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Message from the Editor
Greetings fellow devotees!
This issue has caught me not feeling very well, so I apologize, but I do not have many words of my own today! Regardless, I am wishing you all well, and please enjoy this latest issue of Noumenia News!
Lotus x
Torchbearer
She/her
Editorial Staff:
Editor - Lotus
Assistant Editor - Deanne
Proofers - Hazel, Deanne, Catherine, Cece & Laurie
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Message From The Assistant Editor
Spring! I am so happy to say it is Spring!! May our dreams blossom into sweet fruits and nutmeats!!
Many blessings,
Deanne (Bendis)
Torchbearer & Keybearer
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Cult of Mystery
By Jennifer Teixeira
I enter the nocturnal realms
The liminal space between
Within the garden of shadows
I see the mighty Queen
In this place she plucks a rose,
The most beautiful I’ve ever seen,
She reminds of the thorns that grow
At the stem of this little being.
“Remember that you too grow,
In a world of duality,
That whosoever plucks the pretty rose,
Can also be met with Brutality”
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By Vanessa Carolina Veronesse
Created while under inspiration during The Torchlit Path; a course which is being led by Sorita d'Este & Emily Carding.
https://theurgia.co.uk/other-events/torchlit-path/
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Hekatean Symbolism in the Statue of Liberty
By Chloe Harsha
Bearing a torch and wearing a seven-rayed crown, the Statue of Liberty in New York City looks quite like the Hekate many of us have seen in dreams, meditations, and artwork. This resemblance is no coincidence either, as She was associated with much of the work’s inspiration.
The project was conceived with the Union’s victory in the American Civil War in mind, and was intended to carry themes of freedom and liberation. Representing emancipation from and the abolition of slavery, a broken chain and shackle lies at the statue’s feet. Libertas, Roman goddess of freedom and a key icon in American culture, was the dominant inspiration. Libertas was derived, of course, from the Greek Eleutheria, an epithet of Artemis, whom we well know to be intertwined with Hekate. This is the origin of the iconic seven-rayed diadem. Artemis Eleutheria was apparently worshiped in Myra of Lycia, which today is Demre in the Antalya Province of Turkey. Nearby regions of Turkey and Greece are known to have been home to ancient worship of Hekate.
There’s also strong symbology that seems more coincidental than intentional. Fort Wood, built in the shape of an eleven-pointed star, serves as the base for Lady Liberty’s pedestal. The towering statue’s position on a harbor island and posture evokes connection to the land, sea, and sky. Not to mention said harbor is a major gateway, facilitating New York’s main ports and previously Ellis Island, which was the entryway to the United States for over twelve-million immigrants. Her raised right foot also bears a sandal. She contains an iron truss tower for support, and her skin is copper. The sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, included the torch in all his early models, and had even earlier proposed a lighthouse design of a woman holding up a torch to the Egyptian government, though the offer was declined due to expense. Though he did not attribute this aspect to any inspiration directly traceable to Hekate, his persistence in constructing a torch-bearing woman sounds a lot like Hekate’s quiet influence, but that’s just my speculation.
The statue was finally constructed and dedicated in 1886, and grew to represent new life and safe harbor by greeting immigrants en route to Ellis Island. Many of them wrote emotional and inspirational accounts of seeing the statue for the first time. Poet Emma Lazarus wrote in her sonnet, The New Colossus, of the statue saying,
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The sonnet also refers to the statue as the “mother of exiles”. This figure of a mother waiting at the gate, inviting lost souls to her safeholding is deeply evocative of Hekate Soteira claiming her children to keep with her horde.
Though not originally intended to be a Hekatean representation, the Statue of Liberty undeniably bears her resemblance in both form and duty. I leave you with Lazarus’ poem in full:
The New Colossus
Emma Lazarus - 1849-1887
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
https://www.askideas.com/media/81/Aerial-View-Of-Statue-Of-Liberty-And-Liberty-Island.jpg
Sources:
Sutherland, Cara A. (2003). The Statue of Liberty. New York City: Barnes & Noble Books. ISBN 978-0-7607-3890-0.
Lazarus, Emma. “The New Colossus.” Statue of Liberty. 1883. New York, New York.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleutheria
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Hekaté Meditation
By Marek Rozenberg-Holszanski
A picture or statue of Hekaté are nice, but not mandatory, conducive to set the tone, yet entirely optional - likewise lighting a candle, some incense, offering a glass of water & offering a flower or fruit - each of these a symbolic representation of each of the 4 elements. What WILL be useful will be a mala, a Hindu/Buddhist set of 108 prayer beads, with a larger bead that a tassel comes out of - if you don't have one - a string with 108 knots in it will suffice: 9 planets, 12 astrological houses = 108, there are MANY other meanings to the number 108, which I will NOT go into here.
Wear comfortable clothing, remove your shoes, set aside 20 minutes or more for this meditation which can be done any time of the day, yet perhaps at sunset - a liminal time might be most conducive. Switch your phone off, switch off your laptop. Stretch, shake your body, roll your shoulders, roll your head, sit in a comfortable position that is conducive to simultaneously being relaxed and alert - back straight, shoulders open, maybe a cushion at the bottom of your back, & a blanket over your knees so your hands can rest on them quite relaxedly without fidgeting. Take a few deep breaths until your breath naturally slows down to a naturally relaxed state.
