Honoring Hekate at Samhain...

[RubyBlue]

I would really love to honor Hekate at Samhain this year. i've been frantically searching the 'net, but all i can find is rituals that invoke Her - i'm new to this but i have a feeling that is pretty heavy.

I feel totally out of my depth..... i'm solitary, so going to a three - way crossroads at midnight or whatever would be kind of dangerous for me on my own... where i live, people don't really go out walking at night that much ...

I'm just hoping there is something more simple for a solitary beginner, something perhaps i could go in the safety of my house?

Would anyone be able to give me any advice?

Thank you for reading this.

Blessings ...

[Flar's Freyja]

You're right. I was looking for similar rituals to post in the Magick and Rituals forum and found very few that directly honor Hekate. You might come over and scroll through the Samhain Rituals thread to see if you find anything helpful there.

I simply plan to honor her by lighting a candle to her and asking her to be the one to convey wisdom to me during ritual and the divination I plan to do at Samhain.

[Mnemosyne]

I found this site on Hekate.

http://www.hecate.org.uk/sacred.htm

The site is really good for people who want to learn more about Hekate. It states that Samhain is a good day to honor Hekate; however, she also has another day coming up too. November 16th is known as Hekate Night.

Well, I think that you should leave some food out for Hekate on Samhain. Also, why don't you decorate an altar with her favorite symbols. For example, you can have candles to represent the torches that she normally carries, pictures of dogs and owls, something from a cypress tree, Greek cross, or even keys.

[Flar's Freyja]

*nods*

And She's also honored at Imbolc, when she turns things over to Brighid for her reign in the spring. I had my first quite unexpected encounter with Her at Imbolc last year.

[Mnemosyne]

Yes, that's right about Hekate and Imbolc, Freyja. I am confused about the the connection between Hekate and Brighid. From what I gather, Hekate is from the Greek pantheon while Brighid is from the Celtic pantheon. Do you consider them "goddess friends" who share a task?

[RubyBlue]

Freyja, Mnemosyne, thank you. :)

I have a fair idea of what to do now....thank you.

I thought maybe i'd write a "hymm" to Her to thank Her for coming into my life, and also to honor Her.

Mnemosyne, the website you directed me to was one of the best i've seen. Thank you.

I'm sure there is yew, cypress, hazel, black poplar or willow in the parks near where i live - maybe i could go and clear any rubbish from there that people have left, in coming for Samhain or maybe a weekly thing.

After all, it would be respectful to nature to keep things nice.....just a thought.

(actually that website has that idea and i thought maybe i could incorperate it into my life - it certainly wouldn't hurt)

I can hear the children now - "Here comes that weird lady with the bags of trash!" :D

[Mnemosyne]

It sounds that you are on the right track, RubyBlue. See, you don't have to do some spectacular ritual for the goddess all the time; you can show your appreciation in simple ways too. I really like the idea of the hymn. :) And for the nature suggestion- excellent. I find nature to be so peaceful and magical.

Brightest blessings

[Twilight Garden]

(Sorry for butting in so late on this...Just my $.02 anyway.) I rarely, if ever, work from a prewritten ritual when working solitary. I regularly leave a little offering in the name of Hekate at the end of my road, which is the entrance to old indian mounds.

[RubyBlue]

Thank you LunarMIst for your $0.02. :)

When you leave offerings for Hekate at the end of your road, what do you leave?

I presume this Samhain you won't be working on your own, but when you do (if you do) honor Hekate alone, what kind of stuff do you do?

Your imput is greatly apprieciated because i know you know a lot of stuff regarding Hekate. ( i think i recall you saying you were a priestess of Her)

Thanks in advance...

[Mnemosyne]

So how did things go for you on Samhain, RubyBlue? Hopefully, you are feeling a deeper connection with Hekate, and you are opening up to her more. :)

[RubyBlue]

Hi Mnemosyne,

All i could manage was to light two orange votive candles, and meditate....thanking Hekate for coming into my life. I haven't been so well of late and my mother was home so i couldn't do anymore really.

