Here in the Ruby Room, you look around. The walls glow a deep, glorious shade of red; in fact, if you didn't know better, you'd almost say that they were made of ruby. But then, anything is possible in this weird and wonderful Temple...
In the center stands an altar, decorated in a lovely dark red velvet altar cloth, with garnets strewn liberally about. A statue of the Goddess as Kali stands at the center of the altar, Her skin black as night--all colors in Her. A cup of ruby glass filled with wine sits before Her image. The windows let in rose-colored light.
Your hear a voice, strangely sweet, speak to you...
"This is the Ruby Room, where people learn to accept their shadow-selves. Here, you will begin--but only begin, because I cannot make you learn--to understand who you shadow-self is and why they exist; and why you must acknowledge them.
"The Dark God/dess is an archetype of our own selves. Think of Pele; Her destructive, jealous rage cost her her sister and her lover. So will our own rage hurt us, if we do not acknowledge it for what it is, and try to see why we hurt.
"Buried rage has a tendency to surface at the most unexpected-- and unaccepted--times and places. Hate is destructive, but we bury it, most often so that we can continue to function. But the problem is, buried hate intensifies.
"The Dark God/dess helps us to get our rage out into the open, so that we can see what the problem is and take steps to do something about it.
"She is the terrible Mother--Lillith, the child killer, the one who refuses to accept Society's limits. She is the one who will not be tamed, who will not confirm; and so she is feared. Men often fear her for her strength. She defies male control, and as the male has dominated for so many centuries, the thought of a women defying the known order is frightening. But She will not be ignored.
"Learn to accept your own shadow-side. Often, the shadow is creative, imaginitive, and everything you wish you were. The Dark Goddess is
" 'the passionate and seductive lover
who inspires the poet to dream...
'I am the fire that kisses the shackles away.
'I am the glowing forge that will transform your inner demons into tools of power.
'I am the crucible in which all aspects of yourself will merge in a rainbow of union.'"
(--above text in italics from The Charge of the Dark Goddess, by Tiger Eye.)
"So you see, the Dark Goddess is not evil--but She is powerful and defiant, qualities that many see as threatening. Discover your shadow-side, work out your anger, and find the Dark God/dess within you."
Looking around, you see that the light in the Ruby Room has abruptly dimmed. It appears to be time to leave.
A door leads to the next room from the west wall.