanded. Please don’t try to MAKE up anything with your mind! Just be in Empty Presence and let awareness arise directly up from your belly and heart. When you can no longer hold the gaze of your eyes (your eye muscles will get sore at first), thank your Witness or Essential Self, which is what you have contacted in Empty Presence, and know that you can contact this place any time you wish to, with the mirror and then finally without it by the feeling of peace and expansion that it creates that you can come back to and know that you are there through that feeling.
This whole process may take several attempts to really have a direct “ah ha” experience of the difference in your consciousness, from your ordinary perceptual awareness.
Alchemical Affirmation
“I AM Empty... Open... Ready to Receive the Beloved Within”
Day 28 - Creating Sacred Ground in Preparation for Ceremony
Things you will need:
1. Find music that represents the masculine and feminine energy or use the music we have provided for you.
2. Choose two pieces of art that represent the energy, presence and feeling of your two polarities.
3. Find two crystals or gemstones that symbolically represent the color, energy and feeling of your two polarities.
4. Choose two essential oils that symbolically represent the energy or “smell” of your two polarities.
5. Select three different colored candles for your ceremony: one to represent the male aspect, animus, one the female aspect, anima and one the holy spirit or sacred third of unity of those polarities.
6. Select two foods and two ceremonial libations (drinks) that represent the “taste” of your polarities to be used as the sacraments for each.
7. Find two textures and colors of fabric or veils that texturally “feel” like your polarities.
8. Choose two flowers that symbolize the vibration/frequency of your polarities.
9. Choose two fresh herbs to represent the vibrancy/potency/vitality of your polarities.
10. Meditate to receive a symbol and/or sacred geometry for each polarity. You don’t have to mentally “understand” the symbol. Just allow whatever comes without trying to change it. The symbol itself will teach and inform you over time as to its intention, meaning and purpose.
11. Select a flower or star essence that activates the energy/expression of your two polarities.
12.Find a ring, necklace or bracelet to symbolize the union of the two polarities within.
Day 29 - Inner Journey
Prepare the Altar of Your Heart Meditation to Receive the Beloved Within
Alchemical Audio Meditation
As you finish this meditation, bow to each polarity in honoring. If a spontaneous mudra (hand gesture) comes up in the process of offering gratitude, share it with each polarity.
Alchemical Tune-Up
“I am neither male nor female.
I am neither left nor right.
I am that I am, beyond day and night.
I am the mystery of the triple flame.
I am the snake with wings.
I am the moon that burns.
I am the sun as she sings.
I am the heart that reveals a star.
I am, we are, collective avatar! ”
~ Ariel Spilsbury
Day 30 - Day of the Ceremony
Set time aside to truly honor this mythic enactment so that it may serve as the alchemical container that it is.
Purification of the Body Temple
Create a sacred bath to be used in the purification process, placing oils and rose petals and whatever else the divine inspires.
Elemental invocation
“I am water, Mem,
Mother, Mem,
I am,
I hold the power to cleanse, dissolve, sublime
I am the self conscious intelligence held in elemental resonance
Allow me to serve your awareness
I am the fluid container of feminine consciousness
I hold the power to heal through purifying release
I am the magnetic, vibrational potential of surrender
I am the receptive nature of the Goddess
I am the eternal flow of moon power
I am fluidity, non fixity
I am the salt of intuition,
I am the sacred chalice of the emotional body
I am the medium of transduction of the magnetic frequencies of the Mother
Receive me, for I am water, Meme, Mother, Mem,
I am.”
~ from the Alchemy of Ecstasy by Ariel Spilsbury
Consciously release to the water, whatever past patterns, beliefs, judgments, you have become aware of in this process of looking at the polarities.
When you are complete with the bath, thank the water elementals and as you pull the plug, consciously release to the Void all that desires completion.
After drying, anoint the left hand, foot and wherever else you are guided with the scent for the female polarity. Do the same for the right male side with another essential oil you have chosen.
Rub the fresh herbs especially on the bottom of the hands and feet and wherever else you are guided.
If you wish, with gold and green grease paints, mark your right hand and foot with a gold symbol that you are intuitively guided to use in the moment and then mark the left hand and foot with a green symbol, or do so etherically, symbolically.
Dress yourself as lovingly as a bride or groom would dress for their Beloved.
When you are ready, enter the ceremonial space you have created
Put on Music that holds a coherent resonant field.
Light the male and female candles before you speak the following invocation, paying full honoring energetically to each polarity.
Begin by speaking the following Invocations to the God and Goddess (or create your own in the moment) to honor both aspects of consciousness.
Invocation to the God
I am the sun’s brilliance,
Lord of the winds Emperor,
Stag King, God Potent,
Powerful, untamed, wild seed
Stag and stallion,
Empowered creation,
Bearer of Truth’s banner,
Wielder of the sword of light
Champion of Innocence
Protector of the Goddess’ temple in nature
Lord of the two lands
Ever dying, ever being born
Radiant renewal
Dionysus, Pan, Osiris, Arthur and the Green Man
I am the light within darkness
I am the impassioned cry of hawk
Soaring eagle’s vast vision
I am the God
I am that I am.
