GRACIE

The foyer is circular and open. Couches and plush seating perimeter the room, facing each other. Concentric molding atop the walls invites the eye upward in a stepwise manner to a ceiling of luscious, curving rafters. They are made of rich cherrywood with sleek gold lights pooling in the negative spaces of their folds, and curl around bubble skyports of crystalline glass. Save for the front entry — a massive bishop's hat of an arch that incorporates large sections of glass, thin iron accents, and more bulk cherrywood — the lower half of the walls are coated in uninterrupted stained glass set in the deep greens of trees and foliage. In the center of the foyer, the sheening floor dips a step into a generous circle. There, the First Priestess is beginning the day's performance, one of many half-scripted sermons native to the Church of Oedipus.

She is adorned in intricate jewelry and robes. A constellation of soft metal and glinting gems drapes around her neck, punctuated by a large ruby dipping between her breasts, these covered by a white sash pulled tightly across her body. Her shoulders wear webwork arches of silver, framing her crowned head. Her arms are clad in arm hosiery of black floral lace. An elegant dress of koi-colors contrast and cover her lower body. She is beautiful. The atmosphere is severely ritual.

Ethen is thankful he doesn't see Germany in attendance today.

"Let us pray to the Mother-Goddess." The First Priestess' voice is friendly and slow, pronouncing each syllable with great care, like a shepherd waiting on the last sheep in a flock. The congregation bows, side-by-side, their heads to the white marble.

"Mother, we thank you for the day you have given us. We sing your praise for it is through you alone that life is made possible. We are grateful to be your children, for you nourish us when times are difficult, and guide us through the dark. We praise the great gift of life, for it is yours and yours alone."

"The Church was made in your image. Just as you brought us into this world, you have allowed us to become a family under your guidance. Our lives have been changed since you entered them. We all come from somewhere, but nowhere has made us feel more at home than this Church. We thank you, your love and mercy, for providing us a space and a community where we belong, where we feel safe, loved, and welcomed."

"Mother-Goddess, our love for you knows no limit. You are the ultimate symbol of the divine feminine and are the supreme Mother. All Mothers are in your image, your love and mercy are without question. You gave us your love, in the love between a Mother and a child. You did not give us your love with conditions of who we're allowed to love, like father-gods did."

"May you grace us now with your presence, Mother-Goddess. Please give us a sign of your love, may your image be carved within us, and all who have the honor of serving you. We sing to you, Mother-Goddess. We love you. Let us rejoice."

All say "Amen."

"We are gathered here?" She begins in supplication.

All: "Before the Mother-Goddess."

"A being who is all and all-knowing, all-loving. Through Her all human and animal life is possible: a being of great compassion and love for everything She created. She gave us her divine womb to birth us into creation, the life we were granted by her. She is our divine Mother, our creator, our origin."

All: "We have all come from Her holy womb."

"We have come to realize the greatness of the Mother-Goddess, the truth about the nature of creation. We have come to realize that it is our ultimate purpose; to rejoin the Mother-Goddess, to be once more in the comfort and safety of Her divine womb. To do this gracefully is a life well-spent. The great religions of the world have it wrong, we have realized. It is the divine Mother who is our creator, our origin. She was first, for Her womb existed before anything that may else exist. She is our source, our purpose, our ultimate goal."

All: "We have realized!"

"The goal of life is a spiritual reunion with the Mother-Goddess; to witness and be absolved in Her beauty. It is a return to innocence, to purity, to our rightful place as children. It is the ultimate bliss: to be once more in the protection and comfort of the Mother-Goddess' divinity. It is the only path to everlasting happiness, true liberation, true fulfillment. We long to be once more at home with our Mother, sons and Daughters."

The congregation continues to recite in unison, some reading at their hymnals, others with eyes closed: "The son will return to the Mother, and the Daughter will become the Mother anew."

The First Priestess replies. "Indeed, it is the destiny of the son to return to the Mother, to be welcomed back in Her divinity. It is the destiny of the Daughter to become a Mother anew, to give birth to new life and enter into the same journey of sending to return to the Mother."

All: "The son is pitied. He cannot become a Mother."

"A Mother is the pinnacle of the species. We pity the son, for he is cut off from the Mother, unable to bear children like She can. We feel for the son, knowing that his only way to communion with the Mother-Goddess is through proxy. And so he must join with a female body and spirit to attain communion with the Mother-Goddess."

All: "He is forever a babe, to be coddled in the arms of the Mother."

"It is true. The son is forever a babe, desperate to be coddled in the arms of the Mother. It is his lot in life, to be eternally at Her breast."

All: "And so it must be!"

