This blog is kinda sorta really dead.

If you want to keep up with me, or with the Hekate's Many Names project, I can be found over at http://nehetisingsforhekate.tumblr.com 

The Hekate's Many Names Project is updated on that page as well, along with several other Hekatean projects.

For my artistic endeavors:
Facebook
Red Bubble
Etsy


Have a good one, and may Hekate's torches lead you always!

Tumblr Blog and a Hekatean Project

I have a tumblr which is where I usually post things that are less associated with my Wicket Icons work and more about my nerdiness. But for now, it's also hosting a series of posts about Hekate which might be of interest to my followers here.

You'll find the masterlist of the posts here.
http://nehetisingsforhekate.tumblr.com/tagged/30-days-of-devotion

Hekate's Many Names pt. 3 (3 of 3)

Epithets with little to no evidence of any variety that I've found thus far. I suspect this list will change extensively. 

Embroidery for Hekate - by me, 2011.

Androphonos: Killer of Men
Antania: Enemy of Mankind
Arkaia: misinterpreted as associated with a bear, but what little I have found implies an association with age. 

Bolos: of questionable meaning but possibly as Far-Thrower. Bolos variously suggests an earthy stone, but forms a root word for the epithet Deer-shooting as well as the word for catching fish. Bolos can imply taking possession of something.

Chrysosandeimopichthonia: Supposedly means "Goddess of the Underworld Who wears Golden Sandals and Drinks Blood": No evidence that the epithet exists historically.

Drakaina: She-Snake: The Greek word for female dragon or serpent, but it has no connection with Hekate.

Eranne: Lovely

Helike: revolving, seems to get mistranslated as Willow: Helike was a polis on the Gulf of Corinth, and the name of a star in the sky. There is no connection with Hekate. Theoi.com says the word for Willow was Itea.
Hersechthonia: Speaking from Below
Hexacheira: of six-ways, of six hands
Hipparete: Horse-speaker: The name of the wife of Alcibiades. No relation to Hekate.

Kalkaea: Wearer of High Boots:  The word seems to have no relation to boots of any sort, nor to be of Greek origin.

Lochais: Midwife: I've thus far only found it referenced in blogs. The word 'Lochai' is found in John Scarborough's Facets of Hellenic Life but I have not had a chance to read the book.

Mageus: One who Kneads, potentially has roots in the word 'Magi.'
Meisopomenos: Laborer of the Moon
Moira: A Share, Fate:  Connections between Hekate and the Moirae seem to be largely speculative with no definitive historical evidence.

Oxythymia: Quick to Anger?: Aristarchus says that oxythymia are gallows trees. See Groaning Tears: Ethical and Dramatic Aspects of Suicide in Greek Tragedy by Elise P. Garrison, Brill Press.

Panopaea: All-seeing, panorama: The name of a Nereid.
Prothegetis: Leader

Rhododaktylos: Rosy-fingered:  Traditionally an epithet of Eos. Though Eos and Hekate share the epithet saffron-cloaked, there is no evidence that Hekate bore the name thus far.

Tymborychos: Gravedigger

Hekate's Many Names Pt 2 (2 of 3)

Epithets without Historical Precedence I've found concerning Hekate,  but whose title seems appropriate given other epithets and characteristics associated with the Goddess.  Please contact me with information that affirms that Hekate had these titles historically if there is such to be had.

Hekate Ophiothrix - by Sara Croft

A

Adamantaea: Unconquerable, Untamable Goddess: The name of one of the Nymphs that nursed Zeus. The meaning of the name certainly applies to Hekate.
Agrotera: Huntress: Epithet for Artemis. Likely applied to Hekate through modern conflation.
Aidonaea: Of the Underworld: Certainly applicable. Confusion may arise due to the spelling Adonaea, which technically applies to gardens dedicated to Adonis. Aidonia is also a site in Mycenae that is famous for a large number of tombs.
Amaimaketos: Unconquerable, raging, invincible, uncontrollable: Associated with the Chimera and with the Sea, see Homer: The Poetry of the Past by Andrew Ford (footnote no. 52 on p. 90) and Man, Myth, and Magic: an illustrated encyclopedia of the supernatural, vol. 1 by Richard Cavendish, 1971.
Anassa Eneroi: Queen of the Dead: A title which is perfectly appropriate, though historically was most often applied to Persephone.
Antaia: Angry:  Antaia was a Goddess in her own right as well as an epithet applied to Demeter.
Apanchomene: The Hanged One: An epithet associated with Artemis.

B

Booporos: Ox-Herder:  As Hekate was historically called Ox-Herder (Bookolos), the title fits.

C

D

E

Epaine: Awe-inspiring, glorious, sublime:  Historically applied to Persephone. Yet the meaning of this epithet certainly applies to Hekate.
Ephoros: Guardian, overseer:  Possibly derived from the name Ephesos. No evidence of connection to Hekate, though it seems appropriate.
Epi-tymbidia: sepulchral: Closely associated with Aphrodite.

F

G

Genetyllis: Birth-helper:  The Goddess of Childbirth whose name came to be a title of Artemis and Aphrodite. A class of goddesses of midwifery, the Genetillides. See A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith, 1873. Pausanias also highlights the similarities between Hekate and Genetyllis.

