Copyright (C) 1997 by William Mistele. All rights reserved.

Note: This ritual is was done using the dialogue method with some trance
thrown in. A while after I had performed it, I met a woman who believed
herself to be the reincarnation of Niniane. I know that sounds suspicious
but I will vouch that if any woman on earth could have been Niniane's
reincarnation, it was probably this woman.
    The Dialogue Method was suggested by Carl Jung and developed by
various individuals such as Ira Progoff in his Intensive Journal style.

An Alban Arthuan Ritual

                                                            
 I opened my grove in the usual way and then meditated on   
the soul which inspires Camelot.    On this day, in this moment, 
when darkness is at its height but now it turns and the     
light reascends, I call forth peace, light, and love on 
earth.                                                      
       I turn and walk  to the North and face Merlin the magician. 
I speak and say,                                            
Merlin, seer, prophet, guardian of the world, master of     
forest and magic, you who planted and tended the seeds 
which gave birth to Camelot,   I seek your counsel and words for this    
purpose: I would be a member of a sacred community committed 
to being one with nature,  the Divine, honoring the highest 
and best in all of mankind.  I would  commit myself to  
this ideal of service.  My motivation is love, my           
inspiration the Light.                                      
    Merlin replies, My  work was left undone.  I did not    
establish on earth my magical teachings. I give you my ring 
of power to foresee the future and shape it to preserve the 
Light on earth.                                             
    And then we say together with our hands on each other's  right      
shoulder, Brother to brother, heart to heart,  Yours in life and in death.   
                                                            
To move to the South, I  turn and face  Guinevere.  I say to her,   
You whose soul held the heart of  Camelot. You who knew so  
well the joy and suffering of love--I ask your blessing.    
She says to me, I bless you with peace. Love will walk      
beside you all the days of your life and  I offer you my    
inspiration that through your art you may  express the      
beauty of the universe and the innermost secrets of the     
human heart.                                                
     And then we  put our right hand on each other's right  
shoulder and say,  Brother to sister,  sister to brother,   heart to
heart, 
Yours in life and in death.                                 
                                                            
I turn and walk  to the SW and face Lancelot.  I say,  You are the  
bearer of courage, ever ready to enter battle, fearless     
warrior, the masculine spirit do you celebrate resolute,    
dauntless, and bold.  Your strength inspires us all.  Share  
with me your energy that I may feel it within myself as     
well.                                                       
    And Lancelot says to me: The fire of courage has ever 
sought a heart in which to burn and in my heart it blossoms 
and unfolds.  The steel in the sword my hand holds flows    
through my bones.  The inner light burning in me is ever    
ready to accept any challenging quest.                      
    But the heart of my Lover contains all that I am.  To   
dwell within her love is the reason I exist.  The mere      
thought of her is bliss.                                    
    And so within my soul these two mix and flow--love and  
power joined as one.  Their tension, their conflict and     
strife, the gulf they must cross over to embrace each       
other--I chart this path with all of my might.              
    And again, we each place our right on the other's right 
shoulder and say,  Brother to brother, heart to heart, Yours in life and
in 
death.        
                                             
     And then I turn and walk  to the West and face the Lady of the Lake.  
I speak and say, Lady of the Lake, the waters that flow in  
your soul inspire the nobility which shapes our destiny.  I 
drift into the silvery, violet light of your soul.  In a    
body of light I appear within your heart. You dream of      
Sacred Beauty.  I ask you to share it with me.              
     The Lady of the Lake replies:   The past, present, and 
future I already see. If you would taste my Mystery and bear
my treasures back to the human race, to the light of day,   
then dissolve within my Purity.  This is where my love is   
found.  Flow into me.  Let go into my lake beneath the moon.
 I am the deepest longing within every heart.  The outer    
world with all its cities, its industries, its              
technologies--it all arises from this Source which it knows 
not.  My art is to call forth the noblest and best in every 
human being--the dream of the Earth is the  vision I impart.          
    And then again, with our hand on each other's shoulder  
we say, Brother to sister, sister to brother, heart to heart, Yours in
life 
and in death.                                               
                                                            
    And then I turn and walk to the East and face Arthur, King of    
Camelot.  I speak to him and say,   Arthur, once and future 
king, it is your kingdom which rules men's dreams.  You have
stood at the center of the world where truth is honored,    
justice prevails, and the Sacred is service to others.      
    Arthur, I am in need of your counsel and your power.    
Show me my work within myself and within the world which    
leads to the enlightenment of  us all.                      
    And Arthur replies,  Though I was once a mortal as are  
you, a Greater Light infused my soul.  I chose not to rule  
the world but a Greater Will chose me to be  its righteous  hand     
 in the service of peace.  Step into my heart if  
you would dream my dream.  Sit as a knight at my round      
table.  Come.  Join with me.                                
    The council  to which I am now a part holds the entire   
world within its heart.  We watch over all mankind.  All    
wisdom is  part of the self-mastery to which we aspire.     
See: we are assembled as one body in this sacred place, but 
each goes forth and enters  the battle of life-- to fulfill 
the quest, to heal, to guide, to illuminate, to offer       
assistance to mankind in which ever place we have been led. 
    For the greater is found within the least and the least  
shall one day shine as bright as the stars.  Cherish each   
moment of your life--it is the sacred chalice in which we   
celebrate our service to the Light.                         
    And then again, our hands on each other's shoulders we  
speak and say,  Brother to brother, heart to heart, Yours in life and in    
death.                                                      
                                                            
