The FUMIGATION from STORAX. Call Thesmophorus *, spermatic God, Of various names, who bears the leafy rod: Mises, ineffable, pure, sacred queen, Two-fold Iacchus, male and female seen: Illustr'ous, whether to rejoice is thine In incense offer'd, in the fane divine +; Or if in Phrygia most thy soul delights, Performing with thy mother sacred rites; Or if the land of Cyprus is thy care, Well pleas'd to dwell with Cytherea fair; Or if exulting in the fertile plains With thy dark mother Isis, where she reigns, 12 With nurses pure attended, near the flood Of sacred Egypt, thy divine abode: Wherever resident, blest pow'r attend, And with benignant mind these labours end.

The FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE and MANNA. TETHYS I call, with eyes cærulean bright, Hid in a veil obscure from human sight; Great Ocean's empress, wand'ring thro' the deep, And pleas'd with gentle gales, the earth to sweep; Whose blessed waves in swift succession go, And lash the rocky shore with endless flow: Delighting in the Sea serene to play, In ships exulting and the wat'ry way. Mother of Venus, and of clouds obscure, Great nurse of beasts, and source of fountains pure. O venerable Goddess, hear my pray'r, And make benevolent my life thy care; Send, blessed queen, to ships a prosp'rous breeze, And waft them safely o'er the stormy seas.

(77) There are certain Water Elementals whom Orpheus calls Nereides, dwelling in the more elevated exhalations of Water, such as appear in damp, cloudy Air, whose bodies are sometimes seen (as Zoroaster taught) by more acute eyes, especially in Persia and Africa.

The FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE. Brass-beating Salians, ministers of Mars, Who guard his arms the instruments of wars Whose blessed frames, heav'n, earth, and sea compose, And from whose breath all animals arose: Who dwell in Samothracia's sacred ground, Defending mortals thro' the sea profound. Deathless Curetes, by your pow'r alone, Initial rites to men at first were shewn: Who shake old Ocean thund'ring to the sky, And stubborn oaks with branches waving high. 'Tis your's in glittering arms the earth to beat, With lightly-leaping, rapid, sounding feet; Then every beast the noise terrific flies, And the loud tumult wanders thro' the skies: The dust your feet excites with matchless force, Flies to the clouds amidst their whirling course; And ev'ry flower of variegated hue, Grows in the dancing motion form'd by you. Immortal dæmons, to your pow'rs consign'd The talk to nourish, and destroy mankind. When rushing furious with loud tumult dire, O'erwhelm'd, they perish in your dreadful ire; And live replenish'd with the balmy air, The food of life, committed to your care. When shook by you, the seas, with wild uproar, Wide-spreading, and profoundly whirling, roar: The concave heav'ns, with Echo's voice resound, When leaves with ruffling noise bestrew the ground. Curetes, Corybantes, ruling kings, Whose praise the land of Samothracia sings: From Jove descended; whose immortal breath Sustains the soul, and wafts her back from death; Aerial-form'd, much-fam'd, in heav'n ye shine Two-fold, in heav'n all-lucid and divine: Blowing, serene, from whom abundance springs, Nurses of seasons, fruit-producing kings.

The Fumigation from AROMATICS OCEAN I call, whose nature ever flows, From whom at first both Gods and men arose; Sire incorruptible, whose waves surround, 3 And earth's concluding mighty circle bound: Hence every river, hence the spreading sea, And earth's pure bubbling fountains spring from thee: Hear, mighty fire, for boundless bliss is thine, Whose waters purify the pow'rs divine: Earth's friendly limit, fountain of the pole, Whose waves wide spreading and circumfluent roll. Approach benevolent, with placid mind, And be for ever to thy mystics kind.

The FUMIGATION from MYRRH. Ærial clouds, thro' heav'n's resplendent plains Who wander, parents of prolific rains; Who nourish fruits, whose water'y frames are hurl'd, By winds impetuous, round the mighty world; All-thund'ring, lion-roaring, flashing fire, In Air's wide bosom, bearing thunders dire Impell'd by ev'ry stormy, sounding gale, With rapid course, along the skies ye fail. With blowing winds your wat'ry frames I call, On mother Earth with fruitful show'rs to fall. Next: XXI: To the Sea, or Tethys Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XIX: To Jove, as the Author o... Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XXI: To the Sea, or Tethys » Sacred Texts | Classics

The FUMIGATION from. MANNA. O Nurs'd with Dionysius, doom'd to keep Thy dwelling in the widely-spreading deep: With joyful aspect to my pray'r incline, Propitious come, and bless the rites divine: Thro' earth and sea thy ministers attend, And from old Ocean's stormy waves defend: For ships their safety ever owe to thee, Who wand'rest with them thro' the raging sea. Come, guardian pow'r, whom mortal tribes desire, And far avert the deep's destructive ire. Next: LXXV: To the Muses Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXIII: To Leucothea Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXV: To the Muses » Sacred Texts | Classics