H

Hiera: Holy One: Applies to the Gods certainly.

I

J

K

Kalliste: Fairest: The name of one of Artemis' nymphs, as well as an epithet that applied to Herself. See Euripides' Iphigenia.
Kyno: Bitch, female dog: Though I've not found a connection to Hekate, her relationship to canines makes this epithet potentially applicable.

L

Limenoskopos: of the Threshold, Watcher of Havens, On the Harbor, Watching the Harbor: A title that applied to Zeus and Artemis. Fits too well to Hekate's nature to overlook as applicable.

M

Melainis: Black: An epithet of Aphrodite.

N

Noctiluca: Light of the Night, Night Shiner: A Latin epithet of Luna.
Nyktipolos: Night-wandering:  uncertain source. 

O

Oistrophaneia: Manifester of Madness: This name is of uncertain origin. Hekate was certainly described as a Goddess who could bring or cure madness.
Ophiothrix: Serpent-haired: created by me for the purposes of describing Hekate's snake-haired figure which is found in various texts.

P

Pasiphaessa: Wide-Shining: An epithet of Aphrodite.
Polyboteira: Generous Giver of Nourishment: I've yet to find evidence of this specific epithet, though Kerenyi describes Hekate as Nourishing.
Potnia Theron: Mistress of Animals, Lady of Wild Beasts: a title first found in Minoan society, and applied to various Goddesses. Rabinowitz in his book on Hekate hints at scholarly debate over the application of this epithet to Hekate.
Prokathegetis: She who goes down before: Kathegetis means teacher or guide. Hekate certainly fits.
Prytania: misunderstood to translate as "Invincible Queen of the Dead" but it is more likely a connection to the Council Chamber, the Prytania.: See The Symbolical Language of Ancient Art and Mythology: An Inquiry by Richard Payne Knight, p. 26 for a discussion of the Prytania. The modern (mis)understanding as Invincible Queen of the Dead fits well.
Purphoros: Fire-bearer: Applied to a wide range of deities, though as of yet I haven't found a direct reference to Hekate Purphoros. Yet, the name fits suitably with Hekate Dadophoros.

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

I readily admit that my research is in the early stages, and will happily accept the opportunity to improve it. Already Part 1 has had several additions! :) Florian Schlie has been an immense help, and Georgi Michev has pointed me in new directions. All my gratitude. 

Hekate's Many Names (Part 1 of 3)

This has been long in the working... Several months ago I was asked by Sorita D'Este to research Hekate's Epithets, as many of those that are commonly listed are... well, detached from reality.

This initial post is a list of those Titles which have a clear history with Hekate. It is by far the longest list, with a diverse selection of sources. I have tried my best to clarify any confusion over translations. Highlighting indicates that I am unhappy with the evidence I have thus far found, even if it is a decent second or tertiary source.

If you have a better source for an Epithet, please let me know!

Part 2 will share epithets that while having history, have little to no connection to Hekate, but which seem appropriate to Her in some way.
Part 3 will be, perhaps, be the most difficult to accept, as it will be a list of those epithets that have no basis in reality.

The reason this is being shared here is so that I can continue to fine tune the list. So please, give voice to your own sources and the like.

A Thousand Lights for Hekate by Sara Croft (me), 2012

Epithets with  Historical Precedence (Epithet: Meaning: Source and Notes if Applicable) 

?: Subduer of All: Greek Magical Papyri Hymn IV 2714-83
?: Fawn-slayer: Hymn to Selene-Hekate-Artemis, Greek Magical Papyri IV 2714-83.
?: Greatest Overseer: Hymn to Selene-Hekate-Artemis, Greek Magical Papyri IV 2714-83.
?: Untamed: Hymn to Selene-Hekate-Artemis, Greek Magical Papyri IV 2714-83.
?: Who Pours Forth Arrows: Hymn to Selene-Hekate-Artemis, Greek Magical Papyri IV 2714-83.

A

Agriope : Wild-eyed, Fierce-faced, Savage-watcher, wild-voiced : A name associated with Eurydice, Orpheus' wife, likely came to be attached to Hekate when the two were conflated. From Orpheus and His Lute: Poetry and the Renewal of Life by Elisabeth Henry, SIU Press, 1992 p. 3. Also, Maass' Opheus, 1895.
Aktiophis: of unknown meaning: various hymns to Selene and Hekate in the Greek Magical Papyri.
Alexeatis: Averter of Evil:  A 5th c. BCE inscription to Enodia mentioned by Sarah Iles Johnston in Restless Dead.
Ameibousa: One that transforms: Oracle Table from Pergamon dedicated to Hekate. (Special thanks to Florian Schlie for the information.)
Amphiprosopos: Double-faced: The Chaldean Oracles, also Reading Plotinus: A Practical Introduction to Neoplatonism by Kevin Corrigan.
Anassa: Queen:  The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Angelos: Messenger: The Chaldean Oracles. Associated with numerous Gods. Karl Kerenyi discusses the shared role of Angelos between Hermes and Hekate in Hermes: Guide of Souls.
Aphrattos: Unnamed One:  In "Taranto" by Enzo Lippolis, Salvatore Garraffo, Massimo Nafissi by the Instituto per la Storia e l'Archeologia della Magna Grecia, 1995, p. 194-5.
Apotropaios: Averting, Averter: Supplementum epigraphicum Graecum (SEG) 42 1816.
Atala: Tender, delicate: Hesiod's Hymn to Demeter.
Atala Phroneousa: Gay-Spirited: The Homeric Hymn to Demeter. 
Azostos: Ungirt, without a belt: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.