Close your eyes. Allow all ordinary appearance to melt away, imagine you are sitting in an ancient outdoor temple - no roof, huge circular white marble floor on which you see the pattern of a strophalos engraved - feel the coldness & the hardness of the marble floor on the soles of your feet. At the perimeter of the circle, there are 12 columns - taking the position of the numbers on a clock face, at each column is a torch, there are garlands of flowers hung between the columns, the wind blows gentle causing the flames of the torches to flicker, the flower garlands sway gently, you catch their subtle fragrance, the time is sunset, the sky is multicoloured, everything has taken a darker hue, in the distance, you can see the silhouettes of birds flying in the sky, you hear the distant barking of dogs, maybe the hoot of an owl or the howl of a wolf, you feel perfectly relaxed as well as perfectly alert - this place is familiar to you - this is YOUR Hekaté Temple which you can come to any time that you like. At arms' length at eye level is a plinth upon which a fire is burning contemplate the dancing flames flickering a while - lights & shadows dancing joyfully - you can feel its inviting pleasant warmth on your face & hands.
In your lap is a perfectly preserved dried rose - examine the rose - look at how perfectly preserved it is, that despite it having died some time ago, it has kept its shape, its colour (whatever colour that might be) its scent, the thorns are still sharp, the petals feel like old paper - after a while of examining the dried rose - kiss the rose & throw it into the fire, as the flames consume the rose, you can hear it hiss, crackle & pop & eventually disappear into the flame - leaving nothing in its stead, other than a fire - gradually, the fire transforms - no longer an ordinary fire - standing before you in a halo of flame at arms' length at eye level, approximately as tall as your forearm is The Goddess Hekaté, crowned with oak leaves & coils of serpents, cloaked in saffron, wearing golden sandals, her saffron-coloured robe is reminiscent of what Ancient Greeks might have worn. A torch in her left hand, a snake coiled around her shoulders, a dagger in her right hand, a pendant of a strophalos around her neck, the strophalos the size of the palm of her hand, positioned at her heart chakra, dangling from her belt is a chain of keys. She has thick wavy shoulder-length black hair, she has an athletic physique - you can tell she was a warrior, a tanned complexion - her ethnicity is indeterminable - she is simultaneously of every ethnicity & of none at them at all - likewise her age - she is timeless, yet at the peak of her physical attractiveness.
Greet her in Latin: "Avé Hekaté Imperatrix Universum, Anima Mundi, Magistra Terri Caelorum et Mari, Regina Empyrean et Inferi" or in Greek: "Χαίρε Εκάτη, ψυχή του κόσμου, αυτοκράτειρα του σύμπαντος, αφέντρα της γης, της θάλασσας και του ουρανού, βασίλισσα του παραδείσου και της κόλασης " transliteration: "Chaíre Ekáti, psychí tou kósmou, aftokráteira tou sýmpantos, aféntra tis gis, tis thálassas kai tou ouranoú, vasílissa tou paradeísou kai tis kólasis", or even in English: "Hail Hekaté Empress of the Universe, Soul of the World, Mistress of Earth, Sky & Sea, Queen of Heaven & Hell", or even in any other language of your choosing.
With your mala in your left hand, the beads suspended between your middle finger & ring finger, whereas your index finger & little finger lightly extended (the left side is the side your heart is on, the index finger & little finger are often used for unpleasant bodily functions, so best not to use these beads to recite prayers on) recite The Ephesian letters: "Askei Kataskei Eron Oréon Ior Mega Samnyer Baui Phobantia Semné", (The Ephesian Letters are utilised to invoke/channel/propitiate/invite Hekaté, their origin is in the Ancient writings known as The Greek Magical Papyri) once per bead, starting with the first bead closest to the tassel, with each recitation move the bead towards yourself as if drawing into yourself all of Hekaté's powers. Hekaté's halo is in a flame-coloured multi-layered halo - the colour of the halo immediately around her body is white, around the white halo is a yellow halo, around the yellow halo is a red halo, the final halo surrounding the red halo is black.
Whilst reciting the Ephesian letters with your prayer beads - imagine healing light rays & nectars as well as millions of tiny Hekatés, tiny torches, tiny keys, tiny daggers, tiny snakes, tiny hounds pouring down from her heart chakra into your every single cell making them Happy & Well, striking at your heart chakra, which then refracts it all like a light hitting a crystal - filling your whole body, and then - extending further from your heart chakra - extending to all sentient beings pervading space - imagine Hekaté's light rays & nectars etc pouring from her heart chakra to yours, then firstly going to all your loved ones, your friends, your family, then to all the people who are strangers to you yet are in your trajectory - the bus driver, staff at the local supermarket, etc, then extending to all those you have difficulties with - by doing so - this will reduce any difficulties that you have with them.
The four colours of Hekaté's halo/light rays/nectars pouring into you, then from you to all sentient beings pervading space have different functions: White = pacifying, purifying, healing - healing ourselves, healing others, calming, making everything peaceful. Yellow = increasing, enriching, blessing us with abundance, prosperity & wealth, & the wisdom to use it wisely, & enabling us to extend these blessings to all sentient beings pervading space. Red = controlling, magnetising, subjugating, seducing, increasing our sense of authority, our attractiveness, our charisma, our charm, & from our heart chakra these same blessings extending to all sentient beings pervading spaces. Black = Wrathful, destructive, destroying everything that serves you no purpose, absorbing it into darkness & likewise destroying all things that would cause problems for you as well as for all other sentient beings pervading space. If you wish to recite more than one round of The Ephesian Letters on your mala, once you have come to the 108th bead, flip the mala over, do not go over the large tasseled bead. At the conclusion of this exercise, cup the mala into your hands, blow on the mala, imagine that the mala has absorbed the power of all your recitations - & it can now remind you of your connection to Hekaté.
