Jewel of Inanna (Perils of a Pagan Priestess Book 1)

by Hannah Desmond

  Jolene lifted her arms and called out in a powerful voice, “I do conjure that this shall be a circle of power, of inspiration where within the bonds of the supportive, protective love of brothers and sisters, we may raise, contain and release the energy of increased light. By the love of the Threefold Goddess and her mighty Consort, I do bless and consecrate this circle. As it is willed, so mote it be.”

  Lilly watched the corners of the courtyard burst into magical flame as the four directions were called. Her second sight awoke to reveal huge, glowing energies. Each corner was consumed in flame; silver in the East, gold in the South, turquoise in the West and deep green flames in the North.

  Jolene and James approached the fountain and lit the tall, white pillar candle in the cauldron. Jolene stepped into the center of the circle and invoked the masculine energy, “Lord of Light, I call your spirit to this rite. The reborn sun of Yule, stands with us in our circle. We ask that you fill this priest with light, shine through him, kindle hope within us all. Through your touch the seeds of rebirth awaken. As it is willed, so mote it be.”

  James stepped into the center of the circle and invoked the feminine energy, “O bright Goddess of Fire and inspiration, mother of life who called us forth from darkness, I now call you to this celebration of increased light. Fill your priestess with the wisdom of your spirit, through your touch the Goddess is awakened within us all. As it is willed, so mote it be.”

  Two glorious beings of light overshadowed the high priest and priestess. The strength pouring through them was palpable. Lilly felt the air vibrating. Glancing at the others standing in the circle, she saw wonder and amazement on their faces.

  Her attention turned to Sabine as she stepped into the circle, “The darkness passes, let it go. Foster the light as it grows stronger. Let us fill ourselves with visions of new ideals and goals. As the light grows, may it crystallize into visible form, individual and unique for each of us. Tonight, we call upon the Goddess Brigid, to ignite a bright new light within us with love and inspiration. May our light grow so we may share it with others.”

  Approaching the white candle, the members of the circle turned clockwise as each member stopped and lit a taper from the flame of the center candle in the cauldron. Standing in a circle of candlelight, the group chanted, honoring the Goddess Brigid in all her forms.

  Lilly’s fingers tingled and her body grew warm. The magic spread to the core of her being. Again, the circle turned as each member, continuing the chant, placed their burning tapers in the sand around the large white candle in the cauldron.

  The circle reformed as Jolene instructed, “Keep the energy flowing. Focus your thoughts on sharing your creative healing light with others and with our Mother Earth. Feel the energy of this light flow from hand to hand and see it fill the circle and expand beyond. Your intention carries it.”

  Her instructions were not necessary, Lilly’s attention was on her tingling hands, and vibrating body. A powerful wave moved through her as the energy passed from the young man beside her in the circle, into her left hand, through her body and out of her other hand into her neighbor, Madeline’s, hand.

  White light danced behind her closed eyes as the vibrations grew stronger. Energy was building and shifting within her. She opened her eyes, a rainbow of glowing color swirled in her vision. A cone of energy formed in the center of the circle. “Aaahhh!” she gasped, as she watched the cone spiral up into the star filled sky.

  Closing her eyes, she floated in space through a matrix of energy. She felt herself connected to each person in the circle. Glowing hand in hand, they formed a circle of light beings. The bond was strong as each unique energy fed into the circle of light forming one powerful force. It was only a few minutes of earth time. To Lilly, it was an eternity of knowing oneness and unconditional love.

  The vision slipped away as she opened her eyes and looked around the circle. For the first time in her adult life, Lilly experienced a deep sense of belonging. A huge sigh welled from deep within her. She exhaled and the weight of the world lifted. Her next inhale filled her with light. The members of the coven exchanged wide eyed looks of amazement at the powerful vision they had shared.

  Jolene closed the ritual. “Mother of Life, of fire and inspiration. Thank you for your love and vision. We bid you hail and farewell. Blessed Be.”

  When the four quarters were released, the group joined hands and spoke as one;

  “Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.”