B

Basileia: Queen, Princess:  The Orphic Hymn to Hekate. Also, Farnell's Cults of the Greek States vol. 2, p. 507.
Borborophorba: Eater of Filth: Greek Magical Papyri, 1402, 1406.
Boukolos: Ox-Herder: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Brimo: Angry One, The Terrifying, of Crackling Flames : Apollonios Rhodios 3.861-63, 1246. Also applied to Persephone, Demeter, and Cybele.

C

Chrysosandalos: of Golden Sandals:  The Hymn of Hekate-Erechkigal, Greek Magical Papyri LXX.
Chthonian: of the Earth: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.

D

Dadophoros: Torchbearer:  Well-attested in sculpture and coins.
Daeira: The Knowing One, Teacher: A nymph and lover of Hermes who was sometimes conflated with Persephone and Hekate, according to the Perseus Project.
Despoina: Mistress:  An Arkadian Goddess of Fertility and daughter of Demeter. Identified with Persephone, Artemis, and Hekate.
Dione: The Goddess: Dione is a Goddess in her own right that came to be conflated with Hekate. From the Oracle Table of Pergamom. Source: Hekate die dunkle Gottin by Thomas Lautwein.

E

Eileithyia: nurse of Childbirth: Goddess of midwives, conflated with Artemis and Hekate.
Einalian: of the Sea: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Empylios: at the Gate:  See the Orphic Argonautika 902, as well as an inscription in a museum associated with the Temple of Zeus in Nemea.
Enodia: of the Path:  Pausanias' Description of Greece 3.14.9,  Hippocrates Of Sacred Disease, and The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Ephodia:  travelling expenses... of uncertain appelation with Hekate.  Inscription in a museum associated with the Temple of Zeus in Nemea.
Epiphanestate Thea: the Most Manifest Goddess:  "The Priviledges of Free Nontributary States" by Sulla, 81 BCE.
Epipurgidia:  on the Tower: Pausanias's description of Athens.
Eukoline: Good tempered:  grave stele in Athens. Additionally Kallimachos refers to Hekate Eukoline. Additionally, could be applied to Eileithyia.
Eurippa: Horse-finder:  Robert Brown, Semitic Influence in Hellenic Mythology, Williams and Norgate, 1898.

G

H

Hecatoncheires : Hundred-handed:  The Chaldean Oracles
Hegemonen: Guide: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.

I

J

K

Kleidoukhos: Keeper of the Keys: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Kore: Maiden: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Kourotrophos: Child's nurse, nurse of youths: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate. Shared with Artemis and Eilytheia.
Kratais: The Strong One, of the Rocks: Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautika.
Krokopeplos: Saffron-cloaked: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.

L

Laginitis: of Lagina, possibly: The city of Idrias had a temple to Hekate Laginitis. : See A History of Discoveries at Halicarnassus, Cnidus, and Branchidae, vol. 2 by Charles T. Newton, R.P. Pullan, 1863.
Lampadephoros: Lamp-bearer, torch-bearer, who warns of nighttime attack. : Associated with the Mysteries of Phrygia.  The Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia by William Ramsay.  Suidas describes a statue dedicated to Hekate the Torchbearer for saving the city of Byzantium from Philip of Macedon.
Leaina: the Lioness:  Porphyry, Fragmenta III, 18. See also Kraus' Hekate, p. 32-33.
Liparokredemnos: of the bright-headband, Bright-coiffed: The Homeric Hymn to Hekate.

M

Maera: Shining:  In Ovid's Metamorphoses connects the story of a woman Maera turned into a dog with Hekate.
Megiste: Greatest:  Sarah Iles Johnston mentions this Hellenistic Carian epithet in Restless Dead, p. 206.
Monogenes:  Only Child: Hesiod's Theogony, 11.404-452.
Munychia: of unknown meaning, possibly of the village Munychia. An epithet of Artemis associated with the Attic military port of the same name. See Women of Classical Mythology by Robert Bell, Oxford, p.312. Also Farnell, p. 473.

N

Nykteria: of the Night: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Nykti: of the Night: From the Oracle Table of Pergamom. Source: Hekate die dunkle Gottin by Thomas Lautwein.
Nymphen: Bride: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.

O

Opaon: Follower: The Homeric Hymn to Hekate. 

Ourania: Celestial, Heavenly: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Ouresiphoites: Wanderer in the Mountains: the Orphic Hymn to Hekate. 

