Happy New Year from Scarlet Woman Oasis!
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
On the morning of the solstice, some of us hiked to the top of Mount Bonnell to await the first rays of the day’s sun. There is frequently a good group of people up there, and the moment is treated with good cheer—communal witnesses to the promise of returning light.
But as the initial rays broke over the horizon, we were not greeted with sudden brightness. One must wait for the growing light. Each day grows only seconds longer, but longer it is. Yet the cold deepens—most of the transformation still takes place in secret.
The seed planted in winter doesn’t announce itself. It undergoes invisible transformation: the shell softening, the first root pushing downward before any shoot reaches toward the sun. The drama isn’t in the sprouting—it’s in the long darkness before. The seed doesn’t need to see the light to orient toward it.
I’m proud of the work we’re doing at Scarlet Woman. Much of it is invisible—the meetings, the planning, the showing up, the slow building of something that doesn’t yet have a permanent home or public face. We are planting. The conditions are being prepared. What grows from here will take time to see.
But seeds don’t grow alone. They need soil, water, tending. If you’ve felt drawn to this Work—even from a distance, even uncertain what it means—you’re already part of the conditions. The light is returning. The seed knows.
Our first public event of the year:
On Saturday, January 3, we are hosting a public performance of Liber XV: The Gnostic Mass. The ritual will begin at 4:30 p.m. sharp, so please arrive 15–30 minutes early. No special preparation is necessary, and casual attire is welcome.
The location is Nocturna, 605 W. 37th St., Suite B, Austin TX 78705. (Note that Nocturna may be rendered as Minx+Muse on Apple Maps.)
Please let us know you plan to attend by emailing rsvp@scarletwoman-
Love is the law, love under will.
— Fr. Ishmael