Invocation Of The Priestess

by Jezibell

I dance in memory of ancient mystery,
Of a rich golden land and a warm brown river,
Where the sky is an arc of lapis lazuli,
And the date palms shimmer verdant in the incandescent sun.

When I dance,
I am a priestess of Isis, Lady of the Sea.
Isis Amenti, the Hidden One.
Wrapped in foam and mist,
Undulating, incubating, inundating,
Flowing through tides and currents,
Swirling iridescent against the sky.

When I dance,
I am a priestess of Isis, Lady of Flame,
And Her light glows in my body.
I open like the lotus,
Like a snake, like a hawk,
Protected by the Ankh.
The Eye of Horus awakens my vision.

Isis, Embracer of the Land, Jewel of the Wind -
My dance is gift and sacrifice, honor and burden,
Service and ceremony.

She has been ignored, but She is not unknown.
She has been forgotten, but She has not faded.
Her whispers echo in the veil of night,
And Her magick still sparks the waters.
She rises luminous, in peace and beauty.
She is the prophecy of sorcery.
She is the Voice of the Cobra.
Hear Her now!

About This Poem

This poem first appeared in a newsletter local to the New York City area called Our Pagan Times. Jezibell has performed this poem and another, The Utterance Of Isis [also on this web site], back-to-back and then done a mystical dance with big gold wings.

About The Poet

Jezibell is a poet, actress, bellydancer, teacher, and Wiccan High Priestess who lives and works in New York City.

As a dancer, she has studied for many years at the Serena Studio, where she now teaches. With an exciting repertoire of American bellydance, Middle-Eastern folkloric elements, and Goddess/ritual dance, Jezibell is in demand for performances at clubs, restaurants, nursing homes, and festivals, as well as private parties. She also performs with the Serena Dance Theater and has danced with the Egyptian/American Folkloric Troupe.

Jezibell has been writing poetry for most of her life as a form of both catharsis and creative expression. Her insights and imagery flow out of her spiritual life, her dance, and her wide-ranging studies of ancient history, culture and mythology, especially of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece. Her work has appeared in such diverse publications as Nomad's Choir, Perceptions, Xenophilia, Our Pagan Times, and Circle Network News.

Special events have given Jezibell opportunities to combine her multi-faceted interests in poetry, dance, and spirituality. Her dance performances sometimes include brief introductions with poetry to set the mood for the flowing movements of her innovative choreography. For example, she has done readings of her Isis poems, this one and The Utterance Of Isis [also on this web site], followed by a sublime dance using ethereal, life-size golden wings. She also dances with a sword, demonstrating extraordinary balance, and does a haunting performance in a darkened room while holding candles that cast an exotic glow on her every gesture and motion. Further, she uses her dance and poetry skills in ritual and Goddess circles, as well as in her role as a teacher of Paganism at Enchantments, a well-known source of Goddess information and materials.

For further information about any aspect of her work or upcoming performances, she can be contacted at Jezibell@earthlink.net.