P

Pandina: possibly something about whirling or rotating, but largely unknown. : See The Numismatic Circular and Catalogue of Coins, Tokens, Commemorative and War Medals, Books and Cabinets, vol. 16, Spink & Son, 1908, p. 10308
Pantos Kosmou Kleidokhos: Keeper of Keys of the Kosmos: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Parthenos: Virgin: The Chaldean Oracles.
Patrogenes: Father-begotten: The Chaldean Oracles.
Perseian: daughter of Perseus: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Pheraea: of Pheraea, daughter of Zeus and Pheraea (daughter of Aeolus): theoi.com/cult/hekatecult.html
Phileremos: Lover of Solitude: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Phoebe: Bright: From the Oracle Table of Pergamom. The epithet is also associated with Artemis and Apollo. Source: Hekate die dunkle Gottin by Thomas Lautwein.
Phoinikopeza: Ruddy-footed: Pindar's Paean 2. Also applied to Demeter.
Phosphoros: Light-bearer: Artemidoros. See also Euripides Helen, 569.
Phroune: She-toad:  JGR Forlong's Encyclopedia of Religions or Faiths of Man pt. 1 p. 269. This is also one of the sources of the idea that Hekate and Heqet might share common origins.
Physis: Nature: The Chaldean Oracles.
Prodomos: Of the Vestibule, literally Before the House: Aristophanes' Fragment 388.
Propolos: She Who Leads, Guide, Companion: see archimedes.fas.harvard.edu 's entry on the term Propolos.
Propylaia: One before the Gate:  See Tooke's Pantheon of the Heathen Gods and Illustrious Heroes by Francois Pomey, 1823, p. 178.
Prothyraea: Before the Gate: The Orphic Hymn to Prothyraea doesn't explicitly use Hekate's name, but carries many of Her traits, and  it uses the names of Diana and Eileithyia, both of who were conflated with Hekate.
Psychopompe: Soul-Guide:  a psychopomp is a class of beings with the responsibility of guiding souls into the afterlife, rather than an epithet. Hekate certainly qualifies.

R

Rexichthon: Earth-cleaver: Hymn to Selene-Hekate-Artemis, Greek Magical Papyri IV 2714-83.

S

Skotia: of the Dark, of the Gloom:  Diodorus I describes Hekate Scotia as worshiped in Egypt. The title was also associated with Aphrodite in Egypt.  The Day of Yahweh by William Arthur Heidel, 1929, p. 516.
Skylakitin: Lady of the Dogs: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Soteira: Savior: see Hekate Soteira by Sarah Iles Johnston for a great exegesis. This epithet has been given to many different Gods and Goddesses.
Speirodrakontozonos: Girt in Serpent Coils: See Michael Italicus' Letter 17, as quoted in Stephen Ronan's The Goddess Hekate.

T

Tauropolos: Bull-herder: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate
Tergeminus: of Triple-Birth: An Elementary Latin Dictionary by Charlton T. Lewis, American Book Co. 1890.
Thea Deinos: The Dread Goddess: Apollonius Rhodius Argonautica 3.1194
Therobromon: Roaring like a Wild Beast, of the City of the Beast: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.
Triaucheros: with Three Necks: Lycophron's Alexandra 1186.
Triceps: Three-formed: Ovid's Metamorphoses 7.194.
Trikephalos: Three-headed: numerous sources, coins, and statuary.
Trimorphos: Three-formed: numerous sources, coins, and statuary.
Trioditis: Of the Three Roads: Athenaeus.
Trivia: Of the Three Ways: The name for the Roman Goddess of the Three Roads.
Tymbidian: sepulchral: The Orphic Hymn to Hekate.

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Zerynthia: of Mount Zerynthia: See Gimbutas' Old Europe, p. 197. Likely named after Zerynthos in Lagina.
Zonodrakontos: Covered in Snakes, Intertwined with snakes: The Chaldean Oracles.
Zootrophos: Nourisher of Life: The Chaldean Oracles. 

Expect Part 2 sometime in the next few days. :)

ETA: Five Epithets were added, thanks to Florian Schlie! You are awesome, my friend. 

Losing Momentum and Finding It Anew

Sometimes, for some unknown reason, we fall away from our spiritual lives for a time. When we look up from whatever has been distracting us from our relationships with the Gods, it feels as though everything has withdrawn from us. I call those moments "Fallow" periods.

I have them every few years. Suddenly other matters take far more importance. Whether it be a job, one's family, or one's own health, life shifts perspectives. It's part of growth, even if it feels awfully imbalanced at times.

I've been fallow for a few months now, off and on. I even considered becoming an Atheist.

But now Imbolc is almost upon us, and I find myself coming back up for the oh-so-divine Air. I went through my books on Paganism, Magic and all that, and cleaned up my collection. I'll clean up, give away, and donate a good portion of my things before Imbolc is over. Yet, somehow it seems we always have Too Much Stuff! (and I do this twice a year.)

But that leans too far away from what all these words are supposed to be highlighting.

One of the great benefits of working through one's home and giving away some of what you find, is the absolute gems that you may discover in the process.

Today I found some notes  on Hekate from 2006, when I was first finding Her Presence in my life. Reading one of the hymns I wrote in those notes, I immediately felt the surge of Presence and Being that has been missing.

It probably didn't hurt that in order to find these notes, I had to disassemble and reassemble my bedroom Shrine to Hekate. I won't discount the importance of a good altar-cleansing.

