A
Rite to Sirius: Sothis & Tishtrya (Tir)
by Payam Nabarz
Bust of Isis-Sothis-Demeter in Vatican City from Tivoli, Hadrian's
Villa Palestra (131-138 AD).
Preface:
This Sirius rite focuses on the Egyptian (Sothis) and the
Persian/Vedic form (Tishtrya/Tir). The Persian Tir and the Nordic Tyr
seem to be linked and have some interesting similarities.
The name of the Persian God Tir means an 'arrow' (modern day
interpretations include bullet too). The Nordic Tyr, in runic language
has the actual letter T shaped like an arrow head/spear, it could mean
arrow or spear, as well as victory. Both these deities are sky god
connections and are also warrior gods. The Tishtrya hymn also mentions
arrows being fired.
Legend of arash-kamangir (bowman) fires an arrow to mark borders of
ancient Persia and is celebrated as part of Tir festival (Tigran:
Summer Solstice).
Mithra as the bowman opens the way to Tir the arrow.
The water connection of Sothis and Tir is equally interesting. The
heliacal rising of Sirius hails Tir as the bringer of rain in Persia
and denotes Sothis as the bringer of floods in Egypt.
Canis Major the Great Dog of the sky perhaps acts as a celestial ‘man’s
best friend’; a stellar guardian deity of our solar system!
Sirius is the sun behind the sun. In heat of the ‘dog days’ the extent
of the ‘dual’ influence of this star becomes most manifest, as
the bringer of extensive heat and also rain/floods to quench the heat;
the ultimate double edged sword.
All of this information is just the tip of a very interesting
iceberg. This rite aims to shed some light onto these mysteries; the
intent of rite is to receive an oracle from Sirius.
Altar Set up:
• Candles or tea lights lit and place on altar in
shape of constellation Canis major.
• Altar to contain a large chalice full of water
which is to be sprinkled on all.
• Moldavite (meteorite) stone.
• Incense and incense burner.
• Offerings: Plate of summer fruits, bread, meat. A
chalice of wine and a chalice of milk.
• Sistrum.
• Altar cloth to have stars on it.
• Rune letter T (Tyr).
arash-kamangir
Rune T: Tyr
Participates: seven mystes to volunteer, each to read their
section. Seven volunteers for seven directions.
Opening.
-All begin by the tree mediation.
'Tree meditation'(Viviane Crowley): visualise yourself growing roots
into the earth and making connection. Allow roots to come out of your
feet into the earth and then feel the earth energy raise up, to your
ankles, calfs, knees, thighs, and groin, up the spine. Higher up the
spine to the back of the neck. Feel the energy filling the front of
your body, stomach, chest and then down the arms. Next, let the energy
reach your head and filling with its light. Imagine yourself as tree,
with roots in soil and in the past. Its tree trunk solid in the present
and your branches reaching the future and high into the sky and basking
in sunlight. Feel yourself centred and connected to both sky and earth.
Then visualise the circle.
-All hold hands and cast circle as expansion of tree meditation forming
a Grove.
Each person is visualising being a tree, when you hold hands, the trees
begin connecting and a Grove of trees is formed.
All seven directions to be open by volunteers using their own words.
East (air), South (fire), West (water), North (earth). above, below,
and within.
Mystes 1: TO THE STARS. (The Hymns of Orpheus)
WITH holy voice we call the stars on high,
Pure sacred lights and genii of the sky.
Celestial stars, the progeny of Night,
In whirling circles beaming far your light,
Refulgent rays around the heav'ns ye throw,
Eternal fires, the source of all below.
With flames significant of Fate ye shine,
And aptly rule for men a path divine.
In seven bright zones ye run with wand'ring flames,
And heaven and earth compose your lucid frames:
With course unwearied, pure and fiery bright
Forever shining thro' the veil of Night.
Hail twinkling, joyful, ever wakeful fires!
