Tina Georgitsis's Blog, page 6

Wep Ronpet Dates 2023 (Kemetic/Ancient Egyptian New Year)

What are the Epagomenal Days?

The Epagomenal Days are the five days at the end of the year due to the Ancient Egyptian calendar being divided into 30 days of 12 months.  Due to this falling short of the astronomical year the five extra days were created and assigned to the Gods.

What is Wep Ronpet?

Wep Ronpet also known as the Kemetic New Year is marked by the rising of Sirius aka Sopdet. This year it falls on the 5th August 2023.

Here are the dates for the end of the year including the Epogamenal Days and Wep Ronpet:

A’areq Ronpet – July 30th: Last Day of the Year

Epagomenal Day 1 – July 31st: Birthday of Wesir

Epagomenal Day 2 – August 1st: Birthday of Heru-wer

Epagomenal Day 3 – August 2nd: Birthday of Set

Epagomenal Day 4 – August 3rd: Birthday of Aset 

Epagomenal Day 5 – August 4th: Birthday of Nebt-het

1 August 5th – Wep Ronpet

The Kemetic New Year also known as Wep Ronpet happens this year on the 5th of August 2023.

Below is a list of things you can do, to honour this celebration:

   Open the temple or create sacred space in usual manner.

At dawn, bring out all icons – the statues of your Gods, to be kissed by the rays of Ra (the sun) and cleanse with natron and anoint with oil. 

This is done to ensure icon is charged and purified.

Cut off an image of Apep’s head and throw it away or trample on it outside then dispose of the remains away from the home.

This is done because destroying the image parallel’s the “turning the dangers of the year” at which Sekhmet presides.

Mark on a red clay pot, something to symbolize all the things you want to be rid of, such as anxiety, hate, impatience etc – as long as it’s personal to you and not something that belongs to another, or another person themselves then smash the pot and/or burn it.

This is done to announce to Netjer that you rid yourself of negativity, bad habits etc before the turning of the New Year.  

Take an amulet which you have made or which you have put aside for the specific purposes of the upcoming year and charge it and purify it with natron on the shrine.

This is done as a protection mechanism and to symbolize the promise of good things to come in the New Year.

End the ritual with making special offerings to your Akhu (Ancestors).

The offerings to your Akhu is done to show respect and adoration to those whom came before you and in a sign of acknowledging and venerating your ancestors.

Close the temple and sacred space in usual manner.

(C) T. Georgitsis 2021/22/23

Hekate’s Deipnon by Setjataset

Hekate’s Deipnon is Hekate’s main day of veneration and adoration which falls on the Dark of the Moon.  This works out to be at the end of the month in the Athenian Calender (aka Attic Calendar) and any time before the first sliver of the new moon appears in the sky.  The word Deipnon means supper/evening meal which *traditionally was the biggest meal in the day.

Hekate’s Deipnon is a time to:

Venerate Hekate and keep the restless dead at bay; Clean and purify the home, shrines, altar and ourselves in preparation for the Noumenia (New Moon); and Make up for slights or offences caused to Hekate, as she won’t grant your boon or bless you unless you make amends.

Making and leaving offerings during the Deipnon is a beautiful hands on approach to honour Hekate and is a very important aspect of ritualised practice in her name.  It’s also a way to placate the restless dead, as in Ancient Greece it was believed that Hekate was the Guide of Lost Souls, whom she guided into the underworld flanked by her hounds.  Traditionally perishable food and drink offerings were left inside or upon shrines, on the door step of homes or at a crossroads.  Offerings left outside were typically left in the middle of a crossroads – the person would present the offering, turn around and leave  without looking back, lest they go mad or anger the restless dead and be followed to their home. Those who were poor, hungry and/or homeless would often consume the offerings.  This wasn’t seen as anathema by the ancients but instead viewed as something which offered a dual purpose – one of honouring Hekate and one of feeding the needy.

Modern practitioners are divided in their practice with respects to the perishable Deipnon offerings – some dispose of the items, saying to partake is unfavourable, whilst others disagree and consume them in an act of appropriating her blessings. Modern devotees as well as placing offerings in traditional places, also use liminal locations such as: the base of trees, mouth openings of caves, edge of a streams, rivers or beaches. Tithing has also become quite popular among modern practitioners with goods, services or donations being given to various charities which predominately include nursing homes, hospitals, homeless shelters, soup kitchens and animal rescue homes.