But I thought I'd share these very rough early musings on the Goddess of Earth, Sea, and Sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Hail Hekate! 
Bright-coiffed
Torches held high to give light to the Night!
Guide me beyond the mire of today.
Help me to see the traps that I lay.
Send me your hounds.
Show me the way. 
For you are the Keybearer of all Sacred Ways. 


Hail Hekate! 
With your triple-formed frame!
Show me the devotions to be done in your name.
Give me the visions.
Give me the sight. 
Guide me, O Goddess, through the night of my life.
Too many choices
Or else too few.
Show me the way which I should choose.
Hail Hekate! 
Leader of the Pack!
Guide me
Guard me
Teach me the Paths.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There's enough there that I would change these days that I see there to recognize my growth. I would never ask Hekate to choose for me now. She has taught me that the Choice is mine and will always be mine, and that my courage to face the consequences and to accept responsibility is central to how to live in this world.

And recognizing that I've grown and become a better person as a direct result of Her influence in my life might just be what did the trick.

Khaire, Hekate!

B is for Bast (a case for serious inquiry into the Gods)

Last night I went out with some of my girlfriends, and we were happily plowing through a bookstore. I came across "Gift for the Gods: Images from Egyptian Temples" for 8 bucks! I love getting like-new books for next to nothing.

I'm overjoyed with it. Each item in the text is presented from multiple perspectives, particularly a bronze of Set and a gold statuette of Amun that I have been in love with for years.

"Cougar" by Neheti, 2010 - Cats and Bast, what can I say?

The one figure I didn't see in the book that I'd hoped for was the Goddess Bast.

Bast has been classed as a Goddess of so many things, most of which are erroneous. People ramble that She's the Goddess of Marijuana for goodness sake. *eyeroll* (Hint: She isn't.)

And there we get to a perfect example of one of my least favorite habits that people fall into when it comes to studying the Gods.

I guess the culprit is the structure of most books on mythology. So many of them are structured like so:

Bast (Egyptian): Goddess of Gobbledy-gook.

Well, something like that.

The reality of Gods, of any culture, is that they aren't so easily pigeon-holed.

Bast is one of the Eyes of Ra, a class of Goddesses of ancient Egypt, who serves to protect the world from isfet (uncreation) in the service of Ma'at (order.) She is also associated with perfumes, as evidenced by her hieroglyphics, which includes a perfume jar (bas).

A lot of people make the mistake of writing her name Bastet. The 't' on the end of the name Bast, indicates the fact that She's a Goddess, and with Kemetic words that end in 'et,'  that 'et' serves the same purpose. In a way, using the word Bastet is saying The Goddess of the Bas Jar who is a Woman. It's redundant.

Most modern people associate Bast with the domesticated cat, but a lot of her earlier images show her as a Lioness (which causes a lot of confusion with other Goddesses who have lion forms, like Sekhmet and Mafdet.) But Bast evolved a lot over the span of time of the early Dynasties and the Hellenistic era.

A Goddess with distinct solar attributes (after all She's the Eye of Ra - who is the Sun), by time of the Ptolemies, She was being conflated with Artemis and Selene, and had taken on lunar attributes. She was originally an independent and protective Goddess, but towards the decline of Ancient Egypt, she had come to be known as a Goddess of frivolity and joy. Herodotus shares an unlikely story that the women stand on the banks of the Nile and flash the passersby in Her name.

The complexity of a God doesn't fit easily in any one story or anecdote, and it certainly doesn't fit into a soundbite like what one finds in a dictionary of mythology. Yet that's how people tend to talk about the Gods. Artemis becomes boiled down to the Goddess of the Hunt (which She is, but She's MORE than that.) Bast gets limited down to Her cat features.

Think of learning about a God like learning about a person. It takes time and effort. In the case of a God, it means, for most of us, a lot of studying about the culture that gave birth to them.

If you or I don't fit into a one-line dictionary style definition, how in the world is a deity with thousands of years of history and His or Her own characteristics and personality every supposed to fit into a simple formulaic statement. If hoping for a good relationship with a deity, the least one can do is learn all we can about them.

For more information on Bast, check out the following links:
http://www.per-bast.org/bast/historical.html
http://www.touregypt.net/godsofegypt/bast2.htm

A is for Ancestors

Shadowe, 16 years old and spunky... but dying from Cancer.

This week, I say goodbye to a very busy year. Between saying goodbye to my 16 year old cat, Shadowe, to almost losing my father-in-law, to my very own medical situation, a lot has changed.

This time last year, I was waiting for surgery on my knee, and basically banished from walking without a brace and a cane. Now, three times a week, I'm walking dogs for over an hour. 

There's a lot to talk about with my Beloved Dead this Samhain. Ancestor worship never used to be a big deal with me, when I was younger. I didn't care about them, really, but over the past few years, my ancestors have become a larger and larger part of my practice, and the list of their names, sadly, has been growing steadily over the past few years. 

I suspect that I looked on death as one of those things that would never happen to me, or to those I loved. Or perhaps, in fact, even romanticized it. Probably a bit of both. 

I'm sure some will think I am still looking on it through a special sort of lens. I'm okay with that. 

Ancestor box waiting to be unpacked for Samhain 2010.

