Re-member who you are.
Re-member what you are.
You are the radiance of the light eternal.
You are the beauty beholding the beautiful.
You are the love that is moved by wonder.
Call your self back to yourself and re-member.
Strike your own true note and then
Feel all within tune and harmonize.
You are a singer in the cosmic song.
Tune yourself and sing.
These words, under the title “The Mnemosyne Affirmation,” were handed out to all attendees of the Sacred Space / Between the Worlds conference that recently occurred just outside of Baltimore on April 6 through 10. This won’t be a review of the events of the conference itself, necessarily; plenty of people are shouting out their favorite parts elsewhere online. More, this is a reflection on what the conference moved within me, because it was enormously powerful, challenging, and revivifying.
Sometimes I feel like things that are received at conferences, whether they be items, information, or inspiration, are privileged to those who attend. Especially in Witchcraft and Pagan conferences that work to create a container within which the event is set, the entire affair becomes a ritual act itself. While I wrestle with those feelings about this conference, there’s simply so much depth of practice and a thematic through line that other events don’t capture and couldn’t, realistically. Also, the intent is to take our learning, conversations and partnerships into the world with us. For that reason I don’t feel like I’m betraying the confidence of the ritual setting.
Mnemosyne is a Greek goddess, or a titan (she’s often described as both interchangeably), who is correlated to memory. She was oft-invoked by poets in the ancient world before they began their recitations and her statues were frequently found in the temples of other gods. She is also the mother of the nine muses. (As an aside, I had a sensation that as we walked out of this sacred space and back into the world at the end of the conference, an invitation was given to embody them, to call them to service, to seek their help in a way that humanity has not accessed them in quite a long time.)
The Mnemosyne Affirmation becomes a sort of holy awakening for our work in this world then, as it sorts us out and says to the reader – look, you’ve always been whole and you are the hero you’ve been waiting for, if only you re-member yourself. Perhaps I’m off-base with my interpretation, but the results of a ritual are more important than the intent, and for me, accessing Mnemosyne meant accessing her children as well, may their inspiration flow like honey through each of us in the way that we may best personify their essences and serve humanity in its dire time of need.
It would seem that a necessary component of re-enchanting the world would be to reawaken humanity to its purpose and its membership in the community of earth. Who better than the muses to guide us then?
Nathan Hall
Cherry blossoms at the Sacred Space / Between the Worlds joint conference in 2023 [N. Hall]
The presence of the joint conference was different than the last time it was held in 2015, perhaps because the egregore had lain dormant for so long, perhaps because of something else. There was trial by ordeal for me in even reaching the conference; many travel hiccups lined up and I very nearly didn’t make it. By the time I arrived, about ten hours later than anticipated, I felt discombobulated and slightly adrift.
Missing the opening ritual was just one of the things that made things seem more askew. There was also a sense that we as fellow occultists and Pagans were maybe not entirely sure how to step back into the waters of such close and visceral community interaction. This was still one of the first large events many had attended in person since the start of the pandemic. But the joy at being together quickly surpassed our rusty social skills. By that evening, the spirit of hospitality polished out the rough edges and left me feeling buoyant. Homecoming had settled in.
“The overall theme for this conference,” noted the conference program, “is opening the road and unlocking the door to a better future.” There was also mention of the astrology for this conference, happening at a time of the United States’ Pluto and Chiron Return. We are in a cycle of death and rebirth in this country and there’s a jitteriness in general about the world and what the future may hold.
Some of the most profound moments were held in close conversation with old friends and new, where we felt safe to express our grief at the challenges that recent years have placed in our paths. The comfort of holding one another as we grieve for lost loved ones, a dangerous political climate that is eroding civil and human rights, and environmental catastrophe were powerful. I hugged more people than I can even remember, a testament for an introvert like me.
Nathan Hall
Altar setup from the Aquarius Rite: Bearing the Phoenix of Light by Christopher Penczak [N. Hall]
We were united by love, truth, honor, courage and beauty. The sacred pentacle awakened within ourselves, the crossroads, the three rays and the sacred center, and afterwards, we donned our holy crowns to walk with our principals, head held high. While the road is now open, we need to do the work of breaking down our isolation because only together will we be able to unlock that door.
Oddly, when I reflect on this conference, I recall discovering a maturity that I hadn’t noticed before. By maturity I don’t mean age necessarily, but wisdom and inner strength. There is an inviolable core that has been tempered in our community, perhaps by the years we’ve recently endured, but it was inspiring to leave and maybe for the first time come away feeling like we are up to the challenges in front of us. We are not brittle, but we are beginning to show strength and flexibility.
As we move into Aquarius, we’ll need all of our virtues to endure and prosper in the face of the challenges it will present. As Diotima Mantineia mentioned in one of her workshops, the structure that Capricorn has put into place will be getting torn down. It will be uncomfortable for a while but she felt that the progressive qualities of Aquarius will eventually win out.
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