  Although the energy had been dispersed, Lilly was trembling. Each member of the coven pulled her into an embrace. As she put her arms around them, a matrix of vibrant spiritual energy began to build a bond of trust.

  Lilly shivered slightly in the night air, ran up to her apartment and changed from her ritual gown into jeans and a sweater. Running back downstairs she joined the other members of the coven in Jolene’s kitchen.

  This was the first time Lilly saw all the members of the group together. She knew Madeline and was excited to meet the rest of the coven members in physical form, having already merged with them as beings of light.

  The main topic of conversation was the shared visions the group had experienced during the ritual. They had never seen the flames appear in the four corners and the protective beings of light. Everyone was awed by the energy they experienced as one, floating in a glowing matrix of love and trust.

  James sat next to Lilly on the couch, and put his great bear arms around. “Congratulations on your first ritual Lyla, you did beautifully. How did you like it?”

  Lilly looked into the high priest’s vivid blue eyes and spoke sincerely, “I loved it. I’ve never been a part of anything so beautiful. The energies, invoked in the ritual vibrated through my body. Every cell was dancing with life, activated is the word that best describes it. I saw the guiding and protective spirits appear as they were invoked. Their energy was large, shining and benevolent as they surrounded our circle.”

  James was taken aback and took a moment to control his reaction, “Yes, you have a real gift. We all saw the beautiful energy you brought to the ritual. You are a welcome addition to this coven.”

  “Thank you. It is wonderful to be welcomed and appreciated.” James patted her on the shoulder in a fatherly gesture and went on to speak to the other members gathered around the room.

  Sitting next to Madeline on the couch, Lilly was introduced to the tall woman who had swung the censor during the ritual. Her name was Gemma. “Hi, Lyla, nice to meet you. I live on the ground floor, across the courtyard in apartment 11.”

  “I’m happy to meet you, Gemma,” Lilly said, suddenly shy. A beautiful smile played across Gemma’s full lips as she tossed her dark hair over her shoulders. Lilly noticed the heavy silver earrings set with glowing fire opals dangling from Gemma’s ears.

  “Your earrings are beautiful.”

  “Thanks, Lyla. These are from my collection of Gemma’s Gems.”

  Realization dawned on Lilly’s face, “Oh, you make the jewelry for the store!”

  “Yes, I make most of it. I have my studio set up in my spare bedroom. Come over and visit anytime.”

  Sabine came into the room and announced the food was on the table and it was time to eat. The door to the shop was open and a long table filled the center of the store. The group formed a circle, this time surrounding the feast laden table. They joined hands as James spoke the blessing, “Shining Sun, Holy Moon, Sacred Mother, Father, we thank you for this feast, for the blessing of good friends, companions and spiritual teachers. We thank the rooted ones, the winged ones and the four footed of this earth for their sacrifice which nourishes and strengthens our bodies and our spirits. Blessed be.”

  The circle responded with a resounding, “Blessed Be!”

  Walking around the table, filling her plate, Lilly got a good look at the rest of the members of the coven. They all lived in Panthea’s apartments. These were her neighbors and would be her friends. Smilin
g brightly, she took her plate and headed back to Jolene’s apartment.

  Jolene was sitting at the oak table in the kitchen and signaled Lilly to join her. They discussed the ritual for a few minutes, Jolene listened intently as Lilly told her about the experience of oneness she had during the ritual.

  They finished their meal and Jolene leaned close to Lilly and spoke quietly, “I have tried to scry for Pearl. I am sorry to say, I get nothing. The mirror remains dark.”

  “Oh, no! She is dead,” Lilly exclaimed.

  “No, that is not necessarily true. Don’t jump to conclusions, ma chere. Remember, she has a strong Fay bloodline, strong enough to block me from finding her. The faeries are hard to find on the physical plane and much harder to locate on the astral. I’m not giving up.”

  Tears stood in Lilly’s eyes, “Thank you, Jolene. It was kind of you to try.”

  “I am happy to help,” Jolene said as she shooed her out of the kitchen. “Go, go back into the parlor and have some fun. Get to know the other members of the coven. Enjoy yourself!”

