Three pages of journaling or blogging a day … not only are you – loyal reader that you are - going to be bored witless, I am going to run out of things to say. I had to reset my word processing program line spacing to bring myself up to three pages a day, not counting the graphics.
Today - the Friday before closing - I started to shake a little. I had to change the propane, oil, electric accounts and went through hell with my current renter’s insurance company, who I finally dumped (sorry, li’l gecko guy!) in favor of another local insurance broker who didn’t leave ridiculous voice mails detailing the 1,001 required pieces of paper they needed before they would even speak to me 3 days before closing. Geico really needs to upgrade their bedside manner.
By the end of the day I was so rattled I couldn’t remember anything. The tremor in my hand was getting worse. I knew it was due to meds breaking bad, but was still staring at my own hand in befuddlement as though it didn’t belong to me.
I sat at the desk and wrote out grocery lists, “things to do” lists, trying to make sure the order was correct. I knew I had to tack some hours onto the cheap and easy cell phone I never used (because I absolutely hate cell phones), to call Dana the Fixit Guy later on in the day of closing. I was still trying to figure out what absolutely HAD to be done before I could move into the home. and what could wait until later.
And now, here’s where I knew what my priorities were, and they surprised me: I was more focused on what to bring to the circle on Saturday night (potluck something) than on the new home I was on the verge of purchasing. Reason: it was one of my homework assignments: attend a circle. They were the closest circle.
Celebration: Mabon. I’d heard of it (vaguely), but am not a Celtic practitioner. so had never celebrated it. I’m an Italian solo practitioner with a love for Sekhmet, and a healthy respect for Aleister Crowley, if anything, but Italians rose out of a land of agriculture; they also celebrated the last harvest, the fruit and grain harvest. I didn’t have the time to fully research the Italian equivalent of Mabon, but I would before the next one rolled around. Meanwhile, I needed food to bring to this one, after I’d packed most of everything in the kitchen.
Well, the one thing I knew I could make were Italian wedding cookies, but I didn’t know if they fit into the theme of “Last Harvest”, which I always associate with corn. (“Ahhhhhh ...... corn!”) Except ... do you bring corn to a potluck? I don’t spice it up or anything ... to me, corn is absolutely perfect just the way it is. I eventually decided to go with the Italian wedding cookies in the shape(s) of a crescent moon and magic mushroom (the closest I could get to the Eleusinian Mysteries of this month), and so there you go. Off to the bank to get a check for the house and the insurance; off to the grocery store to get wedding cookie ingredients, off to the storage facility to get more packing supplies ... and off to the sharps disposal bin to get rid of my needles. First day of vacation and I would already be exhausted.
To distract myself from anticipatory exhaustion, I sat down and started reading Michelle Belanger’s Sumerian Exorcism – which directed me to Henry Frederick Lutz’s Selected Sumerian and Babylonian Texts (University Museum, Philadelphia, 1919) – which I’ve been pouring through hungrily. Beautiful incantations, once you start ditching the “thee’s, “thou’s” and “thy’s” for more contemporary verbiage. In her introduction she suggested Lutz had translated the cuneiform without judgment, which may be somewhat true, as long as you ignore his tendency to write in language straight out of the King James. ‘Cause, trust me, did they speak that way in 1919? I’m thinking ... no. And I’m hoping ye all doth agree with me. Here's Lutz's version:
0 Shamash, at the foundation of the heavens thou flamest up.
The lock of the brilliant heaven thou hast opened.
The bolt of the heaven thou hast removed.
O Shamash, to the earth thou hast lifted up thy head.
O Shamash, thou hast covered the earth with heavenly splendor.
When thou lookest upon the land establishest thou light.
The way of the land truly guide thou!
The beasts of the field, the living creatures thou hast created.
To Shamash, like unto a father and mother they listen.
Food they are fed.
O Shamash, the chief of the gods art thou!
He who goes before the Anunaki art thou!
With Anu and Enlil a king of mankind art thou!
Guide thou the law of all the people!
O god of justice in the heaven eternal art thou!
Thou art the justice and the wisdom of the land!
Thou knowest the pious, thou knowest the wicked.
O Shamash, righteousness lifteth up to thee its head.
O Shamash, wickedness like a whip becomes torn through thee.
O Shamash, the helper of Anu and Enlil art thou.
O Shamash, the exalted judge of heaven and earth art thou.
And the god of man on account of his son devoutly steps before thee.
A command of peace, a command of life establish for him!
In loving kindness of a joyous heart
In gracious thoughts
May Shamash, the king of the son of his god, speak, so that into the hand
Lord of the kigallu of Kullab to thee, the hero in his land
0 Shamash, the lofty judge, the great lord of the lands art thou.
The lord of living creatures, the merciful of the lands art thou.
O Shamash, at this day purify and cleanse the king, the son of his god.
Whatever evil sorcery, which is in his body, may it be removed.
And here's mine:
O Shamash you rise in flames at heaven’s foundation
You have opened the lock of the brilliant heavens
You have removed heaven’s bolt
O Shamash, you have lifted up your head upon the earth
You have covered her with heavenly splendor
When you look down upon the land you create light
The ways of the land guide your rays!
The beasts of the field, the living creatures you have created
To you, Shamash, like to a father and mother, they listen.
And food they are fed.
O Shamash, you are the chief of the Gods!
You are he who goes before the Anunaki!
With Anu and Enlil you are truly a king of all!
Guide the law of all the people!
You are God of justice in the heaven eternal!
You are the justice and the wisdom of the land!
You know the pious, you know the wicked.
O Shamash, righteousness lifts up its head to you.
O Shamash, wickedness like a whip becomes torn through you.
O Shamash, you are the helper of Anu and Enlil.
O Shamash, you are the exalted judge of heaven and earth.
And the god of man on account of his son devoutly steps before you.
A command of peace, a command of life establish for him!
In loving kindness of a joyous heart
In gracious thoughts
May Shamash, the king of the son of his god, speak, so that into the hand
Lord of the kigallu of Kullab to you, the hero in his land
0 Shamash, the lofty judge, you are the great lord of the lands.
The lord of living creatures, and the merciful of the lands.
O Shamash, at this day purify and cleanse the king, the son of his god.
Whatever evil sorcery, which is in his body, may it be removed.
Well, in case anyone was thinking, "Huh?" Shamash is the God of the Sun in the Babylonian, Assyrian and Akkadian worlds. Sin was the God of the Moon (and NO, it was not the same word as the Judeo-Christian word for no-no's!) The two combined often opened incantations with the glorious, "Shamash in front of me! Sin behind me!" -- an acknowledgement that you're safe from harm morning and night.
You can read the joy of the Babylonians, Assyrians and Akkadians in this ... it's one of my favorite incantations!
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