אֶת-הַמַּסְוֶה
with the mask ... Shemot 34:35
Last week, we saw the relevance of the witch's hat to the office of kehunah (priestesshood) and to generating the Divine occult energy through which magic may be performed. The ritually generated energy (as symbolized with the witch's hat) is perceived in the form of a cone circling up, from tav (the final lowest most differentiated magical letter of the Hebrew alphabet) to aleph (the first highest most paradoxically Divine-human magical letter of the Hebrew alphabet), from the evocative (summoning up) direction of involutionary (most outward to most inward) consciousness. This week, we shall see the relevance of the witch's mask to bringing down and utilizing that energy, from aleph to tav, from the invocative (expressive) direction of evolutionary (most inward to most outward) consciousness.
The Hebrew word הַמַּסְוֶה, meaning 'mask', begins and ends with the letter hei (ה), a grammatically feminine letter. Consequently, we can see then that we are dealing with an element of the Divine Feminine, of Goddess. That specific element is a mask of Goddess - in other words, a Goddess mask. Goddess Herself casts Her sacred circle around Her mask by encompassing, surrounding and entering into the Hebrew word for mask (namely, הַמַּסְוֶה) with two Divine feminine letters hei.
The Hebrew word et (אֶת), in this case meaning 'with', is not be translated directly through understanding but indirectly through inherently known inference and actualized association. Et is purely a grammatical word implying a global inclusiveness of everything that is and is not. Additionally, there is no 'space' separating the word אֶת from the word הַמַּסְוֶה - the two words are inseparably joined together (אֶת-הַמַּסְוֶה), Goddess and Her Mask, the witch and her mask. Et carries the connotation of all from aleph to tav, and also carries the connotation of 'coming to add'. Thus, Goddess comes to add (as symbolized by the witch's mask) Her blessing to the Divinely magical energy ritually generated (as symbolized by the witch's hat) within the sacred circle. It is with the witch's mask that Goddess Herself enters into, empowers and blesses the sacred magic conjured up within the witch's circle. The witch's mask is a vessel of Goddess, Her power and Her blessing.
Here is shown the handcrafted leather Goddess mask I've acquired following last week's Full Moon witchy Purimfest for Samhain this year. The hand tooled top quality vegetable tanned leather is painted metallic black with an overlay of shimmering iridescent purple, and embellished with black dimensional painting. All of the leather forming, painting and design work is done freehand. Black and silver satin ribbons add the perfect finishing touch. A one of a kind artful expression, my Goddess mask is exquisite and enchantingly magical.