On my path, ancestors are worked with only rarely, but thought of, and even given gifts, often. I maintain a box that I designed just for their things. I keep the gifts I have given them, their photos, and obituaries in it. It also holds the centerpiece of my Samhain rite, my litany of names. 

I've been maintaining one for four or five years now, and each years list is in the box, waiting for this year's contribution. When I feel the veil between this world and the next thinning, as it does each autumn, I sit down and work through each name, preparing a new list. The first year, I included all the various Pagans who've died that I felt needed remembered, and that list is monstrously long. Nowadays, I focus on those who've contributed directly to my being. 

On the date of the astronomical quarter, November 7th, I will cast my circle, and remember them. Some of them are just names, but others are ever-present, and remain living in my heart every day. It is that memory, that reconnection with those who gave me my very existence or who have made it wondrous for the years that we shared, that makes Samhain my favorite holiday. 

Thus it is that my Litany of Names always begins with a quote from Helen Keller: 

"What we once enjoyed we can never lose; all that we love deeply becomes a part of us." 

May your Ancestors smile with pride at the life you are living. 

Volatility

I have this thing I do every New Moon at my bedroom altar. I take one of my oracle decks (Earth Magic) and I pull a card that will characterize the next month.

My first warning about last month should've been that I drew the Volcano: Volatility card.

Since then, I got confirmation that I have PCOS, we had a week where our A/C died and we ended up crashing at a friend's house, and I've been on two road trips (one good, one that started good and ended nightmarish.)

I've had to start medication, change my diet, and educate the heck of out myself.

But at the same time, I have answers to questions that have plagued me since I was nine, and now I have something I can do to fix it, or at least, mitigate it.

Ultimately though, the whole mess has left me feeling tender and exhausted. I have more questions than answers about the things that have happened to me around the last month or so, some of which will never be answered.

I've also learned who my real friends are, and that is a precious thing.

So what's my card for this month? Meadow: Vulnerability.

I love it... and hate it... when cards speak so honestly.

I'm also teaching a casual discussion course on magic that's meeting once a month and talking online about all sorts of topics. Our first getting together class was a discussion of the Earth Element. I pulled out almost all my stones (realized after they left just how many I forgot.) I think it went really well.

After everyone was gone and the only thing left to pick up was my monolithic rock collection, I built an altar to the Earth and simply sat with it for a while. I might take the time today to do it again, and include the stones I forgot last time. I'm very much looking forward to the next get-together.

Ordinary Genius 1

A few months ago, I picked up Kim Addonizio's Ordinary Genius. It's a series of discussions on poetry, awareness, and writing. I was writing poetry long before I ever had a pencil or paintbrush in my hand. The earliest poems were typical teenaged drivel about love and about how unfair life seemed to be. (Visit Kim Addonizio and check out her books here.)


There were a few jewels. I read one about a friend who died from cocaine overdose at a poetry reading when I was 18 or so, and it went over well with the audience. 


But when poetry, and fiction writing comes into the fore, my paintings and drawings fall back. And visa versa. I can only create so much. 


I'm in the middle of painting a Shoebill, and alternately thinking he's finished and think I should paint over him and start over. And that was when I found myself picking up Addonizio's book.


The first few chapters were absorbed in a flash, and I found myself itching to write poetry. The last time that I wrote poetry, we had just come home from visiting my mother, who has been slowly fading and who had been sick. I had to do something with those feelings of helplessness and pain. One of my favorite pieces came from that period. 

Grey Leather (2011) by ~Neheti I wrap my arms around this leather sack The bones click beneath the embrace Blades of the shoulders carving me open The grey sack smiles with grey eyes That used to be black as night And I peel away afraid, Heartbroken. I wrap my arms around this leather sack of wasted flesh and lengthy years and shards of femur and ulna scrape leaving scars of pink and drops of blood The grey sack shifts against me worn down by time and poverty. overcome, I want to flee to deny what this has become. I wrap my arms around this leather sack the smell of old cigarettes and rot fills my nose with nausea The jaw bones clack and snap with lazy abandon So heavy in my heart My tears get swallowed back and I fear I hear my mother's voice.

I'm sure that it needs further refining, and I've reworked it a few times since. 


But now, now I'm writing purely for enjoyment, as opposed to catharsis. There's certainly some pain in some of what has come out, but there's also humor, and joy. 

On Turning 99

No one will care if a careless fuck slips from my toothless mouth.

I'll still dance and sing and rant and

bring my best flirtations

to make my beloved smile. 

I'll lift my shirt

and remind him how much

we made each other

smile

and

laugh

and

love.

In my chair, I'll rule my roost with impunity (but fairly)

run off those young'uns in their sixties and seventies

unless they're cute.

I'll sing along in spit of my deafness

and embarrass my nieces and nephews. 

No one will know what to do with me

as I stomp and shimmy

my way to the end. 

I'll be glorious

and beautiful

right to that mysterious

five seconds after

my beloved finds his doom

and I follow.

It needs a smidge of edits, but it's not a bad start. It made my husband smile, and made us both tear up, which is exactly what I was going for. 

(I'm planning on continuing to share some of these poems as I go, so I guess this is a whole new blog type. ;) )

Dreaming the Gods

Dreams are funny things. Sometimes you can wander through them and point out just where each bit came from in your daytime world. "Oh, hey that's from watching such and such on TV!" you think.