Other non-perishable things to proffer Hekate during the Deipnon are things you want to remove from your life and sweepings from the home.  Taking stock and cleaning out your pantry or fridge is an ideal way to “clean house” and find items to present at the Deipnon .  Other suggestions to engage in during the Deipnon could be to “spring clean” your home and/or work, donate items not needed to charity and/or sell them with proceeds going to good causes.  Some other suggestions are helping out your local community and spiritual/religious/magickal groups you are connected to, cleaning up of natural public places (beaches, parks etc) and assisting family, friends, acquaintances or perfect strangers in need. Every little bit helps regardless how small the token, as giving of yourself without expectation of return is a very distinguished way to venerate Hekate.

The Deipnon is also an apt marker as it’s a timely way to set goals with respect to the things you want to rid yourself of emotionally, physically and spiritually.  Following every Deipnon you can check on your accomplishments and progress with regards to following through with removing the obstacles or things you wanted out of your life.

Traditionally Purification of the home was another important aspect of the Deipnon and included the following steps:

Clean and sweep out all waste including the fireplace; Fumigate through censoring the home and persons with incense and sacred herbs; and/or The sacrifice of a black dog, especially when it related to bad deeds the householders wanted to expel.

These days the practices outlined above are continued with modern devotees, with the exception of the sacrificial dog, which is rightfully frowned upon.

I personally like to clean, purify, refresh my working shrine/altar with offerings and set goals of banishments/removals of toxic and unnecessary things in my life.  I also empty my **Kathiskos to Hekate and many other devotees find this useful.  I take a jar which has been consecrated and decorated in Hekate’s name and place items from my fridge and pantry in the jar.  These items, for me, symbolise prosperity and vitality and the Kathiskos is created during the Noumenia (New Moon) which I then empty and clean out during the Deipnon.

Some traditional offerings to leave out for Hekate’s Deipnon are:

Ampiphion (cheesecake with candles), milk, eggs, garlic, bread, bay leaves, honey, wine, olive oil, onion, fish, leeks and incense (myrrh, frankincense, copal and storax).

Some modern offerings to leave out for Hekate’s Deipnon are:

Craft projects for items used in Hekate’s name, pomegranates, honey cakes, lamb, herbs associated with Hekate (wormwood, poppy seeds, rue, maidenhair fern, bay laurel, lavender, juniper, mandrake, mint, mugwort and saffron ), raisins, apples, snakeskin, dog hair, oak leaves, roses, mushrooms, mead, keys, skulls, poppy flowers, crystals( amethyst, tourmaline, onyx and black obsidian), poppy and sesame seeds, candles and oil burners.

The way to dispose of perishable offerings from the home is to place in compost, bury or burn off in an incinerator/fire pit.

Whatever you decide to offer Hekate during the Deipnon ensure it is pure of heart and effort and that you do your best with what you have or can acquire.

* Traditionally as in the traditions of devotees, followers or the people in Ancient Greece.

**Kathiskos was traditionally made for Zeus and means “small bucket” in Greek.  It’s a small sealed jar which is used to contain a portion of your home’s food prosperity to Deity.

(C) T. Georgitsis 2014 – Updated 2020 and 2023

NAIDOC 2023

Starting today for the next week is NAIDOC which celebrates and honours the culture, history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This years’s NAIDOC theme is “For Our Elders”

As an aside I personally feel living in Australia we should all honour the culture, history and achievements of the First Peoples on a continuous basis with respect by educating ourselves.

A few of the ways I will be honouring this time is:

Continue to repeat the acknowledgment of country before I preform a ritual.

2. Continue to support indigenous organisations and charities.

3. Continue to read more Indigenous voices in literature.

4. Continue to support Indigenous run businesses such as clothing, jewellery, art and craft.

5. Take another walk around my local indigenous garden and tend to my indigenous plants whilst working with the indigenous seasonal calendar.

6. Attend a work Lunch and Learn Session by the local Indigenous Studies Center.

7. Attend the Mental Heath First Aider Network meeting for NAIDOC Week.

8. Reread the literature from the recent First Nations Balance workshop I attended.

Mullum Mullum Tree (Indigenous Scar Tree) image by T Georgitsis 2023

I urge you all who live in Australia to support and attend your local NAIDOC events.