Propitious shine on all our just desires;
These sacred rites regard with conscious rays,
And begin our works devoted to your praise.1
Mystes 2: I invoke Sothis, Goddess of the star Sirius. And even
when the Star of Knephhas has brought the summer round, and the Nile
rises fast and full along the thirsty ground, you bless us. Yet are you
two stars, Twin Beings. When Zulamith the Bold and Salami the Fair were
building the Milky Way, they were separated for a thousand years as
they toiled. When the road was finished, they were united:
“Straight rushed into each other's arms
And melted into one:
So they become the brightest star
In heaven’s high arch that dwelt -
Great Sirius, the mighty Sun
Beneath Orion's belt.” 2
Mystes 3:
Canis Major
(by: Robert Frost)
The great Overdog
That heavenly beast
With a star in one eye
Gives a leap in the east.
He dances upright
All the way to the west
And never once drops
On his forefeet to rest.
I'm a poor underdog,
But to-night I will bark
With the great Overdog
That romps through the dark.3
Mystes 4:
I am she that is the natural mother of all things, mistresses and
governesses of all the Elements, the initial progeny of worlds, chief
of powers divine, Queen of heaven! the principal of the Gods celestial,
the light of the goddesses: at my will the planets of the air, the
wholesome winds of the Seas, and the silences of hell be disposed; my
name, my divinity is adored throughout all the world in divers manners,
in variable customs and in many names, for the Phrygians call me the
mother of the Gods: the Athenians, Minerva: the Cyprians, Venus: the
Candians, Diana: the Sicilians Proserpina: the Eleusians, Ceres: some
Juno, other Bellona, other Hecate: and principally the Ethiopians which
dwell in the Orient, and the Egyptians which are excellent in all kind
of ancient doctrine, and by their proper ceremonies accustom to worship
me, doe call me Queen Isis.4
Mystes5 :
Behold him, Hathor, mistress, from heaven,
See him, Hathor, mistress, from lightland,
Hear him, flaming one, from ocean!
Behold him, queen of gods, from sky, from earth,
From Nubia, from Libya, from Manu, from Bakhu,'
From each land, from each place, where your majesty shines
Behold what is in his inmost,
Though his mouth speaks not;
His heart is straight, his inmost open,
No darkness is in his breast!
He reveres you, 0 queen of gods,
Give that he live!5
Mystes 6:
Hymn to Hathor
Let me worship the Golden One
Let me honor her Majesty and exalt the Lady of Heaven;
Let me give adoration to Hathor and songs of joy to my heavenly
Mistress!
I beg her to hear my petitions that she send me my Beloved now!
Let me consecrate breath to my Goddess
that she give me Love as a gift!6
Mystes 7:
Tishtar (Tir) Yasht (Hymn to the Star Sirius)
(Note: Tishtrya is the Persian angel (Yazad) of the star Sirius.
Tishtrya also presides over the fourth month and the thirteenth day of
each month. Sirius also directs the rain, this is an abridged version
of this hymn. It covers Tir story from: helical raising of Sirius,
bringer of rain, who flies like a arrow, his manifestation as young
man, a bull and a white horse, his battle against draught, and bring
fertility and rain onto the land).
Unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star, and unto the powerful
'We worship the Tishtrya, whereby he protects
the Moon, the dwelling, the food, when my glorious stars come
along and impart their gifts to men. We will sacrifice unto the
star Tishtrya, that gives the fields their share of waters.
'We offer up libations unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious
star, that gives happy dwelling and good dwelling; the white,
shining, seen afar, and piercing; the health-bringing, loud-snorting,
and high, piercing from afar with its shining, undefiled rays;
and unto the waters of the wide sea and the species of the Bull.
'For his brightness and glory, I will offer unto him a sacrifice
worth being heard, namely, unto the star Tishtrya.
'Unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star, we offer up the
libations, the Haoma and meat, the baresma, the wisdom of the
tongue, the holy spells, the speech, the deeds, the libations,
and the rightly-spoken words.
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
who is the seed of the waters, powerful, tall, and strong, whose
light goes afar; powerful and highly working, through whom the
brightness and the seed of the waters come from the high Apam
Napat.
'For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth
being heard....
We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star;
for whom long flocks and herds and men, looking forward for him
and deceived in their hope: "When shall we see him rise up,
the bright and glorious star Tishtrya? When will the springs run
with waves as thick as a horse's size and still thicker? Or will
they never come?"