To finish this visualisation/meditation, imagine that she shrinks to the size of your thumb & comes to the crown of your head, once she is at the crown of your head, light rays & nectars etc fill your whole body from the soles of your feet to the top of your head. Hekaté enters the crown of your head, descends to your third eye - pacifying, healing, enriching, empowering, illuminating, purifying all your cognitive powers, destroying all the relative blockages there - making your cognitions inseparable from hers. Hekaté descends to your throat chakra, pacifying, healing, enriching, empowering, illuminating, purifying your speech, destroying all the relative blockages there - making your speech inseparable from hers. Hekaté descends to your heart chakra, pacifying, healing, enriching, empowering, illuminating, purifying your consciousness, destroying all the relative blockages there - where she remains - your consciousness is now completely inseparable from Hekaté's, you are NEVER ALONE - you can now share your every single experience with Hekaté, everything you eat, everything you drink, everything you think, say, do, imagine or remember, her presence at your heart chakra, your consciousness completely inseparable from hers enables you to call on her powers to bless, heal, pacify, enrich, illuminate, purify your every experience as well as help you deal with/process experiences/memories/thoughts/feelings you struggle with.
The more the mala is used in conjunction with reciting The Ephesian Letters - the more powerful it can become - it can serve to remind you of Hekaté's presence in your heart, your mind & your life every time you look at it or touch it.
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Circle for Hekate Theogony: Divine Ancestors
by Jen Stanley
According to the tradition of ancient Orphic cosmology Ananke (Ἀνάγκη - ahn-NAHN-kee) is the primordial Ouranic divinity who birthed the universe. Ananke is Hekate’s great, great grandmother. Before time, Ananke was self-made, a winged serpent who stretched out across all of the cosmos. Ananke coiled and twisted with Khronos and together they created Khaos and Ether (Hesiod, West, 1999, p. 167). They entwined so tightly around the cosmic world egg that the egg split open forming earth, sea, and heaven. When the cosmic world egg cracked open Protogonos, the non-binary Phanes was born whose only daughter was Nyx (Betegh, 2006, p. 143-144). Hekate’s family tree in the Orphic tradition begins with Ananke.
In the orphic tradition Ananke is the embodiment of the inevitable, the original maker of fate, of necessity, and compulsion. The Orphic Hymn to Aphrodite speaks on the necessity for Ananke to bring segments together to make a new rotating whole [55 lines 4, 13, 14], “O scheming mother of Necessity”; “Your maddening love-charms yoke mortals, they yoke the many races of beasts to unbridled passion” (Hesiod, West,1999, p.45). Furthermore, the Orphic Hymn to the Fates brings forward Ananke’s ancestral role as maker of fates [59 line 18], “You give all and take all, being to men the same as necessity” (Hesiod, West, 1999, pg. 49). Hekate inherits from Ananke eternal divinity, “For all things are from you and in you do all things, Eternal one, come to their end” [PGM IV.
2838-39](Betz, 1996, p. 91).
In the orphic tradition Aphrodite is the mother of the fates (Hesiod, West, 1999, p.167). However, as Plato suggests Ananke is the spinner of fates for gods and mortals as a result of encircling the cosmos with Khronos, together initiating the rotation of the heavens and the passage of time (Plato, Shorey, 1934, p. 505). Hekate as Axis Mundi, at the center from which the universe revolves, can also be understood as her inheritance from Ananke. In her family lineage Gaia is her great grandmother on both sides of her parents, Perses and Asteria. Hekate’s ancestors emerged from the splitting of the cosmic egg, her great grandparents Gaia, Pontus, and Uranus (d’Este, p. 24-25, 2017)[Lines 339-431 (Hesiod, West, 1999, p.15)] [II. 404-452 (Evyln-White, 1914, p.16)]. Hekate was last in the lineage from Ananke to descend from all segments of Land, Sea, and Sky as told in Greek mythology.
Zeus would never cross primordial Ananke with the Moira and Erinyes at helm holding eternal sway over the gods (Browning, Aeschylus,1833. p. 32). Zeus also would not cross Hekate and honors her inherent Land, Sea, and Sky sovereignty [Line 399-431 (Hesiod, West, 1999, p. 15)]. Hekate’s sovereignty of the three realms can be further observed in the descriptions of her will to grant prayers and victory for those who are in her favor [Line 399-434 (Hesiod, West, 1999, pg. 15-16)].
Sapphos’ poetic rendition further conveys Hekate’s complexity of dominion and will by emphasizing her night, three-way, and golden aspects, “Hekate, the shining gold attendant of Aphrodite” (Powell, 2007, pg. 41). It is here that context is important to not conflate the dynamic between Titan Hekate and Olympian Aphrodite, such as with Zerynthia (e.g., of mountain Zerynthia in Samothrace), rather to observe Ananke’s compulsion in the procreation of Phanes as an element of the divine paradox in the duality between Hekate and Aphrodite.
Aphrodite as mother of Eros embodies the love and desire underlying the compulsion to create however, without the favor or will of Hekate, the “saffron-cloaked” goddess, whatever Aphrodite brings together will likely end in tragedy (Hesiod, West, 1999, p. 5). In the Greek Magical Papyri, Aphrodite’s Hymm of Compulsion invokes the joining of Ananke and Chronos and the spinning of the cosmos above (PGM IV. 2934-37, pg. 94):
“A man unwilling you attracted
Your bed for intercourse, / and once he was
Attracted, he at once began to turn
Great BARZA, not did he cease turning, …” The tragedy of betrayal in the myth of sorcerous Medea, priestess and daughter of Hekate, is conveyed in Argonautica when Hera conspires to use the compulsion of Aphrodite without the will of Hekate solely for Hera’s desired political outcome to make Medea fall in love with Jason and threatens Hekate to not interfere so
Medea will inevitably kill Jason’s father [Line
179(Flaccus, Mozley, 1934).