"Look at the world around us! Look at its mess! The son is as a wild animal, with his own desires and appetites. He is what he is and it cannot be helped within himself. It is the Mother's job to tame him according to his heart's desire, to mold him into a proper child of the Mother."

All: "A Mother gives all of herself to the benefit of her children."

"It is true, it is the duty and joy and salvation of the Mother to give all of Herself. Her own desires are of no concern to her as they are secondary to the needs of Her children. They are her greatest gift and she must give herself to them."

All: "Only a Mother is fit to rule."

"It is true. Only a Mother is fit to rule, for the Mother's heart holds the greatest compassion, love and generosity. She is fit to rule, fit for the greatest responsibility, fit to lead, for She does not rule for herself but for her children."

The Priestess pauses to bow. "You may be seated." There is a chorus of shuffling, until it dies down all at once.

"Today, let us remember the Great Matriarchs and their sure but quiet holds on their civilizations. These survived despite the forces of evil, which always seek to destroy goodness and light. Like a viper, patriarchy strikes at the heart of a Mother's ultimate power over it; the Mother-son bond."

"The Hindu goddess Parvati created her son Ganesha using earth which she moulded into the shape of a boy. As his father was away, Parvati set her new son as guard while she bathed. The father returned enraged and set upon the boy for his threat. Vishnu, the preserver and guardian of men, he who protects the patriarchal order of things, killed Ganesha by beheading the boy when Shiva could not. The sexual availability of the boy as designed by his mother is evident in that he was first tempted by the beautiful form of Maya. Parvati protested his death, and her son was revived; an animal now, but her love for him was the same, if increased."

She smirks to her side, "A new face only a Mother could love." Those present chuckle lightly together.

"In the Greek pantheon, the forces of patriarchy defiled life and asserted themselves brutishly by the end of the second generation. Kronos was the youngest of the first generation of Titans, the divine descendants of Earth and Sky. He overthrew his father, Uranus, and became the ruler of the universe. There is no explaining why Uranus was the one to be overthrown; no explanation but the Mother Gaia as indomitable in her supreme authority; to challenge her position was out of the question."

"In her power and divine judgement alone, Gaia prophesied that Kronos would be overthrown by his own child, just as he had overthrown his father; the fateful cycle of justice for the patriarchal anxiety. To prevent this, whenever his sister & wife Rhea gave birth, Kronos would swallow the child whole, thereby keeping the prophecy from coming true. Only he could practice incest it seems; not anyone else, least of all his sons. Yet the tragic flaw of the male — his insatiable desire for physical pleasures — assured him more children, and thus also assured his ruin."

"Rhea was distraught by the loss of her children and devised a plan to save her youngest child and son, Zeus. When Zeus was born, Rhea hid him away and gave Kronos a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he swallowed, thinking it was his son."

"The Mother-son bond was a refugee from the patriarchy; Zeus grew up in secret. He had no available siblings; everything he learned, he learned from his Mother. Zeus eventually returned to confront his father, likely at the slow and steady guidance of Gaia. With the help of Metis, Zeus tricked Kronos into drinking a potion that caused him to vomit up his swallowed children, to resummon his patriarchal anxiety. These children joined Zeus in overthrowing Kronos and his generation, thus fulfilling the prophecy, and delivering the only fitting end the patriarchy can have. We see the same prophecy and anxiety befall Zeus himself, as he swallowed his first wife Metis in order to prevent usurping sons."

"Patriarchy was established by the second generation also in the Abrahamic faiths, where Cain murdered Abel, sons of Adam & Eve, out of sibling rivalry. Two sons was perfect… no additional female was yet needed in order to propagate the species. But this was ruined; there was not enough joy even when that close to paradise to satiate the masculine folly."

"In Christianity, that father-religion, who did the forces of darkness take?! A son! From his Mother no less, who was the only one left at his feet, even when he had been forsaken by his heavenly father."

"In Egypt, the Mother-Goddess Isis nursed her son Horus. The Roman goddess of the hearth, Vesta, also nourished her son Mars. The story of Romulus and Remus shows the importance of maternal love in the development of ancient civilizations, and repeat tellings of Kronos' fate are seen in Greek mythological tales like our fabled allegory Oedipus Rex. Like Kronos, King Lauis couldn't sustain heed for the curse placed on him after his treacherous rape of Chrysippus. His hedonistic impulses won; he became foolish with drink, and impregnated Jocasta, thus authorizing his own justice and fate."

"Oedipus Rex, fellow children, represents a struggle between the matriarchal and patriarchal systems, in which the patriarchy is symbolically unable to accept maternal power and authority."

"The Delphic Oracle predicts the fate of Oedipus. It is said that he will kill his own father and marry his Mother. This prophecy is a safe-haven to couch the power and majesty of the Mother-son magnetism, and it is a metaphor for the anxiety over Mother-son relationships under patriarchal societies, which attempt to replace joy with control and domination. The Mother is seen as only a source of labor and production, rather than a source of love and care. She is objectified; the consort signifier of kinghood, as if she had no royalty of her own."

