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HECATE, GODDESS OF THE NIGHT
In these midnight colors, the Triple Goddess reveals her wisdom and healer aspects, which were vital to midwives and common people well into the Middle Ages. Hecate embodies the original Holy Trinity who held sway over heaven, earth and the underworld. Her torch of lunar fire, serpent of immortality, and knife of midwifery imbued her with primal power. A perfect symbol for those days when you need the strength of three people!
CHARGE OF THE CRONE
Hear the words of the Dark Goddess who stands within the crossroads, whose torch illuminates the Unknown:
I am the Queen of Transformation and the Dark of the Moon, hidden in the deepest night. I am the mystery of the Otherworld and the wisdom that coils about your heart in the time of your trials.
I am the soul of nature that gives form to the universe; it is I who await you at the end of the Spiral Dance. Most ancient among Goddesses, let my worship be within the heart that has truly tasted life, for behold all acts of craft and art are my pleasure and my greatest ritual is love itself. Therefore let there be beauty in your strength, compassion in your wrath, power in your tolerance, and discipline balanced through mirth and reverence.
You who seek to see me and seek to behold my true face shall know that all your searching and efforts will one day come to an end. For the mystery shall be unveiled. Look no further than within yourself in order to look into my eyes.
Behold! I have been with you from the very beginning, the comforting hand that nurtured you in the dawn of life, and the loving embrace that awaits you at the end of each life, for I am that which is attained at the end of the dance, and I am the womb of new beginnings. At the end of the Spiral you shall cease to imagine and come to know.
TOOLS
Athame.
Fire.
Paper and Red Pens.
Banishing Incense.
Hecate Incense: 3 parts Sandalwood
2 parts Cypress (can be substituted with pine or Mayan) - A few drops of Cypress Essential Oil can be used in place of herb.
1 part Spearmint or Peppermint.Black candle.
A Key, A Rope and A Dagger for the altar.
Honey (For offering).
Chalice (with wine or fruit juice).
PREPARATIONS
The Altar and the fire is prepared. The participants are asked to write on a piece of paper the negative things or fears they wish to banish. The incense pouches are prepared and put into a basket on the altar. An index card with the Dark Goddess supplication is placed near the fire.
THE RITUAL
PRIESTESS:
Introduction of the Goddess Hecate - (presented to the participants before ritual)Hecate is the oldest Greek tri-form goddess. She is at the same time the three-phased Moon, and, in particular, it's dark phase. She is the Dark Mother, or Crone aspect and a major deity of the Dianic tradition. Hecate is sometimes seen as the third aspect of the Trinity Persephone/Demeter/ Hecate for it is Hecate who leads Demeter to her daughter. She is a "dark" goddess, associated with magic and the night. She is often portrayed with 3 heads or with a 3 headed dog.
She was worshipped mostly at crossroads where offerings were left for her, known sometimes as "Hecate's Suppers", were left there late at night on the eve of the full Moon. The person leaving the food walked away without looking back, for fear of confronting the goddess face to face. This was a way of honoring the threefold goddess where one could look three ways at once.
On the altar are her three sacred symbols: A Key, A Rope and A Dagger. With the Key to the underworld, Hecate unlocks the secrets of the occult mysteries and knowledge of afterlife. The Rope symbolizes the umbilical cord of rebirth and renewal and the Dagger or Athame is a symbol of ritual power. She can be called on during the Dark of the Moon to banish or render justice.
Circle is cast and the Quarters are called.
Priestess steps forward with Athame and lights the black candle on the altar. Placing it and the honey in the center of the altar. Taking a handful of incense, she cast it into the fire as the invocation begins. (statement of intent followed by the invocation to Hecate)
PRIESTESS:It is our will to face and overcome our shadows.
Raising the Athame.Oh Dark Mother hear our call. Hecate, Goddess of the Moon, your daughters and sons are in need your wisdom and strength on this night. Your children walk with shadows when they wish to walk with the light. Fears and negativity haunt us, sapping us of our energy and our strength. We call upon you this night of the dark moon to aid in the banishment of these shadows.
Priestess indicates that the participants can sit if desired.As you burn your paper, concentrate on the things to be banished from your life. Feel the fear or negativity and then let it go as you cast it into the fire.
Priestess comes forward with her paper to toss into the fire. After she is done the participants may approach the fire in random succession OR if the group is in a circle the Priestess may indicate the next participant to approach the fire and it continues widdershins.
Each reads from a card placed by the fire and then rejoins the circle:Hecate, beautiful Crone of Night
I call upon you to put things right.
Transform the negative thought, fear and pain
And help my life be whole again.
This continues until each participant has approached the fire. After all the participants have approached the fire and returned to the circle the Priestess reclaims center of circle.
Walking three times, widdershins around the fire, she cast banishment powder onto the fire. If she wishes to invoke the power of Hecate while banishing, she can say:
PRIESTESS:Hecate, Dark power of night
By sacred candlelight
Send thy spirits in flight
To lend thy aid and might. (Repeat as often as necessary to complete the circle three times.)
The banishments be released.
It is done.
So mote it be.
All participants state:So mote it be.
Pause.Since we have created a void by banishing the negativity in our lives, we will need to fill that void. Close your eyes and visualize a blue light washing over you, filling you.
Priestess gives everyone a few beats to accomplish this.
PRIESTESS: (While taking the chalice from the altar)As above and as below,
As the Universe so the Soul
In all thy infinite wisdom,
We thank thee, oh Goddess Hecate, For thy protection
And in that protection, strength
And in that strength, understanding
And in that understanding, knowledge
And in the knowledge, justice
And in that justice, love
And in that love, light
And in that light, the love of all that exists
The love of the Gods and all that is the Goddess
*If all participants are capable do the following, raise the cone of power. If there are participants who need to sit you may place a chair in the center of the circle. If the participants are not capable of raising a cone of power go directly to the closing.
PRIESTESS:Please rise and link hands.
Participants rise and link hands. The energy is changing, directed by the priestess.We will now invoke laughter because that is the strongest banishment of all and the best protection. As we circle deosil, visualize the happiest moments in your life. Let the uninhibited child in you come out to play. Laugh. Even if it is forced in the beginning, it will come if you open the door.
Participants slowly begins circling, swinging arms.Let the laughter fill you!
Circle continues until all participants dissolve in a puddle of laughter and tears.
Once calm starts to restore, an assistant goes and gets the bowl of incense off the altar and offers it to the participants to take with them.
PRIESTESS:Our fears and negativity have been banished. As you walk your path remember this night. Remember to laugh often. And if an old fear or thought of negativity visits you, call upon the Dark Mother with this incense and never carry that burden again.
The Circle is open but unbroken. Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again.
Adapted from Dark Moon Ritual by BreAnna Ashtara
HECATE LINKS
The Shrine of Hecate
Hecate's Cauldron
Yoni.com: Hecate
Hecate.org.uk
Hecate-Enthroned: The Band & Music
Sons & Daughters of Hecate
MoonDragon's Pagan Pathways: Esbats (Moon Rituals)
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MoonDragon's Pagan Pathways: Basic Beliefs - Circle Casting
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So mote it be.
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Leather Dupris, Domiciliary Midwife & Pagan Priestess
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MoonDragon Birthing Services & Dragon's Lair Pagan Parlor
Salem, Massachusetts
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