Day 7: The Nine Magos and the Nine Muses
Among many female divines who manifest in nine forms stands out the Nine Muses from the Greek mythology. In the sense that the Nine Muses involve a notion of “the music of the spheres,” they are highly resonant with the Nine Magos whose primary tasks are to equilibrate the cosmic music, according to the Magoist Cosmogony.
I wrote below in my book, The Mago Way: Re-discovering Mago, the Great Goddess from East Asia:
“Intriguingly, the ancient Greek thought of “the music of the spheres” that refers to the sonic movement of celestial bodies in the solar system parallels the Magoist mytheme of Pal-ryeo. When it comes to the symbolism of “nine heavens,” it manifests globally throughout pre-modern times.[i] Ancient Greeks appear to be keenly aware of the female-connoted eight tones. In Plato’s Republic, the story of Er, a man who went on the journey of afterlife and returned to the world, recounts his vision of the celestial spheres:
Er gets a look into the structure of the cosmos being organized in 8 whorls, that are turning around a central axis, the “spindle of necessity”. A siren is sitting on each of the whorls and each of these sirens is producing an individual tone. These 8 tones fuse to one sound of harmony. The whole system is kept in motion by the three Fates, Lachesis (the past), Clotho (the present) and Atropos (the future), who by their singing enrich the harmony produced by the Sirens.[ii]
The Budoji account that Mago delegated HER eight (grand)daughters to oversee Pal-ryeo dovetails with the above account that the eight sirens, each sitting on one of the eight whorls that are orbiting around the central axis, produce each of the individual tones. Taken together with “the music of the spheres” and Plato’s “eight whorls,” the Budoji account of Mago’s eight (grand)daughters who are in charge of the eight tones of the cosmic music proves to be original for its cogent and systemic story of the beginning of the Great Goddess. The Great Goddess is aware of the cyclic movement of the cosmic music. S/HE sees the pristine history of the Earth. As the Guardian of the Earth, Mago bides HER time. In due time, S/HE parthogenetically gives birth to HER two daughters, Goddess Gung and Goddess So. Mago delegates them to take care of a section of cosmic music, Five Pitches and Seven Tunes (O-eum-chil-jo). They embody the triadic reality and are referred to as the Primordial Triad of the Great Goddess. Thus is explained the folk epithet Samsin Halmi (Triad Deity Great Mother) for Mago. In due time, Mago Stronghold gives forth milk from the ground. HER two daughters each parthenogenetically give birth to four daughters, eight in all.[iii] Goddess Gung and Goddess So raise them with earth-milk. Finally, the first three generations of Mago’s divine genealogy, the Mago Triad and HER eight (grand)daughters, are established. The Primordial Mago Clan is distinguished in the sense that they belong to the interim cosmic realm, Mago’s World. They are the original divine. Lore refers to them as Gurang, the Nine Magos. Mago delegates HER eight (grand)daughters to take care of the cosmic music of Palryeo.” (From The Mago Way: Re-discovering Mago, the Great Goddess from East Asia, p. 179-181)
[i] Paradiso from Dante’s Divine Comedy written in the fourteenth century describes the nine spheres. Nine Heavens are also known in Buddhism and Daoism. Conversation with Mary Blair Petiet in The Mago Circle (Facebook group), September 3, 2015.
[ii] Plato’s dialog on the so-called “Vision of Er” (X, 616d-617d) in The Republic. See also Barbara Rappenglueck, “Cosmic Music. Correlations between music and cosmo-related ideas across ancient cultures” in Lights and Shadows in Cultural Astronomy, ed. by: Zedda, Mauro Peppino and Belmonte, Juan Antonio. Proceedings of the SEAC 2005, Isili, June 28 – July 3, 2005, Isili, 361-369. 361-362.
[iii] The Budoji account of the sex of Mago’s third-generation deities betrays some inconsistencies. Whether Mago’s two daughters each give birth to (1) two sons and two daughters or (2) four daughters is subject to debate. Although the text tends to support (1), it is not without problem. I conclude that the inconsistencies are owing to redaction by a later scribe. I posit that Mago’s third generation deities are all female. It requires another space to discuss the bases of my interpretation. Suffice it to say that the female numerology of eight such as the eight female immortals are too unequivocal to dismiss. In lore, Mago is commonly said to have eight daughters whom she sent to neighboring islands. And they became the shaman progenitors in those regions. They are also referred to as Gurang (Nine Magos).
Reflection points on the Nine Magos and the Nine Muses:
- The pantheons of Nine Magos and Nine Muses imply the dual (read not dualist) aspects of the cosmogonic principle, the cosmic music and Nine Numerology. Music and numerology refer to the self-creative power innate in all beings.
- How pervasive the symbol of Nine Goddesses across cultures? We will look into a wide range of Nine Numerology that recurs across-cultures on Day 8.
Want to know more about the Magoist Cosmogony? Read Dr. Hwang’s The Mago Way: Re-discovering Mago, the Great Goddess from East Asia (Chapters 6, 7, and 8).
Go to 2019 Nine Day Mago Celebration here.
Readings and reflections to be twitted 1. Days 1, 2, 3 (July 30, 31, August 1) About the Nine Mago Creatrix and the Magoist Cosmogony
2. Days 4, 5, 6 (August 2, 2, 4) About Nine Numerology and the Triad
3. Days 7, 8, 9 (August 5, 6, 7) About Cross-cultural Manifestations of the Nine Creatrix
About Dr. Helen Hye-Sook Hwang