'For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth
being heard....
Mystes 1:
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star;
who flies, towards the sea, as swiftly as the arrow
darted through the heavenly space, which Erekhsha, the swift archer,
the Arya amongst the Aryas whose arrow was the swiftest, shot
from Mount to Mount.
'For Ahura Mazda gave him assistance; so did the waters and
the plants; and Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, opened a wide
way unto him.
'For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth
being heard....
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
that afflicts the Pairikas, that vexes the Pairikas, who, in the
shape of worm-stars, fly between the earth and the heavens, in
the sea, the powerful sea, the large-sized, deep sea
of salt waters. He goes to its lake in the shape of a horse, in
a holy shape; and down there he makes the waters boil over, and
the winds flow above powerfully all around.
Those waters flow down to the seven continents of the earth, and when
he has arrived down there, he stands, beautiful, spreading ease and joy
on the fertile countries
(thinking in himself): "How shall the countries of the Aryas grow
fertile?"
Mystes 2:
'"If men would worship me with a sacrifice in which I
were invoked by my own name, as they worship the other Yazatas
with sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names,
then I should have come to the faithful at the appointed time;
I should have come in the appointed time of my beautiful, immortal
life, should it be one night, or two nights, or fifty, or a hundred
nights."
'We sacrifice unto the rains of Tishtrya. We sacrifice unto the first
star; we sacrifice unto the rains of the first star, whose
eye-sight is sound.
'For ten nights, Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star, mingles his
shape with light, moving in the shape of a man of fifteen years of age,
bright, with clear eyes,
tall, full of strength, strong, and clever.
'He is active as the first man was; he goes on with the strength of the
first man; he has the virility of the first man.
'Here he calls for people to assemble, here he asks, saying:
"Who now will offer me the libations with the Haoma and the
holy meat? To whom shall I give wealth of healthy children, a troop
of healthy children, and the purification of his own soul?
Mystes 3:
'The next ten nights the bright and glorious Tishtrya mingles his shape
with light, moving in the shape of a golden-horned bull.
'Here he calls for people to assemble, here he asks, saying:
"Who now will offer me the libations with the Haoma and the
holy meat? To whom shall I give wealth of oxen, a herd of oxen,
and the purification of his own soul?
'The next ten nights, the bright and glorious Tishtrya mingles his
shape with light, moving in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with
golden ears and a golden
caparison.
'Here he calls for people to assemble, here he asks, saying:
"Who now will offer me the libations with the Haoma and the holy meat?
To whom shall I give wealth of horses, a troop of horses,
and the purification of his own soul?
'Then, the bright and glorious Tishtrya goes down to the sea
in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and a golden
caparison.
'But there rushes down to meet him the Daeva Apaosha (Draught), in the
shape of a dark horse, black with black ears, black with a black
back, black with a black tail, stamped with brands of terror.
'They meet together, hoof against hoof, the bright and glorious
Tishtrya and the Daeva Apaosha. They fight together for three days and
three nights.
And then the Daeva Apaosha proves stronger than the bright and
glorious Tishtrya, he overcomes him.
Mystes 4:
'And Tishtrya flees from the sea. He cries out in woe and distress, the
bright
and glorious Tishtrya: "Woe is me, O Ahura Mazda! I am in
distress, O Waters and Plants! O Fate
Men do not worship me with a sacrifice in which I am
invoked by my own name, as they worship the other Yazatas with
sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names.
"If men had worshipped me with a sacrifice in which
I had been invoked by my own name, as they worship the other Yazatas
with sacrifices in which they are invoked by their own names,
I should have taken to me the strength of ten horses, the strength
of ten camels, the strength of ten bulls, the strength of ten
mountains, the strength of ten rivers."
'Then I, Ahura Mazda, offer up to the bright and glorious
Tishtrya a sacrifice in which he is invoked by his own name, and
I bring him the strength of ten horses, the strength of ten camels,
the strength of ten bulls, the strength of ten mountains, the
strength of ten rivers.
Mystes 5:
'Then, the bright and glorious Tishtrya goes down to the sea in the
shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and golden
caparison.