Then there are the other dreams. Sometimes they're haunting, visions of the past, of ghosts. And sometimes, just sometimes, the Gods themselves figure prominently.

When I was younger, I didn't dream often at all, and if I did, they faded promptly upon opening my eyes. Or I had nightmares. If I remembered a dream, it was because it was a True Dream, one that would someday come true (and those are nothing like storybooks describe them to be - the real deal is deadly boring. I mean really, who wants to dream about listening to a class lecture that you're one day going to attend? Or about looking around a house?)  

So I keep a dream journal.  

And there are dreams that are the thing of legend. Epic, exciting, and practically made for being turned into a book.

I dreamt such a thing last night. I am sharing it with you.

---

Zeus Meilikkos

The Gods of Olympus looked down upon the mortals. Zeus, the Bringer of Rain, Most High, looked out and did not like what he saw, and it made his heart ache, for it would seem that the people of the Earth had forgot the laws which he had given them.

He gathered the pantheon together, considering us. The way that we dishonor the gifts that the Gods have given us. How we dishonor each other.

And he was heartbroken.

Now many years ago, Zeus had chanced upon a beautiful woman when he was wondering upon the lands of men. As should not surprise you, my friends, he seduced her, and in time, she was with child. Her son, handsome and strong, grew to be a man that Zeus loved very much.

But with the troubles that now plagued the earth, Zeus feared that it would be necessary to end the age of Iron, the age of men.

Until now, when the Gods had to discuss how to best confront the mortals. Would it be a war?

Zeus' son somehow learned of the possibility of what the Gods were speaking.

He came unto his father, and begged, argued, cajoled.

And then he sacrificed his own divine spark, his demi-godhood, becoming one of the mortals that Zeus would have to end, in hopes that the Giver of Good would not have the heart to follow through with his slaughter.

The Gods held their wrath back, and the son of Zeus returned to the world below, with hope that the troubles that mortalkind had wrought could be healed, and that the Gods would grant them but a little more time to do so.

----

Take it as you will. Or don't.

It is as a dreamed it, rendered poorly in my own words. In the dream, I was a witness, and nothing more. So I share it with you. 

Leaping into a Spa Day

Since mid-January life around here has been defined by one word: STRESSFUL.

We found out our cat has cancer, and various family crises have left all of us feeling utterly incapacitated.

Today, I decided to make all about relaxation.

Starting with a hot bath. And recipes for a new revitalized sense of self.


Honey Milk Bath

1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup warm honey (heat up a saucepan of water and let the opened honey jar warm in the water at a low heat. Check on it regularly.)
2 teaspoons olive oil

Add to your bathwater and relax.


Oatmeal Spice Honey Mask
1/2 cup warm honey
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix well in a bowl. Pull your hair back out of your face. Apply on your face (I do it with my hands because I use this stuff while I soak in my milk bath, but you can also use a spoon or baking spatula.) Allow to sit on your face for 15-30 minutes and wash off with warm water. Then apply moisturizer.


Enjoy! I know I'm going to.

Old Charges

I'm deep into my Imbolc tradition of sorting through every drawer, nook and cranny and purging what isn't necessary. Sometimes I find treasures I could never part with, and sometimes there's a pile of donations and trash that might suggest that I'm battling some deep issues.

Every once in a while I find something really good from my spiritual path that I feel compelled to record or tweak or otherwise do what I can to preserve it. This time I thought I'd share.

What follows is a pair of re-written Charges based on the lessons written by Jet for the Dragon's Wheel Witchcraft classes. They're way more gender-balanced than my practice is today (I'm not much into dichotomy today, really... and polarity doesn't work for me at all anymore. Spectra are much better for me today.) In spite of that, I see some jewels shining here, enough that I felt compelled to share.

This is pre-Hekate, and pre-Kemetic... so likely about 2002ish? Not sure really.

Without further delay...



Charge of the Ineffable Goddess

By flame, by thorn and bloom
by ocean, by glade and desert
by blood, by pain and pleasure
I speak the wisdom of the Ages

The ages pass and are but moments for me
Yet I hear each word you speak
Long have I stood and watched you march
the progress of your days.

I am the spark that changes,
the flesh that calls your need,
the death that is a door
the cry of the newborn freed

pound frustrations in my presence
sing dirges in my sight
tell me of your romance
whisper hoarsely of your pains

I am the mother of creation
the devourer of worlds
the child you long to see
the lover's kiss upon you

My beloved here beside me
I have taught you how to sing
to dance and move with grace
and honor as your guide

cherish the gifts around you
embrace the days you see
Give thanks for every shadow
for they allow you to see

I am the marrow and the blood,
the heart of all creation
Embrace me in light and dark
sense my presence at your side

Along the path of choice
only you may ride
act not in hubris
but pursue your truest Will

For though these words be truthful
know the awful fact,
though I am known,
I am ineffable and free.