"But fate has other ideas. And fate is a force greater than the gods themselves."

"In the play, Oedipus's future relationship with his mother, Jocasta, is condemned by the father, Laius, despite the fact that it is Laius' justice, and despite that Oedipus's mother-wife Jocasta would be acting as a protective and nurturing force in his life. Oedipus is a symbol of our struggles as a society, where we stigmatize and reject the idea of Mother-son affinity, and deny the sacred nature of the bond between a Mother and a son. We thereby confuse and blind ourselves, seeing the natural and inevitable order as cause for death and despair, instead of joy and righteousness."

"Poor Oedipus is the ultimate victim of the patriarchy. While his marriage with his Mother is seen as taboo, the reality is that the relationship is loving and maternal. However, father figures like Laius see this relationship as threatening, and attempt to destroy it. Oedipus is shunned from his society, cast off as worthy of death at a mere three days old, as the systems in place are threatened by this maternal bond."

"But even our patron saint Queen Jocasta made a mistake when she allowed Oedipus to be abandoned on the mountain side, due to the pressures of her own society. She prioritized society's expectations over her own maternal instincts to nurture and protect her son. This shows how society's systems can force women to go against what their natural instincts tell them to do, which is to love and nurture their children at all costs, at whatever price. In the lessons of Jocasta, we recognize the importance of the maternal instinct, the inevitability of the Mother-son attraction, and the frailty of the patriarchy. We will strive to create a society where Mothers are free to shine forth the love and glory of the Mother-Goddess and love their sons if that's what it takes to rid the land of a vile, raping man."

"Even science itself — the sermon of biology, now the developed world's new myth — is veering to break the hold of the old ways. Scientists have found that the brain is shaped more by a Mother's interactions than by any factors of genetic inheritance."

"But science cannot take us all the way to the Goddess. Let's take the parable of science's denial of the Mother and her babe, just born. It is a matter of divine revelation that it's natural and good for a Mother to hold her babe to her at first breaths. Science challenged this and stated that the newborn needed separation from the Mother in the moments of birth, and so they were hastened from the Mother into incubators; as if machines could perfect Motherhood. And lo, now, science has doubled over itself, tied itself in a knot, and is now convincing itself and its faithful that this skin-to-skin contact is in fact superior to the incubator! They have had to rename this natural wisdom in their confusion; 'kangaroo care'! We've made ourselves so dumb as to be taught by kangaroos!"

The congregation laughs together. Ethen does too but doesn't find it funny.

"Mother-son relationships have always been stigmatized by father-centric societies. The patriarchal society leads to a perversion of the mother-son relationship, trapping girls and women in suffocating evil, and perpetuating the ills of the patriarchy. The Mother is seen as a threat to father-god authority, and is forced to give up her love and maternal instincts in order to live up to the expectations of the society. Without the understanding of her potential as a Mother, invincible shaper of men, the daughter is led astray, and generations of women live in misery and subjugation. All the while, the father-gods and their minions rape our Daughters in secrecy and out of an unholy lust."

"In the Church of Oedipus, we recognize the problem of sexual abuse of young girls by grown men. The patriarchal society thrives on the secret and hidden abuse of girls, perpetuating an evil with shame and silence. Our Mother-Goddess has seen many societies throughout the ages, and in some, the father is allowed to sell his daughter into slavery, to a man who will use her to his own pleasures. Imagine a Mother doing the same!"

"We believe there are distinct and different power dynamics between mature men and immature girls, and between a Mother and her son. Mature men often take advantage of immature girls, as they often hold a position of power over them. This can lead to a toxic and abusive relationship. In comparison, a Mother is typically in a position of power over her son, and her intentions are usually pure and with a sense of nurturing and love. She does not lust after her son. The Mother wants what is best for her son and wants to watch as he grows and matures. A Mother and son's relationship is meant to be a loving one, and it should be treated as such."

"We recognize that there is a difference between the predatory nature of a man taking advantage of a young girl and the loving nature of a Mother guiding her son. The latter, it is essential in the healthy development of a son and instills in him a sense of safety and love. The former is secretive and evil, takes away the innocence of a young girl, and only leads to trauma and abuse. How thorough the evil of men now is, to equivocate the purity and joy of a Mother-son union under the false, perverse rubric of their abuse and its poisons."

"Men are inevitably predatory, while a Mother, by her nature, is a nurturing being. Even in the throes of sexual intimacy, she is engaged for more sure motives than simple pleasure. The son cannot achieve this within the confines of himself. It is her responsibility to teach her son; this is a spiritual act! It is a form of deep prayer!"