'But there rushes down to meet him the Daeva Apaosha (Draught) in the
shape of a dark horse, black with black ears, black with a black
back, black with a black tail, stamped with brands of terror.
'They meet together, hoof against hoof, the bright and glorious
Tishtrya, and the Daeva Apaosha; they fight together, till the time of
noon. Then the
bright and glorious Tishtrya proves stronger than the Daeva Apaosha,
he overcomes him.
'Then he goes from the sea "Hail!" cries the bright and glorious
Tishtrya.
"Hail unto me, O Ahura Mazda! Hail unto you, O waters and
plants! Hail, O Law of the worshippers! Hail will it
be unto you, O lands! The life of the waters will flow down unrestrained
to the big-seeded corn fields, to the small-seeded pasture-fields,
and to the whole of the material world!"
Then the bright and glorious Tishtrya goes back down to the sea, in the
shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and a golden
caparison.
'He makes the sea boil up and down; he makes the sea stream
this and that way; he makes the sea flow this and that way: all
the shores of the sea are boiling over, all the middle
of it is boiling over.
Mystes 6:
'And the bright and glorious Tishtrya rises up from the sea the bright
and glorious Satavaesa rises up from the sea and vapours rise up above
Mount
that stands in the middle of the sea.
'Then the vapours push forward, in the regular shape of clouds;
they go following the wind, along the ways which Haoma traverses,
the increaser of the world. Behind him travels the mighty wind,
made by Mazda, and the rain, and the cloud, and the sleet, down
to the several places, down to the fields, down to the seven continent
of the earth.
'Apam Napat, divides the waters amongst the countries in the
material world, in company with the mighty wind, the Glory, made by the
waters.
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
who from the shining east, moves along his long winding course,
along the path made by the gods, along the way appointed for him
the watery way.
Mystes 7: 'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
whose rising is watched by men who live on the fruits of the year,
by the chiefs of deep understanding; by the wild beasts in the
mountains, by the tame beasts that run in the plains; they watch
him, as he comes up to the country for a bad year, or for a good
year, (thinking in themselves): "How shall the Aryan countries
be fertile?"
'For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth
being heard....
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
swift-flying and swift-moving, who flies towards the sea,
as swiftly as the arrow darted through the heavenly space, which
Erekhsha, the swift archer, the Arya amongst the Aryas whose arrow
was the swiftest, shot from Mount to Mount.
'Ahura Mazda gave him assistance, and the Amesha-Spentas and
Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, pointed him the way: behind
him went the tall Ashish Vanguhi and Parendi on her light chariot:
always till, in his course, he reached Mount Hvanvant on the shining
waters.
'For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth being
heard....
Mystes 1:
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
who afflicts the Pairikas, who destroys the Pairikas, that Angra
Mainyus flung to stop all the stars that have in them the seed
of the waters.
'Tishtrya afflicts them, he blows them away from the sea Vouru-Kasha;
then the wind blows the clouds forward, bearing the waters of
fertility, so that the friendly showers spread wide over, they
spread helpingly and friendly over the seven continents.
'For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth
being heard....
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
for whom long the standing waters, and the running spring-waters,
the stream-waters, and the rain-waters:
'"When will the bright and glorious Tishtrya rise up
for us? When will the springs with a flow and overflow of waters,
thick as a horse's shoulder, run to the beautiful places and fields,
and to the pastures, even to the roots of the plants, that they
may grow with a powerful growth?"
'For his brightness and glory, I will offer him a sacrifice worth
being heard....
Mystes 2:
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
who washes away all things of fear, who stunts the growth of all
and brings health to all these creations, being most beneficent,
when he has been worshipped with a sacrifice and propitiated,
rejoiced, and satisfied.
'We will sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
whom has established as a lord and overseer above all stars,
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
to whom Ahura Mazda has given a thousand senses, and who is the
most beneficent amongst the stars that have in them the seed of
the waters:
'Who moves in light with the stars that have in them the seed
of the waters: he, from the sea Vouru-Kasha, the powerful sea,
the large-sized, deep, and salt of waters, goes to all the lakes,
and to all the beautiful caves, and to all the beautiful channels,
in the shape of a white, beautiful horse, with golden ears and
a golden caparison.
