Post by Virgo on May 19, 2007 13:54:45 GMT
One of the most important ceremonies in the Goddesses’ lives is the Rite of Ascension. Although the actual Rite does not last for very long, the celebration and preparation for it lasts for about a week, and even continues on for about a day or so after the actual Rite.
When the old Goddesses die, the priests eventually head off into the villages surrounding the Temple. From these villages, the priests collectively choose twelve girls, all at the age of thirteen, which are designed to become the next Goddesses. The girls are normally chosen on the twenty-fifth of December and the Rite of Ascension takes place on the first of January, leaving a week between the choosing and the ceremony.
On the first of January, the girls are taken to the Hall of Ascension, a hall in a tetrahaidechadon (fourteen-sided) shape. The entrance of the hall (and also exit for the public) and the ‘exit’ of the hall (for the priests and Goddesses only) are parallel to one another, while the remaining six sides on either side of the entrance and ‘exit’ have small sections hidden from the public by a pair of thick, red curtains, and then a pair of thin, translucent curtains that separate the sections from one another. In each section is a chair, where each (soon-to-be) Goddess sits. Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus and Gemini sit on the left side of the hall, while Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius sit on the right side of the hall.
When the hall is full of people, both rich and poor, the ceremony begins. The Head Priest stands at the back of the hall, on the stage in front of everybody, and calls forth the first Goddess, Capricorn, and works clockwise around the hall in that order (ending with Sagittarius). Priests had visited the girls whilst the hall was filling with people, telling the girls to keep quiet and that, whatever they do, they must not cry, although they cannot understand the latter.
The advice, or order, becomes evident when the girls are called up to the stage – they stand by the Head Priest whilst another priest appears with a device that they use to tear away the skin on the left wrist of the girls. Whilst the girls struggle not to cry out at this pain, a second priest arrives with the gemstone that goes with the girl, and implants the burning hot gem into their wrist. The girl is quickly ushered into the back room, where they take another seat and can cry as freely as they like. The next Goddess is called up and the ceremony continues, until all twelve of the girls have gone through the same process. The Head Priest then dismisses the public from the hall, and the girls are taken to the temple.
Although the actual ceremony has finished, the Rite of Ascension continues until the next day. The girls are taken to the Temple after the initial ceremony and are met with their familiars – glowing ‘sprites’ that were once part of the original goddesses, able to turn into any animal at will. The girls are then called for supper, where the priests drug their food with chemicals that will react overnight and turn the girls’ hair and eyes the colour of their gemstone. However, the true Goddesses and their reincarnations don’t need the chemicals – they react to the gemstone in their wrist overnight, and the effect is the same.
When the old Goddesses die, the priests eventually head off into the villages surrounding the Temple. From these villages, the priests collectively choose twelve girls, all at the age of thirteen, which are designed to become the next Goddesses. The girls are normally chosen on the twenty-fifth of December and the Rite of Ascension takes place on the first of January, leaving a week between the choosing and the ceremony.
On the first of January, the girls are taken to the Hall of Ascension, a hall in a tetrahaidechadon (fourteen-sided) shape. The entrance of the hall (and also exit for the public) and the ‘exit’ of the hall (for the priests and Goddesses only) are parallel to one another, while the remaining six sides on either side of the entrance and ‘exit’ have small sections hidden from the public by a pair of thick, red curtains, and then a pair of thin, translucent curtains that separate the sections from one another. In each section is a chair, where each (soon-to-be) Goddess sits. Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus and Gemini sit on the left side of the hall, while Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius sit on the right side of the hall.
When the hall is full of people, both rich and poor, the ceremony begins. The Head Priest stands at the back of the hall, on the stage in front of everybody, and calls forth the first Goddess, Capricorn, and works clockwise around the hall in that order (ending with Sagittarius). Priests had visited the girls whilst the hall was filling with people, telling the girls to keep quiet and that, whatever they do, they must not cry, although they cannot understand the latter.
The advice, or order, becomes evident when the girls are called up to the stage – they stand by the Head Priest whilst another priest appears with a device that they use to tear away the skin on the left wrist of the girls. Whilst the girls struggle not to cry out at this pain, a second priest arrives with the gemstone that goes with the girl, and implants the burning hot gem into their wrist. The girl is quickly ushered into the back room, where they take another seat and can cry as freely as they like. The next Goddess is called up and the ceremony continues, until all twelve of the girls have gone through the same process. The Head Priest then dismisses the public from the hall, and the girls are taken to the temple.
Although the actual ceremony has finished, the Rite of Ascension continues until the next day. The girls are taken to the Temple after the initial ceremony and are met with their familiars – glowing ‘sprites’ that were once part of the original goddesses, able to turn into any animal at will. The girls are then called for supper, where the priests drug their food with chemicals that will react overnight and turn the girls’ hair and eyes the colour of their gemstone. However, the true Goddesses and their reincarnations don’t need the chemicals – they react to the gemstone in their wrist overnight, and the effect is the same.