Works Cited
Betegh, Gábor. The Derveni Papyrus: Cosmology, Theology, and Interpretation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004
Betz, Hans D.(eds.) The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells.
Chicago; University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, and Aeschylus. Prometheus Bound. London: A. J. Valpy, 1833. d’Este, Sorita. Circle for Hekate, Volume 1: History & Mythology. London; U.K.: Avalonia,
2017.
Flaccus, Valerius, and J. H. Mozley. Argonautica: Book 7. Loeb Classical Library 286.
Cambridge; MA: Harvard University Press, 1934.
Hesiod., and H.G. Evyln-White. Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns, and Homerica. London; William
Heinemann; Loeb Classical Library Volume 57, 1914.
Hesiod., and M. L. West. Theogony: And, Works and Days. Oxford; New York: Oxford
University Press, 1999. Print.
Plato., and Paul Shorey. The Republic. Cambridge; Harvard University Press, 1937. Print.
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Artwork by Octavia
Hekate as a Dark Goddess, the Protector, the Monster.
A devotional reflection from Hekate Melaneimon’s Sanctuary Torchbearer.
In my opinion, Hecate as a protector is not a “shield” deity that you can take refuge in and she does all the work. Both aspects, protective and terrifying are the two sides of the coin, because she shows us that by being considered dangerous, you protect yourself from bad intentions.
It makes perfect sense as long as we understand that she teaches us how to protect ourselves, but she is not willing to do our job.
Everything can be found in her epithets, and really, she doesn't have to be scary if you know what to expect. Similarly, she is not the so commercialized goddess that some groups force you to see her as a happy loving mother.
The dark aspect is a monster, she represents the shadow and all the fears that anyone can have. This is very important because, what terrifies some people, keeps others safe.
The concept of monster is almost like a mirror, it reflects what you fear the most and it is up to you to manage that fear and discover what it is and who produces it. She can be related to monsters with vengeful and furious characteristics - found in
Hekate Brimo - with complete certainty since although she is not directly associated, she has a great resemblance to the goddess Nemesis, some say that is for women, others that only for her devotees.
Hekate is always here for us to learn from here and grow, not to be carried through the difficult times. Her torches lead the way but their fire can light up parts of the world and ourselves that
we don’t want (or aren’t ready) to see. The shadow work with those 2 aspects of the same “dark” Hekate, the Protector and the
Monster is part of the path of an hekatean devotee, and takes a life-long time to be walked.
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Hekate Inspires
By Stacy Mathias
My Journey to the Crossroads - Torchbearer's Essay
My road to Hekate has been a winding one. I was born the daughter of a Methodist minister and school teacher. As a child, I never believed that witches were not real. I just knew the grown-ups were lying to me. They were hiding it because it wasn’t acceptable to be a witch, but surely they existed, no matter how many times I was told witches were make believe.
In my teenage years I found books on witchcraft in the bookstore at the mall, and began to save my allowance to buy them. None of these were reputable books at that time. I read them and thought this is horrible. No wonder this has been kept from me, killing animals, digging up corpses. This is definitely not what I thought it would be, and most definitely not for me!
Yet, I still felt disconnected in church. I found no comfort there. I sat in the pew listening to the pastor and found myself bored beyond reason. Growing up as a pastor’s daughter, I could recite everything this man was saying from the pulpit. I knew the Bible, I knew prayers, I knew the parables. So, why could I not feel the peace, joy, fulfillment and comfort everyone else seemed to sitting in church? I tried going to different churches and still nothing.
One day, as an adult I was driving down a road I had driven down many times, and for the first time noticed a small shop called “Keepers of the Moon Garden”. For some unknown reason I wanted to go there. I had no idea what type of store this was or what was inside, but I had to go in. Inside there were crystals, candles, jewelry, oils and books. The shop owner walked up and introduced herself and asked if I needed any help. I explained how I came to be inside her store. She smiled and said to me when the student is ready the teacher will appear. I was confused, having no idea what she was talking about. She invited me to a back room in the shop where we sat and talked. She asked what I knew about witchcraft. I told her about the books I had read. She quickly told me no, that was not witchcraft. She gave me a copy of the Spiral Dance by Star Hawk. She told me to read it and come see her again once I had finished it. I began to study under her reading everything she recommended. I didn’t just read. I consumed every single word on each page of every book as if I had been starving and finally been given food. The doors were finally opened! Here everything I had felt for so long was validated. The door was opened.
She had explained to me that through prayer, devotion and ritual we form a personal connection to the divine, and it all clicked! Yes! This is what had been lacking in my life; this personal connection. This is what I needed and had been searching for. She took me on a guided meditation where I was to meet The Goddess. It was a non-descript Goddess as the Goddess that had chosen me was supposed to present Herself to me during the meditation. The Goddess that came to me was Isis. For years I worked with Isis and Osiris in a Wiccan fashion.
Then I decided I wanted to learn Reiki. During my attunement I saw a Goddess. It definitely was not Isis. This Goddess intimidated me. She gave off this powerful energy that was very no nonsense, very serious and quite impatient with me. I had read about Hekate before and my first thought was that it was Her, but I didn’t want it to be Her. From what I had read about Her up to that point scared me to death. I tried to think who else it could be. I was trying to make it be anyone besides Her. Then one night I had dream. It was just after my brother- in-law had committed suicide. She stood in my living room, in front of my Ancestor Altar, pointed at the picture of my brother-in-aw and proceeded to tell me about him. What a character he is, she even laughed while telling me stories about him. This wasn’t the Hekate I thought I knew about. Yet I knew it was Her.
