Cups and Cards - Who Is Hecate: Insights from the Epithets - Part 2
Welcome to Part 2 of Insights from the Epithets as we explore Hecate as the Guardian of the Underworld. Today I'll take three cards from the Crossroads Oracle deck that focus on this aspect of the Goddess. We'll Review what key words I feel connect to those and share some ways that you can bring these aspects into your daily practice.
Crossroads Oracle Deck is available for purchase here - https://www.confessionsofamodernwitch.com/product-page/the-crossroads-oracle-deck
Hymn to Hecate, Guardian of the Underworld
O Hecate Chthonia,(k-tho-NEE-ah)
Goddess of the Earth and Underworld,
You who dwell in the deep and sacred places,
Guide us through the mysteries of life and death,
Help us to embrace transformation,
And stand strong upon the earth as we journey through the shadows.
Hecate Nerteron Prytanin,(NER-teh-ron PRI-tan-in)
Mistress of the Dead,
Guardian of the souls who pass from this life,
Watch over the spirits of our ancestors,
Guide them with compassion to their resting place,
And grant us your wisdom as we honor those who came before.
O Hecate Brimo,(BREE-mo)
The Terrifying, the Fierce Protector,
In your powerful presence, we find the strength to face our fears,
Shield us with your mighty force,
Help us to overcome the trials that lie ahead,
And lead us through the darkness to the light of transformation.
Hail, Hecate,
Keeper of the keys to the underworld,
In your guidance, we trust,
In your power, we find courage,
In your protection, we walk with faith and strength.
We'll be back next week with part 3 in the series. I hope you've enjoyed this. If you would like to connect my socials are below. Have a glorious day!
Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson
Torchbearer & Keybearer - Covenant of Hekate
Founder - Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo
You can find my card deck, classes and readings at - www.HecateBrimo.org
For the most part, as I mentioned chapter 1 reads like
stereo instructions. I had a hard time
following the sentence structure and felt lost for the most part.
As chapter 2 started, I felt a bit more in line with the
writer. The author, Fritz Graf starts
out chapter 2 with a definition. He
states that a Magos or Magus is a priest or religious specialist. He goes on to refer to various historical
texts that use the words Magos/Magus/Magi as well as the word Magic or
Magia/Mageia
.
Magi are referred to as everything from “Experts in the Gods”
to “Men on the fringes of Society”. At
one point in the chapter in a reference to Plato’s Republic they are referred
to as men who “Will harm good men or bad for a price.” And as “Charlatans” who
trained in the art of deception and have power based on illusion.
Looking at the changes in the term, we can see that either
training in the fields of science increased or revile for those that spoke of
the gods occurred.
Going into this book I had a set idea of what magic is and
what a magus is. I had heard the term
Magi and was familiar with the Jesus birth and how gifts were presented to the
Christ child by the Magi. It was not until
today that I learned that basically Magi means, a priest of ancient
Persia. To me, magic is an energy that
is available for all to access. Priest, sorcerer
or not. Just as the word pagan changed
from yokel to heathen, I believe the same thing appeared to happen to words
related to magic.
I've just started on page 36 of the book, subtitled – The Roman
World. Looking forward to see what’s in
store.
Over the last few months I've been re-evaluating how I interact with
people online and how much energy I allow myself to expend on different
endeavors. As well as a full time job
and running a business I was also working on a couple of different blog
projects and a few special events online.
I also have several vending events over the last few months and doing
some fostering.
I have been totally drained of all my energy. I've decided to cut back on a few things and
expand in a few other areas. Recently I
was fostering a litter of kittens who brought a very serious disease into the
house. I’m on quarantine for a few
months so I won’t be doing that for a while.
I've also decided that I cannot change the world. I cannot help everyone and there are only two
things I can control in this world. What
I say and what I do. So I plan to try to
spend more time focusing on those things.
When people say things, write things, do things, I have to accept that I
cannot do anything about it. I cannot
change it. It is not on me. I have to accept that I cannot judge myself
harshly for believing people. I am a
trusting person by nature. I am a giving
person by nature and sadly that makes me a pretty gullible person at
times. I've decided that I’d rather be
gullible, than jaded so barring any directly obvious statements to the contrary
I will err on the side of innocence and assume that the actions of others are
not intended to be or interpreted as an attack.
I've also decided to work on my spiritual health. I've found myself over the last few months
asking questions of other regarding their spiritual practices and beliefs. I've spoken out loud of my concern for my
path and if indeed, I am on the correct one.
This past weekend I had several dreams helping me find my
direction. I've started that journey by
ordering a few books. Over the next six
months to a year, I plan to start going through each of the books and reporting
on them here as if they were assignments in classroom. I’m starting with Magic in the Ancient World
by Fritz Graf.
I’m hoping that my followers here will find the information
interesting and feel free to contribute comments to the self-discovery I hope
to accomplish on this journey. Some may
see my participation in groups and discussions wane as I work toward this new
goal.
