The Story of Eastre: The Death and Resurrection of Our Lady saviouress

1 The Maid went alone into a desert place. 2 And, knowing that She had not the light of Her Mother upon Her, malefic demons gathered about and beset Her, demons of fear and of dread isolation, and every sort of restriction. 3 And they tore Her soul with their talons, crying: Hope is dead, for the light of the Mother is fallen from You. 4 You shall go down to suffering and death and none shall save You. In the illimitable emptiness of the universe shall You stand alone and none shall give You comfort. 5 In the darkness of eternal night shall You kneel to weep and no hand shall be put upon Your shoulder, but every hand shall be raised against You to do you hurt.

6 And the Maid was filled with trembling, but She answered: Go your ways, for what I have said, that shall I do.

7 And the demons spoke, saying: Be You led by us, and You shall have protection and all good things. 8 The whole of the world shall be Your fortress, and You shall have wealth and magnificence that all the children of the earth shall love You.

9 But the Maid answered: How shall you give to Me that which is Mine? 10 For I am the Princess of the world, and all the children of the earth have been given into My care by the hand of the Eternal.

11 Then the demons said: The light of the Eternal is taken from You, and whether these things are or are not Yours, it is we that that have the power of them, and we that You must obey if You will be saved.

12 But the Maid replied, saying: That which is right in the deepest heart of things, and in the centre of all being, that is right and none other; and the Truth alone is true. 13 Nor shall all the powers of the earth count against it, neither all the powers of the seas and the skies move it by the smallest fraction in all its vastness. 14 I shall obey none but My Mother, though all your power be turned in fury upon Me.

15 And the demons cried: Not our power, but the power of one far greater from whom our power derives.

17 And the demons questioned Her, saying: Think You that Your Mother will save You?

18 And the Maid answered: She will do what She will do, and blessed is Her Name.

19 And the demons laughed, saying: Then are You abandoned to the uttermost darkness.

CHAPTER V

1 And the Maid journeyed down into the darkest regions until She came to the great gates of the Nether World. 2 And the gatekeeper cried: Who is it that comes of her own free step upon the realm of the Dark Queen? 3 And the Maid replied: I am the Daughter of She Who is Mother of all.

4 And the gatekeeper said: Give me your axe, and You may pass. And the Maid gave the great Moon-Axe into her hands, and the vast oaken gate swung open that She might pass through.

5 And the Maid came to a second gate, and was again halted by the keeper thereof. And the gatekeeper said: Give me the circlet from Your head, and You may pass. 6 And the Maid gave the silver circlet into her hands and passed through the gate.

7 And She came to a third gate, and the gatekeeper said: Give me Your white linen head dress and You may pass. And She did this and passed bareheaded through the gate.

8 And She came to a fourth gate, and the gatekeeper said: Give me Your blue cloak and You may pass. And She gave Her blue cloak into the hands of the gatekeeper, and passed through the gate.

9 And She came to a fifth gate and the gatekeeper said: Give me your sandals and You may pass. And She unlaced Her sandals and passed barefooted through the gate.

10 And She came to a sixth gate, and the gatekeeper said: Give me the silver girdle about Your waist and You may pass. And She unbound Her silver girdle and passed through the gate wearing only Her white robe.

11 And She came to a seventh gate, and the gatekeeper said: Give me your hair and You may pass. And She bowed Her head, and Her hair was shorn from Her, and She passed into the chamber of the Dark Queen.

12 And the Dark Queen spoke, saying: Are You the Princess of the world, and the Daughter of She Who is Mother of all? And the Maid replied: I am She.

13 And Her hands were bound, and the daughters of the Dark Queen taunted Her and beat Her, and pulled Her short hair. And She was dragged to Her knees before the Dark Queen.

14 And the Dark Queen rose to her feet, and so terrible was her aspect that her daughters fled to the furthest part of the chamber. 15 And she turned her eyes upon the Maid, that have been beheld by no creature of the upper world. For her eyes are the eyes of death. 16 And the Maid, looking upon her eyes, became a lifeless corse and a dead thing upon the ground.

17 And at the centre of the Nether World there stood a great pillar, reaching to the roof of that world. 18 And the daughters of the Dark Queen took the corse of the Maid, and hung it high upon that pillar. 19 And above Her head they hung the great Moon-Axe, in symbol of the greatness of the deed.

CHAPTER VI

1 Now from the time when the Daughter of Heaven had passed through the first gate of Hell, a barrenness had fallen on the earth; and neither bird had sung nor any flower showed its beauty forth; nor was there joy in any heart. 2 But when the Maid was slain upon the pillar of the world, an awful darkness fell on all the earth. 3 And the rivers of the earth ceased to flow, but drained away into the salt sea, and the sea ceased to move, but stood still in awful stagnancy. 4 And there was drouth in all the earth. And neither maid bore child nor ewe brought forth the lamb. And every growing thing began to wither from its roots. 5 And in the nights were neither moon nor stars, and the heat of the sun by day was terrible.

7 And the children of the earth prayed to Her, weeping for the world and for Her Daughter. 8 And in the darkness after the second day, a star appeared in the heavens, whose brightness was too great for them to look upon.

9 And the children of earth rejoiced, saying: It is the Mistress of All Things, come to seek Her Daughter. And the Dark Queen ordered the gates of Hell to be shut and barred against Her.

10 And the gatekeeper stood within the gate, and cried: Who is it that comes upon the realm of the Dark Queen? And She answered, saying: I am the Mistress of all that is, and the Mother of My Daughter. 12 Give Me entrance, for if you give Me not entrance, I will smash the bolt and shatter the gatepost. I will raise up the great gate of Hell and break it asunder.

13 But the gatekeeper opened not the gate. And the Mistress of All Things clapped Her hands together, so that the whole world shook, and the great gate of Hell was shattered in fragments, and the nether regions trembled to the very foundations. 14 And the gatekeeper covered her eyes and fled, for she could not look upon the brightness of the Mistress of All Things.

15 And the Mistress of All Things came into the Nether World; and the six gatekeepers flung wide their gates and fled.

16 And Her Janyati took down the corse of Her Daughter, and laid it upon Her knees; and She wept anew, for none but She could know the awful depth of the oblivion in which Her Daughter lay. And She sprinkled on the corse the water of Life, which She had gathered from the holy tears of Her own sorrow. 17 And Her Daughter rose again and was alive again. 18 And amid tears of joy, They embraced and were one. And after this, the Daughter stood alone. 19 And the souls of the Nether World were awakened by Her gentle light, and followed Her through the shattered gates of Hell.

20 And when they beheld Her, the children of the earth rejoiced, and the rivers flowed again, and the sea began to move.

21 And the children of the earth cried: lift up your voices in song and laughter, for the Princess of the World was dead and is alive again, was broken and is whole; and there is no place whereto Her joyous rule does not extend. 22 Give praise to the Mother of All Things and praise to Her Daughter.