"Mothers are not driven by physical interaction or short motives, their only motive is the love of their children. They do what is best for their child. This nurturing and protective nature of a Mother-son relationship is essential in a child's healthy development."

"A daughter will be rent by her father, but a son by his Mother will be made whole.' This prophecy speaks of the perversion of the sacred bond of a Mother-son relationship in a patriarchal society, where men invert its natural flow, its natural direction, and give permission to themselves to control and dominate our Daughters for their own pleasure. In the patriarchy, the filth rises to the top."

The Priestess becomes fierce, shouting and stomping her booted foot on the cold floor, as if to squash a bug. "Enough! No more! Our Mother-Goddess is sick of this. The cycle of patriarchal anxiety and ruin is spent. Men have pinned our progress and purity down with their phallic invasions long enough. Our Mother calls to us to break these barriers of secrecy, so that we can create a world where we no longer tolerate the abuse of girls. Where we return their weapons into tools."

"Fathers need not fear their sons, but uphold them to their Mothers in pride and remembrance of themselves as such sons! There was a time when Mother-son bonds were not seen as taboo but rather a natural part of life and society… not just a symbol of female empowerment, but also a symbol of the unbreakable love between a Mother and a son. There was a time when 'Goddess' was capitalized alongside 'God'. That time is again here."

"Our goal is to empower Mothers and reforge the maternal bond as sacred. We must celebrate and encourage Mother-son bonds, without stigmatizing them. Through the Church of Oedipus, we will promote the importance of the maternal bond between a Mother and her son as the reigns of society, and work to bring back the ancient wisdom of the Great Matriarchs."

"It is time to start undoing the patriarchy. By raising generations of sons with love, maternal nurturing, and loyalty, we can start to undo the vile system which seeks to control women. It is time to honor the true value of the Mother-son bond, and to recognize it for what it is: a sacred part of life. Long live the Matriarchy of Jocasta! It is time for us to step away from oppression and return to sacred bonds, and the love that unites us. Let us celebrate Motherhood and restore the balance of power to our society, if we wish to create a more equal and just world."

"We must recognize and celebrate the power of Motherhood as our only and total savior. By returning to the Mother-son relationship as a model for our society, we can create a new path towards the future. This is where the teachings of the Church of Oedipus can help. By following our teachings and principles, we can start to create a world where love and equality are paramount."

The First Priestess smiles and takes time to sweep her field of view, catching the eyes of those present. " A sign is sent. No matter how far we go and how much we change, our Mothers are always with us. Nothing can separate the maternal bond, which is stronger than any relationship we shall ever have. Maternal love transcends all obstacles, it is a love that is impenetrable, unchangeable, and inviolable. Our Mothers — living or dead, near or far — are constantly working within us, shaping us, and guiding us through our lives."

"Let us remember the words of our Mother-Goddess, who says: 'Motherhood is the greatest of legacies.' We will not forget how blessed we are to have our Mothers; to have a love that is so instantly deep and that no other relationship can compare to."

She closes her eyes and raises both arms to signal the conclusion of the sermon. "And all the Goddess' children rejoiced…"

All: "Amen."

A foam of atomized conversations brims from the church members and through the room. People make their ways politely to the exits.

"Ethen?"

His heart stops, his blood coagulates. Germany? No. It's the voice of a woman. He turns around. The first thing he sees is a shimmering red ruby.

"First Priestess!" This is less of a greeting and more of a flight-response, but circumstance graciously removes the distinction for Ethen.

"Ethen Merriview?"

"… Y-yes." His IQ was a log chute.

"It's me, Gracie."

Ethen's blood slowly begins to crawl again, his pulse returning. You never truly forget childhood friends. Their names become canon in your personal mythology. "Gracie… Abby Grace Martin? I'm sorry! I hardly recognized you. What… how…"

"It's been ages!" Her smile is an atomic blast, sending radiation that will poison Ethen for years. She bows slightly.

Just then, she is called away gruffly by the grunts and stiff hand gestures of an elderly clergywoman. "I have to go. Ethen. I've prayed for this meeting many times. The Goddess smiles upon you." She takes a small step towards him. "I have a message from Her for you."

"F-from my mom? Or the… Mother-Goddess?"

Another soft step. "I have been waiting to see you to give it." The elderly lady is now reaching for the First Priestess, agnostic to her conversation, attempting to hurry as if a security guard among paparazzi.

The First Priestess' mouth moves in foreign syllables as she is tugged away quickly, towards the river of co-mingling faithful, soon to be swallowed. She doesn't break eye contact with Ethen, even when the first of them briefly split their shared space.

She continues softly speaking something to him until she is buried from his sight.