Do you think that what i did would have been ok?

And also, how was your Samhain?

[Raevyn]

I think anything you could've done to observe/interact would've been fine. I feel it's in the intention and the will, rather then doing the right things the right way. So in short I think you could've done almost anything if, in your heart, it would honour and recognize your deity.

[Twilight Garden]

I completely agree with Raevyn! (She can be one smart cookie.) And along those same lines, I leave whatever feels right for the day, a hair from a dog, a bit of garlic from dinner, a fossil found in the woods or the beach; but always something natural and small, that won't attract attention from the family that lives next to the mounds. It is a state park, after all and I won't do anything to disrupt the surroundings or other people. I usually do a little dedication in the back "yard" (woods) then walk with my deity up to the end of the road, leave the offering and thank her for her blessed presence in my life. Then I either walk around at the mounds or, if it's after dark and the park is closed, come home. Those types of offerings may sound silly, but it works for me.

Actually I did do a solitary Shadowfest ritual. The church was doing one on Halloween night 45 minutes from my house. I was supposed to HPS the ritual, but I have a family and they needed me that night, so the plans fell through. All the neighborhood kids went on a hay ride to trick or treat, since the houses are acres apart. After trick or treating I did a little ritual. I did a more involved one last night, the astrological date of the holiday. It involved lots of black candles, mirrors, and (yep) a dogs heart. (I was a vet tech for some years and have a dog's heart preserved in ?formaldehide? that the doctor was going to just throw away. Some people! Just thowing away a treasure like that.) Anyway, it was a great night!

[Sovaan]

First is an invocation, then a prayer. I didn't write them. I don't know who did.

TO INVOKE HECATE

Hecate, Dark Mother
Goddess of the Underworld and the night
Come

Come Hecate
Goddess of Magick
Come Hecate
Goddess of the Moon

Come Hecate
Goddess of Death and Rebirth
Come Hecate
Goddess of the Underworld
Come Hecate
Goddess of the night

Hecate, Dark Mother
Come with your owls
Messengers of the night.
Hecate, Dark Mother
Come with your black dogs
with eyes of bright red.
Hecate, Dark Mother
Come with your wolves and boars.
Hecate, Dark Mother
Come with your bow and arrow.

Come Hecate
Goddess of the Underworld
Goddess of the Night
Come Hecate Come.

--Guardian of Old


BY YOUR CALL, HECATE

Hecate
Mistress of the Dark Moon
Standing at the crossroads with howling hounds
and blazing torches

Dark Crone Mother
You light our way with dreams and prophecies
You guide us through visions and magic
In the depths of the underworld
we find you and your priestesses chanting
funerary hymns and incantations

Beside the sacred Poplar and Yew we feel your presence
And move from the darkness of our unconscious sleep
and are awakened to change
By your call, Hecate.

[Shadowolff]

When the student is ready, the Teacher will appear ~~ a favorite quote of mine for years and so true here on MW where an old post, perhaps long forgotten by the poster, seems so often to come to my attention when it is most relevent.

Thank you, all of you, my kinfolk in the Spirit...

Of late, my Beloved, my Lady Mother, has been revealing herself to me in the face of Hekate (not her only face, for she wears many, but always coming as we need and are able to receive Her. Or Him, for that matter...)

[Theres]

:)

[Agaliha]

:bumpsmili For Samhain time.

[Hekateseunach]

I have made a basic Triple Hekateon using modelling clay which I set by the hearth at midnight on the thirtieth of the month - according to the ancient custom. For me the triodotis is not necessarily the actual crossways, my triodotis is something personal that represents the dilema which I'm facing, which I set by the hearth. Then I pray to my goddess. And then when its over, I make an offering of a cake (a bird cake usually - something for the animals) to Night, when she's said to walk abroad. I just go to the window, turn my back and cast it over my shoulder. According to the Greeks it was sacrilige to turn around, so I just walk away then. Hekate usually comes through for me and helps me make the right choice. I think she'll come through for you too.

[Gnoblod]

I'm confused. What does Hecate have to do with either Brigid or Samhain?

