Among the Goddesses

Marie Moving, Book 3: Astarte

47 Book 3: Astarte Wet with the pouring drinking of starlight, I stumbled, shocked, up the path to my own house, where I was suddenly forced to be calm by the new presence of what she had promised. It was the stone, solid, rounded, dense, warmed from within by a universe, over three feet of carved gold sandstone, right in the path. I knew I had found her, balanced on the brim between water and land. Under the dog-star that shone much brighter with the sparkle of the dried tears of a child down on my hair, I was empty, excited, full of the great guest and lost for a time, in the new night that was darker than the old. I half-rolled, half-rocked her to safety in front of the house, settled her by the stairs— sacred Astarte, a goddess of earth— went in, lay down, and then the rain poured. Brigid lay at my feet and whimpered. All night, roots forced their way through darkness. Morning was easy. I was born. trees had sprouted around the stone. They spoke like aspens, though stronger than aspens . . . Kouretes: They spoke like aspens, though stronger than aspens . . . Voice of Astarte: Then plant me now Kouretes: Astarte is calling, 48 Voice of Astarte: Then plant me now Kouretes: from ancient wind-beaten pillars, Voice of Astarte: Then plant me now Kouretes: from deep-rooted altars all over the planet, Voice of Astarte: Then plant me now Then plant me now Kouretes: Then plant me now During the chanting, Lily goes to get a shovel and bucket and bends to dig out the trees from the earth and pile them in the bucket. Kouretes: “then plant me now,” I heard Astarte calling, from ancient wind-beaten pillars, from deep-rooted altars all over the planet, till I sang to myself, as I started to dig them, for the vision of Isis, the memory of Eve, and for myself, for the growth of Marie. Lily (putting the last tree in her bucket, straightening up): I will plant these trees for Astarte, wherever they take me, wherever I go— up and down the coast of Oregon, up and down the coast of California, on the gray beaches and next to the gray waves, 49 I will plant these trees for Astarte. I’ll look for the friend of Eve’s in San Francisco. She walks off the stage as the lights dim. Scene 2. Morning. A road with a small town in the distance. Lily is walking along the road, wearing a backpack decorated with spirals and goddess-eyes, carrying the trees in a bucket. Lily: The rusty leaves of Astarte’s trees, the star-studded green leaves keep guiding me on, to move through my life to the next place of worship . . . She stops to plant one of the trees and walks again. Lily: Night after night and day after day, carrying the trees to plant for Astarte, day after day and night after night, She passes through a dark glade or tunnel and reemerges. Lily: Night after night and day after day Lily enters a town and walks into a churchyard with old graves, where she puts her sleeping bag on the ground next to the church wall. Lily: It looks dark here; the moonlight is blocked by walls. She shivers and looks around, puts her backpack carefully on the ground, and 50 lies down in the sleeping bag. Scene 3. Night. Moon over the grassy lawn in the shade of the looming, shadowy church as Lily sleeps. Kouretes: by the wall of a church in a small dark town Lily (startling awake, murmuring): What’s happening?! She settles back uneasily to sleep. A few minutes pass. The shadow of a man appears clearly on the church wall in the moonlight. Kouretes: by the wall of a church in a small dark town Lily moves in her sleep. Man (crouching over her, whispering): Who’s here?— Who’s this?— A woman! A woman! Listen—breathing! (louder whisper) Thy will be done! (He goes to her backpack. Lily stirs again.) What does she have here? Books! Books! A candle! Bells! Books of the devil! Clothes! More clothes! More books of the devil! 51 Lily (waking and whispering to herself in fear): A shadow! A shadow! man: Oh...