Showing posts with label deipnon. Show all posts

The Modern Deipnon - Feeding the Soul

 

The Modern Deipnon - Feeding the Soul with Rev. Sosanna Olson




Hecate’s Deipnon is a 2,500-year-old practice, but its true power lies in how we apply it today. Join me as we reframe this ancient "evening meal" into modern action through the Goldsboro Blessing Boxes. While we are discussing this today (Sunday), the Dark Moon falls this coming Wednesday. This gives us time to prepare our focus and our supplies for the transition into the new lunar month.




On this channel, we use Hecate, Thoth, and Anubis as models for our own growth. Hecate: The Guardian of the transition. Thoth: The Scribe who records the lunar cycle and our actions within it. Anubis: The Opener of the Ways who guides us through the darkness. This isn't just a ritual of "purification" (Katharmos); it’s a commitment to reducing suffering. Today, I’m packing the Blessing Box with: Food: Canned proteins and meals. Protection: Socks and gloves. Hygiene: Soap, toothpaste, and feminine products. Recommended Reading: Hekate Soteira – Sarah Iles Johnston Restless Dead – Sarah Iles Johnston The Rotting Goddess – Jacob Rabinowitz Hekate in Ancient Greek Religion – Robert Von Rudloff The Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) – Ed. Hans Dieter Betz Devil Girls of Ancient Rome - Jacob Rabinowitz Support the Sanctuary: ✨ Free Ritual Library: hecatebrimo.org 🛍️ Shop the Sanctuary: hecatebrimo.org 📖 The Blog: confessionsofamoderwitch.com 🔥Subscribe to My Channel: [https://www.youtube.com/@ByHerFires?sub_confirmation=1] Sunday Card Pull: Stick around until the end of the video for our weekly Three-Card Oracle Pull to navigate the energy of the coming week. "Brimo demands that we be formidable in our care for one another." Rev. Sosanna Olson🔮 By Her fires🔥 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ I recognize and honor the Indigenous tribes whose sacred lands we now inhabit and the enslaved Africans whose resilience and contributions shape our community. At the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo, we actively uphold these legacies in all our practices, ensuring our actions reflect this commitment. #pagan #magic #witchcraft #readings #oracle #weeklydraw #psychic #healing #consultation #hecate #hekate #neuseriverwitch

Pagan Blog Project 2013 - O is for Offerings

Offerings – A thing offered, a gift or contribution

Since my dedication to Hecate, I've spent most of my dark moons creating an altar indoors and weather permitting, outdoors to leave my offerings to her.  I take leeks, onion, eggs, honey, garlic and at times regional flowers to place in my sacred spaces. 

After my ritual inside the house, I take her gifts out to the crossroads and leave them there.  On special occasions I also do a blood offering.  Historically, some followers of Hecate sacrificed black dogs and black bulls to her.  Though not across the board, many did indeed practice this.  In the clip below Sorita D’Este talks about the relationship of sacrifice of dogs and the Goddess.



My blood offering to the Goddess is not from any animal.  I use my own blood as an offering.  Using a lancet from checking blood sugar levels I simply add a few drops of my own blood to the offering bowl before I carry it outside.  Blood offerings are completely personal and I wouldn't recommend trying this unless you've had some training in how to correctly check blood sugars.  You do not want to create a permanent injury.  Blood offerings are not required in the service of the Goddess Hecate, this is a personal choice that I have made.


I also take part in Hecate’s Deipnon or Supper.  I've changed it up a bit to meet with our modern times. 

"Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month [food placed inside her door-front shrines] and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served." - Aristophanes, Plutus 410

Instead of leaving my offerings at my “shrine”; or my altar where no one would find them.  I take non-perishable food to Food banks and make offerings to charitable organizations in her honor.  Though historically, this was not the intention of the Deipnon, I feel that this is a great way to honor the Goddess as well as give something back to my community.

Offerings can be as simple as a flower; as serious as an offering of one’s own blood or as complex as creating an entire meal and leaving it at a cross roads for the Goddess Hecate.  My offerings range across each of these.

Though the items offered to any of the Gods and Goddess of the world vary in their type the main thing to take from this is that you are giving back to your deity something considered precious.  Something that would be considered a gift to them, or a sacrifice for you to be without.
As with each of us, offerings are individual.  Learning about what others offer can be inspiring and enlightening.  Just remember, it is not necessary to do exactly what someone else does.  Your offerings are special because they come from you.


Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(


*Note - This blog post in no way encourages readers to do blood offerings or make any sacrifice they are uncomfortable with.  It merely lists the way the author conducts her own rituals.

L is for Leek



I like the word leek for two reasons.  One, it’s one of the offerings suggested for Hecate and two, it’s also a Homophone.   That’s words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

Such as Leek & Leak or Carat & Caret.





So for L this month, I’m going to leak a blog post on Leeks.


Each month on the 13th I create a dinner for Hecate.  I found several posts on the web it a typical menu for what they call “Hecate’s Deipon”. That’s just a fancy way to say Hecate’s Dinner/Supper.  Usually put out at the crossroads at night by torchlight and once placed, walk away without looking back.
Some typical offerings are sweepings from the house, garlic, eggs, leeks and things you don’t want to come back in the upcoming month.
I found an interesting quote on the reason for the meal.



Hekate Cult shares the following:

Aristophanes, Plutus 410 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) :
"Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month[i.e. food placed inside her door-front shrines] and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served."

I’ve never had a leek.  I’ve heard of them.  I’ve seen the Potato-Leek Soup but never heard of them.  I spent the last several months trying to find them.  Finally yesterday hubby came home with a big batch of Leeks.  We pulled them out and I smelled them.  Hrmmm Onion.

LOVELY!!

I hate onion.  I love the flavor but the feeling of crunching into an onion just…. Well it’s just awful.  So last night we made a big ole batch of veggie broth.  We used the leeks, some carrots a bit of celery and let it cook.  This morning I’ve got a batch of beans simmering in the pot of broth.  My house smells simply amazing.

So for this post I’m going to share with you my recipe for a simple vegetarian broth that can be used in the place of any stock.

1 Stalk Celery
1 bunch Leeks
1 bunch carrots
2 tbs of chopped garlic
½ stick butter
5 quarts of water

Directions
Clean all veggies.
Be sure to separate the leeks and clean out any sand.  Trim the leeks just above the white area of the plant and thinly slice.
Rough chop the rest of the veggies for easy straining
Melt butter in 6-8 quart pan
Add leeks and garlic to the melted butter and sauté
Add Carrots and Celery
Add water and boil for 2 hours on low heat
Remove from heat and strain
Using an ice tray, fill broth and freeze
Empty tray into large ziplock bag and you now have stock pieces on demand

I took one of the leeks and placed it on my altar with incense for the day.   After dark I took my torch (candle) and walked out to the crossroads and placed my offering there for Hecate, along with a list of those things I wish not to return next month.






Let’s hope they don’t leak back in.  ;)


So mote it be

Namaste and Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(

PS Thanks to James for helping me fix my background!