After Her telling me about my brother-in-law, She then proceeded to tell me how stubborn I am and how she has been calling me for years, but I refused to see or hear her. I rarely remember my dreams, but I remembered every bit of this one. When I woke up, I wrote the dream down in my journal. When I wrote the part of her telling me she’d been calling me for years I decided to do some research on Her and holy crap was I surprised! Reading about Her symbols, Her animals- looking back I couldn’t believe it! She had been calling me, literally for years, and I missed all the signs, and they had been there…in abundance!
I lived in a house with a small fenced in back yard years before this dream. I woke up one day and there was a black dog I had never seen before in my back yard. The gate was closed and locked. Now I’ve heard of dogs jumping fences to get out of a yard, but this one jumped the fence to get in my yard. My husband and I walked the neighborhood to find his home and returned the dog to his owner. The next day, the same dog was back in my yard. This continued for two weeks. A few months later I moved to another house in a different neighborhood. One morning on my way out the door to take my youngest son to school, what do I find at the bottom of my porch steps? Shed snake skin! You’d think I’d get a clue, right? Nope, not me!
About 4 years after that we move again. This time I started finding miscellaneous keys, door keys that don’t open any doors in our house, small skeleton keys, old keys you get the idea. Still no clue on my part. The icing on the cake came when I took my daughter to the store. We came back home and there was a snake. Not just any snake, a poisonous copperhead. Here I was looking back at all of this thinking yeah, She’s right, I am stubborn! I began to search for any and all information I could find on Her. Most of what I found was just small little blurbs, not much more than a footnote. Then I found Hekate, Keys to the crossroads, by Sorita d’Este! I read all things Hekate that she had written. That was the first year I took part in the Rite of Her Sacred Fires. That was absolutely the most transformational experience of my life. Everything changed. I felt more connected to everything. I was inspired to write my own prayers and devotions to Her. It was as like a faucet that was turned on full force and it just flowed. To this day, each year after the Rite of Her Sacred Fires that inspiration comes and flows non-stop for about a week.
The Rite of Her Sacred Fires lead me to the Covenant of Hekate. I applied to become a Devotee, but my application got lost. I thought maybe Hekate was telling me, no, child, not yet, you are not ready. I continued to celebrate the Rite of Her Sacred Fires every year. One day I did a meditation where Hekate came to me and told me it was time to apply again. So I did and this time my application was accepted. I felt I had found a home there, with people who loved Hekate, just as I did, and it was wonderful.
Then once again I felt her nudge me. It was time to find a way to be of service to Her, our community and others; to help those at the beginning of their journey. To help guide them to Her, to help them see what I was blind to for so long. To carry her torch and illuminate the road. So, here I am, picking up the torch that has been handed to me in the hopes that I am worthy.
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Into the Green
As Above, So Below ~ The Spirituality of Gardening
By Emma Kathyrn
Plants play an integral role in my own witchcraft practices and in my work with Hekate. I make my own loose incense from the flowers and herbs that grow in my home and garden. I use these same plants as offerings on my altars and in my ancestor worship practises. I could go on and on. I’m currently saving up to buy myself a little oil distillery so that one day I’ll be producing my own oils, but that’s a dream for another day, however it goes to show the scope of how far you can take your working relationship with plants.
If you find yourself building a strong relationship with plants then you should consider working with them in a spiritual manner, letting them form part of your own spirit of place or nature spirits.
Things To Make
All of these items can be used in your devotional work with our beloved Hekate.
- Incense blends are easy to make. You can create incense specific to what you need simply by grinding up leaves and flowers and burning them on charcoal.
- Make ointments by steeping dried plant matter in coconut or olive oil, either on a warm window sill for a few weeks or on low heat in a slow cooker for several hours. Strain the plant matter and jar the oil. Keep refrigerated.
- Tinctures can be made by steeping dried plant matter in good quality vodka, rum, or brandy. Leave for a couple of weeks, then strain the plant matter. Alcohol causes the non-water soluble goodness from the plant to be extracted.
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The Hekatean Path
by Femi Heqet
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One day Hekate told me: “You shall start a group of Warrior Witches! Use my Instruments and the Magick I share with you to fight the evil in this world!”
So as a Servant of our Mother, I began. I had no idea what She was talking about at first, so I had to meditate on how to do this task. She showed me this group of Witches, initiated or not, united in Her Name and fighting magickally using binding and protection spells to save this world.
One week later, our Facebook group was created. Today we have 66 “Warrior Witches” from different parts of the world; Canada, USA, Wales, Brazil, and Italy all gathering on Dark Moons to FIGHT EVIL!
And this was our latest work when we were called to help our Ukrainian fellows during these sad times of war.
Warrior Witches
Together for
Peace in Ukraine
Collective Binding Spell
This is a collaborative Spell written by Warrior Witches Jenuine Nation, Inga Garnier, and Femi Heqet.
Ritual
Items: 1 black candle for Hekate with a candle holder, 1 golden candle for Ukraine, 1 black candle for binding, salt, a Ukrainian and a Russian flag painted or printed on a paper - the Russian flag on the right (East) and the Ukrainian flag on the left (West), black thread, scissors, a photo of president Vladimir Putin, a cauldron or ashtray, the Tarot card of the Tower, a bowl or incense holder to burn herbs/incense, and additional ritual tools mentioned below.
Creatrix Magick Torchbearers: Place your Key close to the Ukrainian flag and your Sickle close to the Russian flag. You are going to crack your Whip 13 times when saying the binding words further down in the ritual.
