floor as he took a formidable oath of secrecy. Lancelyn’s voice boomed, “We welcome this initiate to the path of Wisdom, she whom the ancients name Sophia.”
Benedict opened his eyes, and saw the vision he’d had in the trenches; a glorious and terrifying skyscape. Ecstasy coursed through him. He knew, at last, that he belonged.
Afterwards, he told Lancelyn what he had seen. “Was it an hallucination?”
“My God, no.” Lancelyn seemed delighted. “You saw the astral realm! You are like me. We share the same gifts! Father couldn’t keep us apart. Conventional religion strangled me. Couldn’t be doing with it. I studied other beliefs, joined various occult groups, but in the end the only way was to seek my own truth. Meanwhile, you’ve achieved a depth of vision that takes most initiates years of work. But understand: if you want to continue, the path will not be easy. There’s a lot to learn.”
“I’m willing to try,” Ben said vehemently. “I’ll do whatever it takes. But you must explain where this is leading.”
“I would love to, if I could. However, I don’t know - yet. The point is to search. Meter Theon means Mother of the Gods; the Greek title for Cybele, the Black Goddess. I see her as a rounded black stone, enclosed and secret as an egg. Her darkness does not represent evil but the quality of being hidden , obscure. Our task is to unveil her. When we do we will find Sophia, Wisdom herself. The path is not easy, because Meter Theon is a harsh and demanding deity - and how can we know what Wisdom will teach us until we find her? But when we do, she will rebirth us as gods.
“The vision you saw on the battlefield and again last night was the astral world, which I name Raqia, the firmament. That is Sophia’s realm, where we must search. It is peopled by her servants, who may help or hinder us. You’ve seen Raqia, Benedict. The next step is to take courage and enter!”
* * *
The following day, Ben and Holly strolled through the white and emerald light of the trees, the sea breeze softening the sun’s honeyed heat.
Holly said, “I knew you had psychic gifts as soon as we met. You have such a beautiful aura. Golden.”
“You can see auras?” He felt that nothing could surprise him now.
“I see all sorts of strange things. I don’t talk of it, because people think I’m peculiar. But Lancelyn doesn’t.”
“Neither do I,” he said with feeling. Then, impulsively, “But why are you with him? You’re so young. Don’t your parents mind?”
He never forgot the awful vulnerability that flashed across her face, nor the shaky smile with which she tried to hide it.
“Oh well... you see, they were very young when they had me. My arrival was... inconvenient. I do love them, but they always saw me as a bit of a nuisance, I suppose. They couldn’t wait for me to leave school and start work, but even then I couldn’t do anything right. As for my psychic gifts, they thought I was making it up to show off, or even to be deliberately wicked. So I tried to hide my true self, but didn’t always succeed, so all in all, the situation was making me rather unhappy.”
“Poor Holly,” Ben said quietly.
“I went to a medium for help, but she was a charlatan. Then I worked as a psychic myself for a time, but it was frightening. I saw too much. I was on the verge of a breakdown, when Lancelyn came to one of my seances. He was looking for genuine clairvoyants. He saved my sanity, made me see I was using the gift wrongly. I needed his guidance, Ben. That’s why I went away with him.”
“What did your parents say to that?”
“They made disapproving noises, but secretly they were relieved.”
“They disowned you?” said Ben, thinking of his own family.
“Oh, nothing so dramatic. I still see them. They’re nice enough in their way, but it’s as if we’re acquaintances, not family. The Neophytes are my family now.”
Her loneliness made him feel intensely protective. They climbed
Benedict opened his eyes, and saw the vision he’d had in the trenches; a glorious and terrifying skyscape. Ecstasy coursed through him. He knew, at last, that he belonged.
Afterwards, he told Lancelyn what he had seen. “Was it an hallucination?”
“My God, no.” Lancelyn seemed delighted. “You saw the astral realm! You are like me. We share the same gifts! Father couldn’t keep us apart. Conventional religion strangled me. Couldn’t be doing with it. I studied other beliefs, joined various occult groups, but in the end the only way was to seek my own truth. Meanwhile, you’ve achieved a depth of vision that takes most initiates years of work. But understand: if you want to continue, the path will not be easy. There’s a lot to learn.”
“I’m willing to try,” Ben said vehemently. “I’ll do whatever it takes. But you must explain where this is leading.”
“I would love to, if I could. However, I don’t know - yet. The point is to search. Meter Theon means Mother of the Gods; the Greek title for Cybele, the Black Goddess. I see her as a rounded black stone, enclosed and secret as an egg. Her darkness does not represent evil but the quality of being hidden , obscure. Our task is to unveil her. When we do we will find Sophia, Wisdom herself. The path is not easy, because Meter Theon is a harsh and demanding deity - and how can we know what Wisdom will teach us until we find her? But when we do, she will rebirth us as gods.
“The vision you saw on the battlefield and again last night was the astral world, which I name Raqia, the firmament. That is Sophia’s realm, where we must search. It is peopled by her servants, who may help or hinder us. You’ve seen Raqia, Benedict. The next step is to take courage and enter!”
* * *
The following day, Ben and Holly strolled through the white and emerald light of the trees, the sea breeze softening the sun’s honeyed heat.
Holly said, “I knew you had psychic gifts as soon as we met. You have such a beautiful aura. Golden.”
“You can see auras?” He felt that nothing could surprise him now.
“I see all sorts of strange things. I don’t talk of it, because people think I’m peculiar. But Lancelyn doesn’t.”
“Neither do I,” he said with feeling. Then, impulsively, “But why are you with him? You’re so young. Don’t your parents mind?”
He never forgot the awful vulnerability that flashed across her face, nor the shaky smile with which she tried to hide it.
“Oh well... you see, they were very young when they had me. My arrival was... inconvenient. I do love them, but they always saw me as a bit of a nuisance, I suppose. They couldn’t wait for me to leave school and start work, but even then I couldn’t do anything right. As for my psychic gifts, they thought I was making it up to show off, or even to be deliberately wicked. So I tried to hide my true self, but didn’t always succeed, so all in all, the situation was making me rather unhappy.”
“Poor Holly,” Ben said quietly.
“I went to a medium for help, but she was a charlatan. Then I worked as a psychic myself for a time, but it was frightening. I saw too much. I was on the verge of a breakdown, when Lancelyn came to one of my seances. He was looking for genuine clairvoyants. He saved my sanity, made me see I was using the gift wrongly. I needed his guidance, Ben. That’s why I went away with him.”
“What did your parents say to that?”
“They made disapproving noises, but secretly they were relieved.”
“They disowned you?” said Ben, thinking of his own family.
“Oh, nothing so dramatic. I still see them. They’re nice enough in their way, but it’s as if we’re acquaintances, not family. The Neophytes are my family now.”
Her loneliness made him feel intensely protective. They climbed
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