SACRED GRAIL, PRIESTESS INITIATRIX & SACRED SEXUALITY OF THE ALCHEMICAL MARRIAGE (SUN AND MOON)
In tonight’s live broadcast with Ecuador’s Knights Templar, I mentioned the elusive mermaid of Kilcooley Abbey, co. Tipperary and as promised, here is a write-up of some key points, though I'll leave the rest for the first of my new upcoming books on the Knights Templar "The Way of the Rose". The mermaid is even elusive in the abbey, always hiding in the shadows, like the depths of the collective unconscious where she lives together with other archetypes. Regarding mermaids in general in terms of architecture, especially medieval, I do not agree with historians who state they are just mermaids holding a comb and mirror of vanity, associated with lust.
See photos and rest of the post as published on Facebook here.
Firstly, in archaeology we see artistic representations of mermaids that date back from 6000 BCE. Mermaids are associated with earlier mother goddess and Neanderthal womb-shaman traditions as well as those of Sumer (modern-day Iraq) / Mesopotamia and were priestesses of the “Mer-line” of this earlier “church. They represented ancient feminine goddesses and like my own star-sign, Aquarius, they represented a priesthood of “water bearers”, pouring their waters of wisdom into the world. As we move into the age of Aquarius, I’d like to think that there is hope for this much-needed pouring of wisdom and knowledge to return.
These mermaid water bearers were “ladies of the chalice”, protectors of the living waters of earth and the womb. And they can in fact be regarded as a sacred chalice or “Holy Grail”. This is how the left-handed path (feminine) of mystical and esoteric Christianity began, through these “Grail Mermaidens” and feminine life-force giving rites. In fact, these mermaids became the “Mary” line of Magdalene. Mary was also a title for priestess, and not just a name but rather priestess titles. In Egypt, Goddess Hathor was called Mari-Hathor, “Beloved and Honoured Hathor” and Isis was called Mari-Isis as were their priests and priestesses. Note that the words “Mary, Mari, Mar or Mer” actually mean “mother, beloved, sea or feminine light (as in the Sufi tradition strongly linked to the Templars and the knowledge of the heart but also Cathars and of course Dante Alighieri and the Fideli di Amore). They would later be known as the Mermaids of Galilee. We see them linked to Cistercian/Templar sites and heraldry as I mentioned. These mermaids are connected to the divine feminine life-force creation aspect of God, known as the Shekinah (whose symbol is the dove as we see in Iona but also rose). This is also connected to Kundalini and the “Hieros Gamos” sacred sex alchemical marriage (Sun/Moon) and sacred sexuality, which is also one of my main working areas. These mermaid traditions were global and spoke in their own way of the “Water Dragon Mother”. Serpents being connected to the Shekinah, life-force creation sexual energy coiled in our root chakra which is deeply healing and bonding but ultimately, leads to higher wisdom through a kundalini awakening when the serpent becomes a serpent with wings; a dragon. I have experienced this following a few years of a “Dark Night of the Soul” and it is the most terrifying but also deeply transformative experience of a death in life followed by resurrection we can ever experience.
But going back to our mermaid of Kilcooley, my interpretation of the mermaid IS the shekinah, which dwelled in Solomon’s Temple linked to Asherah and is also found in sacred sites (usurped for building on them through the Gregorian rule, to make use of the energy and often lying over water which carries energy). The mirror, like Melusine's mirror, is the mirror of awareness, which is exactly what we are gifted with at these sites. This energy attracts wisdom / higher knowledge (the Celtic Salmon of Knowledge) to it, but also the Carp (connected to followers of these earlier mermaid/goddess worship traditions but also often used to represent a mystic group that is Christian but not Catholic and who pursues spiritual growth through esoteric knowledge). Note also that fish were not really eaten in Egypt and in the civilisations I just mentioned but were given as offerings to the goddesses or ceremonially eaten by the priestesses. Fish were also sacred in the Eleusinian Mysteries whose ultimate rite was the direct gnostic revelation of the Holy Sophia (wisdom).
I’ll also add the Judaic and Christian practice of eating fish on Friday evening (part of the Shabbat in Jewish tradition), which evolved from the ancient rites of Nammu, passed down into ancient Babylon, Assyria, Canaan, and, of course, Israel. If we look closely at the Hebrew word “Shabbat” we see that it is closely related to the Babylonian “sabatu” (which means both seven and menstruation of goddess Ishtar). The Shabbat eating of fish is traditionally followed by lovemaking between husband and wife, and is associated with the arrival into the home of the Shekinah; the bride and feminine Holy Spirit. (as mentioned before, sexual feminine life-force creation energy). Mer-people were linked to this tradition and let’s not forget that Jesus, baptised by water, was a merman and lover of the goddess, always surrounded by women (priestesses) and known as the “fisher of men”, often alluded to through the ichthys fish symbol (vesica piscis, sacred geometry which really represents the female vulva). I’m going to add a couple of more things connected to sacred sexuality and symbolism; the fleur de lys (lotus flower but also the wild arum lily grown by Knights Templar as in Maryculter) can be both masculine and feminine sexual organs, but in the feminine sense it is the tantric Yoni. Now let’s look at the Sinclair coat of arms I showed…and in architecture, the Ionic order of columns which I know Freemasons will know. What does this remind you of? Female reproductive system. Last thing I’ll say here but it isn’t a coincidence is that the island of Iona, tied to legends of 9 female priestesses who looked after the last-born child of Jesus and Mary Magdalene (John Martinus), actually gets that name from the Yoni. It was previously known as the Isle of St. John’s for the obvious. Some believe that Mary Magdalene is buried here, and there are legends of the wanderings of Mary Magdalene around the area and plenty of Templar graves in nearby Mull and mainland coast too. A mystical isle surrounded by water…with connections to King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake, like “Ladies Island” in Co. Wexford (Ireland).
We must remember that mermaids are connected to water (sacral chakra - sexuality, emotions, creativity) but also Isis (Stella Maris) and Hekate among other, significant re the Marian tradition of Bernard the Clairvaux but also the sacred lactation of Bernard (Lactatio Bernardi), the miracle where Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was fed 3 drops of milk from the breast of the Madonna (initiation rite of mystery traditions but also of Isis and priestesses who "annointed" kings and represented the goddess/sovereignty of the land). I’ll add one more thing, as I am feeling generous today, re “Stars”, especially the 8-pointed stars we often see at Templar sites (and also relevant to my work at Loftus Hall, re Masonic and Templar architecture) but also the lactation of St Bernard of Clairvaux; the 8-pointer star symbol represents many things for the templars and is key. One of them is “An” which actually means “Star”, Innana, Venus, heaven, goddess, god but also milk…and the stargate in the cosmic womb of everyone as birther and initiatrix, giver of life and “Mary” as the Magdalene.
If you have time, I suggest reading Solomon’s “Song of Songs” an erotic poem full of relevant symbolism to which Bernard de Clairvaux dedicated 86 sermons. Now why would a “Catholic” abbot dedicate 86 sermons to one of the most explicit erotic sacred poems of all time? And please by all means add 86 up, yes it’s 5. No, there’s no coincidence here, yes it’s 5. The fifth kingdom known as the “everlasting kingdom” and Venus, the evening star, but also so much more. And no, I do not believe in coincidences, and as I write this, I cannot help but smile, under the light of stars….
