We now enter the Winter Quarter, beginning with December—a season of rebirth through hidden power, the reign of silence pierced by divine utterance, and the reemergence of light from the depths. Marduk is not diminished in winter; he is veiled. He becomes Lord of Hidden Fire, Master of Emergence, Guardian of the Threshold, and Rekindler of the Sacred Word.
In this month, the practitioner must rise from silence not with haste, but with sacred deliberation. December marks the Turning of the Gate, when the year begins again not with fanfare, but with clarity of invocation.
Saturday, December 6
Text: Fifty Names of Marduk (Name 1 – ASARU)**
“He who ordains the ways of the gods and men,
Whose word is law, whose breath is decree,
Who opens the gate of order and calls light from silence.”
Reflection:
We return to the first name. Asaru, the source. In winter, Marduk becomes not an actor but a speaker. His word creates movement in what was frozen. Let the initiate speak only after invoking Asaru, that every act may be an extension of divine purpose.
Chant:
Asaru, Name of First Power,
I stand at the turning gate.
Breathe into me a word that moves the stars.
Let all that I do be in the rhythm of Thy decree.
Saturday, December 13
Text: Enuma Elish, Tablet II
“He fixed the limits of the heavens and placed the guardians,
He told the night to know its place, and
Set a crown upon the sun.”
Reflection:
Winter darkness is not chaos; it is boundary. The crown of Marduk is not a blazing force, but a mark of hierarchy. Let each thing know its station. Let each rite resume its shape. Now the temple is rebuilt in precision.
Invocation:
O Marduk, Crown-Giver and Divider of Lights,
Mark my hours and set my circle.
Place my feet within Thy paths.
Let Thy watchers surround my dwelling,
That I may serve Thee in peace and fear.
Saturday, December 20
Text: Tablet of the Winter Offering to Marduk (Seleucid Fragment)*
“Offer honey in silence, pour the oil without song.
Let the god arise in stillness,
And let the fire greet him before the word is spoken.”
Reflection:
Before the spoken rite, there is the rite of presence. The priest must remember: Marduk is not summoned—he is awaited. Make ready the offering before the voice is lifted. Let silence precede invocation, that honour may be true.
Chant:
Marduk, Fire in the Unseen Room,
Accept the oil of my obedience.
Accept the honey of my silent prayer.
May my breath be sweet before Thee
Even before I call Thy Name.
Saturday, December 27
Text: Fifty Names of Marduk (Name 50 – TUTU, Reiterated)**
“He who restores, who remembers,
Whose mercy is order,
Who raises again the names from the dust.”
Reflection:
We end as we began—in the Name of Renewal. Tutu is the rebuilder of temples, the lifter of forgotten rites. The priest now rises to take again the sacred task. The altar is dressed. The incense is kindled. The god is honoured. The year turns.
Final Chant of the Year:
Tutu, Restorer and Rekindler,
Let my name live before Thee.
Raise my altar from the ashes,
And seal this cycle in Thy favour.
As I began in silence, I end in song.