In the mystical and enchanting land of Avaloria, there lived an amiable magician named Merlin. With his long white beard and twinkling blue eyes, he captivated the hearts of both young and old. Merlin was known for his extraordinary powers and ability to create wonders from thin air. One day, while strolling through the vibrant gardens of Avaloria, Merlin stumbled upon a peculiar rose. Its petals were a deep shade of purple, unlike any other flower he had ever seen. Intrigued, Merlin leaned in closer to inspect the unique blossom when suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the garden, whispering eerie incantations.
Trained in anthropology and a variety of magical traditions, Lilith Dorsey has been a Voodoo Priestess for nearly 30 years. Dorsey has initiations in Santeria (or Lucumi), Haitian Vodou, and New Orleans Voodoo and they are also the author of the bestselling book Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens , which seamlessly blends folklore and mythology with practical spellwork.
Rabbi Isaac formulated the myth of the evil worlds which were destroyed before this world was created, a myth which became a central motif in the kabbalah. More particularly the women who are called Kadishtu, means sinless, stainless and lily , had monopolized agricultural economics, services of the temple of the Goddess and scholarly traditions.
Intrigued, Merlin leaned in closer to inspect the unique blossom when suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the garden, whispering eerie incantations. Unbeknownst to Merlin, this rose held a powerful curse, cast by an evil sorceress who sought to bring chaos and darkness to Avaloria. The curse would bind Merlin's magic, rendering him helpless and weak.
Samael, Lilith, and the Concept of Evil in Early Kabbalah
The description of the divine world as a mythical struggle between good and evil is one of the basic symbols of the kabbalah, and a detailed mythology based on it is found in the Zohar late in the thirteenth century. The main source of the Zohar on this subject is a treatise by Rabbi Isaac ha-Kohen, called “On the Emanation on the Left,” written in Spain at the beginning of the second half of the thirteenth century, a generation before the Zohar. The problem studied here is: What were the sources of Rabbi Isaac's myth of evil?
Rabbi Isaac described Samael and Lilith as a pair, being the central powers in the Emanation on the Left. It seems that the literary development which brought forth this formula began with the myth of Lilith as presented in the satirical Pseudo-Ben Sira (tenth century?) and later revisions of that work which were known in Europe in the eleventh century and included a description of a sexual relationship between Lilith and a “Great Demon,” who was later identified as Samael. Both Lilith and Samael in these stories are not principles of evil; this transformation probably occurred only in the work of Rabbi Isaac.
When describing the levels of the spiritual world, Rabbi Isaac discussed a sphere he called “third air” which is the source of both prophetic visions and “use” of demons. This concept seems to be derived from the writings of Rabbi Judah the Pious and Rabbi Eleazar of Worms, the Ashkenazi Hasidim, early in the thirteenth century. In their works, however, there are no dualistic or mythical elements; these were probably added by Rabbi Isaac.
Rabbi Isaac formulated the myth of the evil worlds which were destroyed before this world was created, a myth which became a central motif in the kabbalah. It seems that this too is derived from the works of the Ashkenazi Hasidim, though it was Rabbi Isaac who added the mythology and the dualism. It should be noted that among such additions and elaborations by Rabbi Isaac we also find a detailed messianic myth which was rare if not absent among previous kabbalists.
It has been considered that Lilith derived from Sumerian language origin ‘líl’ means “air, wind”, and was transferred to Akkadian language as lilītu. Lilith name is firstly encountered in Epic of Gılgamesh as a wrapped snake around Huluppu Tree of The Great Mother Goddess Inanna. As is seen in this epic, in early ancient times, Lilith is a female demon in snake form. Therefore, she has been identified with Lamashtu and Lamia which are snake forms in most cultures of Mesopotamia and Levant. It has been known that both are infanticides. Because of this identification Lilith has been described as “infanticide” until today. On the other hand, in the ancient times, Lilith has not accepted only as a demon. Her position in the eye of community always straddled the line between godlikeness and wickedness. Because in the period of Sumerian-Babylonian, in which Inanna (Ishtar) is glorified by name “Queen of Heavens and Earth”, the belief predominated that the Goddess is a resource of all kinds of beauties and abundance as well as warfare and destruction. By means of this high prestige of the Goddess, it has been known that the religion of the Goddess had emancipated to women especially in her capital Uruk and in most city-states. More particularly the women who are called Kadishtu, means “sinless, stainless and lily”, had monopolized agricultural economics, services of the temple of the Goddess and scholarly traditions. This position exhibits the superior social status which could be bestowed on a woman in those times. In this period, Lilith has continued her demonic character. On the other side, she has been identified with Inanna (Ishtar) and she has symbolized the harlotry of the temple. On that secondary sense Lilith has become to represent the negative sides of the Goddess with her characteristics such as sexuality, aggression and misandry. The fact that Lilith has begun to represent the negative sides of the Goddess has enabled the belief that the Goddess is baleful. Thus, the Goddess had become the focus of vulgarity, combativeness, immorality and all evils. For this reason, Inanna/Ishtar had been narrated as an aggressive goddess in myths more often. When Jahwism-Judaism began to settle in Levant region in terms of politics and religion, Lilith who had identified the religion of Goddess and demonic characters, has become the villain in the battle of Judaism against the religion of Goddess. She crossed into Jewish mythology with all her characteristics and here she has reached the peak of evil as the most dangerous feminine demon with her infertile and salacious