  Lilly blinked away tears of joy and joined the group as they began to sing a bawdy song. She took a seat between Gemma and Madeline and joined in on the chorus.

  After hours of conversation, hugs, musical offerings and group songs, the members of Panthea’s coven said their goodbyes for the evening. It was after midnight when Lilly returned to her apartment, softly humming a tune.

  In the days following the ritual, Lilly was more determined than ever to learn all she could from Jolene, James and Sabine. She took advantage of quiet time in the store to read and listen closely to the teachings of her mentors.

  “The power of intention is the core of magic,” Jolene stated as they sat at the round table in her kitchen.

  Sabine, sitting across from her, chimed in, “There are many ways to hone intention and develop a vibration in alignment with one’s desire.”

  “This is the purpose of meditation and ritual. Through meditation you learn to know your true self. Through ritual you focus your intention,” Jolene explained.

  “As you progress in your studies of magic, as you increase your spiritual knowledge and strength, you will create a bridge of language between your conscious and subconscious mind. The language of the subconscious mind is symbols. Over time, you will learn to intentionally open and close your subconscious. Rituals will have deeper meaning and your world view will expand.” Jolene explained.

  Sabine’s voice filled her mind for a moment, “It’s imperative you remain grounded. You have a body to care for and an earthly life to enjoy. Don’t get so enamored of the higher dimensions, you lose your footing in the third dimension. You have chosen to incarnate. Be present. Enjoy it.”

  Lilly’s head turned from one to the other as the two priestesses seemed to bombard her with information. “Wait, wait a minute. You two are speaking too fast. Please give me time to take notes.”

  Sabine and Jolene nodded and repeated the lesson more slowly, giving Lilly time to take notes and absorb the information.

  Chapter 11

  The Jewel of Innana

  Lilly was stocking the incense display when Jolene locked the front door and flipped the CLOSED sign over. “We are closing early, Lilly. I would like to have a meeting with you when you finish with the incense.”

  Lilly looked up from the display, “I’ll be finished in a minute,” she said.

  Fifteen minutes later she was seated across from Jolene on a large cushion in the meditation temple. Jolene sat quietly, eyes closed, breathing deeply. Lilly followed her lead.

  After a few minutes, Jolene opened her eyes, took Lilly’s hand and spoke from her heart, “Lilly, I have been guided to present you with a sacred and powerful tool.” She picked up the purple velvet bag, resting in her lap and removed a large crystal suspended from a gold chain. An oval of lapis lazuli was set in the band of gold which encircled the top of crystal. The terminals were exposed and a subtle violet light moved within the six facets of the crystal.

  Jolene’s eyes looked steadily at Lilly. Her voice matched the intensity of her eyes as she spoke. “This crystal has been in my keeping for over fifty years. Its history is long, longer than the written history recognized by modern man.”

  Lilly’s eyebrows rose as her mouth opened slightly. Jolene smiled reassuringly and continued, “Through the centuries the crystal has been called by many names, among them the Jewel of Inanna, the Witches stone, the Inanna Crystal, the Queens’s stone and others. This crystal has a molecular structure almost identical to the quartz crystals found on Earth. However, there is a mutation in the crystalline structure which gives it advanced properties. Ancient Sumerian tablets contain information about this crystal and others like it. It was the Annunaki, the same off planet race that created the Faery people, who created the crystals. When they arrived on Earth they were integrating the sciences and highly developed technology with spirituality. Some of their crystals were used to run their technology, others were used by the priests and priestesses to communicate with the invisible realms and speak to one another mind to mind.

  “This crystal,” she said holding it up to catch the candle light, “belonged to the Priestess Inanna. As you can see the crystal holds the violet flame. It has the ability to align electromagnetic fields with higher vibrations, activate psychic powers, and possibly, serve as a teleportation device.

  “There are those in the magical world, the military and political arenas who would kill to get their hands on this implement. You must be discreet about your guardianship of this ancient artifact and the powerful energy it holds.”