~ from the Alchemy of Ecstasy by Ariel Spilsbury
Ancient Celtic Invocation to the Goddess
I, who am the beauty of the green Earth,
the white moon and the Mystery on the waters,
call upon your soul to arise and come unto me,
for from me all things proceed
and unto me they shall return.
Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices,
for all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
Let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, reverence and mirth within you.
And you who seek to know me,
know that you're seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery,
if that which you seek, you find not within yourself,
you will never find it from without,
for behold, I have been with you from the beginning
and am that which is attained at the end of desire.
~ from the Alchemy of Ecstasy by Ariel Spilsbury
When these invocations are complete, with full intention to evoke the freedom of unity within you, light the third candle.
Honor the elements with these elemental evocations and/or in silence with the elements themselves:
Earth - cornmeal for earth
Air – incense
Fire – incense
Water – color white
Ether – color white
This is not just a “ritual” to be hurried through. Remember the elements are the means through which manifestation occurs on this plane.
Call in the directions
Honor the directions by turning to face each direction with reverent gratitude and consciousness and/or with colored ribbons or sounding if you like.
East - yellow air
South - fire red
West - water blue
North – green
Earth Center -white
Now begin by picking up your Chalice to honor the female polarity.
Make whatever acknowledgments, requests, agreements you feel inspired in the moment to offer. If your process would be served in asking for or offering forgiveness to this polarity, do so.
Pour your chosen ceremonial libation (liquid) into the Chalice.
Holding the chalice in the left hand, drink deeply in confirmation of your commitment to embody this aspect in wholeness within your being, claiming with clear intention, say “I now embody the female aspect of consciousness in wholeness in my being.” Drink this with full awareness that this libation is alchemically bringing you into the communion of wholeness. If there is anything to ask forgiveness for around this polarity, do.
Place the chalice back on the altar.
Now, pick up the staff you have created honoring the male polarity. Make whatever acknowledgments, requests, agreements you feel inspired in the moment to offer. If your process would be served in asking for or offering forgiveness to this polarity, do so.
Holding your staff in your right hand, with the other hand pick up whatever sacrament you have blessed for this purpose. Eat it consciously as a commitment to embody the male aspect. Claiming with clear intention say,
“I now embody the male aspect of consciousness in wholeness in my being.”
Eat with full conscious awareness that this act is alchemically bringing you into balance and integration, into wholeness.
Put the staff back on the altar.
Bring out the crystals or gemstones and essential oils you selected for your polarities. Anoint each crystal with the chosen corresponding essential oil for each polarity. Do so with full consciousness and loving intent. Allow awareness to instruct you directly from the Mystery with this process as to the deeper significance of this act.
Bring out the two pieces of art you selected for you polarities. Put them as close as they will go together. Allow your eyes to go cross eyed and then very relaxed and out of focus, until the two images appear to merge, even if for a second. Honor any awareness that comes out of this process, for this is the image of the balanced, spiritual androgyne within you.
With consciousness, meditatively listen to the two pieces of music you selected for your polarities. Allow the sound to literally “play” you. Notice the difference in vibration, feeling, texture, color, tone. This will give you clues as to how the integration process will proceed at a vibrational level of being, at the primary level of frequency.
Day 31 - Celebrate Falling in Eternal Love with the Beloved Within
Honor yourself and appreciate all the inner work that you have offered into this Alchemical Cauldron.
Give thanks to the Divine, the Love,the Presence, that has united you with your True Love, love that will last forever.
Let this love ignite your passions!
Remember this is an ongoing journey,only you can keep the romance alive.
Live life in Love with Life with Everyone as the Beloved.
Cultivate this practice of love and you will be on an eternal honeymoon.
Congratulations on this holy union, reunion and remembrance of the love that you are!
CELEBRATE!
“The Honeymoon Effect: A state of bliss, passion, energy, and health resulting from a huge love. Your life is so beautiful that you can’t wait to get up to start a new day and you thank the Universe that you are alive. Think back on the most spectacular love affair of your life—the Big One that toppled you head over heels. For most, it was a time of heartfelt bliss, robust health, and abundant energy. Life was so beautiful that you couldn’t wait to bound out of bed in the morning to experience more Heaven on Earth. It was the Honeymoon Effect that was to last forever. Unfortunately for most, the Honeymoon Effect is frequently short-lived. Imagine what your planetary experience would be like if you could maintain the Honeymoon Effect throughout your whole life.”
“The Honeymoon Effect” by Bruce Lipton
May you live in this state always!
We Dance in De-light integrating the masculine and feminine within as we complete this moon of the Inner Marriage.
Dancing in the field of Oneness,Unity, Harmony and Balance.
Offer your dance in the name of the one to the Victory of love.
Here is the spotify playlist for this dance and also a guided dance audio.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FR8hZgxyLXnTnbdjogh7z?si=3f123b35ce8f4b97
We welcome you home to the heart of the one.
Blessings of Holy Communion beloved One!