(C) T. Georgitsis 2023

Hekate Devotion: Winter Solstice/Yule

Winter Solstice also known as Yule is the day with the shortest amount of daylight and the longest amount of night. Symbolically it marks the death and rebirth of the sun and it falls between Samhain and the Spring Equinox and due to this manifests as the darkest period of the year yet is also a turning point where the days become longer.  It symbolises the darkest time of year and marks the returning of the light due to its time of seasonal transition.  The winter solstice marks the sun as its lowest elevation in the sky and the reason it contains the longest night of the year.  This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar it falls on Thursday the 22nd of June at 12.58am. Gods such as Hekate, Persephone, Demeter, Dionysus, Helios, Poseidon, Zeus, Hera, Hathor, Sekhmet, Osiris, Horus, Neith, Nephthys, Spider Woman, Ameratasu, Saturn, Odin, Bona Dea, Mithras, Holy King, Hod, Frigga, Frau Holle, Cailleach and Baldur can all be honoured during this time of year.

I have celebrated Yule with groups of people in a magickal setting such as a working lodge, coven and magickal order.  The one thing which I found which linked them all together was the coming together to celebrate the light and the darkness whilst sharing food and gifts.

One of the fondest memories I have during this time of year is celebrating the winter solstice through creating handmade gifts.  I spend considerable time planning on what to make and then following through by crafting gifts which are unique and special.  The first thing I ever recall making was for my first coven where I sculpted and fired a set of runes and hand sewed an accompanying bag to contain them in.  This took a significant amount of energy and effort and was placed in a sack of gifts to be randomly selected by one coven member in the middle of our coven’s winter solstice ritual.  Imagine my surprise when one of my coven members whom I was closest to (and who has become a lifelong friend) chose it at random and had been wanting a set of runes which turned out to feature her favourite colour (they were coloured green and purple).

I personally like to hand make gifts during this time of year usually involving items which feature divination, light, purification, seeds, woods and herbs harvested and collected.  I also love to cook, bake and prepare food which is consumed, shared or given to loved ones including the following: citrus preserves such as salt preserved lemons and Cointreau marmalade,  soup (lentil/beans/barley and root vegetable, Greek chicken soup), stew (barley, beans, lentil, cholent and coq au vin), bread (Greek sweetbread, olive loaf and garlic & feta loaf), gingerbread (especially witches houses/cottages), shortbread (various Greek ones), lamb or beef roast, dumplings and baked spiced rice stuffed into vegetables.

Since this time tends to fall on my personal anniversary (we got together on the winter solstice) for me it also involves going out for an intimate meal with my partner and exchanging thoughtful gifts.  

I feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year for various reasons. One being that this is a liminal time where she has dominion between the darkness and the light.  In this time  she encourages and enables us to turn our attention to the presence of the promise of new things to come.  As the time of growth and movement is before us Hekate beckons us to straddle the in-between time and to use this time for the power it contains.

I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of apples, pomegranates, garlic, onions, mead, beer, wine, bread, barley, nuts, lilies, pine, mistletoe, juniper, holly, frankincense, myrrh, cedar, bay, chamomile and roots from dandelions.

I also like to make items for Hekate which resonate with the season mostly wands collected from wood during the summer, candle anointing oil blends, herb pouches for dreaming, health and wealth, candles which illuminate, soap which cleanses, incense using dried herbs from the summer, book and journal covers with locally sourced materials or upcycled materials, various art pieces with paints, ink, photography and/or several thread types (in recent years its been all about the land, sea and sky) and beaded jewellery such as ethically sourced crystal necklaces which can also be used as meditation or manifestation beads.

In the garden now is the time to plant:

Vegetables such as artichoke, asparagus, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chillies, corn, cucumber, endive, kale, leek, lettuce, melons, okra, onion, parsnip, peas, pumpkins, radish, rhubarb, shallots, silver beet, snow peas, spinach, tomatoes, turnip and zucchinis

Herbs such as garlic, basil, chives, cress, curry, dill, mint, parsley, sage and thyme.

Flowers such as aquilegia, calendula, cineraria, cyclamen, delphinium, foxglove, nemesia, pansy, primula, polyanthus poppy and viola. 