When I think of a torch I think of a flicker in the night. A
drop of brilliant light in a wall pitch black.
The light does not shows me new things, rather it just reveals what is
already there. Things that are right in
front of me, but I cannot see.
Photo Credit - Renee Olson
Goddess Hecate has many titles.
Dachouchos means torch-bearer while Phosporus means light-bearer. (From Hekate Liminal Rites pg 20) To me, these are very similar, what does a
torch bearer do but bring light.
Historically Hecate is generally depicted with torches. As early as 5 Century BCE she can be seen
standing next to Kybele
holding a torch in front of her and a vase shows her holding out
two torches.
My hubby recreated this altar tile for me based on an image we found on the internet. You can see it here on my altar. It shows a three headed Hecate with her torches on each side. It sits on my altar next to my bronzed Hecate sculpture.
Photo Credit - Hecate Statue - Artist Renee Olson
Modern artists often show Hecate with her torches high. Either in paints or clay these are very
common images.
The image below is used with the artist, Danielle Suplicki permission. While researching for this piece I found this image while looking for art related to "The Torchbearer". To me the stars shown in the sky in this painting remind me of Asteria (The starry one) looking down on her daughter, watching her and guiding her torch through night. Seeking out those night wandering souls that are looking for entrance in to the underworld or perhaps the misguided looking for the correct path to continue their journey.
The halo around the body and drifts away into the dark shadows fall behind her as the torch lights the three paths ahead. Truly stunning.
Photo Credit & Artist - Danielle Suplicki of HeartRoot Studio
If you're interested in contacting Danielle for custom work or would like to see what she currently has available in her shop check out her Facebook Page and her Etsy shop.
This is a piece I created out of wet clay. Here the Goddess is shown in triple form, with a torch held on opposite sides of the sculpture. Her midnight blue form showing under a bronze crescent moon joining with the torch light to guide her path. The back filled with a deep black to show the darkness left behind and the torches light up what comes ahead.
Photo Credit & Artist - Renee Olson of Sosanna's Closet
To me, one of the most specific things that speaks to me
about torches and Hecate is the annual event I participate in called “The Rite of Her
Sacred Fires.” I've always been
drawn to fire and as a child could easily get lost in the dancing flames. I would sit for hours staring at the fire as
it burned and burned. At time it was
almost as though I could see little movies playing in the embers. To me that attraction and seeing those images in the fire
make me believe that even as a small child, seeking out an answer in the
flames, she was there for me.
Each year on the full moon in May devotees and followers of
the Goddess Hecate join together in their own sanctuaries and around their own
altars to complete a single right. Spoken
with one voice the chorus joins together to pay honor to the Hecate Dacouchos, the
torch-bearer, Hecate Phosporus, the light-bearer.
Below is a recording shared on YouTube filmed by TaraSanchez in 2010 showing Sorita d’Este completing the Rite of Her Sacred Fires.
I believe that when you are open to answers they will be
revealed to you. Much like the way a
torch opens up the darkness for you to see what is really already there in
front of you. Over the last few weeks I've
been reaching out, searching for answers related to the paths I want to take
next in my life. I've been presented
with roads that lead into directions that are worrisome and unknown.
When preparing for our last vending event, hubby commented
that I was making too many *Hecate specific* items. Over the weekend I had five or six people
come in and mention her by name. Others
asking for items that could be related to her.
Keys, Owls and graveyard dirt. I
think of each one of these people came into my life in a moment of darkness,
like that torch showing me the answer to my question. I've decided that I put too much emphasis on
some things in my life and not enough on others.
Over the next months, maybe years, I will be focusing on
Hecate. Learning as much as I can. I plan to be more active in the CoH and begin
to study at what I hope will lead to a Torchbearer role
within the covenant.
I am confident that if this is not the right path, the
Mistress of the Crossroads will guide me with her torches to my right
destination.
This week/end I've been struggling with the possibility of pointing myself in the direction of "Torchbearer" for my goddess, Hecate.
I first began discussing it on Monday with hubby. That afternoon a snake appeared in our doorway, dropped to the floor and dove past him into our *storage* area for Sosanna's Closet. Snakes are sacred to the goddess.
Hubby and I chatted bout a recent event in the Covenant of Hecate where they are looking for *Torch Bearers* These are individuals dedicated to the Goddess . Recently I've had a question of faith, but have found that honesty, all answers can be found within.
This past weekend we participated in Central NC Pagan Pride. In the weeks prior, I created several items which hubby said were too deity specific. I made a few necklaces for her as well as some other items.
These were the questions I encountered this weekend:
Do you have anything for Hecate?
Do you have items with keys?
Do you have items with dogs?
When I come here, I feel a need for keys, do you have those?
It appears that the Goddess has called to me. There are set steps for becoming a Torchbearer for the Goddess, and I am happy to learn, and possibly follow in those steps!
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