Prior to Ritual: Take a purification bath or shower and put on clean clothes or a black robe if you prefer. Set up your altar with the candle for Hekate and a bowl with Her herbs burning or burn incense in an incense holder.
Purify your sacred space and yourself and do a short meditation to affirm your intent of the ritual. Play meditation or shamanic music if you choose or do some drumming and chanting.
10-15 minutes before the Rite: Cast your circle starting in the North and calling the energies of the 5 directions, beginning with the East. You can also call a totemic animal if you wish or your Spirit animal.
During the Ritual:
Light the black candle for the Goddess Hekate and say the petition:
We invoke Thee, Hekate Soteira, the Saviour,
To deliver us thy Magick to protect and save the people of Ukraine!
We invoke Thee, Hekate Brimo, to bind the evil work of
President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
Against the people of Ukraine!
O’ Holy Mother of Witches,
Help us burn his mind and consciousness with thy sacred Fire
Causing him to regret his acts and change the course of his actions, to stop this war!
Tie the candle representing Putin with the black thread. As you are wrapping the thread around the candle, say out loud: “I bind you Putin and all your evil intentions” three times. Tie a knot and trim the thread. Then continue:
Please hear me, beloved Mother of Gods and humans,
Almighty Hekate, Queen of Witches and Soul of the World!
Hear me Goddesses and Gods of time immemorial,
Spirits of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air
Our Mentors and Spirit guides
Spirits of Witches from Ancient times
And Spirits of our Ancestors
And all the benevolent Spirits who guide and protect Ukraine
Please hear our Call and help us in our magickal work!
Light the black candle representing Putin and place it on top of the Russian flag. Say:
I call upon you to join us with your Will
And the Power of Hekate,
To bind all the evil doings and intentions of president Vladimir Putin
Towards the people of Ukraine! (Crack your Whip)
His malignant work ends now! (Crack your Whip)
Now he feels the pain of all the innocents dying (Crack your Whip)
The agony of all the ones forced to leave their homes, (Crack your Whip)
He feels all the pain he has caused and changes his course of action, now! (Crack your Whip)
We bind him and all his intentions so that this war started by him ends now (Crack your Whip)
And Peace to our Ukrainian fellows is re-established!
On behalf of all the people of Ukraine
And for everything already destroyed by his insanity! (Crack your Whip)
We bind him with Thy Power, O’ Mother of all beings, and burn his mind with the Fire of Regret for his maleficent decisions! (Crack your Whip)
Burn Fire Burn, in the name of Hekate Brimo, the mind and consciousness of
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Crack your Whip)
And all whose mouths speak his poisonous lies and spread his propaganda! (Crack your Whip)
I beseech thee, benevolent spirits, to help us bind them and burn their consciousnesses
As with chains of Fire! (Crack your Whip)
Bind their malicious tongues! (Crack your Whip)
Strike down their towers of vanity! (Crack your Whip)
Lay the Tower Tarot card face up on top of the Russian flag and beneath the candle. Continue:
I beseech thee in the name of Hekate!
In my own name (say your full name)!
In the name of all the suffering people of Ukraine!
In the name of Love!
And Justice!
And Equality!
And Peace!
We bind the Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin
And all his followers!
We bind their tongues!
We bind their evil work!
And we bind and banish their evil doings forever, in the name of Hekate!
Burn the picture of Putin with his own candle and dispose of the burning photo in your cauldron or in an ashtray. Let it burn to ashes.
Visualize Putin having his mind being consumed by the fires of guilt and regret. Let the black candle burn to the end.
Now, on your altar or a table, place the two flags drawn/printed on paper. The Russian flag on the right (East) and the Ukrainian flag on the left (West). Then pouring white salt, draw a line in the middle of the two flags (Goddesses’ wall of protection) from the bottom (close to the witch) to the top (far from the witch), dividing the flags. And then put a gold candle for glory, healing, light, hope, and richness on top of the Ukrainian flag.
Visualize for a few minutes; a huge pentagram of protection over Ukraine, shining bright gold and the end of the war. With your mind’s eye, see the images of the Ukrainian people returning safely to their country and being helped in the reconstruction of all that has been destroyed.
Take some time to feel Peace and Gratitude for the end of the war.
Thank Hekate and all the Spiritual beings invoked. Snuff out the black candle of Hekate or let it burn to the end.
Dismiss the Elements and open the circle.
Grounding and Disposal
Afterwards, ground yourself by having a hearty laugh, jumping up and down, clapping your hands, stomping your feet, or having something to eat. Dispose of the ashes on the ground.
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Historical Devotions
by Deanne Quarrie, D. Min.
Hymn for Hekate Agroterra
Hail Hekate!
Hail Hekate Agroterra~!
Huntress, you who are Mistress of Beasts,
Present in all cycles of life,
Who with your golden arrows, are in control.
It was you who wove our souls into physical form,
And who will be there at our descendant’s final breath.
Be with us now,
As we step into these changes.
Assist us, comfort us, guide as,
As we navigate in this difficult time.
Hail Hekate Agroterra!
Hail Hekate!
Hymn for Hekate Boukolos
Hail Boulolos!
Hail Hekate Boukolos!
You who sets all things in motion,
A driving force both in life and in death,
Purify us as we enter the Mysteries.
Crack your serpent whip as you move the immovable.
It is your primal force, serving as the agent of Ananke,
Who is Necessity, moving things forward
Against great resistance.
Just as you drive the Celestial Bull, Boukolos,
We ask for your help.
To turn the wheel of transformation,
As we make choices and take action
To manifest Love, Justice and Healing in our World.