Some things you can do to honour and mark the winter solstice in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:

Hold a ritual signifying the balance of darkness and light and/or liminality.Work spells and magick which involve igniting a flame, balance or brining the light into a situation, .Create and light a bonfire or light a special candle carved with symbols which signify the time of year.Inscribe and light a Yule log in a firepit or fireplace.Take a walk at dusk holding a lantern.Bake a seasonal pie, cook a roast and make mulled wine or any other food or drink which to you symbolises the winter solstice .In the evening go out star gazing and seek out your local constellations.Honour the Gods which signify this time of year by creating a shrine or altar in their name or tending to an existing one and make offerings to them.Create an ice wreath in the freezer filled with flowers and herbs of the season (use a bunt cake tin) and once set place a candle in the middle of the wreath and light it to signify the winter moving out and the spring coming in.Use this time to cleanse your magickal tools and spaces such as shrines and altars.Rituals and spells involving transitions and movement.Reflect on your inner world and take some time to just be with yourself and listen to your inner self such as meditation, yoga, going for a walk in nature or just sitting in a space which is sacred to you and just being present.Use this time to recharge yourself through honouring yourself and do what you need to, to enable that reset.Host a feast with family or friends which can include music and dancing.Light black and white candles to signify the diminishing darkness and the increasing light.Decorate a tree (such as a xmas tree) with decorations which signify the winter solstice.Exchange gifts with loved ones.Donate to charities involving the displaced such as the homeless and refugees.Do something kind for someone who is alone, in pain or suffering.Volunteer for a charity which assists the natural world or the less fortunate.Divination such as rune, tarot, dice, candle wax, crystal, magick mirror or ink scrying.  

So work your magick this midwinter, honour the light and the darkness within you and all around you and contemplate and manifest balance in your life.

(c) T. Georgitsis 2021 – Updated 2023

Hellenic Hekate Ritual: Drawing Down the Moon

As a child I was obsessed with the moon and the first form of moon magick my mother taught me, was to sing to the moon.  The first song she taught me was a nursery rhyme she was taught by the priests in secret school during the Nazi occupation of Greece.  This rhyme was created and used by children at secret school at night, when Greece was under the Ottoman occupation between the 15th through to the 19th centuries, due to not being allowed to learn the Greek language. I believe through continuous repetition over many years and many children, there is a lot of power within it especially because in Greek it rhymes  – which is tinged with magick itself, due to it flowing off the tongue.

Φεγγαράκι μου λαμπρό(Greek)

Φεγγαράκι μου λαμπρό,
Φέγγε μου να περπατώ,
Να  πηγαίνω στο σχολειό
Να μαθαίνω γράμματα,
Γράμματα σπουδάματα
Του Θεού τα πράματα.

My Little Shining Moon(English)

My little shining moon,
Light my way so I can walk
To go to school,
To learn my lessons,
Reading and writing,
God’s wishes.

After this initial induction into moon magick, I learned various techniques to harness the power of the moon and utilise it.  One which I became enamoured with was Drawing Down the Moon because its so beautiful and powerful.  Drawing Down the Moon is exactly what it appears to be, by the wording – you are drawing down the energies of the moon.

Over the centuries many magickal practitioners have drawn down the moon in various fashions –  from ancient witches like Medea to modern witches like Doreen Valiente.  The Drawing Down the Moon rituals which are used repetitively, I feel have more potency, due to the re-occurrence of said ritual which brings more power to it.

The image below from a lost Greek vase painting, shows two witches Drawing Down the Moon believed to be from the 2nd Century BCE. This version of Drawing Down the Moon was first ascribed to Thessalian women who practised witchcraft.  The same image was used in Margot Adler’s well known book called Drawing Down the Moon where the term was popularised by modern witches.  The word on the left *KALE (kah-lay) means “beautiful” and the words on the right mean *POTNIAS “who are of the moon mistress”.

Being a devotee of Hekate and a practising Hellenic, I have combined the elements of singing to the moon and Drawing Down the Moon in a Hellenic ritual I personally created and have found much success in.  When collected I use this charged moon water to divine, for various types of sorcery and rituals, as an ingredient in a health tonic and watering my magickal garden.

Here is the ritual below you can use as a Hellenic Hekate ritual of Drawing Down the Moon:

Hellenic Hekate Ritual: Drawing Down the Moon by Setjataset

Items needed: Purified water such as Khenips, incense, offerings for Hekate, Invocational hymn to Hekate, ritual knife/sword/wand, barley grains, libation in the form of wine/juice, silver bowl and the light of a full moon.

Ritual to be held outside under the full moon:

Wash your hands in Khernips before assembling your ritual items, whilst saying:

“Αφήστε όλα αυτά που είναι βλαβερά να φύγουν! (Let all that is profane be gone!)”

