THE CHORONZON MACHINE

Video Stills (selected by Orryelle from the footage of Michael Schoell and Peter Haren), Audio samples, Script extracts and Lyrics from the Ritual Opera:


SCENE 6 (LOVERS/PARTING of the WAYS) /17 (STAR):


P-chink! Lights fade up.

JACKAL 2 carries LOVERS Card across the Stage and moves the WHEEL forward to the 6/17 notch after the TOWER.
FOOL stands at Crossroads between two paths. At the end of one is IRIS/HGA, at the other is BABALON, beckoning seductively again. MELEK TAUS stands between them.



MELEK plucks an Apple from the TREE OF LIFE MACHINE behind him (leaving a hole -Daath- where it was), and holds it forth in snake-jaw hand, saying:


'I offer forth this fruit of Knowledge, For I am the Ssserpent.
But know that I am Feathered Serpent, and on this knowledge I shall bear thee aloft,
To the top of the Tree�

The Apple falls
and is cleft in twain,
By the Sword of Division, Zain'
 -he cleaves apple sideways with sword

'Each side contains stars, 5-pointed each'
-he holds up two halves of apple 'The ten of Malkuth, the Kingdom of God/dess on Earth

For the powers of the Sphinx are double:
Even as one must Know
When to Dare to Will and to Speak
So too one must Know Not,
Dare Not, Will Not, and be Silent...'

[pause of silence and darkness, then:]

' One star contains seeds, but the other has naught
Naught, not, Nuit.
Nuit whose beauty may only be perceived by the forms
Created from this process of Division.

There is the Dove
And there is the Serpent
-Choose ye well!'



EMPEROR chooses both, stepping forth and handing IRIS/HGA his cup. BABALON/EMPRESS hands her cup to IRIS also. Taking CentreStage, IRIS mixes elixirs between the two cups, mediating and measuring.



EMPEROR and BABALON slowly approach each other. BABALON puts a diamond ring (from Scene 0) on EMPEROR/FOOL's finger, and he a ring on hers.
They passionately embrace, this time finally on equal terms.

As EMPEROR and BABALON do this dance of union, IRIS continues to pour their elixirs from cup to cup according to their corresponding actions and reactions of give and take.



As they fully unite, BABALON and EMPEROR sink to the ground in Shiva-Shakti position and both lean right back, still joined at waist and hands.

HermAphroditic ARDHANARISHVARA, emerging from between IRIS's legs rises up and steps over them into Centrestage.
S/He has (left) half BABALON's dress and (right) half EMPEROR's costume. S/He sings and (caduceus) dances Hir Song:



ARDHANARISHVARA-AN SONG:


A short extract from this song is now playing/loading. This is a track from The CHORONZON MACHINE CD by the HarleQuintet. Words and Music (c)02 The HarleQuintet.)


[Throughout puja JACKALS 1 & 2 smudge audience with incense and throw flower petals on them.]

'Ardhanarishvara-An,
Ardhanarishvara-An,
Ardhanarishvara-An

To the Sacred Marriage, You are invoked and invited,
You who are Shiva and Shakti United
YoniLingam, YoniLingam, YoniLingam�



Ardhanarishvara-An,
Ardhanarishvara-An,
Ardhanarishvara-An

I invoke and invite you who are two in one with
My heart and my tongue
My throat and my lungs
My hand and my eye
ZosKia, ZosKia, ZosKia�



Ardhanarishvara-An,
Ardhanarishvara-An,
Ardhanarishvara-An

Underneath the desert sun,
We are all Kin One
And underneath the desert moon
We all sing one tune
One verse, Uni-verse, Uni-verse�'


 ARDHANARISHVARA, IRIS, EMPEROR and BABALON all begin to harmonically chant together.
JACKAL 2 carries STAR Card across the Stage.

KESTRAL walks onstage from Musicians Area and orates his NUIT ADORATION, with accompanying chanting gradually fading into nothingness.





IRIS pours the elixirs from the two Cups onto the ground as black cloak covered with Stars is draped slowly by JACKAL 1 over EMPEROR and EMPRESS/BABALON frozen in embrace, ARDHANARISHVARA kneeling before them and IRIS standing behind them.

Nuit adoration resolves into nothingness and Lights fade as the cups are drained, gears wind down etc. into darkness (other than Video projection of Starry sky) and silence�


Jackal OneThird asks:







Put another Coin in The Choronzon Machine



Images (except where noted otherwise) and text copyright (c)02 Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule
Animated Cogs courtesy of SevenOaksArt

BACK TO CHORONZON MACHINE SCENE INDEX