  Lilly’s eyes grew large, “My guardianship?”

  Jolene nodded. “Yes, I am passing the Jewel of Inanna into your hands.”

  “Listen closely as this is information you will need as you begin to align with the power of the crystal.”

  Lilly’s shoulder’s stiffened and her stomach churned as she squeezed her eyes closed and leaned away from Jolene and the ancient crystal.

  Jolene smiled and took Lilly’s hand. “There is no need to fear the stone. It is a tool for psychic development, awakening, and connection to universal wisdom. It will not harm you.”

  She saw the look of confusion in Lilly’s eyes and tried to explain. “Everything vibrates at certain frequencies permeating time and space. This crystal vibrates at an extremely high frequency. It has the ability to shift and alter the frequencies of living organisms when they occupy the same space. Wearing it next to your skin will trigger a synchronization response.”

  “The physical law of resonance will lift your vibration to match the higher frequency of the stone. Your alignment with the crystal will happen slowly. In time, your nervous system will have the ability to develop and transmit information more rapidly. Aligning with the stone insures your consciousness will expand allowing you to see, hear and feel things others do not. It will also influence your health and longevity.

  “Guardianship of the crystal is the reason I was guided to offer you an early initiation. The rituals of initiation open your system and assist you in adapting and processing a higher amount of energy. This enables you to handle the accelerated energy emanating from the crystal. As you progress in your studies and receive higher initiations, your ability to understand and incorporate the energy of the crystal will increase. Be patient, and allow it to influence you gently.

  Lilly managed a whispered, “Oh.” Jolene was silent waiting for her to say something more. “So, it came from aliens?

  Jolene drew a deep breath and looked into her eyes.”Ancient history, recorded on thousands of tablets in ancient Sumeria, clearly states that the crystals were brought to earth by a highly advanced race from the planet Niburu. They were called the Annunaki. Were they aliens? I prefer to call them non-terrestrials. The primitive humans they encountered on Earth considered them to be gods and goddesses.

  “This crystal belonged to the Priestess Inanna, the most p
owerful Priestess of the Annunaki. Before she left Earth, Priestess Inanna entrusted her beloved servant and companion with her jewel incrusted scepter and the crystal filled with violet light. She charged her companion to safeguard the jewel and the scepter until she could return to Earth and claim them. Priestess Inanna, along with many of the Annunaki, departed Earth soon after.

  “The history of Inanna’s Jewel is long and filled with discrepancies and lies. One thing has been established as certain, the stone chooses the one who will most benefit from its properties. The stone and the energies surrounding it, sense when it is time to move to a new guardian. The crystal sends out strong vibrations through the subtle realms and higher dimensions. The Guardian holding the stone, attuned over time to the vibration of the crystal, receives tones and messages indicating it is time for the crystal to be passed to a new guardian. I have been receiving strong messages and know it is time to relinquish the sacred stone into your keeping.”

  As Jolene continued, a frown creased Lilly’s brow. “Mention of this crystal can be found in ancient texts from Malta to Italy to the Middle Eastern countries and throughout the continent of Africa. It was highly coveted. You can imagine, everyone wanted to be gifted with long life, knowledge, understanding of the subtle realms and unknown gifts unique to each guardian. However, no power play could force the sacred stone to belong to anyone. The crystal would attune to the one it chose and no one else.”

  “About 3500 years ago, during a cataclysmic volcanic eruption, the stone was buried with its guardian in a deep cave. Thus, the Jewel of Inanna disappeared. Generations passed and stories of the power of a magical stone became the stuff of myths and legends.”

  “Centuries later, a wandering Druid felt the pull of the stone and found it beneath bones and rubble in the ancient cave. The Druid treasured it. Using the strength and wisdom gained from his long life and the high frequencies imparted through the stone, he became a great teacher. He was known as the Merlin, Mentor of Kings. From his example future kings learned compassion. From the wisdom he shared, they learned the benefits of using the power found in the heart and the cultivated mind over brute force. These kings have passed from history and are the stuff of legend.