Gather and place all ritual items on a altar/shrine or on the ground (beach, park, garden etc).

Prepare and create a working area around you and your items using barley grains to create a circle boundary, whilst saying:

“Xerniptosai! (be purified!)”

Invoke Hekate

Light Incense

Pour Libations on the ground

Give Offerings

Magickal Working

Place silver bowl in an area which holds the light of the full moon.

Stand with your left hand raised up to the Moon – holding your knife/sword/wand in this hand, whilst holding your right hand over the bowl of water before you and repeating the following:

“Hekate, Beautiful Mistress of the Moon
I your (sorcerer/devotee/priestess/witch) sings to you with this tune
I ask your luminous moon to come down with force
I call for your shining spirit to be brought forth
I have the gift of magic within and without me
I pull the bright light of the moon to see
I am a conduit for your glory to enter
I have placed the vessel before you to  centre
I conjure your energies to enter this water wild
I do this in your name as your devoted child”

Thank Hekate

Dis-assemble circle by using your right foot to sweep an opening in the circle for you to exit from.

Gather ritual items and walk away without turning back.

**Agape

* Potentially means as the letters are not clear and the translation itself is iffy due to the low quality of the image.

** Ritual feasting can commence.

(C) T. Georgitsis 2020, Updated 2023

Hekate Devotion:Black Moon

A Black Moon occurs when there are two New Moons in a month or it can also be the third New Moon in an astronomical season with four New Moons.

We have a Black Moon occurring on the 19th & 20th of May 2023.

This kind of event happens every few years and the type of focus for this moon is magickal workings which are more potent during this time.

Focus on renewals, beginnings, manifestation of desires and foundation of intent for future endeavours, which first must come through letting go and clearing/cleansing during the Dark Moon, prior to the New Moon.

Since the Black Moon falls on Deipnon and Noumenia, this is the perfect time for honouring and working with Hekate.

Following are some steps you can engage in when working with Hekate and the Black Moon:

Dark Moon – Deipnon Work

Remove – obstacles, both mental and physical which have been hindering you.  This can be done via banishing magick.Cleanse – energy by completely cleaning and neutralising your space and yourself.  This can be achieved through clearing magick.Offer – an evening meal, such as a specifically prepared supper to honour Hekate and The Restless Dead (leave in front of your home’s external entryway door if you cant find am close or accessible  crossroad).Divine – give yourself a reading (bonus points for using a strophalos/Hekate’s Wheels for trance work).

New Moon – Noumenia Work

Project – intentions of what you want to bring into your life.Create – possibilities for manifestation of desire which can be done through ritualised action such as a spell, devotional, making of art, dance etc.Devote – yourself to Hekate and her causes which can be intangible such as time, energy, knowledge or assistance.Purpose – of intention which can be set for the coming season and can assist in helping your focus on what you want to achieve.

Since this is a rare time astrologically speaking and doesn’t come around often – I would use this time wisely and harness the magical energy available to you in order to serve Hekate along with what you want to achieve for your own wellbeing body, mind, spirit and emotion wise.

(C) T. Georgitsis 2020, Updated 2023

Hekate Devotion: Samhain

Samhain also known as All Hallows Eve, Feast of the Dead and Halloween is the historically Gaelic festival and in a literal sense means summer’s end, marking just that – as it signifies the start of winter and the end of the harvest season.  It falls between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice and is a time when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest due to it being a liminal/threshold festival. In the 19th century it was suggested to be the “Celtic New Year” and in modern time this became the “Witches New Year”.  This year in the Southern Hemisphere calendar it falls on the 6th of May at 4.13pm. Gods such as Hekate, Hades, Persephone, Osiris, Crom Cruach, Cerridwen, Lilith, Kali, Ishtar, Persephone, Oya, Innana, Pamona, Cailleach, The Morrigan, Nephtys, Rhiannon, Herne, Anubis, Odin, Bran and Cernunnos can all be honoured during this time.

I have celebrated Samhain with groups of people in a religious, spiritual and mundane way both here in Australia and overseas.  The one thing which I found resonated with them all was the celebration of what has passed and honouring that which came before us.