'Then, the waters flow down from the sea, mother-like, friendly, and
healing: he divides
them amongst these countries, being most beneficent, when he has
been worshipped with a sacrifice and propitiated rejoiced, and
satisfied.....
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
for whom long all the creatures, those that live
under the ground, and those that live above the ground; those
that live in the waters, and those that live on dry land; those
that fly, and those that run in the plains; and all those that
live within this boundless and endless world of the Spirit.
'We sacrifice unto Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star,
the healthful, wise, happy, and powerful, who is the lord of a
thousand boons, and grants many boons to that man who has pleased
him, whether begging or not begging for them.
'If the Aryan countries, would perform in honour of the bright and
glorious Tishtrya the due sacrifice and invocation, just as that
sacrifice and invocation ought to
be performed in the perfection of holiness; never should a hostile
horde enter these Aryan countries, nor any plague, nor leprosy,
nor venomous plants, nor the chariot of a foe, nor the uplifted
spear of a foe.'
'What is then, the sacrifice and invocation in honour of the bright and
glorious Tishtrya,
as it ought to be performed in the perfection of holiness?'
Answered: 'Let the Aryan nations bring libations
unto him; let the Aryan nations tie bundles of baresma for him;
let the Aryan nations cook for him a head of cattle, either white,
or black, or of any other colour, but all of one and the same
colour.
'We bless the sacrifice and prayer, and the strength and vigour
of Tishtrya, the bright and glorious star, and of the powerful
Satavaesa, made by Mazda, who pushes waters forward.
Give unto us brightness and glory, .... give us the
bright, all-happy, blissful abode of the holy Ones.'
-Mediate to music.
Play music (an appropriate song would contain sounds of water and
drumming to help oracle, we using a piece of Sufi music which has sound
of waterfall in it) and continue to mediate the music.
-After the music end person most moved gives an Oracle of Sirius.
-Saying of thanks to spirits.
-Sending of Blessings.
-Final thanks to Sirius and stars.
Mystes 1: TO THE STARS. (The Hymns of Orpheus)
WITH holy voice we called the stars on high,
Pure sacred lights and genii of the sky.
Celestial stars, the progeny of Night,
In whirling circles beaming far your light,
Refulgent rays around the heavens ye throw,
Eternal fires, the source of all below.
With flames significant of Fate ye shine,
And aptly rule for men a path divine.
In seven bright zones ye run with wandering flames,
And heaven and earth compose your lucid frames:
With course unwearied, pure and fiery bright
Forever shining thro' the veil of Night.
Hail twinkling, joyful, ever wakeful fires!
Propitious shine on all my just desires;
These sacred rites regard with conscious rays,
And end our works devoted to your praise.
Closing of seven direction in reverse order.
References.
1. The Hymns of Orpheus translated by Thomas Taylor 1792.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hoo/index.htm
2. Winter star rite by Olivia Robertson. www.fellowshipofisis.com
3. From "Complete Poems of Robert Frost", 1916.
http://www.internal.org/view_poem.phtml?poemID=115
4. The Golden Ass by Lucius Apuleius "Africanus" Translated by William
Adlington [1566] Book 11. http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/ga/ga48.htm
5. http://www.egypta.com/story.asp
6. http://www.avesta.org/ka/yt8sbe.htm
Issue 3 of The Oracle occult magazine (Autumn Equinox 2005) had a very
interesting article on Sirius by Frater Indred and mentioned that the
proper name of Sirius with in Tyr constellation was Loki brand. Its a
two part article, followed in issue 4.
Author Biography:
Payam Nabarz, is author of ‘The Mysteries of Mithras: The Pagan Belief
That Shaped the Christian World’ (Inner Traditions, 2005), and ‘The
Persian Mar Nameh: The Zoroastrian Book of the Snake Omens &
Calendar’ (Twin Serpents, 2006). He is the editor of the forth coming
‘Mithras Readers Vol I: an academic and religious journal of Greek,
Roman and Persian Studies’.