[Darakash]

I would really love to honor Hekate at Samhain this year. i've been frantically searching the 'net, but all i can find is rituals that invoke Her - i'm new to this but i have a feeling that is pretty heavy.

I'm just hoping there is something more simple for a solitary beginner, something perhaps i could go in the safety of my house?

Blessings to you RubyBlue...I uh, well, Hekate is sort of my "Aunt" for lack of a better term! LOL...She is my Husband's Matron and well, she has decided I am worthy enough to talk to...You may notice if she comes to visit you will be covered in goose bumps and feel like jumping up and down all of a sudden..she is quite a powerful and undeniable presence!

Anyway...she has, in the past asked for the following offering, which you might incorporate into your Samhain ritual/practice/whatever...

First, crack an egg into a bowl (one that you are willing to give up)...then, put this bowl with egg right in front of your front door (the door you use most often to enter/exit your home) then...take a broom/besom and sweep your house of negative energy INTO the bowl...as in, AIM all of the bad stuff/energy, etc into that bowl of egg.....when you feel done....take that bowl of egg and now, YUCK, to a crossroads/intersection and leave it..or bury it, depending on your geography...

when you leave it, you should simply thank Hekate and ask her to take the negativity for you and do that usual sort of offering stuff....make sense???

[Theres]

I'm confused. What does Hecate have to do with either Brigid...
nothing


... or Samhain?
well, as a 'night of the dead' this is not outside of Her realm. also it is the last night of the month, which is often (erroneously) associated with Hekate.


when you leave it, you should simply thank Hekate and ask her to take the negativity for you and do that usual sort of offering stuff....
and don't look back!

;)

[Gnoblod]

well, as a 'night of the dead' this is not outside of Her realm.

But Samhain has never been celebrated by her peoples. It's not a generic "night of the dead", it's a specific cultural event.

I guess Wiccans and modern pagans may have worked out some kind of new deal with her regarding this...I don't get around on Olympus much. :doh2:

[MariThorn]

I have worked with Hekate before, and yes I was led to do so at Samhain. She is a Chthonic [sic] deity, and Samhain is a Feast of the Dead. I have never been brave enough to wander down a dark country road to a triple crossroad and leave an offering. I have done rituals and invoked her though. Something you can do is to serve peppermint tea, that plant is sacred to her, as your ale.

As for the Brig connection, I have always associated her with Persephone and Demeter. She is the one, after all, who rescued Persephone from Hades and brought Spring back. Perhaps you could use that formula instead? Good luck, and if you are lucky you may hear her hounds baying this Samhain night. That is truly a treat.

Goddess Bless,
MariThorn

[Theres]

But Samhain has never been celebrated by her peoples. It's not a generic "night of the dead", it's a specific cultural event.

sure it is. 'Samhain' may be specifically Celtic, but many cultures have similar holidays (Hallows Eve, All Souls Day, etc), and around the same time too. and if this is the Celtic New Year, then that makes Samhain a limnal point, which again is right in Her realm.

also, if you adjust the Gregorian calendar back to the Julian one you'll find that the 16th of November (the Greek festival to honor Hekate) falls right around this time too.

[MariThorn]

Not to mention that Chthonic deities in Ancient Greece were always honored on new moons. There is a new moon on November 3rd. Close enough for a good session of readings and a ritual to one of those forms of Godde.

[Gnoblod]

To me, it's like saying "Christmas is a festival of divine birth, so it's associated with the birth of Zeus."

But the world don't move to the best of just one drum, I guess. :)

[Theres]

yeah, maybe. but we aren't celebrating a specific historical event here (such as a divine birth), but rather a season.

and i don't necessarily disagree with you Gnoblod. i just feel that it isn't inappropriate to celebrate Hekate at this time (but then i honor Her every day anyway, so... ). even Hesiod gave Her powers over the crops of the fields, and so the last harvest festival isn't too terribly off the mark here either.

personally i celebrate Samhain as a group event (about the last such event i do with others), but my big nights are August 13, November 16, and the New Moons.