The FUMIGATION from STORAX. PROTEUS I call, whom Fate decrees, to keep The keys which lock the chambers of the deep; First-born, by whose illustrious pow'r alone All Nature's principles are clearly shewn: Matter to change with various forms is thine, Matter unform'd, capacious, and divine. All-honor'd, prudent, whose sagacious mind Knows all that was, and is, of ev'ry kind, With all that shall be in succeeding time; So vast thy wisdom, wond'rous, and sublime: For all things Nature first to thee consign'd, And in thy essence omniform confin'd. Come, blessed father, to our rites attend, And grant our happy lives a prosp'rous end.

The FUMIGATION from STORAX. Great nurse of Bacchus, to my pray'r incline, For holy Sabus' secret rites are thine, The mystic rites of Bacchus' nightly choirs, Compos'd of sacred, loud-resounding fires: Hear me, terrestrial mother, mighty queen, Whether on Phyrgia's holy mountain + seen, Or if to dwell in Tmolus thee delights, With holy aspect come, and bless these rites.

The FUMIGATION from STORAX. O Father Jove, who shak'st with fiery light The world deep-sounding from thy lofty height: From thee, proceeds th' ætherial lightning's blaze, Flashing around intolerable rays. Thy sacred thunders shake the blest abodes, The shining regions of th' immortal Gods: Thy pow'r divine, the flaming lightning shrouds, With dark investiture, in fluid clouds. 'Tis thine to brandish thunders strong and dire, To scatter storms, and dreadful darts of fire; With roaring flames involving all around, And bolts of thunder of tremendous sound. Thy rapid dart can raise the hair upright, And shake the heart of man with wild afright. Sudden, unconquer'd, holy, thund'ring God, 'With noise unbounded, flying all abroad; With all-devouring force, entire and strong, Horrid, untam'd, thou roll'st the flames along. Rapid, ætherial bolt, descending fire, The earth all-parent, trembles at thy ire; The sea all-shining; and each beast that hears The sound terrific, with dread horror fears: When Nature's face is bright with flashing fire, And in the heavens resound thy thunders dire. Thy thunders white, the azure garments tear, And burst the veil of all surrounding air. O Jove, all-blessed, may thy wrath severe, Hurl'd in the bosom of the deep appear, And on the tops of mountains be reveal'd, For thy strong arm is not from us conceal'd. Propitious to these sacred rites incline, And crown my wishes with a life divine: Add royal health, and gentle peace beside, With equal reason, for my constant guide. Next: XIX: To Jove, as the Author of Lightning Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XVII: To Pluto Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XIX: To Jove, as the Author o... » Sacred Texts | Classics

The FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE. SEA-born, aerial, blowing from the west, Sweet gales, who give to weary'd labour rest: Vernal and grassy, and of gentle found, To ships delightful, thro' the sea profound; For these, impell'd by you with gentle force, Pursue with prosp'rous Fate their destin'd course. With blameless gales regard my suppliant pray'r, Zephyrs unseen, light-wing'd, and form'd from air. Next: LXXXI: To the South Wind Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXIX: To the North Wind Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXXI: To the South Wind » Sacred Texts | Classics

(1) Iximiprus saith:—I testify that the beginning of all things is a Certain Nature, which is perpetual, coequalling all things, and that the visible natures, with their births and decay, are times wherein the ends to which that nature brings them are beheld and summoned.* Now, I instruct you that the stars are igneous, and are kept within bounds by the air. If the humidity and density of the air did not exist to separate the flames of the sun from living things, then the Sun would consume all creatures. But God has provided the separating air, lest that which He has created should be burnt up. Do you not observe that the Sun when it rises in the heaven overcomes the air by its heat, and that the warmth penetrates from the upper to the lower parts of the air? If, then, the air did not presently breathe forth those winds whereby creatures are generated, the i Sun by its heat would certainly destroy all that lives. But the Sun is kept in check by the air, which thus conquers because it unites the heat of the Sun to its own heat, and the humidity of water to its own humidity. Have you not remarked how tenuous water.

is drawn up into the air by the action of the heat of the Sun, which thus helps the water against itself? If the water did not nourish the air by such tenuous moisture, assuredly the Sun would overcome the air. The fire, therefore, extracts moisture from the water, by means of which the air conquers the fire itself. Thus, fire and water are enemies between which there is no consanguinity, for the fire is hot and dry, but the water is cold and moist.. The air, which is warm and moist, joins these together by its concording medium; between the humidity of water and the heat of fire the air is thus placed to establish peace. And lock ye all how there shall arise a spirit from the tenuous vapour of the air, because the heat being joined to the humour, there necessarily issues something tenuous, which will become a wind. For the heat of the Sun extracts something tenuous out of the air, which also becomes spirit and life to all creatures. All this, however, is disposed in such manner by the will of God, and a coruscation appears when the heat of the Sun touches and breaks up a cloud.

