We now proceed into April, the second month of the Spring Quarter, wherein the themes of growth, divine habitation, covenant reaffirmation, and sanctified labor come to full expression. The gates are already open; the sanctuary is restored. Now the presence of Marduk must be established within, and the structure made fruitful.
Marduk in April is encountered as Lord of Indwelling Flame, He Who Inhabits the Sanctum, Sustainer of Growth, and Covenant-Keeper of the Earth and Stars.
Saturday, April 4
Text: Fifty Names of Marduk (Name 17 – ZIUKKINNA)**
“He who causes the seed to sprout,
He who blesses the furrow and causes the stalk to rise.
From his breath comes the green.”
Reflection:
In this season of sprouting, the hand of Marduk is not thunder but nurture. Power now becomes providence. The priest must offer thanksgiving for growth already begun and call upon Marduk to continue it. Let all rites this week include living green.
Chant:
Ziukkina, Bringer of the Living Shoot,
Let Thy breath pass through my field.
Bless my work, my labor, my house.
Let the green rise up under Thy name,
That none may hunger who honour Thee.
Saturday, April 11
Text: Hymn of the Throne Within (Esagila liturgy)*
“He does not dwell on the mountain only.
His throne is in the midst of the people.
The god who receives offering dwells also in the faithful.”
Reflection:
The dwelling of Marduk is not confined to the high temple. Where order is kept, offering made, and covenant remembered—there he indwells. Let the altar be not only of stone but of practice. Every act rightly ordered is a throne for the god.
Invocation:
O Marduk, Who Sits Amidst the Just,
Dwell within the temple of my action.
Let my deeds enthrone Thee,
And let my home be Thy sanctum.
Not in words only, but in work,
Let me serve Thee.
Saturday, April 18
Text: Fifty Names of Marduk (Name 29 – SAKKUD)**
“He who remembers the covenant of the stars,
Who writes the cycles on the sky,
Who binds the season to the offering.”
Reflection:
Time and devotion are not separate. Marduk governs both. The feast, the harvest, the rising star—all are parts of the covenant. The practitioner must now review all rites: Are they in harmony with season? Is offering rightly timed? Real power comes from correct timing.
Chant:
Sakkud, Recorder of the Starry Contract,
Keep me faithful to Thy calendar.
Let my feasts be rightly placed,
My days in step with Thy heavens.
Let not my hand move before Thy time.
Saturday, April 25
Text: Ritual of Covenant Renewal (Neo-Babylonian ceremonial text)*
“The hand is lifted, the vow renewed.
The bread is broken, the flame rekindled.
He who stands in the temple a second time is accounted faithful.”
Reflection:
Spring is not only beginning; it is affirmation. The priest returns to the altar to say, “I am still here.” This is the rite of perseverance, the renewal of the vow begun in January. No priest is fit who does not return. Every offering must be reaffirmed.
Chant:
Marduk, Judge of Continuity,
I lift my hand again.
What I vowed, I now uphold.
As the bread is broken and the flame burns anew,
Count me among the faithful,
Not by perfection, but by perseverance.
APRIL RITUAL RUBRICS – SEASON OF GROWTH AND INDWELLING
Orientation: Southeast – the direction of maturity, the sun’s ascent
Colors: Deep green, copper, and ivory
Vestments: Embroidered stoles or cords, living floral adornments permitted
Incense: Green myrtle, basil, copal
Offerings: Fresh herbs, early grains, pomegranate syrup, milk or clarified butter
Sacred Act: Renewal of oaths made in the first quarter; re-anointing of the altar with oil; recitation of the Fifty Names of Marduk in order
Gesture: Hand over heart during vow, then lifted upward in invocation