I turn and walk to the SE and face Perceval and say, Perceval, you   
who completed the quest for the Holy Grail--the ancient     
Mysteries and the Christian Mysteries joined.  You are the  
man who is one with the feminine within your own heart--the 
inner and the outer vessel pure enough to contain the sacred
 within itself.                                             
    As much as is within your power, I ask you to grant me a
taste of this Mystery or else share with me a vision of the 
way I must go to find this union within my soul.            
    Perceval replies to me, The power that heals does from  
the heart of the stars shine.  The power that fulfills every
need, every desire, every hope and dream is already a part  
of every heart.  The community of which you dream--of men   
and women in service to a vision which transforms the world,
listen to me: in this moment are joined the North and South,
the East and West and these noble figures of  Camelot to    
which you have spoken, their hearts, wisdom, and love is now
joined as one--this is the taste upon your lips.  
    The Lord of Light is not separate from mankind 
nor is His blood separate from your own.  
Taste, drink, be satisfied.  Know what it is to be healed
 and to overflow with love.  In the quest of life,
there comes a moment when we are all joined as one--
Brother to brother, heart to heart, Yours in life and in death.  

                                                       Sir Gawain

I walk to the NE and turn and face Gawain.  I say to him, "The light
shining upon your paths arose from your soul.  For this reason, you were
willing to sacrifice your life and your needs.  You were ready to risk all
to fulfill your quest, yet you did not chain your desires in dark dungeons
nor did you surrender to them.   Rather, you attained victory over
yourself and so fulfilled your destiny.  Sir Gawain, did you every get
lonely, feel lost, or despair when this inner light could no longer be
found?" 
     Gawain take my right hand in his and places it over his heart and
says, "Do you feel my heartbeat?"  I reply, "Yes.":
     And then he places my hands on his arms and says, "Do you feel the
strength in my arms?"  And I reply, "Yes, I do."
     Then he asks, "What do you see in my eyes?"
      I reply, "I see trust in God and faith, but more than that, I see
you have no fear--You already sense a Greater Will guiding you even
through the place of darkness and despair, even where no guide appears.
      "For you, Love walks before you and behind you and holds you within
itself.  Your strength is nourished by this Love.  To feel this Love
shining within your heart is the reason you exist and the reason you
serve."
     Gawain replies to me, "You read me well.  The light of the sun, moon,
and stars did not illuminate my paths.  In the darkest place of my soul I
sought to be the vessel to hold this inner light--speaking to me so softly
and quietly.
     "I let go of the outer world so that I could walk with it and be
guided by it.  I did this not to attain power, treasure, honor, or even
love, but because I sought to follow in the footsteps of the Lord of Light
who once walked upon the earth.
     "Though I am a knight equal in valor to any other, I count all my
accomplishments as nothing--except for this: in each person in need who
calls to me I hear His voice greet me and say, `I am here.  In service to
another you accompany me--then my hands become your hands, my heart your
heart.' 
     "And so my friend, dwelling within Love, walking with the Light even
when darkness is all that I see--this is the flame burning within me.
This is my path in life and from it I will not depart..
     "In each person's eyes if you look carefully you can see a dark place
where no light shines.  Yet through this place each must pass if they
would drink from the Cup which overflows with a Greater Love, with the
Light drawn from the Source of Life.  That such a place exists within
every heart and soul, I bear witness, for the victory I have attained over
the self arises from a strength greater than my own."
    And then again, we place our hands on each other's right shoulder and
say, "Brother to brother, heart to heart, Yours in life and in death."