One of the first memories I have during this time of year was when we were visiting my mother’s village on a small Aegean island of Greece, Lemnos (where its origins can be traced back to the (Epipaleolithic Period) but its more commonly known for its (Mycenean Period) whose matriarchal line had lived on for centuries.  She took me to her family’s mausoleum which from the outside looked like a mini Parthenon with walls.  Once inside, the marble covered walls were lined and stacked from ceiling to floor with ledges crammed with skulls and bones.  My mother with arms outstretched swept over what I was taking in said in an echoing voice that these were my ancestors and I needed to honour them and that one day she would be amongst them and I needed to remember to pay my respects. 

I personally like to honour my ancestors during this time by leaving offerings for them on their ancestor shrine I have been keeping and tending to for more years than I can count.  My mother was a very spiritual person and taught me to always tend to the ancestor shrine and light incense and leave offerings for them frequently.  During this time since its so close to Greek Easter I make and leave coloured eggs (usually red with patterns of leaves or flowers on them like I was taught using old panty hose and dried leaves/flowers) along with other items my blessed dead liked in life.

I feel that Hekate resonates with this time of the year for various reasons.  This is a liminal time and this is Hekate’s domain as she can traverse the various realms (sky, earth, sea and underworld) as she easily navigates through the thresholds as well as being Goddess of the Underworld, Crossroads and Queen of the Dead and Lost Souls she can help guide.

I personally like to honour Hekate during this time and make offerings of apples, pomegranates, garlic, onions, bay leaves, mead, beer, wine, red meat such as lamb roast, wine, bread, barley, nuts, acorns, pumpkins, gourds, mushrooms, sage, nutmeg, mint, oregano, thyme, marigolds, lilies, chrysanthemums, mugwort, wormwood, dittany of crete, oak leaves, rosemary, corn, gingerbread, chestnuts and apple cider.

Since this tends to be near or after Greek easter I tend to make an apple tea cake and leave a token inside (usually a wrapped up gold coin) which I divide and serve and whomever gets the coin has the token of luck.  I also like to cook items for Hekate which resonate with familial recipes so I like to bake and offer Anastasia’s Spiral Pita and Greek Kourabiethes.

Some things you can do to honour and mark Samhain in your personal practice (or with a group of likeminded individuals) can be:

Dumb suppers such as a place for them at your table or food left for them on a ancestor shrine/altar, doorstep, property boundary, gravestone or crossroads to your blessed dead such as ancestors or other loved ones who have passed over.
Making offerings of appeasement to lost souls.
Connect and communicate with the spirit world.
Divination using various methods such as scrying (crystal, fire, mirror, black ink and water), reading such as tarot, runes, dice, I Ching and pendulum.
Rituals and spells involving protective and cleansing properties for oneself or one’s property.
Light a hearth fire either in a fire place, outside bonfire style or a simple small fire inside using a proof vessel on a shrine such as a cauldron, lamp or even a candle.
Collect the last harvest from your garden – be it fruit, vegetables or herbs and flowers.
Honouring the dual nature of life and death and accepting its beauty.  This includes honouring the darkness and the light as both are equally as important.
Prepare food for the God/s you honour during this time and thank them for their gifts.
Personally reflect on the last 12 months and take note of your accomplishments and failures and create a plan to continue with said accomplishments and rectify failures.
Make a jack-o-lantern from a pumpkin or gourd and place a candle inside it and when lit leave i (in safe) view of a windowsill or outside near your front door.
Host a feast with family or friends which can include music and dancing.
Create a shrine with images or items from your blessed dead and recite prayers and leave offerings in their name.

As is my style, I like to craft during this time of year making Hekate and ancestor beaded necklaces, anointing oils, and seasonal incense and candles.  With the necklaces, I make them using my mother’s agillete (knot magic or witches ladder) and then I bless and consecrate them in my yearly Samhain ritual which you can find here:

Hekate Magick: Samhain for her Witches

So work your magick this Samhain, honour those who came before you and reflect and contemplate on your journey thus far taking in and celebrating the ebb and flow of the seasons and of life itself.

© T. Georgitsis 2021, Updated 2023

Isian News: Issue #188, Beltane 2023

In the latest issue of Isian News by the Fellowship of Isis, features a piece by me called “Special Moons for 2023“ explaining the different significant moons and what magick you can practice during these moons:

For your FREE copy follow this link:

beltane2023Download

Magick of the Hybrid Solar Eclipse: 20th April 2023

What, When and Why

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon falls between the earth and the sun which casts a shadow over the earth. A solar eclipse can only occur during the new moon phase.