The Turba saith:—Well hast thou described the fire, even as thou knowest concerning it, and thou hast believed the word of thy brother.

(2) Moreover, the lations of the stars approximate to the eternal circulations of the heavens, not only locally, but also in powers, and the irradiations of light. But these are moved conformably to the mandates of the celestial Gods. For the most pure, agile, and supreme part of the air, is adapted to be enkindled [ i. e. is most inflammable], so that when the Gods assent, it is immediately set on fire. And if some one thinks that certain effluxions of the celestial bodies are imparted to the air, his opinion will not be discordant with what is frequently effected by the divine art. The union, also, and sympathy of the universe, and the simultaneous motion of the most remote parts, as if they were near, and belonged to one animal, cause these signs to be sent from the Gods to men in the most luminous manner, primarily, indeed, through the heavens, but afterwards through the air.

The FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE. WIDE coursing gales, whose lightly leaping feet With rapid wings the air's wet bosom beat, Approach benevolent, swift-whirling pow'rs, With humid clouds the principles of flow'rs: For flow'ry clouds are portion'd to your care, To send on earth from all surrounding air. Bear, blessed pow'rs, these holy rites attend, And fruitful rains on earth all-parent send. Next: LXXXII: To Ocean Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXX: To The West Wind Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXXII: To Ocean » Sacred Texts | Classics

The FUMIGATION from MYRRH. O Thou, who doff the roots of Ocean keep In seats cærulean, dæmon of the deep, With fifty nymphs (attending in thy train, Fair virgin artists) glorying thro' the main: The dark foundation of the rolling sea And Earth's wide bounds, belong much-fam'd to thee; Great dæmon, source of all, whose pow'r can make The Earth's unmeasur'd, holy basis shake, When blust'ring winds in secret caverns pent, By thee excited, struggle hard for vent: Come, blessed Nereus, listen to my pray'r, And cease to shake the earth with wrath severe; Send on our sacred rites abundant health, With peace divine and necessary wealth. Next: XXIII: To the Nereids Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XXI: To the Sea, or Tethys Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XXIII: To the Nereids » Sacred Texts | Classics

The FUMIGATION from AROMATICS. I Call Leucothea, of great Cadmus born, And Bacchus' nurse, whom ivy leaves adorn. Hear, pow'rful Goddess, in the mighty deep Wide and profound, thy Ration doom'd to keep: In waves rejoicing, guardian of mankind; For ships from thee alone deliv'rance find Amidst the fury of th' unstable main, When art no more avail, and strength is vain; When rushing billows with tempestuous ire O'erwhelm the mariner in ruin dire, Thou hear'st, with pity touch'd, his suppliant pray'r, Resolv'd his life to succour and to spare. Be ever present, Goddess! in distress, Waft ships along with prosperous success: Thy mystics thro' the stormy sea defend, And safe conduct them to their destin'd end. Next: LXXIV: To Palæmon Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXII: To the Dæmon, or... Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: LXXIV: To Palæmon » Sacred Texts | Classics

The FUMIGATION from MYRRH HEAR, Neptune, ruler of the sea profound, Whose liquid grasp begirts the solid ground; Who, at the bottom of the stormy main, Dark and deep-bosom'd, hold'st thy wat'ry reign; Thy awful hand the brazen trident bears, And ocean's utmost bound, thy will reveres: Thee I invoke, whose steeds the foam divide, From whose dark locks the briny waters glide; Whose voice loud founding thro' the roaring deep, Drives all its billows, in a raging heap; When fiercely riding thro' the boiling sea, Thy hoarse command the trembling waves obey. Earth shaking, dark-hair'd God, the liquid plains (The third division) Fate to thee ordains, 'Tis thine, cærulian dæmon, to survey Well pleas'd the monsters of the ocean play, Confirm earth's basis, and with prosp'rous gales Waft ships along, and swell the spacious sails; Add gentle Peace, and fair-hair'd Health beside, And pour abundance in a blameless tide. Next: XVII: To Pluto Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XV: To Juno Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XVII: To Pluto » Sacred Texts | Classics

(66) From Him leap forth the Amilicti, the all-relentless thunders, and the whirlwind receiving Bosoms of the all-splendid Strength of Hecaté Father-begotten; and He who encircleth the Brilliance of Fire; And the Strong Spirit of the Poles, all fiery beyond.