                          Niniane                           
                                                            
I walk to the NW and turn and face Niniane.  I say, "I      
perceive that you know of the great mysteries of death and  
transformation.  There is a place where human will, magical 
will, and wisdom too can not light the way.                 
     "You are the gate between the worlds.  In you life and 
death are not separate.  There is a feminine mystery so deep
it can contain easily within itself whatever powers exist   
within a man.  Even a master such as Merlin who could       
command the outer and inner worlds and bind them to his will
was unable to comprehend the magnetism in your touch, the   
untamed sensuality within your heart.                       
     "Though I am a mortal, for the sake of my quest , I ask
you to unveil for me your soul and heart."                  
       After speaking these words I no longer stand within  
my grove facing Niniane.  I am transported.  It is night but
there is a dim blue light in the air and glowing on the     
ground around the two of us.  Niniane gestures to me  and I 
sit down beside her on the rocky hillside.  We are next to a
small cave opening.  She takes my right hand and holds it   
between her palms.                                          
   Niniane says: "My power as a woman to enchant, to bind,  
to hold or to let go is not difficult for a woman to        
comprehend though men rarely honor its existence.           
    "I am the power of silence hidden in both the rock here 
at your side and in flowing  water.  I am the quietness of  
this hillside with its enduring patience which waits through
all the seasons of the year without irritation or complaint.
     Above, the sun, moon, and stars dazzle the world with  
their celebration of the light, but I dwell within the      
places of the heart others do not know.  I am the place     
where memory fades away.  I am the place where the hero     
falls asleep and in his dreams forgets who he is.           
     To walk beside me is to stray beyond the boundaries of 
the world into the unknown--I am the place where identity   
dissolves and fear or its absence no longer matters at all. 
     The woman sewing the button on your shirt--her fingers 
know of this place.  The woman who smiles at you tenderly   
and then turns away and gazes off into the sky--she draws   
her strength from my magic. 
    Humility is not empty enough to enter here and survive, 
nor will, nor strength of character, nor faith.             
    If you, oh bard, would know my heart and soul--my  
feminine grace--understand this: all of life is sacred, the 
entire round--both life and death.  Greet each moment with  
the silence of the mountain and with the cool touch of the  
dark stream flowing beneath the ground--in secret caverns it
moves without being known and yet it flows free and pure    
through light never celebrates its life."                   
     And then reading my mind before I even have my next    
question fully formed, she says to me: "Merlin's teachings  
were not revealed to this world because the time was not 
right.  After the destruction of Atlantis the keys to the   
Mysteries were taken back to the Other Side.                
    "Understand--it is just as sacred to close the gates to 
wisdom as it is to open them.  Those who would master the   
inner and outer worlds and teach as well must dwell at peace
within my heart and soul."                                  
    Niniane hugs me running her fingers through my hair. She
says, "Visit me again.  I would share with you more."       
     And then with our hands on each other's right shoulder 
we say, "Brother to sister, sister to brother, heart to     
heart, Yours in life and in death."  

                                               Niniane Part II

A few weeks later in order to complete this ritual I again opened my grove
and facing the NW I called to Niniane.  She was waiting for me and took my
left hand into her right hand.  We began walking through a forest of trees
of immense height.  It is night, and the air is still, moist, rich with
smells yet sweet and fresh also.
    A blue phosphorescent haze gradually thickens as we walk.  The haze
finally envelops us and the forest disappears.  We come to a shore and
step into a small canoe.  We shove off and moments later the shore is gone
and we drift upon the waters within the dark blue light.  
   We then come to a large boulder in the water and step out of the canoe
and on to it.   As we sit, the haze fades away and the lake disappears at
the same time.  We are now surrounded completely by a sky radiant with
stars in a moonless night. 
   Niniane turns to me and, looking into my eyes, says: "If you would
reveal the ancient mysteries you must be as empty as the space of darkness
between the stars.  Only in such emptiness may the light shine forth
unobstructed, pure, and clear.  
    " I know you have been given the bardic voice.  It is for this reason
you have sought me out, that I might bless you with the knowledge of my
soul and heart.   I know you have the ancient power to sing the song of
every star in the sky. And this void and emptiness which holds all the
stars in its embrace, of this you have no fear but are willing to find it
in your heart also. 
     "When the moon is dark, the stars shine more brightly.  When you as a
bard train in darkness, you seek to explore the darkness and depths of
your own heart.  For those able to dwell in peace in this open space of
the heart and of the universe there is no separation between life and
death nor between one lifetime and another.  Here even  light and darkness
are joined together as one flesh,  as one breath, as one rhythmic
heartbeat.  
    In this place does the human heart finally join and become one  with
the innermost desires within the heart of the Earth Herself.  Here is
disclosed Her power to endure, to remain silent and yet to sustain all
manner of life.  Her love is within every flower, every breath, every
heartbeat, and every dream of every being on earth. 
    And then Niniane and I sat silently together and her eyes, though
dark,  sparkled with light.  And I sat in great wonder, for Niniane,
without a single change in her body or features, had changed into the
Goddess of the Earth who now sat before me--the Soul of the Earth embodied
in the form of a mortal woman.  And as we sat gazing into each other's
eyes in a deep trance for many hours, I thought to myself, "All my life I
have longed for this moment--to look into the eyes of a woman and, in the
seeing, reveal all that I am and to hold nothing back."
    And I perceived as I gazed into Her eyes that Her Soul imbues all the
earth with Her Presence--She is within the deserts and the seas, the
mountains and  the trees.  These is no where on earth that Her love is not
felt as we walk upon the ground, as we breath the air or taste the fruits
of the trees.  
   And the Goddess departed and Niniane returned and was sitting again in
front of me. Niniane smiled  at me as if to say, "I too have been waiting
for someone to discover my secrets."  And then she said, "Go in peace
young bard.  Reveal the keys to the ancient Mysteries.  Hold nothing back.
Share with the whole world, for all who are willing, the treasures of
body, soul, and spirit hidden in their hearts: I give you my
blessing--Wisdom, love, and light without limit shall be within your songs
and heart." 
     And then we embraced and again, with our right hands on each other's
right shoulder we said: "Brother to sister, sister to brother, heart to
heart, Yours in life and in death--from each other's presence and love we
shall never depart."