Charge of the Ineffable God

By horn, by blade and hoof
By forest, by field and glade
by blood, bone and spirit
I speak the wisdom of the ages

Ageless I am
I was young and ancient
when humanity first saw me

I am the leaping fire
of hearth and soul
the dancing of the ages
the march of time
the martial drum
the whisper of sages

Tell me of your sorrows
bring to me your joys
sing to me your rages
and shout to me your fears

I am the father of your spirit
the child of your past
the son you lost to illness
the daughter never come to pass

my lady love beside me
I challenge you to stand
strong in Will and honor
to travel your own path

Beauty shall you cherish
and thanks shall fill your heart
compassion be your guidance
and the warrior in your soul

Never shall we part
for I am within every soul
Hunt me in the darkness
perceive me in the light
Sense my aegis and my love
but do not swell too far with pride

For though these words be spoke in truth
they are too small and frail
a simple of my nature
I am ineffable and free.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 40-something

Magical Recipe:

All my recipes are magical. Ha!

I don't lightly share my recipes. And I don't draw lines between my mundane and magical recipes. So do I share a recipe for hair oil? or incense? or my infamous pumpkin muffins?


My incense for Hekate:

Make on the night of the Full Moon.

2 parts dried rose petals (I use roses from my beloved husband.)
1 part lemon balm
3 strands of saffron
3 bits of dragon's blood
1 part beeswax
1 part mint
1 part white oak bark
1 part myrrh gum
9 drops of honey

In a mortar and pestle, grind all but the beeswax and honey together. Add the wax, grind again. Lastly, place the honey in the mix and grind carefully.

Allow it to marry until the New Moon before using it.

44 Days of Witchery 42

*
A favorite Nature Spirit:

I'm big on Trees. :)

There's an awesome ancient Oak tree on the campus on my local university. He's huge and his branches are so heavy that they're slowly growing towards the earth.

As a spirit, he's sweet and graceful. And slow, but most Oaks are.

----

There's also the Spirit of a spring near here. Legend has it that a Spanish Saint created it to bring water to the people that were there. When we first moved here, I left an offering there to the spirits of the city to introduce myself. It remains a favorite place to commune.


Note: the oak tree in the photo is not the tree in question. That's the Angel Tree in the Carolinas. Sadly the surroundings of the tree on campus don't make for the best photos.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 41

A spell I've cast.

I generally don't share my spells with others so much, since I take the whole "To Keep Silent" thing fairly seriously... but here goes.

A Spell for Confidence

Preparation:
Tools: A Strength Card, a candle, a sheet of paper and pen.
Any awards or other momentos that bring up pride or feelings of accomplishment.

It is extremely important that you take a bath with your favorite scents and soaps, and take the time to fix your hair and clothes. You want to look and feel your best, or as close to it as you can get. Even if you don't feel like it, just do it.

Establish your space according to your tradition.

Charge the candle with your favorite perfume.

Take several deep slow breaths, and find your center. When you are able to speak from your heart, continue.

Talk about what's making you feel like less than you are. Try to get to the bottom of the situation. Don't hide from the feelings or bury them. Follow them and see where they're coming from.

If you need to cry or be angry, roll with it.

Then take up the momentos of your successes, and start writing what you love about yourself and your life. Write your gratitude for the things you have accomplished on the paper, list out your best and brightest moments.

When you can't think of anything more, fold the paper and set it under the candle.

Light the candle, and meditate on the Strength card.


This spell is not a quick fix, but a means of finding one's confidence and a method of understanding the ways that you are undermining yourself. As such, it might take more than one casting before you really feel the changes it can bring about.

And of course, if you hold back, aren't honest with yourself, or otherwise don't fulfill the real work of the spell... well, you get what you put into these sorts of things.

If you think you can't find anything to celebrate or momentos or awards that you've received, look again. Everyone has accomplishments. Even you. If you can't sit back and acknowledge the good things in life then the spell has no real chance of working.

And last disclaimer, if you are depressed or struggling to cope with life, the best thing you can do is to seek out help. Find a good therapist, talk to a support line, and generally get help. You don't have to suffer alone.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 40

My Altar.

I've developed a habit of photographing my altar as I change it. I have dozens of shrines here and there around the home. The kitchen has Dionysos, Helios and The Green Man. The bathroom hosts one to Bast and Amun. My bedroom and living room has Hekate, Artemis, and Demeter.

Admittedly Hekate's are the largest and most elaborate.

This one is from a ritual I did about three years ago.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 39

Inspirations:

I am inspired by time outside, amidst the trees.
By the beauty of human creativity.
By my loved ones and all that they've survived and accomplished.
By the compassion one can find in the world, if one has eyes to see.



The power of imagination makes us infinite. - John Muir

End of Line

Until I can write again.

I'll be back soon, and likely have quite a bit to share when I return. Hope everyone has a great time of it while I'm elsewise engaged.

Only a few posts left of the 44 Days of Witchery meme.

44 Days of Witchery: Day 37

Cauldrons:

My cauldron is a dutch oven. It has three legs, and is made of good cast iron.

I don't use it much, I admit. My fireplace isn't large enough for it really. It is a bit too heavy to take camping when one of my campgrounds requires a bit of hiking.

So, it is much neglected. Right now I'm storing river stones in it.

....

So, blogger has forgot all the blogs I've been following. >.< Grrr...

I'll be taking a break from blogging for at least a week starting Monday. Hope you all have a beautiful week! :D