character. First and only reference to Lilith in Hebrew Bible is in Isaiah 34:14. Her adventure in Jewish mythology has started with this reference. In this pasuk, Lilith has been mentioned as a metaphor of God’s wrath to people of Edom which is the greatest enemy of Israel. Accordingly, Lilith, the Virgin of ruins and wild lands, has been described as an enormous pain which would take Edom to the age of chaos before genesis. In this passage, she is a symbol of terror which the Holy One YHWH spreads to the polytheist people. In a sense, non-believers suffered the wrath of God through her. In the Rabbinic period, the scholars accepted the myth of Lilith as it was in the ancient period and adopted it to the Jewish culture. They portrayed Lilith as a dangerous feminine devil who seduces men and causes women to suffer a miscarriage. In the Midrashic literature she has been referred as the reason of all evil factors in the history of humanity and Judaism. In accordance with this belief, in the stories of people of Edom in Hebrew Bible where they suffer fatalities, Lilith has been adapted to Esau and his devil Samael. In this new picture, she is the harlot wife of Samael and the feminine devil of Esau’s lineage and people of Edom which stands against Children of Israel. In the late Midrashic period, the origin of Lilith has been traced all the way back to genesis. This once, Lilith is described as the first wife of Adam, who dissuaded Eve and caused to be expelled from the garden of Eden. By this interpretation, Jewish scholars not only have tried to clarify the paradoxical and ambiguous pasuks in Genesis, but also they have reshaped the fall of humanity. Also, they have strengthened the religious basis of patriarchal Jewish mentality. Today, the character of Lilith is influential on feminist Jewish women. Jewish women, who are alienated from the religious and social arena because of patriarchal religious Jewish idea, leap in action by means of feminist ideas. While some of them deny the religion and Holy Bible, others try to reconcile between feminist ideas and Holy Bible and pave the way for reinterpreting the religion. Particularly, for the latter, Lilith is an important symbol. She is the voice of challenging the male-dominated life style and the pioneer of the philosophical questioning.
As he plucked the rose, the curse took effect, spreading through his veins like venom. Slowly, Merlin's once vibrant magic started to fade. Simple spells he once performed effortlessly became a struggle. Each whisper of an incantation felt like an eternity, draining him of his strength. The amiable magician was devastated, knowing he had lost his ability to help and protect the people of Avaloria. Desperate to break the curse, Merlin embarked on a journey to find the sorceress who had cursed him. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months as he tirelessly searched for a solution. Along the way, he encountered wise wizards, ancient texts, and magical creatures, all offering fragments of hope. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Merlin found the sorceress in a hidden cave deep within the enchanted forest. With trembling hands, he confronted her, pleading for the curse to be lifted. The sorceress cackled, reveling in Merlin's misery, but agreed to reverse the curse under one condition. She demanded that Merlin sacrifice his most treasured possession – his beloved wand. Reluctantly, Merlin handed over the wand that had been his faithful companion for centuries. In that moment, the sorceress uttered a counter-spell, freeing Merlin from the curse that had plagued him for so long. As soon as the curse was broken, Merlin felt a surge of magic coursing through his veins once again. Rejuvenated and stronger than ever, he realized that true power came not only from his magic but from the love and support of those around him. Returning to Avaloria, Merlin was hailed as a hero, his name spoken with reverence and admiration. He realized that the curse had not only taken away his magic but had also opened his eyes to the importance of the connections he had forged throughout his life. From that day forward, Merlin vowed to use his powers for good, to protect Avaloria and its people from harm. His kind and amiable nature remained, but now coupled with a fierce determination to never let evil triumph. And so, the tale of the amiable magician cursed from a rose became a legend in Avaloria, reminding everyone of the strength that lies within and the power of love and friendship to overcome even the most powerful of curses..
Reviews for "The Magic and Mystery of the Amiable Magician's Rose Curse"
1. Samantha - 2 stars - I found "Amiable magician curse from a rose" to be extremely confusing and lacking in cohesiveness. The plot jumps around without much explanation and the characters were poorly developed. I struggled to stay engaged throughout the book and ultimately felt let down by the promising premise. The writing style was also not to my taste, as it seemed disjointed and lacked flow. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book.
2. Michael - 1 star - "Amiable magician curse from a rose" was a complete disappointment for me. The story was convoluted and didn't make much sense. It seemed like the author was trying to be overly clever with the plot twists, but it came across as forced and contrived. The dialogue was also cringe-worthy, with unnatural phrasing and awkward exchanges. I had high hopes for this book, but it fell far short of my expectations.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I struggled to connect with any of the characters in "Amiable magician curse from a rose". They felt flat and lacked depth, making it hard for me to invest in their stories. The pacing was also off, with long stretches of boredom followed by rushed and confusing action sequences. The ending was unsatisfying and left many loose ends. I was disappointed by this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.
4. Mark - 3 stars - While "Amiable magician curse from a rose" had an interesting concept, the execution fell flat for me. The writing style was overwrought and overly descriptive, making it hard to stay engaged. The world-building was promising but not fully fleshed out, leaving many unanswered questions. The pacing was also inconsistent, with moments of excitement followed by long lulls. Overall, I didn't hate this book, but I can't say I enjoyed it either.