Open the way, Great Boukolos,
Open the way, Hekate Boukolos!
Blessed Be!
Hymn For Hekate Brimo
Hail Hekate!
Hail Hekate Brimo!
You, who are the Titanic First Force
You, who transforms what was to what will be.
Burner, Blazer, Boiler-Over,
You, who as agent of Ananke,
Bring about inevitable change
And end all outworn ideas, ages, and forms.
I invoke you within
To purge my fears.
I invoke you without
To subdue negative thoughts
Others might hold against me.
Hail Brimo!
I call your name.
Grant me entry into your Mysteries.
Hail Hekate Brimo!
Hail Hekate!
Art: “Hecate” by Johfra Bosschart
Hymn for Hekate Therebromon
Hail Hekate!
Hail Hekate Therebromon!
We hear your bull-voiced Cry for the Earth!
In your fierce, most primal form,
You cry out.
Your bull-like roar
Warning us that mankind’s injustice and impiety
Would see an end to us
In due time.
Your piercing cry sounds the alarm.
Wake Up! Wake up!
This is your message to us.
May we heed this Cry for the Earth
Hail Hekate Therebromon!
Hail Hekate!
Hymn for Agriope
Hail Hekate!
Hail Hekate Agriope!
You of the Fierce-Face who are bane to mortals.
You who sends the Restless Ones.
You are the Horse-Faced Haunt
Who keeps the Restless Dead at bay.
Pursue those unlucky mortals
With lashes of madness
Should they bring harm to my own.
Hail Hekate Agriope!
Hail Hekate!
Hymn for Hekate Azostos
Hail Hekate!
Hail Hekate Azostos!
I call you, as agent of change,
You who travels against the flow of time
Unrestrained, Unbound, Free.
You hold Sovereignty over Earth, Sea and Sky,
Traveling over mountain tops, through seas, to the Moon and Stars.
I call to you, as facilitator of Fate
Set me free, Azostos!
I spin and spin and spin
Unclad, removing anything binding my Spirit,
Be it spiritual, mental, psychic or emotional.
I spin chanting, Azostos! Azostos! Azostos!
Hail Hekate Azostos!
Hail Hekate!
Credit for inspiration The Hekataeon by Jack Grayle
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Hekate in Pop Culture
by Marcia C. Silva
Please welcome a new writer to Noumenia News!
Marcia C. Silva is a writer, hekatean witch, devotee, and priestess of Hekate. Her mission is to improve access to information about Hekate in her native language (Portuguese) and assist people in developing their relationship with the goddess.
The Goddess Hekate for Children: Goddess Girls Series #27
“The Goddess Girls” is a series of children’s books written by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams. Each edition features a different “goddess girl”, but the primary goddess girls are Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, and Persephone. The goddess Hekate is the inspiration for the 27th edition: “Hecate the Witch” ; so in this article, I will use “Hekate” to refer to the goddess, and “Hecate/Ms. Hecate” to the book’s characters.
Hecate is a 12-year-old witch studying at the Hexwitch School. She has long, black and a bit messy hair, and dark eyes. She wears a black chiton, red and white striped leggings; ankle boots and a necklace with many papyri where she writes curiosities about a diversity of subjects - her main hobby! Halfway through the story, she even creates a "Trivia" game with these facts. Here, we can already see similarities with Hekate: her connection with witchcraft, the colors (black, red, and white), and Trivia, one of her epithets meaning “of the three ways.”
We also meet Melinoe, a daemon that wants to become the goddess of ghosts. One day, Hecate goes to Melinoe’s cemetery in one of her witchcraft classes, and Melinoe gets jealous of her because ghosts of animals start to follow Hecate instead of her. Hecate, on the other hand, is not happy with this situation and describes herself as an “animal-trouble magnet.” Later, she learns that these are ghosts of dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, and raccoons who could not cross the river Styx in the Underworld.
Without knowing how to deal with these ghosts, Hecate travels between crossroads to the Mount Olympus Academy to meet Ms. Hecate, the “adult” goddess, and teacher of Spell-ology. She does this because according to one of her teachers at Hexwitch School, she is cursed and only the powerful Ms. Hecate can help her, but the goddess does not appear until the final pages and has just short participation. Instead, the focus is on the adventures the goddess girl Hecate goes through at Mount Olympus Academy. There, she meets Zeus and even becomes good friends with Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, and Persephone, and is nominated goddess girl of witchcraft and ghost by Zeus. Again, here we see more references to Hekate’s history: her connection with animals, the dead, the Underworld, crossroads, and Hekate’s relationship with many Greek gods and goddesses.
Of course, it is not a totally historically accurate story, but I found it an interesting read for children from 8 to 12 years old. The book has 280 pages, is not illustrated, and the vocabulary and adventures are appropriate for this age group. My only critique is about a rivalry between Hecate and Melinoe, but most of the story is about friendship. With these considerations, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Reference:
Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams, 2021, Hecate the Witch - Goddess Girls series #27, Aladdin, New York, United States.
Photo of the cover by me (Marcia C. Silva), 2022.
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Cards of the Season
by Sosanna
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This issue, our reading is a past, present and future reading based on the Wild Goddess Oracle by Amy Zerner & Monte Farber for the upcoming quarter.
Past - The Guardian - This card represents our past. It represents taking the time to become aware of all things. Preparing for contingencies and making sure our space is protected. This has been a tumultuous season. We have seen struggles on the world stage from our environmental damages to the continuing pandemic. We can look at this card as reflecting back on those choices we made to protect ourselves and those around us.