An annular eclipse is when the moon and the sun is exactly aligned with the earth but the moon being smaller than the sun enables the sun to surround the moon as a bring ring.

This is a Hybrid Solar Eclipse which is a rare type of eclipse – a combination of an annular eclipse and a total solar eclipse. This rare solar eclipse is sometimes known as an A-T eclipse and is produced when the moon’s shadow moves across Earth, it starts as one type of eclipse and transitions to another.

This solar eclipse will be visible in Western Australia, Antarctica and SE Asia.

You will be able to view this hybrid eclipse with the ring of fire for a few seconds in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Please Note: A hybrid solar eclipse should ONLY be viewed through solar filters like a pair of solar eclipse glasses for safety reasons, as you don’t want to damage your eyes. PLEASE NEVER look at the sun without adequate protection. For more information on what you need to see the eclipse safely which includes what equipment you need please go here for more information:

https://www.space.com/sun-observing-safety-guide

To see if you can view the eclipse from your area, go here for more information:

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/HSE_2023_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=-12.41889&Lng=122.96658&Zoom=3&LC=1

Magick of the Solar Eclipse

Solar eclipse magick is when the energy is amplified due to the moon energies intermingling with the sun energies.  The sun and the moon are in the same star sign and the energies co-mingling this way, emphasises the energies of that particular sign.  This solar eclipse is in Scorpio* therefore the energies heightened during this time is the Scorpio star sign.

The kind of magick you can perform during the solar eclipse:

Liminal – magick worked between the darkness and the light.Transition – use the sun and moon moving through this time to highlight or work with important transitions in your life.Change – harness this quick moving energy to bring about purposeful change in your life.Rebirth – moving from one cycle to the other in the form of a death of the old and and bringing in and welcoming of the new.Breaking – down barriers before you which have caused blockages in your life can now be removed.Movement – cleanse the stagnant decayed and no longer necessary and embrace the fresh new and potential within problem areas of your life.Rituals/Spells – in dedication to Gods who embrace this time and can assist you in manifesting the energies of the liminal, transitional, rebirth, movement, breaking away and change such as Hekate. Sorcery of the Solar Eclipse

*Aries moon is a good time for beginnings, endings and coupled with the eclipse which is all about revelations this can be a good time to help reveal things which you can tackle with headstrong determination.

Since Aries is a fire sign it’s a great time to work with this element.  Being a sign which embraces the warrior it allows us to tackle obstacles with courage and confidence as we can finally see the truth before us. Great for letting go of old things which no longer serve us and embracing the new possibilities which aid us.

This is a good time to heal with Hekate’s fires of illumination and transformation as she can show us what we path we need to move away from and what doors are open to us for the progression forward. This can be a connection to someone, employment or a personal behaviour which no longer serves us and whilst difficult to let go of makes room for new connections, jobs and choices/habits/ which are stronger and healthier and overall better for you. 

Sacrifice that which no longer is needed and allow the blessings of what will benefit you moreso a place in your life.

The element of fire is creative and it is the element of action just like Hekate.  Fire is at the hearth of the home, a place where Hekate’s shrine is placed.  Fire illuminates and brightens the darkness allowing us to see which way we need to go and Hekate’s role as psychopomp can help us with that.  Here is a ritual I would like to share with you which you can use to honour Hekate in a Hellenic way and which utilises the element of fire:

Hellenic Hekate Fire Ritual
© T. Georgitsis 2015

Purification/Consecration

Wash your hands in some khernips (lustral water) which you have placed in a bowl outside sacred space (where the altar is kept).  

At this point state, “Let all that is profane be gone!“

Take barley and throw the offering of cleansing upon the altar and upon the sacred space and say “Hekas hekas este o-bebeloi” (Afar, Afar, O The/Ye Profane),

Procession

Form a formal procession and walk towards the sacred space from the east, carrying the offerings with you 

Present the offerings to Hekate by holding them up in a gesture of oblation and place them on the altar. You do not need to speak to do this but may say a few words as a statement of purpose if you are inspired.

Sprinkle khernips over offerings to purify them with the words “Xerniptosai” (be purified).

Invocation

Light a fire pit, oil lamp, brazier or candle for Hekate.  

Throw or sprinkle incense into the fire.

Read out loud or sing a hymn in Hekate’s name.

Preces (Prayer Proper)

Write a petition to Hekate and read it out loud three times.

Pour a libation of oil, wine or honey’d milk to Hekate upon the ground.

Praxis (Working Proper)

Create the magickal working needed such as divination, healing or blessings of any items.  This can be accompanied with singing, dancing, chanting and more offerings and libations.

Thanks and Closing

Thank Hekate by saying:

“Hekate, in your name we gathered, in your name we depart.  Thank you for your eternal illumination and blessings.”

Step away from the ritual space by backing away, turning to the right and leaving without looking back.

Ritual is now complete and any feasting can take place.

*Aries is a fire sign which is ruled by Mars. It is a sign which can appear passionate, motivated and direct, yet they are cheerful and make great leaders due to their determination and ability to built community.

In her name

Setjataset

(C) T. Georgitsis 2023

Hekate Devotion: Hearth/Kitchen Shrine

Preparing and cooking food is an act of magick itself, so for me, I like to have an altar in my kitchen. Back in the days of old, the kitchen hearth was a place of magick especially when it came to folk magick and it continues to this day since many of us practice the craft in our own homes.

Crafting in the kitchen can often evoke warm, safe and happy memories. Considering this is a place well known to most, it can be used to work magick through creating food and drink in a familiar loving surrounding.  Food itself contains energy and the spark of life, therefore it is only understandable to honor this gift of the gods by creating an altar in your kitchen.  Having a kitchen altar can increase the vibration of your home, especially if you consider that an altar is sacred space and can further empower the process of food crafting.  This starts with the ingredients and tools used, to the methods employed to prepare and cook the food, all the way to the finished product.

Altars in the home have been around since ancient times as this was sometimes the only place an ordinary person could commune with the gods in sacred space.  Since the kitchen was the main room where meals were prepared, which were often seen as gifts from the gods, it was often an ideal place to put a household shrine.  Kitchen altars can be the power spot of the house where energies can be used to bring balance and harmony into the home and those who live there.

A simple kitchen altar can be placed in a niche, shelf mounted on a wall, in a cupboard, on the kitchen table or on a surface like a bench top.  It can be elaborate which can bring attention to it or it can blend in with the décor of the kitchen and be overlooked by inquisitive guests.

What you place upon your kitchen altar is completely up to you and your own tastes, however I suggest placing herbs and spices which are favoured other other food stuffs which resonate with you.   I also suggest placing an image of a god or goddess of the hearth such as Hekate, Gaia, Hestia, Aradia, Ceres, Ida, Lakshimi, Vesta, Demeter which will represent spirit and items which represent the four elements such as:

Earth: bread, salt, flowers, fruit, acorns, crystals;

Air: oil burner, leaves, tiny brooms, feathers;

Fire: a lighter, matches, oil lamp, incense, candle;

Water: bowl/glass/bottle of water, witch bottle, shells.

Other items including a witches blade, used for cutting up herbs, can be placed on the kitchen altar along with a mortar and pestle for grinding up salts, spices and herbs and a Food Craft Grimoire and pen for devotional recipes you create and add to over time.  Remember to keep the altar clean and free of clutter to further resonate this magickal energy into your home and your life.

When food crafting I find myself instantly drawn to the kitchen altar. Here I light a candle and offer up a little hymn to the goddess to imbue and bless my food with health, vitality and delicious flavor in her name as well as guarding and protecting my home and those who live within it.  Here is a hymn I wrote for Hekate whom is the patron of my home’s hearth which you can use:

‘Hekate –

Great Goddess of the hearth and household

Watch over and protect those within its fold

To your honour we feast and drink

Bless us with your eternal link

Filled with health and vitality

So it is said so it will be”

Its no secret I love cooking special offerings to Hekate and have made it part of my practice to hand make and carefully prepare food in her name.  Recently due to it coinciding with Greek Easter which is coming up, I made cookies with a twist which I offered to Hekate as well as shared and gifted to dear friends. These Greek cookies have been made since the times of the Minoans in various shapes including snakes, wreaths, figure 8’s, horseshoes or Greek letters. I made dual coloured Greek plaited shortbread called Koulouria which were made with 3 flavour profiles. I felt they aptly reflected the triple aspect of Hekate and the fact they are braided means you can weave your magical intention within them as they are made. Here is my recipe for you to try which I have detailed at the link below:

Koulouria – Chocolate & Vanilla Twists with Orange Kick

In her name

Setjataset

(c) T. Georgitsis 2010, Updated 2023