Present - The Peacemaker - This card represents where we are now. The peacemaker reminds us that we will get much farther in life working together than in constant struggle against ourselves and each other. It is time for us to set aside our differences and work together to achieve the goals of all. We need to focus our energies on preparing for our future and getting ourselves in a position to help one another. We have the power within us to make things better or worse and the peacemaker reminds us that we need to begin that path with kindness and compassion for those around us.
Future - The Detective - This card represents our future. The detective reminds us that not everything is as it seems. There is something in the background that requires our attention. It will not be easily seen. We must take the time and energy to seek out the answers that are hidden in order to reveal the secrets they have for us. We need to be mindful of those around us who may try to hide things from us. We need to check our assumptions and confirm all the information we have. There is something out there we need to find out, someone is hiding something from us. That someone may very well be our own self.
What do the cards say about your current situation? Think about each one. The past, what do you see in yourself that this card may be referencing? What challenges have you conquered this past season? Think about all those things that have come together over this season and reflect on how you were able to learn and grow from them. Now the present, how does the peacemaker’s message reflect what is happening for you right now? Are there struggles going on that you would benefit from just finding a way to set aside and let go? Is there a person or persons who are creating strife in your space right now? Will you be able to take her message and find a way to begin that path to peace? Finally our future card, the detective. We’re being warned here to pay attention to things around us. Either things we directly manage or things that will happen to us. Things may be hidden, someone or something may be coming that may be unseen. The detective reminds us that we need to be on the watch for things such as this so we can respond effectively. Take the time today and meditate with these cards. Listen to their message and look into the upcoming season with compassion and honesty. Focus on your intuition and look for those hidden things in the future.
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Adverts & Sanctuary Updates
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New Membership Centers
The Covenant of Hekate has five sanctuaries run by Keybearers that are now also membership centers. Rather than applying for membership as it was in the past, and having everything filter through one person, we are now sharing that joyous responsibility. You will see the Membership Sanctuaries listed below and you may contact any one of your choosing. Best it be one close to you. Also, best to select one by the language you speak. If, however, one does not mention your language, write to one of us, using an email address below and we will help direct you.
The Sanctuary of Hekate Polymorphos
Coventry, United Kingdom
English Language
Kenn Payne, Keybearer
hekatepolysanctuary@gmail.com
https://kennethpayne1983.wixsite.com/hekatepolysanctuary/cohmembership
The Sanctuary of Hekate Polymorphos, based in the West Midlands, United Kingdom, seeks to facilitate and support a growing community brought together in celebration of the Goddess Hekate in Her many forms and names, helping individuals to find their way along the Paths to Hekate, meeting in fellowship, a spirit of understanding and learning from each other.
Sanctuary of Hekate Propolos
Location in Austin, Texas
English language
Deanne Quarrie, Keybearer
coh.membership.propolos@gmail.com
https://sanctuaryofhekatepropolos.com
The Sanctuary of Hekate Propolos, was created in the month of July 2019, to provide a space in Austin, Texas for those who honor Hekate or who would wish to know more about Her. We do this by offering occasional rituals to the public as well as “meet-and-greet” meetings to form community around the Sanctuary. Our vision is to widen awareness of Hekate and to offer opportunities for the community in ways to honor Her. We serve as a membership Center For the Covenant of Hekate in Texas.
This site maintains a shrine where you may leave prayers, petitions and blessings. Information about the Covenant of Hekate is available there as well as about the Sanctuary of Hekate Propolos.
For those who wish to study may do so with us at the Liminal Thealogical Seminary.
Sanctuary of Hekate Propylaia
Located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife , Spain
English and Spanish
Contact: Giovanna Diaz, Keybearer Languages
santuariodehekatepropylaia.coh@gmail.com
https://santuariodehekatepropylaia.wordpress.com/
We honour Hekate as the world soul and the guardian that stands at every entrance to the crossroads of the mysteries. We hold daily devotions, rituals, workshops, classes, reading and formative activities for all members as well as having communal rituals in the Hekatean modern festivities.
Sanctuary of Hekate Trioditis
Location: Athens - Greece
Languages spoken: Greek & English
Christina Moraiti, Keybearer
https://sanctuaryofhekatetrioditis.wordpress.com/
trioditihekate@gmail.com
The sanctuary located in Athens, Greece is focused on historical evidence of Hekate's worship and the learning of the Greek language as part of the path towards her understanding and worship. The sanctuary organises tours and trips in the archaeological sites of Attica where Hekate had been worshiped among other Gods or on her own.
Sanctuario Hekate Hegemonen
Brazil
http://sanctuariodehekatehegemonen.com/
Coming Soon!
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Do you have an update you'd like to share about your sanctuary? Or do you have witchcraft wares you sell or services you offer such as cartomancy or spells? Advertise here! Email noumenianews@gmail.com for more information.
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Become a Columnist!
Is there a particular aspect of spiritual, magical or creative work with Hecate you are passionate and knowledgeable about? Do you want to develop your writing skills, and perhaps your portfolio? Maybe you just sincerely want to see the CoH community grow and develop?
Noumenia News is looking for columnists - individuals who can commit to writing 300-600 words on a Hekate related topic for each edition (4 a year). We've had some wonderful new columnists join us that are covering such topics as arts 'n' crafts along with gardens and plants and more. Here are some suggested topics we could still use columnists for:
- Astrology, symbols etc.,
- Crafts & recipes.
- Study of the PGM, Orphic Hymns etc.,
- Interviews with CoH members.
Want to be involved? Email your proposal to noumenianews@gmail.com!
We are also always interested in individual submissions! Feel free to submit your art, written pieces, photographs and anything else that reflects your path with the Goddess.
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